Author's Note: I am not in any way, shape, or form, the owner of the Final Fantasy franchise or any of it's characters. I make no profit off of this story.

Also, I would like to warn any Irvine fans out there that there is alot of bashing on the sniper. So if you're going to flame me for bashing him, don't read the story.

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Things had been quiet since Ultimecia's death. There was nothing left for the SeeD to do. Their job was to find an evil sorceress and eliminate it. Well, that was their main job, anyway. Every so often they would help out a small group. Namely the Timber Forest Owls. That was where he'd met Rinoa. Well…That was where he got to know her. He'd met her at his SeeD graduation Ball. It all seemed so far away now. Everybody was at peace. No longer being led by the possessed Matron, the Galbadians weren't Hell-bent on taking over. Esthar was being well looked after by Laguna. Even Seifer had become less of an ass these days. He'd contemplated leaving the Garden, but that was just foolishness. This was his only home. He couldn't very well leave it behind like it was a memory. Not to mention that he'd be leaving his only friends. Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis. And he definitely couldn't leave behind his girlfriend, Rinoa. Well, they weren't officially dating at this point. They both knew that they had feelings for each other. Hell, they'd known it during their journey to defeat the three sorceresses Edea, Adel, and Ultimecia. But still, nothing had happened because of his quiet, secluded nature. He was getting better, though. He sat up on his bed and looked around the room. Everything seemed so plain. It was too quiet. He looked at a black case that was stood up and leaned against a wall. He'd locked his gunblade up in its case a week ago after the celebration of their victory. Yes, it had only been one week and he was already complaining about having nothing to do. Sighing, he moved the sheets away from his body and stood up, only in a pair of dark blue boxers. He ran a hand through his hair and moved toward the clothes hung up on a bar beside his bed. He took down his pants and his white T-shirt. He pulled them on, leaving his jacket behind. This would be the first time in a few years he would be seen without it. He shrugged it off, dug his hands into his front pockets and left the room.

He walked down the hallway casually, a few heads turning and looking at him. Maybe it was because people knew him. He was the leader of the Garden, after all. Even though he'd made an idiot of himself when the Headmaster had given him the microphone to make a speech, people still had respect for him. Maybe it was because he hadn't worn his jacket. Maybe it was the girls checking him out. He didn't know, and he didn't really care too much, either. He'd gotten much better at letting go of what people thought of him. He was still working on it, no doubt, but he was getting better. A few people waved to him. Familiar faces, but he didn't know them. He knew a few of their names, but that was only because he'd once had classes with them. He nodded his head downward to say hello to each one and continued his way. He yawned lightly and looked around once he reached the large circle that lead to the different places. He wondered where everybody would be. Zell was almost always at the cafeteria, Quistis was more than likely training, Selphie would be at the Quad with a horny Irvine quickly following. He probably wouldn't have such a big problem with Irvine hanging around Selphie too much had the sniper not made such a horrible impression by hitting on every female in the group. He never liked the guy. He'd once faked being affected by a Confusion spell just to slash the guy up. He was in the infirmary for a week after. Thing is; even though he never showed it, Squall cared for every one of his team members and didn't want anything to happen to them. And that included being used by some wanna-be cowboy.

And where would Rinoa be? She was all over the place, really. But now that he thought about it, she spent most of her time in the library. For what, he had no clue.

He re-evaluated the situation. This early in the morning, everybody would be at the cafeteria for breakfast. Afterwards, everybody would split up and do their own thing. He took a right and headed for the cafeteria. He made his way into the place and looked though the mass of people, trying to find everybody. They would all be sitting at the same table. Then Selphie's distinct, upbeat, and sometimes annoying voice could be heard to his left, scolding Zell for being such a slob. He looked to the left to find them all sitting at a table, watching as Zell tried to say something, but the vast amount of food in his mouth made it all come out as muffled noises. Squall shook his head and headed over. Irvine was the first to notice him, and he waved a gloved hand at Squall just before opening his mouth.

"Hey, Squall. Where's your jacket? Did the cow and the wolf come back for their skin and fur?" He said in his usual, obnoxious, fake Southern accented tone.

