Chapter 11: Hearts and Minds
As he followed Watts through the town, Squall was on alert. Not obviously so, but still keenly aware of his surroundings and the people in them. "Situational Awareness" it was called. It was an observational trick all SeeDs were taught; gazing around without appearing to do so and marking any potential threats, escape routes, and anything else that may or may not require investigation later on.
In particular, he noted the soldiers, their attitudes, their locations, and gauged their threat level based upon what he observed. The citizens of Timber were given the same analytical treatment that the soldiers were. With the exception of those resistance members that Squall had been personally introduced to- and even those he only partially trusted-everyone was treated to the same wary regard.
The soldiers had not changed appreciably since the last time Squall had been there, at least not that he noticed. They were still spit-polished stupid brutes, for the most part. Perhaps a tad more brutal than before, but not by much. Galbadia's military power was not due to the intelligence of its personnel, but rather their obedience. It was ridiculously easy to simply blindly follow orders and not bother attempting to think for oneself. In Galbadia's military at least, it was encouraged.
It made Squall wonder how, as obviously intelligent as Rinoa's father was, he'd managed not only to make a career out of his service to such an organization, but to even rise to the rank of general. Perhaps that was at the core of the current rift between father and daughter.
Perhaps, but the only way to find out for sure would be to ask Rinoa, and Squall decided that question was best left unasked.
Finally, they were walking toward their destination. Not the Timber Maniacs offices, though that was where they intended to go, but the house next door. Simply walking up to the closed offices in broad daylight under the watchful eyes of the Galbadians and then breaking in would be incredibly stupid. No, they had to use a more cautious approach to gaining entrance to the building.
It was with that thought in mind that Squall was studying the exterior of the Timber Maniacs offices intently while Watts knocked on the door to the home. The middle-aged woman that Rinoa had identified as Vulpe, leader of the Forest Foxes, answered it.
Grinning widely, Watts doffed his cap and said, "Afternoon ma'am, my cousin and I were lookin' for any odd jobs that might need doin'. You got any handiwork you want done?"
Squall turned his attention from the Timber Maniacs building and focused on Watts, wondering if this was just a ruse for the benefit of any watchers that might be about, or if he was seriously offering their services as odd-jobbers.
The woman's eyes twinkled in amusement as she answered thoughtfully, "Well, now that you mention it, I could use my gutters cleaned."
Squall folded his arms and glowered at Watts, completely missing the spark of recognition in the woman's eyes when she focused on him for a moment. A muffled sound from the interior of the house caught his attention, and he was immediately on alert.
"Great!" Watts said, "We work cheap, and my cousin here's as strong as an ox."
"Well, come on in then boys, and we'll talk about it." the woman said, inviting them in.
As soon as they walked through the door and Vulpe closed it behind them, Squall discovered the source of the muffled noises he heard coming from the inside of the home. It was Rinoa, who had both hands clapped over her mouth and tears leaking from her eyes as she strove mightily to contain the laughter that snuck out between her fingers in muffled squeaks.
Once the door was closed, she dropped her hands and let it out, gasping, "Oh Watts! Oh….Whatever you do, don't turn around right now, because the look Squall's giving you will have you dead in a heartbeat!" Then she held her sides and laughed even harder.
Watts ducked his head, forcibly resisting the urge to do exactly that, confused as to why Rinoa found it so funny when nobody else was laughing but her. Everyone else's expressions ranged from wary to worry to mildly amused. The amusement belonged on Selphie's face. She had entered the room while Rinoa was laughing, and had no idea of the source of her mirth until she saw Squall's increasingly stony expression.
Squall for his part was both confused and annoyed, wondering why his girlfriend was laughing at him while everyone else appeared worried.
Then she came up to him, still laughing slightly, and slipped her arms around his waist, smiling up at him, and said, "I'm sorry, I guess you must have had a rough morning if your expression is any indication. It just struck me as funny the way you glared at Watts the minute Vulpe mentioned cleaning the gutters."
"Yeah, well I've already gotten volunteered to chop wood and I've been compared to an ox." Squall said, suddenly very aware of Rinoa's warm body pressing against him, her arms encircling his waist.
"Well, we both know that there is no comparison. You bear no resemblance to an ox in any way, shape or form." Rinoa said, still smiling at him, brown eyes twinkling merrily. In spite of his somewhat sour mood, she was still incredibly happy to see him. And in spite of his mood, he didn't resist her embrace, instead slipping his arms around her as well. He appeared to have forgotten momentarily that he and Rinoa weren't alone.
"Glad you noticed." Squall said, dour expression beginning to lighten a bit in the face of Rinoa's obvious joy at seeing him.
"So…Squall… what brings you here? Aside from the obvious, that is." Vulpe said with a half-smile.
Forcibly pulling his attention away from Rinoa's lips, which Squall was dying to kiss again, he answered, "I need to get into the Timber Maniacs building, see if we can use their computers to do a bit of research." Glancing at Selphie, then back down at Rinoa, he added, "I'll need you both to come with me."
"You want me to do some hacking?" Selphie asked, eyes bright and interested.
Squall nodded, "Yeah."
"How do you propose we get into the Timber Maniacs building in broad daylight with soldiers all around?" Watts asked, curious.
Squall frowned, "Not sure on that one, but Vulpe's mention of cleaning gutters gave me an idea. I'll have to check the window in the upstairs bedroom though."
"Be my guest," Vulpe said. Then she added, "I won't complain if you do decide to clean out the gutters, you know, to keep your cover intact."
Squall glanced at her, then shrugged slightly and reluctantly pulled free from Rinoa, heading toward the upstairs bedroom. Watts, Rinoa and Selphie followed him.
"What are you planning on doing?" Watts asked him, hoping that Squall really wasn't going to do what he appeared to be considering.
Opening the window, and spearing the two young boys that were playing in the bedroom with a severe glance, Squall said, "Kids, don't do this." Then he leaned out the window and looked around.
