Phoenix: Chapter Thirty-six

Raine woke up to find herself alone and under a fuzzy blanket. Her brain panicked for an instant, as she didn't immediately recognize her surroundings. A quick glance around the room quelled her fears. Mildred was on the wall, photo albums stacked on the coffee table in front of her, Laguna's cologne still lingering in the air.

She was home.

Laguna, however, was nowhere to be found. The sun was low on the horizon, and Raine wondered just how long she had been asleep. She pushed the blanket aside and got up from the sofa. As she made her way to the door, she heard Laguna's voice, along with a younger male's. Her face immediately lit up, hoping the voice belonged to Squall. She skipped into the living room and towards the kitchen, where the sounds were coming from.

Her elation was short lived when she entered the kitchen to find Laguna speaking with a young blond-haired man. She was disappointed that it wasn't Squall. There were several paper bags containing groceries on the center island, a bouquet of roses in Laguna's hands.

"Oh man, Raine! You ruined the surprise!" Laguna attempted to quickly hide the flowers behind his back. "I was going to come wake you up in a minute."

Raine padded into the kitchen, seating herself at one of the barstools surrounding the island. Laguna motioned towards the young man. "This is David, my assistant. Anything you need, he'll get for you. His number is on speed-dial." Laguna scratched his neck. "Otherwise I wouldn't remember it."

The man bowed his head. "It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Loire. Welcome home. And the President is right; I'm here to make sure you have anything and everything that you need. I also try to keep him out of trouble." A small smile graced his lips.

She smiled sweetly at him, nodding. He seemed like a wonderful young man.

"I'll get out of your hair now, Mister President, Ma'am." David turned and let himself out, leaving the couple alone in the giant kitchen.

Laguna smiled sheepishly as he rounded the island. "I guess these aren't much of a surprise, since you saw them and all." He handed the flowers to Raine.

"They're beautiful, Laguna. Thank you." She inhaled the strong scent of the buds. "Do you have a vase?"

Laguna pursed his lips in thought. "Vase. Vaaaaaase…Ahhhh, I don't think so. I guess I didn't really think that through, did I?" He started opening cabinets, trying to find a suitable vessel. Raine giggled the whole time. He finally produced a large glass pitcher. "How 'bout this? I never use it."

Raine stood and took the container from Laguna, and filled it at the sink. "That's perfect. Thank you. David and I will work on getting us some vases. I love having flowers around."

Laguna came up behind Raine and slid his arms around her slender waist. He nuzzled his face close to her ear and whispered into it. "I remembered. That's why I asked David to get the roses. I wanted you to really feel like you were home."

Raine sighed, placing the stems into the water. "The only thing that would make it better is if Squall would come see me." She hung her head, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Laguna gently turned his wife around to face him. He sighed, shaking his head. "Look, I'm not going to say that his behavior is okay, but it's his nature. He's a very skeptical person, and has trouble getting close to people."

Raine turned around in Laguna's arms to face him, confused. "What does he have to be skeptical of? Doesn't he believe it's me?"

Laguna rested his chin on the top of Raine's head. "It's not that he doesn't believe you are who you say you are, but he's suspicious of ulterior motives. He thinks you could, well, that you could be a threat to me or our family."

Raine buried her face into Laguna's chest. She was sickened by the thought that Squall thought she was trying to hurt Laguna in some way. She wanted to run to him and scream at the top of her lungs that all she wanted was her life back. She needed him to understand that Ash and Odine never tried to turn her against Laguna or the rest of the family, that she was just an unwilling participant in a nightmare project. She began to sob, attempting to muffle her cries in Laguna's shirt.

"Shhh, Raine, please don't cry." Laguna gently smoothed her hair and tried to soothe her. "He'll get better, I promise. And if he doesn't, I'll pull rank on him and drag him in here by his ankles."

Raine squeezed her arms around him tightly. "It's just not fair, Laguna. Now that I'm here and with you, the only other thing I want is to see my children. Ellone has an excuse; she's halfway around the world. Squall has no reason other than it seems like he's being stubborn. I know that he has trouble accepting strangers and I'm just about the strangest 'stranger' around. But it still hurts that he isn't here."

