Forever will I love her

((Laguna's POV))

I sat up in my grand waterbed, covered with gold. I sighed. Another day, filled with frivolous duties. Sign papers, listen to Estharians that have been wronged, be ignored by Squall, and work my butt off. I sighed, and walked to my balcony. I had been tempted for so long to end my life...Raine was gone...Julia was gone...Ellone was married off successfully, and she was gone...Squall hated me....Nothing to live for...

Raine...How I missed seeing her face...Her cynical personality, her kindness to me...Her smile...I had worked for months now without a break. So I decided now was the time for a day off...I wrote a note down and set it on my bed. Then I slipped into a pair of black pants, a long black leather trench coats, and a blue tank top. I put on a pair of shades, and a hat so no one would recognize me. Then I snuck into the airship garage, took a small helicopter, and was off. I wanted to go to Winhill. It had been nineteen years since her death....At least see Raine's grave...I set the controls for there, and sat back.

I arrived eventually, and I went to the graveyard. There was a woman with long unkempt hair, and rags, by Raine's grave. She was shaking. I walked over to her cautiously.

"Excuse me, Miss...What are you doing by this grave?"

She turned around, and I was filled with shock...Raine?

She ran. I was a bit old, being in my late thirties, but not senile. I lept at her, and grabbed her by the legs. She fell. She looked at me still in shock, but I simply looked at her face...The face of the woman I loved...She passed out. I carried her limp and petite body to the house we once lived in, and took to cleaning her up...She was covered with bruises, and wounds...

Oh Raine...is it you? Can it be you?

She woke up eventually. I sat by her, and held her hand.

".........Raine? Is that you?"

She looked at me, eyes brimming with tears.

"I...I don't know! Please don't make me go back, please, please, PLEASE! I'll do anything...Please don't make me go back...I can't take it anymore...No more beatings...Please...."

She began to cry, and she started shaking.

"Raine...I won't hurt you. Please...Its me, Laguna."

She looked up.

"Laguna...? I know that name....Its familiar...Sir, do you know who I am?"

I looked at her stunned. She looked terrible...Poor thing...I stroked her sweat covered hair, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Your name is Raine Loire...I don't know if you remember, but you died 19 years ago today. I...Well..."

I didn't know if I should tell her the part about me being her husband...So I changed the subject.

"Miss, er...Are you hungry? Perhaps I could get you something? There's a nice restaurant here..."

She looked at me, without trust.

"I...I guess so. You could be lying, but its better then starving..."

"Perhaps you need to get cleaned up first. There's a shower in the other room."

Luckily, Raine's clothes had never been packed away. There was a woman that had lived there, but she died...

Raine emerged from her room wearing a simple green sweat shirt and blue jeans. I smiled at her...Age had barely touched her. She was still beautiful, with her long silken brown hair, and deep blue eyes...

"Shall we go?" I held out my arm. We decided to walk there. Several people stared at her as she walked by.

They all asked if she was Raine. She just kept saying no...She wanted to get rid of them all. But why? She was nervous, and tense, and kept looking around frantically. What was the matter with her. Was this my Raine?

I walked her to the restaurant, and we walked in. I looked over at her, and smiled. She didn't smile back.

I walked to the entrance, and, then a man asked us, "How many of you are there?"

I replied, "Two. Just two."

"But what about the three guards behind you, Sir?"

With lightning quick reflexes, I turned around and reached for my gun. They were Galbadian soldiers. They moved towards Raine. I quickly shot one in the head, and kicked one down, but one grabbed her. He took her to his car. She was screaming, and shaking. Then the one I kicked came and held me down. I couldn't move. I had to summon my strength...Had to summon it. I pushed him off and shot him.

I ran outside. The car was driving off. I jumped on top of it. There was a window on the top, and I punched through it and landed inside. I saw Raine in the back, and there was the soldier in front. I jumped up in front, and started to fight him. He proceeded to punch me, and kick me. He removed my gun and hurled it to the back of the limo. Then he pinned me down, and started to punch me repeatedly. He was too strong. I tried to move, but couldn't.

Suddenly he fell limp on me. I looked up and saw a bullet wound on his head. Then I looked in the back and saw Raine with a gun. She had killed the guard.

"Raine...You...?"

"I killed the guard. ACK! LAGUNA! WE'RE ABOUT TO CRASH!" I quickly turned the car around before it crashed into another, but we still landed in a ditch.

"Laguna, you are a terrible driver."

"Oh, and I bet you could do better."

"Well, I was busy killing a guard since you couldn't!"

"Er...well, at least er....Ok, you got me there. You still hungry?"

"Yeah, lets go."

So we walked back to the restaurant, and sat down when we were seated. I was a bit nervous to be around her, and she seemed nervous as well, but we ate, and talked, and had a nice time.

"So what are your plans now?" I asked her.

