A/N: Here's the next chapter to this story. It's all about Squall taking care of his son while Eternity is away helping Yuna (in "A Summoner's Journey'). Hope you're enjoying the story and I totally hope doing Squall's personality justice! Please read and review to tell me how I'm doing.

Disclaimer: Kaelen is my character.

Chapter 2: First Day Together Part 1

I don't know how long I was asleep, but I noticed sunlight streaming in through the window. I had a major headache...probably a hangover from last night's party. I only had a couple of alchoholic drinks all night. 'Spiked punch,' was my first thought. I turned my head to look at Kaelen, only to notice that he wasn't in the bed with me. I turned my head the other direction and saw that he was sitting on the floor with his back to me. In front of him was...Hyne! My gunblade case! Kaelen had managed to open the case somehow and he was staring at the gunblade inside. He reached out to touch the blade and I shouted, "Kaelen!"

Kaelen jumped at the sound of my voice and he turned his head to look at me. I got out of bed and went over to the case. Kaelen quickly stood up and stepped away from the case as he watched me. I bent down, shut the case and picked it up so I could place it on the highest shelf in my room. "I sowwy daddy..." Kaelen said in a whiney voice before he started to cry.

I sighed as I knelt down in front of him. "I don't ever want to see you touch that again, understand me? You could have hurt yourself really bad."

"I can?' Kaelen asked through his tears.

"Yes...that weapon is very sharp," I answered quietly since I was over the initial shock.

"Okay daddy," Kaelen wiped his eyes with his fists. I pulled Kaelen to me and embraced him so he would stop crying. I don't know how to handle kids, but I figured this was one way to do it. It worked at Ariana's funeral after he hugged my leg. I turned my eyes over to the clock on my desk and saw that it read, 8:04. Hyne, I overslept! 'Oh well, it isn't like I have classes to go to today. I don't have anything planned. Of course...Rinoa would expect me to spend time with her...maybe I can use Kaelen as an excuse to get out of it?' I thought to myself. I don't know why that girl is always hanging around me, I just want to be left alone. Rinoa is even worse than Eternity where that is concerned.

Ever since Rinoa was in that coma after the fight with Matron, I could feel...it wasn't attraction...but something about Rinoa made me think I was attracted to her. I decided to leave the issue alone for now as Kaelen's stomach growled. "Are you hungry?" I asked him. Kaelen stood up straight again as he looked at me and nodded silently. "Come on," I stood up and took Kaelen's hand as I walked over to the door.

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I walked into the cafeteria and received stares from some of the cadets sitting around the place. I didn't understand why they were so interested in me for. I shrugged it off as I walked to the line for the food. I turned my eyes down to Kaelen, only to see him cowering behind my leg as he stared at the cadets. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed the line moving up, so I walked foward and Kaelen held onto my pant leg tightly as he followed.

Xu stood from a table and walked over to me. I saw that Irvine, Selphie and Rinoa were at the table too. "They sent me over to ask if you would like to join us for breakfast."

I looked over at Rinoa again and felt some invisible force pulling at me. I turned my gaze down to Kaelen, who was staring at Xu with big blue-grey eyes before he watched everybody else. I turned my eyes up to Xu once again and replied, "I think it would be best if I took Kaelen back to my room to eat. I think there are too many people here for him to feel comfortable."

"Oh, okay," Xu smiled before turning back and walking away.

"Daddy," Kaelen whined. I felt him tightening his hold on my leg so I looked down. Kaelen was staring up at me and he raised his hands up. "Hold?" I bent down and picked him up. I stood straight again and Kaelen wrapped his arms around my neck as he hid his face in my shoulder.

Soon, we were the first in line, so I said, "Kaelen...tell me what you want to eat." Kaelen turned his head around to look at the food and pointed to the items he wanted before burying his head in my shoulder again. I situated Kaelen so I could hold him with one arm while paying for the food. After I did and the food was on the metal counter, I told Kaelen, "I need you to walk beside me so I can pick the food up. We will go back to my room." I bent down slightly as I put Kaelen on the floor and then I picked up the metal tray. "I'll bring the tray back after we are done with it," I told the cafeteria lady.

