They reached the hotel shortly, and Seifer parked the van around back. "Now get out, go through the kitchen, and meet us on the third floor, room 319," he instructed, not waiting for an answer before grabbing Quistis and pulling her around the front.
     Paige watched him go, silently, then snuck a look behind her. Joe was untying an elderly person-his grandfather-while carrying on an enthusiastic conversation his mouth stretched in a contagious grin. A grin that always made her heart melt. Not that she'd ever tell him that of course. As if on command, he look up, his green eyes searing into her gray ones, and he smiled. Willing her heart to stop pounding so loudly, Paige raised an eyebrow and turned away, not seeing the way his smile faded.
     Pasting a gentle smile on her face, Paige squatted beside a young boy with unruly curly brown hair and dark eyes. "Hey Blaine," she said softly, quickly untying his bound hands and brushing his mop of curls off of his face. She met his eyes and watched his lower lip tremble before pulling him to her. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
     "Are you gonna be hurt, Paige? Are you gonna die?" he whispered, eyes shining with unshed tears.
     "Of course not," she responded gently, even though the thought had occurred to her. "I have to protect you."
     "Paige.what happened to Rinoa?" Blaine asked, twisting his hands together even as he leaned against her.
     Paige sucked in her breath and rose to a standing position. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and smiling down at him. "Wherever she is, I'm sure she's fine. Rinoa can take care of herself." On that, Paige nearly choked. She'd had to bale Rinoa out of several sticky situations, since that silly projectile weapon didn't work at close range.
     "She's the princess," a male voice said from beside her, close to her ear. Paige turned her head, watching as Joe tossed the tiny Blaine into the air and caught him in a hug. "The princess will return to rule, don't worry."
     Her heart fell, and her eyes shimmered with tears that she quickly blinked away. Of course she wasn't good enough to lead. Rinoa was the princess and all her subjects wanted her return. All but one. And of course Joe loved Rinoa, too, even though she hadn't contacted them in almost two years. Angry, Paige marched to the head of the group, her black boots clumping on the hard concrete.
     "Everyone, listen up," she tried, but no one ceased talking. "Hey, you guys..." Still nothing. "I have an..." Conversations continued to buzz around her. In exasperation, she threw up her hands and strode into the hotel, the long chain on her belt clinking with every step.
     Joe watched her go, before handing Blaine to the Chief with,"Protect your mom while I'm gone." He nodded at Chief, and followed the irate redhead inside.
                                *                              *                              *
     "Where are they?!" Seifer demanded, slashing Hyperion through the air, enjoying the sound it made.
     "They had to untie everyone, Seifer," Quistis answered, but she shifted her position on the bed. Even she was antsy. Seifer swung Hyperion again, and Quistis looked up. "If you're not careful, you're going to break something."
     His eyes met hers and he grinned maliciously. "Like an elevator button?" Quistis was saved from a response by the not totally closed door swinging open, forcefully.
     Immediately Seifer whirled, Hyperion with him. There was a blur of gray and a flash of color, followed by the clang of metal. Quistis remained on the bed, but her hand rested on the handle of Save the Queen.
     Seifer's jade eyes stared deep into a pair of gray ones, and as he recognized the face, his grip loosened, but the blade didn't drop. Likewise, the leader of the Blinders kept the gunblade caught between the knives of her fan, and her other knife at Seifer's throat. His eyes flickered as he realized the proximity of her weapon to his throat, and simultaneously, the two moved apart, dropping their weapons to their sides.
     "You would have lost if I hadn't checked my swing," Seifer growled. "Or even if we had kept that position, because I'm stronger." Angry at himself for letting a non-military trained girl stop him, his eyes dared her to challenge his statement.
     Paige acknowledged the challenge with a nod, but flipped the fan back into one knife and slipped them away. "I believe you." She rolled her burning shoulders.
     Quistis rose then, and went to stand beside Seifer, calmly appraising the girl in front of them.
     She was taller than Quistis by almost three inches, but her high boots added to that, and so Quistis was pretty sure they were close to the same height. Her red hair was streaked with gold and it fell across her eyes, eyes the color of a dusty diamond, with hints of blue near the centers. She had a snug black shirt on that had only one long sleeve, and a small silver chain ran underneath it. On her other bare arm, she had a dark green arm warmer, with fingerless gloves. Secured over that were a bunch of black straps, including over her knuckles, and a slot that held her knives. She had low riding green and blue plaid pants with a silver chain wrapped around her hips, a chain that Quistis was pretty sure wasn't just for use as a belt.
