Authors note: Finally, a new story. Yay. This is slightly different to anything I've ever done before, but it will still have a dark twist mixed in with it. I love writing dark stuff evidently. Erm.. yeah. Enjoy.

A Battle of Land and Sea

Chapter One

So goodnight wherever you are sleeping

And I hope that if you dream,

If you dream,

You dream of me

Buffy Sainte-Marie "Goodnight"

Well its too late tonight

To drag the past out into the light

We're one but we're not the same

We get to carry each other

Carry each other

One

Johnny Cash "One"

It was horrible. It clung to her with all its might, weighing her down. She could hardly breathe from the tension of this... disgusting thing. She looked down at herself, pulling a face at the hideous thing that was draped over her. It was awful, it made her feel ugly. She retreated within herself, no longer wanting to see what sort of beast she looked right now. What had she become?

Outside she could hear their muffled voices. They would be wanting to find her if she didn't face them sometime soon. But she couldn't face them, not right now. Not with this disgusting thing all over her. How had she allowed herself to be subdued to such things? That just wasn't in her nature. The voices were getting louder, she could sense their impatience. Maybe if she just stayed here hidden away from the world no one would find her. She didn't want anyone to see her right now, no one should be a witness to this.

"Rinoa?" the voice called out. "Are you there?"

She stayed as still as silent as possible, feeling her heart skip a beat. She dreaded to see the look on their faces, what if they never looked at her the same way again? She hugged her arms defensively to her chest, hoping the thin fabric shielding her away from the rest of the world would be enough to hide her. Surely they wouldn't come in and drag her out kicking and screaming? She didn't want them to see her. No, she would stay here as still and silent as she could in hope that they would leave her be. But this was a foolish thought, they already knew where she was. They would lie in wait until she made a sound, or tried to escape from this place.

"Come on, you've been ages" the voice called out again with an impatient tone. "I'll go in there in a minute, regardless of whether your naked or not!"

The young Sorceress let out a sigh, giving up the battle in her head. She gave herself a disgusted glance in the mirror, silently making a mental note to never let Selphie pick out dresses for her again. She looked like a really bad fairy tale Princess in the dress. With reluctance she pulled back the curtain of the dressing room and stared at the two women in front of her.

"Oh Rinoa… wow," the exuberant girl gasped with a slight squeal. She jumped excitedly and turned to the woman beside her. Rinoa found it unnerving how the shop assistant also shared Selphie's over excitable personality. It disturbed her, making it even worse when she came out the dressing room looking like a really bad Barbie doll.

"It's disgusting," the raven haired girl protested, holding her arms out by her sides. She was certain the two women were not seeing the same dress she was, they seemed to look at the dress with admiration as if it were the most beautiful dress in the world- and it was far from beautiful.

"It's really not that bad," the shop assistant responded before turning to Selphie to share the girls excitement. "Doesn't she look adorable?"

Rinoa glared at the two girls, and dared to face herself in the mirror once more. The dress was huge, it had so many layers of fabric making it puff out so much she could barely move in the fitting room. The sleeves were baby pink, matching the bulky flowers that spread over the entire dress like a disease. It really was the most awful dress ever. "How is anyone supposed to get married in something like this?" she said more to herself than the two women who were watching her intently.

"You're just too picky," Selphie interjected. "Honestly Rinoa, we've been trying to find the perfect dress for weeks. At this rate you're going to be walking down the aisle naked."

She smiled at her friends comment, "If it's a choice between this dress and the latter suggestion, I think going naked is much more appealing."

"That's sorted then!" Selphie squealed with a small jump. Rinoa looked at the girl as she often did, wondering how after all these years she was still the same Selphie. It seemed the girl never changed, even after four years time and circumstances hadn't tainted her carefree manner. She watched as Selphie let out a small laugh with one hand placed on the graceful bump that had formed dramatically over the last few months. It amazed her how Selphie took everything in her stride, never taking the time to let foolish fears and doubts get the better of her, even her unexpected pregnancy hadn't deterred her. If anything, the girl was even more excitable than she had ever been.

Rinoa smiled, proud that her friend had the ability to make everything positive. Her and Irvine were over the moon when they had found out about the pregnancy. It had shocked them all at how well Irvine had took the news, he had been just as excited as her. Once he had been a 'ladies man' as he had liked to be claimed, but in truth he had always been dedicated to Selphie. His affection for her had doubled since she had become pregnant, it made Rinoa happy to see things going so well for her friends.

