Disclaimers: I don't own anything Final Fantasy VII/VIII but this story.

A/N: And so we have another chapter! It's a slightly different pace than the last one, but I happen to like this one. Funny… XD I had the original draft done a while ago, but I kind of lost my inspiration to go over this because I can't seem to transfer my motivation to write from fandom to fandom properly. But I guess it's a good thing we have awesome Squinoa fics floating around the FF8 category right? I need to especially thank Niqsta for this because a story of hers got me back into the Squinoa mood! Check out her stories and be fascinated! XD
I tried adding some love in this chapter, but it came out subtly again… I don't know why. Maybe I don't want to do an extreme leap yet. ._. Sorry! But the ending is pretty interesting! *shot* Oh yeah… LONGEST CHAPTER YET. Pardon me…

Thanks again to the readers! I'm going to try (no promises) to at least update more this summer! I feel so bad for keeping you guys in the dark with this story! D: But yes, thank you! And to my reviewers: Turk 4 Life, Squall. Is. The. Best., Alessia Heartilly, Funk3y Fr3sh, Scribbleness, onewingedangel4, saya, Destiny-N, Ioe, Niqsta, Nagia Heartilly, effect20, angelwings, Spede, aichioluv, gleamfang, and adonai63! Your words were so welcoming after my long absence that I again feel bad for leaving you hanging. Also, most of you guys liked the last chapter when I didn't. That was quite interesting. LOL Thank you for letting me know your thoughts like always!

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :) Remember to R&R!

"It's as if you understand my loneliness
Those expressions of yours is unforgettable
You know how I feel"
~ Taeyang: Where U At

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Squall sighed for the umpteenth time and groaned, "Sis, please stop."

Ellone simply shook her head. She tousled his hair playfully as she walked beside him, "Nope! I have rights to this when we're here."

"What 'rights'? It's my hair," he retorted.

"Be honest, little brother, you used to love this," Ellone grinned, a giggle accompanying her grin the longer Squall didn't reply.

Squall groaned again and looked at Laguna who was leading, "Are we there yet?"

The older man laughed, looking over his shoulder, "Almost!"

They walked for a few more minutes before finally reaching their destination: Raine's resting place.

Squall started slowing down his pace as they approached Raine's tombstone. After all these years, he was still uncomfortable with the idea of not personally knowing his own mother. But like every year, he came to visit her. He always personified Raine to his ideals, but once he stood in front of Raine's grave, solidifying her was rather difficult. Ellone placed a gentle hand on his back and smiled in understanding. Squall gave her a small upturn of his lips in return and they walked up to Raine's resting place together.

Laguna knelt down, gently placing a bouquet of white lilies at the base of the tombstone before he reached out and traced Raine's name with his fingers. Laguna smiled softly, "Hey Raine. We came to visit! I hope you weren't lonely."

Squall blinked as Ellone walked up and kneeled beside her adoptive father. She also smiled happily, "Hi Raine! Do you like the lilies? Uncle Laguna took forever to pick them. He said they needed to be perfect."

"Hey!" Laguna chided, causing Ellone to laugh.

Squall watched the exchange and a smirk crossed his face. Even though Raine was gone, Laguna and Ellone kept the memory of her alive; as if she was still here with them. He stood a meter away just watching solemnly and he couldn't help but feel out of place.

Laguna noticed Squall standing by himself and he smiled, looking at Raine's grave again, "By the way, Squall's here too! You should look at him now, Raine… He looks so much like you. Surprisingly enough, you were right; he didn't inherit a lot from me."

"Not true. He has your fringe, Uncle Laguna," Ellone corrected. She shook her head before her eyes were on the gravestone once again, "But he did inherit your stubbornness, Raine. He's a little quiet and he glares just like you, except Squall's glare is a lot more 'glary'… Oh look! He's glaring right now!"

"Enough," Squall turned away annoyed, but in reality, he was just embarrassed. He wondered if Raine would've teased him too were she alive.

Squall heard shuffling behind him before Ellone appeared from the corner of his eye. He raised a curious eyebrow in her direction and Ellone smiled while pointing towards the town of Winhill. Squall took that as a sign they were leaving so he unfolded his arms and began to follow her before noticing someone was missing. Turning around, Squall spotted Laguna still kneeling in front of Raine's grave.

"Squall?" Ellone called out.

The brunette thought for a moment before nodding at Ellone, wordlessly telling her to go back without him. She looked at him in confusion before smiling. Ellone waved at him before heading back to town by herself. Squall raised his hand to return the gesture before turning around and slowly walking up to his father, standing quietly behind him as he continued to stare at the tombstone. Squall didn't know what compelled him to stay, but seeing Laguna as he was made him a completely different person. Maybe, just maybe, Squall was curious about his father, his mother, and their relationship.

"I proposed to her on this very hill you know?" Laguna began without looking over his shoulder. Squall kept to himself as Laguna continued, "Twenty years… It's been twenty years since she's walked into my life. And I…well, I dropped on her doorstep."

Squall stared at him, "…What?"

Laguna looked at him then, showing a goofy grin, "I was stationed in Winhill during my time in the military. Let's just say falling off the cliff side just to save Ellone's toy from 'drowning' wasn't very smart."

The brunette blinked at his father before shaking his head and joked, "She must've been crazy to marry you."

