A.N Sorry for such a long break, wow almost a year!!. I've had a busy year at uni and one thing distracted me after another. I've also given birth to my beautiful daughter, but now I'm back and hopefully I can focus on this story. Its not that long a story so it shouldn't take too long, but I'm not promising anything so don't quote me xD.

The Decsion

Squall was aware of Rinoa's efforts to shake off his hold on her arm as they left Cid Kramer's office and tightened his grip. They needed to talk. Today. Now.

"Goodbye, Seifer," he murmured pointedly dismissing him once they had all reached the street.

"Don't call us we'll call you?" Seifer taunted.

Squall's jaw tightened. He and Seifer had never really gotten along, most of the time they left each other be. Laguna had only tolerated him because he was his only sister's son. A tolerance that had come to an abrupt end three months ago, Squall wondered about that. What could his cousin possibly have done for Laguna to give up on him? He'd done some pretty bad things in the past not least of all almost ruining the Loire reputation.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Squall advised dryly.

Seifer smirked, "Oh I will hear it from you or from Kramer, I don't mind which," He shrugged and a confident grin appeared on his face, "The result would be the same."

Rinoa, with a disgusted expression, said, "Did it ever occur to you, Almasy, that we both might dislike you more than we dislike each other?"

Seifer glanced from her to Squall before, with the permanent smirk still in place, slowly answered, "No." His smile was mocking as he added, " afraid that's not possible."

It was a smile that Rinoa would have dearly loved to slap off of his good-looking face. "Then if I were you I would start thinking about it."

He snorted, "Even if you two do this fake marriage thing it'll never last."

"It's only six months, I'm sure I can manage!"

Seifer shook his head in mock pity; " I don't think you two could stand two hours in the same house let alone six months."

"We could," Rinoa said knowing full well she was lying through her teeth.

"Some how I doubt it," his tone was bored as he turned to face Squall again. "See ya Squall, Rinoa." And with one last smirk he strolled off down the street to the near by car park.

"I always had the impression you two liked each other," Squall said softly, watching his cousin getting further and further away.

Rinoa would have forgotten he was there if it weren't for his tight grip on her wrist. Her hand was cold from the limited supply of blood it was getting. "Impressions can sometimes be deceptive."

Squall knew what she was getting at and told himself firmly that that was not the case with the woman in front of him. She was her mother's daughter, and he had better not forget that.

"So is it true that you dislike Seifer more than you dislike me?" he asked mockingly.

"Oh, yes!" She nodded vehemently.

Squall frowned. That really was never the impression he had gotten from the two of them. Rinoa and Seifer seemed to group together whenever there was any type of family function in the past. What in Hyne's name had happened?

"We need to talk." He said, firmly placing his thoughts onto the task at hand. "My car is parked-"

"I'm not going any where with you," she protested instantly, backing a few steps away from him and forcing Squall to let go of her.

He frowned frustrated, "You know, Rinoa, that if we carry on like this Seifer will be right, we might as well hand everything over to him! Now if you hate him as much as you say you do then we're going to talk."

Rinoa's eyes widened. He couldn't possibly be thinking of actually going through with this? He wasn't serious? Marrying her? Only with a gun held to his head, she conceded ruefully. Which was pretty much what Laguna was doing. Who had ever heard of shotgun wedding with two shotguns?

"What's so funny?" Squall snapped, obviously having seen her amused smile.

"Nothing," She shook her head, "But I can't see how talking is going to make a difference, it wont change the fact that we hate each other."

"Surely that depends on how we talk?"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. The last five years had etched the lines on his face deeper, harder. His muscles were leaner than they had been due to the amount of time that had passed since he was a member of SeeD. However Squall was still the most handsomest man she had ever met. Nerve-tinglingly so, she could still feel his hand on her arm. She had thought that her attraction to him had diminished over the years but apparently it was still there and burning strong.

Squall met her startled gaze, knowing as he did so that he remembered everything about touching her so intimately five years ago. He remembered the feel of her slender hands as she had caressed him…

He had been lost the moment he had touched her slender curves, unable to stop touching her until he had taken her over the edge of pleasure, watching her as he did so. The heat of his body longing for that same release. He denied it, knowing that he couldn't – daren't- lose himself in her. To do so would be to enter a madness he wouldn't be able to withdraw from.

