Chapter 4: The Best Laid Plans…

Squall's alarm woke him far earlier than he'd have liked, and he turned it off with a quiet groan. He stretched, waking up slowly, still trying to acclimate to Esthar time. Three days was just not long enough to reset his circadian rhythms, so he was still feeling a bit out of sync; hence the alarm, which normally he didn't use. Rolling onto his side, he watched as Rinoa continued sleeping soundly next to him, and he reflected with a smile that it would have taken a much louder alarm, preferably one that could automatically cast a Quake spell, to wake her.

He liked watching her sleep though. As he did, he thought about the previous night and how absolutely amazing it had been. He hadn't been with any other women before Rinoa, but he already knew no one else could to for him what she did. He was looking forward to exploring their newfound connection as often as it was physically and mentally possible.

He pulled her close and she snuggled into him, still sleeping. He held her for a little while, stroking her hair, before kissing her gently and finally getting out of bed. Rinoa sighed and shifted, but never actually woke up. Squall smiled at that, then went to shower and get ready for the briefing.

A few minutes later he arrived at the Airstation, dark sunglasses on and a cup of coffee in hand from a shop he'd stopped at briefly on the way over. Given Esthar's hot desert climate, the usual method of drinking coffee was iced, but Squall couldn't abide it. It was simply too sweet for his liking. It always seemed to frustrate the clerks at the coffee shops however when he ordered his coffee hot and plain. Fortunately, the shop he'd stopped at had gotten used to his preference and gave him very little grief about it. He supposed it didn't hurt that he was easily recognizable as President Loire's son.

He approached the Airstation and walked inside, finding his father, who'd just arrived himself.

"Late night son?" Laguna asked with a smile, noticing the sunglasses and coffee.

"You should know, you were there." Squall replied.

"Yes, but I went to sleep after you left." Laguna said.

"We did too. Eventually." Squall said with a half-smile. Laguna snorted. Oh, to be young and in love…

"Well, I hope you aren't too tired to pay attention to the briefing. It's going to be important." Laguna said.

"I won't be." Squall said. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had a briefing on too little sleep. Sometimes it happened that way, particularly when in a crisis situation like the battle between Galbadia and Balamb Garden. It wasn't ideal, but he could handle it.

Laguna led Squall to the conference room and they joined the rest of the technicians gathered there. As they sat down, Dr. Odine made his entrance.

"Nice shades bro. Are you trying to be terminally cool or did you just forget to take them off?" Ellone sent with amusement.

Squall smiled slightly and removed them, responding, "Can it be both?" Ellone put her hand over her mouth, eyes twinkling as she stifled a soft laugh.

Then Dr. Odine arrived at the front of the room and activated the holo-vid, beginning his lecture.

Squall sipped at his coffee and listened to Odine outline the particulars of the mission. Squall would be in command of it, a fact that made him sigh quietly. He knew how to fly the Ragnarok into and out of orbit, but in his opinion, he'd be better utilized as just the pilot, with a more experienced technician commanding the mission itself. He wondered if he'd been given command based upon his father's identity. He was on the verge of saying something about it when Ellone caught his eye and shook her head slightly. Fine then. He'd wait and talk to Laguna privately about it to make his concerns known.

There would be a total crew complement of six. Three to do the retrieval while Squall and two other crew members remained aboard the Ragnarok to monitor the EVA, ready for rescue should it be required.

"Ze mission is scheduled for July 12. Zat is the time when ze remains of ze lunar base will be in closest proximity to us. It vill make ze launch and return much quicker, and vill make ze best use of ze fuel aboard ze ship. Ze mission vill last five days, on ze fifth day, you must return or miss ze window. If you miss ze window, you can still return but it will take longer and ve vill have to choose another landing site." Odine said, and Squall frowned. Three weeks before the wedding. And he was going to be in space for nearly a week of it. Well, it couldn't be helped, and he had volunteered for it. Mostly.

"Rotten timing, isn't it, brother?" Ellone sent sympathetically.

"Only if something goes wrong." Squall sent back.