He saw directly below him the alley and the back door of the nearby pub. He saw the gate at the end of the alley, the route that he, Rinoa, Selphie and Zell had taken several weeks ago to get to the television studio in an abortive attempt to prevent disaster when Seifer had shown up and taken President Deling hostage.
A fire escape would have made things much easier, but he'd already seen the emergency rope ladder stashed between the bed and the wall near the window. So he was unsurprised at the lack of one. He leaned farther out, bracing himself against the window frame and studied the building above and on either side of the window. He narrowed his eyes. Okay, it would be tricky, and well nigh impossible for Rinoa and Watts to manage, but he and Selphie could.
Pulling himself back into the room, he dug through his pack and came up with a small grapnel and a thin cord. Digging deeper, he brought out a neatly wrapped coil of heavier rope.
"Selphie. You're smallest. You're going first." He said, tying the cord to the grapnel. Then returning to the window, he looked carefully right and left.
Satisfied that nobody was around to observe what they were doing, he leaned out, swinging the grapnel until it had enough length and momentum to arc upward and catch upon the edge of the rooftop. He tugged and jerked at it until he was satisfied it was secure, then ducked back into the room and handed the cord to Selphie.
While Squall had been readying the grapnel, Selphie had unwrapped and uncoiled the rope, recoiling it into a large loop that she threw over her head to wear bandolier style. When he re-entered the bedroom and handed the cord to her, she took it without a word and took his place at the window.
Watts and Rinoa stared, amazed, as they watched Selphie slip out the window and seemingly disappear. Moments later, the rope dropped down and Squall grabbed it, jerking it and leaning his full weight upon it to test it.
Then he paused, studying both Rinoa and Watts, and asked them both, "do you want to try this? We could use a couple of lookouts."
Watts shrugged, answering, "Sure. I'm pretty good with lock-picking too." Squall nodded.
"Rinoa?" He asked, focusing his attention upon her. She bit her lip, torn. She wanted to go with him, but at the same time, wasn't very confident in her rope climbing ability.
Finally she said, "I want to go with you, but…I'm not real sure I can climb a rope like that. I've never done it before and…" her voice trailed off.
"If you want to try it, I can wait here," he said.
"What if I fall?" she asked, biting her lip again.
"I'll catch you." He said softly.
She smiled at him, "are you sure?"
"Yes. I promise." He said seriously. When he used that solemn tone and looked at her so earnestly, Rinoa had to believe him.
"Okay. Um, how do I do this?" she asked, coming up to Squall and joining him at the window. It was a narrow space, and she had to stand so close to him that their bodies nearly touched. She could feel his warmth, drink in his scent and remember the taste of his lips, and found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying. All she wanted to do was to kiss him, feel his lips on hers, his arms around her again and press herself against him. He cleared his throat, and Rinoa smiled as she saw his attention on her lips. Obviously, his mind was running along similar lines.
Finally, he answered, "You uh… you just need to brace yourself against the wall with your legs and pull while walking up the wall." Then he leaned closer to her and added softly, "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
"I want to." She said, feeling oddly confident now that he wasn't putting any pressure on her.
"All right then. Grab the rope and pull yourself up, hand over hand. I'll support you. Whatever you do, keep your focus up." Squall instructed, handing her the rope.
Rinoa nodded, taking a deep breath, and sat down on the windowsill. Then she started pulling at the rope, using it as leverage to stand on the sill. She felt Squall's hands at her waist, supporting her and she looked down at him and smiled.
Then she took a deep breath, firming up her courage. They'd climbed any number of steep ladders in various places, and Rinoa had even climbed up an ivy hedge to gain entrance to the ruined Trabia Garden. But she'd never had to actually climb a rope before. Still, the weeks she'd spent traveling and fighting alongside her SeeD friends had given her more strength than she realized. Either that, or she'd lost weight. Perhaps it was both. Whichever it was, Rinoa found that climbing the rope, despite her initial butterflies, was not nearly as impossible for her as she'd feared it would be.
That was not to say that it was easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. She grunted and sweated, and tried hard not to think about the drop to the alley below as she pulled herself hand over hand to the edge of the roof. When she got there, she nearly panicked, because she couldn't figure out how to pull herself over the edge while she still had a death grip on the rope. She'd have to let go to grip the edge of the roof and pull herself onto it, and she didn't think she had it in her to do that. Then she made the mistake of looking down and couldn't stop a small whimper from escaping.
Selphie's head popped up over the edge at the sound, and her eyes widened. "Rinoa? Here, take my hand. Hurry."
Rinoa reached out with one hand while still gripping the rope, wondering as she did how Selphie, who was even smaller than she was, would be able to pull her up. Somehow, she did, and Rinoa lay flat on the roof with Selphie, panting and trying not to shake.
"Wow Rin! I'm impressed! I didn't think you'd want to do that!" Selphie said quietly. Rinoa frowned at that until she realized that Selphie was trying to stay as quiet as possible so as not to attract attention.
"Well, I wanted to come and help. Squall said he needed a couple of lookouts." Rinoa replied.
"Great!" Selphie said enthusiastically. Then she added, "as long as we stay quiet and out of sight, we shouldn't have any problems. I've noticed that the soldiers almost never look up."
Rinoa nodded. She'd noticed that herself when they were in the middle of their kidnapping attempt. Funny how she could run along the top of a train moving in excess of a hundred kilometers per hour without a flinch but climbing up a rope left her shaking.
"I'm really impressed that you climbed up that rope, Rin. I know you've never done it before. But why'd you even try? You're a sorceress. Couldn't you have just cast a float spell or something?" Selphie asked her. Rinoa stared at her, then lay back on the roof and started laughing.
She clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds, then took a deep breath and answered, "I didn't even think of that! Shows what kind of sorceress I am…"
Selphie joined her, laughing quietly as well, saying, "Well, I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing, really. Might want to try that next time though."
"Sounds like a good idea." Rinoa said. Selphie nodded. They lapsed into silence, waiting for Squall and Watts to join them.
