Hi, to anyone who may be reading this,
Finally...another chapter. For some reason, this took forever for me to write. Anyway, it's a bit longer than the other ones; I hope I didn't try to shove too much into one chapter, but I felt that all of this should go together. (Also, the butler is not the demon we know from Black Butler. I merely used the name as a reference xD.)
And yes, no Angelo yet...he will be coming soon though! And of course, some Squall next chapter. I'm bouncing off the walls in excitement...
As always, please, please, please, review this...I need to know what you think.
Have an awesome weekend!
-Yuna


Rinoa's POV:

Night had fallen by the time we reached Deling City. As we drove along the highway, reaching the exit that would take us to our new home, my mother and I heard the tremendous roar of the transcontinental railroad cars. It was quite loud in this area; Winhill was more of an outpost, and it was usually quiet enough to hear the crickets chirping and the trees moving back and forth in the wind. Here, the lights were eternally bright, and even a mile from the city, it seemed to be as loud as the sports I would sometimes watch on television.

Glancing over at my mother, I noticed a small smile creeping up on her face, the lights of the highway flashing in and out of the car. I grew indignant at the fact that she seemed so happy; I knew I should be agreeable about this, but I had been happy in Winhill.

"It's been twelve years..." My mother's voice cut through the silence in our car as her smile escalated into a small grin. "Twelve years, honey. Can you believe it?"

I sighed, slumping in my seat. My unhappiness made me feel guilty, and I hated feeling guilty. I ran a hand through my raven black hair, sighing and pulling it up into a messy ponytail to keep it off my neck. "Feels like forever." I muttered noncommittally, turning to face out the passenger window, watching the white lines that separated the lanes zoom in and out of my vision.

"Quite the contrary, actually." She replied, a small, musical laugh escaping her. "It feels like just yesterday that we were living here with your father. It's quite the city…not one that would easily be forgotten. Even by one as young as you."

I shrugged, looking back down at the book that lay closed in my lap. "I don't remember too much of it, Mom. I guess I was just too young to remember."

"Possibly." She replied, but her tone implied something different; I couldn't detect what it was, though. "Either way, I hope you're excited to see your father again. He really regrets that he missed out on a lot of your life, Rinoa."

I crossed my arms, exhaling loudly. "And he never once visited?"

"Hon, your father is a general. He can't just shirk his duties to his country and come out to an outpost town. It would look suspicious and irresponsible." My mother sounded defensive, as if I not seeing him for twelve years was no big deal. It made me slightly suspicious; I had been told that I was a lot like my mother. If I were being that defensive about something, even though I knew I was wrong, I would be hiding something.

"I know…but a phone call once in a while would have been nice." I muttered mutinously.

"Phone calls can be tracked, Rinoa. It's not safe being the general's family." My mother replied without skipping a beat. "He wanted to make sure that no one would trace us to him."

There wasn't really anything I could do to argue with that type of logic. "…I guess I'm just scared." I admitted truthfully. "I have no idea what he's like. All I can remember is him giving me a hug and kissing me on the forehead when I was going to bed one night."

My mother gave me a sympathetic smile. "He may be a general, Rin, but he is a very nice person. He's very protective, and I know he cares about you, honey. Just…give him a chance, okay?"

I offered her a smile back, nodding and uncrossing my arms, settling back into my seat. "I will, Mom."

Her smile grew wider. "Thank you. Rinoa, look on the bright side. At least we don't have to switch blitzball loyalties!"

I could barely hear her other reasons over my laughter.


We finally stopped in front of a large mansion that stood about a mile from the city. Its three or so stories loomed over us as we parked in the side driveway. As we were driving up, I had noticed that the front had a moat of some sort crossing it, giving it a feel of a small castle. Guards stood stationed outside it, and I felt that if I even stepped onto the manicured lawn by accident, they would taser me or something. Talk about paranoia.

My mother didn't look fazed at all though; she seemed to be used to it. Her smile grew as a middle-aged man walked out to greet us. He was dressed in a black suit, with his hair immaculately groomed and his clothes freshly pressed. He walked up to us and kissed my mother's hand lightly, the straightened up from his bow, and clasped his hands together. "Lady Julia…it is wonderful to see you again, along with Miss Rinoa too."

I was slightly confused as to how he knew my name, because I certainly didn't recognize him. My mother seemed to catch on. "Rinoa, this is your father's personal butler and chauffeur, Sebastian."

"We have a butler?" I asked incredulously, earning a laugh from the two adults.

