Seven months later…
"They're all coming!? Really?" Squall exclaimed. Laguna stared absently at the paper in front of him and nodded. "When?"
"They'll be here tomorrow," Laguna answered, scribbling a note down on the document.
"How long r they staying?" Squall asked impatiently.
"…Hm?" Laguna looked up from the paper. "I'm sorry Squall, I'm kinda busy right now, could you go play or something? Ask Kiros, he'll know." Squall's face fell. Laguna was always to busy for him nowadays. He was almost four-and-a-half and being kooked up inside the palace all day long wouldn't be so bad if his father had time to notice him. Now all his friends were coming to visit and Laguna didn't even have time to tell him how long they were going to stay. Squall backed quietly out of the office and went in search of Kiros.
Laguna sighed and put his pen down. He really hated work. It meant that he had to get up at 7am and usually fall asleep at his desk around midnight, only getting a bite to eat here and there, if he's lucky. Since his leg was better, and he was much more mobile than he used to be, Laguna seemed to get piled with more and more to do. He never had time to play with Squall and it really bothered him. Laguna rubbed his temples and rested his elbows on the mahogany desk.
***
Laguna walked stiffly up to the Colonel's door and rapped lightly on the wood.
"Enter," said the voice inside. Laguna opened the door and walked into the room, closing the door behind him and coming to attention. "At ease Lieutenant Loire," the Colonel said, smiling. "Take a seat." Laguna sat down in the chair that the Colonel had pointed to.
"Now, Lieutenant, you're the top of your class and I'm sure you're going to be a great officer someday. We know that you've received your orders and that they say you're going to the front. That's not exactly right…" Laguna stiffened, but said nothing. "I have received another request that you be stationed with the home guard. I know that you really want to go to the front to fight the Ryndelians, but I think I'm going to grant this request to keep you here."
"Sir?"
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"May I ask who made the request?"
"Is it important?"
"…Yes, sir."
"Alright. It was General Clay Loire," the Colonel answered, sighing. Laguna stood up.
"What?!" he almost shouted. "And you're going to grant the request?!" The Colonel gazed up at Laguna.
"Sit down Lieutenant."
"No! I will not have my life dictated by that man!" Laguna shouted. The Colonel stood up and leaned forward onto his desk.
"SIT DOWN LIEUTENANT!" Laguna gulped and fell back into the chair. The Colonel sat back down in his seat slowly, glaring at Laguna. "Now would you care to explain to me why you 'will not have your life dictated by that man'?" the Colonel asked calmly, yet firmly. "General Loire is a good and decent man-"
"Like hell he is…" Laguna mumbled.
"What was that!?"
"I said, 'Like hell he is,' sir," Laguna replied angrily. The Colonel blinked in surprise; he'd never seen Laguna so venomous about anything. The boy was normally very quiet, and it seemed that the closer the day that he was to get shipped to the front lines came, the better his mood. The Colonel was now taking him away from the front and Laguna was not happy.
"What's your problem, Loire? I'd think you'd be happy not to get sent to the front to die with everyone else."
"Sir, the Ryndelians destroyed my life with one gunshot… I want to return the favour," Laguna answered, his eyes narrowing.
"What about General Loi-" the Colonel cut himself off. Laguna stiffened and set his jaw. "…Loire?" the Colonel finished slowly. "Are you two related?"
"…" Laguna turned his head and stared at the floor.
"Lieutenant, do I have to order you to answer me?"
"…He used to be my father… Sir," Laguna finally answered. The Colonel's eyes widened.
"Your father? That explains…" The Colonel's voice trailed off.
"Explains what, sir?"
"Explains why he has requested you to stay with the Home Guard… as part of his personal team of advisors," The Colonel answered. Laguna stood up again.
"WHAT?"
***
"Laguna… Laguna, wake up!" Laguna groaned and shifted his weight.
"Just five more minutes…"
"Laguna! You fell asleep at your desk again!"
"What?" Laguna said sleepily, sitting up. The sunlight was peeking through the curtains, revealing the clock on the wall, which read 6:21 AM. Laguna jumped out of his chair. "Why didn't you wake me up!? Squall is gonna be so upset that I wasn't at dinner again!" Laguna rested his head in his hand and sighed.
"You needed the sleep Laguna… We tried to wake you up to go to your room, but you just pushed us away and mumbled something about being in the 'home guard'?" Kiros answered, crossing his arms. Laguna looked up from his hand and paled.
"Did I say anything else?"
"I don't think so…"
"Okay," Laguna replied, sighing in relief. He stared down at the stack of papers on his desk and closed his eyes. At that very moment, Squall burst through the door, looking very excited.
"They're here, Kiros!" he exclaimed, sliding to a stop.
"Who's here?" Laguna wondered aloud. Squall turned around and glared at him. "…What?" he asked, blinking.
"Yoo missed dinner, yesterday…" Squall answered, frowning. Laguna sighed.
"Yes, I did. I'm sorry."
"Well, yoo can't tonight, cos' my fwends r here," Squall told him. Laguna looked blankly at Kiros for a moment before realising whom it was Squall was talking about.
"They're here already?" Laguna asked. Kiros nodded.
"Edea and Cid, and five children," he answered.
"Yeah! Matwon and Cid, and Sefie, and Seifer, and Zell, and Irvy… Quisty got 'dopted so she's not here. They brought Sis though!" Squall agreed with Kiros.
"Sis?" Squall grabbed Laguna's arm and started pulling him out of the office.
"Ellone," Kiros translated. Laguna blinked. Ellone was here too?