Laguna chuckled slightly, and Raine craned her neck to meet his gaze. "What's so funny, Loire?"

Laguna looked away, sheepishly. "Well, it's just that when you mentioned stubbornness, it made me think of someone."

Raine arched an eyebrow. "Reminded you of someone, eh? Plan your next words very carefully, Laguna. Or you'll be cooking your own dinner tonight." She drummed her fingers on his chest.

He scratched the back of his neck, and looked up towards the ceiling, avoiding making eye contact. "Oh, it's nothin' Raine. I already forgot who it was."

"That's what I thought. Thanks for trying to cheer me up. Help me unpack and put away these groceries, wouldja? Then you can help me make dinner."

Laguna got a doubtful look on his face. "I don't think you want that, Mrs. Loire. My cooking skills involve heating up the oven for pizza and not much else."

Raine dug into one of the bags, pulling out a box of dry pasta. "Well then, we had better get to work. I'll make a cook out of you yet."

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"You're gonna have to come out of that shack sooner or later, Leonhart!"

"While you've got a rocket launcher? Not a chance."

"I promise I won't shoot you with it." Jane batted her eyes in Squall's direction. "Look, I un-equipped it."

They sat on Squall's couch, a package of chocolate chip cookies next to Jane. The pair was in heated combat with each other on the big screen TV.

"I don't believe you. C'mon in here with me…it's nice a cozy." Squall's voice had a false sincerity about it. He smirked at Jane.

"Yeah right, and walk straight into your claymores the second I cross the threshold? No thanks." Jane tossed her controller on the table. "I give up."

"Spoiled sport." Squall powered down the system and leaned back into the couch. Jane seized the opportunity and cuddled up against his body. He put his arm around her, resting his cheek on her hair. "Well now what? It's only eight o'clock. You want to watch a movie, or something?"

Jane didn't answer right away. Squall was just about to ask his question again when she finally spoke. "Tell me about your mom?"

Squall was a bit taken aback by her question. She had never really asked about his family before. Any of them. They talked about Laguna and Ellone from time to time, but Squall figured she didn't ask a lot because she knew what kind of person he was. He didn't like to talk about private matters, even with her. He was getting better about it, letting her inside his walls more, but it was slow going. He appreciated that she didn't pry, and he figured she knew he would open up when and if he was ready. The fact that she had asked about Raine unnerved him.

Squall hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I don't know what to tell you. She's dead…at least, she was up until this morning." Squall huffed a lock of hair from in front of his eyes. He wracked his brain, trying to come up with something more to tell her. Then it dawned on him. He didn't know much about her at all. He had never really brought up the subject with Laguna before. He knew the man got emotional when he talked about her, and Squall was never that good about dealing with feelings—his own or that of others. Because of that, he avoided the subject. The few times her name had come up in the past, Laguna always spoke highly of her, and Squall could surmise that she had been a wonderful woman.

Seeing her through Laguna's eyes during the times where Ellone had sent him back gave him insight, albeit small, into her life in Winhill. He always saw her as a strong, no-nonsense woman. How she put up with Laguna, he had no idea.

He didn't know any specifics about Raine: if she had any siblings, how she spent her childhood, even mundane things like her favorite color or foods. The only small thing he remembered from his time in Winhill was how much she loved flowers. He suspected that had she survived and raised him, he would know all those things about her. He didn't have a mother to compare it to, only Edea. And he didn't know anything about her, either.

"Leonhart?" Jane nudged him in the ribs. "Hey Squall! You zoned out on me again."

Squall shook himself out of his thoughts. "Sorry, I was just thinking about your question. I guess I don't really know much about her."

Jane smiled. "Well then, that's just another reason for you to go and introduce yourself tomorrow. There's no time like the present to get to know her." She sat up, reaching for the package of cookies. "Damn, all gone. Well, what do you want to do now? A movie does sound good."

