Two weeks Rinoa and Squall were back on the train, tired, but happy. They had hired the a luxe coupe. Rinoa smiled. "I'm gonna buy a newspaper. I wonder what happened the last two weeks." Squall jsut nodded. 5 minutes later Rinoa entered the train again with the newspaper. She was chuckling. "You should read this Squall. I expected it, but it's still odd." Suddenly here eye caught something and her smile froze. She sat down, her face even paler than usual. "Rinoa...What...?" Rinoa didn't say anything. Squall took the paper from her still hands and browsed the articles. 'Eshtar asking more recources', 'Dollet taking back control of Radio tower', 'Irvine Kinneas to be headmaster of Balamb Garden?' Than Squall's face saw the article. He cursed silently. He ran towards the conductor. "We'd like to change destinations, could we buy tickets from you for Deling city?"
...
After a lot of yelling and threathening, they were allowed in the hospitalroom. The room was full of security agents. Deling ciry still was pandemonium after Seifer's dissapearance. 7 presidents had declared themselves leader in the last 5 months. The first 6 had all ended up dead, and the people weren't really xpecting the current president to hold on long. The army stayed out of it. The reason was that the Galbadian people had to show what they wanted, so the army could serve them. But now Deling city was in the grip of different militia's fighting eachother for control. Every public figure was in danger, and this one was now even more vulnerable. The security agents didn't trust them. Squall grimaced. Should they trust an ex-SeeD and a revolutionary leader? Even if the rebel was the daughter of their protegee? Rinoa ran towards the figure on the bed. Squall just looked. He looked so weak, with the machines checking his pulse and breath, clothed in a white hospital gown. He remembered how he had looked the first time they met him, to coordinate the assassination attempt. Squall had inmediately felt great respect for the man. He clearly was a no-nonsense figure, prepared to do anything for his country. He had looked so strong back than, the only one that could match Squall's own hard tone with equal icy stone. Squall remembered the article. A cleaner had found the general slumped over on his desk. First she thought he had just worked till he dropped, as he so often did. Than she seen the tube with tranqulizer pills. She had inmediately called an ambulance, and probably saved his life. Later investigation showed that he had been reading a letter from Balamb Garden. An invitation to the marriage of Rinoa Heartlilly and Squall Lionheart. That had happened 5 days ago.
Rinoa knelt by the bed in tears. "Oh, daddy, you shouldn't have done it... Things like that happen. I'm still love you. I could never stop loving you." General Caraway tried to take of his oxygen mask. His weak hand couldn't even reach his neck however, so a nurse did it for him. Squall silently vowed that if he'd ever decide to kill himsel, he'd just shoot himself a bullet trough the head. Caraway spoke in difficult breaths. "No...Rinoa...I don't deserve... to call myself your... father... To busy... with Galbadia to... be at my daughter's wedding? ... I'm scum." He truned his head to Squall. "You... must not do...what I did... Don't let.. your work come between... you." Squall shook his head. "I resigned as a SeeD." the general nodded aprovingly.Rinoa took her father's powerless hand. "Dad. I haven't been a good daughter either. I treated you like you werea dog, and I started with the Timber resistance just to spite you. It was later that I started feeling connected with them" He shook his head "You had... every reason Rinoa... I killed your... mother with my working... She gave up her piano for me... and ... I gave up nothing.... I'm an egocentric...bastard" Rinoa shook her head weeping. "You'll... get over it... Rinoa. You don't lose... much" Rinoa just cried. Squall grabbed her shoulder. Rinoa looked at him. "Rinoa, can I speak with your father? Just the two of us?" Rinoa looked at him, starting to get angry, but when she saw the 'trust me' look in his eyes she walked out towards the bathroom.
Squall looked at the security guys. No chance that they'd leave. But they were probably chosen on their ability to be deaf as well as fighting prowess. So he took a chair and sat down next to the bed. "I'm not going to lie to you about what happened. You know better than I that you were a bad father" Squall began. Caraway just nodded. "But you think that killing yourself will make anything better?" "She has you now... I missed my chance... I'm just an egocentric... old man." Squall shook his head. "It's never to late." he said. "You're just afraid. Rinoa needs you general. We all need others. And I need you too. I still know so little about Rinoa." Caraway was silent. "I know how it is general. Back when we were out in space, I thought I had failed to save her. I should have grabbed her and fored her to keep still. But I failed. When I went into the escape pod, I thought my life was over. I still don't know how I came back and asked Ellone for help. I was already thinking of how I would kill myself. And earlier, when Rinoa was in a coma. I should have left her somewhere safe, but I just took her with me, and than she fell into that coma. I was fighting for three hours in the training center, hoping that I would make a fatal mistake, purposefully not using my strongest attacks against a T-Rexaur. When I had to go to the infirmary to mend a wound so I could continue, we were in Fisherman's horizon, I looked at her and imagined what she would say if she woke up and I was dead. Than I decided to just go to Ellone with her." The general sighed. "I'd like... some time to think... Can you come back later?... I... need to be alone." Squall nodded and left. "Of course general." "Squall..." the man said at his back. "yes general?" "Call me dad" Squall smiled with half his mouth. "Sure dad, if you'll call me son." Of course... son." Squall left the room as the oxygen mask was refitted into place. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the man had gone back to sleep. Rinoa would need a lot of comforting. Squall smiled. He wasn't good at lying to console people, but he was glad he wouldn't have to do that today when he'd say that her, their dad would be fine.
