A/N: Thanks everyone for the support! It means a lot to me!
Chapter 10: A Criminal…or?
Squall made great timing from the safe house and into Timber domain. Only a couple of hours had passed by when Obel Lake finally appeared in full view. He ditched the main highway and took a small road that led to the east of the lake.
"My other friend, Quistis, has a home nearby. We all like to refer to it as the 'lodge,'" he had explained to Rinoa. "We're getting pretty close to it now."
Squall went on to explain that the lodge was treated as a vacation home away from the stress of missions and SeeD life, a hidden gem in the midst of Timber's rich forest area. Mounted at the edge of a gorge, it oversaw a small river which had streamed out from the lake. If it was still anything like he had described, Rinoa wished she'd been taken to this private utopian retreat under different circumstances.
Soft morning light gleamed on the horizon. The forest glistened like emerald jewels against the sun's pale light.
Upon reaching the lodge, Rinoa quickly noticed how it towered them like a mansion built on a hill. It was a two story modern house made up of soft, tangerine colored bricks. Because of the immense greenery around, the soft colors stood out by far. There were four large, tinted glass windows on its front that reflected images of the leafy trees surrounding it. The river, forming a waterfall, poured down into the gorge below. Its raging tide was loud and dominating and yet appeared peaceful on the ears at a distance. It was every bit of serene if Rinoa could describe this place in one word.
Squall pulled the car onto a dirt pathway where one other personal vehicle was already parked beside house.
"Seifer," he muttered and then led them to the sidewalk path which ended at the front door. As he unlocked the door, it was then that Rinoa realized Squall had a key for this place right on his keychain.
When the three walked inside, they were met by a long and narrow walkway with an opening to a spacious den on the left side. The large windows Rinoa had noticed from outside were in the backdrop of this room and from what she could tell of it now, the view of the forest was even better from inside. This room took on a lobby feel and easily took up two floor levels of the house. The narrow walkway continued ahead where there had been three other doors spread wide apart, one of them was also an open doorway which led to the kitchen and the other was probably a restroom.
A faint sound of music emitted from the last door of the hallway.
"Wait here," he told her and took hard steps through the hallway. Squall opened the door where boisterous music outpoured immediately. Seifer was inside stretched out across a daybed with a bottle of alcohol in his hands. The blond looked over in his direction. A wide grin melted onto his face the moment he recognized Squall.
"Squall!" Seifer said. He sat up slowly, sluggishly, and still grinning.
"Are you getting drunk? …At a time like this?" Squall asked with eyebrows slanted angrily.
"I wasn't expecting company for another, oh, I don't know, three hours or so. There was nothing else to do…except indulge myself."
"Well, I stopped here for information, not drunk rambling," Squall folded his arms.
"No, I'm good. I'm not totally wasted," Seifer shook his head quickly and cleared his nostrils. "Okay, I'm sober now."
"Right," the brunet muttered, unimpressed at the most, and turned to the door. "We're just gonna rest here for a bit then. Grab something to eat."
"Planning to leave soon?" He asked, causing Squall to look back at him again.
"Can't stay anywhere for too long, especially since we haven't really talked to the others…they'll find us faster if we stay in one place," Squall answered huskily.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Got any plans after this?"
"I'll think of something…"
"Tough luck…" Seifer said while scratching his nose. "Getting out of the country is no problem, then we don't have to deal with Galbadia, but SeeD, SeeD is all over the place… You know that."
"Like I said," Squall began by facing him completely again. "I'll think of something. Now, tell me what you know about Martine's attack."
"Ugh, Can't that wait till later? My head is buzzin…" Seifer proclaimed, touching his forehead caressingly.
"And I thought you were sober," he grinned.
"What a load of crap…I can't tell a pig from a donkey right now," he laughed, wheezing as he leaned forward and Squall shook his head. Seifer's attention shot toward the floor when he saw an animal emerging from behind Squall and into the room. "Speaking of pigs…"
"Oh," Squall looked down and saw Angelo coming to a stop at his side, "That's our—Rinoa's dog."
"…You have a kid together? That's cute."
"Angelo..." The brunet ignored him.
"Hey, so you did take her with you. I almost forgot about her. I'll have to introduce myself, being your best man and all."
"Not like that you aren't... Just stay in here and sleep it off."
Seifer cleared his throat first. "Who are you ordering around? Get out of the way, you little smartass" he said, standing from the daybed and stumbling forward into Squall who, being only a foot shorter than Seifer caught him from falling. Seifer laughed and the smell of his liquor filled breath blew and lingered into Squall's face.
"Good god, man, what have you been drinking?" Squall asked him, holding his breath and fanning him away.
"I don't know, Sylkis or Mimette—something, but I tell you what…Quistis is an alcoholic. Have you seen her collection? Shh," he pressed his index finger against his lips. "Don't tell her I told you that."
"Fine, but I'm not about to let you leave the room like this."
"Aren't you sounding more and more like my stuck up father? Ashamed of me all of a sudden— Get out the hell of my way!"
"You'll have to sleep it off," Squall said as he grabbed the bottle from Seifer's hands and pushed him back toward the daybed. "We'll talk to you in a little while."
Before the blond could protest, Squall was out of the room, closing the door behind him and walking toward the front den area where Rinoa had found a seat on a long sofa that stretched across the glass of the giant room.
It was a very cozy place, Rinoa admitted, even had a fireplace that seemed to have been used recently. The walls took on a cabin design and the furniture was red with brown complements scattered about. There was steel staircase climbing up to the second floor where even more rooms were laid out, definitely bedrooms and the like. Quistis seemed to have great taste in all things cozy, Rinoa thought, and maybe there were some perks to being a SeeD as far as the pay went. The sofa was firm and comfortable enough to fall asleep on. Rinoa was almost tempted to take a nap there, maybe after she'd gotten some real food and if there was time to spare.
