*Disclaimer* I don't own Final Fantasy, the characters, the ideas, or anything that has to do with Final Fantasy.
~*Dreams*~
******************************
~*"Mommy, can we go home now?"
The little girl tugged on her mother's hand as she followed her through the town.
"Not yet, sweetie." Her mother answered in a purr.
The little girl looked down at her shoes; shiny black tap shoes. She wondered why her mother was getting her all dressed up, since she was wearing her best sky blue dress with the black sash.
The mother pulled out a watch and glanced at it with a worried expression.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" The little girl asked.
The mother put the watch back into her pocket and picked up her pace. The little girl waited for an answer patiently, until she thought maybe her mother hadn't her her.
"Mommy-"
"Nothing's wrong, sweetie."
The little girl fell silent. Her mother never snapped unless she was scared or worried. When she was angry, her voice got smooth and calm, which made it unbearable for the girl when she got into trouble.
The mother led the little girl up to a large house, with guards at the street entrance.
"Follow me, sweetie. And be quiet." The mother whispered, pushing a few strands of maple-blond hair out of her face.
The little girl nodded and followed her mother through the hedges until they reached the entrance to the house.
A car pulled up to the street entrance, and the door opened. The mother kissed her daughter on the forehead and hugged her close.
"Stay here, sweetie. This is where your daddy lives, and he's going to take good care of you. Remember, they call him sir. I love you."
Her mother let go of her, tears in ehr eyes, and hurried out of sight.
The little girl wanted to follow her mother, but also didn't want to disobey her. The little girl looked up to see a man staring at her, as though she were an insect.
"Sir, who's child is this?"
Another man came over, with jet black hair that was so neat it looked fake.
"I don't know."
"You're sir?"
The man nodded, but looked disgusted when the little girl spoke.
"My name is Rinoa. You're my daddy."*~
******************************
Rinoa woke up with a start as her alarm rang loudly. She reached out and slammed it, wanting more sleep.
In another room, a child was crying.
A rough hand fell onto Rinoa's waist lazily, and she put her's over it.
"I'm going to get the baby, Squall." She murmured, lifting the hand to her mouth and kissing the fingertips.
Squall mumbled something she couldn't understand as Rinoa got out of bed. She pulled her bathrobe on over her thin nightgown and hurried into the next room, where a little girl sat clutching her pillow.
"Hush..." Rinoa said softly, picking up the baby and rubbing it's back. "It's okay, Zoe. Mommy's here..."
Rinoa hushed the little child, being sure she was taking extra care of her. She wanted to be a better parent than her father ever was.
Zoe eventually fell back to sleep, and Rinoa put her back in the cradle.
As Rinoa took off her bathrobe and hung it up, she felt strong arms slip around her waist and begin rocking her back and forth.
"Squall...isn't it a bit early?" Rinoa murmured, putting a hand to Squall's cheek.
Squall nibbled on her earlobe.
"Not for me."
Rinoa let out a purr and they went back to bed.
******************************
Rinoa got out of bed again almost three hours later. She let out a contented sigh as Zoe sang a song from the table.
Squall came in, tying the drawstring on his black silk pants.
"Smells good." He said, giving Rinoa a kiss, and bending over to kiss Zoe.
Zoe stopped singing long enough to giggle, her innocent gray eyes sparkling.
Rinoa set breakfast on the table as Squall did a magic trick for Zoe. They chattered about what to do when Laguna decided to finally retire.
"I say we should throw him a huge party." Rinoa said, and shot a stern look at Zoe before she could launch eggs across the table. "He really does deserve it you know, working all those years for the country that enslaved him in the first place."
Squall looked up from his newspaper.
"Maybe we should throw him a party. A surprise party! You know how much he loves surprises."
"A surprise party would be a good idea. Who would we invite, besides the whole gang?" Rinoa wiped Zoe's mouth, which was covered in frosting from a cinnamon roll.
"Kiros and Ward, of course. And Matron, and Cid, and maybe even your f-"
"No, he wouldn't have the time." Rinoa said hurriedly, putting down Zoe's spoon and giving her a bottle of milk. "I mean, he *is* in charge of Deling City now."
"But he's your f-"
"Squall." Rinoa said in a stern tone. "He doesn't have any time."
Squall shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper. An article caught his eye.
