Author's Notes: Um, well, I kinda forgot that I had this story in progress

Author's Notes: Um, well, I kinda forgot that I had this story in progress. (I haven't worked on it since Feb 2000! Oops…my bad!) I thought that since my first semester of college is finally over, it'd be pretty cool if I could continue working on this story. I kinda forgot where I wanted to go with it so I'm going to start by revising the Prologue and Chapter 1. I think I can only make it better. So please, I hope you enjoy it. And if you're so inclined to leave a review well then, hey, thanks a whole bunch!

Disclaimer: I don't anybody but the people I made up. It's not too hard to tell who they are.

Deling City

"You two have to get out of here! Deling is looking for you and he won't stop until you're captured or killed!" A shrouded figure pushed a young couple forward.

The man the figure had shoved stumbled backwards and glared at his assailant. The dark figure's face twisted to show his aggravation. "Get her out of here NOW!" The speaker motioned wildly to the woman at his side.

For the first time, the woman glanced backwards, her chocolate hair whipping her face. "But what about the baby? We can't just leave her…" Her voice cracked as her husband protectively embraced her.

The mystery figure nodded, understanding her plight fully. "I'll take care of her until it's safe for you to come back. Now get out of the city before it's two late! You won't be any good to the girl if you're both dead!" The cloaked savior held his arms out to take the baby from the woman's arms. Reluctantly, she kissed the child on the forehead and gently handed to her new guardian.

"I'll be waiting here for you to come back," the figure's voice held a tinge of sadness. "And so will she. I promise."

The husband nodded his agreement and pulled his wife towards him as they left the city. The woman glanced back towards the shadow of man and child one final time before breaking into a run to escape the carnage that was sure to follow them.

Moments after they were out of sight, a fiery explosion rocked the entire city. As several buldings in their vicinity crumbled around them, the aging man who had helped the pair escape knelt close to the ground, protecting the child in his arms. How quickly this visit went wrong. He held the baby closer to himself, rocking her in an attempt to subdue her wails. Please come back safely. You owe to Julia.

Almost instinctively, the baby ceased her wailing and uncontrollable sobbing. "I hope your parents got out of here safely, sweetie." The baby wrinkled her nose and whimpered. "Shhhh," the man rocked her in his arms. "Don't you cry…you're a very lucky little girl…" His words of comfort were interrupted by the piercing voice of a young soldier.

"Excuse me, General Caraway, sir!" The soldier helped the man to his feet. "We were afraid when you went missing, that you had been caught in some of the crossfire. I'm so glad to have found you! I'm part of a search and rescue party sent out to find you."

Caraway stood up straight. "Thank you, cadet." He saluted the soldier and sat back down on the ground, continuing to soothe the baby in his arms.

"Sir…" the cadet shifted nervously. "I have orders to bring you to the presidential palace for safekeeping. The assault is beginning to depreciate and I have strict orders that you remain unharmed." He laughed nervously. "After all, we can't have the head of the Galbadian forces relieve himself of his duties!"

With a simple nod, Caraway followed his rescuer after one last look towards where the young couple had been only moments before. I won't lose you. I can't lose you. Rinoa, you're all I have left in the world. If only I could tell you that…

***

Deling City (Present)

"Caraway!" Evan Rowan dodged a speeding car and crossed the busy intersection safely. He bent over, panting and wheezing from running after Julia Caraway for nearly 20 minutes.

"Evan!" Julia turned around laughing. She was strikingly beautiful. Her eyes were as clear and crystalline as the deepest sapphire lake. Her chocolate hair rustled slightly in the breeze causing strands of it to fall into her eyes. "I can't believe you! At least I look before I cross the street!" She smiled broadly.

Evan gaped at her, as he did every time he looked at her. She was his best friend in the world, but he wanted her to be so much more…she just never seemed to show any romantic interest in him, much to his dismay. He was, however, broken out of his trance when she slapped him playfully on the back. "Well, now you've caught me!" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Well? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to tell me what was so important that you had to chase me all the way across town?" She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"I...." Evan stammered, looking for the right words. He knew she wouldn't be happy with the news he was about to deliver. He had practiced all morning at how he was going to break the news to her. If there was one thing he wanted, it was not to make Julia angry at him.

"You what?" Julia's eyes sparkled mischievously as she stepped closer to him.

Evan's face flushed. "I've enlisted in the Galbadian Military with my older brother." He braced himself for the attack he knew was going to come.

Julia's eyes narrowed. "How COULD you?!" She threw her hands in the air and stormed away from him. "I mean, Evan, you're my best friend in the whole world and you're joining with them?!"

"I thought you'd be happy for me..." Evan's face fell. He knew that he was lying to her and to himself.

