Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8, Squaresoft....I mean SquareEnix does. I will return them when I am done, only Zell will be full of hotdogs.
Shout Outs: Dezirae...my Homie G Funk!She gets props just for that!, Angel of Neptune for her Mission series (If you haven't read them, do so, She's one of my fav authors) and Nini for being a huge Zell fan, and allowing me to use her pen name for the unnamed pigtail libary girl.
Now enjoy!
Chapter 1: Squall needs a Vacation
"Mmmmm" the sound escaped the mouth of Rinoa Heartilly as she laid her head upon the chest of Squall Leonheart. She hadn't slept next to him in what seemed like months. With the building of the new Esthar Garden, the reconstruction of Trabia Garden, upcoming SeeD test, and the basic life of a SeeD Mercenary, she had barely seen him at all. She looked up at him; his wrist over his eyes trying to shield his eyes from the rays of the morning sun coming threw the window. The alarm clock read 6:15am...the earliest he'd been in bed in a long while. She crawled up to him and kissed him on the lips.
"Morning" she said with a yawn. He just groaned.
"Five minutes please...that's all I ask," and at that moment the phone rang. Squall reached for it. He put the receiver to his ear, "Hello?"
"Squall, it's Cid. I know you've been up all night but I need your help with these investors coming in three hours...all I need is your help on this proposition and then you can go bed." Squall moaned.
"All right...be there in five..."
"Oh and um, I also need for you to open this jar of pickles, Thanks!" Squall hung up the phone and sat up, rubbing his face.
"Squall, What is it?"
"Cid...he said investors are coming by and I got to help him prepare his speech...and open up his jar of pickles." Rinoa smushed her face together, and marched out his room, Squall quickly followed her. He knew that look on her face...she was going to beat Cid into a bloody pulp. He chased after her, shouting her name. He saw Irvine and Selphie move out of her way, and praying for the poor soul who would soon feel the wrath of Rinoa's fist. There where three main rules in Garden: One; Don't stand to close to Zell with a hotdog, Two; Never go into the Training Center without someone to get you out of there in case of an emergency, and Three; Never ever mess with or anger Rinoa Heartilly. Even though he was the one guy no one wanted to mess with, Squall always observed rule number three to the fullest extent. There were a few whistles and wolf calls towards Rinoa from the freshmen that have never seen the pale skinned beauty in nothing but a shirt and boxer shorts. Any of those foolish enough to attempt hitting on her either met the back of her hand or where flung halfway across Balamb Garden by Squall. When it seemed he finally caught up to his love, Squall met instead with the elevator doors closing on his face. He looked up and watched the elevator begin its rise to Rinoa's destination...The Headmaster's office. Squall only had one other choice, and that was to run as fast as he can up a couple of flights of stairs.
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Rinoa stepped out of the elevator, angry thoughts running threw her head 'How could Cid ask all of this of Squall, for crying out loud he helped save the world but that doesn't mean he can handle every thing...and wanting Squally to open his stupid jar of pickles...now that's just lazy and rude! We'll I'm going to show him.' She pushed open the doors and say Cid sitting at his desk, his face beat red from struggling in vain to open the pickle jar. He looked up and saw the angry young women walk into his office.
"Good morning Rinoa...is anything wrong?"
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Squall burst threw the doors of the stairwell, trying to catch his breath. 'Did I beat up her?' he thought. Suddenly a loud crash could be heard coming from the Headmasters office.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP ME!"
"GET OVER HERE NOW FAT BOY!"
Squall slapped his hand over his face 'Too late." Squall opened the doors and what he say made him laugh a little under his breath...the forty some odd year old headmaster clinging to a pickle jar while running around his table being chased by Rinoa.
"HELP ME SQUALL!"
"YOUR GOING TO LEARN THAT HE'S NOT SOME MACHINE TO DO YOUR EVERY WHIM CID!"
Rinoa leapt into the air, but Cid quickly moved out the way. Unfortunately for him, Rinoa landed on her feet right behind him, and dug her nails into his. Cid yelled in pain. Squall ran into the fray and tired to pull his girlfriend off his boss's head to no avail. He finally got her over his shoulder, but her death lock on Cid's head would not give.
"COME ON RINOA IT'S OK!"
"LET GO SQUALL PICKLE BOYS GOT TO PAY!"
"MY HAIR! MY HAIR!"
Unbeknownst to all three a new figure entered the room. She looked in amazement at the ridiculously strange... yet funny situation. She put her hands on her hips, knowing she would probably stop this insanity.