"Well...I guess I'll get a job, and start working to provide for myself."

"But why? When I can provide for you!"

"Why would you do that?"

"Im President of Esthar, Laguna Loire."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Of course I don't believe you, but its nice that you lie to impress people."

I sighed.

We ate, and then we left. Then a guard jumped out. I shot him, and then ran to the jet outside her house.

"Come on Raine. Lets go before they come back."

We took the jet, and I set it to Esthar. It rode smoothly, until it ran out of fuel...We had to make an emergency exit in Balamb.

They were out of fuel! THEY WERE OUT OF FUEL! Dang it...I tried...Then I saw a cruise to Salt Lake. I decided that was the best idea...It would be difficult, but we could make it. Besides that, it would be no problem for me and my unlimited resources. I had lots of cash on me, and credit cards. So we walked up to the boat, unknowing of what was there....

((Raine's POV))

Why was this strange man being so nice to me? I mean....I didn't know who he was...Maybe he knew me. But what if he was one of the kidnappers....No....I couldn't go back. I wouldn't go back! I walked up to the ship, and we went up to the dock. It was already late at night. It was a luxury ship...Very nice, very fine....

I looked around. My room was room 88. Laguna's was room 89. I was so tired...But I couldn't sleep...I told Laguna I was going to bed, but then I walked up to the dock and looked out. The stars covered the sky, and the moon shone brightly. It was truly beautiful how the water reflected them. All I knew is that I was happy for now...But I still prayed Laguna was on my side...I couldn't sleep...I couldn't...Then Laguna came up to me.

"You able to sleep, Raine?"

"No...I couldn't...I just wanted to look at the stars."

I looked at Laguna, who was also under the stars...Then...I saw him, underneath stars...he was holding a ring...He gave one to me...What? What was that?

We said nothing, we just gazed at the beauty of it all.

"Raine....I....."

"Yes? What is it, Laguna?"

"I...I just want you to know that you don't have to be afraid. I'll stand by you till the very end, and fight for you...."

"Thank you Laguna...Im gonna try to go to sleep."

He smiled...His smile...I has missed it. What? What were these thoughts?

I went to my room. It was nice, very well furnished. Not a cot on a straw covered floor...I went into the bed, and I tried to sleep, but I couldn't...I sat in bed for a few hours, just tossing, turning, and thinking about Laguna...I got up, and I knocked on his door.

"Whu...? Lemme go back to sleep..."

"Laguna...Its me, Raine."

He opened the door.

"Yes?"

"Er...could you come to my room, please Laguna? I just need someone there."

"Sure...Can do..."

So we walked to my room, and closed the door.

"Were you able to sleep, Raine?"

"Well...I can't..."

"Why not?"

"Well...Because Im used to having small children sleep in the same bed with me, and I just can't sleep alone anymore..."

"Raine, do you want me to sleep next to you?"

"Well...I would really appreciate it."

He sighed, and smiled a little.

"Fine..."

"Thank you Laguna."

He was right next to me, and I felt warm, and safe. I was so tired, and felt I could sleep. I was so sleepy...So sleepy...My eyes shut, and I slumped to the bed.

Was I dreaming? I could think...I couldn't move...I could only see...There I was, in a kitchen of my home in Winhill...I was making cookies. Geez, I was much younger. Then a small girl came up to me.

"Raine, will yoo please gimme the cookie dough?"

I sighed.

"Elle, first off, dinner is coming soon and it would ruin your dinner. Second of all, cookie dough is bad for you. Third off..."

Then there was a knock on my door. I opened it. It was Henry. He had a wounded man with him.

"Raine, this man was found outside of Winhill. Poor fellow is in bad shape. And your house has enough room...Do you think you could...?"

"What? You want to use my home as an Infirmary for some man whose probably a drunk of something, and put him in my home, so he can do who knows what to me and Elle?"

"He's a Galbadian soldier. Look at the bullet holes. Raine, we'll protect you."

The past me sighed deeply and held my head in my hands.

"Why me...Why me....Fine. Take him to the guest room."

Laguna? That man was Laguna! He was taken upstairs, and put in bed. The past me went over, and looked at him. Looked at his muscular body, and sighed deeply.

Then I heard Ellone knock on the door. She knocked lightly.........

She came up to me.

"Raine, whooo is that man that yoo are taking care of?"

"He's er...I don't know...His tag says Laguna Loire on it."

I set to treating his wounds. I washed the blood off, I stitched him up a bit. I had a degree in nursing, so I was quite good at this. Then I removed the bullets. He had quite a few through him. I removed them, and sewed it up. He was in terrible shape. Broken rips, broken nose, broken arm, broken knee cap, broken foot...The poor man. I was sewing up his rip cage, and then he opened his eyes. They were a beautiful.. I looked into them as deeply as I could, into those deep sapphire colored eyes.

