Chapter 10: Family
Rinoa walked out the cafeteria with a smile on her face.
'Phew' she sighed 'atleast I've got that out the way. I hope they'll like Strik especially Squall since they will be brother in-laws one day.'
"Why does she want to tell us something," Zell said scewing a hot dog.
"I don't know," Quitis said.
"She said nothing to me," Squall sipped some coffee, "Did she anything at all to you yesterday?" he looked Selphie.
"Nothing while we was doing the test. She was concentrating on it."
Squall looked at his hands.
"Penny for your thoughts," Quitis looked at Squall.
"Huh?" he looked up at Quitis.
"What's on your mind?"
"Okay. I suppose you better know since I'm going to ask her tonight."
"Squall what are you on about?" Selphie asked looking at him puzzled.
"I'm going to…" he paused.
"Yes!" the others, asked eagerly.
"I'm going to ask Rinoa to marry me."
"The others stared at him shocked and then smiled.
"Congratulations, man," Irvine slapped squall on the back.
Squall spluttered his coffee out accidentally when Irvine slapped him. Irvine caught him by surprize.
"Oophs. Sorry," he apolized smirking.
"Oh my life! " Selphie cried.
"Couldn't scream any louder could ya?" Zell said with finger his ear, "I think I'm deaf in this ear."
The others laughed at him.
"So you gonna ask her tonight, when she wants to meet us?" Quitis said ignoring Zell and concentrating on Squall.
"Well I was gonna ask her on her own but I may aswell ask her infront of all of you. Her friends."
"Well we'll see you at six then?" Selphie getting up and brushing crumbs off her dress. Irvine got up too he put his arms around her waist.
"Thanks guys," Squall thanked his friends. He then got up and walked out the cafeteria to his office.
Rinoa waited patiently at Deling City Train Station.
Where's Strik? What's taking him so long? She asked herself. She the saw him.
She hugged him when he reached her. He hugged her back.
"Come on, the train goes in ten minutes."
"Okay," Strik followed Rinoa onto the train heading towards Balamb.
Squall walked into the quad with Zell. Selphie, Irvine and Quitis were standing around the stage. They sighed when they saw it was only Squall and Zell.
"Isn't she here yet?" Zell asked siting down on the stage steps.
"Nope," Irvine said placing his hands around Selphie's neck and then resting his chin on her left shoulder. She put her hands on his arms.
"She's fifteen minutes late," Quitis complained, "I have to meet some-one at eight."
"You have a date?" Zell smirked at her. The others looked at her interested in her answer.
"No! Old friend," she looked out across the balcony.
"Who? Do we know them?" Selphie asked.
"Yeah. Especially Squall."
"Seifer," Squall said coldly.
"Really," the others looked Quitis.
She remained looking out to the sea and nodded.
The others gasped in shock.
"No, I mean Seifer," Squall looked to the entrance of the quad.
"Huh?" they wondered. They all looked to where he was looking.
Seifer walked slowly down to them.
Zell jumped off the stage.
Squall and Seifer still didn't see eye to eye. Squall couldn't forgive for how he betrayed Garden. How he betrayed them all. And he wouldn't let him forget either.
"Seifer," Quitis said.
He smiled at her.
"I thought I was meeting you later?" she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I wanted to see you before that," he looked into her blue eyes.
Squall stared at Seifer. Seifer stared back and then to Zell.
"Tell me Zell. You still a chicken-wuss?" he sniggered.
Zell started cursing at him.
Seifer stared back to Squall, "Still the fearless leader?" he teased.
"Okay guys! Stop it!" Quitis walked over to Seifer.
"Quisty, you could have done a lot better!" Selphie said.
"Oi…" Seifer stared at Selphie.
Irvine then stood up straight behind her, "Hey!" he gritted his teeth.
"No! I didn't want better. I've always loved Seifer since I was a kid! And he in return. I'm happy to forgive him and move on. What about it guys?" Quitis explained.
"Never," Zell said angrily
"Quitis! He betrayed Garden!" Selphie cried.