"Rinoa, are you hungry?" Squall asked as he stepped into the room from the hall, and seeming to know what was on her mind.
"Starving," she answered, and watched as Angelo walked from his side and approached her. The dog rested his face on her lap. Rinoa scratched behind his ears with a smile.
"We've got some food here. If you don't feel like getting up, just stay there and I'll get you something. What would you like?"
"Anything is fine."
"Okay, I'll be right back," Squall said and made his way back out into the hall.
"Alright," she answered, continuing to stroke Angelo's warm fur gently while her mind travelled miles per minute.
She wondered how they, Squall's friends or coworkers, managed to find and move into these locations. How often did they stay here? Did they all have a key to this place? What happened to the guy they were supposed to be meeting here? Where was he anyway?
The music eventually died down and then Rinoa heard a door open from the hall. Footsteps muffled by the carpet ambled up the hallway and finally, she saw a man's figure at the room's opening.
He had blond hair that was scruffy, sharp green eyes and a smile that reeked of drunken belligerence. She immediately recognized him as the other man beside Squall from the wanted pictures. He was wearing a blue vest over dark pants. He'd probably appear more sloppy and wrinkly if it hadn't been for his moderately bulky stature.
Seifer leaned against the doorway first, knuckle gloved fist gripping on the wall as he took a deep breath. To be more precise, he looked more like he hadn't found sleep for at least a few days.
Rinoa suddenly grew shy. She rose from her place at the sofa and fidgeted a bit, grabbing her elbow and looking down at the floor. His staring was making her uncomfortable.
"Well, if it isn't the princess… Up close and personal," he finally said, still smiling like a ray of sunshine.
"Rinoa," she corrected him gently and nervously, pulling her gaze from the floor and toward him.
"Rinoa…? That's pretty," he grinned, his words were slow like molasses and raspy. He made a stride toward her and entered into her personal space. "I'm Seifer, nice to finally meet the bride," he said while extending his hand toward Rinoa.
Angelo stood at attention, now on his guard.
Rinoa smiled and shook his hand, but the stench of the alcohol on his breath was strong enough to make her lose that smile in mere seconds. She looked down at the floor and away from his face again to escape the smell. Seifer held on to her hand and squeezed it tightly. Because of this, Rinoa returned her eyes to his face and found that he was staring at the scar.
"What's that on your face…?" He asked, standing closer. "Looks like some kind of flesh eating disease…"
Rinoa's body immediately tensed up and Angelo growled at him. She yanked her hand away.
"Seifer, what the hell are you doing out here?!" Squall grabbed his shoulders and led him out of the room immediately.
"Hey, don't touch me! I can walk just fine on my own!" Their voices carried throughout the hall, "And I told you I had to meet her! She'd be cute if it weren't for that thing eating her face."
"Seriously..?"
"You know, I didn't think you took in charity cases—"
Squall punched him hard enough to knock him out inside the room. He let him drop to the floor, and then closed the door. Squall took a deep breath. With eyebrows still slanted, he walked back out into the large room where he found Rinoa kneeling and petting Angelo. The canine licked her nose gently and she smiled.
"I'm really sorry about the asshole," Squall said, walking closer to her.
She stood up from the floor to meet Squall.
"…It's okay. He's drunk, right? I smelled the alcohol on his breath."
"Yeah…he's usually much better than that…well, a little better, but nothing like that. I'm sorry."
"You know what they say, a drunk spills everything," Rinoa shrugged her shoulders and looked away realizing it was now unusually quiet throughout the place. "What happened to him?"
"He's asleep," Squall's eyes softened.
"That fast?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Squall…?"
"…I may have had something to do with that," Squall answered with a slightly grin, satisfied.
"Squall," She smiled, bringing her eyes back to his and observing his face. "You know you shouldn't go around punching people."
"I already said if anybody disrespects you to my face…"
She released a mollifying breath. "…Thank you," she whispered.
"You're welcome," he answered. He was glad to see he had managed to bring a true smile to her face for a change. Squall extended his hand, "Come on, I'll show you the kitchen. Looks like we'll be here a little longer than I thought…"
"Okay," she responded and grabbed his hand. Squall intertwined their fingers and led her from the large den.
In the kitchen, they had decided upon sandwiches and soft drinks, even Angelo filled up on some meats and anything else they could find for him. Seifer was still asleep, after having drunk heavily all morning and received Squall's knockout punch to boot he would probably sleep well into the next hour. He was so heavily intoxicated that a shove against the wall probably would have produced the same result. Because their time was limited, Squall decided he would give Seifer about twenty more minutes before waking him up again.
In the meantime, he stepped out of the house to clear his head. It had warmed up nicely outside and he decided to relieve himself of his jacket, leaving it inside the car. He now bore his holster strap with a loaded pistol inside and had also slipped into his leather gloves.
Rinoa eventually followed him out with Angelo at her side.
Drawn to the sounds of the river and waterfall, Rinoa decided to take mini tour of the captivating scenery around them. When Squall finally found her near the gaping waterfall, he stared at her for a while. Rinoa folded her arm behind her back and cradled it with the other while looking above at the leafy trees and sky that scarcely appeared between them. The whole forest was rich with sounds, smells, and color.
Squall also took a moment to breathe in the serenity that enveloped them right now. Each hue was magnified and overly vibrant out here, a secret treasure hidden well off the map. Only he and his circle of coworkers knew about it. The only others to know of its existence was probably Quistis' adoptive family, as it had been handed down to her from her deceased parents, but even that was a dead end as she hadn't been in contact with her other family in years.
He sighed realizing now was probably not the time to get too lost out here. They still had to be ready to go at a moment's notice.
Watching Rinoa from afar, Squall could only gather that she was feeling lost in everything. In just one night, her life had turned upside down and it was all because of him. He could curse himself a million times and still not be able to quell the insurmountable guilt he felt about his actions leading up their date night.
