Author's Note: I'm sorry updates are taking longer and longer. I haven't lost interest by any stretch of the imagination. I've just been trying to squeeze in writing here and there between long shifts at work and school work. I wish I could just write it out and finish it, because I'm so excited about the story and where it's going. But, such is life.

Now, about the suggestion that someone made about a trilogy…

I had actually been contemplating that same thing. The fact of the matter is, there is still one member of the Loire/Leonhart family that hasn't yet been dealt with, and I felt that it was only fair that her story be finished as well. And so, I've begun laying down the groundwork for an Ellone-centric third part once this is finished.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves! I still have a lot of ground to cover in this story, and moments that I'm GREATLY looking forward to writing. I did find that I'll need ONE more chapter to finish out the fluff so that I can have everything set up that I need before I move on to the juicy stuff. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

"Sneaky idea, having them come in on the train rather than sending Ragnarok after them," Squall said as he and Kylah stood together on the platform.

She glanced up at him and grinned. "There was absolutely no way that we could get the Ragnarok out and then back in without Laguna noticing and asking what was up," she pointed out. "And so, the most logical way to get here was to take the train."

Squall chuckled softly. "Selphie will be happy, but I'm not sure how much the rest of them will enjoy this trip."

"Oh?" Kylah asked raising a brow.

"Have you ever heard her train song?"

She paused and gazed at him questioningly. "I've been spared that pleasure," she finally responded.

"You're one of the lucky ones, then," he responded, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

The train chose that moment to pull up to the platform, and Kylah and Squall both focused their attention on scanning the passengers for their friends. They heard them before they saw them.

"Selphie, I swear, if you sing that damn song one more time…"

"Awww, come on Quisty! I have to entertain myself somehow!"

Irvine's tall head could be seen over the crowd. "But do you have to entertain yourself at our expense?"

Selphie emerged from the crowd just as she shot Irvine a scathing look. "Fine! See if I entertain you anytime soon!"

"Damn…" Irvine lamented, hanging his head in defeat.

"Shot down!" Zell laughed, thumping Irvine on the shoulder.

Kylah chuckled and shook her head. "It's good to know that some things never change."

The sound of her voice had drawn everyone's attention. "Kylah!" Selphie squealed. She ran at her friend, throwing her arms around the redhead in a ferocious hug. "Ohhh, you're such a cute pregnant woman!" she gushed as she stepped back to inspect her.

"You do look wonderful," Quistis added, stepping forward to offer a hug of her own. "You're due soon, aren't you?"

Pressing a hand to her lower back, Kylah groaned. "Just over four weeks, and not a moment too soon," she said.

Zell and Irvine, meanwhile, had commenced on exchanging manly thumps on the shoulder, handshakes, and congratulatory nudges about Kylah's condition in way of greeting Squall. Once their greetings were finished, the guys had launched into an in-depth discussion about the very issue of Weapon's Monthly that Squall had read only weeks before.

"I tried those gloves," Zell said, "and they were nice. The damage that they do is just phenomenal. I dunno, though… I just prefer my old, comfortable, broken-in gloves instead."

Kylah watched her husband talking animatedly with his friends. "That didn't take long," she said, grinning at Quistis who laughed in response. "It's okay, though," she continued. "I think that nearly nine months of living with a pregnant woman has him in need of some male bonding time."

"I don't think he'd trade the pregnant woman for the guys, though," a pleasant voice spoke up behind them.

The three women turned to find Cid and Edea Kramer standing behind them. It was Edea who had addressed them, and she now smiled warmly at Kylah. "Quistis is right," she continued, leaning in to give the younger woman a warm hug. "You do look wonderful."

"I'd agree with that," Squall spoke up, resting a hand on his wife's shoulder. He leaned in and hugged Edea himself. "Hello, Matron."

"Hello, Squall," she replied, smiling softly. As she stepped back, she looked around. "Didn't Ellone and Cassidy come with you?"