Squall leaned out the window to watch as Rinoa climbed to the roof. As she did, he glanced down and around, making sure they were still clear of any watchers. She glanced down as he watched, and he saw her grip tighten, her shoulders begin shaking and he heard a soft whimper. Squall tensed, gripping the window frame. He couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief when Selphie reached down and gave Rinoa a hand up onto the roof.
Watts, looking on, asked, "You really think you can catch her if she falls?"
"I've done it before," Squall answered, watching until he saw Rinoa reach the roof safely. Then he scanned the alley again. Finding it clear, he ducked back into the bedroom.
"Well, that's impressive sir, no doubt about it, but you were floating in outer space. There's gravity here." Watts said.
Squall shrugged, "Doesn't matter. I promised I'd catch her if she fell. Anyway, she's made it safely."
Watts nodded. Squall's voice held a firm conviction that meant he'd do it too. Somehow, he'd find a way. It was fortunate however that his conviction had not been put to the test.
"And you always keep your promises, don't you commander?" Vulpe's teenage daughter spoke up from where she'd been watching the proceedings with rapt interest. She'd followed them up to her brothers' bedroom mainly to keep the boys out of the way and to make sure they were safe. Handsome or not, Rinoa's SeeD had a dangerous look to him that prompted her mother to pull her aside and ask her to look after the boys.
"It's Squall. I only make promises that I can keep." Squall stated. Turning his attention to Watts, Squall asked him, "You coming?"
Watts nodded, "Yeah. Information gathering with you around is bound to be much more interesting now."
"Bye Watts, be safe." The girl said, cheeks pink.
Grinning lopsidedly at her, Watts gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, saying, "I will. See ya later." Then he took the rope that Squall handed him.
Stepping aside to allow Watts room, Squall watched as he climbed out the window and up the rope nearly as easily as Selphie had. Apparently, the loose fitting, shapeless clothing Watts favored hid a body that was far more fit than it looked.
After checking the alleyway and the surrounding environs as much as possible for watchers and finding it clear, Squall finally took his turn climbing up the rope to the roof. He climbed quickly, hand over hand, and was reaching for the edge of the roof when another hand caught his and tugged, attempting to help him up. It surprised him, left him off balance for a moment before he readjusted the grip his other hand had upon the rope. When the hand gripping his didn't slip or waver, (and by the strength of the grip he figured it had to be Watts) Squall took a firmer hold of it and used it to leverage himself onto the edge of the roof.
Rolling over the edge and onto the roof itself, Squall raised himself to a crouch and started pulling the rope up quickly, coiling it neatly and leaving it where Selphie had anchored it.
Keeping both his voice and his body low, Squall said, "Okay, shouldn't be too hard to get over to the roof of the Timber Maniacs building. They're so close together they practically touch."
"I'll get us in. I'm pretty sure there's an access door or hatch or something. Most commercial buildings have them, you now, for maintenance and stuff." Watts said.
Squall nodded, and Selphie asked, "what if it's locked? Can you pick it?"
"I can if he can't." Squall said, then added for Rinoa's and Watts' benefit, "Let's go. Keep low, below the roofline if at all possible, and stay quiet. The less attention we attract, the better." Watts, peering along the edge of the roof, nodded in agreement.
Flicking leaves free from the gutters, he commented, "Take a look at these gutters, will ya? Vulpe wasn't kidding when she said they needed clearing out."
"If you want to clean them, fine. But after we've gotten what we've come for." Squall said firmly, then headed toward the Timber Maniacs building, trusting Rinoa and the rest to follow.
It was a very short step over to the next roof; the two buildings were practically adjoined. Watts took the lead, searching the area until he found what he was looking for: an access door, really a hatch, which presumably led into the attic.
They all gathered around it, with Squall and Selphie occasionally scanning their surroundings watchfully. While they waited, Watts pulled what appeared to be a wallet out of his pocket, opening it up to reveal several small tools neatly organized by size. Studying the lock with narrowed eyes, Watts carefully selected a pair of tools, then bent to the task of picking it.
It was accomplished with impressive speed and silence, and they all climbed through the now open hatchway one by one…into thick, musty darkness.
"I don't suppose anybody thought to bring a flashlight?" Selphie asked.
Squall growled a low curse under his breath when he realized that he hadn't.
"Um…" Rinoa spoke up tentatively. "Maybe I can…help? Let me try this…"
Light flared suddenly from the darkness, illuminating the attic space and showing everyone's varied expressions of surprise. Squall's eyes widened as he saw the source of the light.
It was a tiny ball of blue-white light that balanced in the air above Rinoa's hand. A barely audible buzzing noise, with occasional spits that resulted from brief flares that brightened the light, accompanied it. The color and brightness of the light washed out all color, making impossible to see the golden sheen that Rinoa's eyes had begun to glow with as she invoked her power.
She bit her lip, brows knitted as she concentrated on controlling the tiny ball of lightning. Edea had said that her power could take any shape or form that Rinoa's will wanted, she had only to concentrate. The stocked spells that she used along with the junctioned GF like the other SeeDs had given her the shape and the structure of the various spells available, and she had gradually found that she could wield her magic and cast those same spells without drawing from that stock.
The little ball of lightning, really just a pinprick, though bright enough to illuminate the attic, was based upon a weak Thundara spell. Rinoa had taken the shape, the feel of the lightning and compressed it into a tiny ball of light, forcing it into that shape by will alone.
"I've never seen that spell before." Watts said, awestruck.
"It's a Thundara spell. I've… modified it." Rinoa explained attention still focused upon the glowing ball of power in her hand.
"Awesome!" Selphie said, adding, "at least we won't have to worry about carrying around flashlights and stuff."
"Rinoa," Squall said, beckoning her over. "Hold the light up higher."
"Okay." She said, coming up to stand beside him.
She raised her hand as he requested and was satisfied at the amount of illumination that it provided. There was more than enough light now for them to traverse the attic safely. Squall led them across the dusty, cobwebbed space, stepping carefully upon the crossbeams and avoiding the fluffy layers of insulation in between.