"You know what? I think so too," Laguna laughed, standing up and dusting his pants. He sighed contently and gazed up at the sky. They were quiet before the older man perked up, "Oh yeah! I have something for you."

Squall raised an inquisitive eyebrow as Laguna continued to dig through his pockets, "What is it?"

"Hmm… I know I put it somewhere… Aha! Here it is!" Laguna pulled out a small parcel from his back pocket. Ever so carefully, a picture slipped out and the older man smiled at it before handing it to his son, "Here."

The picture was placed in Squall's hand and the brunette marveled at it. There was Raine, a beautiful woman smiling happily as she hugged a tiny baby in her arms. She was affectionately hugging a baby Squall. Words barely managed to escape him, "This is…"

"Did you know? She refused to let me hold you at first. Said I was too excited and that I'd probably drop you on your head," Laguna laughed softly, his eyes once again fixated on Raine's tombstone. Squall didn't have to think twice to know his father was hiding tears, "Even when she was exhausted from delivering you, she'd still scold me. Raine agreed to a photo even though she said she looked like a mess, but I thought she was the most beautiful person in the room that day."

Squall smiled a little, rubbing his thumb against the picture, Yeah… She really is beautiful.

He felt Laguna pat down his shoulder and the brunette looked at him. The older man smiled brightly and reminisced, "You're so much like her. I'm glad."

"…Thanks, Dad."

Laguna nodded. He squeezed Squall's shoulder once more before walking back to town, "I'll see you at the hotel."

Squall watched as he disappeared down the hill before turning his attention to the tombstone. He stood in front of it, surprised that he wasn't nervous like every other time he stood there. Kneeling down, Squall looked at the picture before looking at the tombstone again. He didn't know what compelled him to talk, but Squall felt like he just…had to.

"Julia's…taking good care of him. He still talks about you. I guess it's his way of…keeping you alive," Squall explained to no one but the gravestone. He sighed with a scratch of his head. Looking at the cloudless sky, a breeze passed over him before he continued, "…I still wish you were here, but we'll be okay. We… I…"

This was too hard for him. Besides that day Laguna was planning to introduce Julia to the family, Squall had never spoken to his mother's tombstone. It wasn't something he was comfortable doing. However, everyone was doing it. Heck, Rinoa did it once and she had no idea who Raine was!

Looking at the photo again gave Squall some courage and he smiled a little. Touching the tombstone for the first time in his life, Squall whispered the words he's always wanted to say, "…I love you, Mom."

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Rinoa blew out another raspberry as she slumped on the table. She whined, "I'm so bored…!"

Julia giggled and sat beside her daughter in the lobby of the hotel. She placed a cup of hot cocoa beside Rinoa, "Didn't you wander around a little when we got here?"

"I did… The travel around town was a lot longer when I was a kid," Rinoa joked, taking a sip on the hot beverage. Her mouth was ravaged by a sweet taste, "Mmm! This is good!"

"Isn't it? It's a local recipe according to the hotel manager," Julia smiled.

Rinoa nodded enthusiastically and took another sip. While Squall and his family went to visit Raine, Rinoa and her mother decided to stay at the hotel. The raven haired girl thought it was out of courtesy just to respect Laguna and his family's privacy with his deceased wife, so Rinoa thought nothing of it. After all, she and Julia would only stand off to the side as Laguna, Ellone, and maybe Squall shared stories about Raine.

She wouldn't admit it, but Rinoa was slightly curious about the mysterious woman herself. She's heard Laguna dive into a monologue about Raine before, but it was mostly a result whenever Squall did something remotely comparative to Raine. That only made the girl that more curious. Just how much of Raine did Squall inherit?

Letting her imagination run, she visualized a woman with Squall's face. Perhaps she also shared Squall's hair color, his blue eyes, and unfortunately, his frown… Thinking about it some more, Rinoa merely imagined Squall in a dress…with a wig…reciting "whatever" in a high-pitched, feminine voice instead of his smooth, masculine one.

Oh my Hyne! That's insane! Rinoa couldn't help but laugh out loud at what her imagination conjured up, causing her mother to eye her curiously. Rinoa waved her hand to dismiss the issue, letting her giggles die down. Maybe just for fun, she should dare Squall to dress up like a woman. He'd never go for it, but Rinoa thought it would be hilarious. She sighed and dropped her head on the wooden table.

This is what boredom did to her. Without a working cell phone, Rinoa was basically left with her imagination running wild in places that shouldn't be explored.

…Suddenly, she thought about Cloud in a purple dress and a long blonde wig…

Catching her reverie, Julia pulled the shawl around her arms closer to her body, "Are you that dependent on your cell phone dear?"

Rinoa giggled and exaggerated while crossing her arms on the table, "Mom! It's the ageof technology! …So maybe."

Julia teased, "I'm sure Cloud misses you too."

At this, Rinoa couldn't help but fluster. She instinctively looked around, somehow expecting Squall to show up out of nowhere. When there was no sign of the brunette, Rinoa attempted to scold her mother, "Mom! Please! Not here!"

"But you never talk about him anymore," Julia pouted cutely with a hand to her cheek. She was oblivious to Rinoa's protest, "He's such a nice young man. Why doesn't he ever come over anymore, Rinoa?"