With that thought, Squall approached slowly her from behind.
"Rinoa," he said as he neared her. "Once Seifer's awake, sober and I've talked to him, we'll take off. I'll tell you where we're going later."
Rinoa momentarily met his gaze with a nod. The brunette folded her arms and brought her attention back to the trees. Stepping closer to her, the lime green of the trees brought out the darkness of her hair and fullness of her brown eyes. Traces of sadness tugged on her face despite the peaceful scenery alive and flourishing around them.
"…What's on your mind?" He asked, sensing her sadness in the air. It made him a bit uneasy and even scared about asking his question.
"Squall…? Can you tell me why everything happened the way it did? Why running is the only option for us right now? I want to know what happened."
"…Alright," Squall answered and took a step beside her, taking in the calming view as well. He knew he owed her the plain truth and was glad she was ready to know more. "…As a SeeD my job was mission based, but…we took on one exceptional mission that pretty much started everything."
She listened intently.
"We were originally hired to investigate the president for several months. This was decided once the global meeting's date had been set later in the year. The news had been covering it like crazy, but do you know what the banquets and gatherings were going to be about, what the president planned to address to the other nations…?"
"…No," Rinoa answered while shaking her head, surprising even herself. "…They never said much about what his motives were behind any of it, not on the news anyway. It was mostly speculation…"
"That's right," Squall nodded. "There were rumors circulating that Martine was going to discuss having SeeD forces abolished worldwide due to the nature of our work. If he were to bring this issue into a global discussion, a man of his integrity and charisma, it might be possible for him to succeed. As a SeeD myself, I took to that decision personally as I'd be without a job, but, I was also aware that those were merely rumors. When our president at Balamb decided to have us investigate Martine closely, I knew he was curious to see if the rumors were true as well. I'm told the only reason he took the rumors seriously was because the source was from a reliable insider. I'll never know if it was someone he knew personally or whatnot. I also never brought any of my assignments into question. As usual, I stuck to my orders."
"An insider…?"
"Yeah, and after investigating between months at a time we finally caught a break while in Trabia. We were able to access President Martine's speech files and read everything for ourselves. The rumors were true, he aims to shut down SeeD affairs and close down the academy. After confirming our discovery, we copied the files and saved all the documents, everything we could get our hands onto. I assumed everything would be left up to our president once we called and sent in the new information."
"I see," Rinoa whispered. "…So this investigation was spread out over the course of our relationship?"
"The latter end of it, yes, but to be honest, I've worked on several missions over the entirety of our relationship. I wasn't able to disclose any of it to you at the time…"
"…What made you decide to quit?" Rinoa asked while facing him.
"Well…I've had it at the back of my mind for a while. After reading Martine's speech…it seemed to confirm some of the thoughts I'd been having over the months. Once our mission was completed, I told my team that I was quitting and then I left. It wasn't the best way to handle everything…but they understood why especially after I'd gotten into a fight with Seifer," he pointed to his face quickly, to the scar that had now turned a deep red, and looked at her. "…I may have deserved this…but for the most part, I don't regret leaving when I did. Some of us took the train back with the conclusion of our mission."
Rinoa stared at the maroon line stretching from his forehead to his nose, stepping closer and finding his eyes turning gray with the sunlight.
"By Thursday, I was back in town and determined to take you out for dinner. I was prepared to tell you everything…and then I was going to leave for Balamb, today, to make my resignation official. Unfortunately, I got careless. I shouldn't have stayed as long as I did last night, but then I didn't think I'd have any reason to leave so soon either." Squall placed his hand on his waist and continued. "…When Seifer called me earlier this morning, he confirmed that our boss denied any claims of having ordered us to investigate the president at all. Judging by our actions, what we discovered, and by our positions days in advance, it's easy to assume we assaulted the president directly. It's not hard to see why the media would pin the attack on us, but Rinoa…we didn't do it. I'd already left Trabia with the documents by the time it occurred. Galbadia wants justice for the attack and SeeD wants to look like it's completely innocent so that Martine doesn't shut it down when he becomes healthy again. I'm sure if he continues with his speech as planned, he'd have the support of the world without hesitation especially after the supposed assault."
"…If you all didn't do it, who did?"
Squall took a deep breath.
"…Do you know?"
He shrugged and then looked away from her eyes, lining them up with the lodge behind them. Rinoa followed his gaze realizing there was only one person inside at the moment.
Seifer…? Rinoa swallowed her breath and blinked quickly, then brought her eyes back to Squall's. Their eyes met instinctively. Is that why you're here, Squall?
Eyes narrowing momentarily, Squall knew she'd grasped what he'd been thinking all along.
Rinoa drew in a deep breath as well and scratched her forehead.
"…Well…" she began. "I can't believe your boss would deny your mission—can't you prove that much and tell some other authoritative force?" Rinoa asked, in an attempt to deter the silent interest.
"Everyone here is working together, even the police. With the entire army out for us and SeeD, who else is there to tell? They're the main forces at work here. No matter which way you look at it, if we stay here…we're…" his eyes fell away. "We can't stay in Galbadia or Timber. We'll just have to keep moving until…"
"We were lucky to get some sleep and even luckier enough to travel without being attacked so far, but it's dangerous to keep taking me with you like this. Especially with..."
Squall met her gaze again. "I know that, and I intend to get you out of here alive and unharmed. I promised you that before. That's why I can't leave you anywhere near or in Galbadia and Timber at the moment. They'll shoot first and ask questions later. You'll have to trust me on this..."
"What do you want me to do, Squall? …Wouldn't I just get in the way?" Rinoa took a moment to think about their situation. "I'm not a SeeD. I can't fight, I can't even shoot—"
"What are you talking about, you're a lefty. Remember?"
"Barely…" A short laugh escaped her, "…and besides, that was paintball! This isn't a remote paintball arena. This is a very real and dangerous situation. We could…get killed," she said, completely losing her smile.
