So like always this took me way too long to update. After all the craziness of the last few chapters I needed to slow the story down a bit. For better or worse, that's what this chapter is. Enjoy.

Squall's POV

April 10th

"Fuck politicians." I growled under my breath leaning on the side of the ship looking at the dark ocean waves crashing against its side.

I fucking hate politicians. Those greedy fuckers are the lowest piece of scum. I deal with street scum on a daily basis and I trust them far more than even the lowest level of politician. A crack head will do whatever he can do get crack. You don't have to question what he's really thinking or trying to do. He wants something and his actions will reflect that. I don't have to worry about him having some multi-layered plot going on to get one over on me. It's just not the way he thinks.

Poli-fucking-ticians on the other hand are impossible to predict fully. Sure, they want to make a name for themselves and get a position of power. I understand that and that's easy enough to follow along with. The problem is the many layers that falls behind the closed door of secrets they are keeping. Are they trying to rise in the government for vanity reasons, security reasons, greedy reasons, or did some other vile organization put them there? Then, there are the rare politicians that actually want to make a difference. Even those righteous souls are impossible to trust fully because it's just so fucking rare.

The worst part is how all these elements, and many more, can mix together. Is Deling a terrible person? Yes, for unleashing Blaine. Do I believe he didn't think it would get that bad? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe he just didn't really care as long as the task was completed. Does he actually care about the world being in danger of another great war because of Esthar? Or does he just want to make sure Galbadia can never be challenged in military or economic power?

For all I know Deling has been building his own forces and is just waiting for a good moment to invade Esthar himself. There is a very real chance we are just the first strike in starting a new war. Like a match being lit and blamed for a forest fire that came afterward. We could just be the tool that is going to throw the world in turmoil. There is no way to know for sure and that's the worst fucking part of it all.

There is no way to know the real reason behind what we are doing. I can't deny that Adel isn't exactly the best person from everything I've read or heard. But does assassinating a President – good or bad – ever really end in a good way? I've gone over this scenario countless times in my head and I really can't see there being an outcome that isn't a war. War between Galbadia and Esthar? A cival war between Esthar's different factions? Even just an economic war of sanctions to bury a countries resources. I don't know what kind of war, but there will be some repercussions.

Not that I have much of a choice. That fucking bastard didn't leave me any. If I was a real Saint I would've been more than happy to rot in a cell, but frankly, I'm not. I'm a person that has a shady moral compass to say the least. If Adel was some righteous leader that has done nothing wrong I would've said no or figured something out. I'd be lying if I said Adel is known for being a good leader.

From everything I know she's a nightmare that is power hungry. There were plenty of rumors about how she came to power and the people in her way who mysterious turned up dead. It was too obvious for someone that was trying to keep it a secret. I'm almost half suspecting she wants people to assume it was her to show how she can get away with it. The fact that all this secrecy surrounding her office recently really doesn't bold well. It means she is planning something and undoubtedly when it is ready she will let the world know.

I'm half afraid we're going to stumble upon some major plot that's been kept top secret since its inception. Governments rarely go into full secrecy mode like this. Governments will always have secret projects working in the background, but they always keep a public facade to calm the world. When a government's activities just...stop...that is always a terrible sign. This all makes it seem like something bad is happening...and that's exactly how Deling wants me to think.

If I can trust Deling – which I can't – then I know war is coming. It's not impossible to believe either and that's even scarier. So I want to tell myself that what we are doing is going to prevent some war. We are going to save the world and we are doing something terrible so other people can live happily. We can be the bad, so other people can be the good in the world.

But even I don't believe that. When it comes right down to it, I made the selfish decision to protect my group and I'm not going to play the naïve card that I'm saving the world. I'm doing what must be done to keep living and keep my friends with me. And while I won't pretend this is for the good of the world. I can admit that there are far worse tasks I could be forced to do. Taking out an unstable leader with the potential of preventing massive life loss isn't exactly a bad thing…but…as I keep going in loops. I have no clue if that's even true. This is about staying alive and keeping those I care about alive.

After my polite talk with Deling I was shoved into a room where the rest of my team was kept. I explained the situation and they all agreed to it. They didn't have a say in the matter, but I could tell they meant their choice. They were with me and I think they all understood the options we had. There wasn't any great choice to choose from. After discussing with it for a dozen minutes or so they knew what we had to do. They knew the odds and risk.

The odds being next to nothing and the risk being death. Assassinating a President is easily one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Assassinating a paranoid President known for restricting all access to her? Just that much more impossible.

This wasn't being stuck between a rock and a hard place. This was being stuck with a gun to the back of our heads and stepping on a landmine in front of us. Going back we were going to be put down immediately. Going forward and there's a good chance we are going to be blown to pieces.

I glanced at the small cut in my wrist where they injected a GPS. Now I'm just a dog where every movement is being watched. I couldn't exactly blame Deling. This ensured they couldn't lose us and we were doing what we were supposed to. It also meant they could keep track afterwards to ensure we didn't go back to Galbadia.

It also means we can't hide from them ever so they may send a kill-squad the second we are done.

Fuck politicians. Seriously. I fucking hate them.

"Squall?" I felt Rinoa's hand on top of mine, "We're about to dock."

We were on a ship so the trip took fucking forever. The train stations are all watched carefully. We knew that if we all were on cameras getting on a train to Esthar, and suddenly the President is assassinated. Deling could sell us out immediately. He still could, but taking a large, freighter across the sea was safer. At least, it was more inconspicuous for the time being.

It wasn't hard to pay for passage on and stay out of everyone's way. We kept to ourselves and no one questioned it. This wasn't all that rare for people to travel this way, it got the Captain a couple more gil in his pocket, and they assumed we were trouble—meaning—it was even better for the crew to keep their distance.

I looked out over the island of Balamb coming closer and closer every second.

I haven't been back since I left...I had no idea what to expect. But there was one thing for sure. I had things I should do. Things I put off far too long. Now with the prospect of death looming over me, it was really time to suck it up.

"Alright," I finally answered Rinoa.

I pulled my bomber jacket up around my wind bitten neck. The sea was far too cold for my liking.

"So this is it?" Rinoa asked as she slipped her hand into mine.

"Yeah…" I answered barely audible.

I stood at the waist high fence that once was fresh with cliché white paint. Now it was rotting away and barely standing. It leaned as if the wind was pushing it and ready to collapse at any moment. The house itself looked a little better, but the paint was old and chipping in many places. It was a home untouched. All the curtains were closed and no signs of life could be found inside. It represented the perfect moment before everything went to fucking hell.