Rinoa walked carefully beside Squall, attention divided on maintaining and controlling the lightning, and walking on the crossbeams. Not as easy as one might surmise, what with the level of concentration needed to keep the light steady and not let it flicker. So it was no surprise that her foot slipped as she stepped onto one of the beams, causing her to waver and the light to flicker as her concentration was likewise impacted.
Squall reached a hand out and took her arm, steadying her. She took a deep breath and firmed up her will. The light brightened in response, and they continued on. She had felt somewhat disappointed at Squall's lack of reaction to her light spell; she was pretty proud that she'd figured out how to do that. But he did nothing beyond a surprised widening of his eyes, and made no comment beyond directing her to hold her hand up.
But she couldn't deny that his gentle yet firm support, the warmth of his hand, the fact that she had regained her balance and yet he still held onto her, told her more than his words could anyway. She smiled privately as his thumb, perhaps without his even realizing it, caressed the sensitive underside of her arm.
They found the hatch leading into the building itself shortly after that, and they carefully climbed down, ending up in one of the offices. They gazed around at the scattered papers and general disarray, the condition of the office a telling reminder of why it was empty in the first place. They spoke in hushed tones, the utter silence of the place so profound, that it seemed to demand respect.
"Is there power?" Squall asked Watts.
Watts nodded, "there should be."
They searched the office for a moment, Squall frowning at the smashed computer terminal left on the floor by the desk, and left to see if the other offices were in a similar case. It wouldn't do to take such a risk in breaking into the Timber Maniacs building only to find all of their computers unusable.
They ended up in the large room that Squall had visited once before, where he'd spoken briefly with the editor of the magazine. Sunlight illuminated the edges of the closed blinds, leaving the room in gloom speared by bars of blinding light. It too was in disarray, but not nearly as bad as the other offices had been, and the computer that sat at one end of a long table that was piled high with books, papers and magazines, was fortunately intact.
"Selphie?" Squall asked, nodding at the computer. She immediately sat down in front of it and turned it on, everyone breathing a sigh of relief when the machine booted up with a soft 'beep'.
Meanwhile, Squall positioned himself at one edge of the window behind her, peering through the spaces between the blinds to watch for any soldiers. As long as no one did anything that would give their presence away, Squall didn't think they had much to worry about.
Turning his attention to Watts and Rinoa, Squall gestured toward the opposite wall and said, "Watts check that window. Rinoa, the one opposite." They both nodded and retreated to their assigned posts.
"So, what are you looking for Squall?" Selphie asked him as she tapped away on the keyboard.
"Well, first and foremost, do we have network access?" he asked in return.
"We do. I've got the Balamb Garden network up right now." Selphie answered him.
"Good. If you'll take my place here for a few minutes Selphie, I need to check my email and see if there's any news relevant to us." Squall said.
"Okay," Selphie said, getting up and taking Squall's place at the window while he sat down and logged into the secure server at Balamb.
He spent the next few minutes skimming through his email, answering some briefly and ignoring others. A report from a SeeD undercover in Deling City proved interesting, and Squall filed the information in the back of his mind for future reference. Then he sent a request for some additional information, informing the contact that his email availability was limited.
Finally finished with what he needed to do, he turned to Selphie and said, "Your turn. Try and hack into the garrison's network if you can. Any information you can get us on troop strength and movement, supplies, ordnance, and so on, would be valuable. Also, if possible, a blueprint of the place would be very helpful."
"I'll see what I can do," she said, trading places with him once again.
It took several hours; hacking was not an exercise for the impatient. In the end however, they got what they needed, even down to a scanned layout of the garrison. Not a blueprint, unfortunately, but it would serve just as well.
The entire time they'd been there, though soldiers had been in evidence, none had noticed anything worth investigating, a fact that relieved everyone present. Making their way back to Vulpe's house was accomplished with the same level of caution as the trip out, with Squall bringing up the rear. He had the unenviable task of retrieving the grapnel and the rope they'd used, bringing it with him as he carefully free-climbed down the face of the home to the window.
Rinoa's eyes widened as she saw the rope go slack, and quickly stuck her head out the window and stared as Squall carefully hunted for hand and footholds in the rough granite blocks that made up the home. She quickly ducked out of the way when he reached the window, heaving a sigh of relief when he swung in and landed on the floor with a solid thump, panting.
"Why didn't you use the rope?" she asked him, heart still pounding just from watching him do what she would have sworn was impossible.
"And leave it hanging from the roof? It would attract attention and look suspicious, and the one thing that I don't want is for this house to be noticed. The last thing anyone needs is a curious soldier wondering why there's a rope hanging from the roof of the pub owner's house." Squall explained, carefully coiling the rope until it was back in the same neat bundle that it had been when he had arrived and stuffing it into his pack.
"So now what? What's next?" Watts asked.
"Well, we need to meet with Zone and Zell as soon as possible. With this information we gathered, I could help Zell plan his trip back to the orchard. We can also start planning our hunting trip." Squall answered.
"Hunting trip?" Rinoa asked, curious.
"Yes. Going back to the orchard will help but we need meat too." Squall said.
"Why don't we all head back to my place and we'll discuss it there?" Watts suggested.
"Fine. You go get Zone and Zell and I'll head back to your place with Selphie and Rinoa." Squall said.
"All right then, meet ya there sir." Watts said with a mock salute and a wink. Squall rolled his eyes and they left the upstairs room.
As they were leaving the house, Watts told Vulpe, "You had a blockage in your downspout. I cleared it out. The rest of the gutters should be okay."
The woman laughed, "Really? I was actually kidding about that! But thanks anyway Watts, you are a dear!" She kissed him on the cheek, then she added, "Rinoa, Selphie, remember to try and get back before sundown. If you can't, stay put."
Both Selphie and Rinoa nodded, with Rinoa saying, "We will, thank you."
"See ya later, Rose," Watts grinned at her, and she waved shyly as he left with Squall, Rinoa and Selphie.
They parted company with Watts as they reached the main square, with Squall leading Rinoa and Selphie in the direction of the forest and Watts' house, while Watts headed toward Zone's house.