"You think I don't know that?"
"I know you've been trained for combat, and I wouldn't be standing here if not for your endeavoring as a SeeD, but I'd feel better if I knew how to defend myself properly, too! You can't be too sure that you can handle everything on your own, Squall."
"Come on, let me help you. …Please?" he held out his hand to her, and after a moment of hesitation, she took it gently. Squall smiled and squeezed her hand tenderly, then led her even closer to the water where the sounds of almost anything would be muffled by the boisterous waterfall. One enormous tree stood tall among many others beside the waterfall, amassed with thick, brown roots and branches as tall as the eye could see.
Squall removed the pistol from his strap and checked the clip inside to confirm it had been loaded completely. After snapping it back in place, he determined that it was ready to be fired at the century old tree standing across from them. Holding the pistol at its top, Squall ushered the gun to her. Rinoa accepted it with reluctant hands. It was heavier than it looked and the material felt cool in her hands.
"Just relax Rinoa," he smiled, coaxing her to take a deep breath. "Aim for the tree."
Rinoa lifted the pistol up and pointed at the innocent tree in her view. She decided to try her dominant hand, her right for this task. Now narrowing her left eye to get a good aim, she took yet another deep breath, but Squall corrected her. "Don't squint like that. Your eyes need to focus together. You'll shoot far off and miss your target that way, almost by a foot..."
Rinoa immediately opened both of her eyes and allowed her vision to focus together as he suggested. Her arm was wobbly with nerves as Squall studied her form. She placed her right index finger on the trigger, but lacked the strength to squeeze it back. Her finger, she felt, might be too slender for such a task.
"Take your time," he coached. "Hold the handle tightly. The kickback of this gun is going to be strong, but I know you can handle it. You just have to focus yourself and keep a strong grip."
"Squall…"
"Easy, just pull it back when you're ready."
Rinoa steadied herself and focused on the shot.
She tugged back on the trigger, immediately firing it off. Her eyes closed at the boisterous boom of the gun. It's kickback was just as strong as Squall had explained, pulling and then shoving her body sideways in the blink of an eye. Squall had reacted fast, dropping down before he was struck by Rinoa's sudden movements.
Rinoa dropped the pistol and covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!"
"Rin, it's okay," he laughed. "It was your first shot. You pulled the trigger, didn't you?" He said, grabbing the gun from the ground and standing upright again. Rinoa touched her forehead and was about to turn away, but Squall grabbed her wrist, gently, and made her face forward again, "don't give up so easily. You'll get there."
"I'm…I'm scared, Squall. I don't think I can do this. I can't even handle shooting a tree! How am I supposed to be able to shoot a person?!"
Squall focused intently on her eyes.
"Hopefully you won't have to shoot anyone, but I'll feel better knowing you can do it if you absolutely have to. In the event of the inevitable, try to aim for a larger body part. There's a good chance you won't miss and it might not be a fatal wound, but as with everything—that's still no guarantee."
Rinoa blinked softly at his words.
"Regardless of all that," Squall followed up "what happened to being more adventurous?"
"Whatever," She said, her face changing to disgust. She shoved him in that playful way he recognized and then faced forward quickly. Rinoa folded her arms and looked away from him. "This is not what I had in mind!"
Squall laughed softly, unable to help himself.
He drew in a deep breath and approached her again with the gun extended for her to grab, which she did after realizing he was moving toward her again. This time, however, Rinoa was surprised when Squall fell in closely behind her. He made her body into an extension of his, moving her arms up with the gun in their hold together. A strong gloved hand went over her right and his finger sat atop hers down upon the trigger. She was trapped in his warmth and unintentional embrace. The focus on keeping her arms steady with the tightening of his muscles that flexed against her back and around her arms was working.
It probably worked just as well as it had before at the paintball arena, but this time she was listening carefully and focusing on his silent instruction, on his actions.
"Rinoa," his voice emerged in a whisper. "…you have to be strong. I know you can do this."
At the moment those words left his mouth, Rinoa felt familiar pangs twirling around in her stomach and lower body. It wasn't helping that their bodies were already so closely knitted together. His warm muscular torso comforted and shielded hers. He felt her body pulsate in one surge and closed his eyes.
"Just relax. I'm with you," he murmured. His breath was hot against her ear, tickling the microscopic sensors across her skin.
It was at that moment Rinoa knew he was aware of his actions. Her heart began to pound inside her chest.
Squall took one more breath and opened his eyes.
"Ready…?" He said.
Rinoa licked her lips and nodded, then strengthened her hold on the gun's handle.
"…Always keep your eyes on the target. Don't let anything, any sudden movements distract you."
Rinoa bit down into her lower lip and pulled the trigger. Together they fired off two shots. He grinned and dropped his arms from hers while stepping back slowly. "Now, you try it."
Rinoa nodded again and focused herself again, keeping a strong hold on the gun and a firm stance. To her surprise, the wobbling ceased to continue. She was firm and confident, and fired off the weapon proficiently this time. The smoke from the gun evaporated into the air around them.
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she lowered the weapon to her side.
"…Squall…thank you," she said and then faced him.
"No problem," he muttered, placing his hands on his waist. Rinoa stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes.
"…I have a confession to make," Rinoa said while looking away. "…This isn't my first time firing a weapon…"
"Oh really?" Squall said while folding his arms. "Just so you know…the paintball gun doesn't count."
"No!" Rinoa laughed and shook her head. She found his eyes again. "I used to go hunting with my dad as a kid. We didn't go very often, but I do remember firing the rifle at least once, with his help of course. We stayed at a little cabin near Timber for a while, on vacation. This place reminds me of it so much. We stopped going after I got really sick…" she trailed off momentarily. "But anyway, thanks for the lesson…"
"Anytime," he smiled, dropping his arms to his sides.
