**FFVIII Belongs to Square Enix. I'm just borrowing them for fun!***

Chapter 2

"Commander?"

He didn't want to open his eyes.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are!"

But that high-pitched voice wasn't going to stop for anyone else, but him.

Squall reluctantly ordered his eyes to open to take in the last few seconds of peace his mind would get likely for a long while. The sun right above him blinded his sight instantly, forcing him to wince in pain as the cold wind whipped through the field of flowers unique to Centra.

He lifted himself up begrudgingly, barely able to see over the wild tumbling flowers for the brunette searching the field with her oversized num-chucks in her hand. It took her a few moments to pick him out in the sea of garden that surrounded them, but once she did she celebrated it like a dog finding his stick.

"I found him!" She jumped joyously before bouncing towards him at uncomfortable speed.

"Indeed you did my flower." Irvine. They sent out whole search party.

"Squall everyone has been waiting for you at Ragnarock. What are you doing waay out here?" She pouted with her hand on her hip till Irvine showed up behind her draping his arm around her small frame.

"Sometimes my darling, a man needs to be alone with his thoughts-"

"Sexual harassment!" Selphie called out her warning shot making Irvinne pull back reluctantly. She quickly shrugged it off.

"I was meeting someone out here." Squall replied not wanting to elaborate any further despite the confused looks on his comrades faces.

"Who would meet-"

"-Come on Squall!" Irvinne said reading he end of discussion cues better the Selphie could. "I have three very angry ladies back at the ship. I could use a little reinforcement."

He dragged his stiff body up from the ground wondering who the third lady would be but selphie answered before he even needed to decide if it was worth asking.

"Zells mad because it's hot dog Tuesday at the cafeteria." Selphie said turning away her voice nearly losing her words in the wind. "He told ya that today. He's on severe nitrate withdrawal!"

"Bitches louder then any girl on the rag that's for sure." Irvine shot Squall an all knowing glance before trying to walk away, but not fast enough to escape the furry of a steamed five foot one ball of wrath known as Selphie.

"Kinneas I will drive the Ragnarock right over your butt if you keep talking like that!"

Squall couldn't take the lovers quarrel any longer. If this was pay back from Zell for being late Squall would have to remember to inflict a hot dog shortage that hasn't been seen in years.

He walked passed the two still bickering and headed in the direction of the large gleaming red ship knowing he would have to face his fate sooner or later.

The bantering didn't end when Squall entered the cockpit. Unfortunately it got even louder upon seeing Squall.

"How can you do me so wrong, Squall?" Zell shouted from the control seat. "I've been talking about this day since our mission started out here- you did me wrong!"

"Zell, it's hot dogs. They will have them again." Squall slumped into the seat next to the controls hoping in a small way he could become invisible to the group that was nearly at each other's throat. They've been spending to much time in these cramp conditions lately.

"Don't you listen to anything I've been saying, man? I've left like a hundred notes in the comment box! They've limited hotdogs to a once a month food item!"

That genuinely surprised him.

"They have? Why?"

"Because they're unhealthy and have very little nutritional value." Quistis spun around in her chair near the charting computers, clearly exasperated from Zell's ranting. "Nobody is going to hire a bunch of fat seeds!"

"Well put a limit on 5 hot dogs per person then! Don't punish the whole garden cause some people have a lack of self control."

"Zell, she's talking about you." Irvine said leaning next to Selphie, both already had forgotten their earlier fight.

"ME?" Zell pivoted in the control seat. "I ain't fat! I'm all muscle!" He turned to the rest of the group flexing his biceps. "How can you guys all let this happen?"

Quistis rolled her eyes. "You can thank me, when you realize your metabolism slows down at twenty."

"Squall!" Zell thrust his hand out towards Quistis in protest. "See what I mean?"

"I don't want to get involved." Squall buried his head in his hand to cease the headache that was coming on. "If you have a complaint-"

"Fill out a comment card! I know! But no one reads the comment cards!" Zell said tweaking with anger.

"I do." Irvinne said with a half smile on his face. "And I take the time to read each one. It's very amusing to read how angry some unanimous ones are-"

"Damn it! No one takes this seriously-"

"Somebody fly this damn thing before I lose it." Squall ordered giving Selphie the order to tackle the sulking Zell out of her chair.

"So where's Balmb's next direction Commander?" Irvinne hovered over his usual spot behind Selphie's chair. As much as Kinneas wished he was a ladies man it appeared to everyone but him and Selphie that he only had his feelings for her… Not that Squall gave two shits about their personal issues.

