Foreword: I'm going to do a foreword this time. Finally we reach Chapter 10 and the 12th installment of Regrets of A Father! To those who are worried, the end is still nowhere in sight so you can put away your tissues and just position yourself in front of the monitor. Tell me what you think of this chapter.
This chapter is also especially dedicated to Persephone. You know why, girl. *winks*
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Final Fantasy VIII.
Come on. Calm down. Just go in there and be cool.
That's why you were telling yourself the last time.
No, don't remind me please! I'm trying not to panic here.
That would explain the sudden cramping I feel down there.
Haha. Very funny. Focus. Focus. Focus. Try not to think of him staring at you with that look of his. Try not to think of what sarcastic words he's going to say. Just try and pretend that you're talking to…
Your son?
Hyne! How would I know how to talk to my son?
Like how you talk to Ellone?
I can't do that!
Why not?
Ellone…she…I…
See?
It's different. She's…a girl.
Your point is?
Just shut up! Stop trying to confuse me!
You know, you're just going to mess up no matter how you're going to talk to him.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Just get in there and talk. You know, you're pampering that boy.
Since when did you sound like Kiros and Ward?
Since you had them in your troop in Galbadia.
Anyway, I'm not pampering him. I deserve it.
Laguna, you're being ridiculous. You're his father for Hyne's sake! Ever heard of the proverb, spare the rod and spoil the child?
I think I laid the said 'rod' on him too many times.
But he's survived.
He doesn't deserve what I put him through.
Neither do you deserve what he's putting you through.
…I wish I could say you're right.
You're tired of this as I am. As everybody is. You know what you should do.
No, I don't. I don't think I want to know either.
Stop denying it. Its time you stop sulking on your ass and get it in there. Its time to let him know you stand no nonsense from him.
Did I mention you're one hell of a buddy?
Get in there, Laguna.
If I survive this, I'm going to stop hanging around Kiros and Ward. They're a bad influence on me.
Like you really would.
"Anson!"
"Yes, sir?" He almost seemed to magically materialize beside of me. How he does it, I'll never know. Maybe it's some president aide secret.
"Where is my agenda on the treaty signing?"
"Right here, sir." A file drops into my hands just as quickly as he replies. I wonder if they are trained to have super-fast reflexes? Or do they have Haste permanently junctioned to them? And why do I even bother?
"Thank you, Anson." Leaving my quarters, a thought suddenly arrested me. I turned back and looked at him. "Anson, how did you get that?"
"It was a misunderstanding sir. Nothing serious." Anson was stammering and stuttering like he'd just been caught peeking among my papers - not that he would do such a thing of course. Anson's the most loyal and honest aide I've ever had.
"What misunderstanding?" He's just piqued my curiosity. I stared at the swollen skin. Someone sure knows how to deal a wicked punch and he did a good job though. It'll turn a lovely purple-yellow bruise if he doesn't take care of it soon. Maybe lovely isn't the right word to use for poor Anson.
He shifted from one foot to another. "I…err…one of the SeeDs." One of the SeeDs? What was going on? I frowned. It had better not be what I think it is.
"Get an ice pack on it and see if you can find some relief for it." I ordered and left. I would ask Anson more but it just gave me a reason to talk to Squall…
"We'll arrive at Deling City tomorrow morning at 0900 hours and proceed straight to the North Deling Mansion where you will meet with Duke Arling to discuss Dollet's external affairs with Garden. According to Xu, he wishes to possibly employ SeeD in a later date."
"Did he state a reason?"
"There's no mention of that."
"All right. Continue."
Sounds like my cue. I enter the Passenger Room and tried to cover my sweaty palms. It had taken me a while before I could adjust my expression to read we-need-to-talk-and-now.
"Sq…Commander Leonhart? We need to discuss a few things. That is, if you're not too busy." So far so good. He should take the hint.
A pair of grey eyes begin boring into me and I almost broke my resolve. No! I have to hold firm. If I can't get through now, I never will. I just hope that I'm doing the right thing.
Our eyes continued playing push-and-shove for a while before he finally turned away.
"What is it, Mr. President?"
The SeeD made a discreet departure. I wish he would stay but its too late to stop him.
I sat down, knowing he would never ask me to. Facing him, every feeling of doom I felt when I face a nightmare returned. Still, I have to try and talk to him.
"Sorry to interrupt your meeting but there is a few matters I want to clear up." My neck muscles must be as tight as a stretched rubber sheet now.
He was remaining as mute as a lamp post. I suppose I can't blame him. Its my call.
"One of my aides claimed to have received his black eye from one of your SeeDs. Do you know anything about this?"
His eyes began to burn into me again. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead and I haven't even approached the real reason I'm here yet.
"Would you mind explaining to me exactly what happened?" I somehow croaked out. His eyes didn't stop glaring though. I wish to Hyne he would stop that!
We were both silent for a few minutes. I wonder if he was pondering ways to murder me as brutally as possible.
"Zell punched him." Finally!
"Zell? Zell punched Anson?" Now I am confused. "Was there a problem?"
"No."
"So?" I am not going to back down! I am not going to back down!
His eyes never left my face as he slowly replied. "It was an accident. Zell was practicing and your aide came in." I knew the message he was sending me but I will deal with it later.
