Disclaimer: Nyeh.

So for my personal note today, my senior year is going just fine. I do take welding as a vocation student, and a big piece of my classroom is missing this year. I am sad to say that a very close friend of mine committed suicide recently.

I just want to say, I love you Donny. And I forgive you.

%%%%

I promise that the chapters will speed up after a couple things are established. I hate rushing stories and I'm so desperately afraid that I will rush this one. Every time I grasp for quality in any work it isn't very well noticed. Also, this isn't TOO much of a story progression in this chapter. So don't be mean. Sorry so short.

I know people ADORE Squinoa and are partially avoiding this because there is so much Rinoa/Seifer. But the reason why I choose Rinoa and Seifer often is because it does hint at a past romance between them and it was left unexplored. Squinoa is fast approaching. But I think many of you misunderstand this story. This is not going to be happy, and cheerful. Squall will be miserable. Rinoa will be miserable. Seifer will be miserable.

%%%%%

Rinoa excitedly hummed to herself, lying on the bed at the gynecologists. Today was her first utlrasound, and she was as excited as any new mother should be. Despite the bouts of stifling heat and frosty chills, her pregnancy seemed to be going well.

Seifer was more nervous about this than she was. He sometimes tried to avoid the realism of being a father, but at other times just did not like doctor's offices. His hand continuously threaded its way through his golden hair. His foot nervously tapped.

Soon enough, the doctor came in to proceed with the ultrasound. Rinoa took a deep intake of breath as they put the cold blue jelly on her stomach. She took another intake of breath as they pressed the machine onto her abdomen and scrolled it around. But anxiously, with a bitten lip, she watched the screen.

"There it is, Ms. Heartilly. There's the baby!" The ultrasound technician squealed, awaiting Rinoa's giddy response. Rinoa said nothing, but instead raised her eyebrow and squinted.

"What, am I giving birth a peanut?" She said, looking at the low quality blobbed scribbles. Seifer cocked his head a little.

"Did you expect a Polaroid of a crying infant, Rin? These things have to grow." Seifer said softly, but he could not keep his eyes off the screen. He placed his hand in Rinoa's gently, and it was her turn to cock her head.

"Seifer? What's the matter?" She asked, placing her hand on his back. He was still staring at the image on the screen.

"Remember when you asked me if I loved the baby yet? And I told you I only liked it?"

Rinoa nodded. She watched his face, as it turned into a slow smile.

"I think I love it now." He said, and finally he looked towards her, with a smile so genuine and large it made her heart want to burst. She laughed and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"It is quite a cute peanut, isn't it?" Her eyes started to tear up. Seifer's eyes went back to the screen.

"Yeah…and it's my peanut. Forever."

The two walked out of the office hand-in-hand. They were holding photographs of the living being they had created, and that they would continue to love for the rest of their lives.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Two months after their first ultrasound, Rinoa and Seifer were still beaming with pride that they were going to be parents. Rinoa was now getting a slightly rounded stomach, and she loved it. Constantly you could see her holding it, or rubbing lotion on it. Selphie had also been quite taken with this transformation. Whenever Rinoa turned a corner, Selphie would come out of nowhere to poke it. Zell had suggested they paint black lines on it to make it look like a basketball. Rinoa detested this idea, but Seifer said Zell would have to wait until it became a little bigger, and a little rounder.

Rinoa wasn't upset being the fat lady of the house, but still felt the heavy weight of her abdomen wherever she went. Her feet started to swell, and being a waitress became a little more difficult every week. But she now needed just a few more hundred gil, and they could own their very own car.

While Seifer and Rinoa hadn't quite went apartment shopping left, she often laid on her bed and lazily daydreamed all the things she could do with a space that was just hers. Well, hers and the little baby inside. She had decided that next month she would go for another ultrasound to discover her baby's gender. Because it never was too early to start picking out clothes…

Quistis still wasn't speaking to her, but it had become a routine. There was barely any animosity left from Rinoa's side. How can she focus on disliking someone when she had so much joy in her life?

And besides, today was a special day that brought more excitement than usual. Selphie and Irvine were going on their first official date tomorrow night, so Rinoa and Selphie were going shopping for a new date dress.

Rinoa sighed as she opened the mailbox and discovered that there was again, no check from her father. With a dignified expression, she agreed to herself that she didn't need anyone's support. She sorted the mail (one for Selphie, one for Irvine, four for Quistis, and one for Seifer) and hurriedly met Selphie at the car.