"Hello, what's this? 'Dr. Selphie Tilbitt has just revealed her newest discovery: a way to teach magic naturally. The method of teaching magic begins while the child is from the stages of newborn to toddler. This particular method should tap into the natural power to use magic and magnify it naturally until the child is fluent in the use. Dr. Tilbitt refuses to give any more information until her press conference next week.' Isn't that something?"
Rinoa nodded, and wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin.
"Well, I promised Quistis I would help her with her furniture today. So, I have to get going. You can take care of Zoe, can't you?"
Squall nodded, and Rinoa smiled.
"Thanks, Hun." She said quickly, giving Squall a kiss on her way to the bedroom.
Rinoa went through her closet, dismissing nearly every outfit she looked over. She finally decided on a casual pair of blue-jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt with the pattern of white wings on the back. Rinoa got dressed quickly, pulling on her black sneakers, and ran out the door.
"I'll be home in a few hours! Bye Squall!" Rinoa called, grabbing her purse and the keys to the car.
"Bye Rinoa!" Squall called, and heard the door shut.
Squall turned to his little daughter.
"So, Zoe. What do you want to do today?"
Zoe made the motion of starting up an engine, and Squall smiled.
"My thoughts exactly."
******************************
Squall let Zoe dress herself, and could hardly hold back a smile when Zoe came out of her room. She was dressed in an outfit not far from Squall's, only her jacket had a picture of a rose on the back of it and she wasn't wearing the gunblade belt.
"Do you want to go with me to visit the asylum?" Squall asked Zoe.
"Let's go then."
Zoe ran after Squall out the door, and grabbed his keys from the counter. She handed them to Squall as she caught up with him down the hall, and giggled at the sheepish look on his face.
Squall's sleek motorcycle gleamed in the sunlight, the bright red finish shining and the little gadgets sparkling as they caught the light.
"Yay!" Zoe cried, pumping her fist into the air as she jumped high. "The motorcycle!"
Squall chuckled as he clasped Zoe's helmet onto her head and lifted her into her seat, knowing she had seen Zell making that movement not long before.
Zoe trembled with delight as Squall started up the engine and they zoomed off.
******************************
Rinoa collapsed onto an old couch, and sneezed when clouds of dust rose from the cushions.
Quistis giggled, and brushed a few strands of golden-blond hair out of her face. Her aquamarine eyes glittered mishievously from her stern face.
"I said a lot of this stuff was dirty. Come on, Rinoa. We have to get this downstairs before the truck comes."
Rinoa sighed, rolling her eyes, and nodded.
"Can I just do this quick? Open up the window over there."
Quistis opened up a window, with some difficulty considering how it was stuck, and took a deep breath of the rfesh air coming into the stuffy attic.
"I can't believe nobody's been up here for nearly twenty five years!" Quistis cried as Rinoa got up from the dusty couch and brushed herself off. "It's like a clue to my past, but all I know about my family now is that they liked vintage furniture!"
Rinoa giggled as she raised her hand slightly from her waist in a graceful, effortless movement. The couch glittered golden for a moment before it raised up in the air and headed slowly towards the large, open window. Rinoa yawned as the couch began floating downwards, towards the sidewalk in front of Quistis' house.
Quistis sighed, and plopped down onto a crate.
"I wish I knew my family like you do, Rinoa. You're so lucky to know your father! And maybe even your mother, too."
Rinoa lowered her gaze to Quistis' hunched figure, and wished she didn't know her father.
"My father is a horrible man. I would consider myself lucky if I had never knew him..."
Quistis heaved another sigh, and then lit up her face with a bright smile.
"Look at us! Gloomy and feeling sorry for ourselves when there's work to be done! Let's hurry! You work on that chair, and I'll bring this crate downstairs...the old fashioned way."
Quistis picked up the crate and headed off down the stairs. Rinoa watched her go before she levitated the sagging chair out the window, glad to be rid of the horrid thing. She sat down on a different crate and thought about her dream.
The dream had seemed so real, especially how her father looked at her: as though she were an insolent insect. Every little detail seemed so realistic: how her mother looked poor, how Rinoa was so confused, how she looked up at her father with curiosity in her eyes, only to meet the coldness in his.
"Rinoa?" Quistis looked at Rinoa from the staircase, a frown of concern on her face. "You look pale."
Rinoa put her hand to her head, and the images of her watching her mother leave flashed through her head. Memories of waking up screaming for 'mommy' washed over her, and Rinoa suddenly felt dizzy.
Rinoa felt behind her for support, and felt the cold metal edges of the crate. Quistis ran over to her, and Rinoa finally slumped over weakly as her world turned black.