"If you're suggesting what I think you are, forget it!" Rinoa glared up at him, her cheeks suffused with colour.

He shook his head, "We need to talk. Perhaps even come to a compromise."

"Compromise?" she repeated warily.

Compromise…it was necessary that they reach one or they would both loose everything to his bastard cousin. He was willing to bet that Rinoa wouldn't loose over twenty five million gil just because she didn't want to marry him.

"I think you're going to have to come with me to Loire's, Rinoa, because I really don't want to continue this conversation on a public street." He said as he watched a couple sidestep them on their way down the street.

Rinoa frowned, why did he want to take her back to Loire's? She hadn't been to Esther's art gallery, or any Loire gallery for that matter, for five years knowing full well that Squall's office was on the 4th floor and that he could often be seen wandering around to make sure everything was in order. She hadn't wanted to risk bumping into him.

"I have something I want to show you. I think you might be impressed." He continued.

"I wasn't last time," she replied tartly, twisting his words.

"No?" he asked mockingly, that's not the way I remember it.

"It's called selective memory I believe."

"Oh? And which one of us is being selective then?"

Rinoa frowned; she knew she should never argue with him. She knew she would never win; he was just too in control to be beaten.

He sighed as he lost his patience, "I actually thought you would like to see what is to become Heartilly's." he said harshly as he thought of how, with Rinoa working just a few floors down from him, the nice working environment at Loire's would be destroyed.

"You're seriously considering this aren't you?" she asked stunned, finally letting him lead her across the road to his car.

"Aren't you?" he asked derisively as he pulled out onto the road and began the short drive to Loire's.

Her immediate answer was no.

A more considered answer was maybe for if there was one thing more unacceptable than marrying Squall, it was owing money to Seifer. Knowing him he would ask for a method of repayment that was completely unacceptable to her.

She knew that being married to Squall even for such a small amount of time was nothing short of a nightmare. But at least that nightmare would have an end, being in debt to Seifer wouldn't.

"I'm thinking about it," she admitted at last.

Thought you might, he thought bitterly.

"Not for the reason you're thinking!" she snapped immediately.

"No?"

Rinoa sat back in her seat; there was no point in even trying to defend herself. Besides Squall seemed to enjoy thinking the worst of her, the happiest he was the better everything would be for her she reasoned.

"You don't need me to tell you how well you run this place." Rinoa said as they crossed the marble floor of the entrance hall, making their way to the lift.

Squall eyed her curiously, "I was always surprised by your own choice of career…"

"Why?" Rinoa frowned.

"A restaurant within Loire's will only be open for as long as the gallery is obviously but usually restaurant work requires working long, unsociable hours."

Rinoa's frown deepened, "Your point being?"

Squall frowned down at the floor, his point being that such a career choice seemed like such hard work for someone that was just after a rich husband…

Maybe she really had thought that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach?

Well Squall could have corrected her there. Most of the time a man's decisions were governed by another part of his anatomy altogether.

Whatever. If they actually went through with this Rinoa would no longer need a husband after 6 months, rich or otherwise.

"You'll have to cook a meal for me sometime." He said dryly.

"Oh?" Rinoa answered impatiently, "I would be sorely tempted to add arsenic to it."

"Oh I'd make you eat some first." Squall assured her as they stepped out of the lift and onto the 2nd floor.

Rinoa laughed. It was completely instinctive, she couldn't have held it back if she had tried.

It lit up her face and Squall found himself staring down at her. Her smile was bright and fascinating, she truly was beautiful.

Rinoa felt her smile falter as she registered the way Squall was looking at her. It was a strange look, almost as though it was her that he wanted to eat. No, she had to have imagined it, for in the next blink his face was hard and full of its usual cynicism.

"Squall, what -?" She stopped suddenly as she looked around the floor they had just arrived at with wide eyes. The ruby café that was going to be hers to turn into Heartilly's if she married Squall for 6 months. Was it worth it? She thought as she looked round at the closed café, over the large amounts of space and envisioned how it might look. Yes, she had to say whole-heartedly that this was worth anything.