"Er...Hello, my name is Raine...Your tag says Laguna. You're in pretty bad shape, so Im gonna try and stitch you up. This may hurt a little."

I started to sew up his arm, and he started to sob.

"ITS NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!" He started to bawl, and then continued through tears. "FIRST I GET CHASED BY ESTHARIAN SOLDIERS, THEN I GET SEPARATED FROM MY FRIENDS, AND NOW IM BEING STITCHED UP, BECAUSE IM ALL BLOODIED AND BRUISED! AND YOU'RE KILLING ME HERE! SHOW SOME COMPASSION!"

And he went on...and on....So then my past self shoved a tranquilizer in Laguna, and he conked out. She held her head in her hands, and sighed deeply, yet with a smile on her face.

Then I heard a voice.

"Hello Raine!"

It was a young and cheerful voice...It was familiar...

"Hello? Whats going on? Why is everything all black?"

"Im currently talking to you right now, telepathically. I call this tuning. Raine, everything Uncle Laguna says is true. He just hasn't told you everything...He's afraid you aren't really Raine. Give him time. Gotta go now! I can't wait to see you again! Say hi to Laguna for me!"

I shot up. There Laguna was, paying a boy with a breakfast tray. I sighed happily.

"Morning, Raine! Did you sleep well?"

I smiled.

"Next to you, who wouldn't?"

He smiled back, and handed me some pancakes, well he sipped coffee.

So we ate, and we talked, but I had no idea how to tell him the about last night...About where I had been for eighteen years...

We got dressed, and then we started walking along the ship. It really was nice. We went up to the dock. The breeze blew through my hair, and through his as well. We walked, and talked happily, and then he looked like he wanted to tell me something....I didn't quite know what. Then...I felt sleepy...Very sleepy. He looked the same way. Then.....I collapsed again.

I saw myself and Laguna...We were smiling, talking, having a great time...He had given up his exciting life as a soldier for me. The old me looked truly happy. And then he kissed her. I remembered that...It was her first kiss since her husband had died...They smiled...Happy...Totally unaware that something could happen that would tear them apart...

I woke up, on the deck. Laguna looked taken aback too.

"Did...Did you see something too, Raine?"

I looked into the ocean.

"Yes, Laguna...I did. I saw...I saw you and me...and well...I..."

"I saw the same thing, and I kept hearing Ellone telling me to be patient. Telling me to wait...Raine! Look at that!"

There was a dolphin. It jumped up, quite high, and landed on deck, thus beaching itself. Laguna and I ran to it, and he took one end, and I took the other. We went all the way to the deck, and I hurled it, and then I fell into the water! I couldn't swim! I screamed! Water...Salty, burning my throat as the salty bile went down it.

I just kept splashing and thrashing around...Then...a shark came to me. Its mouth opened! Then Laguna swam over, and shot it...I was falling....Deeper into the water...Deeper...I was sinking...Blackness engulfing me...Memories...Flashing...

"Do you, Raine Leonhart, take Laguna Loire to be your husband?"

"Of course! I do!"

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife!"

Laguna smiled, and kissed me...Then it switched back to me being a little girl...eating my first banana...Then as a rebellious teenager. Memories...flooding. Coming back, quickly...filling my brain...Blackness...engulfing me. Sinking...Going down....Fear. Panic. I saw myself holding my newborn son...Soldiers, rushing in...I gave my son to a midwife, she ran away with it. I didn't get to kiss him...Show him off to his father...Blackness. I was unconscious.

((Laguna's POV))

I shot the shark, and blood poured everywhere. Where was Raine? I dove deeply into the water. The salty water burned my eyes, but I had to find her. I saw a bit of yellow. Her headband! Floating my way! I swam deeper...Deeper....Had to find Raine. Had to save the only thing that was keeping me from committing suicide. Found her! Grabbing Raine...Losing consciousness. Pushing. Pushing. My lungs felt like they would explode! I was going to die...Going to die! Had to save Raine...Had too! I thrust my hand upward. Had to find the air...the surface, anything! My fingertips felt air. Lungs losing it. Losing consciousness...I grabbed the inner tube! I had found it! I pulled myself and Raine into it. Air. Sweet, clean smelling air poured into my lungs. Raine! She was unconsciousness. I saw an island. Had to go for that island. It wasn't too far away.

Had to push my legs...They wouldn't go...Had to...Had to for Raine...Push Laguna...Push...I closed my eyes, and just pushed to the direction of the island. Pushed....Pushed....

I was on the shore. I picked up Raine's limp form, and carried it. I saw a cottage a little while away. I was wet, and in a trench coat. That was what had caused my extra weight. I ran, pushing my legs to the limit. I had Diablos' ability Enc None...I ran to the cottage. I made it. I locked the door, and put Raine on a table. Her skin...It was so blue....So dead looking. I took off her shirt, and began pushing lightly on her chest. I pushed, and then I breathed in her mouth, I pushed, I breathed.