"Well then, let's hope that nothing does." Ellone replied, and Squall sent his agreement.

Then he returned his attention to Odine, who was reading off the names of those who would be part of the Ragnarok's crew for the upcoming mission. Squall didn't know all of the people on the list Odine was reading from, but he did recognize Piet's name. That eased at least some of his concerns, for he knew Piet to be a very experienced technician.

The remainder of the briefing involved Odine giving detailed information on the procedures they would use to retrieve the bodies that had been left behind, and what to look for in terms of salvageable items. Little as he liked Odine, Squall was at least confident that the plans were based on good, solid data, so the likelihood of anything going wrong was slight.

The meeting adjourned soon after, and Squall approached Laguna as Odine and the technicians filed out.

"I need to talk with you for a moment Laguna," he said, his expression serious.

"Okay. Follow me," Laguna said, leading Squall to the end of the conference room, out of easy earshot of anyone who might have remained behind.

"What's on your mind son?" he asked.

"I need to know if I was given command of this mission based on who you are. I'm not the most experienced person here when it comes to dealing with this kind of thing. I personally think that I'd be better as just the pilot, with Piet or someone else in command of the mission itself." Squall said.

Laguna studied Squall, noting that while Squall appeared concerned, it was only that and nothing more. He had to admire his son for his fearlessness.

"You want to know if I used my influence to give you this command? Well, the answer is no, I didn't. If I were to do something like that, if anything, I'd use my influence to keep you grounded. Do you think I like the prospect of sending you out to do something so dangerous? And just before your wedding?" Laguna asked.

When Squall didn't respond, Laguna continued, "You got the command based upon your experience as SeeD Commander and the fact that you are the only person qualified to pilot the Ragnarok into orbit. No one has flown that ship outside the atmosphere in twenty years. The original crew is dead, killed by those monsters that you and Rinoa had to battle when you managed to get onto the ship three years ago. Like it or not Squall, you're the only person who can do this job."

Then Laguna reached out and squeezed Squall's shoulder, saying, "I know you're light on experience in this, particularly in the technical area. That's why we've assembled a crew of the most experienced technicians we could get to support you. I personally worked with four of them myself checking the seals on Adel's pod before the lunar cry. They know how to handle doing an EVA safely." Squall nodded, satisfied.

"Okay. I just wanted to check." Squall said, then added, frowning, "I just hope the crew doesn't think nepotism was involved. The last thing I need is to be commanding a group of people who have no confidence in my ability to lead."

"Well, I know Piet at least is familiar with you and your abilities. He was very impressed with how you handled yourself on the Lunar Base when everything was coming apart. He told me you were completely fearless, even when you leaped out into space to save Rinoa with no guarantee that either of you would survive. It's because of you we even have the Ragnarok to use. I don't think you'll have a problem with the crew respecting you son." Laguna told him.

"Well that's good to know." Squall said, turning to leave.

"Where are you headed off to now?" Laguna asked, curiously. Squall paused and shrugged.

"There isn't anything else scheduled for me to do this morning that I'm aware of, so I thought I'd head back to the room and see if Rinoa was awake yet and take her out for breakfast." He answered.

Laguna sighed, "I have a cabinet meeting in about half an hour, and that's going to keep me busy for most of the day. When do you need to head back to Balamb?"

"Tomorrow morning." Squall answered.

"Stop by before you leave if you can, okay son?" Laguna asked. Squall nodded. Then Laguna pulled him into a brief hug before stepping back.

"If we don't manage to connect though, have a safe trip." Laguna said.

"Thanks dad. We'll see you later tonight though, don't worry about that." Squall left on that statement. He nodded to acknowledge the tall, silent man who waited just inside the conference room doorway.

"Laguna." Kiros had entered quietly, not wanting to disturb Laguna's conversation with Squall. He was happy that Laguna had managed to establish a relationship with his son. As difficult as the young man could be at times, Kiros had wondered if they'd ever manage to get along. It had been a slow process, but it finally appeared that the two of them had reached an understanding; a fact that impressed Kiros to no end, given the amount of patience his normally impulsive friend Laguna had had to exercise in order to get there.