Because that would be bad. Very bad with Squall around… Rinoa wanted to say, but refrained from doing so. She knew her mother was sharp when it came to personal interactions, so if Julia were to witness one of Cloud and Squall's "disagreements," Rinoa wouldn't be surprised if her mother saw more than just the surface with their little feud. Quickly making up an excuse, Rinoa lied, "He's just really busy, Mom. And he's shy…"

"Shy?" Julia questioned. Rinoa panicked before Julia giggled against her hand, "My! He's just like Squall! How cute. They must get along lovely!"

…No Mom. Not really… Rinoa wouldn't admit it because she loved her too much, but there were also times Julia would had her head up in the clouds. Did she not remember that those two specific boys brawled on school property? Maybe Julia ignored it or simply thought it was a disagreement gone very bad…

Soon, Ellone – who came back early – emerged from the second level of the hotel with her suitcase in hand. She waltzed over to the mother-daughter pair with a hum and gave them an affectionate hug, "I love you both so much!"

Rinoa returned the hug, but nonetheless, she was confused, "Where are you going, Elle?"

"Deling City. I'm meeting up with a friend from Dollet. I haven't seen her in ages!" Ellone grinned, tucking hair behind her ear.

"Wait what? But you just got here."

"I know, but it was so I could see Raine first before I left," the oldest stepsibling informed. She gave Julia a kiss on the cheek before picking up her luggage.

Although Ellone explained it in the simplest of terms…Rinoa still wasn't getting it. She turned in her seat to look at her stepsister, "But! But! I thought I was sharing a room with you!"

Julia answered for Ellone, "No dear. You'll be sharing a room with Squall."

A room…with Squall…?

She immediately shot up out of her seat, "I can't!" Both Ellone and her mother flinched in surprise at Rinoa's reaction. The raven haired girl cursed herself for suddenly looking suspicious, "Um…t-that is…"

"Sweetie what's wrong?" Julia asked in concern, a hand placed over her heart, "You don't want to?"

"…Are you and Squall fighting about something?" Ellone slowly asked in concern.

Rinoa bit the inside of her cheeks to suppress the blush that wanted to spread across her face. She forgot about Ellone… She was there when Squall was attempting to… No, that wasn't Squall; that was some jealous fiend pretending to be Squall…

"Rinoa?" Julia called out when her daughter remained quiet.

Before Rinoa could answer, Laguna waltzed in with a smile on his face. It was soon wiped off his still boyish face when he noticed his beloved ladies were cast in a tense atmosphere, "Whoa, did I miss something? …Did Squall beat me in getting here and gloomed up the room?"

Ellone smiled at him and shook her head, "No, not at all Uncle Laguna. He hasn't come back yet."

"But he has too! You're leaving right now?" When Ellone nodded her head, Laguna puffed his cheeks. He walked over to Ellone and enveloped her in a tight hug, "No! Uncle Laguna doesn't want Elle to leave!"

Ellone giggled and hugged him back, cooing, "I'll see you back in Esthar, Uncle Laguna!"

Laguna continued to nuzzle the side of his head against hers teasingly, "It's not the same! My little Elle's growing up too fast! She should stay beside her dear Uncle Laguna!"

"But I am grown up!" Ellone continued to laugh and soon afterwards, Julia was smiling and playfully trying to pry Laguna away.

Rinoa was thankful the attention was off her. She sat down at her seat again and nearly slammed her head on the table. She hated being so easy to read. Why didn't she at least master a poker face for situations like this? Her real father had one when he argued a lot; Quistis had one whenever she was proving a point; even Cloud could hide his surprise if someone tried to scare him from behind! However, Rinoa was clearly aware that Squall was the "Master of the Poker Face". Lips always pursed in a thin line, eyes always focused and never backing down… Rinoa was pretty sure that not once during any staring contest with him had he so much as moved a facial muscle.

Stupid Squall.

Why did he have to put her in this situation? Rinoa didn't like putting her guard up around Squall; it made their relationship feel so unnatural. She liked physically touching him and she liked getting in his face without feeling awkward. Basically, she missed just being with Squall.

Rinoa wanted to go back in time to when things were normal. Why did he have to confess to her? Yes, it was selfish wishing she was still unaware of his feelings, but it was unfair of him to do that to her after all these years! She was dating Cloud now and she loved him, not Squall. She would have to help Squall get over his feelings for her. There was no way things like love-love was going to work out between them. They were stepsiblings now; not the kids who met in front of his mother's gravestone anymore…

"I'll make it happen. I'll make you fall in love with me."

Rinoa silently scoffed with a narrow of her eyes, sarcasm leaking in her whisper, "You're off to a great start, Squall…"

"Bye Rinoa!"

The raven haired girl's head snapped up, Ellone waving at her as she opened the door. Her older sister was leaving now! Rinoa stood up from her seat, scrambling over her words, "S-See you, Ellone!"

With one last smile, Ellone finally left, leaving Rinoa and their parents alone in the hotel's lobby area. Rinoa didn't want to start, but she was already panicking inwardly and trying to figure out what to do when nightfall came. She and Squall were going to share a room.

First, I'll need to lay out some ground rules. And maybe – for emergencies only – I should carry anti-Squall items. I wonder if I still have some of that perfume he hates… Rinoa pondered right away.