"Irvine, drop the act. You don't have an accent and you know it." Squall didn't even give him eye contact. He just looked at Zell who was washing down a mouthful of…God, what the Hell was in there?

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed, eh, Selphie?" The fake accent again, and he reached next to him with his right elbow and nudged Selphie's arm. She was looking the other way, not to let Irvine know she was rolling her eyes at him. She gave a simple response, hardly worth a breath. "Mm."

Squall placed a hand on his hip and waved to everybody, saying good morning. He waited to be bombarded by their questions. The thing he hated most about being a leader was the fact that everybody thought he had all the answers.

"Hey, Squall. Do you think that we're gonna have anything else to do now that Ultimecia's gone?" Zell inquired, having finished up his plate. Probably in record time, too.

"Who knows…"

"Well, I'm sure if we find another sorceress, she's be sent home with her tail in between her legs." Zell said grinning stupidly.

Squall looked to his right to see Rinoa look at the table, ashamed. He moved a hand, for once not gloved, to her left shoulder and gave it a small rub to try and comfort her. He then shot an icy steel glare at Zell, who immediately realized his fault. His eyes dropped as did his head and he, too, felt ashamed. Rinoa looked up at Squall, who was still standing. All the other chairs were taken. She stood up and eyed him for a moment, actually taking in the fact that he was missing his jacket. She smiled inwardly. His T-shirt showed off very well toned biceps and forearms. She couldn't help but smirk.

"Care to take a seat, Squall?" She smiled politely and awaited a response.

Squall looked at her brown eyes and gave a warm smile.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks…"

"Hey, Squall. I think you should go without your coat more often. You look pretty hot today." Selphie giggled. Irvine shifted a little bit, obviously peeved that Squall got a compliment out of Selphie.

"Whatever…" Squall could feel his face get hot and he knew he was blushing. But he also knew that nobody would point it out to him.

"Squall, you're blushing." Quistis said in a teasing way.

Okay, he was wrong. Irvine got up and peeled off his coat.

"What about me, Selphie? Think I should stop wearing mine?"

"Put that back on. Nobody wants to see that." Rinoa rolled her eyes and sat back down at the circular table. Irvine sighed and put his jacket back on, sitting back down in his chair.

"So--" Rinoa clapped her hands together once. "--What's everybody got planned today?"

"I'm gonna be helping back in the kitchen." Zell said.

"By helping, do you mean eating everything that they cook back there?" Selphie teased. "I'm gonna be helping with the Garden Festival. It's getting REALLY close."

"And I'll be helping, too." Irvine said. Everyone knew that he was really just gonna be staring at Selphie the whole time and be getting in the way, but nobody even cared enough to give him any kind of response.

"I need to get training. You never know when something's gonna pop up. Gotta stay prepared." Quistis, of course. Always thinking ahead. Squall guessed it was because she had been an instructor that she was always making sure she was prepared. "What about you, Rinoa?"

"Well, I'm actually thinking about going back to Timber for a bit." Rinoa smiled.

"Timber? What for?" Squall asked. Rinoa looked up at him and smiled.

"Well, I just wanna see how everything's doing back there. I mean, with Galbadia out of there, everything should be good. Plus I wanna see what Zone and Watts are doing. I wonder if they've even gotten back, yet…Anyway, I just want to check up on the place. Haven't been there in a long time." She replied. Everyone watched Zell get up with his plate and head back for the line.

"Oh, Lord. You're eating AGAIN, Zell? It's amazing how slim you are with how much you eat. And you don't do anything else!" Selphie brought her palm to her forehead and shook her head. Zell didn't even give a response.

"Squall, I was hoping you'd come with me to Timber. Bodyguard and all." Rinoa tilted her head to the side when she looked up at him.