"Hey, I have a question for you, Squall…." She said while handing him the gun.
Squall took the gun and placed it back in his holster strap. He then gave her his fullest attention.
"…Suppose they were after me, what…what would you do? Officially, you're still a SeeD, right…? So, wouldn't it be your duty to take me in?"
His smile lingered, it was a simple question with an even simpler answer. Squall stepped closer to her and touched her face gently with his gloved hand. "Duty or not, I'd do the same thing we're doing now… There's no way I would hand you over or let anyone take you away from me."
The girl immediately grinned. "Then," she rested her face against his chest, "I'll try my best, okay?"
"I know," he answered her, holding onto her tightly.
"Ahem," the sound emerged from behind them and Squall looked back as Rinoa lifted her head from his chest to see a blonde haired woman standing a yard behind Squall. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but I thought you were under attack out here. You should know better than to be shooting off rounds like that. I don't care how far out from society we are."
"Quistis," Squall grinned, and Rinoa stepped to his side as he faced her fully. She saw a woman with sharp blonde hair standing behind them. Her hair was pulled up in the back, but was parted down the middle so that it framed her face and fell to her shoulders. She was wearing a peach shaded vest over narrow pants that matched in color; although, being outdoors at the moment, the colors were probably not as Rinoa perceived them to be. Even so, she reminded Rinoa of the lodge's overall color theme, and was no doubt its true owner. She also wore long brown gloves and knee high black boots. The belts at her waist seemed to have something wrapped up in a coil, but Rinoa couldn't tell what it was.
"Glad you're all safe," Quistis smiled and looked at both of them.
"You, too. This is Rinoa," Squall said, motioning his head to Rinoa, who waved seeing as Quistis hadn't reached her hand out for a handshake. "Seifer's still inside."
"He's in a puddle now. I found him in there and tossed a bucket of water on his head. You two should be getting out of here really soon."
"I know, but Seifer asked me to stop by," he said, placing a hand on his waist and Quistis faced the lodge, starting to walk away from them. Squall, Rinoa, and then Angelo followed behind her lead. "I'm sure he's awake after that. Are you going to send him away, too?" Squall asked.
"Yeah," she answered in her stride to the lodge. "I'll see to it that he's gone before he tears through my collection…and my poor guest room. And who do you think will have to clean it all up?" She sighed and opened the door for them. "I guess some things can't be helped."
"Quistis, where are the others?" Squall asked as he allowed the women to enter before him and then closed the door.
"They're still on duty and can't call you two right now. We're all trying not to make a lot of noise, and I know they can manage just fine on their own." She stopped walking and then faced Rinoa quickly, "How much do you know?"
"I…" Rinoa started to answered and looked at Squall.
"I was forced to bring her along with me, it's a long story, but we were attacked and barely escaped. We've been driving ever since."
"I heard about last night's incident," Quistis folded her arms.
Rinoa gasped. "Yeah…about that …I was wondering. Do you know if my parents are okay? Richard and Julia Caraway, they worked…pretty closely…" she couldn't help herself from asking, even if she couldn't get the words to form. She needed answers.
"The Caraways," she answered softly, "Yes…I believe they're alive."
"They're okay?" Rinoa exclaimed.
"I haven't seen or spoken to them so I can't verify if they've been attacked or whatnot, but I know for a fact that they're alive; albeit, indirectly."
"I…I see."
"At least you know that your parents are alive, right?" Squall asked, trying to keep her positive.
"Yeah, but…" she looked at the floor. "I should've tried their phone again, just one more time…but I guess in our current situation…"
"You should know that even if you got through to them, they don't have to believe you're okay," Quistis spoke firmly. "For all they know, Squall could've been there holding a gun to your head and scheming a ransom, figuratively speaking."
"…You're right," Rinoa agreed for now, figuring it'd save a lot of time then having to fight Squall for the phone later.
Squall was aware of her parent's over protective ways. They probably wouldn't hesitate in claiming that he kidnapped her. It would probably be the first thing they'd do if they weren't connected to the president's assault in some way. He knew they were involved, but he wasn't sure just how much or little as of yet. Even so, had they made such claims, he would have endured anything just to be at Rinoa's side.
And on that note, he wondered just why Quistis decided to show up in person, a phone call to the lodge would have sufficed even if it was her second home.
"Quistis, what are you doing back in Timber anyway? You know Cid's probably watching you closely…"
"I know, but I have to look less suspicious too. Otherwise they'll think that I'm changing my routine because of what's going on. Besides, I always come here. I live here and I can't watch for everything. I hope you're thinking about your next step before you leave from this place." Quistis folded her arms. "They're gearing up for a huge operation, which is why it's been quiet so far."
"I figured as much," Squall shrugged. "…Have you been given a new assignment?"
"That's confidential."
"Quistis, come on…"
"You know the rules," she threw her hands up defensively.
"And you know I would never act outside of my contract," Squall said with narrowed eyes.
"Of course you wouldn't…" she agreed and looked over at Rinoa again with a sigh, "Can you excuse us please…?"
"Oh…okay," Rinoa responded, and walked into the den where Angelo was already waiting. His nubby tail wagged upon the moment he saw her entering the room. Quistis led Squall to the back room where Seifer had still been inside, but this time he was awake and held a bag of ice on his forehead. His hair was damp and spikier than usual.
Squall grinned. Quistis had actually emptied a bucket of water on him.
"Seifer, you're such a bum," Quistis spat, looking at him with disgust.
"You know it's hot," he winked at her, but Quistis dismissed the thought with a roll of her eyes. Quistis closed the door behind Squall and walked into the center of the room.
"Anyway," she began, "you two need to tell me exactly what the hell happened Saturday night. I heard about your brawl from Zell, but what led up to that? Because of what you two did, the headmaster won't say a word to any of us, I mean, Selphie, Zell, Irvine, and myself. We're slowly being pushed out of Balamb from the inside. I know they're holding up, but I don't know for how long, so you two need to start talking because he hasn't said a single thing."