"Come on! Let's go see them!" he insisted. Laguna followed Squall reluctantly as he was dragged through the palace. Squall finally halted in front of a door that Laguna recognised as the guest sitting room. The little boy knocked softly on the door and then opened it, hauling Laguna in with him.
"Hi Matwon!" Squall called out happily to the woman sitting in the room. Edea stood up and turned to the small boy and smiled. She looked up at Laguna, who was rather rumpled and looked as if he had just woken up.
"Hello Squall. Hello Laguna… Or should I call you Mr President?" she asked, her eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Laguna…" he murmured in response. "So how have you been Edea?" Laguna said, coughing.
"I've been doing very well, thank you."
"…Squall tells me that-"
"Yes, Ellone is with us." Laguna swallowed.
"Can I…?" Edea smiled at him.
"Of course. She's in the next room," Edea said, gesturing to a door. Laguna nodded and walked slowly to the door and stopped. He suddenly felt very nervous. What if Ellie hated him for not being there, like Squall hated him? Laguna could feel pain start to creep up his calf as he pushed the door slowly open and saw five children. Seifer was staring out the window, watching the changing of the guard, while Zell and Irvy were playing with toys. There she was. He could see Ellie; she was playing with Selphie, pretending to be a hairstylist. She had grown so much. Laguna pushed the door further open and the boys looked up.
"'Guna!" they cried at once, and ran to him. The two girls looked up from their playing and saw him too. Selphie squealed in delight and ran to him as well. Ellone just sat where she was, staring.
"Hi Seifer. Hi Irvy. Hi Zell. Hi Sefie…" Laguna stopped and stared back at Ellone. "…Hello Elle…" Ellie smiled widely and stood up, she ran to Laguna and hugged him tightly.
"Uncle Laguna!"
***
Edea smiled at the little boy in front of her. He had grown some and seemed happy. She was glad that his life was going well.
"Well, Squall. How have you been?"
"I dunno…" Squall answered, shrugging his shoulders indecisively. Edea frowned.
"What's the matter?"
"'Guna doesn't like me anymore."
"What? I'm sure that's not-"
"Is too, he never pways wif' me anymore, and he's never at dinner, and he's always in his awfis doin' stuff," Squall replied unhappily.
"Oh, Squall… I'm sure it's not like that. Laguna is a very busy man. He's a President of a whole country, which means he has a lot of work to do. I'm sure he's just really busy, not that he doesn't like you. He loves you very much, Squall," Edea told the boy, soothing him.
"But he pwomises to come to dinner and then he doesn't!" Squall answered. "He keeps falling asleep in his awfis…" Edea blinked. So that's why he looked so rumpled and sleepy. He had probably just woken up from a long nap at his desk. That's not good, he must be very busy to skip a meal and sleep at his desk. Edea turned at a noise and saw Laguna emerge from the other room holding Ellone and with a tail of children following behind.
"Hey Squall, you want to help me give a tour of the palace?" Laguna asked, smiling. Squall's face brightened and he nodded enthusiastically. "Good, let's go then."
***
Squall stared silently at the dinner plate in front of him. Edea watched concertedly as the small boy glanced unhappily at the empty chair at the head of the table. They had only been there a few days and Laguna had not been at dinner once, Cid had only been at dinner one time, the rest of the time he was discussing the plans for Garden with Laguna.
"What's the matter, Squall?" Edea asked softly.
"…Nu-fing…" Squall answered, his gaze returning to the plate in front of him. Edea shook her head.
(He'll never change) she thought.
"Where's 'Guna?" Selphie asked good-naturedly. Squall sneezed.
"He's busy," Squall replied, wiping his nose on his sleeve.
"Oh," Selphie said, her face falling in disappointment.
"Squall, don't wipe your nose on your sleeve," Ellone scolded, taking a bite of her food.
"Ewone, don't tawk wif' your mouf full…" Squall replied, sticking his tongue out at her.
"Stop it you two…" Edea warned.
"Yes, Matron," they replied simultaneously. Everyone continued to eat silently. Dinner went quickly and everyone left, going to their quarters, getting ready for bed. Edea saw Squall walk toward Laguna's office. She followed him quietly and peeked into the room. Laguna had indeed fallen asleep at his desk again; Cid wasn't there at all. Squall walked up to Laguna's desk and kicked it, waking Laguna up.
"Huh? Wha?" Laguna mumbled looking up sleepily. "Oh… Hi, Squall," Laguna yawned. "What's up?"
"Yoo missed dinner again," Squall said angrily. Laguna yawned again and stretched.
"Did I? I'm sorry Squall… I've been really busy lately and-"
"Yoo pwomised."
"I know, Squall, but-"
"Yoo pwomised."
"Squall, I'm sorry, but-"
"Yoo… pwomised!" Squall shouted at Laguna, surprising the man into complete consciousness. "Yoo don't pway wif' me anymore, yoo don't talk to me, yoo're always busy, yoo don't like me anymore… I don't like yoo either!" Squall said, starting to cry. Laguna sat there in shock.
"…Squall, I-"
"I hate yoo!" Squall shouted at Laguna, and then ran out of the room crying. Laguna closed his eyes and put his face in his hands. Edea watched as Squall bolted past her, running into the palace. She stood there for a moment, not sure whether to talk to Laguna, follow Squall, or just go to bed. She finally decided upon the middle road, and went to bed.
***
Okay, this has been a long time coming… I think the story will be done in one or two chapters. ^_^ Thank you all for waiting so long. I hope I'll get chapter 7 out much sooner than this.
-Rhyein