… And Tomorrow Holds so Much
Chapter One – Just to Get Things Started…
"We need to order new supplies from Deling City. Shall we pick them up or
remain stationery and arrange for them to be sent, sir?"
"We'll pick them up, a little trip would be good for SeeDs in training to fight
some monsters in a new territory." He wiped imaginary dirt from his nose and kept his
countenance neutral.
The new pilot nodded. "Affirmative. Thank you, Mister Leonhart."
He almost growled. "Squall." He exited the room, shutting the door with force.
The new pilot turned to Xu. "Um, what's stuck up his butt?"
Xu chewed her lip. "Have more respect for your superiors, or you will quickly
lose status with any other SeeDs. He was being nice to you."
The young pilot swallowed. "He's worse?"
"Not worse, but he tends to be distant sometimes. Especially when something's
wrong with his wife."
"Someone married that guy?"
"Yes. Obviously you don't know of a sorceress named Ultimecia, a plan
involving time-compression, a woman named Edea-"
"Headmaster Cid's wife?"
"YES. And how the evil sorceress and the world was saved from complete
destruction by a young SeeD named Squall Leonhart. And might I mention the earth-
shattering romance that fueled his battle with the sorceress."
The pilot felt very stupid. "Oh… was that before my time?"
Xu laughed. "HELL no! That was a year ago!" She managed to give him a
degrading look. "Obviously you come from under a rock, new pilot. You've heard
nothing of this?"
The new pilot stared at the ground. "Um. I was in a coma."
"A coma," Xu said incredulously.
"Yes, Mister Xu!"
"MISS! Are you blind?"
"Uh, NO! I was raised in the Lunar Base, where they keep Adel. I wonder if she's
still up there…"
Xu slapped her forehead.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rinoa bent over the toilet, emptying her stomach of the hot dogs from the
cafeteria. Zell was nuts to like those things. Did they make them for Moomba intestines?
She flushed and dragged herself to the sink to wash up.
She heard the dorm door open and turned to see Squall, and smiled despite her
aching stomach. "Hi, you."
Squall picked up on in the weariness in her voice. He rushed over and took her in
his arms possessively. "Are you OK?"
Rinoa smiled weakly. "I don't know what I was thinking when I ate four hot
dogs."
Squall pulled back and looked into Rinoa's eyes. He grinned. "Get sick?"
She didn't break the stare. "A little. Just too full, I guess."
He laughed to himself and then out loud.
Rinoa got mock-suspicious. She released Squall from the embrace and placed her
hands on her hips. "Well Mister, what's so funny?"
Squall grabbed her hand. "Until you brush your teeth I'm not kissing you."
Rinoa's eyes sparkled. "What have you got in mind, Squall? You have to work!"
"If telling a new pilot where to ship goods is work... I'm DONE for the day." He
seemed to muse to himself silently a moment. "Rinoa, meet me outside of the Garden
when you're done 'freshening up.' I've got a surprise for you."
She smiled and waved him from the room, running to their closet to find a dress.
~*~*~*~*~
Quistis crossed her arms. "Zell, I don't believe this is a wise decision on your
part."
Zell rolled his eyes. "And why not, Q-bert?"
Quistis laughed and brushed some hair from her face. "Quit calling me that, or I'll
tell Squall 'yes' to that pressing question of his."
"What's that?"
"The one regarding your sexuality."
Zell stood up and punched at the air. "STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW, QUISTIS!
YOU DAMN WELL TELL SQUALL THAT, TOO!"
"Kidding!" She said softly and jokingly.
Zell sat down. "Anyway, you can't tell me what is a good choice and what is a
bad one. I'll have a hot-dog eating contest with Irvine if it kills me."
Quistis smiled. "I dunno, Zell, Irvine's got a good mouth on him…"
Zell took that in more ways than one. He slitted his eyes at Quistis.
"Kidding!" She said again. "You're becoming like Squall was. Lighten up." She
lowered her voice mockingly. "You know you're my number one stud anyway."
Best friends can be strange. Zell put his arm around Quistis. "Hey, Q-bert, you,
me, LOTS of hot dogs, and toppings…"
Quistis pulled away and gave him a strange look. "Honestly. I don't have the
slightest idea what comes over me when I am around you. I am whole new person."
Zell appeared proud.
She went on. "Not that it's a good thing, Zell. If I hadn't become an instructor
again I don't know what I would have done. If I didn't have my work to concentrate on,
who knows? I could be drinking myself silly in Timber or… HA…even sleeping with
you or something." Quistis laughed.
Zell laughed, too, though he took a serious blow from the last comment.
Squall came into the cafeteria. He walked over to the table where Quistis and Zell
were seated. "Hi. Zell… do they have any ginger ale here?"
Zell grinned triumphantly. "Oh yeah, and orange soda and grape soda and root
beer and…"
Squall smiled unnoticeably. "Thanks, Zell, you can stop now."
"Oh, sorry, man."
"Sure."
"Where's Rinoa?" Quistis asked, practically expecting the newlyweds to be stuck
to each other.
"In our dorm. She's a little ill because she ate the hot dogs..."
"Hey, I was the one who told her they were ok!" Zell said, realizing just how
stupid he now looked.
And Squall and Quistis shared a glance and raised their eyebrows at Zell.
"Is she ok?" was all he asked.
"Fine," Squall said with a smile. "I'm going to get her some ginger ale to settle
her stomach and then we'll… relax," he said before approaching the counter and asking
for the drinks.
"Relax my ASS!" Zell mumbled with a goofy grin on his face.
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Is that all you ever think about? You need to show more
maturity…"even as she was saying this, though, Zell was grinning that idiotic grinning,
pointing at her, then him, then his crotch, and nodding. Quistis laughed hard as Squall
walked back by the table.
"The day Quistis sleeps with YOU Zell, I'll sleep with you, of course then that
defeats the whole purpose of you being gay…" he mumbled.
"Dammit, Squall, I ain't gay! Besides, only a man's man participates in the First
Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest between me and Irvine!"
"We all know who'd win that." Squall said.
Zell stuck his thumb out at his chest. "Thaaat's me!"
Quistis smiled and caught herself before she sighed.
~*~*~*~
Rinoa admired the way the dark green velvet fit around her curves, but threw it to
the side. Too cocktail. The red one was cute, but Selphie let her borrow it, and she didn't
want to her it dirty outside. Screw it, Rinoa said to herself. Squall won't care, he'd think
I was pretty in nothing… well… make that a potato sack…
She slipped into jeans and a 'Forest Owls' tee. Staring at herself in the mirror,
Rinoa started worrying about how sick she'd been lately. Not just the hot dogs.
Everytime she woke up she wanted to run to the bathroom. She had just plain felt nasty
lately.
"Maybe it's a bug going around," she said softly, and left their dorm, heading to
the infirmary before meeting Squall outside.
~*~*~*~*~
Squall decided to stick around for the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Rinoa was always
picky about what she wore. Irvine and Selphie had arrived, and Irvine was beating the tar
out of Zell.
Selphie bit her lip. "C'mon Irvy! Goooo Irvy!"
Quistis sighed. "You sound like a cheerleader."
Selphie blushed. "Thanks. I've always wanted to go be one for the FH Dolphins.
They have a football team, you know."
Quistis seemed only faintly interested in this. It was a lazy Saturday. Instead of
concentrating on helping students in need, she let her assistant go on call so she could
spend 'quality time' with her friends. How selfish! And of all things she was discussing
cheerleading.
"Well Timber's team might make the playoffs."
"Yeah but their cheerleaders are waaay under-qualified! Irvy wants to live in
Deling City, though. He hated FH when we went there. He's not water-proof…"
"You're planning on living with him? He's so... promiscuous."
"That's not true. He's flirty as heck, but he's serious about love. And that is
love!" Selphie said as she pointed proudly at her prize, the dude in the cowboy hat
stuffing hot dogs in his face.
"22… 23…24!" Selphie counted as 'Irvy' ate the hot dogs.
Zell was on 17.
Quistis considered cheering for Zell. He looked like he needed it. Squall stood
behind Zell, with one supporting hand on the back of Zell's chair. He stared off in the
distance, his eyes dark and cloudy. Always thinking about Rinoa.
Irvine triumphantly grinned as he shoved another down his throat.
Selphie jumped up and down cheering. "YAY! You are such a big man, Irvine!"
Quistis grinned. "How would you know Selphie?"
Selphie could only blush.
A crowd was beginning to form and it was getting pretty loud. Squall slipped out
the back with the ginger ale.
~*~*~*~
Dr. Kadowaki delivered the news to Rinoa, perched upon an examining table.
"Oh my goodness! Y-You're kidding!" Tears sprung to her eyes.
Dr. Kadowaki raised an eyebrow. "You're not upset are you?"
"N-no! I'm so happy! But Squall…"
"Will be even MORE happy than you. Just be glad this happened when you got
married, or you'd make a naughty name for yourself."
Rinoa nodded. "Wow… I mean, did it happen before of after?"
"Most likely after, but it doesn't matter. At least you didn't get married because
you were. I've seen too many patients- people get knocked up- er, pregnant, and leave
Garden out of utter embarrassment." She smiled.
Rinoa scratched her knee and sniffled. "Um… how did you know we were before
we got married? Just because, Doctor…"
Dr. Kadowaki grinned. "Squall wanted… advice."
"ADVICE???"
"Bad way to put it. He just wanted to know if he was going to screw you up
mentally or something."
Rinoa blinked. "Squall really is too cautious about such things."
"Better safe than sorry. Go tell the proud daddy and come back to see me for pre-
natal vitamins and a diet."
"Um, ok."
"Bye, Rinoa."
He is, she thought. I mean, I must have insinuated that Seifer and I weren't just
holding hands. She smiled to herself. I was so stupid back then. I didn't realize the true
value… of true love. She started crying again out of love for Squall.
~*~*~*~
Squall leaned back in the grass, staring at the blue sky, when Rinoa walked
uneasily down the stairs of the Garden. His sixth sense picked up a vibe again, and Squall
was holding the sobbing Rinoa in an instant.
He stroked her hair. "Rinoa…"
She bit her lip and closed her eyes. "Squall."
They sank to the ground and held each other, rocking back and forth. He leaned
close to her ear. "What's wrong?"
She leaned into his ear and told him.
He stood up quickly and turned away from her, running to the ginger ales, picking
them up, and walking towards a tree in the distance.
Rinoa smiled at his strange reaction. "Squall!" She ran behind him and grabbed
his hand. They walked to the large tree together and sat under it, where Squall took Rinoa
in his arms and kissed her, the cans of ale falling to the ground, forgotten.
