(This is a really SILLY little epilogue to the main story. Feel free to ignore it. I'm pretty happy with the main story, this is just a bit of extra silliness.)

Brilliant white clouds moved through the crisp blue sky at a leisurely pace. Rinoa smiled up at the bright clouds while a fresh breeze made her dark hair flutter around her face messily. Once again she was seated on a concrete planter in the Quad reading alone. She tried to push some of her hair behind her ears so she could get back to enjoying her book. She'd been diligently studying up on sorceresses, knights, and wars, so she didn't feel guilty when she occasionally indulged in a sappy fairytale romance.

It wasn't too long ago that doing this very activity would have left her feeling lonely and out of place, but she'd worked out some of her issues. She was feeling better, and she felt that she had a purpose. Learning to control her sorceress powers along with Squall was important, and she was committed to doing her best. Although overwhelming at times, she didn't feel like she was drifting lost at sea anymore.

She turned her head back to her romance book.

When are these two characters going to shut up and kiss already? They're making me crazy! Can't they see that they're meant for each other? Dummies...

Rinoa saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see that Ami the library girl had just entered the Quad. Ami looked around searching for someone until she finally spotted Rinoa and started briskly heading in her direction.

Oh, it's Ami. I haven't seen her lately. I wonder if I could get a little part-time job helping out at the library. That would be fun.

Ami was wearing her cadet uniform and her dark hair was styled back into her usual braid. As she approached, Rinoa could see a new addition to her standard style. A little hot dog necklace was dangling from a chain that was fastened around her neck.

"Oh hi Ami!" Rinoa said while dropping her book beside her on the concrete planter to give Ami her full attention.

"Hey Rinoa, I was looking for you," Ami said while looking slightly uncomfortable.

Rinoa stood up to face her. She wondered why she looked concerned.

"I was just going to send out notices for library fines when I saw that you had some very overdue books and movies. Usually students and staff members get reminders in their emails, but I don't think you have an official Balamb Garden email here. I'm sure I could put in your own personal email so you'd get notices too," Ami explained.

"Fines?" Rinoa tried to clarify.

She thought back to the pet book she'd checked out of the library, but she'd returned that. She'd renewed some of her sorceress books too.

"There must be a mistake, I returned those books," Rinoa said confidently.

"Here's a printout with the materials and fines," Ami said while handing her a sheet of paper.

Rinoa's eyes settled on the list.

Oops! I lent some of these to Squall and then forgot about them. Wow, that's a huge fine on the movies! I feel so stupid! I have barely any responsibility here, and then I even messed that up. Oh, I don't want Squall to find out how disorganized I am!

Rinoa clutched the printout in her hands and started racing back towards the main hub of Garden. She was going to sneak into Squall's apartment and find those books and movies before he found out about her mistake.

Ami was left standing stunned by the concrete planter.

"Rinoa, you forgot your book!" she called out after her.

Ami reached down to pick up the romance book. She didn't think Rinoa would want to get a fine on this one too. Ami could get it back to her later. As she curiously flipped through its pages her eyes widened.

Wow, I didn't think a sweet girl like Rinoa would be reading anything like this!

Ami took a seat on the planter and started to read.

By the time Rinoa got to the dorms, she was out of breath. Her stamina had greatly improved because of all her training with Squall, but she'd been sprinting. As she neared the corridor where Squall's apartment was, she passed Selphie.

"Hey Rinoa, what's wrong?" Selphie asked with concern on her face.

Rinoa didn't just run around for fun, and Selphie was worried.

"I have to get something out of Squall's apartment. I accidentally forgot to return some stuff to the library and now I have a ton of fines."

Selphie nodded her head while smiling. That wasn't too bad, nothing to worry about. Actually she didn't know why Rinoa looked so worked up about something so trivial. It was no big deal, it wasn't like anybody was going die.

"I feel kinda stupid that I forgot about the library books, and I don't want Squall to find out. Can you keep a lookout in the hallway when I'm inside? Just let me know if you see somebody coming."