"Yes," Sebastian replied, a small smile on his face. "It must be quite a shock from your previous…housing arrangements, but you will get used to it soon enough, I assure you." He turned to my mother again. "The other staff will take care of your luggage. Please follow me; General Caraway has been awaiting your arrival."

He led us in through a side door, much different than the double ones out front that were made of thick wood. It led to a small hallway to put coats and shoes, and then there was a flight of stairs leading up to the first story of the house. We slipped off our shoes, and followed Sebastian up the stairs into another hallway, only this time it was a richly decorated one.

Ornate lamps hung from the walls, lighting the polished wood floors and the crown molding on the edges of the ceiling and floor. Continuing along, it led out into an elaborate foyer, complete with a large, plush rug and a chandelier hanging from a high ceiling. Glancing upward, I saw that the curving stairs we were on led up to a balcony on the second floor. I didn't have much time to stop and stare, though; my mother gently urged me onward as Sebastian disappeared into a room to the left of us.

My mother and I stepped into a large office with a conference table, a gigantic window with a view of Deling City, and at the back, a wooden desk.

All of this belonged to the man sitting in the chair behind it, with his perfectly ironed, crisp military uniform and salt-and-pepper hair; my father, General Fury Caraway.

He stood up upon our entrance, and we walked over to the desk behind Sebastian, who went over to stand by a large globe next to the desk. My father circled around his desk, his arms held out as a smile grew on his face. "It's been so long…" he said quietly, pulling us both into his embrace. Holding us for a moment longer, he finally pulled away slightly to look at the two of us, some wrinkles forming near his eyes when he smiled. He looked older than I had remembered him, but he was still the same person.

Turning toward me with a smile that looked a bit weary, he continued, "You've grown up so much, Rinoa. You're as beautiful as your mother."

I smiled back at him, although my tiredness had caught up with me somewhat and it was slightly forced. "…It's good to see you again…Dad." The word felt foreign on my tongue, but comforting at the same time. And truthfully, I missed saying it.

"It's good to see you too, hon." His tone was gentle. "It's also good that I finally get the title of Dad after all these years of being referred to as Sir, or General." My mother and I let out a small laugh, easing the tension slightly in the room.

"Anyway, how was the ride over?" he questioned the two of us. "Did you hit a lot of traffic near the exit?"

My mother shook her head. "No, it was actually quite empty when we were coming over. The weather was nice, too."

"That's good to hear, Julia." My father turned to Sebastian. "Is the luggage put in the rooms?"

Sebastian gave a small bow, nodding. "I believe so, but I shall check on that for you." With that, he left the room on swift footsteps, leaving us three standing there.

My father gestured to the conference table. "I won't hold you two up for long – I trust you're probably tired – but I would like to catch up a little bit, along with getting Rinoa settled for school tomorrow."

I sat next to my mother, and my father sat across from us, and began to speak to me. "School here starts at seven twenty, so I would recommend leaving here around five of seven to get there early enough. I have already set you up with the office, so you can just walk in and say your name; they'll get you to class on time. Your mother mentioned that you like blue; there is a car in the garage you may use. I'll leave the keys on your nightstand. You should be fine, but I would recommend being careful. This is a city, and will be quite different from your stay in Winhill.

"Considering dinner arrangements, I'll have them sent up to your rooms for tonight. It will be easier, considering the time. Sebastian will show you to your room, Rinoa. I do hope you will find it to your liking."

As if on cue, the butler walked back in, and my father nodded to me. "Why don't you go upstairs right now; if you don't mind, I would like to talk with your mother for a couple minutes."

I nodded back in consent, standing up and hugging the both of them as a goodnight gesture. Following Sebastian out of the room, he led me back down the hallway to the staircase. Heading past it, we walked down a darker hallway to a door that was labeled with my name on it in elegant black lettering.

"After you, miss." Sebastian said softly, opening the door and flicking on the light for me.

I took a sharp intake of breath when I saw my room. It was painted the exact same color as my old one, with the same white carpeting and ceiling. There was a grand view of the city from the window that was framed with white curtains. It was the same, except for being a little bigger. All in all, it was rather perfect for my liking.

"Your bathroom is over there, Miss," Sebastian said, gesturing to a door near my closet. "Also, dinner will be prepared in a couple minutes; I'll have someone deliver it when it's ready. Call on any of us if you need anything."

"Uh…Sebastian?" I questioned. "Is there a map of this place or anything? I don't want to get lost…"

He smiled as if he had been expecting the question, and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. "Here you are, Miss." With that, he bowed and disappeared out the door, closing it behind him.

Flopping on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, closing my eyes.

Tomorrow…would be an interesting day.


Review please! I really would like to know what you think!