~*~*~*~*~
"68…69…….EWWW…. 68!"
Irvine leaned back and burped.
Zell looked up at the commotion and stuffed some more hot dogs in his mouth.
Selphie was stricken. "Irvine, are you ok???"
Irvine stood up, and ran for the bathroom, Selphie following him.
"67…68…" the suspense built. Would Zell make it, too?
Quistis looked around for Squall. Where was he? And Rinoa? UGH, she thought
to herself, she didn't want to know. Love is evil, she thought, as she saw Zell stick the
70th hot dog in his mouth and a collective cheer radiate through the audience. Zell and
Quistis shared a glance, and both smiled.
Not that evil… she thought to herself, and only to herself.
Did Zell have a girlfriend? She'd seen him a lot with Samantha, that girl with the
strange ponytail, but Zell never mentioned her. Was it a crush, or just a friend? Quistis
silently chastised herself for caring whether or not Zell even had a girlfriend.
~*~*~*~*~
They leaned against the trunk, sipping Ginger Ale and staring at the clouds.
"I couldn't be happier than I am right now, Rinoa." He looked at the dreamy
expression on her face.
She closed her eyes softly, raising her drink in the air. "Cheers. To the…" she
opened her eyes and leaned against Squall. "Cheers to the baby," she said softly, almost
to herself.
"That was quick, though. Two months after the wedding?"
"Let them speculate, Squall. We both know we…" She grabbed his hand and
sighed.
Squall calculated. Let's see… killed Ultimecia, returned to Garden, cleaned up the
dump, threw the PARTY of the century. Wow.
"Twelve months tomorrow. A year."
Rinoa grabbed her shirt and tossed it over her head, turning to him. "Why did you
see Dr. Kadowaki the first time we made love?" Her eyes were clear and bright, and
curious.
Squall looked at her funny a moment, concentrating. "Oh! I wanted to ask her if I
should worry about anything."
"…Was it your first time with me?"
Squall stared at the ground as if it were the most amazing thing in the world.
"Um, yes. Yeah it was."
"Wow…" She said softly, moving towards him and kissing him gently.
Squall licked his lips. "I mean I knew what it was all about, Rinoa. Don't get me
wrong! I just, didn't really care about girls, at all, until that night when you just walked
up to me. Most girls would bat their eyes at me and I wouldn't bat mine back. I was
perceived as a selfish asshole."
"Oh, but you aren't now. Because that wasn't who you are. You're beautiful, and
you're mine." Rinoa said, with her tone changing from serious to slightly playful.
Squall smiled. "Wow, it's been a year."
"A year since you first got your groove on!"
"Cute way to put it, Rinoa." Squall's smile faded, but his joyful mood didn't.
"Happy anniversary, Squall," Rinoa laughed. "I got you a present. You can have
it in seven and half months."
They laughed, letting the noise echo throughout the air.
Rinoa saw the speck in the distance first. "Um, Squall," she pointed outward.
"Aw, what do they want now?"
"We need to put…"
"I know." He murmured, grabbing his shirt.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Where is he? Cid thought. When he spotted Quistis, she said he was probably
with Rinoa. Makes sense, thought Cid, in search of them, he went everywhere, even the
infirmary, where Dr. Kadowaki had some answers.
"Well Rinoa came by today, and then she said she was going outside to meet
Squall." She put her hands on her hips. "What do you need him for?"
"We're leaving and going to Deling City. He needs to give the go ahead, and
since I'd like to leave as soon as possible, I need him ASAP. Doctor, is Rinoa alright?"
Of course he was worried, she thought. Rinoa had been in a coma, possessed by a
sorceress. Dr. Kadowaki smiled inwardly. For the first time, something promising had
occurred.
"She's fine."
Cid nodded, thanked her and walked outside. He roamed a bit through the grassy
knolls, and after a while, spotting them walking towards him from a tall tree. He waved
his hands up. "Squall! Rinoa!"
"Headmaster Cid." Squall approached him quickly and shook hands briskly as
Rinoa said hello.
Cid wanted to pat Squall on the back. They looked positively glorious. He wanted
to tell Squall so.
"You two are glowing!"
Rinoa smiled ear-to-ear. "Couldn't be… more content, Headmaster."
The couple exchanged the knowing looks he and Edea often exchanged. Squall
nodded something at Rinoa and she turned to Cid.
"Well, Cid, we're going to have a baby!"
WHOA! Great!
"Whoa! Great! Wonderful!" Cid said as he grinned at Squall, blushing and staring
at the ground, but only in the reserved way Squall could get away with.
"I just came out here to inform you two that we'll be leaving for Deling City
shortly."
Rinoa seemed slightly upset at the mention of Deling City, but Squall said he
would meet Cid in the control room shortly. He congratulated them and couldn't help but
notice Rinoa's shirt was on backwards.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A group of spectators lifted Zell onto their hands and carried him around the
cafeteria. "ZELL! ZELL! ZELL!"
Selphie and Irvine walked towards the crowd and Zell, from his location, smiled
down at them.
"That was rocking, Irvine! Great competition! We should do it again sometime!"
"Not in a million years, Dincht! You win! Besides, I got my lady by my side!"
Irvine grinned and said bye, with Selphie smiling as well. The couple waved goodbye and
exited the commotion. As they stepped into the walkway, Rinoa came running towards
them. Selphie started jumping up and down.
"Heeeeey! HEY Rinoa!"
Rinoa and Selphie hugged and Irvine tipped his hat. "Well, if it isn't the lovely
Rinoa. How are you and Squall?"
Rinoa's eyes darted from Irvine to Selphie. Gotta tell someone, gotta tell
someone, these are two of my best friends, c'mon Rinoa, Squall's not gonna care! He's
proud!
"I'm pregnant!"
Irvine stepped back into the railing, and when he did, he grabbed the rails for
support. "Whoa!"
Selphie's arms fell to her sides and her jaw dropped down. "Oh… my… GAWD!
You're having a baby! WOW! That's so great!"
Rinoa nodded. "I know. I only found out today. I had to tell someone!"
Irvine adjusted his posture. "I can only imagine Squall's reaction."
Rinoa flushed. "He was… ecstatic." Ecstatic, Rinoa thought, he swept me up in
his arms and kissed me!
Selphie jumped up and down some more, squealing. "Where is he?"
Rinoa glanced upward. "The Garden's going to Deling City. He was needed on
the bridge for the go ahead." She smiled broadly.
"Squall and you have been busy." Irvine commented.
Rinoa blushed a deep red. "Not busy, we're in love, Irvine."
Selphie tilted her head sideways. "Awwww…." She spun around at Irvine. "Irvy,
do you love me?" She appeared almost demanding for an answer. Irvine bit his lip.
Rinoa took this as an opportunity to exit. "Bye!"
"Well?"
Irvine stepped towards Selphie. "Babe, we're going to Deling City right now to
buy a place to live, ain't we?"
Selphie's eyes widened. "You big meanie! You planned this! Y-you knew that
Garden was going to Deling City so you took me here to see all my friends so we could
go to find a place to live together and get married and start our own family! And we'll
have lotsa kids and buy a minivan and have a dog named Spot and we'll have to put
another mortgage on the house after the fifth kid is born and I can be a professional
model and you can take care of the kids!!!! Oh, I love you Irvy!" She threw herself into
Irvine's arms.
Irvine had the strangest sensation to throw up.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"ZELL! Goooooooo Zell!"
Rinoa was surprised to encounter the commotion. She paused to take it all in. And
then she remembered that today was Saturday: the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Judging by
the shouts and the chaos, Zell won. She spotted Quistis and sidled over.
She seemed to be staring at Zell.
"Hey Quisty, can we talk?"
"Of course, Rinoa. Where's Squall? Did Headmaster Cid find him?"
"Yes, we're headed to Deling City soon. An announcement should be made."
"Ah."
It was loud.
"Quisty! Can we go outside!?"
"Sure!"
The two left the cafeteria and walked by Irvine and Selphie, attacking each other
like a couple of horny teenagers… oh yeah… that's pretty much what we all are, Rinoa
laughed inwardly. Quistis looked disgusted.
Quistis and Rinoa sat down in the quiet of the library. Rinoa leaned forward and
smiled. "I'm pregnant. I just found out today." She said quietly.
Quistis nodded, without externally showing signs of shock. "When are you due?"
"Next May."
"That's lovely, Rinoa. I can scarcely imagine Squall as a father, but he'll mold
perfectly for the job. He can do anything he puts his mind to. You'll simply be a
wonderful mother. Will you be making an official announcement to the Garden?"
"Oooh. I don't know. I'd think it would be their business when I weigh an extra
fifty pounds and have huge belly."
"And what about your father?"
Rinoa looked away. "We ARE headed to Deling City. I don't know!"
Quistis nodded. "You should do whatever it is you feel is best."
"Oh, he makes me so mad! He should have been a better father instead a mean old
jerk who replaces my mother with alcohol and work! Hmph."
Quistis smiled. "Things will be fine. And they will work out."
"What's with you and Zell?"
"We've become very close friends. Does it appear as much?"
Rinoa licked her lip cautiously. "Well, you've been making googly eyes at him a
lot lately. I just thought something was up."
"Nothing, Rinoa. Zell is immature, childish, he doesn't set his responsibility
straight, he constantly thinks about hot dogs and sex, a bad combination if I must say so
myself, he spends too much time worrying about the future, he needs someone who can
guide him and advise him when he's lost, he has a fighter's attitude but accepts a
challenge without considering the consequences. I could go on!"
"He makes you laugh. He's someone you can talk to without inhibitions. Because
he acts like a kid lets you trust him more. You're more open because you don't believe
he'll be so judgmental!"
"He makes me feel wanted."
"Then do what your heart feels, not your mind."
Quistis stood up. "How did this get to be about my non-existent love life and not
about your baby?"
Several students looked up, vaguely interested. Rinoa looked around, self-
conscious. She stood up as well and began walking from the library. "All I am saying is
that you need to take control, because if Squall hadn't come to look for me or if I hadn't
gone to search for Squall, nature certainly wasn't about to do it for us! Quisty," Rinoa
turned to Quistis. "You are a sister to me, and I am not about to let you pass this
opportunity for a relationship down! Have a little fun with life! Heck I'm not twenty yet
and I'm pregnant with a child created in love! I feel so strange… but it's a good strange."
Rinoa nodded. "That's what I wanted to say aloud. I said it." She smiled weakly. "Bye
Quisty!"
