Well here's Chapter 3 I hope you like it. As I've mentioned before I do know that there is OOCness but there is a reason. And what's that? Keep reading future chapters to find out.

Special thanks goes out to my Beta Zen you are the best sweetie.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to FF 8, but if I ever win the lottery, I will and they'll be mine all mine. Ha! Ha! Ha! Of course I'll share but you'll have to send me cookies. Anyway the other characters and the name Lionsbane are mine. Please do not use them without my permission.

CHAPTER 3

The ride to the hospital was an emotional roller coaster for Squall and Avalena. Each was worried about their son. When they finally arrived they rushed him into the emergency care unit, where Avalena and Tristen were shown to a room. Where the attending physician saw them as soon as he possibly could.

The cut on Tristen's forehead was long and deep, and had bled a lot and he was in a great deal of pain. The doctor cleaned, stitched and bandaged the wound and gave him two shots one for the pain and the other to help fight off any infection. Giving Avalena a bottle of elixir, he instructed that Tristen be given it every four to six hours, to help with pain and to regain his strength. But with a good nights sleep he should be right as rain by morning, except of course for the wound. Avalena mentioned the loss of blood to the doctor and he reassured her that even though it had bled quite a bit a transfusion wasn't required

In the waiting area Squall was insane with worry, one of the nurses hadn't let him go back with Avalena and Tristen and for some reason attendants kept asking him if he were all right. He was pacing back and forth silently cursing Irvine to die a slow painful death. He finally snapped when he was asked once again if he was in any pain, "No! God damn it, I'm not in pain, I'm feeling just peachy, and why the fuck do you stupid people keep asking me the same idiotic questions?"

Laguna was fairing a little better. He had gone out and smoked several cigarettes. He had offered Squall one but was told that he didn't smoke. He just happened to be inside when Squall had snapped, it was he that suggested that Squall go to the lavatory and take a look in the mirror.

When he looked in the mirror he could now understand, why he had been asked repeatedly if he were all right. God he was a mess, he had dried blood smeared on his face and left hand, his hair was caked with it and in places his tank top had soaked to his skin with blood, his son's blood. He cleaned himself up as well as he could and rejoined Laguna in the waiting area to continue his pacing.

His breathing was short and sharp, "What's taking so long?" he asked Laguna.

"I wish I knew." Laguna answered.

Squall stopped in front of Laguna, "Is he going to be alright? My son is going to be fine, isn't he? Please let him be alright." He looked at Laguna, his eyes pleading. He shook his head violently, "I can't do it Laguna. I can't loose them after just finding them. I can't loose my son or my Avalena."

"Mr. Leonhart?" A nurse questioned.

Squall pivoted around at the question, "Is he alright? Is my son alright?"

She smiled at him, "Yes, he's fine and he and your wife both want you back there with them."

"I can see him now?"

"Yes, I am sorry about the earlier confusion, you should have been allowed to go back with your wife and son." She offered in way of apology. "If you'll come with me please, the doctor is just finishing up."

He didn't correct the fact that she had referred to Avalena as his wife. He followed her down the corridor to the wards and was shown into the room where they were. The doctor had just put the dressing on Tristen's head and had given Avalena the bottle of elixir and extra bandages.

Tristen saw him, "Daddy!" He said, his voice shaking a little, from a combination of being exhausted and the shock starting to wear off. He held out his arms and repeated, "Daddy, look daddy I'm going to have scar just like yours. Now everybody will know, that you're my daddy and I'm your Tristen." And finished with a jaw snapping yawn

Squall walked over to the table, and reached down to pick Tristen up paused and looked at the doctor to see if it was okay. At the affirmative nod he gathered his son up in his arms and nestled him against his shoulder where he quickly fell asleep.

"Now there is going to be swelling and bruising, try putting ice on it to help take the swelling down. Bring him back on Monday, so we can make sure it's healing properly. If it is bring him in two weeks after that and we'll take his stitches out. And if for some reason he has photosensitivity, really severe headaches, and severe nausea or has a seizure bring him in immediately. If they try to make you wait you tell them that Dr. Vanhorne told you that is was a Priority 6, and unless I'm in surgery they will page me right away."