"Of course Cid won't talk. He doesn't want to get caught in the lie he hasn't even thought all the way through yet," Seifer chuckled.
"What lie?" Quistis inquired, facing Seifer.
"About a mission in the works to knock off Martine, it was going to be forwarded to me…"
Squall wrinkled his eyebrows momentarily, but continued listening to Seifer's input.
"He wants to say that we were never supposed to be there, and that the entire 'mission' scenario was fabricated by the media to make an interesting story," Seifer said, sitting up finally and placing the ice bag down on the floor. "Problem is, we have too many accounts of receiving a written mission to investigate the president, and it's going to put his word to shame. That's why he hasn't said anything. Not only that, but Martine is alive because someone else beat us to the punch. Because of our investigation days before the attack and a likely motive for it, we're the most suspicious and convenient bunch of people to stick all the charges onto for now. And right now Squall and I are feeling the punch because we led the operation, but I think he's going to move on to everyone else once we've been caught. Cid is setting us up to take the blame because well, there's just no talking his way out of the investigation and it'd be easier for him if we all died with our so called capture."
"…What mission to knock off Martine?" Quistis asked.
"I got the partial memo first and contacted Squall on Saturday. It took us a while to get situated and everything was going well leading up to it, but we never got the confirmation. Not to mention, someone eventually beat us to the punch."
"By that account, the media has every right to assume that it was you two," she said and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, as of right now, the best thing you can both do is get out of here before it gets really serious," Quistis said. "I don't know what the headmaster is thinking, but I do know what Galbadia is thinking. Because they're on the verge of losing a very influential and powerful leader, they're going switch their objectives from capturing you two to kill on sight. For now, SeeD is to accompany them to appease Galbadia, gain its trust… I couldn't tell you if the headmaster wishes differently for you two, but I understand why he'd want to look good for Galbadia."
"Personally, I doubt that he cares where we end up," Seifer grinned. "We're dead, all of us who were involved. That means the longer you hang out here, Quist, the less valuable you are to SeeD, too. You might wanna get a head start and move out with us."
"I'm not leaving yet…" She said, "I know of our orders from before, and I knew what it would probably lead up to us having to do if it was confirmed true, but we never received that word, at least I didn't get that memo. So, I can't understand why the headmaster hasn't even bothered to contact either of you. He's going right along with Galbadia and is set on having you both destroyed."
"It's like I said before, right Squall, the old man can't handle the pressure. If Martine was killed in the attack and all his personal computer data was completely destroyed, Balamb would have a chance to survive, but now that he's still alive and is able to push that blame onto SeeD or us, we'll be tried and executed for an attempt to assassinate him. It makes us, as SeeDs, look bad and confirm his plans to have us shut down…"
"Yeah," Squall agreed. "Cid is only appeasing them to give the academy a chance to survive, but I don't think it's going to work anyway. Because word already got out about our investigative mission regarding President Martine, Balamb and its SeeD practice will be ostracized. An organization that dwells into other countries' politics, disregarding their laws already in place, and is able to remove its leader...I think you know where I'm going with that. SeeD will eventually be shut down either way you look at it. That's why he's passionate about disposing of us as fast as he can. If it'll keep Balamb standing a little longer, keep him in a heroic light and keep the attention off of what it is we actually do, he'll do whatever it takes to prolong Balamb's existence," said Squall. He then folded his arms stared at the floor. That's exactly why Esthar has that ban on SeeD there, to avoid our meddling...
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say this all sounds like an act on Martine's behalf…" Quistis cupped her hand on her chin. "And we're just caught in the drift…"
"Exactly!" Seifer clapped his hands with a wide smile. "…What I'm trying to figure out is…who beat us to the punch?"
There was silence all around the room, and then Quistis sighed.
"Squall, what will you do about Rinoa?" she asked, rubbing her temples first and then continuing on, "the situation looks hopeless for you."
"Maybe it is," he answered her firmly. "…But I'm not going to hand her over to anyone just yet."
"You won't have a choice," the blonde stepped closer to him. "They're arming themselves for an all out attack, both the Galbadian army and Balamb. Our orders are to kill you, Squall, you and Seifer, and if you stay here any longer, I'll be forced to act on those orders."
"So, is that how it is?" Seifer looked at her.
"Seriously," Squall nodded.
"I can't choose my enemies, you, of all people should know that," She eyed Squall especially.
"But just like that Quistis…? After all the memories we made together," Seifer muttered, but Quistis groaned and looked at Seifer.
"Don't even go there, Seifer. My feelings have nothing to do with this. My orders have always been my first priority. May I remind you both that I was a SeeD before either of you became one and I have yet to fail a single mission; furthermore, this is my lodge and you came here of your own will. It has nothing to do with me."
"…How long do we have?" Squall asked.
"I'll give you thirty minutes, I'm pretty sure they'll be on the move by then anyway," she answered, turning toward the door. "…You boys better figure out what you're going to do now, but I'm warning you, the next time you're attacked; it could possibly be your last stand."
"No way," Squall answered. "I won't die before the truth comes out. I refuse to die in the middle of someone else's lie. Cid will be exposed sooner or later."
"Then you better get moving… And Squall, I'm sure she wouldn't want to die for yours," she said, opening the door and stepping out. She closed the door behind and left them to think about her words. Squall hadn't thought of anything he had said to Rinoa as a lie thus far, though he could agree that proceeding ahead without specifying certain entities was nothing more than deceit on his part. He suddenly felt a grave nudge in the pit of his stomach.
Upon Quistis' exit, Squall turned to Seifer.
"What the hell was that?" Squall asked.
"What the hell was what?"
"A mission in the works to knock off Martine..? You told me it'd been confirmed by Cid!"