It had been ages since she had been at the mall. Since they first moved in, actually. What used to be a daily routine was now an appreciated outing. The fountains, the faint smell of food in the air, the escalators. Tags, dressing rooms, the buzz of a security sensor somewhere. Every girl's paradise, their haven. Rinoa looked at all the stores that she used to love to wander into, and frowned a little at her protruding stomach. She missed squeezing into a dress and feeling beautiful. But this is what she chose.

Selphie, who always managed to turn a plus into a negative, dragged her into a maternity clothes store. While Rinoa wished this could be like old times, where they stacked hangers upon hangers of clothes in each other's arms, it wasn't. These clothes were mature, conservative. Pants that were not called jeans, but they were slacks. No t-shirts, only blouses. She inwardly groaned.

But this was her choice, this is what she wanted. Some sacrifices would have to happen. After all, they don't cater to teenage mothers, do they?

As always, her best friend did manage to find the diamond in the rough, and found a beautiful white sundress with a blue flower pattern accenting it that Rinoa immediately fell in love with and purchased immediately. One thing she did enjoy, was that she was not paying the designer prices she did buying her usual clothes.

Before they could make it to their favorite dress boutique at the end of the hall, Rinoa was distracted by the wafting scent of pretzels and cheese. After two pretzels, cream cheese, and a large coke, she felt satisfied enough to waddle behind Selphie with full arms. Selphie's eyes sparkled upon entering the cramped store. Racks upon racks of one-of -a-kind dresses were on display. And then, Selphie pounced.

She devastated each rack, clamoring to get all sorts of dresses in her greedy little arms. Rinoa was devouring a pretzel and just waltzing through them, refusing to acknowledge that she was the company of the fashion fiend on the other side. As the dressing room portion began, Rinoa told Selphie everything that was great about the dress, Selphie told Rinoa everything that was wrong with it, and then they made another trip back to the racks.

On their fourth trip of browsing, Rinoa at this point just sliding her hand along the clothes, stopped when she felt a fabric incredibly soft. Almost hesitantly, she pulled it out.

It was a soft, silky yellow dress that would hang mid-thigh on Selphie. It seemed as if it would cling to the torso, and the top cut into a deep, seductive v-neck. It had a rhinestone halter and a rhinestone belt that went beneath the breasts. Rinoa handed it to Selphie who had an expression that showed she was dazzled by it.

"Oh, Rin! This is it! This is it!"

Selphie tried it on and this time, had nothing bad to say. After the purchase, she was giddy the entire way home. Even Rinoa was giddy for her. It had taken forever for Selphie to give in and agree to go on a date with Irvine.

After arriving home, Rinoa assisted Selphie on her swollen feet doing all the things they used to do. She curled Selphie's hair, clipped the back of the dress, chose shoes. But even waving Selphie out the store, it still didn't feel 'just like old times.' Perhaps because there was a sense of finality to it.

Rinoa wouldn't have time to be 'girlfriend' to Selphie anymore. She would only have time to be 'mommy.' She would lose the part of her life that gave her license to get giddy over a dress, or to look pretty for a nice date. There are few dates when raising an infant. She was losing a part of her life, a part of herself.

Again, she reminded herself, this was her choice. A nagging voice in the back of her said, 'it's not too late yet.'

Oh, but it was. She had already fallen in love with her child. Besides, she lost a part of her life, and was gaining a much bigger one.

She wouldn't pick out dresses for herself, but maybe her daughter. She wouldn't go on nice dates, but she could wave her son off on one. Truly, this was gain.

It became further affirmed that this was the right decision when she went upstairs and saw Seifer's beaming face.

"What are you so smiley about?" She asked, laying on the bed and poking at her stomach. She looked up and saw that he was reading the letter he got.

"Cid confirmed my request for a promotion in SeeD. I'm going to have almost double the pay I do now. He must be shitting me." Seifer lunged on the bed next to Rinoa, who felt her heart start to flutter.

"Double, Seifer? No strings attached? Same job?" She sat with her hands clasped in prayer.

"Well I'm moving up in the job, so we'll see. Worst comes to worst, we'll have to relocate for some boring desk job. I have to still be briefed. But get this - if I do have to relocate, they're paying for the house!" Rinoa could not believe her ears. She clapped and jumped on Seifer, with her arms around his neck. Everything was falling into place. Everything.

"When do you get briefed?" She could not wait for this. For this jump in her life. A family and a home with the man she truly loved.

"In two days. Oh god Rin, we're going to have it good." Seifer said, laying back with his hands behind his head. Rinoa smiled and nodded, placing her hands on her stomach again.

All three of them are going to have it good.