As they walked they paid close attention to what the soldiers were doing, but so far none of them seemed to find anything about Squall or his companions to be at all suspicious. Still, they all stayed alert. Rinoa glanced over at Squall as they walked, wishing she could reach out and grab his hand and knowing that while they were walking through Timber with soldiers all around them, she couldn't. He needed his hand free to draw his gunblade, should he need to.
It had felt good to see him, hear his voice, and feel his arms around her, if only briefly. She had wanted to lean into his warm body and simply stay there, smelling his scent, listening to his heartbeat. Feeling his hands at her waist in the window had conjured up memories of other times he'd held her like that, times that had been infinitely more pleasurable. She had been tempted, while they were watching out for danger that never materialized, to drag him into one of the empty offices, lock the door, and ravish him on the desk. Or the floor…or hell, up against the wall again.
Even now, thinking about it made her more than a little…randy. If they ever went into the Timber Maniacs building again regardless of the reason or possible danger that might be about, she resolved to do exactly that. She smiled to herself, thinking that Squall had no idea what sort of monster he'd created. She had definitely developed a taste, or rather; a craving for what they did together and sincerely hoped that they could find an opportunity to satisfy that craving. Soon.
They left Timber eventually and entered the forest, following a trail that Squall seemed familiar with. While still watchful, they did relax their vigilance enough to actually talk to each other. With Selphie of course, taking the lead.
"Looks like it might rain later." She commented.
Squall glanced at the sky and said, "It might. If it does, Watts won't have a problem with letting you two stay there."
"And I'm sure you won't object to having Rinoa stay with you tonight, right?" Selphie smiled at him. She almost laughed at the odd expression that flitted across his features for a moment as he gazed at her, momentarily at a loss as to how he should respond to that statement.
Finally he shrugged and opted for the truth, saying simply, "No." It wasn't as though Selphie was unaware of his and Rinoa's relationship. It would be pointless to deny it. Not to mention untrue, and possibly even hurtful to Rinoa. To avoid that, he'd endure a little embarrassment.
He glanced down at Rinoa and was struck by the radiant smile she gave him for that response. His heart thumped painfully and the thought jumped into his head that he'd willingly endure physical torture again for her sake if it meant that she'd smile like that for him. It had been incredibly hard for him to focus on what they were doing earlier. He kept thinking of her scent, the feel of her warm body under his hands, the taste of her lips and they way she felt under him… he wanted her so badly he couldn't think straight.
That thought however cooled him. Losing focus like that could get not only him killed but also her and everyone else that was involved with this mission as well. The obvious solution to that dilemma of course was to simply do what they both wanted and get it out of their systems. But Squall wasn't too sure he'd get that desire out of his system, nor did he want to. Besides that, there was the fact that they really didn't have anyplace private enough to indulge themselves in that way anyhow. It was a frustrating truth that left him half-mad with sheer, pent-up lust.
If Rinoa did end up spending the night with him at Watts' house, in his bed there…. he was at the point where he really didn't give a shit who heard them. He was going to do his damndest to exhaust both her and himself tonight. Then a thought struck him: Selphie. She would be there also. He pondered that for a moment and decided he was beyond caring even if she sat and watched, bag of popcorn in hand and notepad handy. The image conjured from that thought however, did make him shudder. Okay, maybe he wasn't that far gone. Pretty damn close though.
They were walking toward Watts' house when his elderly neighbor, who'd been taking in the warm sun on her front porch with a glass of water in hand, spotted them.
"Well, good afternoon boy. Where've you been off to? And where's Watts?" She asked him, rocking chair creaking quietly.
"Cleaning gutters for a friend. Watts'll be along soon." Squall answered her.
The old lady squinted for a moment at the three of them, then laughed quietly, "I knew you'd have plenty of girlfriends." Directing her attention to Selphie and Rinoa, she asked, "You two don't mind sharing him?"
Squall blinked, surprised, and felt his cheeks heating up at the implication embedded in that question. Selphie and Rinoa, catching sight of his pink cheeks, exchanged a speaking glance (and how did girls do that anyway?), mutually deciding to play along.
Selphie leaned into him on one side, sliding her arm around his waist, while Rinoa did the same on the other side, saying, "No, we don't mind at all, do we Selphie?" Squall gulped, looking down at the two of them, and wondering: were they serious? He couldn't tell, and wasn't sure if that was a bad or a good thing.
The old lady laughed harder at seeing his reaction, and said, "Boy, I think you've bitten off more than you can chew with these two."
Squall privately agreed, but couldn't formulate a response beyond simply nodding slightly. Rinoa and Selphie both giggled and snuggled closer while Gram simply laughed. Now what the hell was he supposed to do?
Seeing Squall's discomfited expression, Gram finally decided to take pity on him and said, "Well, since you and your girlfriends are here, why don't you come on inside? I could always use a tall young fella like you to help me reach the top shelf in my pantry and such. Besides, I made way more cookies than I can ever eat myself." With that invitation, the quiet creaking of the rocking chair ceased. The old lady got up and crossed the porch to the door, opening it wide and gesturing for Squall and the two girls to follow her inside.
After they'd entered the home, Squall hung back and let Gram lead them into her home, taking the opportunity to hiss quietly to both girls, "What the hell are you two doing?"
Rinoa laughed quietly and whispered, "Oh, relax Squall! We're just playing!"
Glaring down at them both, Squall hissed back, "Well, stop."
Selphie giggled, muffling it with her hand before saying, "Oh, come on! Live a little Squall!"
"Give me a break," he growled.
Rinoa pulled closer to him, pressing herself into his warmth, and looked up until she was nearly close enough to kiss him, whispering, "that's what we're trying to do."
Squall stared down into her upturned face, his attention suddenly caught by her lips. They were close enough that he felt the warmth of her breath on his face. So close he only needed to bend down, just a little bit, and he'd be able to taste them. Whatever it was he'd intended to say in response to Rinoa's comment died on his tongue, driven away by his sudden craving to kiss the hell out of her. Just a little closer….