"Rinoa?" she blinked up at her stepfather who tilted his head at her, "Jules tells me that you didn't want to share a room with Squall. Does it bother you?"

"N-No," Rinoa retorted, raising a hand to stop his line of thinking, "It doesn't bother me at all. Really."

Laguna scratched the side of his head, "You sure? I mean, I only put you two in the same room 'cause I know you guys are close. You're always clinging to each other that I thought sharing a room together wouldn't be a problem."

That claim stung her heart. Rinoa absolutely loved being with Squall! But…with what's happened between them since the beginning of the year… Everything changed. Looking down at the floor and trying to hide her discouragement, Rinoa trailed off, "I…"

"I can book you guys separate rooms," Laguna offered.

Julia added, "You know money's not an issue, sweetie."

They were offering her a room without Squall. She should've been jumping at the chance, but…

Looking up, Rinoa smiled at her parents and shook her head, "It's okay. I'll share a room with Squall."

Both parents looked at each other before sharing a knowing glance. They nodded in Rinoa's direction and she was glad the problem was solved. The last thing Rinoa wanted was to cause trouble for them and their happiness. Her parents' happiness was what Rinoa wanted above all. Still… She didn't understand why she was suddenly so hesitant to take a separate room.

"…Alright, I'll come in the Monday I get back from Winhill."

Rinoa's perked up to the sound of Squall's voice. She glanced over at the hotel door and, sure enough, Squall was entering the premises with his cell phone pressed against his ear.

…Wait a minute. His cell phone?

Rinoa blinked in confusion. There was no reception in Winhill so how was it that Squall could even use his phone? …And who was he talking to?

Squall nodded his head after a moment of silence, "I'll be there on time… Right. Later." The brunette then pocketed his phone, letting a sigh escape his mouth as he walked towards his family.

Laguna crossed his arms asking, "Did you see Ellone on your way in?"

"Yeah. I saw her off as she got on the bus," he replied while running a hand through his hair. It was then he noticed Rinoa's staring at him, "What?"

"How are you talking to someone on your cell phone?" Rinoa questioned him immediately.

He stared at her before taking a seat at the table, "Because I can."

"Meanie!" Rinoa cried out with a frown, "Tell me how you get reception and I don't!"

Squall rolled his eyes. He rested his head in his palm lamely, answering Rinoa's question, "Do you remember how Dad was asking us if we needed anything before we left for Winhill?" When Rinoa nodded, Squall continued, "I asked him to get me a satellite connection as long as we're here so I could use my phone. He asked you too, but you were too busy making last minute date plans with your boyfriend."

Rinoa blushed in realization of that point. She wasn't going to see Cloud for the weekend! Of course she would make last minute plans with him! Narrowing her eyes at Squall, she retorted, "Oh? So I guess you find it funny how I'm cut off from society when you're totally still linked to one?"

She saw his lips twitch before they finally formed a smug smirk, "Honestly? Maybe."

"…Give me your phone!" Rinoa launched herself towards Squall, literally searching his pockets with little to no respect for his personal space.

"What the—! Rinoa!" Squall blurted out, trying to pry the girl away from him and his pockets. He would've asked for help from Rinoa's sudden attack, but Laguna and Julia were too busy laughing at them to really do anything. They must've thought he and Rinoa were play-fighting… Squall really wanted to say something to them; he and Rinoa weren't little kids anymore! He hissed, "Rinoa, get off me!"

"Aha!" she backed away, clutching Squall's phone in her hands. Rinoa dashed behind Julia when Squall suddenly stood up and tried grabbing the phone back. Smiling in victory, Rinoa flipped open Squall's phone, playfully speaking, "Thanks! I'm going to call Cloud now!"

"Do not enter his number in my phone. I'm warning you," Squall growled, pointing a menacing finger at his rather troublesome "sister". If Rinoa did connect to Cloud, on his phone, Squall was going to burn it before he would bother with a new one.

Rinoa only giggled at his threat and continued pressing buttons on the keypad. Honestly, she did want to call Cloud just to annoy Squall, but first, she was still curious as to whom the brunette was talking to earlier. Perhaps it was Seifer. Maybe he wanted a souvenir from Galbadia. How silly! Looking at Squall's call history, Rinoa read the most recent call he got and froze.

Squall immediately ripped the phone from her fingers and looked at the screen. Instead of a dial screen, his call history was open. Strange. He shrugged to himself, thinking Rinoa was pressing all the wrong buttons, before he pocketed in his phone again. Squall narrowed his eyes at her, "Don't do that again."

"You have her number?" Rinoa questioned in shock.

"Huh?" the brunette blinked, not expecting that reply from her, "Whose number?"

Rinoa frowned in exasperation, "That girl's number! Tifa?"

Again, Squall blinked in puzzlement. So what if he had Tifa's number? They were friends…kind of, almost. Why did Rinoa care?

He saw nothing but disappointment on Rinoa's face and that was confusing him greatly. Squall and Tifa exchanged phone numbers because the wine-eyed girl mentioned an open job position at the cafe she worked at. She was going to help Squall get his volunteer hours there and possible a job; was that so bad?

"Who's Tifa?" Julia suddenly piped up curiously. She looked between both Squall and Rinoa utterly oblivious to the tension in the air.