******************************
~*Dreams*~
******************************
~*"Mommy, can we go home now?"
The little girl tugged on her mother's hand as she followed her through the town.
"Not yet, sweetie." Her mother answered in a purr.
The little girl looked down at her shoes; shiny black tap shoes. She wondered why her mother was getting her all dressed up, since she was wearing her best sky blue dress with the black sash.
The mother pulled out a watch and glanced at it with a worried expression.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" The little girl asked.
The mother put the watch back into her pocket and picked up her pace. The little girl waited for an answer patiently, until she thought maybe her mother hadn't her her.
"Mommy-"
"Nothing's wrong, sweetie."
The little girl fell silent. Her mother never snapped unless she was scared or worried. When she was angry, her voice got smooth and calm, which made it unbearable for the girl when she got into trouble.
The mother led the little girl up to a large house, with guards at the street entrance.
"Follow me, sweetie. And be quiet." The mother whispered, pushing a few strands of maple-blond hair out of her face.
The little girl nodded and followed her mother through the hedges until they reached the entrance to the house.
A car pulled up to the street entrance, and the door opened. The mother kissed her daughter on the forehead and hugged her close.
"Stay here, sweetie. This is where your daddy lives, and he's going to take good care of you. Remember, they call him sir. I love you."
Her mother let go of her, tears in ehr eyes, and hurried out of sight.
The little girl wanted to follow her mother, but also didn't want to disobey her. The little girl looked up to see a man staring at her, as though she were an insect.
"Sir, who's child is this?"
Another man came over, with jet black hair that was so neat it looked fake.
"I don't know."
"You're sir?"
The man nodded, but looked disgusted when the little girl spoke.
"My name is Rinoa. You're my daddy."*~
******************************
Rinoa woke up with a start as her alarm rang loudly. She reached out and slammed it, wanting more sleep.
In another room, a child was crying.
A rough hand fell onto Rinoa's waist lazily, and she put her's over it.
"I'm going to get the baby, Squall." She murmured, lifting the hand to her mouth and kissing the fingertips.
Squall mumbled something she couldn't understand as Rinoa got out of bed. She pulled her bathrobe on over her thin nightgown and hurried into the next room, where a little girl sat clutching her pillow.
"Hush..." Rinoa said softly, picking up the baby and rubbing it's back. "It's okay, Zoe. Mommy's here..."
Rinoa hushed the little child, being sure she was taking extra care of her. She wanted to be a better parent than her father ever was.
Zoe eventually fell back to sleep, and Rinoa put her back in the cradle.
As Rinoa took off her bathrobe and hung it up, she felt strong arms slip around her waist and begin rocking her back and forth.
"Squall...isn't it a bit early?" Rinoa murmured, putting a hand to Squall's cheek.
Squall nibbled on her earlobe.
"Not for me."
Rinoa let out a purr and they went back to bed.
******************************
Rinoa got out of bed again almost three hours later. She let out a contented sigh as Zoe sang a song from the table.
Squall came in, tying the drawstring on his black silk pants.
"Smells good." He said, giving Rinoa a kiss, and bending over to kiss Zoe.
Zoe stopped singing long enough to giggle, her innocent gray eyes sparkling.
Rinoa set breakfast on the table as Squall did a magic trick for Zoe. They chattered about what to do when Laguna decided to finally retire.
"I say we should throw him a huge party." Rinoa said, and shot a stern look at Zoe before she could launch eggs across the table. "He really does deserve it you know, working all those years for the country that enslaved him in the first place."
Squall looked up from his newspaper.
"Maybe we should throw him a party. A surprise party! You know how much he loves surprises."
"A surprise party would be a good idea. Who would we invite, besides the whole gang?" Rinoa wiped Zoe's mouth, which was covered in frosting from a cinnamon roll.
"Kiros and Ward, of course. And Matron, and Cid, and maybe even your f-"
"No, he wouldn't have the time." Rinoa said hurriedly, putting down Zoe's spoon and giving her a bottle of milk. "I mean, he *is* in charge of Deling City now."
"But he's your f-"
"Squall." Rinoa said in a stern tone. "He doesn't have any time."
Squall shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper. An article caught his eye.
"Hello, what's this? 'Dr. Selphie Tilbitt has just revealed her newest discovery: a way to teach magic naturally. The method of teaching magic begins while the child is from the stages of newborn to toddler. This particular method should tap into the natural power to use magic and magnify it naturally until the child is fluent in the use. Dr. Tilbitt refuses to give any more information until her press conference next week.' Isn't that something?"