Squall got a sly smirk on his face. He needed to get his mind off of the whole Raine situation, and he knew just the thing. "Oh no, I have a much better idea." He reached for the remote and turned off the TV, then scooped Jane up in his arms and carried her, giggling and kicking her feet, all the way to his bedroom.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Laguna swiped his thumb over the surface of his plate, trying to get every last ounce of Raine's butter sauce. He stopped short of picking up the plate and licking it. "Holy crap, Raine. This was the best meal I have ever had. Who knew chicken could be so good? It's like you plucked it from Heaven, or something."

Raine shook her head and smiled. She couldn't believe that Laguna was actually wiping his plate clean like a child. "I'm glad you liked it. You can expect lots more where that came from." She sighed contentedly. "This is so wonderful. I can't believe I just made you dinner. It feels like a dream."

Laguna extended his hand across the table, and Raine held her own out to meet his. They held on to each other for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. "Well, if this is a dream, then let's hope we never wake up. I don't want to spend another moment without you ever again."

"Ditto, Loire." Raine released her grasp on Laguna's hand. "Help me with the dishes?"

Laguna shook his head. "Oh no you don't. No dish duty for you tonight. You made me a wonderful meal, the least I can do is clean up. Why don't you go out onto the balcony and watch the city for a while? I'll be out in a few minutes."

"You sure?"

Laguna nodded. "Go. Esthar's beautiful at night."

Raine got up and rounded the table to kiss Laguna. "Thanks. Don't be too long, ok?"

She left the kitchen and crossed the expansive living room. She stopped momentarily to pick up a brass frame with a photo of Squall and Ellone. The young woman was radiant, smiling from ear-to-ear. Squall, on the other hand, seemed to be bothered by the fact that his picture was being taken. Raine's heart sunk a bit, and she hoped that he at least smiled sometime in his life. She wanted him to be a happy person, and it bothered her to think that he wasn't.

She put the photo back in its place on the end table and approached the balcony doors. As she opened them, she was washed over by a warm breeze and could hear the bustling streets far below her. She made her way to the railing, gingerly looking over the side. It took a moment for her to get a sense of balance. She knew she was high up, but it didn't sink in until she peered over the edge. Raine figured she was at least twenty stories in the air.

It was just after eight in the evening, and the sun had just dipped below the horizon for the day. The city glowed even brighter at night, the towering buildings looking like giant green plant stalks reaching towards the stars. Down below, on the streets, she could see cars whizzing past, and strange tube-structures which seemed to carry people around the city. She was intrigued by the apparatuses, wondering if they encircled the whole metropolis.

She leaned on the balcony, letting the wind blow her loose hair around her face. She barely noticed Laguna sneak up from behind. He came to stand next to her, setting two glasses of red wine down on the balcony top. "It's pretty awesome, isn't it?"

"It's more incredible than I could have ever imagined." Raine took one of the wine glasses and sipped the crimson liquid. "Mmmm, this is really good."

Laguna sampled his own. "It is, isn't it? It was a present from Squall. He picked it up in Timber a few months ago when he was on SeeD mission. I was saving it for a special occasion."

Raine closed her eyes at the sound of her son's name. She stood silently for a moment. She finally turned to Laguna. "How did you find him again? You know, after the orphanage?"

The pair made their way to a set of lounge chairs at the end of the balcony. They sat quietly for a moment, Laguna gathering his thoughts. Raine waited patiently, sipping her wine and gazing out at shimmering city.

"It was Ellone, she reunited us. After you died, Elle and Squall were sent to the Kramer's orphanage. Man, I hope you get to meet them someday, they truly are the most caring and loving people on the planet." Laguna took a sip of his wine. "Anyway, after we sealed Adel away and the Estharians made me president, Odine got really creepy again and wanted Ellone to study and experiment on." Laguna looked down at his hands. "I had to work with him, Raine. He was actually a huge asset in sealing that witch up. I can't believe right after all of that, he was experimenting on you." Raine noticed tears start to drop from her husband's eyes.

"Hey, Laguna. You didn't know. No one did. There wasn't anything you could have done anyway."