"Do you want to go inside?" Rinoa looked around quickly, "…can we go inside?"

"Yeah," I pushed the gate open which felt like it was going to fall away in my hands. "I own it."

"Oh," She half skipped to catch up with me. "Didn't know that."

I pulled a key out of my pocket that I never thought I'd use again. It felt heavy in my hand even if made of simplistic copper. It didn't just open the door. This key was opening myself back up to my past. One I cast aside when I moved and vowed to forget about. How stupid I was. How stupid I am. You can't run away from your past. You can't keep things locked in a house and pretend they don't exist. Whether you see them every day or never again…they will still be there. Holding memories that are painful and do nothing but upset you. Yet, we keep them. Why? Why isn't it so easy to throw everything away, to leave it buried with a past self…to never revisit it again?

I let out a quick snort of discomfort before shoving the key into the hole. A quick turn and a somewhat tough shove opened the door. There was a musty smell but nothing too bad. The windows just needed to be opened.

I went over to the window at my left and with a bit of effort I managed to lift it. There was no screen and it was then I remember there generally aren't in Balamb. The light cascaded in with a gentle breeze that immediately made the place seem better.

"The grass was cut outside," Rinoa commented, "I wondered if you hired a maid to care for it?"

"No," I looked down at the dust covering pictures on a small table. "I haven't done anything with this house. The neighbors must cut the grass once it gets too high."

"Oh my God!" Rinoa screamed.

"What!" I whipped around ready for anything.

"You're so cute!" She held up a picture of me hugging my sister Ellone, "Look how fat you were. You little chubbers, you."

I glared daggers at her but they seemed to bounce off with no effect.

"You used to be so cute," Rinoa set the picture back down, "What happened to you?"

"Ha. Ha." I crossed my arms.

She walked up to me and surprised me by planting a gentle kiss on my lips, "You okay?"

It was still weird getting use to this open affection we started showing each other. Okay…she started showing. I was as closed off as ever. After Blaine and all that chaos ended this immediately was how we acted now. There was no talk and we didn't say we were 'dating' or anything. We weren't in high school. It was assumed we were together now and…I was happy we were.

I wanted to show her around Balamb a little. This wasn't exactly a vacation but it didn't have to be entirely dreary. I even reserved a nice B&B for our group to reside in on our quick stop in Balamb. We'd move on to Esthar the day after tomorrow. There was no need to sit around depressed. So I figured this would be the first time we could go on an official date.

And I take her to my childhood home where my family was butchered. Nice Squall. Real nice.

"Yeah, I'm good." I answered her question and walked more into the living room.

It connected to the kitchen and there were still pots and pans on the stove. They were too big to fit in the cupboards. Nothing was disgustingly dirty or used. Aside from it being covered in a thick layer of dust everything was neatly organized. I remember my neighbor cleaning within a week of the murder. She wanted to do everything she could for me. She assumed I would start living here eventually or sell it so she wanted it presentable. Even if it was all in vain, I still appreciate what she did for me. It must've been tough for her to be here too. She was friends with my mother and standing in this house wasn't easy for anyone.

"Surprised you didn't take a bunch of stuff before coming to Galbadia."

"I didn't come here before I left."

Rinoa gave me a blank stare, "Not even once?"

I shrugged, "It's obvious saying I didn't want to return. I really meant it. This…this is the first time I've stood back in this house since that night."

"Squall….this must be so tough for you," Rinoa's eyes softened. "I thought you came back before to make peace."

I gave her an uncharacteristically soft smile, "Hey now. You said you wouldn't get all soft."

"I can't help it," She huffed playfully, "It's sad. I feel bad. I want to help."

"I was right here." I pointed at a spot on the carpet in front of a very old tube-TV. "I was trying to learn how to tie my shoes. I was such an idiotic back then. Ellone made fun of me so much."

"That's hard to believe considering how you're practically a genius now."

I smirked, "I'm definitely not a genius. But after this happened I thought it was my fault somehow. I know it wasn't, but as such a little kid I was trying to rationalize. Maybe if I could tie my shoes we would've been outside playing and seen the men coming. Maybe I could've come up with a better plan to save everyone."

"Squall…"

"I know, I know. I was a little kid, remember? This is how kids think. They have to rationalize it in some way because it just doesn't make sense. It's hard to comprehend back then. Now it's easy to understand. We were an easy target that they could get in and out without any real danger. Still…it's exactly why I studied so hard. Ellone constantly called me dumb and so I blamed that at first. I needed to be smarter. Next I needed to be faster, stronger, and tougher so that wouldn't happen again. It's why I started running in between classes. I remember the other kids making fun of me, but I can't exactly blame them. What little kid does laps around the school? It was weird, but I was determined."

"So you've been training since you were little?"

"Pretty much," I shrugged. "As much as a little kid can anyways. It was just a lot of running, but soon it turned into fighting."

"I know you used to bare-knuckle box."

"Started with playground fights. Kids making fun of me for having no parents." I explained.

"Kids can be such devils." Rinoa sighed.

"Kids have no filter. I had no comeback so I would use my fists." I chuckled, "I got my ass kicked so much. But eventually I started winning. I would constantly get in trouble but I know the people in charge of the boarding school went easy on me. They all felt bad for me and that only pissed me off more."

I picked up a picture of my dad holding me and my sister's hand on the beach looking over the water. Our backs were to the camera and I could see Ellone was pointing at something. The real memory flooded into my mind as I remembered the smile on my face every time we were at the beach.

"There were no more beach trips." I informed Rinoa sadly, "I was an angry kid that didn't understand why the world hated me so much. The only way for me to feel better was to fight. When I got a little older I found the fight club. I got the shit kicked out of me more times than I remember. But, I became a regular and really started making a name for myself. The fights were tough but I finally felt like I was alive. When I took someone who was a foot taller than me down I felt like I could defend myself."

"Were you training to find the men who attacked your family?" Rinoa wisely inquired.

"Honestly…no." I shook my head and put the picture back down, "I knew that wouldn't happen. I woke up from all my naivety once the attack happened. I just didn't want something like that to ever happen again."

"Why did you study so hard then? Seems like your grades would go down when you focused on fighting."

I shrugged not sure of any clear answer, "I had no friends. I was constantly stuck in detention or the infirmary. There wasn't really TV or anything to watch. So…I read. I studied. I learned. I don't want to say it was entirely out of boredom but it definitely was a little motivation to pick up a book."

"I swear I'll stop asking questions but this is one I want to know and have always been wondering…why did you come to Galbadia?"

I let the question roll around in my head a bit before answering. "Did you know I was actually given a full-ride to Esthar University?"

