Sammy:Ok … this is AMAZING!! You can truly call this UPDATING! Hahahaaaa … ok, so now I'm considered NORMAL! Ahem, anywho, so … yah, how are all of you? Good, good … err … I do not own FF8 and so ON with the fanfictiON.



~Chapter 8: Conversation~


Rinoa rubbed her cheek in pure agony. All right, there was no pity in battle, and she knew that only too well but this was… It felt like he had beaten her to an inch of her life. Not that she didn't ask for it but… She didn't know her father could be so without mercy. At least it was confirmed that he wouldn't be able to see out of that eye for another week. It was the only blow she was able to land but it was hell worth it. Maybe; if she could stand up by tomorrow.

Julia wandered around the mansion aimlessly; it was the only good thing about this place. You could go on long walks without seeing the same scenery all the time. This wasn't right.  Why did he have to do that? Well, take a risk once in a while, and what better way than to ask him personally. She walked into his study and found him trying to bandage his eye in vain.

"Why did you have to do that?" She questioned him.

"She wanted me to…"He replied gruffly.

"Oh please! You know, if you care so much about your oldest daughter then maybe you should treat her with more freedom.  For crying out loud! She hasn't even had ONE boyfriend in her 17 years of life!  Not even a kiss from a boy."

"Oh yes she has. Today. It was a bet but a kiss never the less. By that Leonheart boy.  Even if I hate his guts for laying a finger on her, he's still one of the best SeeDs. Anyways, she has no time for these stupid things. It's much harder for a woman to keep her place in the council. She's got to choose: a regular teenager? Getting screwed, smoking, you name it. Or being a dignified noble. It's her choice Julia. Not mine." He slowly rose from his chair and exited the office, heading for a nice long sleep.

Julia sighed, looked back in the room, turned off the lights and closed the door.  She decided to head for her daughter's room.

"You can't call her a woman yet." She muttered to herself as she walked down the hall.




***




"What the fuck happened to you?" Squall gawked incredulously at her.

"None of your business."

"Come on! You look like you've been raped, put through the shredder and shipped off to a boot camp and gotten a few cracks on the head."

" …"

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone and drive … "

"Ok, I know I'm a bastard but …" His voice got softer. "Just tell me what happened …"

"I just told you to mind your own business; and yes, you are a bastard so leave me alone." She gazed out of the passenger window of the small van, looking at what she was leaving behind. Not much… Hah… Nothing at all.

The sun shone through the windows of the tiny van. A cut on her eyebrow, a bruise on her left cheek, another cut near the bruise… To put it simply she was completely disfigured.

"He wasn't very smart. Beating you before a big mission that can't really be failed unless we want our asses roasting on a stick." Squall said jokingly.

Rinoa couldn't help smiling. "He didn't beat me…"

"Oh… So he… Lightly laid his knuckles on your face with exceeding pressure…" Squall said sarcastically, and then added, "Same thing."

"No… Actually, I asked for it."

"Oh… Commander Heartily admitting a MISTAKE. WOW!!" He said smiling at her, managing to take his eyes off the road for a short period.

"No… I was pissed was all…" No emotion betrayed her.

"Oh… so you were being you."

"Go fuck yourself."

"See, I WOULD. But, now the person I usually picture while jacking off is completely fucked up … so-"

He was silenced by a quick glare from Rinoa. She had actually enjoyed that conversation except when the conversation by… Well her… But not purposely.




***




Hours passed by in silence as they drove along the roads of Galbadia. They were heading for the most Northern part of Galbadia. Edging towards Trabia, a country who wasn't part of the Tripower… Much too weak… And peaceful. Finally Squall spoke up.

"We should get some information on where the guy could be …"

"Where are you expecting to make people talk?" Rinoa asked, actually curious.

"Dingy bars… Inns… And speaking of so …" He said; his eyes narrowing down at a wrecked down motel. "We can stay there for the night and try to get some information… Technically… I don't want to be wandering around, looking for this asshole."

"Ok… But…" She looked the motel once more. "Are you sure that it won't collapse on us… A gust of wind would be enough to…"

"I realized but… Oh well…"

So, that was that and they rented a room …

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"I swear I didn't know! I really DID ask for two beds! I'll sleep on the couch!" Squall said, panic stricken as he ducked a pillow being shot across the room by Rinoa.

"You better... Because you're not sleeping next me!" She replied. "Now go down and wander around and … find info. I'll connect the laptop."

"Ok …" He said as he left the tiny… room (I guess you could call it that) … with only one bed.

So, she set up near the bed, the screen of the laptop lighting up the whole room. Checking the e-mail, she looked at the newly received mail from Council.

"Confirm location."

Rinoa nearly burst out laughing. The council was getting lazy. Writing such a crappy e-mail. She remembered when she was younger (and without power), she had to look up every second word of their e-mails in the dictionary for she understood none of it. Replying with a simple "Near Trabian border."She shut off the computer and went to look for Squall.

"Hah… she's a nice one." A strange voice said.

Rinoa spun around. There were two men who obviously had had a lonely life since they were planning something.

"Flip a coin, heads I win, tails you win." The other said.

"Oh god …" Rinoa had little strength to deal with people who were about to rape her so she backed away slightly.

"What's up gentlemen?" The familiar voice said.

The two fools spun around to see someone of their size. Squall Leonheart had over-heard the conversation and wasn't too happy about it.

"Heh, that chick…" One said. "And my dick." He laughed.

"Eheh… sorry to disappoint you but she's mine." Squall said, bluffing of course, slightly disgusted by their joke.

"Oh, you're the one who bitched out her face like that?" The second one asked.

"My face isn't that bad, you jackass!" Rinoa managed to spat. "At least, it's nothing compared to yours!"

"Oh and she's got spunk… heh heh heh…" The first one retorted. "Prove she's yours and we won't bother her."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Fuck her in public or something?" Squall asked.

"Your pick…" Said the second.

"All right. " He said moving up to Rinoa, muttering before he pressed his lips against hers once more, "I'm going to ask you to pretend very hard now …"

And there it was, once again. Nearly slipping into unconsciousness. Why did he keep doing that? The two rejects left without another word, for they knew how dangerous a woman could be if assaulted by a man that she had nothing with. So being convinced, they left the narrow hallway.

Feeling them leave Rinoa slowly pushed Squall away against his will, "I … umm … wished you'd stop doing that." She said, her voice nearly shaking.

"Still think I kiss like a Chihuahua?" He asked smiling.

"You've gotten better. Have you practiced?" She asked mockingly.

"Hey, it gets better." he said leaning in again.

Rinoa pushed him slightly, "Ok… We should, uh, go sleep now."

"Right…" He said, trying to hide a tinge of disappointment.


Sammy: Err… Weird I know… anywho… this is the chapter… so… yah… to be continued.