She pulled back the curtain and began to change in to her normal and less hideous clothes. The dress was heavy and awkward to take off, she almost tripped over the thing. After succeeding with the battle, she glared at the dress, glad to be rid of the thing. Her features softened as she felt the silky texture of the dress in her hands, aware of the ring she could see on her finger. It was hard to believe, after all these years she was actually getting married. It was something that terrified her and made her feel on top of the world at the same feeling, the two contrasting emotions only making her feel nauseous at the thought. Even trying on the dress, as ugly as it was, made her feel like she were in some sort of fairy tale.

As odd as it may seem, she had never had that fantasy that so many young girls have where they picture their own weddings. She had thought back many times when she had spoke about these sorts of things with people - normally Selphie - and she could never recall having such memories. Sure there had been the phases of horses, and wanting to be a Princess, but never a wedding. Somehow the notion had never seemed to be a big thing in her life. She'd wanted to get married, she had always loved the beauty of weddings which she had attended. But that was the difference, in her head it had always been other people getting married, not herself. She smiled at her own foolishness, knowing that she should follow in Selphie's footsteps and just enjoy the moment. Perhaps that was why it was hard to find the perfect dress, why she was being a perfectionist in every part of her wedding planning. The whole idea made her feel awkward, but it felt like something she had missed out on when she was younger. That yearning to have the fairy tale wedding, the kind that only a child could imagine.

Stepping out of the fitting room she faced her friend once more who was patiently waiting for her, and gave her an apologetic glance. The poor girl had been dragged around countless shops for weeks, waiting patiently for her to pick out and try a dress on, only to get the same reaction. She didn't like any of the dresses.

"Don't give me that look," Selphie responded, knowing what her friend was thinking. She'd heard the same speech from Rinoa over and over, they'd got to a point where she knew what she was going to say. "It's fine, we'll find you a dress. Just got to keep searching! There are hundreds of dresses here."

"Thanks Selphie," Rinoa said with a smile. She began walking to where a rail of dresses where hung, but stopped in her tracks as she heard a ringing. A few other customers and staff members nearby gave her an annoyed glance as they watched her take the phone out of her pocket and inspect it. "What does Squall want?" Rinoa thought out loud as she saw his name light up on the screen. Before she had chance to answer, the phone was taken from her hands and abruptly turned off by Selphie. Rinoa gave her a curious glance, confused by the girls sudden actions.

"You can talk to Squall later," she said, putting the phone in her own bag. "Right now, you've got a perfect dress to find and you need to find one soon. So lets go!"

Rinoa laughed at her friends firm tone, before once again turning to the rail of dresses with a new determination. She didn't think about the phone call again for the rest of the afternoon.

The two girls stepped off the train in their own world of idle conversation, they hardly noticed the man stood waiting for them. He watched silently as the two girls continued to talk, too lost in their own jokes and comments that they didn't realise what would be coming to them next. He let out a nervous sigh, relieved to finally be able to tell her the news, he'd been trying to get in contact with her all day. He knew it would be hard, Rinoa and Selphie shopping together was their own little ritual and while they were together it was impossible to speak to either of them. He looked sadly at Rinoa seeing the smile on her face, he knew that what he had to say next would ruin that beautiful smile of hers.

It was Selphie who was first to notice him, she stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder pulling Rinoa to look in her direction. The brunette looked slightly confused for a moment before her face shifted into the bright face that she always wore. "Hey Squall," she waved excitedly dragging Rinoa with her. She looked at the couple, switching her glance from Squall then back to Rinoa. "I've returned your favourite fiancée safe and sound especially for you."

Rinoa let out a little giggle, "His only fiancée we should hope," she pointed out to Selphie. She looked from her friend back to Squall and raised an eyebrow, expectant for him to join the conversation. Instead she got an awkward glance from the commander, he looked serious. Troubled. She wasn't sure if he was annoyed at something, she tried to think back to what she could have done to put him in this mood. She hated seeing him serious, it reminded her of the troubled teenager she had first met. Their relationship had been hard for the first year, it took a lot of patience for both to adjust to each other. Squall had been very reserved at the beginning, but over time that had worn away. He was happy, just like the others. He could joke around in his own way just like the rest of them, and at the same time he could be just as serious and dedicated as the student he once was when he was at work. But now, seeing the change in his usual demeanour towards her made her feel uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" was what she found herself saying, any previous happiness now washed away from her features.