"No," She tipped her head confused, "That just makes me wonder more why you came to Galbadia."

"I had to get out of Balamb. I needed a big change. I could've gone to Esthar, true. But I also knew that wouldn't be a big enough change. There was a lot of paper work and files that marked me as an orphan. The following question was always: what happened to my parents? It kept following me. I knew it would come up at college in Esthar too. Part of the scholarship offer involved me writing an introduction about myself. It didn't mean anything, since I was already given the scholarship, but I was told to write about that night. It would 'make me stand out' they said. I didn't want to use my past to advance my future. It just pissed me off."

"So Galbadia was just a fresh start?"

"I'm sure you can guess I wanted to be a police officer to help other people. Galbadia was something different. One night I packed my bags, had some cash in my pocket, and took a train over there. I enrolled in a police academy and that was that. I passed all their tests pretty easy. The only difficult part was convincing them my nationality didn't matter. I used a Galbadia accent and told them I was born in Balamb but lived in Galbadia most of my life. They knew about my past but they didn't really care. It was refreshing that I wasn't being defined by it. I was just another person in the fucked up world. It's actually a little sad how easy it is to become a regular police officer in Galbadia."

I took a deep breath and looked at Rinoa seriously, "You know the first time I felt normal since that night?"

She shook her head waiting for me to go on.

"I bumped into someone," I smiled thinking about it, "They told me to 'fuck off' and said 'I walked around like I owned the place' and 'I was nothing special'. Hearing I wasn't special made me feel happier than any sane person would ever admit. But it did. Still, we got into a fight and immediately got in trouble."

Rinoa rolled her eyes, "Let me guess. It was Seifer?"

"Yeah," I laughed, "Our relationship started off in a bad place like you'd expect. Just hated each other and kept trying to be better than one another. This led to a pretty hot rivalry. We hated each other until we learned we were in the academy for actual good. Many other people were frat boy-douche bags that just wanted a gun, or to seem cool. Seifer and I never had to reveal our pasts but it became clear we both saw shit. We took the training more seriously than everyone else and never gave up. We had a clear goal in mind. That soon had us working together better and far less fighting."

"Clearly the fighting never stopped," I joked.

"No it didn't," I smirked, "But I wouldn't be here today without running into him. He was my real first friend since the night that everything went to hell."

Rinoa slipped her fingers into mine. "I know you two are just big softies."

"We can leave soon I just wanted to check something upstairs." I said changing the subject.

"Okay," By the way she looked at me I think she understood.

I made my way up the stairs with her behind me. She let out a gasp that would be impossible for anyone to contain. I know my neighbor tried to clean the house but even she couldn't scrub away the bloodstains. On the top of the stairs, right before the bathroom, the wood was stained with crimson. It was clear that a fair amount had to sit there to cause such a large stain.

"A mother's last attempt at protecting her children." I felt a lump appearing in my throat. I was not an emotional person, but seeing my mother's blood dried on the floorboards was something even I couldn't ignore. I was hearing her screams in my head. Her death wails as she was being beaten to death. And I remembered leaving the bathroom to her crippled, bloodied, body lying there looking at me…and even when she was dying she was trying to protect me.

"Fuck," I cursed. I felt my legs collapse and I put out a hand to catch myself. "Fuck." I hissed again. I was trying my hardest to keep back the tears. I was trying so hard to resist them. "No….damn it. No. I'm over this. I've moved on." My voice started to crack. "Fuck!" I screamed slamming my fist into the blood stained floor. "Fuck!"

I felt the warmth of an angel's wing embraced me from behind. Rinoa's arms slipped around my back and her lips pressed against the back of my neck, "It's okay. I'm here with you. You aren't alone. I'm here now Squall. I'm here."

I couldn't stop it any longer and the tears streamed down my face. I wept. Harder and longer than I have since the first night it happened. Since I saw my parents being lowered into the ground. Since I felt the cold air in my lumpy bed at the school embrace me instead of my parents. Since the first kid laughed at me for not having Christmas with a family. Since the first time I was surrounded by bullies beating me lying on the ground helpless. Since the first time I felt like there was a place I belong with people that cared about me. I cried in the arms of Rinoa as I felt everything I was keeping back my entire life resurface.

But this was not like those other times. This…was strangely comforting. With Rinoa's warm hands around my chest I was being held into reality. I wasn't losing myself to the depression. This was no my past overcoming me and dragging me back down. It was impossible to reason why or explain what happened. But…this was me overcoming my past. This was me making peace with what happened. I was saying goodbye to this and moving on.

I could finally move on.

"You sure this is it?" Rinoa looked back at me.

"I'm pretty sure," I looked over the hill.

The sun was shining with small random clouds blocking it now and again. It was a breezy day to keep it from becoming too warm. I watched Rinoa hold some of her hair behind her ear as the wind picked up momentarily. The grass blew back and forth like waves. In the distance I could see the green shimmering waves riding up and down the hills. The leaves in the scattered trees throughout the area shook with life and gave a natural musical rhythm to the silence. We were far away from any sort of town and the only sounds out here was nature.

"Are these them?" Rinoa asked pointing with one hand while her other one held a strand of hair behind her ear.

I walked up and knelt down. I looked at the two metal plates printed into the ground. There were no tombstones, I couldn't afford them. "Yeah. That's them."

She knelt down next to me as we looked at my parents graves.

"There isn't one for your sister?" Rinoa inquired gently, as if she was unsure whether the question would disturb me too much.

I shook my head slowly, "She was taken, not killed. A burial seemed to final. There was always hope she would return, but by now...who knows. I hope her she has some peace in her life."

"You ever consider searching for her?"

"I tried. I still am trying. I ask for Quistis to keep an eye out and spend some time now and again searching for her. Nothing has turned up. Maybe she is dead somewhere, but maybe she isn't. It's possible that if she's alive she could be the one that really got the worst out of the situation. I have no idea what she could be suffering right now. I could actually be the lucky one." I chuckled morbidly, "How sad is that?"

"I hope she's okay," was all Rinoa replied with. I could tell she was having trouble finding the right words.

There was a brief pause.

"And your mother's name was Raine Loire." Rinoa was moving on, but not in a rude way. What could be said was, and there was no reason to keep pushing it. "It's a beautiful name."

"People always said I have her eyes," I pulled some weeds that were growing over the plates.

We knelt there in silence for a bit with only the rustling leaves to fill the air. I always thought it was strangely calming being in this cemetery. They could be beautiful places, even if they held our dead. I suppose it was more about reflection and being at peace with the loss. The exact opposite of what I had been doing. It was Rinoa's idea to come to visit their graves.