"I know! But he was under a trance. I think he deserves a second chance," Quitis defended him.
Squall stared at him. He could never trust him. But he would he let him in the Garden because he wanted Quitis to be happy, that's all mattered. He wanted his friends to be happy.
"Guys! Rinoa's coming!" Irvine said.
"Squall, you ready?" Zell reassured his friend.
"Yes," he replied holding the jewellery box firmly behind his back.
Rinoa smiled when she saw her friends. She walked excitedly up to them.
Squall watched his girlfriend walk towards him. He loved her so much; she was the one he wanted to spend his life with. He hoped she felt the same way and that she'd say yes to his proposal.
He then saw a young man follow in behind her.
He had dark spiked hair. He was quite tall like Irvine. He was wearing a black; long trench coat hat flew behind him. He had black baggy trousers with a black vest top on.
Was Rinoa leaving him for this other guy? Squall's heart sank. He nearly dropped the box with the engagement ring for Rinoa in.
The others stared at this mysterious guy which Rinoa had walked in with.
"Hi, guys," rinoa smiled.
Her friends stared at her abit shocked.
"Seifer?" she looked at her old boyfriend.
He looked at her back and nodded.
She then looked at Squall, "What?" he looked heart broken, "What's wrong?"
"Can I have word?" he asked upset.
"Sure," she narrowed her eyes at puzzled.
"I mean privately," he looked at the stranger.
"Oh! I won't be a minute," she told her brother. She then followed Squall into a corner in the quad.
She looked at him; "Squall whatever is the matter?"
"I suppose you think your funny," Squall snapped.
"I…I don't under…" she started.
"Why not tell me your leaving me privately, not of our friends?"
Rinoa started chuckling.
"What?" Squall was angry and hurt.
"Wait. You think…"she chuckled.
She walked over to Strik.
"Okay guys, I know how must this look, but Strik here…is my brother."
Rinoa saw Selphie's face light up when Rinoa mentioned Strik's name. Rinoa smiled at her friend
She then looked at Squall and walked over to him.
"Brother?" he said shocked, "I thought…"
"Squall, how could you think I would leave you? I love you squall. You're the one I want!" she then kissed him.
"Brother?" Rinoa heard the others mumble between themselves.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Quitis watched rinoa and Squall walk back to them.
"Because I didn't know until a couple of months ago," she told them, "I never knew I had a brother,"
"How?" Irvine raised his eyebrow.
"I sent her into the past," a woman answered his question.
"Ellone!" the others cried surprized to squall's sister there.
"Ellone!" squall smiled.
"Good to see your doing fine, Squall," she then hugged her brother.
"I'm glad you two have finally found each other," Ellone smiled looking at Strik and then Rinoa, "You both so much very like each other."
"I'm glad too," Strik put his arm his sister.
"Me too," she looked up at Strik and smiled.
"Look people need family. You all are family."
They all looked at each other.
"Some of us blood family," Ellone continued. She looked at Squall. He looked back at her. He smiled.
Rinoa looked at Strik; he looked back at her. They both smiled.
"And some not. But you've been through so much together…and stuck together. The love you have for each other is special and very strong. It's family love. You all are family," Ellone finished
They all looked at each other and agreed apart from Zell and Squall.
"Seifer, will never be my family," Squall said coldly. Zell agreed.
"Squall. I would have thought you would understand since I'm your sister. You both have to put your differences behind you," she told the guys off.
Seifer smirked.
"She means you aswell," Quitis told him.
He rolled his eyes,
"You have a lot to learn from each other," Ellone said walking away.
"Ellone," Rinoa called after her.
"Yes," she turned around.
"Your family too," she smiled.
They all smiled at Ellone.
She smiled back and walked over to them.
Zell approached squall later when all the others were talking to Strik and Rinoa.
"Aren't you gonna ask her?" he asked his best friend.
"Huh?" Squall looked puzzled.
"To marry you?"
"Oh, you mean Rinoa," he looked at his girlfriend, "Not yet. She's just got her family back."
"Okay."
Zell and Squall looked over to their friends. Their family.