Quistis nodded and skulked back to the cafeteria.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Deling City
"This is the club where my mother played the piano," Rinoa murmured, running
her slender fingers along the railing as they walked down the stairs.
Squalls arm tightened around Rinoa supportively. There on the small stage a
grand piano sat, shiny, as if it had been played lately. Rinoa stepped hesitantly towards it,
sitting on the bench. Squall wanted to take all of Rinoa's bad feelings away and feel them
for her at the moment, but all he could do was sit beside her.
She carefully rested her hands on the keys, but not putting any weight on them. "I
wish I had learned to play," Rinoa whispered softly. "She was beautiful."
She turned to him then, tears brimming, and Squall held her tightly as she cried.
~*~*~*~*~
"Selphie you play the piano?" Irvine reclined on the bed in the dorm Balamb
Garden had let him borrow.
"I love it! Since that club's here, maybe I could play one night."
"Just don't sing."
"Zell!" Selphie exclaimed.
Zell sat in the chair in the corner, chewing on some beef jerky. "Am I right
Irvine?"
Irvine laughed. Selphie, sitting on the edge of the bed, smacked Irvine with a
pillow.
"So that's the club where Julia Heartilly got her start?" Selphie said dreamily.
"Yeah, and Squall and Rinoa are visiting. Must be hard for her."
Selphie nodded soberly. "'Eyes on Me' is so romantic. I cry everytime I hear it."
"Really?" Irvine said.
"Yeah… I mean there are so many pitfalls in love. We grow up wanting to find
that someone, and that song makes it so perfectly clear that love is a one and only thing.
True love exists only between two people. That song conveys so much when it comes to
letting yourself love someone else."
Zell and Irvine sat, silent, and dumbfounded.
"That… was profound." Zell said, before slurping rather loudly on the Big Gulp
he grabbed from the Circle K in Deling City.
Irvine reached out to Selphie's hair and stroked it softly. "Selphie."
They stared at each other, fires burning.
And then at Zell. In annoyance
"Hmmph?" Zell said, his mouth full of Tostitos. His eyes moved from one to the
other, and nodded in understanding. "Ohhhh!!!! I get it! Oops! My bad!" He stood up and
grinned. "Sure! Go for it! I'll take my business someplace else!"
Selphie blushed. "Thank you Zell."
When the door shut, Selphie turned to Irvine. "I meant it all, Irvy."
"I know you did." Irvine smiled.
As he leaned in to kiss her, there was a door knocked.
Irvine stood up impatiently, grumbling, "I was going to score!" as he opened the
door.
Quistis bit her lip. "Zell here? Squall, Rinoa?"
Irvine shook his head. "I told Zell to bug off, and Squall and Rinoa went to the
club. You know the one, right? Where Julia sang?"
Quistis nodded. "Thanks, Irvine," she said before making her way down the hall.
When Irvine turned around, he was greeted by a very nice surprise.
"OH SELPHIE!" He yelled. "You make my spurs spin around," he growled
before jumping on the bed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zell munched on his M & M's on a bench in the courtyard of Garden. Quistis
spotted him. A couple of students were casting Cura on each other for practice. "Hey,"
she said softly, before sitting next to him.
Zell nodded. "Word up!"
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Why did Irvine tell you to bug off?"
"He and Selphie were in the mood… for no reason."
"That must be great…" Quistis sighed, before shaking it off and putting the cool
exterior back on her face.
Zell turned to her. "You mean that?"
"Not that, the fact that people are so in love that they just make love because they
are in love." She slitted her eyes. "But you didn't hear that from me."
"Oh." Zell threw a piece of a Baby Ruth in his mouth. "Really? They just looked
horny to me."
Quistis appeared disgusted. "Don't you think that you'll ever fall in love?"
"I have my hot dogs!"
Quistis tried not to slap her forehead. She turned to him. "Be serious."
"Maybe. I mean, if it happens, yay, if not, no biggie."
She looked away.
"Q-bert, take your own advice and lighten up!"
She looked back at him, waited for him to swallow his Skittles, and leaned in to
kiss him.
Of course Zell didn't see this coming and was very surprised that Quistis Trepe,
Instructor Trepe, was kissing him. He pulled away.
"Um…"
Quistis stood up. "Shit. I'm sorry. Forget that happened, Zell. Bye." She was very
curt with her words, and walked away quickly.
Zell stood too. "Quistis! Don't go!"
He threw his Skittles on the ground. "Stupid candy!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Squall took Rinoa over to the bar, where she had some water. Squall ordered the
hardest drink and as they waited, Rinoa slowly let the tears fade away. "This is so
surreal."
"Does it feel like we don't belong here?"
"Exactly," Rinoa said before she accepted her water and thanked the bartender.
Squall looked beyond her, into space. "Did you want to greet your father, um,
General Caraway, before we leave tomorrow?"
Rinoa gulped down a large quantity of the water and wiped her mouth. "He
deserves to know, even though he's a big meanie."
"Could you ever forgive him?"
Wrong response, Squall, alert! Alert!
Rinoa looked at Squall as if he had grown another head. "Never! I don't even call
him father! He was never a father. He was a general, and he was a husband until his wife
died. Then he wanted nothing to do with me, because I remind him of her! Well that's
immature, and mean! Maybe, Squall, I wanted to learn how they fell in love from him, or
even if they did love each other! I don't know because he never told me! Something tells
me that my mother didn't write that song for Caraway, because he had no passion for her,
only his work!"
Squall drank his drink, and ordered another one quickly.
"Rinoa, maybe the only mature thing you can do right now is forgive him."
"Dammit," she mumbled, defeated. She bit her lip. "Will you come with me,
Squall? I-I never told him about the wedding. He… never even knew we were together.
H-he found out two weeks later. Cid was talking to some Galbadian soldiers, and through
the grapevine it g-got t-to him."
Rinoa was crying again. "What am I going to do? He probably won't c-care!"
"Shhhh, Rin, it's okay." Squall gathered her in his arms and rocked back and
forth. He threw some money on the counter and they walked up the stairs of the empty
bar.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"So let me come to you,
Close as I wanna be
Close enough for me
To feel your heart beating fast
And stay there as I whisper
How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
Did you ever know?
That I had mine on you"
Rinoa silently sang along with her mother's words in her head as the walked up
the steps of the Caraway Mansion. Squall's thumb drew little circles in the small of her
back as they greeted the guard.
"We'd like to see General Caraway please."
The soldier looked curiously at the young couple. The girl was looked upset, but
strong nonetheless, and the young man looked at the girl with a reverence as she said the
words through pursed lips.
"Reason?"
Rinoa bit her lip and looked at the concrete. "He's my father," she spat out
disgustedly. "And we need to discuss personal matters with him if it might not be too
troubling."
The guard realized that this was Rinoa Heartilly, Julia's daughter. He opened the
door. "He's in his office right now."
Rinoa nodded. "Thank you, sir." The couple walked up the steps and inside. The
guard pressed a button.
"Caraway here."
"Got a couple of visitors, sir."
"Their business?"
"Your kid, sir, and a tall guy."
"Mmmph. Thank you. Please ask me before letting anyone else in."
"Yessir."
Hmm, the guard thought. That guy doesn't sound happy to hear from his kid.
~*~*~*~*~*~
General Caraway loved Rinoa as much as he'd loved Julia. So free-spirited and
lovely. But Rinoa got herself involved in activities that would get her hurt, and Caraway
wasn't about to let her run off like that. But you must let the little caged bird sing, and
reluctantly, he let his baby girl Rinoa… fly away.
A knock at the door.
Caraway looked up. She was so mad at him. She… didn't even tell him she got
married, and Caraway took the biggest blow when he found out it was Squall Leonhart.
That hurt.
Another knock.
He sighed.
"Come in, come in!"
She looked drained, but under the veneer of fear was the glow Rinoa never could
hide. He nodded. "Rinoa."
He glanced at Squall holding on to her rather protectively. He tried not to
grimace, and stood up to greet them. "Mister Leonhart."
Squall stuck out his hand.
Caraway was almost surprised at the gesture, and stretched his hand out to greet
the man who'd stolen his daughter away, though his daughter never really was his.
Rinoa looked a bit more relieved that her father was acting somewhat cordial.
"Hi."
"Have a seat, kids." Squall almost winced at the 'kids', but they sat down.
Caraway smiled. "I would have sent a china set but I didn't know what pattern
you liked."
Rinoa's eyes widened. "I'm… sorry we didn't tell you. Or even… invite you for
that matter. I really am."
Did she mean it? "Rinoa. Don't worry. I'm glad… that you found love." His eyes
shifted to Squall, squeezing Rinoa's hand like there was no tomorrow. If anything, Squall
was afraid of Caraway. Not Rinoa.
Squall did speak. "The wedding was small and informal. You didn't miss
anything," and the boy smiled slightly. Caraway considered this a minor miracle.
Rinoa cut her eyes at him. "And Zell! Did you see when attacked the cake?"
Squall chuckled. "Kodak moment."
Caraway smiled. "Dropping by while Garden load up on supplies?"
Rinoa nodded. "It was convenient."
Caraway nodded curiously. "Why convenient?"
Rinoa became very sober, as if she were concentrating. Squall looked anywhere
but at Caraway. Rinoa bit her lip and looked up.
"Well, I'm…"
Holy shit. Ahem. I mean gee golly gosh. Is she saying what I think she's trying
to say? Caraway thought silently while allowing his eighteen year-old married daughter
to finish.
Squall saw that Rinoa wasn't about to say anything. "We're going to have a…"
Rinoa and Squall looked at each other and grinned helplessly.
"B-b-baby?" Caraway's jaw fell on the desk.
Rinoa smiled broadly. "Yeah. That's it. That's what we were trying to say."
Caraway spun around in his chair, facing the wall. "Goodbye, Rinoa." He tried to
punch his son-in-law in the face.
Squall stood up. "General, try to show some emotion instead of hiding from your
daughter." If Rinoa could show Squall how to do it, then Caraway would be even easier.
"Squall…" Rinoa said in a warning voice. "Let's go. You can't change him. He
doesn't want this in his life. So let's leave him alone with his work and the bar and his
memories."
They walked to the door, arm in arm. Caraway stood up quickly and turned to tell
his daughter how sorry he was, but before sound left his mouth, the door was slammed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I saw you smiling at me
was it real or was it fantasy?"
Zell kicked at a rock on the streets of Deling City as he made his way to the club.
The streetlights cast an eerie glow on the pavement, and the moon was full, creating a
glow upon the entire area. He looked ahead, chewing the inside of his lip, and thinking at
the same time. Quistis, Quistis, Quistis.