"HAPPY for you?! How could I be happy for you! You're going against everything this country is founded on, you're being a ridiculous, pompous, no good meanie and I just can't stand by and watch you throw away…"

"STOP IT!"

Julia jumped back, shocked. In the 17 years she had known Evan, he'd never raised his voice to her. The thought and shock of it started to sting her eyes. "Why?"

Evan stepped closer to her, raising his voice. "You're grandfather is the head of the entire army, Julia! You adore him! Why should you like me any less?!" He turned away and shoved his hands in his pockets as he began trudging down the hillside.

Julia stood at the top of the hill, stunned. No words came to her lips.

"I'm joining the army, Julia. I've already done it. It's too late. You can either hate me forever or live with it."

Julia stared motionless in amazed silence. After a few moments she began running down the hill. I can't stay here anymore. I have to get away.

Evan saw her running towards him and his face brightened. She's going to forgive me. He turned towards her and opened his arms for a hug, but was shocked when she ran past him without even acknowledging him. He dropped his arms as tears stung at his eyes. It's over…

Julia had seen Evan waiting for her, but ignored him completely. She couldn't accept his decision. Your best friend is not supposed to run away and join some army that doesn't even fight for the right morals and go off to get killed! She had one thought on her mind – escape.

Deling City had been rebuilt to nearly an exact replica of its prior self after the fires had ravaged the countryside nearly two decades before. In fact, the city had even been built up upon and expanded to suit the needs of the people living there as well as advances in technology. The Galbadian army, however, was always on patrol. It never ceased to amaze and incense Julia that she seemed a prisoner in her own hometown.

After making her way across the entire city, she finally approached the long roadway that led to her grandfather's mansion. For the first time in her life, she didn't run or skip joyfully to the front door. Instead, she trudged up to it crying. She had never imagined that Evan would betray her like he had. They were happy children when they were younger, always playing in the garden behind Caraway's home. They hadn't known anything of armies or warfare. When did all of that change? When did we grow up?

Julia opened the door quietly. "Grandpa?" she called as she walked throughout the empty house. "Grandpa, where are you?" she gently knocked on his office door. No answer. She gingerly opened it and approached his massive mahogany desk. Pulling out a piece of notepaper, she quickly filled a fountain pen with ink and began writing.

Dear Grandpa,

Something terrible has happened. I can't stay in Deling anymore. I know I had always promised you that I would never ever leave like Mama did, but I have to take that promise back. Please don't worry or be angry at me. Your little Angel will be fine. I can take care of myself.

I can't tell you where I'm going because to tell you the truth I really aren't sure myself. The only thing I can say is don't come after me. I'll come home someday, but I can't say for sure when. I promise I'll come back. I know you'll be here waiting.

Thank you for everything you've done for me. I know it must have been hard for you to raise a little girl all by yourself after all that time, and I really appreciate it. Mama might have abandoned me, but you were the best parent figure I could ever hope for. I love you, Grandpa, and I always will. Please don't look at my running away as something horrible. It isn't your fault at all. You couldn't help it. It wasn't Evan's fault either, I swear, so don't take it out on him. Things have been building up for a long time and I just got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. I hope one day you'll see that I'm right and leave this horrible country too.

I love you, Grandpa!

Your little Angel,

Julia

Julia folded the letter and placed it on Caraway's desk. Almost as if in a trance, she climbed the stairs to her room and pulled a duffel bag out of her closet. Haphazardly throwing various items of clothing into it, she ran into her grandfather's room and pulled out a large sum of Gil out from under the mattress and shoved that into the bag as well. Julia zippered the bag and ran downstairs.

General Caraway stopped her dead in her tracks. He had just come home from a military meeting. Julia ran up to him and hugged him quickly. "I love you, Grandpa," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She released her hold on the aging general and rushed towards the train station before he could do anything to stop her. By the time he found the note and went after her, she would already be on a train to Trabia.

Caraway stood in stunned silence as he watched his granddaughter run down the driveway. She had always had a lot of spunk not unlike another young lady he had reared several years ago. He frowned. He thought of Rinoa every day. He had given up hope long ago that she and Squall had survived the coup that was hunting them down. Each day Julia grew to look and act more and more like her. You should be here with your daughter, Rinoa. She thinks you abandoned her and I can't convince her otherwise. I wasn't there for you and look how you regarded me. I don't want that to happen to you if you and Squall are still out there somewhere…

He sighed and opened the door to his office. He had a lot of work to do and many documents to look over before he met with the President the next morning. The elections were coming up and he doing everything he could to assist in Deling's reelection. He had to. If he didn't, his life and his job would be terminated. Caraway placed the mountain of paper work on his desk before noticing a small envelope.