Before Squall could answer, Rinoa spoke for him, "A girl Squall met. She really pretty."

"She's just a friend," Squall quickly corrected, his eyes never leaving Rinoa even as she crossed her arms defiantly and looked away. Squall could tell right away that Rinoa's tone was dripping with sarcasm. Why it was there, he wasn't sure, but it wasn't like Rinoa to really act sarcastic.

Laguna slowly grinned, nudging Squall's shoulder, "Ooooh, a girlfriend we don't know about?"

Squall glared at him, "I just said she was a friend. Weren't you listening?"

Laguna only chuckled and Julia smiled, "I'm glad you made a new friend, Squall."

"I guess…" Squall answered cautiously. Rinoa still wasn't looking at him! What did he do wrong now? Sighing with what little energy he had left, Squall questioned, "Why are you mad at me now, Rinoa?"

"I'm not mad," she answered, though it was blatantly obvious she was.

The brunette was close to saying his infamous curt answer before Julia giggled, "Oh dear. I haven't seen her act so jealous since she was a child."

…Jealous?

Rinoa snapped her attention to her mother, crying out with a blush, "I am not!"

"Of course you are," Julia laughed, finding amusement out of her daughter's sudden attitude. The older woman explained as she sat beside her husband, "You and Squall were always together even as kids. He spoiled you so much growing up and he's never left your side, but now there seems to be a new person you weren't aware of and it happens to be a girl."

"S-So?" Rinoa tried acting unfazed by what Julia was telling her, but Squall could read it on her face: she was annoyed, "Squall hangs around Selphie and Quistis too! They're girls and I'm not jealous of them!"

Julia sighed playfully and tilted her head, "I think you're afraid of losing Squall to someone you don't know. Squall's only ever been by your side and now you're feeling like he won't pay attention to you anymore because of Tifa."

To say the least, Squall was completely shocked by the claim Julia was making. Rinoa was jealous…of Tifa?

Rinoa went completely crimson and shook her head childishly, "Not true! I am not jealous, Mom! I don't care if Squall pays attention to me or not!"

"Oh Angel," Julia cooed, obviously knowing her daughter's personality inside and out. She smiled supportively, "I'm sure that no matter what Squall does, you'll always have a place in his heart. Isn't that right, Squall?"

Squall blinked when the attention was focused on him. How was he to answer? He was still processing the fact that Rinoa was even mad at him. Didn't she want him to find a girlfriend before? Slowly dragging his eyes to Rinoa's face, it caught him off-guard that she was watching him carefully. The frown was still plaster on her face, but there was something else… It was like she was dependent on his answer.

With a small smile and a devilishly idea, he nodded, "Of course. Rinoa's my only girl."

"W-What?" the raven haired girl let out with a flinch.

The brunette continued, placing his hands in his pockets. He gave the impression that he was merely answering the question, but under his mask of indifference, Squall was pouring his feelings out to Rinoa in careful words, "It doesn't matter where you are; I'll always think of you. But you should already know that. I'll never leave your side."

Rinoa continued to blush with a furrow of her eyebrows. Eventually her gaze lingered on the floor and Squall assumed his words got to her. Their parents had been watching the whole exchange, but neither of them thought there was any suspicious intent in his words. That was exactly was he was aiming for. It was a good thing Squall could twist his words around otherwise he wouldn't have been confident to answer the way he did.

"Then again," Squall decided it was time to end his confession with a lighthearted finale, "I sometimes think differently when you become so whiny."

"Jerk!" Rinoa instinctively responded by shooting her head up to glare at him.

Her anger melted when she noticed a ghost of a smile on Squall's face. Rinoa knew more than anything that he had swayed the conversation away from the previous subject. She wasn't acting emotional (she refused to call it "jealousy") anymore; just annoyed, and Laguna and her mother brushed off Squall's answer as any of his typically sarcastic responses. Squall was always her saving grace in times like this…

"Alright you two, enough with the drama!" Laguna grinned, not noticing the irony in his statement. Helping Julia up to her feet he explained, "How about we go get some lunch?"

Julia agreed after clearing her throat, "That's a splendid idea! Squall? Rinoa?"

Squall looked over in Rinoa's direction and she merely stood in place. She quietly took a deep breath before a smile crossed her face, "Okay!"

"Great! I remember a place Raine once showed me! It's got a selection of homemade dishes and…" Laguna began trailing off as he walked out the door arm-in-arm with Julia listening to his rambling.

The brunette rolled his eyes, once again noting that his father brought up Raine's name again. It was then he noticed Rinoa brusquely walking past him without a word. He sighed, "So what? You're not going to talk to me anymore?"

Rinoa stopped walking and looked over her shoulder. They remained silent again before she faced forward again and locked her hands behind her back. She spoke calmly and began tiptoeing her way out the door, hinting, "You called me whiny. I'm supposed to be mad at you right now, right?"

A small smile slowly made its way to his face as he walked behind her, "…Right."

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Squall fell face first into his pillow. He was dead tired. Dinner had been a nightmare ever since Laguna touched the selection of fine wines. Squall had warned him about taking wine in large quantities, but did Laguna listen?

"I can take it! I mean I was married to your mother right?" he said.

