AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope this clears a lot of things up. There is to be one more chapter after this one, to wrap up loose ends. If there is anything you desperately want to know, put it in a review and I'll try and write you an answer into the next chapter. Thanks!

The Trial

"Laguna, I'm going. You can't stop me," Ellone said as she threw her belongings into the back of her car. "I have to do something to stop this."

"Laguna? Not dad anymore? Ellone, stop and talk to me," Laguna begged, standing by the car feeling helpless.

His life had already fallen apart; when Squall had been convicted he had thought his life over. He had almost given up being president, to crawl into depression. But when the sentence was overturned, and Squall was set free, he had tried his best to find his only son, but Squall had disappeared. He had had no idea that Ellone had known more than he had.

He still didn't understand what was happening. Ellone had told him everything, all about how she had been behind the bombings, and how she had paid an ex-SeeD to carry out her plans. But he still couldn't believe it.

"Why didn't you tell me before? You led me to believe my only son was a murderer!" Laguna demanded, but he did nothing to stop her. Ellone was determined to leave, and this was something he couldn't get involved in. He couldn't take sides against his children, all he could do was sit and watch.

Ellone laughed, but it was filled with hysteria and fear. Her face was gaunt; she'd stopped eating days ago. Under her eyes were dark smudges of tiredness, showing the world a lack of sleep, a symptom of a guilty conscience.

"Oh, as if he's never killed anyone before. I suppose he's a saint in your eyes now, after you've learned how evil I am!" she spat viciously, attacking her only supporter, the only one in the world who didn't hate her, and not caring if he turned against her.

She was too afraid to care what she said or did, she'd been living with such a dark secret upon her soul for so long, that it had finally taken its toll. She was reckless now, ready to face punishment for her terrible actions.

"Ellone that's not fair," Laguna replied as he watched her pull the car door open. "I just wish you'd tell me why you did it."

"I'm going to tell the whole world why. Squall won't be punished for this again."

"In that case, I'm going with you," Laguna said, climbing into the car beside her.

There was no way he'd abandon his children now, his self pity pushed aside, he'd been selfish to cry for himself throughout this.

The engine started and they were on their way to Deling City Court.

The next day.

"The court calls for silence," the judge shouted at the front of the formally attired room.

The commotion died away instantly. The hearing had not been scheduled, and the lawyers had hurried to prepare their cases. It was Seifer Almasy who had brought the case forwards, but now it seemed he might be regretting that decision, as rather than sitting watching the proceedings, he now found himself a part of them.

He was sitting behind a glass screen, looking out on those that were attacking him. Squall was sitting beside his lawyer in the middle of the room, directly in front of the judge. Seifer didn't know how he had managed to acquire a lawyer so quickly, but then he saw Selphie and Irvine sitting in the stands behind. They must have helped him.

They were staring intently at Rinoa, who had been lead up into the stand. She looked Seifer's way, but her eyes went straight through him as if he wasn't there.

"Name?" the judge asked. It was a formality, he knew Rinoa Heartilly, she had been here many times appealing for Squall.

"Rinoa Heartilly, Sir," Rinoa said clearly, even though her confidence felt like it was being sucked out of her with a straw.

"Miss Heartilly, you are no stranger here. In fact it seems you can't get enough of these court hearings," a man in a black suit quipped.

The judge waved his hand at the man to quiet him.

"Mr Lansfeilds, you have not been called to speak. Miss Heartilly is not on trial here. Please remain quiet," a woman next to judge informed the room, before returning to take notes.

The black suited man sat down reluctantly.

"Miss Heartilly you have been called here today because you believe you hold some vital evidence. Is this so?" the judge asked.

"Yes."

"Then go ahead."

Rinoa looked around the room for Selphie and Irvine. She felt weak, her legs were shaking and she wished now that she had taken their advice and eaten something, it would be a disaster if she were to faint for lack of sugar.

Selphie gave her a thumbs up, and an encouraging smile, but Rinoa could see the fear behind it. They were all aware that this was likely to be the last time this case was ever heard, only this time, the one on trial wouldn't be Squall. At least, not if she could help it.

She prevented herself from looking at Squall. For all her hard work, it had been Squall who had freed himself. He was the one who had found the information that the lawyers had all been rifling through the past day. Rinoa took a deep breath and prepared to begin.

"A few days after the bombing took place, a hefty amount of money was paid into Mr Almasy's bank account. The sum was one hundred thousand gil. This we found was sent through an Estharian wiring account," Rinoa stated, into the silence.

She chanced a look up at Seifer; he looked deathly pale. He had been arrested, but not charged, not yet anyway.

"Miss Heartilly, my client earned that money from a mission relating to Garden," Mr Lansfeids said in voice that tried to convey Rinoa as stupid.

Rinoa stared at him with hatred. He was always in the court hearings; his job as far as Rinoa could understand was to make people nervous. She understood now that he was Seifer's lawyer, she'd never made the connection before.

