Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

Home on the Range

Quistis sighed and readjusted her hat. The sun was bright over the fields she surveyed. But everything looked to be in good order. While Quistis knew that her hired hands also rode the fences as well as kept an eye on her livestock, she always felt better if she checked it herself once a week. Caledonia Canyon Ranch was as much her responsibility as her father's, and she took that seriously. Especially lately. Quistis knew just what lengths people would go to when they wanted to buy land, and her ranch was one some of the best land in Centra.

She didn't trust this Miss Adel Ultimecia who had been calling on her father for the past month or so. Even through the price that she had offered was generous, Quistis didn't see what a wealthy woman from Esther would want with a ranch like theirs. Thankfully, so far her father had refused to sell. The ranch might not be the biggest in Centra, but it had always been Quistis' home, and she didn't want to give it up. Her father had raised her to work the ranch from an early age. She was his only child, and he had never cared about the fact that she was a girl.

No, despite being a girl, her father had made sure she was well educated both in general and on how to run a ranch. He had even sent Quistis to Balamb for a few years, so she could attend school there. In fact, that had been where Quistis had met Rinoa Heartily. The younger woman was the daughter of the bank owner in town, but it hadn't been until she had finished school that she had moved to Caledonia, the nearest town to the ranch. Between Rinoa and Selphie (the daughter of the owner of the general store), Quistis had all the female companionship she needed. Between her father and the three ranch hands, she had all the help for the ranch she need. Quistis was happy with her life.

"Miss Quistis!"

She turned to see Zell Dincht, one of her ranch hands riding towards her. Quistis sighed and turned Shiva, her mare, in his direction.

"What's wrong, Zell?"

"Apparently, the order's for supplies need to be in earlier than usual this month. Your father wants you to go over the accounts before we send them off to town."

Quistis sighed. "All right. I'll head back to the house. Finish checking this section of the fence please, Zell."

He made a face but nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Quistis turned Shiva towards the house and set off at a brisk canter. She might as well get this over with, and Shiva enjoyed the exercise. It wasn't that Quistis minded checking the accounts, but on a warm spring day like today, she would rather be in the saddle than behind a desk. Still, the accounts shouldn't take too long, and she could probably get another ride in before dark.

It wasn't long before the house came into sight. The ranch house was too large for just Quistis and her father. Originally she knew that her parents had planned on having a much larger family. Derek and Idalia Trepe had plans for a large ranch and a large family. But Quistis' mother had died when she was only five, and her father had never remarried. The extra rooms in the house had ended up going to the ranch hands.

She stabled Shiva before heading inside. Her father was in the study waiting for her.

"Quisty, come check this for me. I think they're fine, but you've got the eye for any discrepancies."

Quistis took the chair across from him and reached for the papers. There weren't any problems exactly, but the prices of half of their regular supplies had gone up by a considerable amount. She frowned. That didn't make sense. There was no reason for these prices to be up.

"Papa? Did Mr. Tilmit tell you why these prices were up?"

He shook his head. "I just figured their raising the prices back east again. It happens."

Quistis bit her lip. She didn't like this. She needed to ask Selphie some questions about this, and she would keep her eye on the prices from now on. It had occurred to her before that if Miss Adel couldn't get their ranch by legal means, she might try something else. And making the ranch too expensive to run wouldn't be a bad plan. For Adel that was. For Quistis and her people, it could be more than a little problematic.

She didn't have proof that Adel was trying that tactic yet though, and Quistis knew the importance of making sure she had all her ducks in a row before doing anything. She would check with Selphie, and she would check with Rinoa as well. There were times when being the daughter of a banker provided her friend with a lot of information. And it wouldn't hurt to check with Town Hall to look at any recent sales of land. If she knew exactly why Adel was so interested in her ranch, it would be a help. Caledonia Canyon Ranch was Quistis' home, and she wasn't about to give it up without a fight.