"Boy? Where'd you get to?" Gram's voice brought him back to reality, and Squall shook himself, taking a deep breath; reluctantly turning his attention away from Rinoa and back to the elderly woman who waited for them with a knowing smile on her face.
"You three can play your games later. Girls, if you'll help me in the kitchen, I'll make it worth your while." Turning her attention to Squall, Gram added, "As for you boy, I've got just the thing to cool your blood."
"What? More wood chopping?" Squall grumbled, folding his arms tightly across his chest.
Gram snorted, unimpressed with his fierce glower, and said, "Nope. You ever kill a chicken?"
Squall pondered that question for a moment. He'd killed lots of things, but realized that chickens weren't on the list. Finally, he shook his head "no" in answer to her question.
"Well, you're going to learn." Gram answered. Squall sighed.
When Watts arrived some time later with Zone and Zell in tow, he found Rinoa and Selphie seated at his dining room table with Gram, snacking on cookies while something absolutely mouth-watering simmered on the stove. Squall was nowhere in evidence, a fact that left Watts puzzled momentarily until he heard the door to the upstairs bathroom open and close.
"Well, more friends? You having a get-together junior?" Gram asked him.
"Kind of. I see you've met Selphie and Rinoa." Watts said.
"Leon's girlfriends? I've met 'em. Quite the lover, that boy, though I'm not sure he's cut out for this kind of thing. Looked a little squirrelly awhile ago." Gram said.
Rinoa and Selphie exchanged a puzzled glance at the mention of "Leon", and Zell almost blew Squall's cover away when he asked, "Leon? Who the hell's Leon? I thought Sq…"
Watts interrupted him quickly, saying, "Leon is my cousin from Balamb, remember? I told you about him." He gave Selphie and Rinoa a warning glance. Rinoa's eyes widened and she nodded slightly.
Zell frowned in puzzlement, saying, "I don't remember hearing anything about a Leon…"
"That's because you never pay attention Dincht." Squall's voice came from the direction of the stairs.
Zell snapped his head around to focus on Squall. The severe expression on his face coupled with the dangerous glint in his eye clued Zell in and he finally caught on.
"Ohhhh…. I remember now. Leon! That's right. Hey Leon, good to see ya. How was the trip from Balamb?" Zell said, grinning brilliantly at him.
Squall continued down the stairs and walked up to Zell, placing his hand companionably upon the shorter boy's shoulder and squeezing. Hard. As muscular as Zell's shoulders and arms were, Squall wasn't sure he'd make much of an impression, but apparently he managed to get his point across when Zell snapped his mouth shut.
"Uneventful." Squall said, answering Zell's question and releasing him to continue into the dining room.
"Feel better?" Rinoa asked him, eyes twinkling. If both Gram and Selphie hadn't been there, she'd have been in the shower with Squall…at least until the hot water ran out. Squall looked good to her no matter what, but seeing him freshly showered, hair still damp, and attired in a clean white tee shirt and jeans that did nothing to hide his lean, muscular body, made her mouth (among other things) begin to water.
"Much," Squall answered her.
"You clean up nicely too. Never know what a mess you'd been just awhile ago, what with the blood, guts and feathers you had all over you." Gram said, grinning.
"Blood, guts and feathers? What've you been up to, Leon?" Zell asked, puzzled.
"You decided on chicken for dinner tonight Gram?" Watts asked the old lady, and she smiled at him.
"Yes. You weren't around but your cousin was, so I figured he'd do just as well to help me with that. Turns out that aside from being a little fussy about the mess, he's actually quite good at killing chickens. Didn't even flinch on the first one." Gram answered.
"I've hunted before." Squall said mildly, shrugging.
"I take it that whatever's in the stewpot's your doing then?" Watts asked Squall.
Squall shook his head, answering, "I just killed, plucked and gutted the bird. Your Gram did the rest."
Watts approached the old lady then and smiled at her, "and you made cookies to boot. You spoil me Gram."
"Don't let it go to your head, junior." Gram said, adding, "Best get after them cookies if you want any. Your friends'll beat you to it if you don't." Watts glanced over to Zone and Zell, and snorted inwardly at how Zell's attention was riveted on the plate of cookies.
She pushed back from the table, preparing to stand. Watts immediately reached down and took her hands, helping her to her feet.
"I'd better be going. I've got my own bird to toss into the stewpot. You kids have a good night and enjoy your dinner. Mind the bones. I got as many of 'em as I could, but my old eyes ain't what they used to be." Gram said, heading toward the door and letting herself out.
After she'd left, Watts entered the kitchen and got himself a bowl, saying, "Well, it looks like soup's on. If you want any, help yourself." Filling the bowl and grabbing a slice of the bread Squall had made the night before, he returned to the dining room and sat down. Seeing the rapidly dwindling number of cookies on the plate, he quickly appropriated a few for himself. Zone, Rinoa and the SeeDs followed suit, and soon they were all seated.
"I'm guessing you have some information for us, right Squall?" Zone asked him, spooning up some broth from his soup.
"Yes. One of my contacts in Deling City tells me that General Caraway's finally gained control of the military and is starting to get things calmed down in the city itself. It won't be long before he starts to pay attention to his outlying garrisons to consolidate his power base. What that means for us, I don't know. At worst, it'll mean reinforcements and re-supply of the garrison. At best, a total recall of the troops here." Squall said. Rinoa seated next to him, swallowed, wondering which it would be. She appreciated his discretion in not even glancing toward her, even though he was talking about her father.
"Any ideas of which it would be?" Zone asked him.
Squall shook his head, answering, "none. Not yet anyway."
"What else have you got for us?" Watts asked him.
"Well, Selphie managed to get into the garrison's database, and we've got some very valuable data. We can make some solid plans with this." Squall said.
Rinoa reached over and laid her had on his arm, eyes shining, and said, "Really? So you got the patrol schedules?"
"Among other things, yes." Squall answered her. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some folded papers, saying, "Selphie managed to get this printed out for us. We've got a layout of the garrison along with the patrol schedules and routes."