One of his best friends. Former instructor. Confidant. They had constantly been
together lately, sharing conversations about everything under the sun. One night she'd
even fallen asleep in his dorm after a long conversation about the future.
"Is it destiny or can we change it?"
"We make our destiny, Q-bert. I mean, what ya affects what happens to ya."
"Do you think Ultimecia never realized that?"
"I dunno. Maybe. She was blind when it came to aiming for her goal."
"Do you think love has a destiny, Zell?"
"Anything can affect everything. We make have to do something in order for it to
happen. Until we do, the destiny happens."
"What if it's not meant to happen?"
Zell paused. "I-I don't think it's intentional, but it happens. People die, and that's
a part in the whole scheme of things."
Quistis looked down. "Maybe we can change things. We have before."
Zell mentally cringed. I'm stupid, he thought. Quistis is important to me. I let her
down. I really like her as a friend, but is that part of the destiny I am to make for myself?
He remembered he once asked her for love advice. Hmph.
"You know that Samantha girl?"
Quistis glanced up from her war novel and nodded.
"She's kinda nice. Kinda immature, but she's… kinda nice."
Quistis looked up, annoyed. "Ask her out, then."
Zell looked ahead just before bumping into Selphie, and realized he was in front
of the hotel and club. Selphie took a step back and winced.
"Hey, whoa! Zell! Hey!"
Zell grinned. "Yo, wassup?"
Selphie stuck her tongue out. "Nothing, butthead!"
Irvine was right behind her, closing the glass doors gently. "You two fight like
sisters.
Zell made a face. "Irv, am I going to have to disembowel you?"
Irvine laughed and Zell and he did a handshake, where you ball up the fists and
hit the others with yours. Selphie giggled.
"Idiots."
Irvine turned to Zell. "Let's get her."
"TICKLE ATTACK!"
Selphie's eyes widened in horror. "Noooo!" She tried to duck, but Irvine's and
Zell's hands began tickling her stomach and arms. Trying not to laugh too hard, Selphie
pushed against the glass doors and rushed inside.
Zell stomped the ground and chuckled as Irvine adjusted his hat. Grinning at each
other, they entered themselves, heading to the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rinoa sat in a booth towards the front, folding her arms over the side and
watching the stage as Selphie giggled and sat at the bench. Squall's fingers massaged her
shoulder lightly and he ordered drinks for them.
Irvine and Zell sat at the front table, gulping down drinks and hooting at Selphie,
and simultaneously annoying the other few visitors not from Garden.
Selphie sat down and the bar fell silent. She cracked her knuckles noticeably,
grossing some audience members out to the point of groaning. Selphie also rolled her
head around, cracking a few more joints and stretched some more before playing the
piano.
Zell leaned forward. "Is that 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?'" he whispered to
Irvine, who looked almost dreamy in his state of love-stricken euphoria.
Irvine smiled lazily. "Yup, and she's damn good at playin' it."
As Selphie completed her piece and received minimal applause from the majority
audience and a 'whoop' from Irvine, Squall nodded and smiled at Rinoa, and stepped up
to the stage, to a microphone set up at the middle.
Selphie arranged some sheet music and looked up reverently at Rinoa as she
smiled.
"Um, hi. My mom used to play piano here. She wrote this really great song about
someone she loved and sang it. I don't play the piano so Selphie here's gonna play it…
and I'll sing. This is for the couples." Rinoa smiled nervously and looked at Squall who
urged her on by smiling back.
Selphie surprised a lot of people as her fingers played the piano part somewhat
perfectly, creating a romantic tension in the air of the bar. Rinoa used all of her strength
to not get stage fright and let her eyes settle on Squall.
"Whenever sang my songs
On the stage, on my own
Whenever said my words
Wishing they would be heard
I saw you smiling at me
Was it real or just my fantasy?"
A man in the back leaned over to his wife. "That's the Julia Heartilly song!"
"You'd always be there in the corner
Of this tiny little bar
My last night here for you
Same old songs, just once more
My last night here with you
Maybe yes, maybe no
I kind of liked it your way,
How you shyly placed your eyes on me,
Oh, did you ever know,
That I had mine on you"
Zell glanced upward and found Quistis descending the stairs in a short crystal
blue dress, and her hair curled in tendrils, touching her collarbones unabashedly. She
looked down towards Rinoa and then concentrated on not tripping on her stiletto heels.
Zell's eyes caught Quistis's. She smiled slightly and blushed, but never let her eyes leave
his.
"Darling, so there you are,
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt,
As if you're never down
Shall I be the one for you?
Who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I will know that you are no dreamer…"
As the interlude permeated the air, Rinoa wiped a tear away from her face and bit
her lip as she stared into Squall's eyes. Squall mouthed, "I love you," and Rinoa licked
her lips, winked, and continued.
"So let me come to you,
Close as I wanna be"
Quistis sat down next to Zell and stared at her. Zell stared at Quistis. Irvine softly
said, "excuse me," and sat opposite Squall in the booth.
"Close enough for me
To feel your heart beating fast
And stay there as I whisper
How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
Did you ever know?
That I had mine on you"
Zell rested his head on his hands. "You look really, really, really great."
Quistis nodded, accepting the compliment. "Thanks, Zell. That means a lot to
me."
Zell took an inner-breath and reached out for Quistis's hand, grasping it tightly.
"You know that crap about destiny?"
Quistis blinked slow, recalling. "Yes. I do."
"Do you think it's our destiny to…"
Quistis gazed into Zell's eyes, clear and blue like pools of lagoon water.
Zell coughed, "Um, be together?"
Quistis smiled slightly. "I don't know."
They looked ahead at Rinoa, singing the song for her mother, a personal exchange
between the young girl and the spirit of Julia.
"Darling, so share with me
Your love if you have enough
Your tears if you're holding back
Or pain if that's what it is
How can I let you know?
I'm more than the dress and the voice
Just reach me out then
You will know that
You are not dreaming"
Squall wiped his eyes.
"Contacts."
Irvine gave him a questioning look. "You don't wear-"
"Shut up."
"Darling, so there you are,
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt,
As if you're never down
Shall I be the one for you?
Who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I will know that you are no dreamer…"
Rinoa smiled and bowed slightly as the contents of the bar stood up and clapped.
Squall hugged Rinoa tightly to his chest when Rinoa returned to his arms. He
breathed in the scent of the hair. "That was beautiful."
"Thanks, Squall." Rinoa said, before kissing him lightly and returning to their
seats as the normal pianist returned to the bench and impressed the visitors with his
astounding elevator music. Selphie dragged Irvine out to dance.
"But-"
"No buts, Mister Irvy! You're mine!" Selphie announced happily before
wrapping her arms around him to dance.
Zell stood up and held his hand out to Quistis.
Quistis smiled. "I don't like dancing, Zell."
Zell snorted. "I didn't want to dance! Are you nuts?" He lowered his mouth
beside her ear. "Do you want to go for a walk?"
Quistis stood up and Zell guided her up the stairs.
Rinoa glanced up at them. "Wow."
Squall ordered yet another beverage. "What?"
"Can you imagine Zell and Quistis?"
Squall did a double-take at the couple going up the stairs. "She makes a different
impression when she's dressed like that. Zell's following his physical attraction."
Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Take it for what it is Squall. Quistis likes Zell. Zell likes
Quistis. They are leaving together. And anyway, they're so cute together." She paused a
moment. "Didn't Quistis use to have a thing for you?" She said curiously.
Squall didn't flinch, downed his drink, and asked the waiter for another one. "I
think she's too organized, too restrained."
"Yeah," Rinoa said, grabbing Squall hand and rubbing her fingers in his palm. "I
just know there's a party girl under those glasses. I guess that why she fell for Zell."
Squall almost laughed. And stopped. "Oh no." He gulped his drink down quickly
and looked around for the waiter.
Rinoa took the glass from him with her other hand. "That's enough! If I can't
drink, I'm not letting you!" She giggled. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Squall…" Rinoa was almost whining, and Squall loved making her whine.
"I'm not telling," he said in his omnipresent monotone.
"Pleeeease!" Rinoa pulled at his hand.
Squall chuckled. "Well, I said that if Quistis ever slept with Zell, I said I'd sleep
with him!"
Rinoa slapped her forehead. "You numbskull!"
"I didn't see it coming. Besides, I thought Zell was gay."
Rinoa laughed so lightly and loud that several people stared at the couple,
together in the booth.
~*~*~*~*~
The breeze was inviting in Deling City, but the forest, bathed in the moon's strong
light, was even more peaceful with the sounds of nature being carried throughout the
trees. A path was beat out through the forest, and Zell suggested this be a good a place for
a walk.
Quistis removed her shoes and left them at the edge of the Garden steps,
reminding herself to remember to get them. All was silent until Zell spotted a log and
invited Quistis to sit there with him.
Zell put his hands in his lap. He glanced at her sideways. "Quistis. You're one
helluva friend. I just-" He paused, seeming to rethink his motives.
Quistis looked expectantly at him. She reached out and tucked a stray hair behind
his ear, one not gelled up in the Mohawk.
Zell felt a stirring deep inside when she did that. He looked at her in the dress, the
long, lovely blonde hair, the glasses reflecting the moonlight. He silently chastised
himself for what he was about to do, but she was so beautiful. And lonely.
"Quistis…" he whispered before kissing her.
~*~*~*~*~
"Prepare for departure from Deling City," Squall said.
"Affirmative, sir," Dominic said lightly.
Squall cut his eyes at him, then exited rather briskly, pressing the button of the
elevator impatiently. As the doors closed, the pilot mumbled, "Prick," and returned to his
navigating duties.
~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, back in Balamb
Rinoa lay fast asleep in the bed, her chest gently rising and falling with each
breath. Squall admired her from a chair in the corner, then turned off the light to go to
sleep himself. As he crawled beneath the covers, a loud knock on the door startled him.
Scratching his face, he opened the door to a panicky Zell.
"What?"
"Quistis! It's bad, Squall!"
Squall turned the light on. "What happened?"
"In the training center! It's Quistis! She's been taken hostage."
"What the hell does this have to do with me?"
Rinoa stirred, and Squall closed the door behind him, lowering his voice in the
corridor.
"…The p-persons holding her captive want to talk to you."
They began walking briskly in the direction of the Training center.
"Who did this?"
"Fuijin and Raijin."
"WHAT?" Squall spun around to face Zell. "Where's Seifer?"
"They wouldn't say anything. They have a gun to her head, come on!"
Squall, thinking twice, ran back to his dorm for his gunblade before setting off in
direction of the Training Center.