"Okay! I'd love to be your lookout," Selphie said with a little bounce and a cute fist pump.

Rinoa swiped her keycard and slowly entered Squall's apartment while leaving the door slightly open to listen for Selphie. She spent some time surveying the living room for the books. As usual, everything looked neat and clean. There wasn't clutter anywhere. With everything in its place, it was easy to see that the library materials were not in this room. She took a peek in his kitchen just in case. Nothing was in there. She peered towards his bedroom. Rinoa knew Squall liked his privacy, and she was surprised he'd ever bent the rules and given her keycard access to his apartment. She wanted to be respectful and not be intrusive, but the library stuff was probably in there somewhere. She'd be in and out of there in under a minute.

Oh, I'll just be really quick! It'll be okay. He won't know...

Rinoa walked into his bedroom. Just like the rest of his apartment, everything was in proper order. Her eyes settled on a neat stack of books and movies on his nightstand. She approached to snatch them and then run out of there.

Mission accomplished!

Right as Rinoa was congratulating herself the bathroom door swung open. Squall walked out into his bedroom wearing nothing but a wet towel around his waist while drying off his damp hair and face with another towel.

Rinoa jumped backwards and let out a high-pitched scream of surprise.

Squall stopped toweling off his face and hair and lifted the towel from his eyes. He stood still like a deer in the headlights with his mouth agape in horror.

Selphie had heard Rinoa's scream and rushed in to help her. Squall's bedroom door bounced forcefully against the wall, cracking the paint as she barreled into his bedroom on full alert like a yellow whirlwind.

Squall suddenly flinched at the cracking noise and dropped his towel. Sadly for him, it was not the towel he'd been using on his hair.

More screaming.

He turned to dive back into his bathroom, and the door slammed firmly shut as he locked it. Nudity! Terror! Screaming! Selphie! This was Squall's worst non-time-compression nightmare!

I knew this would happen! Squall thought strongly to himself. This is what I get for bending the rules just ONCE!

Selphie's giggling could be heard through the door.

"Tee-hee, I thought he wore his bomber jacket in the shower! I guess I was WRONG about that, huh Rinoa?"

Rinoa slowly uncovered her eyes after she heard the bathroom door slam shut. Her face was so red it looked like she had severe sunburn.

"Let's just pretend this never happened!" Rinoa called out while grabbing the library books and running towards the door.

She had a feeling Squall was going to be a lot angrier about this than he would have been about the library fines. In retrospect, the library fines seemed to be pretty minor compared to the accidental nudity.

"Um, I'm sure the GFs will make us forget about this real soon!" she yelled while almost out the front door.

SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! she thought at him. Next time I'll make sure to knock first.

NEXT TIME?! he yelled back at her in his head.

"Oh no, I'm so embarrassed! I'm not gonna be able to look him in the eyes for awhile," Rinoa whispered to Selphie while running out towards the corridor with her arms full of books.

"I KNOW! I'm totally not going to be looking at his face for awhile either Rinoa!" Selphie yelled loud enough for Squall to hear.

Squall's front door slammed shut and he let out a long breath as he tried to calm his heart rate.

Hopefully Selphie would be able to keep her mouth shut, but the odds of that happening were definitely not good.

He sighed and realized that unpredictable things would keep happening for as long as he was around Rinoa, he figured he'd just have to get used to it. Once again Squall resigned himself to his fate and covered his face with the palm of his hand.

(end of silly epilogue)

Author's note:

Sorry! I had him so scared of them barging in on him, I couldn't just NOT have it happen. Poor Squall!

Oh and as another side note. I got the basic idea for this entire story from a dream. I think I was Rinoa and I was chasing around a cat in my dream, but that cat was somehow Squall. I picked up the cat and was petting his fluffy neck and it reminded me of his furry bomber jacket. Squall is aloof and pretty cat-like if you think about it.