"Yes, Kiros?" he prompted, when the silence stretched too long.

"I was coming to remind you about the cabinet meeting. We should head over there now, don't you think?" Kiros asked.

Laguna nodded, "Alright, let's go."

Kiros fell into step beside him as they made their way toward the grav-tube that would take them back to the palace.

"It's good to see him again, isn't it?" Kiros asked.

"Yeah. It is. I don't know if it's due to age or what, but I just don't see my son enough." Laguna said.

"At least you do see him, even if it isn't as often as you'd like." Kiros observed.

"Yeah, there is that." Laguna sighed as they got onto the transport device and headed off.

"And for a wonder, he actually wants to see you. I find that amazing." Kiros said.

"Don't be insulting Kiros." Laguna frowned.

Kiros chuckled, "just keepin' it real man."


Squall arrived back at the room to find Rinoa still sleeping. Smiling, he carefully lay down next to her, propping his head on his fist, and tickled the side of her face. She shifted and wrinkled her nose, but stayed firmly asleep.

"Rinoa," he said softly. Tentatively, he lowered his shields and brushed the surface of her mind, knowing she was awake the moment he touched her. She groaned, stretching, but still refused to open her eyes.

He tickled her again, this time in the sensitive spot behind her ear. She cringed, laughing, and opened her eyes.

"Morning." He smiled. She smiled back.

"Morning to you too." She yawned, stretching her arms above her head before rolling onto her side, facing Squall. Reaching out, she caressed the side of his face, running her fingers back into his hair before leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss.

"How'd you sleep?" Squall thought, sending her a mental caress.

"Very well. And you?" She answered. Squall kissed her again, this time lingering over it.

"Indescribable." That was the only way he could articulate it. He let her feel the rest from him, how much he'd enjoyed their connection the previous night and how much he wanted to do it again. A warm feeling of love and desire from her was all the invitation he needed.

He pulled her close against him, kissing her deeply, stroking her hair as he concentrated on tasting her soft lips. Then he trailed soft kisses down her neck to her shoulder, moving his hand down her back, taking the sheet covering her with it. It began again, the sending and receiving of thoughts, emotions, sensations.

Then Squall's cell phone rang. Insistently. Squall flopped over onto his back with a groan. He gave Rinoa an exasperated look at her giggle as he gingerly fished his phone out of his front pocket.

"Hello." He answered.

"Yo! Squall! Whazzup man!" Squall sighed, telling Rinoa "Zell", and then he gently raised his shields. Rinoa sighed sadly as the contact ceased, her body still resonating not only with her own arousal, but Squall's as well.

"What do you want Zell?" Squall asked, staring at the ceiling, waiting for his blood to cool.

"Tch, man, what's got you so grumpy?"

"Nothing. Is there a particular reason you called me?" Squall asked in exasperation.

"Yeah, so like, Irvine and I were thinking about the bachelor party, and…" Zell began.

Squall cut him off, "I already told you, I don't want a bachelor party. The last thing I want is to show up at my wedding with a hangover."

"But Squall…" Zell protested.

"No. Absolutely not." Squall said firmly.

"Fine." Zell sighed.

"Was there anything else you wanted Zell?" Squall asked.

"No," came the crestfallen response.

"You might as well go ahead and tell Quistis and Xu that Rinoa and I will be back tomorrow." Squall told him.

"Alright." Said Zell, and the call ended. Squall lowered the hand holding the phone to the bed, looking over at Rinoa.

"No bachelor party Squall? C'mon, you can't really want to blow that off?" She asked.

Squall shrugged, "it doesn't matter to me. I just don't want to be hung over on our wedding day, that's all." He reached for her again and kissed her, wanting to pick up where they had left off, but the mood had shifted. Then his stomach growled, reminding him audibly that he had intended to take Rinoa out for breakfast before he'd gotten sidetracked.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her.

"Actually, yes, I am." She said.

"Why don't you get showered and dressed and we'll go get something to eat." He suggested.