*Raine, please don't die...Please don't die...You gotta live Raine...I need you. I need to live again. I need you to help me.*

Water shot out of her mouth! She was alive! I wasn't just filled with emotion, I was overcome with emotion. I wrapped her in my arms, even though I was frozen, as was she, and I held her. I held her, and soon I was kissing her with all the passion bent inside of me, and she was returning it, with her passion. Kissing her soft, salty lips...I looked deeply into her eyes...Her deep, aquamarine colored eyes...I had missed this. All of this. But my Raine had returned...The only woman I'd ever love...

"Raine...you're alive..."

She smiled weekly.

"Laguna...I remember everything now...I.."

I smiled, but then my sense of duty kicked in.

"In a moment Raine...Lets look around this cottage first..."

First I started a fire in a fireplace that I had found. Then my eyes spotted a closet. I opened the closet, and saw....clothes? There were several sun dresses, and pilot suits. I pulled out one of each, and tossed a sundress to Raine. I turned my head, and then I got out of my wet outfit, and into the pilot suit. I found some blankets, and I wrapped one around myself, and tossed one to Raine. It was fur, and quite warm. I smiled at her.

"What did you have to say, Raine?"

"Laguna...I didn't die at childbirth with Squall. I was kidnapped along with several of the other women in Winhill. We were to be used as slaves, and for our eggs...The other women eventually were released...But not me. They...They took my eggs, and they would freeze them, and combine them with sperm from the strongest of men, and the child would be very strong, physically, and in magic. They would then grow them in test tubes. They beat me. Had me clean. Had me do everything they told me. I had small children that were slaves as well...The poor little dears. Then one day I was beaten repeatedly until I had forgotten everything...I remember only a few of my sons. My first son...he was a beautiful little boy...He had blue eyes, and bits of blonde hair...His father of course took him immediately, and named him after himself...His name was Seifer, after his father...I wanted to keep him...But I was beaten for my ignorance...Eventually I got used to it...And then...The guards mysteriously fell asleep one day when they were unlocking my cell. I escaped quickly. I kept hearing Ellone's voice, telling me to run, and where to run. And so I made it to Winhill somehow...So that explains my cuts, my bruises, my scars..."

I was crying now. Crying for the years lost between us, and for the love that I had thought was gone. Crying for the fact that the woman who meant more to me then anything had to go through what she had to. Raine was crying as well. I wrapped her in my arms, and simply said,

"Raine...Nothing like that will ever happen to you again. You'll be in Esthar, with me. I'll protect you with my own life. I'll take care of you. I will spend every waking moment of my life, devoted to your happiness...I love you, Raine."

She looked at me, and smiled.

"I love you as well, Laguna."

I held her. I wouldn't let go of her. Wouldn't let anything ruin the beauty of this moment. And then there was a knocking at the door. I looked at Raine.

"Raine...Please, go to the closet, and don't go out. If anything happens to me...I love you Raine..."

She silently obeyed, and I took my gun from my holster, and opened the door.

"AIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! RAINE! ITS FREDDY KRUGER! RUN!"

She walked out.

"Very funny, Laguna."

It was Kiros.

"Hey Laguna! We've been searching all over for you, and here you are! And...Oh my gosh...Thats Raine....How did she...?"

"Its a long story, I'll tell you on the way. C'mon Raine, lets go."

She got up, and followed me. I took Raine's hand, and we walked slowly to Kiros' plane. Everything seemed fine. Then a giant Ochu jumped out, and picked up Kiros with his giant tendons. I wanted to shoot at it, but I would risk Kiros' life. And then...Kiros was put in its mouth. I shot at it. Shot repeatedly at it...Sobbing, crying, doing whatever I could. But it wouldn't change the fact that my best friend was gone. The Ochu cast slow on me, then, and approached me.

I screamed at Raine, but it came out slowly.

"RAINE.............RUN.......SAVE.........YOURSELF.......!!!!"

"Laguna, I won't leave you! I can't!"

She ran up to me, and cast Esuna on me. I picked up Raine since she couldn't run very fast, and I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would take me. I was exhausted, yes. But fear gives you the energy you need, most of the time. I ran, and then I jumped into the plane, closed the door, and set the controls for Esthar.

I looked into Raine's eyes...Deep pools of aquamarine greeted me. I dove into those pools. They entranced me.

"Raine...We're going home."

She smiled.

"My home is with you, Laguna...I will never leave your side, from now on."

I kissed her lightly, on her beautiful, soft lips. Then, she leaned on me, put her head on my chest, and fell asleep. I could feel her heart against my chest...I could feel her light body against mine. I could feel her warmth, I could feel my Raine. And I was happy. I had a reason to live now. Forever. Forever would I love my Raine. My reason to live.