"I never really know what to do coming to a place a place like this." I admitted.

"You talk about your life," she explained.

"Why?"

"Because they wanna hear about it."

"They can't."

Rinoa gave me a dead stare, "Squall…talk to your parents."

"It's….weird." I admitted.

She sighed, "Hi Raine, Hi Laguna. I'm Squall's friend/slampiece/girlfriend/lover/partner/babysitter."

"Oh very fun-"

"Shh," She shushed me, "I'm having a conversation here."

I rolled my eyes and made a motion to go on.

"Squall's doing great. You don't need to worry about him. He may not be the little proper child you once had. He's actually pretty badass." She whispered with the back of her hand pressed to the side of her mouth. "But I can't say that or it will go to his head. You may frown upon what he's doing exactly, but he is doing it for the better. It's not just about helping the people in need or taking out the wicked people who infest this world. Squall has put together a band of lost souls. Kind of like Peter Pan in a way."

I growled behind her to which she hissed playfully over her shoulder.

"Believe it or not, Squall killed my father. It's why I'm here. But he changed my life. He opened my eyes. He's trained me and showed me things I never dreamed of. I'm an amazing person to what I was before he found me. I was actually being hunted and Squall saved my life. Seeing his whole team in action was amazing. I was just shopping and they led me to safety just by listening to him on the phone. My first mission I was terrified but Squall kept me safe. Well…we were kidnapped but we made it out. And believe it or not, me and Squall have been dancing around each other since Christmas. Admittedly, I made a drunk fool of myself, but-"

"You don't have to tell them that part," I chimed in.

"Oh I thought they couldn't hear us?" She smiled back.

"Whatever."

"As I was saying, things got a little crazy when I was the bait to catch a crazy cop-killer. Turns out he was working for Blaine, which is when shit got real nasty. Blaine really fucked me up bad and put me in my place. I tried harder and Squall's brilliant plan finally got his to end the madman. And that's kind of how we ended up here. But Squall really saved my life and gave me a whole new reason to live.

"It's what everyone in our little family says. They were all lost before Squall. He saved us all. He gave us a purpose. He gave us reason to wake up in the morning. We may be all a little fucked up in some way or another, but we're together at least. And we couldn't thank Squall more. That's what he's done. He is a brilliant, incredible, amazing, person. One that I couldn't be more proud of myself and I think you are too."

She took a breath and stood up, "And now. He has something he would like to say."

Rinoa looked at me expectantly until I let out a sigh and gave in.

"Hey ma'…hey da'. It's been a while. Ma', sorry I couldn't help you. But you saved me. You gave me enough time to get to safety. I'm here because of you. You gave your life and that is something I will never forget."

I focused on my dad's gave, "Dad…I'm still mad at you. You were always dumb and too friendly. You showed pictures of our family and even our house to some strangers on a bus stop. I know you meant well and you didn't deserve the death they gave you. I saw what happened to you. They made me confirm it was your body to pronounce you officially dead. That's a horrible thing for a kid to see. Your body was covered in cuts and bruises. Your arms were twisted in a way that it was clear they were broken. You had hair pulled out leaving bald patches. Your teeth were caved in and your eyes filled with blood. It was awful…so awful…

"But I still hate you. You caused all this. If you never said a word this wouldn't have happened. But…you did. That's how you were. I'm trying to forgive you because I know you were just too innocent for this world. It may come in time but for right now…I still hate you. But…that doesn't mean I can't catch you to up on my life…"

I hesitated not sure where to start…there was so much to discuss. So much they missed and so much I wanted to talk about.

I glanced at Rinoa to see her smile warmly at me.

I sighed before finally starting, "So I guess I'll start with recent events. This wonderful person that you just met has changed my life in ways I wasn't expecting. This isn't some sappy intro, but just...she was the beginning to the start of a new path. Funnily enough, like she said, it started when we killed her father."

I chuckled morbidly, "Not the best first impression, but someone she managed to join our team. Even after we beat the shit out of her…she stuck with us. She's impressive ma' and da'. She struggled in the beginning like the rest of us, but when she broke from her shell she dominated."

"Hey," I felt a jab in my shoulder. I looked back to see Rinoa shaking her head, "Talk about you, not me."

"Oh whatever," I turned back to the graves, "I don't feel like talking about my childhood. It was awful, I was bullied, I struggled, and I wish it didn't happen. But, that's life. It did happen. I am doing my best to get over it and Rinoa is helping me a lot. But I don't like talking about my past because I couldn't do anything. I could only survive and pray it would get better.

"It was only in the last couple years that I really started taking matters into my own hands. I am not asking you two to understand. I know it may seem like I'm crazy, but I do believe what I'm doing is right. It started with some street scum, just my buddy Seifer and I doing what we could to make the streets a little safer. We wanted people to start being afraid to commit crimes. We wanted rumors to spread about demons or maniacs or something going around killing people. We wanted gangs to realize that maybe they should be more careful. We wanted hijackers, and muggers, and thieves, and rapist, and everyone to be afraid of us. We thought we would be feared…and we were.

"But we were also loved. We didn't expect it. The love from random citizens thanking us. They started calling us the Saints. It's an ironic name for sure. But I understand their reasoning. We were their saviors. The people we saved immediately took to the internet and give us praise for saving them. It was never expected and we weren't seeking their satisfaction, but…I would be lying if I said I didn't welcome it at least a little."

I played with the grass a little in front of me. "Seifer and I never thought we'd take on more people. It was always just going to be the two of us. We never even expected to last a year without being arrested or killed. So when Quistis joined us…it was the start of something more. We learned that this was now a thing that could grow and mean something. We still didn't think any big picture, hell, even now I don't have a foreseeable future. But..."

I paused searching for the words, "But…it at least meant something even if it ends. We started something, we tried, we succeeded in many ways, and proved the structures of the world were meant to be bent or broken. We could be the start of something new. I don't want to get too preachy here, but I believe we were the frontline of something new. We are the ones getting beaten and bloody so the next era will thrive even stronger."

I laughed, "At least…that's what I think."

I let a peaceful and gentle silence quiet the area for a moment before finally speaking again. "I guess, what I'm saying is…I did it. I grew up. I survived. I found a place I belong with people that care about me. You guys don't have to worry anymore..."

I thought for a moment, "Well, aside from probably dying later this week, but that's besides the point."

I heard Rinoa laugh and I looked at her. She smiled at me. I gave her the most genuine smile I've given in a long time.

"Anyone home?" Rinoa called out.

There was no answer.