Selphie let out an awkward cough, taking the hint that this wasn't her place to be. "I'm gonna go," she said to the couple. She gave Rinoa a quick hug, and whispered good luck in her friends ear before leaving. She knew they would be fine, they always were. Rinoa and Squall were just stubborn at the best of times, they were renowned to have their domestics. They always blew over quickly, the problem was both was just as stubborn as the other. She made her way from the train station, leaving the couple alone to sort out whatever was wrong.

"I've been trying to call you all day," Squall said once Selphie was out of ear shot.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you'd want me urgently. You knew I was going shopping for dresses," Rinoa defended, hoping Squall wasn't angry with her. He was never angry at such trivial things, they always allowed each other enough space. His behaviour seemed foreign to her. "Don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad," Squall said placing an arm around her waist. He looked down at Rinoa, wishing he could get the words out that he needed to say but not sure how to approach the subject. He didn't want to bring bad news, but today was out of his hands. He could see Rinoa looking at him, she knew when there was something on his mind. It was something he knew annoyed her a lot, but she was always patient enough to let him speak when he felt ready too.

"Do you want to walk or sit down somewhere?" Rinoa suggested, wanting to get away from the trains and the crowds of people. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach when she saw the look on Squall's face. If he was going to say something she didn't like, then she'd rather be anywhere away from the platform on which they stood.

"No, we need to stay here," Squall stated. The look he got from Rinoa told him he needed to tell her now, and he needed to fast. Dropping his arm from her waist he let out a sigh, not sure how his next words would affect her. "I got a call from Deling Hospital earlier. Your father was rushed into hospital earlier this morning, they've tried to keep him stabilised, but his condition is getting worse. I've been trying to get in contact with you, because we need to go to the hospital. You need to go now."

Rinoa looked at him, her face showing an array of emotions. He watched as her eyes grew wide with fear, then to shock and then her face would drop with a look of sadness to it. It was a circle of emotions, and it hurt him to watch her like this. "What do you mean?" she asked, he voice was soft and innocent.

Squall cleared his throat, watching as the train pulled in to the station. He pointed towards the direction of the approaching vehicle. "That's the train we need to get on. We can't miss it, I've already got the tick-"

"Tell me what you mean," Rinoa interrupted, her voice stern. He looked Rinoa in the eyes and found himself shocked at what he saw. He saw nothing, she looked empty. Emotionless. It was like he was telling her he couldn't find his pen. Her face was hard and cold. He'd never seen her look like that, and seeing it made it even harder for him to speak his next words. From behind her the train had come to a stop, he watched as the doors hissed open and passengers exited the train.

"They said…" he began. He found himself looking at the floor, unable to look at her. "They said if you want to go and say goodbye, you should come as soon as possible. They don't think he'll last the night."

Daring himself to look at her again, he saw her features had softened slightly but still held those same emotionless eyes. She gave him a small nod of acknowledgment, showing she understood his words. "Are you coming with me?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Of course I am," Squall responded holding up the two tickets in his hand.

"Lets go then," Rinoa said turning on her heels and making her way to the train. She walked with a determinism in her step, Squall could only follow behind. He suddenly felt even more uncomfortable around Rinoa. It felt odd, but he wanted her to cry. Maybe get angry. He wanted her to just do something. Anything but the cold look on her face, it as if she hadn't just been told her Dad was going to die.

Reluctantly he followed her into the train, suddenly wishing he didn't have to get in the SeeD car. It was so spacious, so… empty. As he stepped inside the train he could only stand against the wall as he saw Rinoa staring out of the window and watching the people walk along the platform. He stayed still and silent as the doors of the train closed and the train began to rock in its soothing rhythm as the scenery before them became nothing more than a world of green fields.

He heard Rinoa release a long sigh as she pressed her forehead to the window, feeling the soothing coldness of the glass. She stayed there a long time, he wasn't sure if she had begun to cry, he certainly couldn't hear her cry. But her body was stiff and rigid, her form looked forlorn. He began to make his way towards her, to maybe embrace her and try to be there for her through the grief. He reached her and placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder. She brought her head away from the glass and turned to him, for a moment there was a sadness present in her eyes, just seeing it made Squall feel a little relieved. She raised a hand to stroke his cheek and smiled at him.

"Open the door," she pointed out looking at the door behind them. "There's a nice room through there with sofas and everything and you're making me stand out here."