He unfolded and smoothed out the pages, pushing them toward the center of the table to allow everyone to pass them around and have a look at them. The pages ended up back in the center of the table as they continued to eat…and think about their options.
"This is very helpful," Zone commented, adding, "We know enough of the layout to be able to raid their stores and ammo storage, but knowing routes in and out and where the barracks are is very important. It'll make planning a raid a lot easier, if that's what we end up doing."
"Maybe later, if necessary. We want to leave them alone for awhile." Squall said.
"Yeah, maybe they'll think we've given up or something." Rinoa said. Squall nodded.
"So were just focusing on sending the group out to the orchard, right?" Zell asked him.
"Yes. That and a hunting trip I want to take out near Obel Lake. See if we can't get some big game to bring back." Squall answered.
"Who do you want to send out?" Zone asked him.
"You know your people better than I do Zone, so you tell me. I'm putting Zell in charge of that trip, so you can work with him on the group that's going. Selphie's going with him as well. I'm leading the hunting trip, and Rinoa's coming along." Squall said.
"I think some of the Gyrfalcons might be helpful with that; Shrike and Kestrel in particular." Watts commented. Zone nodded in agreement.
Squall narrowed his eyes, recalling what he'd learned about the resistance members. If he remembered correctly, Kestrel and Shrike were considered to be the best marksmen of anyone in any of the resistance groups. And their woodcraft was beyond compare.
"You and Zone come too. And if you think of anyone else that might be helpful, bring them along." Squall said.
Zone swallowed and exchanged a look with Watts, who shrugged. After hesitating a moment, he nodded silently in agreement, trying to ignore the ache that began flaring up in his midsection again.
"When do you want to leave?" Zone asked him, fighting down his anxiety. He'd be damned if he'd show weakness again in front of the SeeD. He'd rather die first. He refused to consider the fact that with an ulcer as bad as his appeared to be, that was a real possibility.
"I want Zell and Selphie to leave as soon as possible. Tomorrow or the day after; and I want to go off on the hunting trip as soon as we can get everything together as well." Squall said. Finishing his dinner, he took his bowl into the kitchen and placed into the sink.
Returning to the table, he asked, "Do you have a map Watts? I have one on my laptop, but I need something I can spread out and look at to plot out our routes."
"Yeah, I do. I'll be right back." Watts said, getting up from the table. He returned a few moments later with a rolled sheet of paper. Everyone obligingly moved bowls and plates aside, some getting up to put their emptied bowls into the sink.
Squall plotted out the route for the trip back to the orchard for Zell and Selphie while everyone else looked on with interest. Then he added the G-army's patrol routes.
"From what it looks like here," He said, frowning down at the map, "they mainly stick to the roads. So if you and Selphie go overland, you should avoid them altogether. For the hunting trip, we're going to take this route toward the lake." Squall marked out the direction he was considering.
Zone nodded, then looked over at Zell and said, "When you're ready to go, wait at the rally point. I'll meet you there with the rest of the group you're taking with you."
"Alright. Day after tomorrow, I'll meet you there." Zell confirmed. Selphie nodded.
Focusing his attention on Zone, Squall asked him, "Do you have any black market contacts? Someone that can help distribute what we bring in without attracting notice?"
Zone snorted at that question, saying, "Pretty much anyone in business here is. They've pretty much had to be in order to stay in business. So far, the Galbadians haven't caught on."
"So you're pretty confident you can get whatever food and supplies we manage to get in spread around pretty well?" Squall asked him.
"Yeah. What are you planning on bringing back besides the fruit and whatever meat you catch?" Zone asked him.
"So far, just that. But later on I want to see if we can get some caravans going for some actual trading. Underground or not, we need to get trade restarted as best we can, whether the Galbadians like it or not." Squall said.
"Where would you want these caravans to go?" Zone asked him, peering at the map. Not counting Deling City, there weren't many options.
"Dollet. Besides Deling City it's the closest seaport. You can get pretty much anything you want there. And it's within close proximity to Balamb, which has obvious advantages on our end." Squall answered.
"It's a long way to Dollet from here. Winhill's closer." Zone observed.
Squall nodded, "We can go to Winhill if the route to Dollet looks too risky, but they won't offer as much in the way of trade."
"Ambitious." Zone said.
"Perhaps. But I don't plan on spending the next seventeen years of my life fucking around with this." Squall said, eyeing him coolly. Zone cleared his throat, glancing away uncomfortably from Squall's steady gaze.
Switching his attention back and forth from Zone to Squall, Watts asked, "When do you plan on doing this? It'll take some time to set that up."
"I'm aware of that. We're going to need a list and some actual traders to come along, not to mention as many chocobos as we can get our hands on. And my team and I will have to go along to protect the caravan. It'll be impossible for the Galbadians not to notice it." Squall said.
Rinoa bit her lip, suddenly feeling superfluous. Automatically, Squall had taken over and laid out his plans to help Timber, and Rinoa couldn't help but be impressed. But at the same time, she felt inadequate, and keenly aware that she was a rank amateur compared to him. She knew he didn't mean to simply leave her out of things; he would have included her if she'd spoken up. But the problem was, she really didn't feel as though she could contribute anything worthwhile to the plans as they were shaping up.
"Rinoa?" Squall's voice brought her attention back to him, and he asked her, "How are you with defensive magic?"
Frowning, she answered, "I don't know, we've mostly been using offensive spells like meltdown, ultima, meteor and the like. I'm not even sure how much protection magic I've got."
"You shouldn't have to worry about that. You don't need to store spells anymore, remember?" Squall reminded her.
"What do you mean, she doesn't need to store spells anymore? Doesn't everyone that uses the GF's like you guys have to?" Zone asked, frowning.
"I still need them Squall, at least until I get more familiar with how they feel, and how to shape them." Rinoa said.
"What are you two talking about?" Watts asked.
Selphie and Zell exchanged a glance, and Rinoa swallowed and reached her hand out toward Squall's seeking his support and reassurance as she told her two closest friends that she was a sorceress.