"No, Seifer wasn't even employed by Garden at that time," Rinoa said looking this time at the judge. "And, even if he had been, he would never have been paid that much!" Rinoa half shouted.

Mr Lansfeilds rolled his eyes.

"Miss Heartilly if you going to be hysterical, then we will have to end this," he warned, walking to the center of the room, his black shoes clicking on the floor.

"No wait. I haven't finished!" Rinoa said as two men came to take her outside. But it was too late, Lansfeild had more power here than she did, and the judge seemed happy to agree. They'd all heard enough.

Seifer Almasy's bank account sounded suspicious, and it would be investigated, but it was unconnected evidence. Almasy might be charged with laundering money, perhaps, or he may well have acquired it honestly, but there was no way of finding out today.

The Judge was about to bring the hearing to adjourn, when a female voice asked them to wait.

"Name?" the judge asked.

"Ellone Loire," Ellone answered walking to the front. "Miss Heartilly is right, Seifer was paid that money for the bombings, and I know, because I paid him."

Silence fell over the courtroom. Squall had stood up in shock, but had bee forced to sit down again. Rinoa walked to his side, and no one seemed to notice that she had left the witness box, as all eyes were on Ellone.

"Let me get this clear. You are … confessing?" the judge asked, he stared at her amazed.

"Yes," Ellone said taking the stand without being asked. "It was not Squall. Squall had nothing to do with it."

The courtroom remained silent until Mr Lansfeilds laughed.

"Ha, this is a wind up!" he said laughing.

"No, I swear I'm speaking the truth," Ellone persisted.

Lansfeids walked out to the center of the floor. There was a gleam of sweat on his forehead, from where his heart was speeding and his brain was desperately trying to decide his next move. He could think of nothing.

The judge stepped in.

"After this shocking confession Miss Loire, you will be taken for questioning, where you will be charged if evidence is found against you," he said.

"I understand" Ellone replied calmly, even though her heart was pounding in fear. "But I want to speak first. I have to explain…"

Squall felt Rinoa holding his hand, but he could feel nothing else. It was if the world had stopped, he might have regained his life, but he was losing everything else. Ellone and Rinoa had been the only things worth living for, and even in his darkest despair he had always kept them close to him.

Was the price of one the downfall of the other? He looked at the ground until Rinoa whispered in his ear.

"Squall, your father is here."

He looked to the back of the room, where Laguna sat, his face frozen in horror. His family, who had invited him in when he had wanted none of their help, was falling apart now, all because of him. His sister on the stand, defending him by sacrificing herself, but why? He realised that she had begun speaking, and forced his mind to make sense of the words.

"I had been recently elected to top secretary at the presidential palace in Esther. At this level I had to deal with a lot of things that would never have been made public," Ellone said, her voice shaking. "I began to realise that the leaders of this world, who I had always held in such high regard, were none other than a group of small-minded dictators, always promising the impossible and staging war whenever they could. It's been like this for years."

"I began to believe we would all be better off without them. Best to get rid of all of them and elect new leaders, strong leaders who would listen to the people and act in their interest."

"I found some people who agreed with me, they were a rebel faction in Timber. The forest owls."

Rinoa blanched. That had been the name of the faction she had joined. She looked at Squall, but he was staring at Ellone, not moving, forcing himself to remain where he was, forcing himself to listen.

"They were fighting for the liberation of Timber against the Galbadians, at first their plans were small, that was until their numbers grew and their old leaders left. Slowly their attitudes changed, not content with small protests, they wanted something more. They convinced me to hire a SeeD to help them, but I hired Mr Almasy instead."

"I was ignorant, and didn't believe the plan would ever work. It's my fault those people died, I paid Almasy as an mercenary to help them, without him, they might have failed."

The uneasy silence in the room was slowly abating, as people found their voices. The judge coughed, and took off his glasses. He rubbed at his eye thinking of his next action. Ellone waited nervously. She had never told anyone about what she had done, but she would go though it all again if it saved Squall.

"Miss Loire, the statements you have made are heavy indeed, and in light of this confession we are placing you under arrest. Mr Almasy will be brought in for questioning," the Judge told the still silent room. "The court is adjourned."

The gavel slammed down, the noise of it hitting the desk rebounded around the room. It was a sign for both Ellone and Seifer to be led away. Suddenly Squall was on his feet again, fighting his way to the front of the room, against Rinoa who was desperate to keep him with her.

"Ellone!" he shouted.

He felt someone take his other arm, and realized that it was his father.

"Squall, I'll go with Ellone. Take care of Rinoa," his calm voice prevented Squall from acting rashly, he looked to his other arm to see that Rinoa was crying.

He held her tightly to his chest, where she clung to him in desperation. He would never be taken from her again, but she wouldn't take a chance. She'd never let go, never again. Selphie and Irvine joined them, they looked apprehensive and nervous, but they silently walked with them outside, where after so long apart, they could all go home.