"Let's go up to my office. We can finish discussing this." Squall said turning back to the lift, motioning for her to follow.

Rinoa turned to look at him, confused. Finish? She followed him into the lift.

She was familiar with the offices up on the top floor having visited her mother in the Timber offices and Laguna is the ones here in Esthar. It felt like a lifetime ago and she supposed it was what with both her mother and Laguna dead and only Squall left around to torment her.

She didn't recognise the secretary behind the desk. Tall, blonde and slim. She smiled warmly at Squall when she saw them walk through the door and held open the door to his office for them. He nodded politely and ushered Rinoa, who was looking at him speculatively, in.

"I would never make the same mistake as my father." He said coldly as he shut the door behind them.

Never fall in love with his secretary, certainly never marry her. She knew that was what he had meant.

"They were happy together, Squall," Rinoa insisted gently, "couldn't you see that? Feel it when you were with them?"

Yes, he had seen hoe happy his dad had been with Julia and he admitted that her death was probably what killed him but he believed that he'd been blinded by love and failed to see what Julia was really after.

Julia had always tried to be friends with Squall but he'd resisted, more for his sake than anything. Julia and Rinoa had always been close. If he lowered his guard toward Julia then he would have been lowering his guard to her daughter too and that was something he really didn't want to do.

"Did you ever take my advice?" He inquired softly.

Rinoa frowned, puzzled at the sudden change of topic and not quite sure what he was on about.

Squall rolled his eyes, "Did you ever ask your mother about the money my father gave her before they married?"

Rinoa froze at the taunt. He did it deliberately, he intended to hurt her, she knew.

She pulled her head up high, "Yes. What of it?"

"And?"

She shook her head, she refused to tell him. She had promised her mother not to tell anyone. Laguna had known of course, he'd helped pay off the debts acquired through her late husbands gambling and drinking, debts left for a mother and a small daughter to pay off.

"And it's none of your damn business!" she yelled back, she'd had enough of his attitude.

"Right." He accepted coldly. "And how much did you owe my father when he died, Rinoa?" He took several, threatening, slow steps towards her. "More or less than what he gave your mother?"

Rinoa felt the colour drain from her face. So he hadn't missed it then? That small groan of misery that had given her away. "Less," she looked away, "much less."

Squall narrowed his eyes. Until that moment he had wished, really wished, he was wrong about Rinoa borrowing money off of their – his – father. At least it would have been something to know that Rinoa hadn't used his father in the same way as her mother had.

He snorted, he should have known better. "And are you going to tell me why you now hate Seifer more than me?"

No she wasn't. Obviously Laguna had known about Seifer's unprovoked sexual attack on Rinoa and had changed his will accordingly but that didn't mean Squall had to know about it too.

"Impossible to believe isn't it?" she deflected.

"Hmm," he smiled humourlessly, "almost as impossible as when you once said you didn't want me or my father for our money."

Rinoa sighed forlornly, "This is never going to work, is it?"

"Not necessarily," he said moving round his desk to sit down, passing uncomfortably close to Rinoa, before he gave into the urge to strangle her. "It is at least a marriage with no illusions what so ever."

"What about Kara?"

He frowned darkly, "What about her?"

Rinoa grimaced, "How do you think she would feel living with a new stepmother, if only for 6 months?"

"You'd hardly be that!" he answered coldly.

"Legally I –"

"Stay away from my daughter, Rinoa," he warned softly.

What was he implying? "And how am I supposed to do that if we are all living at the Esthar home?"

"Find a way." He glared across the desk at her, "The less time she spends with you the more I'd like it. I have no wish for her to turn out as money-grasper."

"You'll regret this, Squall!" she spat.

"I already do." He conceded quietly. He pinched the bridge of his nose between two of his thumb and forefinger. "But I think you'd agree that we both have no choice in this matter."

Rinoa frowned down at the desk. Squall didn't want the family business in the hands of a man like his cousin and she certainly didn't want her debt in Seifer's hands. The things he could make her do under the pretence of it being her payment.

"Just answer yes or no, Rinoa." Squall said scathingly, his patience was wearing thin.

"Yes," she breathed out shakily, "We both know my answer has to be yes!"