I closed the door to our B&B behind me as we stepped into the cozy little lakeside home. It was nothing fancy. The door immediately led into the kitchen. The counters wrapped around the walls in an 'L' and there was a large wooden table in the middle of the kitchen to use for cooking. Passed that was another longer table with chairs surrounding it. On the other side of the table was a large sectional couch that was probably the most modern thing in this place. Across from it was an old TV that was functional enough.

Passed the left side of the TV was a door that opened into the bathroom. A modest bathroom with a blue theme and wooden fish that were probably carved by hand. The wooden fish seemed to spill into the main living area as the whole place was covered with them. Mixed with the wooden sculptures were plenty of lighthouse pictures and paintings. It was the typical beach house one would expect.

Passed the right side of the TV was a short hallway that led to two rooms. That was all and they weren't big either. At least one had a queen bed in it. We didn't care and would bunk up or someone would take the couch. We've slept with worse.

I chose the place because the person was actually okay with accepting cash (Deling was nice enough to give us a fair sum of gil to use...only after emptying all our accounts). A rarity these days. It was a little old lady that admitted she didn't even have a debit or credit card. She still wrote checks…who knew they still worked? She was friendly enough and assumed we were just some college kids on vacation or 'holiday' as she called it. It was strangely nice being back in Balamb.

The beauty of the house was how it sat right on the ocean. There was a deck in the back that overlooked the sea. It was a short walk down a sandy path before reaching the sea itself. It was beautiful and any vacationing person would be lucky to stay here.

Hey, even if we were on a suicide mission we could at least enjoy our walk of death.

"No one's here," Rinoa came walking back towards me, "Guess they're all out." She looked over her shoulder out the glass door leading to the ocean. "Want to check out the beach?"

I responded by grabbing her wrist, spinning her around, and giving her a deep kiss.

She pushed me back and smiled, "Easy, I'm not going anywhere."

I smiled and moved towards her more slowly. I placed my hand on the side of her face and leaned forward. She met me in the middle as we kissed. I placed my other hand on her waist and pulled her body close to mine. I felt her hand snake up the front of my shirt until it held onto my collar. Her other hand laid gently on my arm.

We kissed standing there for a moment and I could feel her smile against my lips. It only caused me to smile in return breaking the kiss. It was only the briefest second before she placed her lips back on mine in a loving kiss. I moved my hand from her face down to her neck with my thumb gently stroking her chin.

She pulled back and grabbed my hand. She led me towards the bedroom. I took this moment to memorize everything about her. The way her hair swung naturally in her lazy ponytail, her slim back leading down to her swinging hips. The way her scent was filling my senses as I was becoming completely engrossed in her. How she playful squeezed my hand giving a knowing look over her shoulder.

We walked into the room with the queen bed and she pushed me onto it. Not a rough, dominating push. A gentle suggestion and I followed without question. I sat on the edge of the bed and she stepped between my legs. She laid her arms on my shoulders and looked down at me from above. Her bangs fell to one side slightly covering one of her beautiful eyes. My hands moved to her waist as I felt her body press against mine.

"You know I love you," She told me in a hushed whisper. As if the world wasn't supposed to hear our little precious moment.

I felt a surge of heat fill my body in a warmth that had been missing most of my life. The tranquility mixed with simple nervousness at hearing it. My heart beat faster as my mind went blank in the moment.

But I could feel my lips twist into a pleasing smile and that was the true way I felt in the moment.

She didn't wait for me to respond, whether she knew my answer or not, and placed her soft lips on mine again. She moved her arms from my shoulders so her hands could hold my face delicately. I kept my hands on her waist but moved them underneath her shirt to her smooth and warm skin.

I never felt this sense of warmth before. Her lips on mine felt righter than any girl I've ever been with before. The way she fit into my hands seemed as if the world itself created it to be so. The heat I felt fill inside me and the longing I had for her even though I already had her in my grasp couldn't be described sensibly. There was a passion rising throughout me that my mind couldn't process and I willfully let my mind go blank. This was not something I needed to think about or process. There was something deeply powerful in this room and it was resonated from the angel in front of me in strong waves. It was addicting and engrossing. I needed it.

I needed her.

I moved my hands upward lifting her shirt. She pulled back from the kiss smiling and lifted her arms. I removed the shirt to see a nude colored bra underneath. I removed that as well while I simultaneously kissed her stomach. The bra went loose and I moved upward slowly with my lips. I kissed softly and felt her arms snake around the back of my neck. I moved to her chest and could hear a small release of air from her as she pressed her body more into me.

She lifted my head with a gentle hand underneath my chin and kissed my lips. She stepped forward and moved onto the bed. She straddled me with one leg on either side. She was still above me as she kissed me. Rinoa pulled her hair loose and let it fall around us. I moved my hands to her face and held her firmly as I never wanted the kiss to stop.

Eventually she pulled back slightly and gave me a warm smile. I memorized her face in that moment as our eyes locked without the need to ever look away.

What happened next was something I've done many times before but also never before. It was not the usual pleasing sensation of two bodies together. It was more than anything I felt before. Nothing was outwardly different, but the passion that I felt inside me for this woman lying in my arms was not something I had ever felt before.

We danced in passion with heavy breathes and kiss covered bodies as we refused to be even slightly distant apart from one another. I kept my arms around her the whole time not even wanting a single moment without her as close as possible to me. The tangling of our bodies was deeply connected in a romantic ballad that held me in pure bliss and addiction for her.

As the sensation came to an end, when I usually find myself suddenly reawakened to the dark world of loneliness. This time, I found myself staring at the most beautiful sight in the world as her eyes looked back into mine. I couldn't contain the uncharacteristic smile on my face looking at her as she played with my hair softly.

We didn't speak. We didn't have to. There was nothing to say to make the moment better and speaking could only threaten to ruin what we just had. What we still have.

I felt her warm soft skin in my arms with her one leg draped across me. Her hair was messy and covered some of her face and shoulder. Her pleased yet teasing smile caused me only to smile in return. Her chocolate eyes sparkled at me as she kept playing with my hair gazing into my own eyes. It was a cliché storybook moment that I never wanted to end. The kind where you want to shut the door, stay in bed all day, and pretend the world outside doesn't exist.

But it did exist and like all wonderful moments—they end too soon.

I heard the door swing open as Quistis voice called out, "Anyone home?"

Rinoa bit back a quick laugh amused with the situation, "Why do Quistis and Seifer always walk in when we try to have sex?"

"Fuck if I know," I jumped out of bed and quickly slid on my boxers. "At least this time it was afterwards."

I made it to the door just in time to meet Quistis about to walk in.