Chapter One – Just to Get Things Started…
"We need to order new supplies from Deling City. Shall we pick them up or
remain stationery and arrange for them to be sent, sir?"
"We'll pick them up, a little trip would be good for SeeDs in training to fight
some monsters in a new territory." He wiped imaginary dirt from his nose and kept his
countenance neutral.
The new pilot nodded. "Affirmative. Thank you, Mister Leonhart."
He almost growled. "Squall." He exited the room, shutting the door with force.
The new pilot turned to Xu. "Um, what's stuck up his butt?"
Xu chewed her lip. "Have more respect for your superiors, or you will quickly
lose status with any other SeeDs. He was being nice to you."
The young pilot swallowed. "He's worse?"
"Not worse, but he tends to be distant sometimes. Especially when something's
wrong with his wife."
"Someone married that guy?"
"Yes. Obviously you don't know of a sorceress named Ultimecia, a plan
involving time-compression, a woman named Edea-"
"Headmaster Cid's wife?"
"YES. And how the evil sorceress and the world was saved from complete
destruction by a young SeeD named Squall Leonhart. And might I mention the earth-
shattering romance that fueled his battle with the sorceress."
The pilot felt very stupid. "Oh… was that before my time?"
Xu laughed. "HELL no! That was a year ago!" She managed to give him a
degrading look. "Obviously you come from under a rock, new pilot. You've heard
nothing of this?"
The new pilot stared at the ground. "Um. I was in a coma."
"A coma," Xu said incredulously.
"Yes, Mister Xu!"
"MISS! Are you blind?"
"Uh, NO! I was raised in the Lunar Base, where they keep Adel. I wonder if she's
still up there…"
Xu slapped her forehead.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rinoa bent over the toilet, emptying her stomach of the hot dogs from the
cafeteria. Zell was nuts to like those things. Did they make them for Moomba intestines?
She flushed and dragged herself to the sink to wash up.
She heard the dorm door open and turned to see Squall, and smiled despite her
aching stomach. "Hi, you."
Squall picked up on in the weariness in her voice. He rushed over and took her in
his arms possessively. "Are you OK?"
Rinoa smiled weakly. "I don't know what I was thinking when I ate four hot
dogs."
Squall pulled back and looked into Rinoa's eyes. He grinned. "Get sick?"
She didn't break the stare. "A little. Just too full, I guess."
He laughed to himself and then out loud.
Rinoa got mock-suspicious. She released Squall from the embrace and placed her
hands on her hips. "Well Mister, what's so funny?"
Squall grabbed her hand. "Until you brush your teeth I'm not kissing you."
Rinoa's eyes sparkled. "What have you got in mind, Squall? You have to work!"
"If telling a new pilot where to ship goods is work... I'm DONE for the day." He
seemed to muse to himself silently a moment. "Rinoa, meet me outside of the Garden
when you're done 'freshening up.' I've got a surprise for you."
She smiled and waved him from the room, running to their closet to find a dress.
~*~*~*~*~
Quistis crossed her arms. "Zell, I don't believe this is a wise decision on your
part."
Zell rolled his eyes. "And why not, Q-bert?"
Quistis laughed and brushed some hair from her face. "Quit calling me that, or I'll
tell Squall 'yes' to that pressing question of his."
"What's that?"
"The one regarding your sexuality."
Zell stood up and punched at the air. "STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW, QUISTIS!
YOU DAMN WELL TELL SQUALL THAT, TOO!"
"Kidding!" She said softly and jokingly.
Zell sat down. "Anyway, you can't tell me what is a good choice and what is a
bad one. I'll have a hot-dog eating contest with Irvine if it kills me."
Quistis smiled. "I dunno, Zell, Irvine's got a good mouth on him…"
Zell took that in more ways than one. He slitted his eyes at Quistis.
"Kidding!" She said again. "You're becoming like Squall was. Lighten up." She
lowered her voice mockingly. "You know you're my number one stud anyway."
Best friends can be strange. Zell put his arm around Quistis. "Hey, Q-bert, you,
me, LOTS of hot dogs, and toppings…"
Quistis pulled away and gave him a strange look. "Honestly. I don't have the
slightest idea what comes over me when I am around you. I am whole new person."
Zell appeared proud.
She went on. "Not that it's a good thing, Zell. If I hadn't become an instructor
again I don't know what I would have done. If I didn't have my work to concentrate on,
who knows? I could be drinking myself silly in Timber or… HA…even sleeping with
you or something." Quistis laughed.
Zell laughed, too, though he took a serious blow from the last comment.
Squall came into the cafeteria. He walked over to the table where Quistis and Zell
were seated. "Hi. Zell… do they have any ginger ale here?"
Zell grinned triumphantly. "Oh yeah, and orange soda and grape soda and root
beer and…"
Squall smiled unnoticeably. "Thanks, Zell, you can stop now."
"Oh, sorry, man."
"Sure."
"Where's Rinoa?" Quistis asked, practically expecting the newlyweds to be stuck
to each other.
"In our dorm. She's a little ill because she ate the hot dogs..."
"Hey, I was the one who told her they were ok!" Zell said, realizing just how
stupid he now looked.
And Squall and Quistis shared a glance and raised their eyebrows at Zell.
"Is she ok?" was all he asked.
"Fine," Squall said with a smile. "I'm going to get her some ginger ale to settle
her stomach and then we'll… relax," he said before approaching the counter and asking
for the drinks.
"Relax my ASS!" Zell mumbled with a goofy grin on his face.
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Is that all you ever think about? You need to show more
maturity…"even as she was saying this, though, Zell was grinning that idiotic grinning,
pointing at her, then him, then his crotch, and nodding. Quistis laughed hard as Squall
walked back by the table.
"The day Quistis sleeps with YOU Zell, I'll sleep with you, of course then that
defeats the whole purpose of you being gay…" he mumbled.
"Dammit, Squall, I ain't gay! Besides, only a man's man participates in the First
Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest between me and Irvine!"
"We all know who'd win that." Squall said.
Zell stuck his thumb out at his chest. "Thaaat's me!"
Quistis smiled and caught herself before she sighed.
~*~*~*~
Rinoa admired the way the dark green velvet fit around her curves, but threw it to
the side. Too cocktail. The red one was cute, but Selphie let her borrow it, and she didn't
want to her it dirty outside. Screw it, Rinoa said to herself. Squall won't care, he'd think
I was pretty in nothing… well… make that a potato sack…
She slipped into jeans and a 'Forest Owls' tee. Staring at herself in the mirror,
Rinoa started worrying about how sick she'd been lately. Not just the hot dogs.
Everytime she woke up she wanted to run to the bathroom. She had just plain felt nasty
lately.
"Maybe it's a bug going around," she said softly, and left their dorm, heading to
the infirmary before meeting Squall outside.
~*~*~*~*~
Squall decided to stick around for the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Rinoa was always
picky about what she wore. Irvine and Selphie had arrived, and Irvine was beating the tar
out of Zell.
Selphie bit her lip. "C'mon Irvy! Goooo Irvy!"
Quistis sighed. "You sound like a cheerleader."
Selphie blushed. "Thanks. I've always wanted to go be one for the FH Dolphins.
They have a football team, you know."
Quistis seemed only faintly interested in this. It was a lazy Saturday. Instead of
concentrating on helping students in need, she let her assistant go on call so she could
spend 'quality time' with her friends. How selfish! And of all things she was discussing
cheerleading.
"Well Timber's team might make the playoffs."
"Yeah but their cheerleaders are waaay under-qualified! Irvy wants to live in
Deling City, though. He hated FH when we went there. He's not water-proof…"
"You're planning on living with him? He's so... promiscuous."
"That's not true. He's flirty as heck, but he's serious about love. And that is
love!" Selphie said as she pointed proudly at her prize, the dude in the cowboy hat
stuffing hot dogs in his face.
"22… 23…24!" Selphie counted as 'Irvy' ate the hot dogs.
Zell was on 17.
Quistis considered cheering for Zell. He looked like he needed it. Squall stood
behind Zell, with one supporting hand on the back of Zell's chair. He stared off in the
distance, his eyes dark and cloudy. Always thinking about Rinoa.
Irvine triumphantly grinned as he shoved another down his throat.
Selphie jumped up and down cheering. "YAY! You are such a big man, Irvine!"
Quistis grinned. "How would you know Selphie?"
Selphie could only blush.
A crowd was beginning to form and it was getting pretty loud. Squall slipped out
the back with the ginger ale.
~*~*~*~
Dr. Kadowaki delivered the news to Rinoa, perched upon an examining table.
"Oh my goodness! Y-You're kidding!" Tears sprung to her eyes.
Dr. Kadowaki raised an eyebrow. "You're not upset are you?"
"N-no! I'm so happy! But Squall…"
"Will be even MORE happy than you. Just be glad this happened when you got
married, or you'd make a naughty name for yourself."
Rinoa nodded. "Wow… I mean, did it happen before of after?"
"Most likely after, but it doesn't matter. At least you didn't get married because
you were. I've seen too many patients- people get knocked up- er, pregnant, and leave
Garden out of utter embarrassment." She smiled.
Rinoa scratched her knee and sniffled. "Um… how did you know we were before
we got married? Just because, Doctor…"
Dr. Kadowaki grinned. "Squall wanted… advice."
"ADVICE???"
"Bad way to put it. He just wanted to know if he was going to screw you up
mentally or something."
Rinoa blinked. "Squall really is too cautious about such things."
"Better safe than sorry. Go tell the proud daddy and come back to see me for pre-
natal vitamins and a diet."
"Um, ok."
"Bye, Rinoa."
He is, she thought. I mean, I must have insinuated that Seifer and I weren't just
holding hands. She smiled to herself. I was so stupid back then. I didn't realize the true
value… of true love. She started crying again out of love for Squall.
~*~*~*~
Squall leaned back in the grass, staring at the blue sky, when Rinoa walked
uneasily down the stairs of the Garden. His sixth sense picked up a vibe again, and Squall
was holding the sobbing Rinoa in an instant.
He stroked her hair. "Rinoa…"
She bit her lip and closed her eyes. "Squall."
They sank to the ground and held each other, rocking back and forth. He leaned
close to her ear. "What's wrong?"
She leaned into his ear and told him.
He stood up quickly and turned away from her, running to the ginger ales, picking
them up, and walking towards a tree in the distance.
Rinoa smiled at his strange reaction. "Squall!" She ran behind him and grabbed
his hand. They walked to the large tree together and sat under it, where Squall took Rinoa
in his arms and kissed her, the cans of ale falling to the ground, forgotten.