"All right. I'm glad to hear it was only a misunderstanding." I ignored the pleading voice in my head to back away. I'm still not through yet.
"I hope that it will not happen again. I do not appreciate my aides going around, nursing black eyes because of 'misunderstandings'." Hoo boy! I'm starting to sound like Kiros now. Squall's fists were clenching but I'm here and he's there. I hardly think he would want to cause a scene right now.
Even though I knew I shouldn't, I could resist raising the next subject. "Esthar's request was delayed for an unnecessarily long period of time. Why is that?"
Squall's look was sharper than daggers now but he replied all the same. "I believe you heard my explanation for that."
"Actually, I don't think I really understand your explanation at all. I would have thought that such a request would receive an immediate reply be it an affirmative or…" I leaned forward. "…a negative."
He was silent but I could still feel the silent curses and the bitter stabbing. I don't know what's come over me but I'm enjoying this!
I rose to my feet and began pacing. Tossing the hair out of my eyes, I looked at him. "Perhaps I'm being a little dense here but tell me something. Why would the normally responsible and prompt Commander delay sending a reply for so long? Technical difficulties and pressing problems? I don't think I've ever heard of the Commander using such a - if you will excuse my liberty - poor excuse?"
Squall by now had stood up as well. His hand was moving to his gunblade but I cut in before he could say anything.
"I knew as did everybody that you would reject that request. You hate my guts and would probably sacrifice me to the birds if you had the chance. I do not doubt that your gunblade would be down my throat by now if it weren't for the fact that we're both public images. I don't blame you as well. I admit I never came back for either you or Ellone. Still, I…" I glanced at him as I was talking and was startled into silence.
His face was twisted into an open snarl and he spat out. "I'm only here because Cid told me that the President's life was in danger. I would have gladly let them take your life like you said but I have obligations to my responsibilities. I'm convinced now that the damned fool tricked me. If you think I'm going to sit here and listen to you lecture me, you're damn wrong! You're only my employer, not my father."
He turned and begin to leave. I stared at him open-mouthed but not for long. The airship rocked dangerously from side to side, throwing us around while a loud explosion was heard outside. A voice shot over the intercom. It was Anson.
"President Loire! We're being attacked by another airship!"
I dashed to where Squall was but another blast threw me off my feet and I fell against the wall. The world blurred before me and the last I saw was of Squall unconscious on the floor.
"Welcome back, Mr. President."
I groaned and nursed my head. My head was throbbing wildly and I felt like a million Tonberries were marching through my head.
"A rather quick recovery, if I may say so Mr. President. You've only been out for about ten minutes."
I opened my eyes to see who the unrecognizable voice belonged to. The room was dark but I could vaguely make out a tall man bending over me.
"Well, well, well. Laguna Loire. Who would have thought this would happen?" The man's mouth drew back into an amused snicker.
"What the hell did you do to my ship?" I forced my eyes to focus and looked towards the door. "And where the hell is my son?"
"My, my. The Laguna I knew never used such language. You've changed a lot but you're still the same old bastard I know."
"Who in bloody hell are you?" At the moment, I don't feel like pretending to be the same old Laguna.
"Mind your language, Mr. President. I find it painful to see that you've forgotten who I am. No matter, you'll remember who I am soon enough. Men!
Come in and take him to the ship. Mind, you don't hurt him yet. We wouldn't want our prize to be damaged."
"You still haven't answered my first two questions, you bastard!" I struggled but the two men's grips were like iron. I consider myself to be fairly strong but these two were all muscle and sinew.
"We just fired a few harmless missiles to your ship to disable your engines. Not much harm done really. I can't say the same for your son though." He laughed again. My heart sank.
"Squall…is he…?"
"Oh, he's alive all right. Not for long though unless you cooperate. He's in our ship and you'll be joining him too. Not in the same cell of course. It wouldn't be safe for us to have the Commander and the President together. It wouldn't be safe for dear old dad as well." They shared a chuckle. Right now, I would give anything to have my machine gun with me. But I left it in Esthar, thinking I wouldn't need it in Deling City.
"Take him to the ship. I'll interrogate him later." He turned away and the two men began dragging me off. I struggled to wrench myself away but it was no use. My head was still aching and the grip they had on my arms were too tight. I gave it up and concentrated on staring at the damage around me.
The Phoenix Wing was throughly damaged and would never be the same again. Somehow we had managed to land without crashing which would have certainly killed us all. But could the pilot still be alive after all this?
We passed through the corridors but I found no sign of life. Everywhere I saw dead bodies staring back at me in horror. I shuddered at one particularly gruesome sight and turned my eyes away.
Outside, a dark blue airship stood ready to greet us. Somehow it looked familiar but I couldn't remember where I had seen it. I was hauled into the ship and led to a room. There was a bunk bed there and a sink at the side. It was dark and musty but my two guards threw me in it and the door slammed behind me. I was a prisoner on a somehow familiar ship and to a man who claimed to know me from the past.
I crawled into my bunk and closed my eyes. My head was throbbing and I couldn't think clearly. There is no use trying to get out of here. Squall is still alive but he won't be for long if I don't stay.
What the hell is going on?