"Oh," Was all she said looking at my exposed chest and putting two-and-two together, "I see we weren't the first back."

I gave a sheepish smile and shrugged.

"Anyone here babe?" Seifer called out with the door slamming shut behind him. I couldn't see the kitchen from the bedroom so he didn't see us yet.

"Squall and Rinoa," Quistis answered loudly but continued to look at me amused.

"Oh fuck!" Seifer shouted loudly, "Did they fuck on the counter? The couch?"

Quistis laughed quietly, "No, dear."

"They fucked somewhere!" Seifer shouted and I could hear him rumbling around in the kitchen, "Those two horn-dogs can't help but attack each other the moment they're alone. It's like high school."

"Fuck off!" I called out.

"Hasn't she seen your tiny dick enough!" Seifer shouted back.

I was going to shout back but Rinoa – wrapped in a sheet – squeezed passed me down the hallway. She leaned around the corner to look at Seifer, "Squall's dick is plenty big and remember Quistis, Selphie, and I are friends. That means I know how big your dick is too Seifer and everything that goes on with 'your mistress'," I watched her do air-quotes with one hand as the other held up the sheet.

There was a pause where I did my absolute best not to laugh and I looked at Quistis' face only to see her shrug at me.

"Quistis!" Seifer's voice almost cracked, "What have you told her!"

"Only everything dear, only everything." Quistis shook her head amused as well.

"Why?!" Seifer yelled.

I stepped out to finally see Seifer in the kitchen with a fear-stricken face, "Come on man, you know how it is. If you have a sex with a girl, you know all her friends will hear every detail. It is only a matter of time before Quistis and Selphie know exactly everything that just went down in that room."

The fear on Seifer's face disappeared and was replaced by anger, "…not the queen bed….because I know you didn't have sex on one of the few beds in this house."

Rinoa stuck out her tongue at Seifer, "We claim the bed with disgusting and dirty sex. Feel free to take it if you want."

"I hate everything!" Seifer shouted into the air.

"I'm going to take this moment to shower," Rinoa laughed.

"Great, I'll join," I smiled mischievously.

"No you won't!" Seifer exclaimed, "Leave one place untainted by your disgusting fluids."

"Ew," Rinoa and Quistis cried together, "Don't say that!"

"What?" Seifer shrugged fully aware of what he said. I also knew Seifer long enough to know he was about to make it so much worse, "Coitus involves a lot of moist fluids from the vag-."

"Ugh," Rinoa screamed cutting him off and running into the bathroom.

I laughed and gave him a nod. He dropped his asshole demeanor for a moment and returned the serious nod. It was a very bro moment of simply saying 'I'm happy for you'.

A team of psychologists couldn't decipher the relationship Seifer and I have.

I heard the door to the outside open again and decided it would be time I disappeared back into the room. Once Rinoa was out of the shower I would take my turn.

About thirty minutes later I stood in the doorway to the living room with a fresh pair of clothes on after showering and couldn't help a small smile grace my lips. My team was currently accomplishing their tasks with their ultimate abilities ensuring nothing short of perfection. In other words, my team of capable killers were helping each other make dinner.

Quistis was instructing Seifer at the stove as he was frying the fish in an iron skillet. He had on jeans with a simple white tank top. He was doing an amazing job based off the aroma circling the room. He placed the finished products on a long sheet with paper towels for the excess oil. He was always a good chef in his own way. Not in the sense of making a five-star meal, but if there was BBQ and grilling to be done, Seifer was the person to do it.

Quistis was handing him ingredients when asked for them and they talked like it was any other day. She had her hair pinned casually wearing a pair of Seifer's sweatpants and plan tank top. The big brute and the slender woman seemed like two different people around one another. They always looked relaxed and at ease. It was an amazing ability that a close relationship could grant upon the right couple. It wasn't hard for me to see the way they looked at each other showed they would be together forever. I even watched as Seifer made a dumb face to make her laugh slightly. The stern, stubborn, asshole always acted softly around Quistis and it was somewhat refreshing to see.

Elsewhere in the tiny kitchen, Zell and Irvine were doing their best to chop up potatoes. They were both shirtless currently, something the group has gotten way too use to. I could still see Zell's body covered in small cuts and bruises from the metal netting trap Blaine set for him. It was a lot of pain the first couple days, but since the cuts were so small they healed pretty quickly. Now it was mostly sore than actual pain, but they covered most of his body still. I imagined he was just putting on a tough front and they hurt more than he led us to believe.

Apparently they were making homemade fries. Irvine skinned the potatoes before handing them to Zell who made quick work of the vegetable with the one decently sharp knife in this house. They were talking about something random. A TV show or something that I haven't heard of. They worked effortlessly and with ease. I watched Irvine elbow Zell briefly as the two laughed about something before getting a weary glance from Sephie. It shut them both up as they went back to work.

Selphie and Rinoa were currently making a big salad made up of simple greens that Selphie purchased at a local market. Selphie had on a loose tee that went down past her butt and covered the tiny shorts she was wearing. Rinoa had on leggings and small blue tank top that road up her stomach slightly. Her hair was tied back into a messy ponytail that seemed to be a little wet from her shower still. Rinoa was cutting various fruits into the salad as Selphie was concocting her own dressing. Rinoa looked up at me for a second and gave me a genuine smile.

It was rare moments like these that would remind me I wasn't alone in this world. This was my family. Maybe they were acting a little too domesticated currently, but my point stands. It wasn't the crazy drinking parties we had, or the absurd missions we managed to pull off. My favorite moments were these simple pleasures of life that I was missing most of my life until I found this group. We made meals together before, but today was a trying and sentimental day for me. This sort of serenity was just what I needed to feel at ease.

To feel like I was home.

Rinoa beckoned me over to help and I was happy to oblige. I was put to work peeling clementines before handing them to Rinoa who broke them up into the salad. She gave it a stir now and again in the big wooden bowl.

"Get the fries on," Seifer called out, "I'm almost done with the fish." He plopped another one on the sheet.

"They'll only take a couple minutes," Irvine shot back, "Quistis, how's that oven looking?"

Quistis bent down and opened the door. I could feel the rush of heat on the back of my legs since I was standing near it. "Ready and willing."

Irvine gave her a queer look, "Why did you make it sexual?"

Quistis narrowed her eyes, "How is that sexual?"

Seifer looked over his shoulder, "The fuck are you fucking you fucker?"

"He's fucking this fucker you fucker!" Selphie stabbed Seifer in his back with the backend of a large wooden spoon.

The two large children immediately began a staring contest.