"Thank you so much Doctor." Avalena said, rose from the chair where she had been sitting and walked over to where Squall was holding their sleeping son. Holding out his other arm he pulled her tight up against him when she stepped into it.

After he had kissed her gently on top of the head he asked, "Excuse me Dr. Vanhorne, I was curious as if it would scar or not?" Squall asked.

"Probably a little, certainly not as bad as yours did. As for anybody questioning if that little boy is yours, then they would have to be blind." With that he turned and walked out of the room.

"Squall?" Avalena's voice was shaky, "I'm so very sorry for not insisting that you come back, I was just so worried about Tristen."

He looked down at her and soothed, "Shh my love, I understand. He's all you've had for so long. And you're all he's had."

As they walked out of the examination room and down the hall, towards the waiting room, Squall asked her, "Can I still stay with you tonight? I just want to hold you and our son."

She smiled up at him, "Tonight and every night after that if you want to."

"Yes, I want to. Because like I told you before everything went to hell, I don't intend on ever letting you go again." He whispered against her tearstained cheek. Then ever so gently, he brushed his lips across hers.

Rinoa and Zell had just come through the door into the waiting area, where they encountered Laguna. They stopped and asked if everything was all right, just as Squall, Avalena, and Tristen came through the door.

Squall and Avalena were so wrapped up in each other and their son they failed to notice anything else. Stopping once more Squall kissed the top of his sleeping son's head, and leaning down gave her another chaste kiss on the mouth and stroked her cheek.

Rinoa had seen them as they walked through the door and had started to call out to Squall, but when she saw that kiss and caress it stopped the words on her tongue. Even from where she was she could tell it was a chaste kiss, but the heat that flew off them threatened to engulf the immediate area surrounding them.

She had recognized Avalena having met her five years previously, while she was still pregnant, she had asked about the baby's father. She could still see the sadness in Avalena DeMarco's eyes, and hear the sorrow in her voice when she had said that the father was dead. She had also seen the birth announcement in the papers. And Squall, he had told her that he had never loved anyone until her. But she saw that he was crazy in love with Avalena DeMarco, it was there not only in his body language, but the way he looked at her and touched her. He never kissed me like that or even touched me like that especially not in public. They had lied to her they had all lied to her. She spun around and started to run, but Zell called out, "Rinoa wait," and grabbed her arm.

Squall looked up when he heard Zell call out to Rinoa. "Fuck!" He groaned, "I was hoping that I could tell her everything tomorrow or the day after that." They started over to where Zell, Rinoa and Laguna were waiting.

Before Squall could even start Rinoa did, starting first with Avalena, "Why did you lie to me? You told me that the father of your baby had been killed. Why did you lie?" If Avalena would have wanted to respond she didn't have the chance to, "No, I don't want to hear anymore lies from you so don't bother, and to think I felt sorry for you and I defended your reputation tonight." Then turning to Squall, Rinoa said, "You never loved me did you? What, did you two get in a fight and suddenly kiss, kiss and make up. I love you Squall. Why did you never kiss me or touch me or even look at me like that? Why?" Then she hung her head and started to cry in earnest.

"Rinoa, please listen to me." Squall said. He shifted Tristen slightly on his shoulder, released his grip on Avalena and stepped over to her. Gently taking her chin in his free hand, he tilted her face up and continued softly, "No one lied to you. Especially not Avalena, she was told that I had been killed, so when she told you that her baby's father was dead, that's what she had been led to believe. As for me loving you, I did and still do, but not the way that you deserve to be loved or need to be loved. I thought I did love you like that. Rinoa, you are one of my dearest friends and I will always love you as a friend. You deserve to be told the entire story from beginning to now. But now is neither the time nor the place for it. Avalena and I need to get our son home and put to bed. And I promise you that we will get together soon and I will tell you the story of my Avalena and me." He released her chin and gave her a one armed hug and stroked her cheek, and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. Stepped back to where Avalena was, and replaced his arm around her shoulders

"Miss Heartilly?"

Rinoa looked over when Avalena called her name. Avalena was smiling so warm and sweet at her, her golden amber eyes warm and inviting. Good lord, she wanted to hate the woman, but she couldn't. Even with her standing there in Squall's embrace, she couldn't hate her. Biting her lip so she wouldn't cry any more, she answered, "Yes."