Squall looked down to her with a puzzled look on his face. Back when they first met, he would have asked what she needed a bodyguard for. Since there were no Galbadians in Timber anymore, there wasn't much to be protected from. The only real problems would be the monsters outside of the town, which he was sure she could handle. Given her appearance, one wouldn't think she was as powerful as she was. He often wondered why she used that little projectile weapon when she could annihilate just about anything with her magic. Not to mention that her compatibility with magic was much more than anybody else's, given the fact that she was a sorceress. If Squall were to cast an Ultima spell, it would pale in comparison to when Rinoa used one. Its affects would be increased past fifty fold, easy. It was a scary thing, but so long as she was on their side, nothing could go bad. And even then…Squall had once sworn to stay at her side, even if she went bad. He would be her knight. He meant it then, and he always would.

"Sure…When are you thinking about leaving?" Squall inquired.

"A day or two. I'm really hoping to get there soon. It's been so long…"

"Alright. Quistis--" He looked across the table to his former instructor sitting cross legged, looking at him over her glasses. "--I'll have to ask you to take management while I'm gone."

"You can count on me." Quistis smiled.

And he really could. People always seemed to overlook Quistis when she was a very talented fighter. Responsible, dedicated, and would do just about anything to help her team. She'd done a lot of good throughout their journey, and Squall was confident that she could take care of the Garden.

"Thanks. Just be sure to keep an eye on things." He rolled his eyes towards Irvine with his last word, who was staring at Selphie's upper places. He shook his head and looked at Rinoa's plate. Seeing as how she was done, he picked it up with his right hand and flung it at Irvine's hat. The plate knocked the sniper's hat off and both fell to the floor. The plate shattered and the entire cafeteria got silent and all eyes were in Irvine who was kneeling on the floor next to the broken pieces of porcelain. He dusted his hat off and stood up, palms flat on the table, leaning over to whisper to Squall.

"What the fuck was that for?" His accent was gone.

"For checking out Selphie. Next time it'll be your face. By the way…Nice accent." Squall smirked. Irvine's face flushed and he looked around, noticing that everyone was staring at him. His face became a wild red and he kneeled down to start picking up what was left of the plate. Rinoa was smiling at Squall having embarrassed the annoying sniper, and Selphie mouthed a 'Thank you' to Squall, who nodded to her. He then looked to Rinoa.

"So I guess we should get packing? The Ragnarok should get us there in a few minutes, so at least we don't have to worry about a long trip there."

The monstrous ship they'd stumbled across while out in space. Rinoa and Squall wouldn't be there today had it not been for that ship. But Squall was right. It was a ship designed to travel in space. Making it halfway across the map was no feat for something meant to go to other planets.

"Alright, let's go!" Rinoa clapped once and took Squall's wrist and began pulling him away and out of the cafeteria. He hadn't even gotten a chance to eat, but he didn't mind too much.

"Hey, Selphie…" Quistis tried to get Selphie's attention while Irvine left to throw away the shattered plate.

"Yeah?" Selphie perked up and faced Quistis with a curious look on her face.

"Have you ever been interested in Squall?" Quistis gave the brunette a knowing smile.

"Who hasn't? I'm sure even the guys have. Why?" Selphie smiled back, knowing Quistis was up to something.

"I think we both want a taste of what he's really made of." Quistis smirked

"What've you got planned?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet…But we can both have a shot at him." Quistis watched Squall get dragged away helplessly. She was friends with Rinoa, but…Come on. She couldn't keep that wolf to herself. It just wasn't fair.

Squall sat on Rinoa's dorm room bed as she rummaged through her dressers, pulling out clothes. She didn't seem to be paying much attention to the fact that Squall was there; she wasn't being very discreet with her undergarments. And Squall couldn't help but notice the fact that she had taken out a black thong. He held back a laugh, realizing he'd never thought about it. Now that he did, he realized that she didn't wear a bra with her regular blue dress…Thing. And the black bodysuit, he guessed was her underwear. He hadn't seen any kind of panty line following her on the many ladders they'd been on. He was a quiet person, but he was still a human. He still had hormones and he still had needs. Temptations of the flesh got to everybody, quiet or not.

Rinoa was folding up things and placing them neatly in a suitcase. He watched her take out a whitish gold dress. The same dress she'd worn the night they met. He arched his brows.