Seeing her playful tone, Squall looked confused for a brief moment but decided for now to simply do as she said and opened the door for her. It brought back memories of his first times with her, he could almost bring himself to believe Selphie would be stood back in the corridor singing along to herself. It felt odd, but being with Rinoa now felt like he was that same awkward teenager he had been back then. He didn't know how to act around her now. What could he say to her? If she just wanted to act like everything was normal should he just go along with it and not remind her where they were going? Although his profession meant that there were quite a few deaths, he had never had someone close to him die, all of this felt foreign to him. What was he supposed to do for her now? He did the only thing he could for her right at that moment; he followed her.

As soon as Rinoa sat on the sofa she felt a great relief hit her, when she had been told the news her entire body had felt like jelly. She felt weak and tired, like everything was a big effort and all she really wanted to do was go home and just sleep. It was probably a horrible thing to even think, but it felt like an effort going to Deling. She knew that this was not the case, that it was just her being reluctant to face everything. Sometimes it was easier just to act like nothing bad had happened, because then she didn't have to face the consequences. She didn't even know how she felt, her first instinct was that Squall was wrong. Her father had been through so many wars, been so hard working, he couldn't just die. Not her Dad. If she had ever imagined at all what her parents death would be like, she had thought it would be a lot later on in life. Her mother's death was bad enough, losing her just before she had turned five. Now she was losing her Dad at twenty-one. She felt so young, certainly not old enough to be all alone in the world. To be parentless. The thought scared her, she didn't want to think about it. Not now, not until she was a lot older with children of her own who knew their granddad.

She was grateful when she saw Squall sit down next to her, at least now she had a distraction away from the thoughts and fears she didn't want to face up to. She looked at him and gave him a small smile, knowing that he looked just as confused as she felt inside. Perhaps this was too selfish of her, she could see how hard it was for him to tell her everything and now she had simply shut down and acted like nothing had happened. Because she was a coward. Because she knew the moment she opened her mouth to speak the words out loud it would become real. It wouldn't be a mistake. It wouldn't be a dream anymore. She would put off that reality for as long as possible. Her stomach twisted within her as she thought about what it would be like once she got in the hospital. The journey to Deling wasn't very long, so she didn't have as much time as she needed to prepare herself and be ready for what she was going to face. But then, would there ever be enough time?

She squeezed Squall's hand and looked him in the eyes, hoping that he could read her thoughts. That he could understand the words that she didn't want to say. That she couldn't say it out loud, not just yet. He gave her a slightly confused but accepting look in return. She knew he couldn't understand what was happening, what was going through her mind. In truth she had so many emotions running through her. She was upset, confused and angry at the same time as feeling happy.

"I have a present for you," she spoke up, rummaging through her bag and bringing out a white box and passing it to Squall. It was a thought that had just dawned on her, and maybe now wasn't the time for her to show him, but she needed something, anything to take her mind off of everything. She watched as he held the cardboard box in his hands for a moment, looking at her before opening it. She let out a giggle as she saw the smile appear on his face. "I thought it would look good on top of the cake."

Squall kept his eyes on the two small figures in the box. The sight of them brought a nervousness to him as he looked at the delicately made bride and groom complete with a gunblade in hand. They were Squall and Rinoa, and they were going to be sat proudly on top of their wedding cake on they day they marry. It made everything so much more real, he was actually going to marry Rinoa. "It would look perfect," he said with a smile.

He looked back up to Rinoa to see her features a lot more serious. It was a strange sensation, she had thought that showing Squall the figurines would have made her feel better and helped her to forget where they were going for a brief moment. It did make her forget, but it also made her feel guilty for being happy. How could she be happy and actually laugh out loud at a time like this? Somehow trying to make herself happy had made everything so much worse. When she looked out the window, Rinoa could see that the outskirts of Deling City were coming into view. They were nearly there. She looked wide eyes at Squall, seeing he understood what was happening as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Are you scared?" he asked, but both of them knew he wasn't talking about the wedding.

Rinoa nodded her head, "Terrified." She rested her head against Squall's shoulder, her gaze lowered to the floor how she tried her hardest to think of nothing. She tried with all her might to think of something, anything other than what her thoughts were lingering towards. She couldn't handle this. Not right now.

The voice of the train driver echoed throughout the train, informing passengers that they would soon be arriving in Deling station. Any other day it would be something that she would listen to and not think anything of, but today hearing it felt like a sharp stab. It told her that she couldn't hide anymore. It told her that she needed to face up to it, the time was coming for her to say goodbye. She turned to Squall then with wide eyes, as she felt terrified and panicked by the new role that she had been forced with.

"I can't remember the last time I spoke to my father… I can't remember the last time I called him 'Dad'," she said as the first tear made its way down her cheek. "What the hell am I supposed to say to him? How am I supposed to act when for as long as I can remember, all we've been doing is arguing?"

