Mute {KH/FF FanFiction} (Finished)

Chapter XXIX: Christmas

"I want to speak to my daughter alone, if you don't mind."

Jihl stared at Noctis with intense eyes, narrowing them at the college student as a warning.

"You're not my mom..." You muttered under your breath as you brought your knees up against your chest. You wrapped your arms around your legs and rested your chin on your knees, staring at the two as they glared at each other.

After some convincing, you eventually went back home after your breakdown. However, you immediately went to sulk in your room before Jihl invited herself in to consult you. Noctis followed right after, but was being kicked out by Jihl just as he entered. He seemed very concerned for your safety and your well-being, so just before he slammed the door shut he said,

"I'll be right outside this door. Bitch."

Jihl jumped when the door was slammed, which was followed by an outburst from the kitchen as Tifa scolded to not slam doors like that. Once things went quiet again, Jihl sighed and pushed up her glasses before turning to you. You uncomfortably sat there, looking away awkwardly. You didn't want this woman to be in your life. You were perfectly content with your new adopted family.

"Listen... I know this is a lot for you to take in." Jihl started. "I know you may hate me, I understand you want nothing to do with me. You think I abandoned you, right?"

You tried to keep yourself from talking to her out of anger. "Yaag said you abandoned me so you could kill yourself or something stupid like that." 

Yaag always twisted the story in some way, but always sticking to the same lines of "she abandoned you" or "she killed herself." You were never given a clear answer from him. Your curiosity of your mother's departure eventually was placed in the back of your mind, but was never forgotten.

Jihl shook her head and looked at her feet in despair. "Oh darling, whatever that man told you was a lie. I left because I couldn't stand being with him anymore. I left you with him because he made more money than I, and I assumed you would be happier living with him."

Your head shot upward, the anger boiling inside you. "You have no idea what that man put me through. What YOU put me through!"

You jumped to your feet and approached her. She was much taller than you, but that didn't stop you from looking straight up at her and glaring daggers as you two made eye contact. Jihl seemed taken back for she even took a step backwards to get away from you. You never felt this much courage before when you approached her. All the uncertainty and anxiousness left and only your anger showed.

"I want you out of my house, and I want you to let me live with my real family. I'm done with my past life. I'm done with reliving old, awful memories that won't go away. I'm done with living in fear of who I was. I'm done running away. I have a real family. I have real friends. All who support me and care for me. YOU cannot just come barging into my new life and ruin everything like Yaag tried to. I want you to leave. NOW!"

Your shouts made Noctis throw open the door, followed by the barks of Denzel from another room. Jihl ran off with the look of horror written onto her face just as Noctis ran to your aid immediately to make sure you were okay, but you pushed him away and shook your head. You told him, "I'm okay."

Noctis ruffled the hair on top of your head and smiled. "I heard most of what you said. That was very brave, you know."

You chuckled and hugged him. "I think... I think it's time to finally move on. It's time that I grew up and focused on the people who care about me. I wasted my time here focusing on my past."