Workings of a Happily Ever After, The Read online

  Chapter Four:

  Forces

  I planted my feet, eyes wide as I focused on Commander Squall's serious expression. "What GF summon? You said summoning is a last resort, so I don’t even have one with me." Commander Squall's expression didn't change. I focused on Zell. He looked just as serious. "Do I?" I asked, voice a bit on the teary side as I saw all my dreams of a long-term SeeD career go out the window.

  Commander Squall and Zell both regarded me before one turned to the other. "She said the same thing, didn't she?" Zell asked. "Isn't that what he reported? She didn't know about it until after it happened?"

  Commander Squall nodded. "Almost word for word. The sighting description is almost exact, too."

  Zell crossed his arms. "So what're we gonna do? Both times not one of our people got hurt. So I doubt they're on the other side. But what if they're on their own side? But with what went down here--and also when Gilgamesh came that time?" Zell shook his head. "We can't think we've got a chance against her."

  My face screwed up in confusion. "Can someone please tell me what's going on? What GF? I don't remember junctioning a GF. I don't remember even summoning a GF." And my voice sounded even more tearful.

  Both Zell and Commander Squall rested a hand on each of my shoulders as they continued talking. "Let's not think that we need to stand against her. Like you said, so far she hasn't battled against any of our SeeDs. I'll head back to Garden with this team and talk to Cid and Dr. Kadowaki to see if they know of any other GFs like this one. Or maybe how to summon it so we can talk. I'd rather know what its agenda is before making any assumptions either way. Especially not now with everything getting ready to go underway."

  Zell nodded. "Okay. See if you can get anything else out of Marshal. Maybe something he didn't remember to put in his report. Sure as hell could happen at least once. Maybe that survivor knows something? Wasn't there at least one in the brig? Ahndra'll have a helluva good time interrogating him again, I bet," he added with a smirk.

  Commander Squall's lip twitched. "All right. I'll see you back at Garden."

  Then he gave my shoulder a squeeze and turned to board one of the hovercraft/helicopter/armor things--I could never remember what they were called--and was transported back toward Balamb courtesy of the Deling Air Corps. Zell watched him go and then turned back to me. He smiled and gave my chin a brief pinch.

  "Come on, kitten," he soothed. "Don't look like that. You're not in trouble. You did what you were supposed to."

  "But no one will tell me what's going on," I protested. I pointed at the bodies that groaned as they were gathered into the armored transports. "What happened? What GF? What other report of an uncontrolled summon? What are you talking about and why won't you tell me?"

  Zell wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me back toward the train. "Sorry, kitten. That's on a need-to-know basis."

  "What?" I blinked up at him as my feet naturally followed his lead. "You tell me that I summoned a GF that I didn't even know I had and then tell me it's on a 'need-to-know basis'?" My mouth worked as shock and disbelief battled against confusion and. . . irritation. I hated not knowing what was going on.

  "I know," Zell soothed. "It sucks, and I hate doing it to you, but Squall said he'd tell everyone once he knows what's going on. Until then, it's off-limits.”

  Irritation spluttered and died, muffled and drowned by confusion and resignation. "Oh," I mumbled, moving my gaze to the ground at my feet.

  Zell chuckled and gave me a squeeze and a gentle jostle. "How about I make Squall let you sit in on the next meeting about it? After all, you're involved now. . . sorta."

  I reluctantly smiled up at him and nodded. "Okay."

  He gave me another jostle. "Now let's go get those dresse--"

  An almost angry sounding beeping from the inside of my lightweight jacket drew our attention. "OH!" I scrambled for the handheld within my pocket with trembling hands, nearly dropping it in the process. SLC Seifer's annoyed expression greeted me when I accepted the connection. "I'm sorry, sir. I forgot." Any minute now I'm going to start bawling my head off.

  My happiest day had to have turned into the day from hell.

  "Report," Seifer demanded.

  I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears of being overwhelmed and in a tough situation followed directly by not being told what had happened. "Radical faction subdued and taken into custody," I said quietly, swallowing again. "Commander Squall en-route to Balamb to make report and begin additional research into specific occurrence. No casualties. Continuing on to Deling City."

  "'Occurrence'?" he repeated sharply. "What 'occurrence'?"

  I shook my head. "I don't know, sir." I quickly wiped away a tear of frustration. "They won't tell me," I allowed myself to complain.

  Seifer lifted an eyebrow and then moved his focus to Zell standing beside me. "Dincht? What the hell is going on?"

  "Sorry, Seif. You'll have to wait for the big boss to get there and let you know. Reference Marshal and Ahndra's report in the meantime. The secondary one."

  My eyes focused on Zell's somewhat amused expression. Secondary report? What secondary report?

  Seifer's eyebrow twitched. "You're shitting me. Again?"

  "You got it."

  "Damn it." Seifer leaned back in his chair, a hand scrubbing at his scalp a moment before he immediately leaned forward. "I need you back here on the double to make a report, separately."

  Zell frowned. "Sei--Oh what the hell. Fine." He turned off the phone and urged me forward toward the train again. "Should've known he'd find a way of screwing everything to hell."

  But my misery had hit bottom a while ago. What was another day to wait for the dresses?