"We didn't do it, did we? Relax. Besides…We can't stay here together like this. As much as I enjoy your company, Squall, we'll be an easier target this way," Seifer spoke, pulling the ice pack to his face again. He seemed unbothered by Quistis' words.
"Where are you going?"
"Like I'd really tell you that," Seifer laughed. "It's better if we don't know from here on out. It's you and her now."
"…It's always been me and her…"
"I would've liked for it to be me and Quistis, but…she's set on siding with Balamb for now and with that idiot Cid. I don't understand why, but I guess it's good to have someone on the inside at all times. Staying here with her would be too dangerous anyway," Seifer shrugged his shoulders. "…Man, the shit really hit the fan faster than I thought…"
"No shit, the president's involved. What was it supposed to do? Disappear?"
"Okay, I admit. I may have gotten a little carried away after you left back there," Seifer grinned.
"Carried away…? What do you mean?" Squall glared at him. "…Seifer, what did hell did you do?"
"I just love how you're unbothered by all this, Squall," Seifer's grin widened as he stood to his feet. "You're okay with the world being without SeeD, aren't you?"
"Not this shit again…"
"…I'm not like you, Squall. I like to keep busy and if anyone threatens that, I might just have to take matters into my own hands. The road's not clear, but only I can walk it. It's going to amount to something, and I'm sure you'll know what to think when the time comes. Until then…you'll have to continue to play husband and get your little wife-y out of here."
Squall narrowed his eyes, saying nothing in return.
"Speaking of the misses, you might want to check in and make sure Quistis hasn't rocked your honeymoon."
Quizzically, Squall wrinkled his eyebrows and left the room. What did Quistis have in mind?
Rinoa was in the kitchen with Angelo when Quistis had walked inside, staring at her for a moment. She wondered if the scar was there before Squall had he met her. If so, then she would have newfound respect for him.
"So, you're his girlfriend, huh…" Quistis had asked her quietly.
"…I guess?" Rinoa answered, finding it fascinating that everyone seemed to say the same thing when meeting her for the first time. Rinoa glanced at her and then looked down at Angelo with a grin as he stared up at her.
"…Has he told you anything about his real life?"
"…What I need to know," Rinoa answered, not really caring for the blonde's approach. Rinoa took a deep breath, finding Quistis' quiet behavior a bit eerie. "What is it..? Is there something else I need to know?"
"You do know what it is that he does for a living, right?"
Rinoa wondered if it was a trick question, and she was uncertain of Quistis' aim. "More or less, yeah..."
"Good," Quistis replied, walking closer to Rinoa. "…But I think there's something you need to know about Squall— if you want to continue seeing him. How well do you know him, Rinoa…?"
"…Well enough, why?"
"Squall is a SeeD. Because of our risky missions, a person can be killed just for being involved with a SeeD member, did you know that…?"
"No, he didn't tell me that…" But he didn't really have to...
"He did it to protect you, obviously…" Quistis folded her arms and began to whisper. "…A SeeD cannot afford to be involved romantically with anyone. Doing so is deadly and that's why it is strictly forbidden at our academy. I'm sure you're curious about the depths of our missions."
"…It varies depending on the contact. That much he did tell me."
"Yes, but did he tell you the types of missions he specializes in?"
"No, he hasn't told me anything about it, but judging by what I've seen of his abilities recently, I don't really need to ask him about it, either."
"That's right," Quistis smiled. "He'll probably never tell you everything he's done as a SeeD and with good reason."
"What are you implying, Quistis? …Is SeeD some type of criminal organization now? "
"I'm implying that without the license to separate us, there would be no difference."
Rinoa swallowed her breath.
"I'll tell you what he's afraid of telling you, in order to shed new light on your situation with him. Squall is a professional SeeD. He was trained to kill. We are trained to carry out plans of foreign deeds, with murder and assassinations depending on the target at the top of our list, and we are paid accordingly. This is what separates us from the military. Squall is no different than a mercenary. He's not a soldier… He's a SeeD, one of the best there is."
The girl froze in place with her heart beating too fast to register everything that Quistis had said. Had she made her decision too hastily?
"Are you sure you can put your trust into someone who has and will kill for money?" Quistis asked her. "…Could you ever truly love someone like that?"
Rinoa took a deep breath and looked away from the blonde's face.
"I didn't want to say this in front of Squall," Quistis continued "but if you come with me right now, I can take you back to your parents. I know where they are. I can assure you, you'll be reunited with them and you'll never have to think about or see him again. He hasn't told you about every part of his life as a SeeD because he knows that you wouldn't approve. You look like a sweet and innocent young woman, far from a criminal lifestyle, and I know you're smart. Your parents would probably never let you go near a person like him, am I wrong?"
Rinoa listened closely to Quistis' words. However, no matter how horrible or gruesome she described Squall's job, Rinoa couldn't push out the memories they had shared together. Even being the brutal killing machine that she saw hints of throughout the last fifteen or so hours, he still retained that caring side that she initially fell in love with. She knew he had already admitted to being a SeeD, but somehow, she knew that he didn't really want to be one forever. Yes, he did answer their call whenever there was work, but he also always hated going in. He did it because it was his duty. It was something he probably vowed to do. For her to still be alive right now was because of his protection.
She knew he wasn't a lowlife scumbag that Quistis tried to portray.
"Well, which is it Rinoa, we don't have much time left."
The girl with the scar looked at Quistis, the woman seemingly with a grudge, and took a moment longer to think it over. She remembered that Squall had reminded her to be adventurous. Sure, it wasn't the safest thing in the world, but just being near him made her forget the danger they were actually in for. It probably sounded so childish to anyone else.
Rinoa took one last deep breath and brought her hand down firmly to her sides. "Quistis, right?"
"Yes," the blonde replied softly.