Kylah shook her head in answer. "Ellone is over at the restaurant ironing out the last-minute details for the party, and Cassidy hasn't gotten out of school for the day, yet."

A small smile touched Squall's lips. "It took everything we could think of to talk her into going to school at all today," he said, rolling his eyes. "Especially once she heard that Matron and Cid were coming."

Zell raised an eyebrow. "I'm hurt!" he said. "She didn't want to see her boyfriend?"

"You've fallen from grace because she realized that you already had a girlfriend," Squall retorted.

The blonde made a face. "Well, I'm all hers now," he sighed.

"You are?" Squall asked, eyeing Zell quizzically. He knew it was irrational, and nothing would ever come of it, but he had a difficult time repressing that fatherly urge to protect his daughter from men and romance even if she was only five, and it was simply a childhood crush.

"Yep," Zell nodded glumly.

"Things didn't exactly work out between him and the librarian," Selphie interjected.

"Aw, Zell, that stinks," Kylah replied, feeling genuinely sad for him.

He waved away the concern. "Bah, I broke up with her. I just kinda realized that I didn't want to continue it. The right woman is out there somewhere for me," he grinned, "but it wasn't her."

"Speaking of romance…" Irvine segued as he shot Kylah and Squall both a sly grin.

"Yes, speaking of," Quistis added as she linked arms with Kylah.

Selphie slid her arm through Kylah's free one. "Tell us about the new lady that Sir Laguna is seeing," she finished up with a devilish grin.

"I see you've been reading the papers." Kylah rolled her eyes.

"Papers, yes," Quistis replied.

"And TV."

"Radio."

"Don't forget the internet!"

Squall groaned and shook his head. "Can't they just let the poor guy have a personal life?" he grumbled.

Kylah and Quistis exchanged triumphant grins. Two years ago, Squall couldn't have cared less what anyone said about or did to Laguna. Though he still held his father at a distance, his protective statement was at least progress.

"You can't believe what you hear or read from the press," Kylah said, having read many of the articles herself. "She isn't a gold-digger, hussy, or Galbadian spy. She's a perfectly normal woman, a fantastic physician, and she genuinely cares for Laguna."

"That's good to hear," Edea piped up. "Laguna deserves some happiness for once."

"I think its soooooooo sweet!" Selphie cooed.

"Yeah, well, you'll get to meet her for yourself tonight," Squall said.

"Yep, he's right," Kylah added. "Brenna is our excuse for getting him there. She's using the premise of wanting to take him out for dinner for his birthday."

"So he's clueless?" Quistis asked.

"Completely."

"Eeeeeeeexcellent," Selphie cackled, rubbing her hands together evilly.

Self-consciously, Brenna tugged at the hem of her shirt. It was outrageous. Simply outrageous. And she had no idea how Kylah and Ellone had talked her into it. The hip-hugging jeans weren't bad at all. In fact, she rather liked how they fit against her slim hips. But when paired with the high, black boots, it did start to delve into fashion territory that she had never even thought to explore.

But it was the top that really got her. It was a deep emerald, lacy top that overlayed a solid camisole of the same color. The blouse was fitted to her smooth curves, and plunged so low in the front that it nearly made her blush. She glanced down suspiciously. She'd never had this much cleavage before in her life. It truly was a miracle bra.

She'd even carefully followed Kylah's hair and makeup tips. Her blonde hair fell in waves around her slim shoulders, and a touch of green could be seen around her eyes. Her lips were painted a deep red.

What on Earth was she doing?

Briefly, she glanced at her closet and then back down at her outfit. She had to admit, it did look good on her. She just wasn't sure if she was bold enough to pull it off. Maybe she had enough time to change into something a little more… her before the party began…

The sound of a knock at the door dashed all hopes of making a quick change. She cast one last look at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath to bolster her courage, and headed to answer the door.

"Hey," she greeted Laguna as she slid the door open.