What did marrying Raine have anything to do with his ability – or inability – to hold his liquor? Because Laguna tested the waters, Squall ended up having to drag a babbling Laguna back to the hotel… Well the washroom was the first stop back, but Squall dreaded every moment of it.

Without restraint, Squall scolded him to the point where he resorted to calling his father by his first name. That only made the older man reminiscence about the past. He even mistook Squall for Raine. The brunette was annoyed but tolerant for a short while before Laguna tried kissing him. It took both Rinoa and Julia to stop Squall from pummeling Laguna to the ground. The bastard. He got away with kissing Squall's cheek but any closer to his lips and Squall would've…! It really didn't help when Laguna started mistaking Rinoa for Julia.

What seemed to make the situation somewhat bearable was how Julia had been so easygoing on the entire ordeal. She didn't seem upset that Laguna was blabbering about Raine and mistaking Squall for her. Instead, Julia was mildly amused and laughed a lot; something Squall wasn't too familiar with. He always assumed Julia only laughed in moderation. Julia mentioned that Laguna used to ramble the same way when they were first introduced. His stepmother assured them that Laguna was a very kind drunk. Squall on the other hand thought he was a moron, but he helped Laguna settled in bed anyways. He trusted Julia would know how to handle the rest since she once again told him she liked taking care of his father.

He's more like a big baby, Squall restlessly thought with a loud sigh.

He heard the door open and Squall heard Rinoa entered their shared room, "Oh gosh, I hope Dad will be okay. He started crying."

"Leave him be," Squall lamely answered without removing himself from his pillow, "He's just getting nostalgic."

"Squall," Rinoa's voice took on a near scolding tone, "Can't you be a little more sympathetic to Dad? I mean he's crying."

"So?"

"So…" her footsteps were getting closer to the bed, "Maybe you should cut your Dad some slack. He's not like this every day you know!"

He rolled his eyes and turned on his back, "Fine."

Rinoa threw her hands up in the air, "Thank you!" She walked to her side of the bed before pausing. Looking over her shoulder, Rinoa hesitated to ask, "Dad won't…remember what he was saying when he's sober right?"

"…You mean how he called you 'Julia' and asked you to play the piano and sing?" Squall raised his eyebrow.

She blushed, "Y-Yeah. I mean…that's…"

"He'll get over it," Squall rolled his eyes before running a hand through his hair. The brunette closed his eyes momentarily to get a peace of mind…but the sound of a keypad being pressed entered his ears. He looked in Rinoa's direction and his eyes widened, "Rinoa!"

Said girl flinched, Squall's cell phone in her hands, "What?"

"How the hell did you get my cell phone?"

"When you weren't looking obviously."

He narrowed his eyes at her. Rinoa was being impossible today! Too tired to really do anything, Squall conceded defeat just for tonight, "Fine. Call him. Whatever."

"What?" Rinoa asked surprised, ripping her eyes off the phone's screen.

"I said 'Call him.' Cloud. I don't care," he huffed before turning over on his bed again and closed his eyes, "You're obviously sick of looking at me since I'm not him right? Whatever."

"…Squall…"

"What?"

She gently smacked his forehead with the phone, earning an irritated growl on his part. He turned his head to glare at her before realizing her head was itches above his. His bewildered look didn't go unnoticed and Rinoa smiled, once again tapping his forehead with his phone.

"I don't want your charity," she replied haughtily, pulling away but smiling all the same. Rinoa sighed and turned around, "Besides, Cloud's probably sleeping now considering the time differences and I know he has to work tomorrow…or today."

"…Then why did you?"

Rinoa shrugged, "I dunno. I felt like annoying you? Maybe I was mad because you have reception and I don't. I don't really know. I just…felt like it."

Squall stared dumbfounded at her before deadpanning, "You are random."

"Hey!" she whirled out, hands on her hips, "You have just as many mood swings as I do!"

"Except I don't," he smirked, causing Rinoa to grab her pillow and whack him over the head. Squall chuckled and defended himself with his arms, "Okay already!"

"You're so annoying!" she feigned anger, readying her pillow again before something caught her eye, "Hmm?"

Seeing her attention was elsewhere, Squall asked, "What is it?"

The raven haired girl leaned over him, completely ignoring his personal space, and lifted a photograph to her face, "What's this?"

Squall blinked before he unconsciously smiled, almost forgetting the token Laguna handed him earlier, "It's a picture of my Mom."

Rinoa's eyes widened in surprise. A picture of his mother! She was wondering about her earlier and now there was concrete proof about her existence! Rinoa darted her eyes to his face immediately, "Your mom?"

"Yeah," Squall nodded, shifting so he was sitting side-by-side with Rinoa as they looked at the photo together, "Dad gave it to me when we went to visit her resting place. This is the first time I've actually seen what she looks like."

"Your…first…?" Rinoa slowly worded, somehow feeling like she was intruding in something very personal.

The brunette smiled at her reassuringly that it wasn't a problem. He hadn't known Raine that well so he couldn't dictate the level of privacy concerning Raine's appearance and whatnot. Deciding to look out the window, Squall explained, "Dad… He rarely kept pictures of Mom lying around the house. Every picture of her was locked away, never to be seen…because it hurt."