~*~*~*~*~
"68…69…….EWWW…. 68!"
Irvine leaned back and burped.
Zell looked up at the commotion and stuffed some more hot dogs in his mouth.
Selphie was stricken. "Irvine, are you ok???"
Irvine stood up, and ran for the bathroom, Selphie following him.
"67…68…" the suspense built. Would Zell make it, too?
Quistis looked around for Squall. Where was he? And Rinoa? UGH, she thought
to herself, she didn't want to know. Love is evil, she thought, as she saw Zell stick the
70th hot dog in his mouth and a collective cheer radiate through the audience. Zell and
Quistis shared a glance, and both smiled.
Not that evil… she thought to herself, and only to herself.
Did Zell have a girlfriend? She'd seen him a lot with Samantha, that girl with the
strange ponytail, but Zell never mentioned her. Was it a crush, or just a friend? Quistis
silently chastised herself for caring whether or not Zell even had a girlfriend.
~*~*~*~*~
They leaned against the trunk, sipping Ginger Ale and staring at the clouds.
"I couldn't be happier than I am right now, Rinoa." He looked at the dreamy
expression on her face.
She closed her eyes softly, raising her drink in the air. "Cheers. To the…" she
opened her eyes and leaned against Squall. "Cheers to the baby," she said softly, almost
to herself.
"That was quick, though. Two months after the wedding?"
"Let them speculate, Squall. We both know we…" She grabbed his hand and
sighed.
Squall calculated. Let's see… killed Ultimecia, returned to Garden, cleaned up the
dump, threw the PARTY of the century. Wow.
"Twelve months tomorrow. A year."
Rinoa grabbed her shirt and tossed it over her head, turning to him. "Why did you
see Dr. Kadowaki the first time we made love?" Her eyes were clear and bright, and
curious.
Squall looked at her funny a moment, concentrating. "Oh! I wanted to ask her if I
should worry about anything."
"…Was it your first time with me?"
Squall stared at the ground as if it were the most amazing thing in the world.
"Um, yes. Yeah it was."
"Wow…" She said softly, moving towards him and kissing him gently.
Squall licked his lips. "I mean I knew what it was all about, Rinoa. Don't get me
wrong! I just, didn't really care about girls, at all, until that night when you just walked
up to me. Most girls would bat their eyes at me and I wouldn't bat mine back. I was
perceived as a selfish asshole."
"Oh, but you aren't now. Because that wasn't who you are. You're beautiful, and
you're mine." Rinoa said, with her tone changing from serious to slightly playful.
Squall smiled. "Wow, it's been a year."
"A year since you first got your groove on!"
"Cute way to put it, Rinoa." Squall's smile faded, but his joyful mood didn't.
"Happy anniversary, Squall," Rinoa laughed. "I got you a present. You can have
it in seven and half months."
They laughed, letting the noise echo throughout the air.
Rinoa saw the speck in the distance first. "Um, Squall," she pointed outward.
"Aw, what do they want now?"
"We need to put…"
"I know." He murmured, grabbing his shirt.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Where is he? Cid thought. When he spotted Quistis, she said he was probably
with Rinoa. Makes sense, thought Cid, in search of them, he went everywhere, even the
infirmary, where Dr. Kadowaki had some answers.
"Well Rinoa came by today, and then she said she was going outside to meet
Squall." She put her hands on her hips. "What do you need him for?"
"We're leaving and going to Deling City. He needs to give the go ahead, and
since I'd like to leave as soon as possible, I need him ASAP. Doctor, is Rinoa alright?"
Of course he was worried, she thought. Rinoa had been in a coma, possessed by a
sorceress. Dr. Kadowaki smiled inwardly. For the first time, something promising had
occurred.
"She's fine."
Cid nodded, thanked her and walked outside. He roamed a bit through the grassy
knolls, and after a while, spotting them walking towards him from a tall tree. He waved
his hands up. "Squall! Rinoa!"
"Headmaster Cid." Squall approached him quickly and shook hands briskly as
Rinoa said hello.
Cid wanted to pat Squall on the back. They looked positively glorious. He wanted
to tell Squall so.
"You two are glowing!"
Rinoa smiled ear-to-ear. "Couldn't be… more content, Headmaster."
The couple exchanged the knowing looks he and Edea often exchanged. Squall
nodded something at Rinoa and she turned to Cid.
"Well, Cid, we're going to have a baby!"
WHOA! Great!
"Whoa! Great! Wonderful!" Cid said as he grinned at Squall, blushing and staring
at the ground, but only in the reserved way Squall could get away with.
"I just came out here to inform you two that we'll be leaving for Deling City
shortly."
Rinoa seemed slightly upset at the mention of Deling City, but Squall said he
would meet Cid in the control room shortly. He congratulated them and couldn't help but
notice Rinoa's shirt was on backwards.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A group of spectators lifted Zell onto their hands and carried him around the
cafeteria. "ZELL! ZELL! ZELL!"
Selphie and Irvine walked towards the crowd and Zell, from his location, smiled
down at them.
"That was rocking, Irvine! Great competition! We should do it again sometime!"
"Not in a million years, Dincht! You win! Besides, I got my lady by my side!"
Irvine grinned and said bye, with Selphie smiling as well. The couple waved goodbye and
exited the commotion. As they stepped into the walkway, Rinoa came running towards
them. Selphie started jumping up and down.
"Heeeeey! HEY Rinoa!"
Rinoa and Selphie hugged and Irvine tipped his hat. "Well, if it isn't the lovely
Rinoa. How are you and Squall?"
Rinoa's eyes darted from Irvine to Selphie. Gotta tell someone, gotta tell
someone, these are two of my best friends, c'mon Rinoa, Squall's not gonna care! He's
proud!
"I'm pregnant!"
Irvine stepped back into the railing, and when he did, he grabbed the rails for
support. "Whoa!"
Selphie's arms fell to her sides and her jaw dropped down. "Oh… my… GAWD!
You're having a baby! WOW! That's so great!"
Rinoa nodded. "I know. I only found out today. I had to tell someone!"
Irvine adjusted his posture. "I can only imagine Squall's reaction."
Rinoa flushed. "He was… ecstatic." Ecstatic, Rinoa thought, he swept me up in
his arms and kissed me!
Selphie jumped up and down some more, squealing. "Where is he?"
Rinoa glanced upward. "The Garden's going to Deling City. He was needed on
the bridge for the go ahead." She smiled broadly.
"Squall and you have been busy." Irvine commented.
Rinoa blushed a deep red. "Not busy, we're in love, Irvine."
Selphie tilted her head sideways. "Awwww…." She spun around at Irvine. "Irvy,
do you love me?" She appeared almost demanding for an answer. Irvine bit his lip.
Rinoa took this as an opportunity to exit. "Bye!"
"Well?"
Irvine stepped towards Selphie. "Babe, we're going to Deling City right now to
buy a place to live, ain't we?"
Selphie's eyes widened. "You big meanie! You planned this! Y-you knew that
Garden was going to Deling City so you took me here to see all my friends so we could
go to find a place to live together and get married and start our own family! And we'll
have lotsa kids and buy a minivan and have a dog named Spot and we'll have to put
another mortgage on the house after the fifth kid is born and I can be a professional
model and you can take care of the kids!!!! Oh, I love you Irvy!" She threw herself into
Irvine's arms.
Irvine had the strangest sensation to throw up.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"ZELL! Goooooooo Zell!"
Rinoa was surprised to encounter the commotion. She paused to take it all in. And
then she remembered that today was Saturday: the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Judging by
the shouts and the chaos, Zell won. She spotted Quistis and sidled over.
She seemed to be staring at Zell.
"Hey Quisty, can we talk?"
"Of course, Rinoa. Where's Squall? Did Headmaster Cid find him?"
"Yes, we're headed to Deling City soon. An announcement should be made."
"Ah."
It was loud.
"Quisty! Can we go outside!?"
"Sure!"
The two left the cafeteria and walked by Irvine and Selphie, attacking each other
like a couple of horny teenagers… oh yeah… that's pretty much what we all are, Rinoa
laughed inwardly. Quistis looked disgusted.
Quistis and Rinoa sat down in the quiet of the library. Rinoa leaned forward and
smiled. "I'm pregnant. I just found out today." She said quietly.
Quistis nodded, without externally showing signs of shock. "When are you due?"
"Next May."
"That's lovely, Rinoa. I can scarcely imagine Squall as a father, but he'll mold
perfectly for the job. He can do anything he puts his mind to. You'll simply be a
wonderful mother. Will you be making an official announcement to the Garden?"
"Oooh. I don't know. I'd think it would be their business when I weigh an extra
fifty pounds and have huge belly."
"And what about your father?"
Rinoa looked away. "We ARE headed to Deling City. I don't know!"
Quistis nodded. "You should do whatever it is you feel is best."
"Oh, he makes me so mad! He should have been a better father instead a mean old
jerk who replaces my mother with alcohol and work! Hmph."
Quistis smiled. "Things will be fine. And they will work out."
"What's with you and Zell?"
"We've become very close friends. Does it appear as much?"
Rinoa licked her lip cautiously. "Well, you've been making googly eyes at him a
lot lately. I just thought something was up."
"Nothing, Rinoa. Zell is immature, childish, he doesn't set his responsibility
straight, he constantly thinks about hot dogs and sex, a bad combination if I must say so
myself, he spends too much time worrying about the future, he needs someone who can
guide him and advise him when he's lost, he has a fighter's attitude but accepts a
challenge without considering the consequences. I could go on!"
"He makes you laugh. He's someone you can talk to without inhibitions. Because
he acts like a kid lets you trust him more. You're more open because you don't believe
he'll be so judgmental!"
"He makes me feel wanted."
"Then do what your heart feels, not your mind."
Quistis stood up. "How did this get to be about my non-existent love life and not
about your baby?"
Several students looked up, vaguely interested. Rinoa looked around, self-
conscious. She stood up as well and began walking from the library. "All I am saying is
that you need to take control, because if Squall hadn't come to look for me or if I hadn't
gone to search for Squall, nature certainly wasn't about to do it for us! Quisty," Rinoa
turned to Quistis. "You are a sister to me, and I am not about to let you pass this
opportunity for a relationship down! Have a little fun with life! Heck I'm not twenty yet
and I'm pregnant with a child created in love! I feel so strange… but it's a good strange."
Rinoa nodded. "That's what I wanted to say aloud. I said it." She smiled weakly. "Bye
Quisty!"
Quistis nodded and skulked back to the cafeteria.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Deling City
"This is the club where my mother played the piano," Rinoa murmured, running
her slender fingers along the railing as they walked down the stairs.