His brow creased with wonder when he saw Julia's handwriting on it. Placing his briefcase on the rug beside him, he sat in a large leather chair and read the contents of the letter. He couldn't be shocked no matter how hard he tried. Julia had too much of Rinoa in her not to pull a stunt like this. He knew he would never be able to stop her once she had her mind made up.

Caraway folded the letter and lovingly placed it in a desk drawer that he usually locked. Julia's letter now had a place among all of his prized possessions – among them his and Rinoa's wedding photos, Julia and Rinoa's infant portraits, and several crayon drawings. I love you too, Julia. He smiled sadly and began his paperwork.

***

Balamb City

"I think this is your stop, miss." Julia awoke to a gentle tapping on her shoulder. Her eyelids rose slowly. Blinking a few times, her eyesight began to focus. She sat up and peered into the cheerful face of a sailor. She had been eternally grateful for having to get off the train in Trabia. She despised trains.

"Thank you." She reached under her seat to grab her duffel bag and stood in line to exit to the deck. "Wait! Sir?" Julia motioned to the sailor.

"Yes, miss?"

"Could you tell me where a Garden is? I heard there's one near here, but I've never been out of Deling before and I could use a few directions. I was supposed to go to Trabia, but apparently it was bombed or something and they never rebuilt it."

"You're from Deling?" The sailor's face grew pale. "You haven't come here to spy on Balamb so your army can overrun it have you?" His face masked the fear that was evident in his voice.

Julia shook her head violently. "No, sir."

The man relaxed and laughed jovially. "Well, then you must mean that you're looking for Balamb Garden. I don't think that you'll be able to miss it. You can see it from the body shop to the South of the city."

"Thank you." Julia stepped off the ship and began to walk south. She was so much in awe of the city. It was completely unlike Deling – very rural and quaint. She stared at all of the buildings and was so wrapped up in sightseeing that it was too late when she noticed she was walking straight into a teenage boy. They collided and Julia was thrown to the ground.

"Watch it!" he snapped as he helped her up. "You should really be careful."

His face softened when he saw the look of anger on her face. He handed her her duffel bag. "Say, do I know you?" Julia shook her head. "That's strange. I could have sworn I've seen you before." He adjusted the yellow tie on his blue shirt. Julia threw him a puzzled look. She had never seen clothing quite like that before. He smiled when he noticed Julia's stare. "Trust me, I wouldn't wear this of my own free will. It's a Garden uniform."

Julia's eyes flashed when she heard him mention Garden. "Garden?"

"Sure! You've never heard of Balamb Garden? It's right outside the city..."

"Can you take me there, please? That's where I was heading. I want to enroll." She nearly threw herself at him with excitement.

The boy's grin widened. "Of course!" He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "You wish is my command, my lady."

Julia glared at him skeptically, placing her hands on her hips. "Who ARE you, anyway?"

Her companion laughed, his light brown hair falling over his eyes. "Sorry. Reese Kinneas." His eyes twinkled. "And while we're doing introductions who are you?"

Julia shifted her feet. "I'd rather not say..." She was sure that the name Caraway was known throughout the continent. If anyone found out that she was the daughter of their greatest enemy she would be big trouble. Reese, however, remained insistent.

"Aww, come on! It's called an introduction! I tell you my name, you tell me yours! That's the way it has to go." Reese's eyes crinkled when he smiled.

"Julia Caraway." She braced herself for a lashing that would never come.

"There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Whatever..." For once in her life, Julia was at a loss of words. She couldn't let herself get close to anyone or they would find her out and keep her as a prisoner to use as bait against Galbadia.

***

Balamb Garden

"Well, Miss Caraway, since you haven't filled out an application or taken a entrance exam, I shouldn't admit you into Garden," Headmaster Cid Kramer sat in front of Julia. Oddly enough, Julia hardly felt intimidated by the aging man, even though he sat behind a large mahogany desk, not unlike her grandfather's and had a countenance similar to his own.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but I've come all they way from Deling City just to train here. Please give me at least a chance. I can't stand where Galbadia is heading and I can't stand by idly and watch my home be destroyed." Julia begged although it was something she usually didn't do.

"Well, young lady, I was going to finish by saying that there's something about you that I think would help you blend in well here. I'll assign you a private instructor to help you get caught up with training and studying." Headmaster Cid smiled.

"Thank you, so much!" It was all Julia could do to keep from hugging the man. He reminded her so much of her grandfather that she couldn't help liking him from the start.

"It's nothing. Just prove to me that I did the right thing by bending the rules for you, my dear." Cid handed her a neatly folded uniform. "Welcome to Garden, Julia. I'm sure you'll fit in quite nicely here."

Author's notes: Well, I can't say it's much better than the first version, but it's getting there. As you can probably tell I've changed a couple of things around, most of which will be more noticeable during the next chapter. I hope y'all like it and this time, I promise to go beyond one chapter! LOL