"Okay." She said, getting out of bed while Squall watched, enjoying the sight of her beautifully nude body as she walked into the bathroom to shower. He was tempted to join her, but decided to hold off on that desire and save it for later.


"So? What'd he say?" Irvine prompted as Zell hung up his cell phone. They sat in Balamb Garden's cafeteria just finishing up dinner. Sometimes, Zell forgot that Esthar was on the other side of the world. Squall had likely just been waking up there when he'd called. That at least offered the best explanation for his friend's gruff attitude when Zell had called him.

"Absolutely not. His exact words." Zell answered glumly.

"Seriously? This is gonna be tougher than I thought." Irvine said, frowning.

"You're not going to go ahead and plan the bachelor party anyway, are you? You know Squall won't go for it." Zell protested.

"You leave that to me. Did he say anything about why he didn't want to do it?" Irvine asked.

"He said he didn't want to be hung over on his wedding day." Zell answered.

"Huh. Well, that makes sense." Irvine said, tapping his index finger against his lips as he pondered that for a moment.

Then he said, "What if we do the bachelor party a week before? That way, we can all get totally shredded and still make it to the wedding looking like a million gil."

Zell grinned, "that actually sounds like a really good idea! Where do you want to do it?"

"Well, there's the Shumi Village Casino and Resort up in Trabia that just opened a few months ago. I've been dying to check it out." Irvine answered.

"Great!" Zell said enthusiastically, "Let's do it!"

"Okay. I'll make the reservations and you work on the guest list." Irvine said.


After they'd eaten, Squall and Rinoa wandered around the mall for a little while. Squall had already seen most of what there was to see, but Rinoa wanted to investigate some shops that she hadn't had the opportunity to see on her last visit there. Squall, in a mellow mood, simply went along with her as she went into whichever shops struck her fancy.

Eventually they made their way back to the room, and Squall, after giving Rinoa a quick kiss, told her he needed to check his email and do a little work before they went back to Laguna's.

With that thought in mind, he took his laptop into the small office that their temporary home had, logged into the Garden network and typed in his username, ID and password. For the next hour or so, Squall kept busy reading and answering the numerous emails that seemed to crop up whenever he was away from Garden.

Xu did a good job keeping Garden running smoothly while Squall was away, but some things that cropped up needed only his attention. So he reviewed some disciplinary reports that Xu felt required his attention, looked over some requests for SeeD assistance, answered several emails from Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, assuring them all that he was indeed returning the next day.

As he logged off, he thought Rinoa might want to check her own email and went looking for her.

Locating her in the sitting room, Squall asked her, "Rin? Did you want to check your email or anything before I shut down the computer?"

"Sure," She answered, and went into the other room. While she was busy with that, Squall decided to double-check his packing, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. They were leaving early the next morning, so the fewer things they needed to worry about the better.

When she'd finished, they left for Laguna's place.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Laguna asked, taking a sip from his beer, relaxing on a lounger after a long day at work. Squall and Rinoa shared the lounger next to him on the balcony. The last rays of the golden sunset faded into rose and lavender, buildings of glass and steel reflecting rainbow glimmers into the advancing night. The heat of the day was fading along with the sun, but it was still almost too warm for comfort. Laguna had turned on the misting system however, and the fine spray of water helped keep the temperature balmy.

"Early." Squall said, smiling slightly at Rinoa's sigh. She was not a morning person.

Then he added for Rinoa's benefit, "as early as possible, at any rate." Laguna chuckled quietly at that.

"You feel confident about the retrieval mission?" Laguna asked.

Squall shrugged, "from an informational standpoint, yes. But planning can only do so much. There are still a lot of variables involved and you can't anticipate absolutely everything."

"You sound confident." Laguna commented. Squall shrugged again. He knew his job, and could only trust that the other members of the crew with him would be equally, if not more, competent.

"I think you'll do fine. I kind of wish I was going up there with you. Even when we weren't sure we'd survive the last time we were there, I thought the view was incredible." Rinoa sent. Squall smiled to himself, careful not to think about his plans in that direction. He was shielding, but lightly, so he could still hear Rinoa's comment.