"What's that for?" He inquired

"What, you think we're just gonna sit around the whole time? We're going out and having fun."

"I guess I never thought of Timber as the fun kinda place. I figured Deling was more of the 'night out' city."

"It is, but Timber will do. Plus, I know a few secrets about the town that most people don't have a clue about."

"Really…And what are those?"

"You'll just have to find out!" She smiled and winked before turning back around and continuing her packing.

He couldn't help but smile. She knew how to make things fun, that was for sure. Once she was through packing, she took a seat next to Squall and gave him a soft slap on his thigh.

"So!" That was all she said. Squall looked at her, puzzled.

"So…?"

"Ever since the battle with Ultimecia you've been kinda distant from everybody. More than usual. Did something happen?" Her regular aura of happiness was now one of concern and her eyes showed worry while she tried her best to keep her facial expression one that was comforting. The fact that she was even trying made him feel a little better. He took in a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. His grayish blue eyes locked onto her mocha orbs and he began to speak.

"When you were all unconscious from the fight and you were put back into the original dimensions…I was the only one left fighting her. And when it was all over…I was stuck. I wasn't anywhere. I was in complete darkness, running around…Trying to find everybody. But I couldn't. Somehow I wound up on this rocky path. Surrounded only by more of that path. The sky was gray. It was absolute nothingness. So I walked. I walked, hoping I would find you. I kept walking for what seemed to be ages. Then I finally found the end. But there was nothing there. The path had just stopped and there was nothing but gray. So I turned around, ready to try to find you with what little energy I had left. But when I turned around, I was on a island surrounding by nothing. That's when I gave up. I started remembering everything. When I met you…Chasing after you in space. And then I saw you floating in space and…" He looked down.

"It's okay…" Rinoa put a hand on his arm and rubbed up and down slowly.

"And I wasn't there to save you. The helmet shattered and you were lost forever." His voice was starting to get shaky, but he wouldn't allow himself to cry. Not in front of her. He drew in sputters of air, but it was getting harder to breathe and his body began to shake with his breath.

"And that's when it was all over. I knew I was gonna die. I fell down and watched. A feather came down and that was the last thing I remember. Then everything went black."

Rinoa remembered. She'd found him not breathing, not moving, his skin cold, body lifeless. And then, out of nowhere, the sky receded and the dead, dry wasteland that Rinoa had been walking on became a large field. The field behind Edea's house. She didn't know how it happened, but she didn't care to think about it the moment she noticed Squall moving.

"You know the rest…But the point is…I realized that it could happen again. We could get separated again and I might not be so lucky. But if I hadn't been so dependant on you then I wouldn't have been so--"

"Shut up, Squall! Don't you dare say it!" Her head was hanging and Squall noticed small drops of water falling onto the bed, wetting the sheets. "You're not leaving. I won't let you. You promised me that I'd always be able to find you. You're not going back on your word, Squall! When are you going to stop being so distant? We're not working against you!"

"I know, Rinoa, but--"

"Don't talk your way out of it. It won't work."

"I wasn't trying to. I wasn't saying I was going to leave. I was saying that I thought it would be better if I just went away for a little while. A week or so. Just to gather my thoughts." Squall suggested. Rinoa rubbed her eyes dry and sniffled a few times before looking up at Squall with glossy eyes. Even when she was sad, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

"You can leave the Garden for a week. But you're coming with me. We'll stay in Timber a little longer than planned. Maybe go somewhere else. You don't need to be alone to make big decisions."

"Rinoa, that's not what I was trying to get at. I think I need to be alone for--"

"Nope, you're coming with me. I promise, you'll have reached a decision by the end of our little vacation. And I won't take no for an answer." She gave him a slight wink and stood up and started packing more clothes since they were going to be gone longer than originally planned.

Once Rinoa was done packing, she and Squall went to his dorm and began picking out clothes.

"Just two days, Squall. You'll be fine." Rinoa said, rummaging through his closet.

"Yeah…Right."

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First chapter complete. Reviews are greatly appreciated.