"I know. It just kills me, that's all." He looked back towards the cityscape. "Where was I? Oh yeah, so I decided to go back to Winhill and get Elle before that slimy rat could get his hands on her. But it was too late. By the time I got there, she was gone already. All anyone there would tell me was that they sent her to an orphanage."

Laguna drained his wine glass and set in on a small table in-between the two loungers. "I searched high and low trying to find which place they sent her to. I finally stumbled upon the Kramer's place in Centra. I was literally a week late. All they would tell me at the time was that she was gone, and safe. I know now that she and the orphanage's Matron, Edea Kramer, had been whisked away by the White SeeDs."

"White SeeD?"

"Yeah, turns out Edea ended up inheriting the powers of a future Sorceress, Ultimecia, in the past. I know, it's really confusing. Even I don't get it sometimes." Laguna smiled sheepishly. "Because of that, she needed to go into hiding, and they figured Ellone would be safe with her and the SeeDs that were assigned to protect them. Elle spent the next twelve-odd years on a ship, sailing around secretly."

Raine was confused, but decided to let Laguna continue. She hoped that both Elle and Squall would help her to understand it someday. She did have one question, though. "That sorceress, Ultimecia? She's the one that Squall fought, isn't she?"

Laguna nodded. "Yeah, hero of the world. He and his comrades saved us all." He beamed with pride. "Anyway, Elle came up with this plan to use her freaky powers to send Squall back into me and try and change the past. She wanted to prevent her kidnapping from ever happening, and make sure that I never left Winhill. She thought if she were to be successful, you might have survived and we could have all lived peacefully."

Raine remembered those powers. How Ellone seemed to know when something was going to happen before it occurred, or how she knew things about the past that she shouldn't have.

"After a few failed attempts, she realized that it wouldn't work. By then we were deep into the Second War, and Ultimecia was threatening the very existence of the whole planet. It was really scary." Laguna physically shuddered at the thought. "Then she realized that she could at least try and reunite all of us: me, her and Squall. The kid had already gotten a not-so-glamorous glimpse into my past life, so she thought it would be a catalyst to bring us closer together."

Raine chuckled at the idea of just what Squall had actually seen through Laguna's eyes. She hoped it wasn't anything too embarrassing, for Laguna or herself.

"At that time, I hadn't seen Elle since I rescued her in Esthar. I was aboard the Lunar Space Station checking on Adel's tomb, and "POOF!" she just appears. Oh, Raine, she was beautiful. I couldn't even believe it was her. After we had some bonding time, she told me about Squall. Needless to say I was shocked and heartbroken. I felt awful knowing that I had a child with you that grew up without either of us." Laguna's face saddened and he hung his head. "And all of a sudden, he was standing in front of me in my office and we were trying to figure out a way to beat the future-witch. I was such a chicken, Raine. I didn't tell him that I was his father right away."

"Why not?"

"I didn't want him to get distracted. I mean, he was about to risk his life to save the world. I didn't think he would have wanted that extra burden."

"So when did you actually tell him?

Laguna blew out a breath from puffed cheeks, then scratched his neck. "N-not for a while. It just never seemed like the right time. Everyone was so busy after the war, celebrating and running the press circuit."

"How long did you wait, Loire?"

"Almost a year." Laguna avoided Raine's eyes. "And lemme tell you, he was not a happy camper when he found out. He was really pissed that I knew for so long and didn't tell him. I didn't blame him one bit." Laguna exhaled deeply. "He got over it though, kinda. We still have awkward patches and we aren't as close as I would have liked, but I know part of that is just his personality. We're both getting better."

"How did he end up here, then?"

Laguna smiled. "It was his idea, actually, can you believe it? About three years ago, after everything had settled down, he brought up the idea of an Esthar Garden. When the plans were finalized, he volunteered to be the SeeD Commander and interim Headmaster. I was over the moon at the prospect of having him that close. I couldn't believe that he would actually put himself closer to me on purpose. He had spent the better part of those last years trying to avoid me at all costs. Maybe he finally decided to grow up, who knows? I guess life has a way of surprising you when you least expect it though, huh?" He tapped Raine's thigh.