"Squall…"

"Dad would never show it in front of me or Ellone, but I was already aware of how much he was hurting just remembering Mom's face. I think I was only two when she died," Squall continued.

He could remember the first time he saw Laguna acting somberly when the older man thought no one was around. Laguna's tears, his regrets, and his continued apologies to Raine… Squall had never seen him so broken. It only reinforced the fact that even someone like Laguna couldn't smile all the time.

Sighing, Squall leaned back on his palms, "I never asked about Mom much, but when Dad started coming out with mentions of her here and there, my curiosity got the better of me. I…was starting to forget her face."

"I'm sure Dad understood after a while. You were only a kid back then," Rinoa smiled sympathetically, taking Squall's hand and squeezing it.

Squall nodded, graciously squeezing Rinoa's hand back. He paused for a moment in thought before looking at Rinoa, "Do you know the first thing about Mom he told me about?"

Rinoa thought for a quick second, looking at the picture of Raine as if it held all the answers. A smile slowly formed on her face, "That you look just like her?"

He smirked, "Yeah. Pretty much."

"Well, it's true," Rinoa giggled, handing Squall the photo back, "You're her spitting image…except you're a guy."

"Thanks," Squall rolled his eyes in a sarcastic but playful manner. He looked at the photo before placing it back beside his pillow. He knew he should put it on the dresser or something so it wouldn't get crushed, but he kind of liked having the photo close. It was then he exaggerated, "Now, as much as I like hearing about Mom, Dad just rambles about her a bit too much. I mean he's married to Julia now. You think he'd shut up about it."

"I don't think it's bad remembering the people we love. In fact, I think Dad's made a habit of it because he refrained from showing you anything of Raine until now. I think he felt obligated to let you know more about your mother," Rinoa laughed with a hand to her mouth.

"…If that is the truth, then I pretty much created a babbling idiot," Squall shook his head with a sigh. Rinoa only laughed at his very subtle joke.

She hummed a little bit before asking, "Squall? Is that why you always call my Mom by her first name?"

"Kind of," Squall admitted, looking back at Rinoa, "I respect Julia, and I do…love her to an extent, but…calling her 'Mom'… I just can't—"

Rinoa suddenly pressed a finger to his lips, catching Squall off-guard. She looked at him sternly before softening her expression, "It's okay; I know your reasons why now. And I'm pretty sure Mom knew it too deep down. I was just always curious about why you continued to call Mom by her first name. I thought it was because you were still getting used to having us as family, but then you just kept calling her 'Julia.' I meant to confront you on that several times before, but I kind of chickened out because I was afraid I'd hurt your feelings or something."

"Hurt my feelings?" Squall repeated once Rinoa removed her finger from his lips.

"Yeah," Rinoa blushed, leaning back on her palms and swinging her feet, "Your face never changed so I couldn't tell if I was on good terms with you or not."

Squall snorted, "Rinoa, we were always on good terms."

"You know what I mean!" she rolled her eyes.

He couldn't help but smirk, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. Squall confessed, "There…There was another reason why I couldn't call Julia 'Mom.'"

Rinoa stopped swinging her felt then, curiously looking at the brunette, "What's that?"

"Because of you," Squall shortly replied, gauging her reaction.

Her eyes widened slightly before she looked away. Of course; that should've been obvious to her. Why would Squall want to call Julia "mother" when Rinoa already did? Squall liked her… Such an obvious fact like refusing to address her mother properly… Rinoa should've seen that coming. She wouldn't admit it, but for Squall to be so adamant about his feelings for her was kind of…stupid and admirable at the same time.

She looked back at him and Squall went back to lying down on his bed. Rinoa figured he was giving her space after his little confession. He draped his arm over his face and let out a quiet sigh. Rinoa faced him fully then, unconsciously smiling. He was so tired after everything that's happened with explaining Raine and Laguna's overdrinking… She was sure that this was probably his first time talking so much about his mother with an outsider.

Maybe, just maybe… Rinoa could probably help him with Raine… Squall wanted to know what she was like and Rinoa was just strangely curious about her stepbrother's mother. Oh well. It was a win-win situation and besides, Squall had a right to know what his birthmother was like! He should be talking openly about her instead of keeping her locked up in his heart!

"Hey Squall?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me more about her," Rinoa smiled down at him, "About Raine."

He removed his arm from his face to stare at her, "More?"

Rinoa nodded eagerly, comfortably lying down beside him on the bed, "Yeah! I hear stuff coming from Dad here and there, but I want to know how you personify her."

Squall thought about it for a moment. He wasn't one to share a lot of things like that, but Squall wanted to talk about Raine too. Ellone and his father were keeping the memory of Raine alive…so why couldn't he? Of course, his memories of Raine were very little, but if he could learn something remotely new about her, it would be worth it.

Looking up at the ceiling, Squall began, "Tell me what Dad's told you. I'll cross-reference it with what Ellone told me."

"Well…" Rinoa lied down on her side, resting her head on one of Squall's pillows, "There was this one time you were scolding Laguna for doing something silly. He whimpered to my Mom that you scolded him exactly like how Raine would."

…I did? Squall frowned in thought. No one had ever told him that. Just how much of his mother did he end up mirroring? He unconsciously added, "That's just like what Ellone said. She said I glare like Mom…except I do it more."