Squalls arm tightened around Rinoa supportively. There on the small stage a
grand piano sat, shiny, as if it had been played lately. Rinoa stepped hesitantly towards it,
sitting on the bench. Squall wanted to take all of Rinoa's bad feelings away and feel them
for her at the moment, but all he could do was sit beside her.
She carefully rested her hands on the keys, but not putting any weight on them. "I
wish I had learned to play," Rinoa whispered softly. "She was beautiful."
She turned to him then, tears brimming, and Squall held her tightly as she cried.
~*~*~*~*~
"Selphie you play the piano?" Irvine reclined on the bed in the dorm Balamb
Garden had let him borrow.
"I love it! Since that club's here, maybe I could play one night."
"Just don't sing."
"Zell!" Selphie exclaimed.
Zell sat in the chair in the corner, chewing on some beef jerky. "Am I right
Irvine?"
Irvine laughed. Selphie, sitting on the edge of the bed, smacked Irvine with a
pillow.
"So that's the club where Julia Heartilly got her start?" Selphie said dreamily.
"Yeah, and Squall and Rinoa are visiting. Must be hard for her."
Selphie nodded soberly. "'Eyes on Me' is so romantic. I cry everytime I hear it."
"Really?" Irvine said.
"Yeah… I mean there are so many pitfalls in love. We grow up wanting to find
that someone, and that song makes it so perfectly clear that love is a one and only thing.
True love exists only between two people. That song conveys so much when it comes to
letting yourself love someone else."
Zell and Irvine sat, silent, and dumbfounded.
"That… was profound." Zell said, before slurping rather loudly on the Big Gulp
he grabbed from the Circle K in Deling City.
Irvine reached out to Selphie's hair and stroked it softly. "Selphie."
They stared at each other, fires burning.
And then at Zell. In annoyance
"Hmmph?" Zell said, his mouth full of Tostitos. His eyes moved from one to the
other, and nodded in understanding. "Ohhhh!!!! I get it! Oops! My bad!" He stood up and
grinned. "Sure! Go for it! I'll take my business someplace else!"
Selphie blushed. "Thank you Zell."
When the door shut, Selphie turned to Irvine. "I meant it all, Irvy."
"I know you did." Irvine smiled.
As he leaned in to kiss her, there was a door knocked.
Irvine stood up impatiently, grumbling, "I was going to score!" as he opened the
door.
Quistis bit her lip. "Zell here? Squall, Rinoa?"
Irvine shook his head. "I told Zell to bug off, and Squall and Rinoa went to the
club. You know the one, right? Where Julia sang?"
Quistis nodded. "Thanks, Irvine," she said before making her way down the hall.
When Irvine turned around, he was greeted by a very nice surprise.
"OH SELPHIE!" He yelled. "You make my spurs spin around," he growled
before jumping on the bed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zell munched on his M & M's on a bench in the courtyard of Garden. Quistis
spotted him. A couple of students were casting Cura on each other for practice. "Hey,"
she said softly, before sitting next to him.
Zell nodded. "Word up!"
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Why did Irvine tell you to bug off?"
"He and Selphie were in the mood… for no reason."
"That must be great…" Quistis sighed, before shaking it off and putting the cool
exterior back on her face.
Zell turned to her. "You mean that?"
"Not that, the fact that people are so in love that they just make love because they
are in love." She slitted her eyes. "But you didn't hear that from me."
"Oh." Zell threw a piece of a Baby Ruth in his mouth. "Really? They just looked
horny to me."
Quistis appeared disgusted. "Don't you think that you'll ever fall in love?"
"I have my hot dogs!"
Quistis tried not to slap her forehead. She turned to him. "Be serious."
"Maybe. I mean, if it happens, yay, if not, no biggie."
She looked away.
"Q-bert, take your own advice and lighten up!"
She looked back at him, waited for him to swallow his Skittles, and leaned in to
kiss him.
Of course Zell didn't see this coming and was very surprised that Quistis Trepe,
Instructor Trepe, was kissing him. He pulled away.
"Um…"
Quistis stood up. "Shit. I'm sorry. Forget that happened, Zell. Bye." She was very
curt with her words, and walked away quickly.
Zell stood too. "Quistis! Don't go!"
He threw his Skittles on the ground. "Stupid candy!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Squall took Rinoa over to the bar, where she had some water. Squall ordered the
hardest drink and as they waited, Rinoa slowly let the tears fade away. "This is so
surreal."
"Does it feel like we don't belong here?"
"Exactly," Rinoa said before she accepted her water and thanked the bartender.
Squall looked beyond her, into space. "Did you want to greet your father, um,
General Caraway, before we leave tomorrow?"
Rinoa gulped down a large quantity of the water and wiped her mouth. "He
deserves to know, even though he's a big meanie."
"Could you ever forgive him?"
Wrong response, Squall, alert! Alert!
Rinoa looked at Squall as if he had grown another head. "Never! I don't even call
him father! He was never a father. He was a general, and he was a husband until his wife
died. Then he wanted nothing to do with me, because I remind him of her! Well that's
immature, and mean! Maybe, Squall, I wanted to learn how they fell in love from him, or
even if they did love each other! I don't know because he never told me! Something tells
me that my mother didn't write that song for Caraway, because he had no passion for her,
only his work!"
Squall drank his drink, and ordered another one quickly.
"Rinoa, maybe the only mature thing you can do right now is forgive him."
"Dammit," she mumbled, defeated. She bit her lip. "Will you come with me,
Squall? I-I never told him about the wedding. He… never even knew we were together.
H-he found out two weeks later. Cid was talking to some Galbadian soldiers, and through
the grapevine it g-got t-to him."
Rinoa was crying again. "What am I going to do? He probably won't c-care!"
"Shhhh, Rin, it's okay." Squall gathered her in his arms and rocked back and
forth. He threw some money on the counter and they walked up the stairs of the empty
bar.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"So let me come to you,
Close as I wanna be
Close enough for me
To feel your heart beating fast
And stay there as I whisper
How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
Did you ever know?
That I had mine on you"
Rinoa silently sang along with her mother's words in her head as the walked up
the steps of the Caraway Mansion. Squall's thumb drew little circles in the small of her
back as they greeted the guard.
"We'd like to see General Caraway please."
The soldier looked curiously at the young couple. The girl was looked upset, but
strong nonetheless, and the young man looked at the girl with a reverence as she said the
words through pursed lips.
"Reason?"
Rinoa bit her lip and looked at the concrete. "He's my father," she spat out
disgustedly. "And we need to discuss personal matters with him if it might not be too
troubling."
The guard realized that this was Rinoa Heartilly, Julia's daughter. He opened the
door. "He's in his office right now."
Rinoa nodded. "Thank you, sir." The couple walked up the steps and inside. The
guard pressed a button.
"Caraway here."
"Got a couple of visitors, sir."
"Their business?"
"Your kid, sir, and a tall guy."
"Mmmph. Thank you. Please ask me before letting anyone else in."
"Yessir."
Hmm, the guard thought. That guy doesn't sound happy to hear from his kid.
~*~*~*~*~*~
General Caraway loved Rinoa as much as he'd loved Julia. So free-spirited and
lovely. But Rinoa got herself involved in activities that would get her hurt, and Caraway
wasn't about to let her run off like that. But you must let the little caged bird sing, and
reluctantly, he let his baby girl Rinoa… fly away.
A knock at the door.
Caraway looked up. She was so mad at him. She… didn't even tell him she got
married, and Caraway took the biggest blow when he found out it was Squall Leonhart.
That hurt.
Another knock.
He sighed.
"Come in, come in!"
She looked drained, but under the veneer of fear was the glow Rinoa never could
hide. He nodded. "Rinoa."
He glanced at Squall holding on to her rather protectively. He tried not to
grimace, and stood up to greet them. "Mister Leonhart."
Squall stuck out his hand.
Caraway was almost surprised at the gesture, and stretched his hand out to greet
the man who'd stolen his daughter away, though his daughter never really was his.
Rinoa looked a bit more relieved that her father was acting somewhat cordial.
"Hi."
"Have a seat, kids." Squall almost winced at the 'kids', but they sat down.
Caraway smiled. "I would have sent a china set but I didn't know what pattern
you liked."
Rinoa's eyes widened. "I'm… sorry we didn't tell you. Or even… invite you for
that matter. I really am."
Did she mean it? "Rinoa. Don't worry. I'm glad… that you found love." His eyes
shifted to Squall, squeezing Rinoa's hand like there was no tomorrow. If anything, Squall
was afraid of Caraway. Not Rinoa.
Squall did speak. "The wedding was small and informal. You didn't miss
anything," and the boy smiled slightly. Caraway considered this a minor miracle.
Rinoa cut her eyes at him. "And Zell! Did you see when attacked the cake?"
Squall chuckled. "Kodak moment."
Caraway smiled. "Dropping by while Garden load up on supplies?"
Rinoa nodded. "It was convenient."
Caraway nodded curiously. "Why convenient?"
Rinoa became very sober, as if she were concentrating. Squall looked anywhere
but at Caraway. Rinoa bit her lip and looked up.
"Well, I'm…"
Holy shit. Ahem. I mean gee golly gosh. Is she saying what I think she's trying
to say? Caraway thought silently while allowing his eighteen year-old married daughter
to finish.
Squall saw that Rinoa wasn't about to say anything. "We're going to have a…"
Rinoa and Squall looked at each other and grinned helplessly.
"B-b-baby?" Caraway's jaw fell on the desk.
Rinoa smiled broadly. "Yeah. That's it. That's what we were trying to say."
Caraway spun around in his chair, facing the wall. "Goodbye, Rinoa." He tried to
punch his son-in-law in the face.
Squall stood up. "General, try to show some emotion instead of hiding from your
daughter." If Rinoa could show Squall how to do it, then Caraway would be even easier.
"Squall…" Rinoa said in a warning voice. "Let's go. You can't change him. He
doesn't want this in his life. So let's leave him alone with his work and the bar and his
memories."
They walked to the door, arm in arm. Caraway stood up quickly and turned to tell
his daughter how sorry he was, but before sound left his mouth, the door was slammed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I saw you smiling at me
was it real or was it fantasy?"
Zell kicked at a rock on the streets of Deling City as he made his way to the club.
The streetlights cast an eerie glow on the pavement, and the moon was full, creating a
glow upon the entire area. He looked ahead, chewing the inside of his lip, and thinking at
the same time. Quistis, Quistis, Quistis.