"Well, they hammered the emergency procedures pretty hard while I was training for this. They brought up as many worst-case scenarios as they could." Squall commented, taking a sip from his own beer. Sharing a beer with my father. Who would have thought? Certainly not Squall, three years ago or even six months ago. Things had gradually shifted for them, and while they were not perfect; there were times that Squall still thought Laguna to be a bit of a moron, they were…good. And honestly, some of Laguna's goofiness was actually kind of endearing.

Although there were times that Squall thought Laguna was taking the fatherly bit just a little too much to heart, like at dinner the previous night.

"Squall," Laguna began, changing the subject, "I know you two are handling the wedding yourselves, financially speaking. And I respect that. But if there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know."

Squall frowned slightly, asking, "what do you mean?" Rinoa squeezed Squall's hand, sending him positive, encouraging thoughts.

"Well, I'm not talking money, unless that's what you need." Laguna said.

When Squall shook his head negatively, Laguna continued, "Well, really then, anything at all I can help with I'm willing to do. In fact, can I offer a suggestion with regards to your guest list?"

"What?" Squall asked, looking wary.

"Invite the press." Laguna raised his hand at Squall's glare. "Hear me out, son. I know you don't care for the attention the media has given the two of you, but there is a skill to managing it in such a way that it impacts your personal, private life as little as possible." Squall's expression turned thoughtful as he recalled exactly how skilled Laguna had been in manipulating the press with regards to Rinoa's sorceress status. He'd had years as the President of Esthar to learn how to manage the media representatives that flocked to persons in positions of power. And like it or not, as both the Commander of SeeD and Laguna's son, Squall had his own flock of reporters and paparazzi to contend with.

"OK. I'm listening." Squall said.

"The secret to managing the media is to get them on your side. You do that by treating their representatives with respect, by answering their questions honestly, and by giving them access to information, but only giving them what you want them to know. And there's a trick to answering questions without giving away too much or appearing evasive or dishonest. If you can get the media on your side, you'll find that they'll respect your privacy more." Laguna told him.

Squall took a drink, commenting, "not much different from running an interrogation, come to think of it. Except the shoe's on the other foot, and I'm supposed to provide a bit more information than simply name, rank and ID number."

Laguna chuckled, "you're not far wrong. I've had some interviews where I've felt exactly like that. It can be a tough balancing act. A public relations expert could help you with that. I know a couple of good ones I could put you in touch with if you want to consult with them."

Squall grimaced, saying, "I'll think about it, although I'd much prefer not playing the media game if I can avoid it."

Laguna sighed, "like it or not son, you're already in the game because of who you are and who I am. It's up to you if you want to learn the rules and play the game, or try and avoid it altogether and let the game play you."

Squall frowned at that. To a certain extent, that was exactly what was happening. He was smart enough to figure out that it was Laguna's influence that had mitigated some of that; otherwise paparazzi and news reporters would stalk him at every turn. The last thing Squall wanted to be forced into doing would be to hire bodyguards. He was SeeD, for crying out loud. If he couldn't protect himself or Rinoa, he might as well just hang up his gunblade. But sheer numbers could overwhelm even the best warrior in the world. And really, laying about with his weapon wasn't the best response to the crush of reporters and paparazzi Squall knew was coming, due to both his coming wedding and the work he was doing with the Airstation in the salvage and retrieval operation.

They were really just doing their jobs as they saw them. Not much different than Squall himself.

"Alright then, who do you think I should invite?" Squall asked, toying with his beer bottle before taking another drink.

"I'll get you the names and contact info of a few reporters I've had dealings with who've impressed me by how professional and objective they are." Laguna answered, then continued, "The good part about your being so elusive Squall is this: those reporters that you do invite will feel special because of the exclusivity of the guest list. I can guarantee that they'll do their damnedest to protect that exclusivity and their source, which in this case is you."