"You said it, Laguna." Raine sipped her wine slowly, enjoying the warm feeling in her cheeks as the alcohol began to affect her. "I'm glad that you two at least are trying to have some sort of relationship. I just hope he will feel that way for me in time."

"He will, Raine. Elle and I will make sure of it."

Raine smiled at the mention of Ellone. "Tell me about her, Laguna."

"She's the most wonderful woman. I can't wait until she gets home you can see her. Y'know, after all she's been through, you'd think she'd be bitter or something. I mean, she spent her childhood on a ship running from crazy scientists and future witches. She missed out on so much, and yet she's the happiest, most caring and sympathetic person you've ever met." Laguna stared out at the city. "She's a social worker here in Esthar, helping kids deal with the loss of parents and loved ones from the second war. I guess her close ties with the subject give her an upper hand in assisting them."

Raine smiled, happy that Elle was a successful and happy young woman. "You mentioned she's getting married next year? Is he nice?"

"His name is Ryan, and he's a perfect match for her. He's funny, caring and loves kids. They met when she was studying in Dollet, and when it came time for her to come back two years ago, he followed. They just got engaged a few months ago. He loves her a lot, and I couldn't have hand-picked a better guy for her myself." Laguna snorted. "Squall even approves of him, and that's big."

Raine was so excited that she would be able to witness Ellone get married. Ideas began flowing through her mind like helping her pick out a dress and choosing flowers. She couldn't wait to see Elle and meet her fiancé.

"Raine? Can I ask you something?"

She turned towards Laguna, who had an apprehensive look on his face. "Of course. Why do you look so nervous? You can ask me anything you like."

"Will you tell me about your life at the lab?"

Raine wasn't prepared for that question. She had tried so hard during the day to forget all about that place. Even though her memories of the lab had been relatively pleasant until yesterday, now all she could think about was how she had been lied to and held captive the entire time. She never wanted to think about Ash or the lab again. "Laguna, I know you want to hear about my time there. And I will tell you about it someday, I promise. It's just…" Raine sighed, trying not to cry.

Laguna sat up in his lounger and swung his legs over the side. He turned to face Raine and took her hand in his own. "Don't worry about it. I feel just awful for upsetting you. I know if and when you want to talk about it, you will."

Raine smiled softly. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Laguna invitingly spread his arms wide. "Fire away, I don't have anything to hide. Well, except for the 'Timber Incident.' But that's something I'll leave for Kiros to embarrass me with."

Raine giggled for a second, then turned serious again. "Why didn't you ever remarry? I mean, we were pretty young when we were, well, separated."

Laguna absent-mindedly twisted the ring on his finger. "I never wanted to. You were my soul mate, and when you died, I didn't want to be with anybody else." He looked deep into her eyes. "No one could have ever taken your place in my heart, ever."

Raine suddenly felt a twinge of sadness for Laguna. Sure, she was happy that his heart still belonged to her after all these years and that they could essentially pick up where they had left off. But a part of her was sad that he had spent all these years alone. "You mean there hasn't been anyone?"

Laguna looked away for a moment. "Well, there was this one woman. Ward set me up about ten years ago. She was really nice and we got along very well. I tried to be happy, I really did, but in the end I just felt like I was cheating on you. The relationship only lasted three months."

Raine scooted closer to him on her chair and rested her hand on his knee. "I'm sorry that you weren't able to enjoy another relationship. I have to admit though, that I'm a little happy that you didn't remarry. It would have made me coming back very, well, awkward."

Laguna brought her hands to his lips and kissed them lightly. "It just didn't feel right to me. I didn't want you to hate me from beyond the grave." He smiled gingerly. "But it doesn't matter now, because the faeries gave us a gift and we are together again. Now we can make up for all that lost time."

They both stood, holding one another closely. Raine looked up into her husband's eyes, seeing the same look of unconditional love she had witnessed more than twenty years ago when they had exchanged vows. He leaned down and kissed her passionately under the stars.

She was truly home.