"That is fine Commander," she replied.

I picked the tray up and started toward the exit. I felt the invisible force tug at me once again, but I was only able to think about it for a couple of seconds before Rinoa casually walked beside me. "What are you doing?" she asked sweetly.

I continued to walk before answering, "Going back to my room to eat."

"Why?" she asked. I looked at her and she smiled at me.

"Kaelen is too nervous to eat in the cafeteria," I answered.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I can tell by the way he was acting," I replied.

"Maybe I can come along?" Rinoa asked hopefully.

"I do not want anyone else to come. Kaelen needs time to eat," I responded.

"Oh..." she said in a disappointed tone. "I...guess I'll see you later then." Rinoa turned and walked the other way thank Hyne.

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We had finished eating and I took the metal tray back to the cafeteria. Now I was standing near the Quad with my arms crossed over my chest, watching Kaelen staring into the fountain. Kaelen turned his head to me and said, "Fish daddy." I nodded and Kaelen turned to look back into the fountain at the goldfish.

As I stared at the back of Kaelen's head, I couldn't help but study him. He looks almost exactly like me when I was his age. He even has the same hair color and eyes. I walked over to the fountain and sat down on the edge of it as Kaelen continue to watch the goldfish swimming. I stared at Kaelen and took in his features. Once I got to his hair, I saw something I didn't expect. It was hardly noticeable unless you really paid attention, but at the tuft of Kaelen's hairline, I could see a white streak starting. It was at the base of his scalp and there wasn't much of it. So, I guess what Eternity said was true, he is a Sorcerer, and his bangs will turn white like hers.

"Daddy?" Kaelen started.

"Hmm?" I asked as I continued to stare.

"Mither fish say hi," Kaelen told me.

"Mister fish?" I asked. I didn't know what he was talking about.

"He mither fish," Kaelen pointed to one of the goldfish swimming nearby.

"I see...well...hello Mr. fish," I responded even though it made me feel ridiculous.

"There you are partner," Irvine said from nearby. I turned and saw him coming from the stage area with a guitar in his hands. He propped his guitar vertically along the fountain and sat on the other side of Kaelen. "Watching the fish I see."

"Mither fish say hi to you," Kaelen told Irvine.

Irvine smiled while looking in the fountain, "Well hello to you too partner." Irvine turned to me and asked, "So, getting along with your son Squall?" That was the most annoying question he could have asked me.

"What do you think?" I asked with indifference. Knowing that Kaelen came from me and shares my blood gives me a reason to look after his safety. No child should suffer because of my mistake, just like I shouldn't have suffered because of Laguna's mistake. I still cringe at the thought of that moron being my biological father. If he hadn't run off for his own selfish goals, maybe he would've been there for Raine giving birth to me. Sis and I wouldn't have been sent to Matron's orphanage and Sis wouldn't have been taken away from me back then.

"What are you going to do all day Squall?" Irvine asked me. That was a good question because I didn't know.

"What do you do with a kid?" I blurted out loud before I could stop myself. Damn it!

"You know...the basics," Irvine started. "Food, sleep, bathroom, playing, baths..."

"Baths are fun!" Kaelen grinned up at me.

"How can you take a bath when there are only showers here?" I asked.

Kaelen gave me a confused look. "Wat shawer?" How do I explain these things to a toddler?

"It's like rain falling from a metal thing above you partner," Irvine answered the best he could.

"I don take shawer. I take bath," Kaelen argued as he looked up at Irvine. "Big tubby-tub," he extended his arms out to his sides as if to prove a point.

"Tubby-tub huh?" Irvine asked.

"Uh huh. In mommy bathwoom," Kaelen told him. "Thew awe lots in mommy bathwoom."

"The girl's bathroom?" I asked Irvine and he shrugged. "Kaelen," he looked up at me this time, "I cannot go in your...mommy's bathroom." 'Oh Hyne, did I just say the word "mommy?"' I cannot believe that.

"Why?" he asked genuinely.