Rinoa folded her arms behind her back. "If it's possible at all…could you…" she looked down nervously, but then brought her eyes back to Quistis, "Could you tell my parents not to worry about me? That I'll be back when everything is over…"
Quistis hid her grin, "This isn't a game, Rinoa. This is a very serious matter. Being brave will only get you killed. Squall is in a grave amount of danger."
"…I understand that, but I know when Squall's telling the truth. He was just following his orders. Squall is innocent of the attack and regardless of what he does or has done for a living, as long as he has the will to fight back because of that truth, I won't leave him. I don't expect everything to be sugarplums and rainbows between us, but he trusts me to be there for him, and I will be, because I trust him, too. I know Squall. Everyone has a past, and Squall is no longer a SeeD. …Thanks for the offer, Quistis, but no…I can't accept it. I'm gonna stay with Squall."
"Understood," she whispered, only to be interrupted by his voice from behind them at the kitchen entry, "Rinoa, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah," Rinoa answered with a smile, "Come, Angelo."
The girl and her dog walked through the kitchen and toward Squall at the doorway. He looked at her and grinned, and then brought his eyes to Quistis, who faced him with a shrug of her shoulders.
"There's no stopping you now, is there?"
He shook his head slowly to answer her question. He looked at her with thankful eyes. If not for her interrogation, he might not have ever been able to know how sure Rinoa was about her decision to stay with him. Quistis really was a true friend, even though she might have gone a bit overboard at times, but such was her nature as a SeeD.
When Rinoa and Angelo made their way to the door, he took a deep breath.
"…She loves you very much. I hope you know what you're doing," she said first and then smiled. Quistis performed her finest SeeD salute. "Please don't get her killed. Godspeed."
Squall returned her gesture. "Same to you," he said.
Squall had heard their conversation as he stood in the hallway eavesdropping on them. He was glad that he hadn't just rushed in either. Rinoa could never know the amount of joy he felt after hearing her bold response to Quistis.
He was proud of her.
From the front door, Quistis watched them scramble to the car and climb in. Squall was glad he had packed up beforehand, because it made it so much easier to just pick up and leave. As long as his car had a good bit of fuel, they would continue to move forward.
He knew Quistis might offer to take Rinoa away from him, but he was surprised to hear she'd known about the Caraways' location. Still, if taking Rinoa away would deter her from her true orders to kill him, he knew Quistis wouldn't hesitate to take the alternate route for now. He was thankful for having known her on a more personal level at one time, especially now, because had he been anyone else, she might've very well taken Rinoa in and killed him.
Driving down the dirt road, Squall looked over at Rinoa and extended his hand out to hers. Rinoa took his hand and entangled their fingers, then brought their joined hands to her face. The warmth from her body was alive and hungry. Even if the words hadn't been spoken in a while, their feelings were alive inside and present with every action taken. Coming to each other's defenses at every possible threat was proof enough that their love was alive, but deciding to stay together through it all was conclusively more real. Squall softened his eyes at her and then brought his eyes to the road. The same bodily pangs and twitches Rinoa had been dealing with were taking place in him as well. He would fight hard to keep them alive. He wanted to hold on to the hope that they could still be together even after everything was said and done.
When Squall's car disappeared out of sight, Quistis released her breath. She genuinely hoped that they would make it to their destination safely. There were blockades forming along the roads now and the numbers of soldiers and SeeD presently at these locations had been increasing by the hour. She didn't know what type of plan Squall had, but she hoped it was a good one; otherwise, they were on a fool's errand.
"Quistis," Seifer called to her from behind, waking her from her thoughts. She faced him with an obvious groan.
"…Yes?" The blonde closed the front door and turned to him completely in the narrow hallway. "What is it?"
"…I know you're not thrilled about possibly losing Balamb," he said while approaching her. "…But with Cid showing his true colors now, I don't understand how you can keep following his orders so blindly."
Quistis walked around him and dug her glasses from her pocket, slipping them onto her face.
"Quistis…" he continued.
She smiled and faced him. "…I'm not blindly following orders. I'm playing this situation by ear. It's not that I don't want to run, but I won't. I'm not going to run away like a traitor because I'm not guilty of anything. I'm guilty of being a SeeD only, and I'd like to keep my dignity intact should everything go to hell like it's already going to."
"It doesn't have to…at least…" Seifer smirked. "At least I'd like to think so."
"Seifer," she whispered, releasing the breath that she had held. The blond stepped closer to her and brought his hand to her hip, touching it softly. Quistis looked away from him with a huff, "Everyone knows Balamb is finished, regardless of what we do now. When will you stop chasing after a dead fantasy?"
Seifer pulled her against him gently and smirked, "…After you stop chasing yours…"
Surprise appeared on her face, in her eyes. She couldn't deny that his voice was filled with warmth. Seifer pinched her chin between his index finger and thumb, gently turning her head toward him and making her find his eyes again.
"Now," he whispered, emerald eyes smoldering with seriousness, "Would you kindly hear me out?"
Author's Little Corner:
Hey guys! I'm glad I was able to finish on time and deliver. Thank you for all the positive feedback, it really makes a difference for me. I get excited about the feedback with every chapter completed and it makes me so focused. I can't wait to finish this story. There's so much more in store. This week was tough for me, and it still hasn't really gotten better. I hate to sound sick all the time, but I have a sinus infection and my voice is pretty much gone. However, working on my projects including this story, is helping me to feel better and I've been taking it one day at time. My sinuses make me extra loopy, so, yes, I'm sure there was some scenes in this chapter that were probably out there. Speaking of which, I want to apologize about Quistis right now. She can be so scary. Also, I drew her recently and posted the pic on my deviant account. I don't think I can link in here, but there should be one you can reach inside my profile. Take a look, please? It's my official apology for making a bitch out of Quistis for about two pages. I'm so sorry! OKAY? Alright, I'm talking more in here because I can't use my voice in real life right now, how sad. Well, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be more next week. Please leave a review.
See you soon!
Ray