Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of FFVIII.

The silence was unnerving, even for me. I knew that the peace would soon be broken and I'll be forced to answer questions I don't want asked. Hyne knows I've avoided any form of communication unless they were of the absolute necessity. I sit and wait for the inevitable…

"Squall…"

Hesitation? Fear? Or uncertainty?

"How did you get that?"

How am I going to answer her question? I slammed my fist into my own mother's grave and no it's not what you think? Perhaps it was better to lie my way out. I would at least satisfy her curiosity.

What should I say? That a wandering Vysage found me and decided to have a little fun with me? That has to be the most unoriginal lie ever. Besides, Vysages use magic not brute strength.

Blood Souls? Not unless if I returned a walking zombie. Damn it! For once I wish there were fiercer monsters around Winhill. A wrestle with a Blue Dragon or an unpleasant encounter with two Toramas would have been more convincing.

Who am I kidding? Monsters don't just bruise your fingers then run off happily, not even Geezards. They would just break every single bone in your body and happily consume you for lunch unless they're just feeling particularly bloodthirsty then they rip your limbs from you. The difference? Most of your bones heal but a lost leg isn't that easy to recover.

"Squall? Did you hear me?" Damn! I think too much. I haven't even come up with a decent excuse.

"Yes, Rinoa. I did hear your question." I answer truthfully but not for long.

"Then answer it." She tapped my arm impatiently. My throat went dry.

"I…had a fight with one of the villagers." Forget the wandering Vysage part. This must be the crowning champion of all glaringly obvious fibs I've ever told.

Rinoa narrowed her eyes and stared at me. Warning signal number one. I moistened my lips nervously.

"Did I just hear right? Squall Leonhart, the blunt and straightforward warrior just told me a lie? A really lame lie I might add." Mockery in her voice and gestures with the tilting of her head in that way. Warning signal number two. I should have known better.

"Squall, what happened to your hand?" Gentle, almost soothing tone of voice. Light caress on my arm. Warning signal number three and four. Or was it four and five? I've lost count. Too many different signs. Interpreting body language was never my strong point even when it was part of a SeeD's training. Observe the target's gestures and movements. Be wary of hostility or insincerity. Uncertainty usually a good sign but should be treated carefully. I certainly passed the theoretical but when it comes to the actual situation, I'm about as skillful as a chocobo trying to swim.

"…" In situations like this, the last resort is to clam up. Actually it's my only retreat.

She sighed deeply and shook her head. A sign of surrender or merely a change of battle tactics? Knowing her, it was mostly the latter.

And my defenses weren't up too soon. It was subtle at first, so faint that I would have brushed it aside. But it wasn't the first time she's done it and Matron had explained it once to me before. Also, she never did learn how to hide it.

"Rinoa, will you please stop trying to read my mind?"

She jumped and looked a little guilty but defiant. "You obviously don't want to tell me so I'll just have to find it out myself."

Did it mean that much to her? To want to know every single thing that I do?

"Actually, yes I do." She said impishly. I glared at her and she smiled.

"Stop doing that!"

"Only if you tell me what's bothering you because I know you have something on your mind." She said tenderly. I closed my eyes. The invitation was so tempting, so irresistible. How I wanted to tell her my pain, my fear, my sor…no!

"Squall, you promised once to be my knight and you have been more than I could ever ask for in a knight. But you have to let the sorceress help her knight too. Won't you let me help you?" Can you truly help me? Can you honestly tell me that you can make my problems disappear? Can you even say that you have the power to heal my hurt?

"I can't, Squall. But I can share part of your pain even if not all."

I couldn't take it anymore.

"How can you understand, Rinoa? Can you say that you know what it is like to be betrayed by your own father? To learn that you could have had a different life? To realize that half of your life has been wasted living a lie? Can you, Rinoa? Can you? You can't because all your life you lived a pampered life, sheltered from any sort of cruelty life threw at you. Your father, General Caraway made sure of that."

She shrank in her seat and for a moment, I saw a sort of startledness creep into her eyes. Then it vanished and a hard look came over them. She raised her voice and a steelness I have never heard before was in it.

