Laguna sat down at his desk, visibly tired. Esthar was still in the rebuilding process, still recovering from Adel's tyranny, it was hard to keep everything together and still try to hang out with Squall. It was something Laguna was not very talented at. He sighed and started reading through the paperwork stacked on his desk. The children had all gone shopping on their last day here. On the top of the paper stack was a tabloid newspaper with a headline circled. Laguna figured Ward had found something amusing and put it there.

WOMAN CLAIMS TO BE AN ALIEN!

(I doubt that's it…)

TWO HEADED ELNOYLE SPOTTED!

(Nope…)

PRESIDENT IS SINGLE-FATHER AND DATING SORCERESS!

Laguna fell out of his chair.

"Ow…"

Kiros opened the door and ran into the room.

"Laguna?! What happened, you okay?" he asked, helping the President up. Laguna brushed himself off and handed the paper to Kiros.

"I'm starting to think that 'free-press' idea of ours was a bad idea…" Laguna said. Kiros read the headlines and chuckled.

"You're the journalist, my friend."

"Shaddup."

"Dating a Sorceress? Are they talking about… Mrs Kramer?"

"…I think so…"

"I'm sure Cid would love to see this…"

"Oh, Hyne!"

"The shopping trip is going well, I hear… We should be seeing them around dinner-time."

"…I don't want to work today, why don't we go to the shopping centre to see them?"

"Because you're the President and can't do things like that."

"…"

"Laguna… Don't."

"…"

"I mean it Laguna."

"…"

"Don't look at me like that."

"…"

"Stop it. I'm not giving in."

"…"

"Damn you. Fine! We'll go."

Laguna grinned and walked toward the door.

"I need more cigarettes anyway," he said to Kiros, winking.

***

Laguna and Kiros walked slowly through the super-mall in the centre of Esthar. Laguna was staring at the different clothing stores and shaking his head.

"How do they wear those things?" he wondered aloud. Kiros shrugged.

"You were kidding about the cigarettes… right?" Kiros asked suspiciously.

"Look!" Laguna said, pointing. Kiros didn't move.

"…RIGHT?"

"Hyne! Yes, I was kidding… mostly…"

"Laguna…"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's find the kids."

"Good." The two men continued wandering by the shops peeking in each one, trying to find the children and Edea. People eyed them suspiciously as they passed through, both were wearing their normal Galbadian clothing, so they stood out a little. Suddenly Laguna stopped.

"What's the matter?" Kiros asked as he turned to face the President. Laguna looked at him with wide eyes.

"I just had an epiphany."

"I knew it would happen someday, shall I take you to the hospital?" Kiros teased.

"Shaddup."

"I was kidding."

"…How'd they know Edea was a sorceress?" Laguna asked suddenly. Kiros blinked. How did they find out about Edea?

"I dunno…"

"…We need to find them… very soon…"

"Why so urgent?"

"…Esthar… Sorceresses…" Laguna prompted. Kiros thought for a second and then coughed.

"Shit."

***

"Go back to Hell where you came from!"

"Get out of here!"

"We don't want any sorceresses or their spawn here!"

Edea stood in the centre of a mob, with the children wrapped around her feet, frightened. Only Squall and Seifer stood out, the two boys were yelling at the people to stop, but the mob wasn't listening. Edea hugged the other children tightly and pleaded with the small boys to stop provoking people.

"What the HELL is going on here!?!"

Edea turned to see someone pushing through the crowd roughly; it was someone who was wearing Galbadian clothing, followed by another, taller man with dark skin. Squall frowned as Laguna came into the centre of the circle with Kiros.

What could he possibly do? Squall wondered bitterly. Laguna stopped in front of Edea.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. Edea just nodded. Laguna turned to the crowd. "What the hell do you think you were doing!?!" he shouted at them. The crowd was taken aback, who was this man in Galbadian clothing to tell them what to do?

"She's a sorceress!" someone yelled in reply. Laguna scowled.

"So??"

"Sorceresses are evil! They only crave power! They should all be destroyed!" another person shouted.

"Well, this particular sorceress saved my life, and is my guest so I expect you to treat her with respect!" Laguna snapped at them. Squall flinched; he'd never seen Laguna like this before. "There are also children with her, one of which is MY son, so knock it off! Go home!"

"Who are you to tell us what to do? You outsider!" A man in the front shouted at him. Laguna could tell that this man was the ringleader. He glanced at Kiros who nodded and scanned the edge of the crowd, looking for more instigators. Laguna started at the man calmly with his emerald eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"What, don't tell me you can't even recognise your own President when you see him?" he said to the man. The crowd fell into a silent awe. This was President Loire? In the Galbadian clothing? Where were his guards? This sorceress is a guest of the President? Laguna could tell the crowd was wavering a bit with his announcement. "Yes, PRESIDENT. As in PRESIDENT LOIRE. That would be ME." Laguna's voice dripped with sarcasm as he approached the ringleader.

The other man seemed, in Squall's eyes to shrink. Squall stared at his father in awe. He was so cool.

"Go home, allaya!" Laguna growled at the crowd, which slowly started to disperse, shocked that the President had acted in such a way. Kiros waded through the crowd, taking a few people here and there by the arms and interrogating them. He arrested a few more and called in the guards, who were also to be reprimanded for not stopping the disturbance. Laguna sighed and turned back to the small group of children.

"Are you all okay?" he asked them, smiling.

"We're okay," Edea replied.

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright. I understand their feelings."

"Let's go back to the palace, okay?"

"Yes," Edea concurred. The small group followed Laguna and Kiros back while the guards took care of the rest of the mob.

***

Squall climbed slowly into bed that night, sighing. Everyone had left a few hours ago, to go back to Centra. It was now quiet in the palace again, boring, and Laguna was in his office working. Squall pulled the covers up and thought about the day again.

He and Seifer had tried to get the mob to go away, to leave them alone, but they were too small. A rock had hit Squall, and a rioter had backhanded Seifer. Then, Laguna and Kiros had shown up, and Laguna had accomplished what Squall had been trying for with just words. Words. That was it. Nothing else.

"Squall?" There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Squall replied. The door opened and Laguna peeked in.

"Hey, I wanted to know how you were doing? Your head still hurt?"

"No, I'm okay now."

"Good." Laguna smiled. "Well, goodnight Squall." He turned to go.

"Hey, dad?"

Laguna stopped, his eyes wide. He was silent for a moment, then he turned back to Squall.

"Y-yes?" he stuttered.

"I wanna be just like you when I grow up."

Laguna felt his heart jump into his throat and a smile start to spread across his face.

"I hope you'll be better than me," Laguna replied. Squall only smiled back and then laid down on the bed.

"Goodnight… Dad."

"…Goodnight, Squall."

***

AN: THAT'S IT! It's over! That's the end! I'm finished with my first fanfic ever! It only took me… *counts* One year and two months to finish it! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Go read "A Day in the Life" which is a prequel to this story! Thanks again!

-Rhyein