     "You're very fast," Quistis finally said.
     "I have to be." There was silence for a long moment, before Paige spoke again. "Are you going to tell me what's going on? I didn't realize that Balamb sent SeeDs to kill those who couldn't pay their fee."
     Both SeeDs stiffened. "We don't," Quistis replied, coldly.
     "Rueday sent us to kill you!" Seifer snapped. "And we saved your ass."
     "How? I'm here, right?" Her haunted gray eyes sharpened as if expecting an attack any moment, but her body remained relaxed. Both SeeDs instantly saw it, but they recognized it for the defense skill that it was and made no comment.
     "We're not going to kill you," Quistis said, putting aside her whip. "Seifer, put down your weapon." No response, only the burning glare of his green eyes on both women. "Seifer!" Seifer snarled, walked to door, threw it open, and pointed Hyperion at the jugular of the person standing in the hall. Paige's head whipped around, and her eyes narrowed. Quick as a flash, she stuck out a hand, unflipped a fan of knives, and caught a fast- moving object two inches away from Quistis' face.
     "You could have stopped that," Paige murmured in a low voice to the other woman.
     "Yes."
     The redhead stared at her a moment before turning to face the eavesdropper, her face expressionless. She tossed the sai on the ground at his feet, and turned back to Quistis. "Well?"
                                *                              *                              * 

     "And that's it." Quistis leaned back in her chair, and pushed her hair back. Paige leaned against the wall in a corner, nearly covered with shadows. Seifer was swinging Hyperion back and forth on the other side of the room, casting periodic glares at Joe, who was twisting his sai in one hand and leaning against the side of the bed.
     "Why did this Cid guy want Rueday checked out?" Joe asked, looking up from his weapon. Quistis smiled and leaned forward, but quickly remembered what a bad idea that would be in this outfit, and sat back.
     "Cid's indirect way of sending you the help you need without broadcasting the fact that Balamb Garden helps those who can't afford them," Quistis told him with a glance at Seifer.
     "That's how the Timber Owls got their help," Paige spoke up. "Or maybe it was Rinoa's fascinating personality."
     Quistis and Seifer stared at the girl in the corner. The bitterness in her voice, no matter how well disguised, was easily picked up by them. "You know Rinoa?"
     "I should," she answered. "She's my cousin.  Since Timber is free now, we formed a new faction, but we used to be the Timber Owls.  And she was the princess."
     "Is," Joe corrected. "She is."
     "My mistake," Paige rolled her eyes, and returned to looking at the wall.
     Quistis stared at both of them in bewilderment, before it dawned on her. She sat back and exchanged a look with Seifer, shrugging one shoulder elegantly. Seifer nodded and cleared his throat.
     "How long has it been since you've seen her?"
     "Two years," Joe responded quickly, resting his head against the bed and sighing. "Two years."
     "Since the SeeD operation, you mean?" Seifer put his weight on Hyperion. "Isn't that an awful long time to have an absent leader? That's obsessive."
     "She's the rightful leader," Joe argued.
     "What if she's found something else?"
     Paige looked up then, and smiled bitterly at Seifer. "Just tell him what she's doing already. He doesn't believe me." Joe shot her a look that she ignored. "Isn't she a sorceress?"
     "Yes." Seifer frowned.
     "And didn't she help defeat that Ultimecia chick?"
     "Yes." Quistis raised an eyebrow at the apparent knowledge of the girl who wasn't considered to be the leader.
     "And isn't she marrying Squall Leonhart, because they fell in love?"
     There was a long silence. Seifer stared at Quistis, who was as white as sheet and staring at the wall in horror, and Joe was white and staring at the SeeDs, willing the answer to be what he wanted to hear. Seifer sighed and looked at Paige. "Yes."
     Joe jumped to his feet and ran out of the room, the sai forgotten on the floor. Quistis regally excused herself and went into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind her, leaving Seifer and Paige to stare at each other. No words were spoken. None needed to be said. They understood