"Squall Leonhart, don't you ever say that I have never suffered before in my whole life. I lost my own mother when I was a child, fought a losing war with rebels against that man for three years, been a refugee from a hostile government for half a year, nearly died in a missile attack that same government launched, received sorceress powers that half-killed me, junctioned to a testerone-ridden lunatic, battled a crazy witch bent on time compression and almost lost you because you were too bull-headed to trust us as your friends. You are not the only person that is suffering in this world. I have suffered as much as you if not more with the curse on me. Don't you ever, ever say that I don't understand pain and suffering Squall Leonhart!"

With that she stormed out of the passenger room, literally stomping out. I stared after her, shame already growing in me. Why do I always say the wrong things, especially to her?

She wasn't through though. Five seconds later, she came stomping in again. This time she pointed at me and spoke with a voice as cold as Shiva's.

"As to your first question, no I don't understand. That's because you won't let me and what's more, you won't let yourself understand it." She turned and made the same exit plus stomps. The room was strangely silent after she left.

"Squall, Rinoa! We'll be arriving at Balamb Garden in fifteen minutes. Better buckle up. Looks like a storm whipping up. Landing will be rather rough."

Perfect, Selphie! Perfect! A storm inside of the Ragnorak and a storm outside of it. This just isn't my day.


"Well, you guys are back rather early." Quistis commented. She paused then stared at my hand. "What in Hyne's name happened to your hand?" I sighed. If someone else asks me that one more time, I'm going to kill him or her.

"Not now, Quistis please. Just update me."

She shrugged. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I wish I could just tell her to stop acting like she's still my instructor. But if I did say it, I'll never hear the end of it. I held my tongue, an easy thing to do after an entire lifetime of practice.

"The mission you sent Zell and Lance on to Trabia was a success. The last of the terrorists were rounded up and taken into custody by the Trabian government. They expressed their profuse gratitude and offered to donate funds and manpower to repair Trabia Garden." She reported briskly. I leaned back to reflect the news. The Trabian government had been neutral during the war and had no particular attitude towards SeeD. Perhaps it would be a strategic move to employ their help and eventually their alliance.

"Accept their offer with our thanks and inform them that requests for SeeD from their government will always receive priority."

Quistis cleared her throat. What now? I shot a look of irritation to her which could also be interpreted as a complex 'what?'.

"Maybe accepting their help so early wouldn't be such a good idea. We hardly know of their standing in current affairs. Galbadia may have been chastened from their mistake but nobody would consider embracing them with open arms. Trabia could prove a potential threat."

"And a potential ally as well. Cut the comments and just continue." I snapped, which just made her lift an eyebrow.

"You're the commander." I glared at her. She knows I hate that word.

"Speaking of Galbadia, they are moving the treaty signing to a fortnight later and not a month."

My head snapped out and my hands clutched at the desk. If I were sitting, I would definitely be standing up right now. As it is, I just tighten my grip on the edge and stare at her.

"What?"

"They decided, the sooner the better I guess. They won't take no for an answer and insist that SeeD be there with just the same pomp as planned originally, if not more." She spoke matter-of-factly. Damn you, Quistis! Damn you, Galbadia! Damn you all!!

"What are those morons up to? The SeeD field tests are on that week and they know it! Galbadia Garden is having theirs at that particular week as well. Even without them, they know that it's too much of a hassle for us." I hissed through clenched teeth.

Quistis shrugged. I resisted the urge to curse out loud. Please don't give me a reason to kill someone.

"Oh yes and the Esthar government has requested that the SeeD Commander personally escort the Estharian representatives to the treaty signing."

If Quistis were a wiser person or a more cowardly one - the two often seem to go well hand-in-hand together - she would make a tactful retreat from here before I draw Lionheart against her. But she was still standing there, not looking directly at me but still observing me. Seeing how I would take it. And I showed her all right.

"You can tell the Estharians that they can take their request and go to hell."

"Right. The Commander is too busy with his schedule and won't be able to make it. Got it." She really went this time and left me staring at the request letter she left behind.


Notes: Tension, tension and more tension. *evil little grin* Remember to apply your three R's. Relax, Read, and Review.