"If you would like to come by at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, you and Squall can get everything talked out, and we'll have a late lunch. Please? And if you do, bring the young man who is speaking with Mr. Loire, he appears to have as many questions as you do." Avalena offered kindly.

Rinoa debated on rather she should agree to the meeting or not. She was about to say no. But she looked at Squall and Avalena; She saw that even under the circumstances, they both seemed genuinely sorry for inadvertently hurting her. She decided that Squall did have the right to explain how and why this had happened. She continued chewing on her lip to keep from crying, "Oh, all right. Where are you staying?"

Reaching into her purse she handed Rinoa an engraved card, "The address is on the card, I look forward to seeing you again under more pleasant circumstances. I really don't mean to be rude, but could you please excuse us, we really do need to get Tris into bed." She smiled pleasantly.

With that they joined Laguna and left the hospital, where they proceeded to Avalena's home. When they arrived at her house that was on the outskirts of town and located near the beach they got out of the car. Before Laguna could leave Avalena stopped him by saying, "Mr. Loire, it's late and I have plenty of room. Please stay." Laguna turned, and saw the friendliness in her eyes.

He gave Squall a questioning look. "Don't look at me Laguna, it's her home and if she wants you stay who am I to object." He replied pleasantly

"Very well, I guess I will stay but only if you call me Laguna, after everything that has happened tonight, I think we can skip the formalities." Laguna responded.

The four of them went into the house, Avalena went and got pajamas for Tristen and showed Squall upstairs to her rooms, which took up almost half the second floor. She then showed Laguna to one of the downstairs guestrooms. While she was doing this, Squall had gently sponged the dried blood off his son, and then changed him into his nightclothes without waking him. When she got to her room, Squall was just tucking Tristen into bed. He heard her enter and turned "He's all cleaned up and still sleeping. I was wondering if I could take a shower?"

"Of course you can. You didn't even need to ask." She replied.

"I was a little reluctant to do it, unlike our son I don't have any clean clothes to change into, besides I usually sleep in the raw," he offered.

She gave him a saucy wink and said, "Give me your shirt and I'll get it into wash, and if you check the top left drawer in the dresser, I'm sure you can find something to wear at least for tonight. Tomorrow, before Miss Heartilly arrives I need to go grocery shopping and I'll get you new clothes as well, tomorrow night, I want to feel that hard naked body of yours pressed up against mine."

Squall pulled off his right glove having lost the left one somewhere between the restaurant and hospital, slipped out of the jacket and dropped it to the floor to join the glove, and pulled the blood soaked tank top over his head. On his left arm was tattooed infinity symbols, the sideways figure 8, interlocking with each other and encircling the biceps. His shoulders were slightly broad and they led down to a fantastic chest, his left nipple was pierced and had a silver ring in it, his pecs led down to a rippled washboard stomach that tapered down into the waistband of his leather pants. "You don't have to buy me any clothes."

Choosing to ignore his comment about the new clothes she walked over to the closet opened it and pulled out an armful of pink silk and feathers. "I see you still wear the gloves." She commented, "You still have Griever." She indicated his ring, "and your necklace."

He smiled, "Yes I still wear the gloves. I could never remember why I liked wearing them. Well not until I kissed you anyway, then I remembered that we both liked my hands not to have calluses on them."

"Did you know that you are still one of the best looking men I know and you have the most fantastic body that I have ever seen? You are so ripped." She murmured huskily and walked over to him, "This is new." She traced her fingers around the tattoo, smiled and pulled up her left shirtsleeve so he could see that she had one that was almost identical too his except for hers was smaller and more feminine. "And so is this," she gently tugged on his nipple ring, "I think it's sexy and hot." She ran her fingers down the expanse of his chest, her face puckering up a little, as they traced over the scar that was in the middle of his chest, from where Edea had pierced him with that ice spear over four years ago. "I've always loved the fact your not hairy Squall, I love the feel of your smooth skin against my own. And about the clothes, it's not like I can't afford them. I'm going to keep you in barbaric luxury, and trust me you will quickly and easily grow accustomed to it." Then quickly plucked the shirt from his fingers, turned and walked out the door.