A/N 1: As always, I do not own the characters, locations or creatures from FF8 - they belong to Square Enix. Any reference to the characters' early lives is drawn from the wonderful 'Monday's Child' series by Lady Aliena.

A/N 2: Although the gang will split up during this chapter (and possibly into the next couple of chapters) I will continue to tell the story from Selphie's POV. So, we will know exactly what is happening where she is but everything else will be reported in some way.

A/N 3: This will probably be the last chapter for a while, but I will continue it, I promise!

Chapter 11

'For Hyne's sake,' yelled Squall, thumping the table. 'We don't have the time! Only the White SeeD ship could get us all back to Balamb in one go and that will take days.'

'Well what else do you suggest?' Quistis asked, her voice clipped by irritation.

'You lot can do what you want. I'm going to the Ruins. Right now!'

'Commander! Stand still!'

Everyone turned with surprise to see Cid standing scowling furiously. The younger man turned last, slowly, almost as if against his will. The expression on his face was just as angry, however.

'You can't just go charging off on your own! Haven't you been listening?'

'I told you. I've had enough of listening! It's getting me nowhere.'

Quistis stepped between them. 'Calm down a minute,' she said looking at Squall but clearly addressing them both. 'Selphie can take me back to Balamb in the Mini Ragnarok. Squall - you pick a team and take the sand buggy from the White SeeD Ship. Go carefully, OK? Take your time and don't rush it. Whoever goes with you,' she looked around the faces staring at her, 'has to get you out of there if there's the slightest danger. Right?'

There was a stunned silence.

'I said, "Right?"'

'The Cowboy and I will keep him under control,' drawled Seifer.

'No.' Once again, it was a shock for everyone to realise that Cid had spoken, though more quietly, this time. 'Edea and I have left Squall and Rinoa to deal with this alone for too long. We'll go.'

'I don't know, dear...' Matron began.

'Matron's right. I don't think you two should enter the Ruins,' agreed Quistis.

'But...'

'They can set up a base camp outside the Ruins,' Irvine suggested. 'They'll be in constant contact with us... and with you in Balamb... and they'll be back up. Just in case...'

Selphie felt her stomach turn to iced water. 'In case of what?' she asked in a small voice.

'In case we need to cook us some Tonberry,' Seifer said, in his best imitation-of-Irvine voice.

She managed a tiny smile in reply but the feeling of dread did not leave her.

'So, does everyone know what they're doing?' asked the practical Quistis. 'Zell, you and Iris can stay here, keep the place ready for when we all get back. Is that OK?'

'I was going to suggest just that,' he replied. 'I don't think Iris is ready for another adventure and I don't want to leave her alone.'

'Great! Right then...'

Cid held up a hand. 'There's just one more thing. Squall, I want you to give up your command. Your first – your only – duty, is as a Knight. You can't be Commander of Garden and protect your Sorceress as well. Contact Xu and inform her that she'll be in temporary charge until all this is over, and that SeeDs Trepe, Tilmett and Dincht will also be standing down.'

'No. Let me speak! You dumped this on me when I was too young, too confused, too unprepared... all on a whim. You can't just snatch it away and dump it on someone else on another whim! That's not how...' Squall hesitated and then continued, as if correcting his initial thought, 'to do things.'

'That's not how a leader behaves, you mean,' the other man said with a wry smile. 'And you're right. But I don't think you can hold both positions at the same time.'

'Maybe you're right. My first duty is as a Knight but it isn't my only duty. Everyone here is Rinoa's friend - that's one loyalty but not their only one. Until we all know more about what's happening in the Ruins, we can't judge which loyalty or which duty should take priority. What if Quistis was right before and Rinoa needs our help to overcome some external force? How are we going to help her without Garden's resources to back us up?'

Cid shrugged, clearly out of answers. Squall, having talked more in the last few minutes than in the last few days shrugged, too.

'I'm going to pack,' he said and left the room.

By silent agreement, the others who were leaving the Lighthouse also trooped out of the room. Selphie entered her and Irvine's bedroom alone and stood staring at their luggage, still sitting unopened on their bed. It was only a few hours since they had arrived but it felt like a lifetime. Suddenly, she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind and warm breath on her cheek.

'It'll be alright, darlin', I promise it will.'

She turned to face her boyfriend. 'Will it?'

'Of course it will. Quistis is in charge. Nothing ever went wrong on her watch!'

'I suppose so...' Without warning, the pent-up emotions of the day welled up and spilled over. Irvine held her close as she sobbed uncontrollably against his shoulder. Eventually, all of her tears were spent but she did not lift her head. It just felt good to be held, to have her hair stroked, to not have to think - just for a little while.

They could not stay there forever, though, and she did not resist when he gently pulled away. 'We need to decide what we're taking with us,' he pointed out.

She nodded. 'I know.'

The cowboy's face plainly showed his concern. 'Selph, are you OK? You're normally the life and soul of everything. I don't know how to handle you being down.'

'I'm sorry... There's just such a lot to cope with. Seeing the new GF was bad enough, but Rinoa attacking Iris is just frightening. And you're going to face her! What if you're hurt, or... or worse?' she stopped, as much to prevent herself bursting into tears again as anything else.

'No-one knows what's going to happen, but if Seifer and I don't go with Squall, he'll definitely go alone. And that's just a disaster waiting to happen.'

'I know, I know!' She took a deep breath and continued, 'I just wish it was all over.'

'Me, too! Everyone would say the same, you know they would. We just have to take this one step at a time. What can I do that'll make you feel better?'

For a moment, just for a moment, she thought of asking him to run away with her, somewhere where they'd both be safe until this nightmare was over. Then her normal self regained control and she smiled at him. 'You make me feel better just by being here,' she told him, giving him a quick, fierce hug. 'Try to make Squall and Seifer behave, but don't get stuck between them if they do have a fight. That would be worse than facing two Tonberries!'

'Gotcha!' he grinned, tipping up his hat with one finger. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. 'And you fly that little red monster carefully, OK? We need you and Quisty in one piece when you reach Balamb.'

'Will do!'

Reluctantly, they turned to their bags. Selphie decided it would be easier to just take hers as it was, rather than rummaging through it. Her boyfriend, however, would not need to take everything on his trip into the desert; he grabbed a few t-shirts and a spare pair of jeans.

'What about clean underwear?' she asked.

He rolled his eyes at her. 'This is a guy's camping trip! Guy's don't take clean underwear.'

'Matron will be with you.'

'Darn, she will, too. I'll take a couple of pairs, then.'

'You are impossible!' she said, laughingly.

'Made you laugh, though, right?' he commented, as he fished out all his underwear and even some socks.

She laughed even harder, feeling better than she had since they arrived. 'Come on then, you smelly cowpoke! We're probably keeping everyone waiting.'