"Timber." Quistis stated simply when the silence grew to uncomfortable.

"Oh. OHHHH…." There could have been a light bulb illuminating above Zell's head from his reaction. "Time to visit the Princess!"

He started to box the air in his excitement.

"It's a job Zell. Calm down." He knew this direction was going to be disastrous.

"Since when is seeing Rinoa a JOB?" Zell stopped in his tracks.

"Job?"Irvine chuckled and then spouted quickly "More like a booty call."

"Kinneas-" Squall could feel the limit being reached.

"I know, sexual harassment." He deflated slightly as Selphie grinned deep in though.

"Secret mission: get Rinaul Laid!"

"Rinaul?" Zell looked up. "For once Selphie your made up words make sense."

"Don't encourage her." Internally Squall was dying from the idea of someone actually calling them that.

"Squall you don't need to be shy! Nothing wrong with a Knight needing his Sorceress nice and close!" Selphie seemed determined to help speed up the reunion pushed the throttle forward all the way.

"Enough!" Quistis shouted making everyone in the group except him jump.

"Jeeze… speaking of the rag…" Irvine looked over at her briefly.

"Irvine, I still have a spot in those sexual harassment seminars open if you feel the need to refresh yourself on protocols what being affiliated with SeeD entails…"

"Again..." Zell couldn't put help making the crack. It would be his fifth seminar.

Squall zoned out the others around him as the conversation turned back to Zell's issues with lunch meats and their nutritional statuses. He could see Quistis concern look from the corner of his eye, but did nothing to acknowledged her. He watched as the smooth ship launched it's self over the vast ocean, reminding him exactly how long it had been since he had last scene her. He would need to visit Dr. Kadowaki, or he'd never make it through this reunion.

Her hands glided across his neck, holding firmly against his pulse counting the beats that were driving him insane in his head.

"Your heart rate is elevated Commander…. Nervous about something?" Dr. Kadowaki Smiled all knowingly.

"Just hate doctors. Nothing personal."

"From you commander? Nothing ever is." She rolled her eyes before lifting her hand to write the all important numbers down on her clip board.

"Any vision changes?"

"No."

"Blurred vision?"

"No."

"Speech slurring."

"No."

"And crazy lunatic tendencies for violence besides what would be considered normal for you?"

He really didn't want to answer that question but the prodding from Cid forced him to reluctantly.

"No."

"Well I see nothing that wouldn't give you a clean bill of health as long as you follow the treatment plan. "

"So he will be fine then?"

"I'm a doctor not psychic." Dr. Kadowaki chastised Cid. "I'd say it's a safe bet though. Short excursions like this is nothing to work about."

Squall launched himself off the table grabbing his shirt and bomber jacket in a hurry to get away from this hellish place, but Cid stopped him short of reaching the door.

"Should I be worried?" He asked, his face was filled more with a look of fatherly concern then he was use too.

"No." He filled in the blank with what seemed to be the answer of the day, pulling his arm free to walk out the door into a waiting trap.

"Squall…" Quistis waited with her arms folded into her chest, leaning against the wall.

"Not now." He started to storm the hallway pass the few cadets that starred at him in awe, as if he was a freak of nature amongst them.

"Stop scowling, they just look up to you." She seemed to have the unfortunate ability to correct his thoughts, lately. It was annoying.

"Have you thought of what you're going to tell them when they see her?" Quistis asked, trying to keep up with his increasing pace.

"No." That word again…

"I can't do all the explaining for you Squall. It's going to come up and you better-" He cut her off hitting the elevator button several times, willing it to come quicker.

"Just… leave it be. You can't control what they are going to feel on the subject. They are going to think what they want and that's how it should be." He quickly stepped into the elevator pressing the button for it to close.

"Squall, listen…" She stopped the door with her hand. "I'm glad you came to me for help. I never thought that day would come, honestly… but-"

"What time is our meeting with the new mayor?" He asked looking at his watch.

She stopped cold in her tracks knowing she was facing her defeat… "Thirty minutes on the Garden dock. Then we will head off to Mayor's Hill."

"Good I'll have time to change into my uniform." He said once again pushing the buttons.

Quistis took a few steps back as the doors started to shut her out, just like he had. Once the elevator started to hum to life, he could feel his guard slowly starting to fall, and the anxiety he rarely felt, slowly began to surface. It was much easier to put a strong face for everyone else, but in private he can feel his own inner cracks getting wider.