Rinoa nodded, and wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin.
"Well, I promised Quistis I would help her with her furniture today. So, I have to get going. You can take care of Zoe, can't you?"
Squall nodded, and Rinoa smiled.
"Thanks, Hun." She said quickly, giving Squall a kiss on her way to the bedroom.
Rinoa went through her closet, dismissing nearly every outfit she looked over. She finally decided on a casual pair of blue-jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt with the pattern of white wings on the back. Rinoa got dressed quickly, pulling on her black sneakers, and ran out the door.
"I'll be home in a few hours! Bye Squall!" Rinoa called, grabbing her purse and the keys to the car.
"Bye Rinoa!" Squall called, and heard the door shut.
Squall turned to his little daughter.
"So, Zoe. What do you want to do today?"
Zoe made the motion of starting up an engine, and Squall smiled.
"My thoughts exactly."
******************************
Squall let Zoe dress herself, and could hardly hold back a smile when Zoe came out of her room. She was dressed in an outfit not far from Squall's, only her jacket had a picture of a rose on the back of it and she wasn't wearing the gunblade belt.
"Do you want to go with me to visit the asylum?" Squall asked Zoe.
"Let's go then."
Zoe ran after Squall out the door, and grabbed his keys from the counter. She handed them to Squall as she caught up with him down the hall, and giggled at the sheepish look on his face.
Squall's sleek motorcycle gleamed in the sunlight, the bright red finish shining and the little gadgets sparkling as they caught the light.
"Yay!" Zoe cried, pumping her fist into the air as she jumped high. "The motorcycle!"
Squall chuckled as he clasped Zoe's helmet onto her head and lifted her into her seat, knowing she had seen Zell making that movement not long before.
Zoe trembled with delight as Squall started up the engine and they zoomed off.
******************************
Rinoa collapsed onto an old couch, and sneezed when clouds of dust rose from the cushions.
Quistis giggled, and brushed a few strands of golden-blond hair out of her face. Her aquamarine eyes glittered mishievously from her stern face.
"I said a lot of this stuff was dirty. Come on, Rinoa. We have to get this downstairs before the truck comes."
Rinoa sighed, rolling her eyes, and nodded.
"Can I just do this quick? Open up the window over there."
Quistis opened up a window, with some difficulty considering how it was stuck, and took a deep breath of the rfesh air coming into the stuffy attic.
"I can't believe nobody's been up here for nearly twenty five years!" Quistis cried as Rinoa got up from the dusty couch and brushed herself off. "It's like a clue to my past, but all I know about my family now is that they liked vintage furniture!"
Rinoa giggled as she raised her hand slightly from her waist in a graceful, effortless movement. The couch glittered golden for a moment before it raised up in the air and headed slowly towards the large, open window. Rinoa yawned as the couch began floating downwards, towards the sidewalk in front of Quistis' house.
Quistis sighed, and plopped down onto a crate.
"I wish I knew my family like you do, Rinoa. You're so lucky to know your father! And maybe even your mother, too."
Rinoa lowered her gaze to Quistis' hunched figure, and wished she didn't know her father.
"My father is a horrible man. I would consider myself lucky if I had never knew him..."
Quistis heaved another sigh, and then lit up her face with a bright smile.
"Look at us! Gloomy and feeling sorry for ourselves when there's work to be done! Let's hurry! You work on that chair, and I'll bring this crate downstairs...the old fashioned way."
Quistis picked up the crate and headed off down the stairs. Rinoa watched her go before she levitated the sagging chair out the window, glad to be rid of the horrid thing. She sat down on a different crate and thought about her dream.
The dream had seemed so real, especially how her father looked at her: as though she were an insolent insect. Every little detail seemed so realistic: how her mother looked poor, how Rinoa was so confused, how she looked up at her father with curiosity in her eyes, only to meet the coldness in his.
"Rinoa?" Quistis looked at Rinoa from the staircase, a frown of concern on her face. "You look pale."
Rinoa put her hand to her head, and the images of her watching her mother leave flashed through her head. Memories of waking up screaming for 'mommy' washed over her, and Rinoa suddenly felt dizzy.
Rinoa felt behind her for support, and felt the cold metal edges of the crate. Quistis ran over to her, and Rinoa finally slumped over weakly as her world turned black.
******************************