Squall sighed. He still didn't like the idea. Being the focus of so much attention bothered him. And yet, again and again, he kept getting thrust to the forefront of any endeavor that was guaranteed to do exactly that. This time however, he wasn't simply blindly following fate. This was something he'd chosen to do, and for a specific purpose. In the end, if simply doing his job made him a hero and made him the focus of so much fascination, he'd just have to deal with it. It didn't hurt having someone on your side that actually had experience with that sort of thing. Laguna's support was something that Squall appreciated and he was warmed by it.

Rinoa leaned her head against Squall's shoulder and he gave her a squeeze, resting his cheekbone on the top of her head. Technically, he'd been working while in Esthar. But it had felt more like a vacation. Certainly he felt more relaxed and at ease, despite the intensive training he'd undergone, than he had in a while. One of the main reasons for this was Rinoa. Uninterrupted time with her was rare when they were at Garden. Squall's job ate up a lot of his time, and interruptions there were pretty much the norm. And while everyone there knew they were a pair, they still didn't actually live together. They'd decided to wait until they'd gotten married.

Squall's family was the other reason. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he had needed that time to connect with them. Re-establishing his relationship with Ellone, and building one with his father Laguna had given Squall something he'd needed his whole life. Those missing pieces he'd been unconsciously searching for since he was a child had finally been found. Not to impugn Cid and Edea's care, they'd done their best; but Squall was one among several other children that the Kramers had taken in. He'd never had that sense of family with them, had always thought he was an orphan and but for Sis, was alone. Ellone was the only family he'd known at the time, and having her taken away from him at such a young age had been profoundly damaging to him. It took finding her again for those wounds to finally begin to heal.

Learning that his father was actually living and wanted to know him was an unexpected bonus.

"Did Odine tell you he wanted you back here a week before the launch?" Laguna asked.

Squall nodded, "They want to go over the Ragnarok and make sure everything's in good shape before we take off."

"Any plans while waiting for launch day?" Laguna asked.

Squall shrugged, "I hadn't really thought of anything specific. Just hang out here I guess, remote in to Garden and do whatever work needs my attention." Spend as much time with Rinoa as possible… he thought, and he smiled as he felt Rinoa's warm response.

"Well, my door's always open son. Maybe we'll get the grill goin'." Laguna invited.

"Sounds like a fun idea," Rinoa said. Squall nodded in agreement, drinking down the last of his beer.

"As long as you don't burn dinner, I'm okay with it." Squall said.

Laguna looked insulted, "I never burn what I'm grilling."

"Okay, good. I had enough of trying to eat charcoal when I made the mistake of letting Irvine cook once while we were all working on defeating Ultimecia. Never again." Squall said, making a face. Rinoa and Laguna both laughed.

"Irvine's that tall Galbadian guy, right?" Laguna asked. Squall nodded.

"He can't cook anything. He even admits it. In fact, I think he warned me when I assigned him dinner duties that one time. Should've listened." Squall said.

"Yeah, you're right, he did warn you." Rinoa chimed in.

Laguna chuckled at that, "way back in the day, Kiros and I decided to never let Ward cook for the same reason."

"I'm surprised I didn't break a tooth. After that, Zell and I, and Quistis, if she happened to be with us, took turns cooking. We had Irvine do the hunting if we needed anything besides our regular supplies. He can't cook worth a damn, but he can shoot." Squall said.

Laguna nodded, "I've seen what he can do. He's a crack shot, that's for sure. I was glad to hear you guys had finally sorted out that issue with making him SeeD. He's definitely earned it." Squall nodded.

"Hey, you never told me, who'd you choose to be your best man?" Laguna asked.

"Zell and Irvine. I couldn't decide between the two of them, and they kept fighting about it so I told them to knock it off and they could both have the job." Squall answered, and then added with a smirk, "I figure there's at least half a brain between them."

"Oh, stop! You know how smart they both are, Squall!" Rinoa protested.

Squall chuckled, "Irvine, yes. Zell I sometimes worry about." Laguna raised his eyebrows at this.

"He's kidding." Rinoa said. Squall shrugged chuckling, then nodded.

"Well, I think I'm about ready for another beer. You guys want any?" Laguna asked, getting up. Rinoa and Squall both nodded.