...
After a lot of yelling and threathening, they were allowed in the hospitalroom. The room was full of security agents. Deling ciry still was pandemonium after Seifer's dissapearance. 7 presidents had declared themselves leader in the last 5 months. The first 6 had all ended up dead, and the people weren't really xpecting the current president to hold on long. The army stayed out of it. The reason was that the Galbadian people had to show what they wanted, so the army could serve them. But now Deling city was in the grip of different militia's fighting eachother for control. Every public figure was in danger, and this one was now even more vulnerable. The security agents didn't trust them. Squall grimaced. Should they trust an ex-SeeD and a revolutionary leader? Even if the rebel was the daughter of their protegee? Rinoa ran towards the figure on the bed. Squall just looked. He looked so weak, with the machines checking his pulse and breath, clothed in a white hospital gown. He remembered how he had looked the first time they met him, to coordinate the assassination attempt. Squall had inmediately felt great respect for the man. He clearly was a no-nonsense figure, prepared to do anything for his country. He had looked so strong back than, the only one that could match Squall's own hard tone with equal icy stone. Squall remembered the article. A cleaner had found the general slumped over on his desk. First she thought he had just worked till he dropped, as he so often did. Than she seen the tube with tranqulizer pills. She had inmediately called an ambulance, and probably saved his life. Later investigation showed that he had been reading a letter from Balamb Garden. An invitation to the marriage of Rinoa Heartlilly and Squall Lionheart. That had happened 5 days ago.
Rinoa knelt by the bed in tears. "Oh, daddy, you shouldn't have done it... Things like that happen. I'm still love you. I could never stop loving you." General Caraway tried to take of his oxygen mask. His weak hand couldn't even reach his neck however, so a nurse did it for him. Squall silently vowed that if he'd ever decide to kill himsel, he'd just shoot himself a bullet trough the head. Caraway spoke in difficult breaths. "No...Rinoa...I don't deserve... to call myself your... father... To busy... with Galbadia to... be at my daughter's wedding? ... I'm scum." He truned his head to Squall. "You... must not do...what I did... Don't let.. your work come between... you." Squall shook his head. "I resigned as a SeeD." the general nodded aprovingly.Rinoa took her father's powerless hand. "Dad. I haven't been a good daughter either. I treated you like you werea dog, and I started with the Timber resistance just to spite you. It was later that I started feeling connected with them" He shook his head "You had... every reason Rinoa... I killed your... mother with my working... She gave up her piano for me... and ... I gave up nothing.... I'm an egocentric...bastard" Rinoa shook her head weeping. "You'll... get over it... Rinoa. You don't lose... much" Rinoa just cried. Squall grabbed her shoulder. Rinoa looked at him. "Rinoa, can I speak with your father? Just the two of us?" Rinoa looked at him, starting to get angry, but when she saw the 'trust me' look in his eyes she walked out towards the bathroom.
Squall looked at the security guys. No chance that they'd leave. But they were probably chosen on their ability to be deaf as well as fighting prowess. So he took a chair and sat down next to the bed. "I'm not going to lie to you about what happened. You know better than I that you were a bad father" Squall began. Caraway just nodded. "But you think that killing yourself will make anything better?" "She has you now... I missed my chance... I'm just an egocentric... old man." Squall shook his head. "It's never to late." he said. "You're just afraid. Rinoa needs you general. We all need others. And I need you too. I still know so little about Rinoa." Caraway was silent. "I know how it is general. Back when we were out in space, I thought I had failed to save her. I should have grabbed her and fored her to keep still. But I failed. When I went into the escape pod, I thought my life was over. I still don't know how I came back and asked Ellone for help. I was already thinking of how I would kill myself. And earlier, when Rinoa was in a coma. I should have left her somewhere safe, but I just took her with me, and than she fell into that coma. I was fighting for three hours in the training center, hoping that I would make a fatal mistake, purposefully not using my strongest attacks against a T-Rexaur. When I had to go to the infirmary to mend a wound so I could continue, we were in Fisherman's horizon, I looked at her and imagined what she would say if she woke up and I was dead. Than I decided to just go to Ellone with her." The general sighed. "I'd like... some time to think... Can you come back later?... I... need to be alone." Squall nodded and left. "Of course general." "Squall..." the man said at his back. "yes general?" "Call me dad" Squall smiled with half his mouth. "Sure dad, if you'll call me son." Of course... son." Squall left the room as the oxygen mask was refitted into place. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the man had gone back to sleep. Rinoa would need a lot of comforting. Squall smiled. He wasn't good at lying to console people, but he was glad he wouldn't have to do that today when he'd say that her, their dad would be fine.