"Because I am a boy, and boys do not go into the girl's bathroom," I answered.

"I boy and use mommy bathwoom," Kaelen argued back. The tone of voice he used made it seem as if it was obviously okay for other boys to go in the girl's bathroom, if he was allowed in there.

Irvine chuckled and turned his eyes up to me while saying, "He's got you there Squall."

"I am not allowed to give him a bath in the girl's bathroom. If there were bathtubs in ours, then I would," I told him. "He'll just need to learn to take a shower."

"I no want shawer. I want bath." Kaelen whined.

I was about to say something, but Irvine beat me to it. "Why don't you show him the showers?" That was actually a good idea...but I'm not going to tell him that. I don't like it when people give me advice.

"Fine," I replied as if I couldn't care one way or the other. "Come on Kaelen," I stood and started walking out of the Quad. I heard Kaelen's small footsteps running after me and a few seconds later, I felt his tiny hand in mine, even though my gloves made it harder to feel Kaelen's hand. Irvine's pace quickened until he was walking right beside me with the strap to the guitar over his shoulder.

It took about five minutes to get to the boy's bathroom, since Kaelen walked all the way there himself. We went in and I led him over to the shower section. A few cadets were removing their towels from around their waist, exposing their asses to us. Then they gathered around the shower heads, which were side by side, and began taking their showers. Steam quickly covered the area, obscuring our view. "Those are the showers," I told Kaelen. I turned my gaze down to look at him and saw that his face had a surprised expression. I looked back up at the scene in front of me and I heard a loud smack.

"Ow! You fucker, that fucking hurt!" one of the cadets yelled out in anger as the other two laughed at him.

"Watch your mouths!" Irvine hollered. "There's a kid in here!"

"Sorry!" the cadet yelled back.

Kaelen gripped the back of my pant leg, so I turned my head to look down at him, only to see him hiding his face. "I don want shawer, I want bath!" he whined.

"There aren't any bathtubs in here Kaelen, you'll have to take a shower," I told him sternly. After I said that, Kaelen began to cry loudly. I gave a deep sigh of annoyance and rolled my eyes.

"You should ask Headmaster Cid about it," Irvine told me.

"Ask him about what?" I demanded testily.

"Seeing if you can set up some hours to give Kaelen a bath," Irvined answered.

I shook my head before replying, "Fine. Come on Kaelen," I ordered as I began walking toward the exit. Kaelen held onto my pant leg the whole time I made my way to the door. This obviously wasn't going to work. Kaelen would just slow me down, so I bent down slightly and picked him up. Then I made my way to Cid's office.

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I had explained the situation to the Headmaster, and the whole time Kaelen was still in my arms taking a short, deep breath every couple of minutes as a result of his crying earlier. "I see," Cid had told me and then fell silent as he thought of a solution. A few minutes passed before he continued, "Well Squall...here is what I'll do. What time does he go to bed?"

"I'm not sure. I forgot to ask Eternity," I replied truthfully.

"He's young, so I'd say about seven or eight o'clock. Before you go into the bathroom, see if there is a girl nearby and ask her to see if the bathroom is clear. Or at least if the girls inside are decent."

'Oh, Hyne I thought.

"There are numerous rooms in the bathroom itself and they each have one tub, a toilet and most importantly, a door that can be locked. If the girl is willing to stay, ask her to tell you when the coast is clear so you can exit the bathroom when the girls are decent," Cid explained. I nodded to Cid to let him know I understood, and Cid nodded back. "I will spread the word among the instructors so they may give additional assistance should you need it, and so they will know that you have my clearance."

"Thank you Headmaster," I told him before I turned to leave his office. I couldn't believe I had to go through all this trouble just for this kid. 'A kid that belongs to youmy inner voice reminded me.

As I was standing in the elevator, Kaelen asked, "I take bath daddy?"

"Later tonight," I told him.

"Yay! I like bath!" Kaelen grinned at me. "You best daddy in wowld." I couldn't help but think about how adorable he could be. I was really surprised when Kaelen gave me a little kiss on the cheek and hugged my neck.