Zell sighed watching them, "I'm done chopping. I'm gonna set the table."

"Please do, Zell," Quistis sighed along with Zell as she fixed her glasses.

Zell handed Quistis a giant sheet of fries before grabbing plates and walking towards the table.

"I wish we had the time to soak them." Quistis sighed

"We don't need perfection," Seifer shook his head breaking off from Selphie who fist-pumped in victory, "They'll be fine."

Quistis sprinkled some salt, pepper, and oil across the batch.

I smirked to myself at my team's antics and decided to help Zell set the table. I grabbed the glasses and set them aside the plates. I grabbed a pitcher of iced tea someone made earlier and placed it in the center. Rinoa plopped the salad bowl down in the middle and stuck two wooden tongs in it.

It didn't take long for most people to grab a seat or anything else they needed. We worked smoothly around one another as our arms interweaved placing whatever was needed on the table. It wasn't like we had this routine down. Living with people for so long one can naturally start anticipating their movements.

Seifer came by with his paper towel covered tray and placed a piece of fried fish on each one. As he was doing this Quistis pulled the fries out and brought them over to the table. She scooped a handful of them on each plate and never looked more motherly.

"We don't have to call them fish and chips here do we?" Zell chuckled.

"Fuck off," I shot at him.

"Fancy a crisp?" Selphie mocked in what sounded more like an Estharian accent than a Balambian one.

"Evenin' govena'," Rinoa pipped in scooping some salad onto her plate.

"That's not even Balambian," I sighed deeply. "Could you guys be more Galbadian?"

"And why isn't anything served with ice here?" Irvine questioned, "The place we got lunch at today had zero ice. I'm amazed this house even had an ice tray to at least make some ice"

"But they give you such cute little bottles for soda though!" Selphie squealed. "They're so cute."

"You guys haven't even been here one day," I held out my hands in fake exhaustion. "It's not that different."

"What was the biggest difference when you first came to Galbadia?" Rinoa asked me.

"Fountain soda," I answered without hesitation. "The sheer size of the fast food orders."

"Ah, gotta love the obesity problem in Galbadia," Seifer laughed.

"You would say that, fat-ass." Zell sneered.

"What was that?!" Seifer growled.

I smiled to myself again. This was what I liked. This was what my life really was. It took me forever to see it. I still don't fully understand it. I've been on the brink of death without having these thoughts. But as we get closer to this impossible task given to us...I can't help but think about just running away. I thought I needed to be doing my side of justice to feel reason enough to be here, but now I was having strange thoughts on if this group of friends was….was…

Well...they were enough.

It was a peaceful, yet melancholic thought. The thought alone stirred strange emotions in me I couldn't quite explain. It was something serene about it, yet still oddly depressing. If this was the last night on this planet...this was a great way to spend it.

Wait...what the fuck.

I felt a bad taste in the back of my mouth. What the fuck was I saying? Why was I acting like I was going to die? I never gave up like that before? Screw this bull shit. Fucking Deling and Adel. I was not going down here.

I wanted to slam my fist on the table right there but held off. I'd let everyone enjoy this meal, but I was already putting my brain to work. I was going to figure out our next move and get us out of this situation.

It was a couple hours later standing outside when Seifer finally asked the question: "So what is the plan for Esthar?"

We sipped our beers and liquor that Zell was more than happy to pick up earlier. We sat on the back porch overlooking the water with the sun setting. We could hear the ocean waves crashing in the distance but by the time it reached our ears it turned into gentle soothing background noise.

Deling is located on the ocean but it's a colder part of the sea. I know latitude wise it rested fairly close to where Balamb was, but something about the currents mixing around Balamb made the water warmer here. The sea surrounding Balamb was also known for being shallow. Not in the sense of a few feet you could walk in. It was still hundreds of feet deep once you got away from the island, but around Galbadia and Esthar were all the insanely deep trenches that really kept the water a cool temperature.

Balamb was by no means a tropical getaway. But seeing the sun slowly turn a mesmerizing shade of orange as it lowered in the sky proved Balamb was a sight of true beauty. It seemed majestic hovering above the water giving the ocean its own shimmering picturesque quality. The sea's white caps from its endless waves looked like silver blades cutting into the pallet of color originating from the hovering sun. The gentle breeze tasted of salt but with an equal freshness to it. It was something I missed greatly with my time away from Balamb.

If this was any other group, this would've been the perfect beginning to a vacation. Maybe in some other world and reality that's exactly what this was. A group of friends renting a little house on the water and enjoying life.

But that wasn't our life. And that wasn't why we were here.

I felt everyone's heated glances land on me like the burning sun. I swirled my whiskey for a brief moment.

"There's a resistance in Esthar." I took a sip of my whiskey and felt the burn on my throat. "The entire world knows there's a resistance. They have open activity and it's almost more of a civil war than protests. Some claim their numbers are in the thousands with active military background. The first thing we have to do is find this resistance."

"I'm guessing it's not that simple?" Quistis swirled her red wine.

I shook my head, "Of course not. Wouldn't be a very good resistance if so. But I think with our ability of finding people and attracting the right kind of attention it won't be too hard."

"So we're gonna make them come to us?" Seifer nodded, "Take out some powerful people on their shit list so they come seek us out?"

"That's the plan so far," I shrugged, "I'm sure it won't be that easy, and that in itself will be a challenge, but it's always a good place to start."

"We could just make the announcement?" Quistis offered. She saw my eyes saying to continue. "Why not just make a public broadcast claiming the Saints are now in Esthar and looking to make friends."

"That's a little too public, isn't it?" Rinoa countered. "We would definitely contact the resistance, but I think it would be better that no one knows we are ever there."

"I agree," Irvine backed up Rinoa. "The best snipers are when the enemies aren't even aware there was ever one present." Irvine held ups his hand with the beer in it and made a finger gun. He faked recoil before smirking and taking a sip.

"So we can go loud," Selphie thought aloud, "Attract a bunch of attention and make contact with the resistance, or we can be quiet so people never even know we were here."

"Either way," I chimed in, "Resistance will be key here. They will have some plan I'm sure. If we go in and assassinate the President there will always be a huge fallout. The resistance doesn't want fallout, they want new order. They will have a plan for this and I think it will be best if we loop them in so they can cover all the other aspects."

"It makes us sound more like a hit-squad." Rinoa added.

I tipped my head considering the title, "We kind of are. We are coming in from out of town with the plan to kill one person. Then we are hightailing it out of there. I think it's best we find The Resistance and make our plans clear. We are going to kill Adel whether they are ready for it or not. My guess is they will line up behind us and do everything they can to help."