Squall pulled her close, as he saw the first buildings travelling past the window of the train as it made it's way to the station. He turned his gaze back to her, there had only been one tear, she had composed herself a little better though he wasn't sure how. "Tell him the things you feel about him. Maybe you'll be able to sort your relationship out."

"What if I end up arguing with him again?" she asked, her voice small. "I don't want my Dad to die alone and upset because of me."

The train pulled to a stop at the station and Squall turned to Rinoa. "You won't," he said placing a kiss on her forehead. He stood to his feet, bringing Rinoa reluctantly up with him. "Just do what feels right."

Rinoa nodded as they both made their way out of the train and into the station, she wasn't quite sure what would feel right once she got to the hospital. What if it felt right to run away? She pushed the thoughts away as they walked out of the train station, feeling the cold evening hit her and making her shiver. She grabbed hard onto Squall's arm like a frightened child as he led her towards the direction of the hospital. She could see it ahead of them, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she approached it. Her steps became slower and more reluctant. She felt confused. She wanted to stop and go back to Balamb, but at the same time she wanted to run through the hospital doors and make her way to her Dad as a new fear came over her. What if she was too late? What if he had gone before she had got there? The thought didn't comfort her in the slightest. Would she really feel any better knowing that the last memories he would have had of her would be bad? She couldn't live with herself if she didn't resolve things with him, for the first time in years she wanted to speak and make peace with him. It made her feel like a child, but she wanted her Dad right now.

They approached the entrance of the hospital, just seeing the white interior made her mouth go dry. Once inside she felt the walls close in on her, she felt claustrophobic and pressured. All the time she was thinking to herself, she wasn't ready for this. She shouldn't have to face up to this, not until she was a lot older. He was supposed to die when he was in his eighties, just like a lot of people did.

She found herself being led to the reception where a woman sat at the desk and gave her a warm smile asking if she could help. Rinoa opened her mouth to try to speak but found that she couldn't, it was hard to concentrate on anything, all she could think of was the panic and fear that was pounding through her veins. The pounding was so loud she could hardly hear anyone. She hardly noticed Squall speaking to the receptionist for her, as they were given directions to go to. As they walked down the long corridors she didn't take the time to notice the white walls or the sterile smell of a hospital that always made her feel nervous. She hated hospitals. A new thought came to her, it had been somewhere in this hospital where seventeen years ago she had gone to visit her mother before she had died. Of course then she had been too young to understand what was happening. A part of her still yearned for the childish innocence she had had back then at saying goodbye to her mother. Back then she had said it like she was leaving for the night and would be back to see her in the morning. The shock had been when she didn't see her again, but that innocence had led her to believe for a long time that her mum wasn't gone, that somewhere she was still there in the hospital maybe. But now she was here in the very same hospital, knowing exactly what death was and what it meant. She was petrified.

"Miss Caraway?" the voice broke her from her thoughts, she found herself staring dumbly at the doctor stood in front of her.

"Sorry," she said trying to look more composed, as she saw the look of confusion in the doctors eye. "Please, call me Rinoa."

"Okay, Rinoa," the doctor started, he put out his hand for Squall and Rinoa to shake giving them both a sympathetic look. "I'm Dr. Zane, I've been the one who had treated your father since his illness was first detected. We've all tried our best to stop it from spreading any further, but I'm afraid we couldn't do anymore. I'm sorry, we've made him as comfortable as we can for you."

Rinoa looked startled at the mans words. "His illness?" she asked thoughtfully. "He doesn't have any illnesses."

The doctor looked at Rinoa slightly confused. "Your father came into hospital just over a month ago very ill, we found cancerous cells had spread quite severely throughout his body. Sometimes these things don't manifest into proper symptoms until its too late. We've given your father all the treatment he could, but the cells have spread too fast and too far."

Rinoa gave a small nod, still feeling extremely confused. He had cancer, and he had never told her. Had they really grown that far apart that he hadn't even bothered telling her what was wrong with him? The thought made her feel hurt and angry. She wanted to demand why he had never bothered telling her, but knew that she had to compose herself. She wasn't going to argue with him anymore, she couldn't. Instead she turned to the doctor. "How long has he got left?" she asked.

"His condition had been deteriorating rapidly since he was brought in today," the doctor explained. "I don't think it will be much longer. You should go visit him, he's through that door right there. He has been asking for you all day."

