Skye Heartilly looked around, smiling to herself. Rinoa had softened this guy up.  How had she managed to do it? He

had no faith. That would soon change.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Squall's gazed was focused, determined, as he dealt the final blow to the monster in the training center. But no matter

how much he tried, he couldn't get that girl's words out of his thoughts. He shook his head, his gray eyes shaded by his dark

bangs. Skye had been a psyche. She probably had no clue about the ridiculousness of her own words. Rinoa, angels… it had

 to be lies. He shoved all thoughts of Skye and Rinoa to the back of his mind.

"Hi Squall!" It was Selphie.

Squall sighed. She had always gotten on his nerves, but lately more so than before. In her opinion, it wasn't like every cloud had

 a silver lining, every cloud was silver all over. She was exasperatingly optimistic.

"Hello, Selphie."

She beamed cheerfully. "How're you?"

"Okay. You?"

"Fine, thanks!" Selphie glanced away. She seemed reluctant to tell him something…

"What?" he asked, suspicious.

"Um… You're… being sent on a mission. A girl named Skye requested to come along."

"Why?" Squall asked flatly. He thought he was done with that crazy girl.

"I dunno." Selphie shrugged. "Cid just told me to tell you."

"Whatever." He looked away, dreading the mission. Skye was only going to preach more about 'believing in angels'. Squall

shook his head, frowning.

"Well, um, you need to be at the front gates at four." She smiled happily at him and left no doubt for the quad.

Squall stared coldly off into space. It was times like these he missed Rinoa even more. Times when he was so frustrated

with life. He wanted someone he could rely on. Irvine… He couldn't be trusted as far as he could be thrown. Selphie would

come up with a cheery 'don't give up' answer. Quistis was an instructor. How could he talk to her? Zell was simply Zell. Squall

shook his head, thinking that he's give anything for Rinoa to be with him.

"She IS with you." Came a voice from behind him, as if reading his thoughts.

He hadn't a doubt in his mind, but he spun around anyway. It was Skye.

"Do you ever give up?"

"No."

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" he asked irritably.

"Because right now you need an angel."

"You just don't get the drift, do you? I don't want an 'angel', or need one for that matter, speaking as if they exist."

"Rinoa was your angel, wasn't she?"

"Drop it." Squall turned away from her.

            Skye sighed, pushing her bangs away behind her ears. Her hair was tied back with a black ribbon, and she was wearing

A black Nike shirt with faded cargo jeans and white sketchers.  Talking to this guy was like talking to a brick wall. If only he

would take things into another perspective, have some faith, believe a little, or at least take a chance and trust someone. She

thought of Rinoa, and how she wanted to talk to her again. After all, Rinoa had been the one who had sent her on this mission.

So, for Rinoa, she had to keep trying.

"No. Wouldn't Rinoa want you to believe in angels? She believed in angels even when she knew she was dying. So why can't

you when you're perfectly fine? She found out she had cancer. So you know what she did? She prayed for a guardian angel.

To her, you were her seraph. But you can't be, because you don't believe they exist. So I guess she was wrong in loving you

as much as she did." Skye turned around.

"Never."

Skye could hear it in his voice. She had whacked a raw nerve. She had meant to.

"Then what's so hard about believing? It's so simple. But it doesn't matter, does it? Won't you just try?"

His voice wavered as he spoke. "I don't know."

"I dare you to look me in the eye and tell me you'll try, Squall Leonheart."

He turned to face her. Fire burned in his eyes. He was angry, but the truth shone in his eyes.

"Not for you. Not for myself. For Rinoa." He walked off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 Squall kneeled before the cold, gray slab of stone. It was wet and rainy. He didn't really care. He looked at the name carved

on it.  His tears were lost in all the tears of the sky. He shook his head and laid down the flowers he had brought. Lightening

flashed at him brightly.

"Rinoa. I need your help... I don't know how to even begin to think about seraphs and angels. Was I really your seraph? I wish

more than anything that you could be here with me. I miss you. You're gone. I wasn't ready for you to leave me yet. I'm all alone

now. Won't you give me a sign, any glimmer of hope to show me that everything'll be okay?" he clenched his fists.

He was cold and it was wet and dim, but warmth spread over him, and the sun broke the clouds for only a few seconds.

Squall felt like something was draped over him. He stood up, shaking his head, unable to think straight, looking at his watch.

He had to be back at Garden in half an hour.

"Is this your sign? Please, be here with me. Your body can't. But from what I'm supposed to be believing, your heart and soul

can be living right here with me. 'With God all things are possible. God loves you'. That's what I was taught. But God killed

Raine, and God killed you. What's so loving about that, Rinoa? What did you do to deserve such an evil fate? You understood

me. I loved you. I promised I would always be there for you. But somehow I let you slip through my fingers. Is this all my fault?"

his bangs whipped into his face, the wind kicking up.

Squall looked into a puddle, his reflection staring back at him, eyes shadowed darkly. The winds created ripples on the surface.

He stood up and looked to the sky.

"I love you, Rinoa. I'll try my hardest to be the seraph you wanted me to be. The seraph I never was."