"They should be more than happy for us," Seifer started to explain, "After all, they won't even get blamed if things go south. It will be us doing all the serious work. I have no idea why they would refuse us."

"Trust me." I shrugged, "It will sound sketchy and there is no way to prove who we are."

"I think our skills will answer that," Zell squatted low to the ground as he often did while thinking, "They know we have a sniper, martial artist, hacker, and the like. We can demonstrate pretty easily who we are."

"And after we find The Resistance?" Quistis pressed on.

"We see what plans they have. They may have nothing and it's better we go on our own. They could have a plan already in motion and require our help. There's no way to know at this point."

"We hope for the best and plan for the worst," Rinoa reminded us of the wise motto. "What's the plan if The Resistance isn't helpful?"

"Well," I sighed looking into the ice melting into my whiskey. Something true Balambians would frown upon claiming I was ruining the whiskey, but my Galbadian days have ruined me. "Adel hasn't shown her face in public recently. In fear of assassinations, The Resistance, or just planning something in secret. It's hard to say. Getting a sniper shot isn't going to happen and there's no way for us to escape from that even if it did happen."

"So…?"

"So...I think no matter what we will have to break into this palace of her's."

"That's the easy option?" Irvine looked perplexed and for good reason.

"Take out a few cameras and guards. Move quickly. Do what must be done and get out. Will it be that simple? Absolutely not. But for someone that never leaves the building, this will have to be the best bet."

"But if we have The Resistance..." Quistis mumbled.

"They can be an excellent distraction." I carried on her thought process, "The first thing we need to learn is the backup plan the government has if Adel is being targeted. That won't be public knowledge, but I can bet my ass The Resistance has some knowledge about it."

"I don't like these options," Rinoa admitted.

"Neither do I." I replied sternly. "It's what we got. I'm not saying we go in guns blazing the day we arrive. Deling didn't give us a deadline. I'm sure he'll lose patience eventually, but we have time to scout the place. We can figure something out."

"Hey, maybe The Resistance will always have a perfect plan," Selphie chimed in, "And we will match into their plan perfectly. Ya never know?"

I chuckled, "Yes, we can hope for that. But either way, it's going to be the fight of our lives." I looked at everyone seriously, "We may not all make it out."

"Squall-"

"Listen," I cut Rinoa off. "This is a shitty situation. I'm actually amazed we don't have Deling's men with us as we speak. He gave us the leeway to get the job done, but I don't believe for a second he won't crack the whip at the first chance he gets. I don't think we can mess around and pull a fast one on him. I've thought up ways we could but it won't do us any good. If Deling suddenly dies or goes missing, we will be the first one's they seek out. They have all our information now and even if we remove these GPS units in our arms they will find us. The people who still don't know we exist is Esthar. That's our best option of getting in and out without being totally fucked in the process.

"I want to be clear and say I will do my best to make sure we all come out alive. But I don't want any of this 'plan Omega' bullshit where you try to save me. That doesn't matter anymore. We are all equally important and we all will do our best to get out of this. But...I don't want us all to die together."

I looked at them all and almost felt my eyes stinging with tears but I held it back and kept my voice strong. I was really feeling the weight of these words, "Even if one of us lives...that is enough. I don't want our story to end here. I want someone to carry it on. Even if it is an entirely new chapter, I don't want this to be the end."

I looked out over the orange sun shining off the shimmering water. "I want this to be it. I want this to be what we think about. I want to come back here after." I took a breath, "But I want a lot of things and I can't get them. So we are going to do everything we can do to survive this, but I don't want any stupid thoughts of all dying together in a blaze of idiotic glory.

"I know each and every one of you right now is thinking how you will never leave someone behind. I'm not saying to do that. I just want you also to all realize that you would never want someone dying pointlessly because of you. I know you guys don't think that, and I want you to keep that in mind. We are a family."

"Or you know…" Seifer weighed in, "We could just shoot the fucking bitch and get away."

"I like that option," Zell laughed, "Let's do that one."

"Option B!" Selphie cheered.

"I vote option B!" Rinoa looked at me mischievously.

Quistis gave me a knowing smile.

I laughed and held up my drink, "Option B is it!"

We held our glasses together as they turned orange in the setting sun and let out a whopping cheer.

The rest of the night was spent goofing around and probably drinking a little too much. We played cards and drinking games. We made fun of each other and laughed until our sides hurt. It was a rare night we haven't experienced since before Blaine. It was refreshing and it was something I never knew I missed until today. It was easy to forget how young we all really were.

Eventually the night settled as we all sat on the couch watching some random movie on the TV. The U-shaped sectional couch was big enough to fit us all. I got up to use the bathroom and when I came back I saw the entire group asleep. I didn't notice as I was sitting there myself.

Selphie was on the far left leaning against Irvine's right, who had his hat tipped over his face. The couch bent there leaving an empty space where I was just sitting. Then it was Rinoa in the middle who was barely awake but was watching me stand there. Next to her was Seifer who had both his arms on the back of the couch. One was moving past Rinoa and the other around Quistis to his left. The blonde leaned against him with her legs stretched out. The couch bent again for so she could rest her legs on Zell's legs that were reaching the small coffee table. He had his arms crossed and his head down. There was a small moment of pity where I wished Kristi was here for him, but we all knew she had to be kept away for now.

I walked back over to my spot, stepping over Irvine's legs carefully. I sat back down and Rinoa immediately rested her head against my shoulder. I placed a hand on her thigh and tipped my head against hers. I felt Seifer's arm slid down so his fingers actually rested on my shoulder. It was a small gesture that meant a great deal.

I smiled at the togetherness my group was radiating. Clearly no one wanted to sleep away from each other tonight and I couldn't agree more. We weren't all holding hands or crying in each other's arms. This was a big enough sign that we clearly all cared about each other. We wanted to be near each other and it was admitting that everyone in this group - no matter how they acted at times - loved each other.

I shut my eyes with a very uncharacteristic grin across my face.

I forgot what this felt like.

So I'm definitely interested in your thoughts on this chapters. It's a different speed from the rest of this story but I think it was necessary to slow things down. After all, there's only one chapter left! That's right, I'm going to try and finish the story with the next chapter. Now that may make the chapter crazy long, but I won't split it unless the word count reaches close to 20K. I also don't want it to feel rushed though, so we'll see what happens.

Once again, thank you to everyone that has stuck with me for all this time (I actually started this story 8 years ago in September, so almost 8 years exactly). I know the updates are slow, but we're almost there. The story is almost finished and I cannot wait to finally close this chapter (pun intended) in my life.

Almost there!