One of his best friends. Former instructor. Confidant. They had constantly been
together lately, sharing conversations about everything under the sun. One night she'd
even fallen asleep in his dorm after a long conversation about the future.
"Is it destiny or can we change it?"
"We make our destiny, Q-bert. I mean, what ya affects what happens to ya."
"Do you think Ultimecia never realized that?"
"I dunno. Maybe. She was blind when it came to aiming for her goal."
"Do you think love has a destiny, Zell?"
"Anything can affect everything. We make have to do something in order for it to
happen. Until we do, the destiny happens."
"What if it's not meant to happen?"
Zell paused. "I-I don't think it's intentional, but it happens. People die, and that's
a part in the whole scheme of things."
Quistis looked down. "Maybe we can change things. We have before."
Zell mentally cringed. I'm stupid, he thought. Quistis is important to me. I let her
down. I really like her as a friend, but is that part of the destiny I am to make for myself?
He remembered he once asked her for love advice. Hmph.
"You know that Samantha girl?"
Quistis glanced up from her war novel and nodded.
"She's kinda nice. Kinda immature, but she's… kinda nice."
Quistis looked up, annoyed. "Ask her out, then."
Zell looked ahead just before bumping into Selphie, and realized he was in front
of the hotel and club. Selphie took a step back and winced.
"Hey, whoa! Zell! Hey!"
Zell grinned. "Yo, wassup?"
Selphie stuck her tongue out. "Nothing, butthead!"
Irvine was right behind her, closing the glass doors gently. "You two fight like
sisters.
Zell made a face. "Irv, am I going to have to disembowel you?"
Irvine laughed and Zell and he did a handshake, where you ball up the fists and
hit the others with yours. Selphie giggled.
"Idiots."
Irvine turned to Zell. "Let's get her."
"TICKLE ATTACK!"
Selphie's eyes widened in horror. "Noooo!" She tried to duck, but Irvine's and
Zell's hands began tickling her stomach and arms. Trying not to laugh too hard, Selphie
pushed against the glass doors and rushed inside.
Zell stomped the ground and chuckled as Irvine adjusted his hat. Grinning at each
other, they entered themselves, heading to the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Rinoa sat in a booth towards the front, folding her arms over the side and
watching the stage as Selphie giggled and sat at the bench. Squall's fingers massaged her
shoulder lightly and he ordered drinks for them.
Irvine and Zell sat at the front table, gulping down drinks and hooting at Selphie,
and simultaneously annoying the other few visitors not from Garden.
Selphie sat down and the bar fell silent. She cracked her knuckles noticeably,
grossing some audience members out to the point of groaning. Selphie also rolled her
head around, cracking a few more joints and stretched some more before playing the
piano.
Zell leaned forward. "Is that 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?'" he whispered to
Irvine, who looked almost dreamy in his state of love-stricken euphoria.
Irvine smiled lazily. "Yup, and she's damn good at playin' it."
As Selphie completed her piece and received minimal applause from the majority
audience and a 'whoop' from Irvine, Squall nodded and smiled at Rinoa, and stepped up
to the stage, to a microphone set up at the middle.
Selphie arranged some sheet music and looked up reverently at Rinoa as she
smiled.
"Um, hi. My mom used to play piano here. She wrote this really great song about
someone she loved and sang it. I don't play the piano so Selphie here's gonna play it…
and I'll sing. This is for the couples." Rinoa smiled nervously and looked at Squall who
urged her on by smiling back.
Selphie surprised a lot of people as her fingers played the piano part somewhat
perfectly, creating a romantic tension in the air of the bar. Rinoa used all of her strength
to not get stage fright and let her eyes settle on Squall.
"Whenever sang my songs
On the stage, on my own
Whenever said my words
Wishing they would be heard
I saw you smiling at me
Was it real or just my fantasy?"
A man in the back leaned over to his wife. "That's the Julia Heartilly song!"
"You'd always be there in the corner
Of this tiny little bar
My last night here for you
Same old songs, just once more
My last night here with you
Maybe yes, maybe no
I kind of liked it your way,
How you shyly placed your eyes on me,
Oh, did you ever know,
That I had mine on you"
Zell glanced upward and found Quistis descending the stairs in a short crystal
blue dress, and her hair curled in tendrils, touching her collarbones unabashedly. She
looked down towards Rinoa and then concentrated on not tripping on her stiletto heels.
Zell's eyes caught Quistis's. She smiled slightly and blushed, but never let her eyes leave
his.
"Darling, so there you are,
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt,
As if you're never down
Shall I be the one for you?
Who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I will know that you are no dreamer…"
As the interlude permeated the air, Rinoa wiped a tear away from her face and bit
her lip as she stared into Squall's eyes. Squall mouthed, "I love you," and Rinoa licked
her lips, winked, and continued.
"So let me come to you,
Close as I wanna be"
Quistis sat down next to Zell and stared at her. Zell stared at Quistis. Irvine softly
said, "excuse me," and sat opposite Squall in the booth.
"Close enough for me
To feel your heart beating fast
And stay there as I whisper
How I loved your peaceful eyes on me
Did you ever know?
That I had mine on you"
Zell rested his head on his hands. "You look really, really, really great."
Quistis nodded, accepting the compliment. "Thanks, Zell. That means a lot to
me."
Zell took an inner-breath and reached out for Quistis's hand, grasping it tightly.
"You know that crap about destiny?"
Quistis blinked slow, recalling. "Yes. I do."
"Do you think it's our destiny to…"
Quistis gazed into Zell's eyes, clear and blue like pools of lagoon water.
Zell coughed, "Um, be together?"
Quistis smiled slightly. "I don't know."
They looked ahead at Rinoa, singing the song for her mother, a personal exchange
between the young girl and the spirit of Julia.
"Darling, so share with me
Your love if you have enough
Your tears if you're holding back
Or pain if that's what it is
How can I let you know?
I'm more than the dress and the voice
Just reach me out then
You will know that
You are not dreaming"
Squall wiped his eyes.
"Contacts."
Irvine gave him a questioning look. "You don't wear-"
"Shut up."
"Darling, so there you are,
With that look on your face
As if you're never hurt,
As if you're never down
Shall I be the one for you?
Who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I will know that you are no dreamer…"
Rinoa smiled and bowed slightly as the contents of the bar stood up and clapped.
Squall hugged Rinoa tightly to his chest when Rinoa returned to his arms. He
breathed in the scent of the hair. "That was beautiful."
"Thanks, Squall." Rinoa said, before kissing him lightly and returning to their
seats as the normal pianist returned to the bench and impressed the visitors with his
astounding elevator music. Selphie dragged Irvine out to dance.
"But-"
"No buts, Mister Irvy! You're mine!" Selphie announced happily before
wrapping her arms around him to dance.
Zell stood up and held his hand out to Quistis.
Quistis smiled. "I don't like dancing, Zell."
Zell snorted. "I didn't want to dance! Are you nuts?" He lowered his mouth
beside her ear. "Do you want to go for a walk?"
Quistis stood up and Zell guided her up the stairs.
Rinoa glanced up at them. "Wow."
Squall ordered yet another beverage. "What?"
"Can you imagine Zell and Quistis?"
Squall did a double-take at the couple going up the stairs. "She makes a different
impression when she's dressed like that. Zell's following his physical attraction."
Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Take it for what it is Squall. Quistis likes Zell. Zell likes
Quistis. They are leaving together. And anyway, they're so cute together." She paused a
moment. "Didn't Quistis use to have a thing for you?" She said curiously.
Squall didn't flinch, downed his drink, and asked the waiter for another one. "I
think she's too organized, too restrained."
"Yeah," Rinoa said, grabbing Squall hand and rubbing her fingers in his palm. "I
just know there's a party girl under those glasses. I guess that why she fell for Zell."
Squall almost laughed. And stopped. "Oh no." He gulped his drink down quickly
and looked around for the waiter.
Rinoa took the glass from him with her other hand. "That's enough! If I can't
drink, I'm not letting you!" She giggled. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Squall…" Rinoa was almost whining, and Squall loved making her whine.
"I'm not telling," he said in his omnipresent monotone.
"Pleeeease!" Rinoa pulled at his hand.
Squall chuckled. "Well, I said that if Quistis ever slept with Zell, I said I'd sleep
with him!"
Rinoa slapped her forehead. "You numbskull!"
"I didn't see it coming. Besides, I thought Zell was gay."
Rinoa laughed so lightly and loud that several people stared at the couple,
together in the booth.
~*~*~*~*~
The breeze was inviting in Deling City, but the forest, bathed in the moon's strong
light, was even more peaceful with the sounds of nature being carried throughout the
trees. A path was beat out through the forest, and Zell suggested this be a good a place for
a walk.
Quistis removed her shoes and left them at the edge of the Garden steps,
reminding herself to remember to get them. All was silent until Zell spotted a log and
invited Quistis to sit there with him.
Zell put his hands in his lap. He glanced at her sideways. "Quistis. You're one
helluva friend. I just-" He paused, seeming to rethink his motives.
Quistis looked expectantly at him. She reached out and tucked a stray hair behind
his ear, one not gelled up in the Mohawk.
Zell felt a stirring deep inside when she did that. He looked at her in the dress, the
long, lovely blonde hair, the glasses reflecting the moonlight. He silently chastised
himself for what he was about to do, but she was so beautiful. And lonely.
"Quistis…" he whispered before kissing her.
~*~*~*~*~
"Prepare for departure from Deling City," Squall said.
"Affirmative, sir," Dominic said lightly.
Squall cut his eyes at him, then exited rather briskly, pressing the button of the
elevator impatiently. As the doors closed, the pilot mumbled, "Prick," and returned to his
navigating duties.
~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, back in Balamb
Rinoa lay fast asleep in the bed, her chest gently rising and falling with each
breath. Squall admired her from a chair in the corner, then turned off the light to go to
sleep himself. As he crawled beneath the covers, a loud knock on the door startled him.
Scratching his face, he opened the door to a panicky Zell.
"What?"
"Quistis! It's bad, Squall!"
Squall turned the light on. "What happened?"
"In the training center! It's Quistis! She's been taken hostage."
"What the hell does this have to do with me?"
Rinoa stirred, and Squall closed the door behind him, lowering his voice in the
corridor.
"…The p-persons holding her captive want to talk to you."
They began walking briskly in the direction of the Training center.
"Who did this?"
"Fuijin and Raijin."
"WHAT?" Squall spun around to face Zell. "Where's Seifer?"
"They wouldn't say anything. They have a gun to her head, come on!"
Squall, thinking twice, ran back to his dorm for his gunblade before setting off in
direction of the Training Center.