"Hey Bre-" he cut himself off short, his eyes growing wide as he caught sight of her. She looked fantastic. Her hair, for once, fell loose and soft around her shoulders in a tousled mass that framed her lovely face. He had no idea where she'd gotten that shirt, but while it remained modest enough, it still revealed enough cleavage to be tempting. Her lips, normally full, had been painted into a tantalizing pout that simply begged to be kissed. Laguna's mouth went dry, and he swallowed hard as he suddenly realized that desires were coursing through his body that he hadn't felt in a very long time. "Brenna?" he finally managed.

Her gaze dropped and she suddenly looked shy. "I hope this is okay," she said, once again tugging on the edge of her blouse. "I went shopping with Kylah and Ellone…"

"No, it's great! I mean, you look… Ah… Wow," he stuttered.

She lifted her gaze up to his, trying hard to gauge how he really felt. She was genuinely surprised to see desire shimmering under the surface of his gaze. A warm flush crept over her cheeks. "I'm glad you like it," she said, daring to step closer.

A warm hum was beginning to radiate through Laguna's body. "You really do look amazing," he said, resting his hands on her hips and pulling her close for a deep kiss. Big mistake. The minute her body brushed against his as he pressed his lips to hers, all desires of going out for dinner went completely out the window.

"We should be going," Brenna finally murmured against his mouth several moments later.

Laguna groaned softly. "Do we hafta?" he murmured back.

She laughed softly, surprised to discover that she liked the effect she was having on him. "We probably should. It's too late to cancel our reservations and all," she pointed out. "Besides, we should celebrate your birthday somehow."

He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and counted to ten while he shoved any other ideas on how they could celebrate out of his head. "Alright," he finally said, cheerfully. "If we're gonna go, then let's be going." Before I don't want to go at all…

"May I help you?" the host asked as they arrived at the restaurant a little while later.

Brenna shrugged out of her coat and handed it to the coat clerk. "Cormac, party of two," she said, as she smiled warmly at him.

Laguna could swear that he saw a pointed look pass between the two. "Of course!" the host said, enthusiastically. "We've been expecting you. Oh, and Mr. President! We're so glad that you could join us tonight." He merely nodded and smiled in response. "Right this way, we've got a table reserved for you in the back."

Brenna and Laguna followed him through the restaurant. Curiously, Laguna glanced around. He couldn't help but notice that the place was rather… empty that night. It was usually nearly impossible to get a table in the place. So, where was everyone?

"Right through here," the host said, gesturing to a door. He stepped back to politely allow the couple to enter the room first. Laguna rested his hand against the small of Brenna's back and led her through the door.

As soon as she passed through the doorway, Brenna slid to the side. Laguna thought it was odd, but he, too, entered the room to find their table.

"SURPRISE!"

Complete and utter shock registered on Laguna's face. Rather than a mostly empty room in a restaurant, he found himself in a room filled with friends and family. Kylah and Squall. Ellone. Cass. Kiros. Ward. He spotted Cid and Edea Kramer in the group. With Irvine's hat perched perkily atop her head, Selphie jumped up and down excitedly. Irvine leaned casually against the wall, and clapped with a crooked grin. Zell, laughing with Quistis. Even President Caraway and the Deraldi's could be spotted in the crowd.

"How the…? How did you manage to pull this off?" he asked, slightly bewildered as a grin began to spread over her lips.

Brenna grinned up at him as she slid her arm through his. "Kylah has been planning it for weeks," she said. "Ellone too. They asked me to trick you into getting you here."

He grinned down at her. "Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it," she replied as the crowed descended on them.

Zell, Laguna, Irvine, and Squall were all lined up alongside the dance floor watching as the festivities of the party continued before them. "So, who's the babe?" Zell asked as he watched Brenna spin by with Kiros. Laguna shot him a dirty look as he took a sip from the bottle of beer in his hand. Before he had a chance to retort, he felt Irvine's hand reach around behind him, and heard a hollow thump come from the vicinity of Zell's head.