Rinoa looked at the door, through its small window she could see a figure in the bed. She pulled her attention away from the door and back to the doctor. "Thank you," she said. She turned to Squall who stood silently behind her and squeezed his hand for comfort. She knew she had to do this alone, this was for her to face herself.

The blinds were pulled closed in the room but she could see through the small window in the door that it was dark in there. She forced herself the steps she needed to take to get towards the door and placed her hand on the door handle. She felt its cool and smooth texture, twisting it slightly in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and made her way inside.

The first thing that caught her attention was the nurse that was beside his bed, the woman straightened out the bed sheets and said something to her resident. She turned and gave Rinoa a sympathetic smile before making her way quietly out of the room. It was then Rinoa saw the man in the bed looking at her, for a moment she hardly recognised his features. She stood still by the door in fear of the man before her, at the same time feeling stupid for such a childish reaction.

"Rinoa," she heard her father's voice call out, it sounded weak, but it still sound like him. He held his hand out for her. "Rinoa please," his voice pleaded.

It was then Rinoa felt herself soften as she made her way towards him. He held his outstretched hand as she sat on the seat beside the bed. "Why didn't you tell me you were ill?" she asked, her voice cracking as the tears finally escaped. She wept, holding his cold hands firmly against her cheek. "I could have helped you. Why didn't you let me know?"

"I'm so sorry," the General whispered, wiping his own tears away with one hand and hers with the other. "Please don't cry, Rinoa."

Rinoa placed a kiss on his hand and looked at him. She knew that she could get angry that he hadn't told her, she could sit and demand an explanation as to why he hadn't told her. But she knew that would do no good, there were too many other things running through her head that she needed to tell him, things she probably needed to ask him. She had so many things she needed to say, but right now she could only sit and say nothing. She looked down at him in the bed, noticing how pale his face was and how his hair had thinned out since she had last seen him. His skin felt so cold against her, she held his hand more tightly against her as if giving him some warmth would help him. The only machine to help him was a mask that he wore around his neck to give him oxygen if he needed it. The doctors had given up on him, there was nothing anyone else could do for him. No matter how hard she'd try, how much she could scream and shout, the outcome would still be the same.

"How are you feeling?" she asked sounding more stable than she felt.

Caraway thought for a moment, "I've been a lot better," he said with a slight smile, then he voice took on a more serious tone. "It hurt before but now I can't really feel a lot. I just feel tired."

Rinoa nodded, stroking his face. "I'm sorry," she said squeezing his hand tightly. "I've spent far too much time of my life angry at you for things that weren't your fault. We've argued when we probably should have just stopped and appreciated what we had together. What time we had together. I feel like a horrible person. I don't deserve to be called your daughter."

The General shook his head, "Don't say things like that," he responded. "It doesn't matter about the past, what's done is done. Just concentrate on now, I don't want you to feel bad about what happened. It's my fault too remember."

Rinoa nodded silently wiping away a stray tear. "I just don't want you to have bad memories of me."

"I don't," he responded. "You've always made me proud, you still do. I don't know why I never told you before."

"You mean that?" Rinoa asked with a smile as he nodded. She watched as he seemed to struggle for a moment, he breathed through the oxygen mask. "You're in pain," she said, once again fear striking through her. She watched helplessly as he began to look more pale, as if the life in him was slowly being drained.

"I've waited all day just to see you," he said quietly. "I couldn't give up, not until you came. I just needed to tell you that I love you."

"Don't," she said, sensing his struggle inside. He was slipping away, she could see it through the glaze in his eyes. "Don't leave me," she cried.

"You'll make Squall very happy, and everyone else around you," he spoke as he raised a shaking hand to stroke her hair, his arm dropped just as it touched her hair. His face looked exhausted as he looked up at her. "Listen… Listen for me on the tree." he said.

Rinoa watched with wide eyes as she heard his breathing slow down. She grabbed his hand tightly, just hoping that anyone could do something to help him. She didn't want him to die. Through teary eyes she placed a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight Daddy," she whispered. She looked down into his face and saw a small smile as he looked up at her. Then his breathing stopped.

She cried for a long time, leaving her head on his chest still holding his hand tightly. She didn't care how much time had passed, she didn't want to leave him here all alone. She barely noticed when the nurse came in and recorded the time of death. It wasn't until she felt Squall next to her and wrap his arms around her that she raised her head from her dad's chest for a moment. She looked at Squall with red eyes as she realised the one thing that she needed to ask him. The one thing that would have let her move on happy with her life. His approval.

"I forgot to ask him to go to the wedding," she said, looking back at her father before crying again. "I never got the chance to invite him."