"After the battle with Edea, you guys know I was in a coma for a time. Nobody knew why until Squall took me to Esthar. What we figured happened was this: when Squall dealt a mortal blow to Edea, it drove Ultimecia, the sorceress who possessed her, out. Edea, like all sorceresses, had to release her power before she could die, and so she did. Ultimecia took it with her when she sought another host, another sorceress to posses in this time to achieve her aim. She wanted Adel, but she needed someone to get her to Esthar. Edea's power found me, and Ultimecia came with it." Rinoa explained.
Zone and Watts both stared at her, with Zone saying slowly, "So, you're a…"
"I'm a sorceress." She confirmed.
"But, Edea's still alive. How…?" Watts asked, voice trailing off in confusion.
"When she released her power and Ultimecia left her, she managed to cast one last spell to heal herself. But she's not a sorceress anymore. Whatever power remains to her is minimal at best." Squall said.
"I don't understand. How does this relate to why you were in a coma all that time?" Zone asked, beginning to worry. Did Rinoa not know that the SeeD she was currently in love with was trained to kill sorceresses? He'd learned that from the White SeeDs, who were even more fanatical about eradicating them than the Balamb SeeDs he'd met. What would happen if her pet SeeD received an order to kill her?
"I'm not sure myself, but we think it was because I'm a lot older than most girls chosen to receive the power from a dying sorceress. Plus, Ultimecia needed control of me. But I was fighting her, and fighting the power at the same time, and it caused my body to shut down. Finally she…locked me away somehow…so she could take over. She didn't release me until she had no further use for me." Rinoa answered. Squall frowned over at her. She'd never spoken of what she had experienced after Edea had released her power and Ultimecia had taken over. Squall hadn't asked for any details beyond assuring him and her that she was free from any echoes of Ultimecia's control.
What would it feel like, to be imprisoned within your own mind, powerless to control what your body said or did? Squall gave Rinoa's hand a gentle squeeze, and she smiled at him.
Zone sighed, watching them. He knew what had happened once Ultimecia abandoned Rinoa, they didn't need to reiterate it. It didn't make him feel any better to know that the SeeD who'd rescued her may well be the one ordered to kill her.
Clearing his throat, he said, "So, the result of all of that is the fact that you're a sorceress now."
"It's not common knowledge outside of Esthar. We'd like to keep it that way as long as possible." Squall said, spearing both Watts and Zone with a level look that said clearly that he meant business.
"Yeah, okay. No problem. Do you seriously think that I'd open my mouth and make Rinoa a target?" Zone challenged.
"I don't know you well enough to judge." Squall replied coolly.
"Yeah? And how do I know you're actually on our side when your loyalties are bought and paid for like any whore?" Zone demanded, voice rising. Rinoa gasped, looking wildly from Squall to Zone and back.
"Zone..." Watts began, shooting an uneasy glance toward Squall, whose face had gone as blank and rigid as carved ice. Zell and Selphie both had gone quiet, though Zell's face had begun to take on a red cast as Zone's attack on Squall had angered him.
"You don't." Squall said flatly. "But our contract is with Rinoa, on the behalf of the Forest Owls. We will see that contract through to its end."
"Its what SeeDs do. We don't turn on our employers, and we don't abandon our contracts." Zell said, glaring at Zone, arms folded tightly across his chest. Selphie nodded in agreement, green eyes suddenly as hard and cold as her commander's.
Zone studied the SeeDs in silence, then finally speared his finger at Squall and growled, "If anything happens to Rinoa I will hold you personally responsible. And I will kill you this time. Somehow, I'll find a way. Count on it."
"You had your shot and didn't follow through. I don't give second chances." Squall replied calmly. Zone swallowed, guts churning painfully. As he'd suspected, Squall had let him land that punch on the White SeeD ship. Then he decided it didn't matter. Badass SeeD or not, not even Squall was immortal, invulnerable. It wasn't impossible to kill him. Just very, very difficult.
"Guys? Can we focus on what we're actually here for?" Watts said, trying to calm the tense atmosphere and bring everyone back to the current topic.
"I think we're done." Zone said, eyes still locked with Squall's. Then he shifted his focus toward Watts, saying, "We know what we're doing and when. We know when and where to meet. I'll get the word out and start getting volunteers for Zell's team and the hunting trip. It's getting late. Zell, the girls and I have to leave now if we're going to beat the curfew."
Zone stood then, glancing over to Zell, Selphie and Rinoa, who all three remained seated. Zell met Squall's eyes, and he nodded slightly. Zell and Selphie also stood then and got ready to leave. Rinoa however, remained seated.
"Rinoa?" Zone asked her.
"I'm not going with you. I'm staying here," she said firmly. Squall met her gaze, heart suddenly leaping for joy within his chest. Her hand was still curled warmly about his and he looked down and studied their joined hands, suddenly worried that his tension had caused him to grip her hand too tightly. He took a deep breath and let it out, willing his body to relax and loosened his grip, hoping that he hadn't hurt her.
"Sorry," he whispered to her. She smiled at him then and squeezed his hand firmly in response.
"Rinoa," Zone said then, face darkening into a scowl. "I don't think…"
Rinoa cut him off, saying, "Tell Vulpe thank you for her hospitality, but I'm staying here. Watts has more room; it's just him and Squall here, while Vulpe's got a houseful of children. It just makes more sense." Zone swallowed and looked away, feeling defeated.
"Fine then." He said shortly. "I'll meet you and Squall at the rally point the day after Zell leaves."
Rinoa smiled gently at him and said, "don't worry Zone, I'll be safe here. Now you guys had better get going. Travel safely."
"Have a good night," Zell said, then his mouth quirked up in a half-smile as he added, "Catch up with you later, Leon."
"Sleep well guys," Selphie grinned, giving them a wink. Squall sighed, while Rinoa laughed softly.
Rinoa, Squall and Watts watched them leave, and Watts commented dryly, "I don't have to ask you where you're sleeping tonight Rinoa. Just keep the noise to a minimum."