"Ow!" Zell yelped, rubbing his head and scowling at Irvine.

"Man, it's not cool to check out another guy's lady, especially when he's standing right next to you," Irvine drawled, chuckling.

"Aw, come on," Zell protested. "Some things are just there. I was just… uh… complimenting Laguna's fine taste in women!"

Squall swallowed a mouthful of beer. "Do you want a shovel, Zell?" he asked. "Because it's getting really deep in here."

Irvine snorted his drink up his nose.

"What are you gentlemen talking about?" Kylah asked as she sauntered up.

"How quickly Zell is digging his own grave," Laguna muttered, glaring at the younger man.

"Aw, c'mon, Laguna," he coaxed. "I can't appreciate an aesthetically pleasing member of the fairer sex?" He paused while Laguna shot him another glare. "Ohhhkaaaay…. I think I see Ellone without a dance partner," he said, quickly changing the subject. And with that, he scurried off.

Kylah rolled her eyes and glanced at his retreating back. "You'll have to forgive Zell," she said, dryly. "He has a tendency to let his mouth roam free without putting his brain into gear." She gulped down the last of the punch in her hand and then smiled up at Squall. "Come on, Leonhart," she said, grabbing him by the hand. "You haven't taken your wife for a spin on the dance floor yet."

When the duo had made it to the middle of the floor, they fell into step with one another, and Squall began casually spinning Kylah around the floor. "Are you sure you should be doing this?" he asked, eyeing her belly speculatively.

"I'm allowed to be on my feet as long as I feel like it," she countered. "Just ask my doctor. She's right over there."

As the tempo of the song shifted from a fast-paced beat to something softer and slower, Squall pulled Kylah into his arms and looked over her shoulder toward Brenna. "I think I'll pass on that," he said, his mouth twitching and amusement warming his voice. "She looks a bit occupied."

Squall spun her just enough so that she could see across the floor. Kylah chuckled softly as she saw that Laguna had cut in on Kiros and claimed a dance of his own with Brenna. Her smaller hand was clasped in his larger one as his other hand slid around her waist to pull her closer. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were the only two people in the world as far as they were concerned. As Kylah watched, Laguna leaned over to murmur something to Brenna, who laughed and nuzzled closer.

"Go get her, Laguna," Kylah murmured. "It just might be your lucky night."

Her husband scowled and spun her away from the view. "I really don't want to think about that," he observed, gruffly.

Kylah shot him a quizzical look.

"I may not always treat him the best in the world," Squall continued in explanation, "but he is my father. And there's just something… creepy about thinking about your parents having a 'lucky day.'"

She had to burry her face into his shoulder to cover the snort of laughter. "Okay," she finally managed, "point taken." She looked up and gazed over his shoulder at the cozy couple across the room. "He does look happy," she observed, smiling.

Squall glanced over his shoulder, and couldn't resist a small of his own. "Yeah," he does," he replied as he turned back around and pulled his wife closer.

The two were silent for several moments as they simply enjoyed the time spent together and the warm, romantic music that swirled around them. "So," Kylah finally said, "if you don't want to think about Laguna's 'lucky day,' how about your own chances of having a lucky night?" she asked as she coyly slanted a glance up at him.

He paused for a full heartbeat. "Are you sure you're up for that?" he asked for the second time that night.

Kylah rolled her eyes. "Like I said, I can do anything that I still feel up to," she replied, a grin curving her lips.

"Well, then…" Squall said, his eyes warming as he gazed down at her. "That's an entirely different discussion…"

He pulled his wife closer, resting his cheek against her temple as he danced her around the floor. He couldn't help but let his gaze drift back over to Laguna and Brenna, cozy and content across the room. A small smile turned up his lips. Though it was still difficult for him to admit, he had genuinely come to think of Laguna as his father over the last two years. The sight of the older man beginning to move past the ghosts of the past both pleased and relieved him. Maybe now, Laguna would understand just how happy Squall was…