That caused Rinoa to laugh out loud and she buried her face in his pillow, "Oh my Hyne! I can totally see that!"

"No you can't," Squall glared at her.

However that only caused Rinoa to laugh even harder as she pointed out, "You're glaring right now! I now have a mental picture of what your Mom looks like when she glares! Haha! No more thinking of you in a dress!"

"What?" Squall caught the last bit of her statement in oddity, "You imagined me in a dress when you thought my mother?"

Rinoa sheepishly grinned and admitted, "Well I always thought you looked like her – which I am right – but before I saw her picture, I had to use you as a model so…"

They remained silent before Squall quickly moved his hands towards Rinoa's stomach and tickled her.

"SQUALL!" Rinoa bursted out laughing, trying in vain to stop him, "Unfair! Unfair!"

"You imagined me in a dress. I'm not standing for that especially since it's coming from you," Squall smirked evilly and continued his tickling campaign.

He and Rinoa continued their physical banter; completely forgetting the fact that they were supposed to be talking about Raine. But somehow, it didn't matter. It was the topic of Raine that brought them closer together. They both met in front of Raine's grave when they were little and they both had a desire to know what she was like when she was alive.

Raine was the reason Squall could be with Rinoa now.

[][][][][][][][]

Julia woke up with a horribly aching throat. She didn't know why it hurt so much to swallow… Was it something she ate last night at dinner?

"Raine…" she heard Laguna murmur in his sleep. Her husband was happily hugging his pillow like a toy and Julia couldn't help but giggle a little. Smiling down at him, she gently brushed long strands of hair out of his face with her delicate fingers. The action made Laguna smile and he murmured again, "Julia…"

Another giggle escaped her and she kissed his forehead, "Oh, Laguna. What am I going to do with you?"

Once they reached the hotel, it had taken Julia about an hour to calm Laguna down after he started crying. The man was delusional, going on and on about the past and how he wished things could've been different. He started apologizing to Raine, to Squall, and to her. It broke Julia's heart seeing Laguna like that, but she was dedicated to him and stayed awake until he calmed down. She even sang him a lullaby, which helped immensely. Julia loved him so much… She just wanted to see him happy even if he could never let go of Raine.

Julia knew she could never replace that woman.

Sometimes it hurt knowing that Raine still had so much of an impact on Laguna, but maybe that was also why Julia respected her. Julia didn't doubt that if she was given the chance to meet Raine, she would've idolized her. The way Laguna described Raine: calm, independent, and very strong-willed… Julia had wanted those qualities at some point in her life. Someone like that was very much suited to Laguna's needs more than her very own meek, polite personality. And that was another reason why Julia respected Raine. That woman helped turn Laguna into an even better man than when she first met him at the piano bar all those years ago. And they even shared a child together.

Squall… How Julia adored him so.

"…Ju…Julia…?" Laguna's voice slurred as he stirred awake, "Ugh…my head…"

"Shh…" Julia cooed. She cupped his cheek, "Just relax, Laguna. Go back to sleep."

Laguna took her advice and sank back into the pillow. He took her hand and apologized, "Sorry, Jules…about last night."

She smiled, "It's alright, love. Rest."

"Thanks…" he sighed, closing his eyes, "I love you, Julia."

"And I, you," she replied, kissing his forehead and watching as slumber took her husband again. He was so sweet; nothing about Laguna was ever filled with malice. Perhaps that was why she could never really be mad at him.

Squeezing his hand once, Julia quietly stood up and rubbed at her throat. A glass of water would probably help soothe it. Clearing her throat, Julia made to change into something suitable before stepping outside the room. She looked out the hallway window and saw how nice the weather was being. Maybe when Laguna got better, they could take a walk around town.

"Hmm…" she started thinking. Smiling, she spoke to herself as she walked down the short hallway, "Perhaps I should pay my respects to Raine as well."

She would have to go by herself for this one. Julia didn't want to put Laguna through a repeated episode of last night… Or better yet, maybe Squall and Rinoa could keep her company? It was time they should be awake anyways.

Walking to their room, Julia knocked before opening, "Good morning, my darlings…"

Julia couldn't help the surprise that appeared on her face with what awaited her beyond the door.

There, on Squall's bed, were her beloved children sleeping soundly. Squall and Rinoa were undeniably cuddling together. The brunette had one arm folded under his head and rested his chin gently on top of Rinoa's head as his other arm lightly wrapped around her waist. Rinoa, the only person who was actually under the covers, was snuggling against Squall's chest as if he were a pillow. Rinoa seemed so content and Squall didn't look any different. The scene seemed so…serene in a way.

…But what had caused them to sleep like that? Rinoa was making such a big deal about sharing a room with Squall yesterday…

Maybe it's my imagination, Julia smiled with a sigh.

She couldn't help but stare a little longer. The way they acted, it was almost like they were children again. They always used to sleep in the same bed, but Julia felt that there was something different about it this time…

Rinoa shifted a little in her sleep, her arms that were bundled against her chest slowly went around Squall's back. She rubbed the side of her face against Squall some more and let a smile grace her face.

Julia laughed quietly. She loved how attached Rinoa was to Squall. The action was quite endearing. It reminded Julia of how she used to be back when—

"…Oh," Julia suddenly gasped, a hand going to her mouth.

Could it be…?