"What is going on here!" said a quizzical Edea. All three of them stopped what they where doing. Rinoa let go of Cid, Squall put Rinoa down, and Cid kept a grip on the pickle jar. Edea looked at all three "Now, what is going on." Without messing a beat all three spoke...at once.
"IHeIhaven'thasn'tjustsleptsleptwantedininmythethejarlastlastopenedfortyfort ysoeighteightIhourshourscouldIandeathadthenmyfinallywantspicklesgottenhimand totoRinoabedworkattackedwhenandme..." Edea put her hands to her ears while all three voices ran threw her head at once.
"One at a time!" She yelled, "Squall, your the most level headed here, you go first."
"I haven't slept in the last forty eight hours, I had finally gotten to bed when Cid said he had a speech he had to go over with me and to open his jar of pickles but when I told Rinoa she flipped and came up to attack him and I tried to break it up, that's all Matron." Explained Squall.
"Squall you have been working constantly, You going to collapse from exhaustion and this butt pipe over here hugging the pickles has been using you like you some kind of machine and I don't want to see you in the infirmary hooked up to life support with pickle boy over here still trying to make you work" screamed Rinoa.
"Hey, it's part of Squall's job...and those nails really hurt!"
"I'LL SHOW YOUR HURT!" And with that Rinoa went after Cid again, this time Squall grabbed her and Cid took off to hide behind Edea. A small grin took over Edea's face.
"Sit down...all three of you."
Squall and Rinoa sat on the floor, Cid in the meantime quickly ran behind his desk.
"Cid, I don't know what's gotten into you, maybe Squall surpassed everything you thought he would be I don't know, but the boy needs rest, just look at him. He's completely exhausted. The boy needs a vacation. If you need help with the speech, ask Quistis or Xu, you shouldn't be solely dependent on one SeeD anyways regardless if he's the commander or not. Now Rinoa, I know what your really felling right now, he hasn't been around and you miss him. Therefore, effective immediately, Squall your on a week's paid vacation. No buts. Get some rest today, tomorrow, you and Rinoa will leave Balamb for Dollet. I know of a nice little hotel there, where you two can be alone and you can finally relax." Edea smiled. Rinoa helped Squall up. 'Finally,' Rinoa thought, "a week alone with Squall, and he can finally relax...maybe I can even see him smile again." The two young lovers begin walking out of the headmasters office...however...
"Wait...I still need help opening this pickle jar!" barked Cid.
With a groan Edea grabbed the jar, and with a flick of the wrist opened it. Cid's jaw dropped as Edea put the open jar infront of him.
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All of Balamb Garden turned out the next day at the Balamb train station. Rinoa was as bubbly as a schoolgirl at Christmas, waving bye to everyone. Squall only gave a few nods. As Squall began to board the train a familiar voice shouted at him.
"WAIT," shouted Cid, "Squall, you have to name someone to take your place while your gone...like a fill in Commander." Squall looked around 'Quistis would be a good choice but she's instructing again.... Xu would have her hands full... I'm afraid to see what would happen if I left Irvine or Selphie in charge...' Squall looked over the crowd and saw Zell doing his little shadow boxing show off thing while standing next to Nini the library girl. Squall turned his head to look at Rinoa's smiling face 'She's been wanting this for the last twenty-four hours...looks like theirs no other choice.'
"All right then...while I'm away I choose...Zell Dincht as my replacement."
The entire place went stone cold silent. Zell slowly walked out of the crowd, Nini right begind him, both with looks of utter shock on their face's.
"Uh...wha...wha...what did you say?"
"I said your in charge Zell." Zell got close as he could to Squall.
"Um...you sure about this man? Why not Quistis, or Xu...or Matron? Even Selphie!"
"Zell...listen, Quistis has to teach, Xu will be busy with Headmaster Cid, Matron's done so much for us it would be wrong to ask anymore of her...and do I really need to tell you why Selphie shouldn't be in charge?"
"Well...no, but I don't think I can do it man..."
"Zell, I have complete faith in you." Squall smiled and gave Zell a little salute as he boarded the train. The people of Balamb all watched as the train to Dollet speed off to it's destination.
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Squall sat back in his seat looking out the window...in a few hours he would be in Dollet, after a small stop in Timber and Deling City. He looked up as Rinoa entered the private room and sat down next to him.
"That was really nice of you to put Zell in charge, but now it doesn't matter we have one whole week together...lets make the most of it Squally" she cooed as she laid her head on his shoulder. Squall kissed the top of her head, then stared at the ceiling.
"Your right Rinny...I just hope the Garden's still standing when we get back."
Well thats it for Chapter 1, RR!