~~~Part 3~~~
Kiros opened the door to Laguna's office without knocking, as he'd become accustomed to doing over the past years.
"Laguna, are you busy?"
He looked up from his desk, and, guilty looking, slid a few pieces of paper into the desk. But he knew lying, at least to Kiros or Ward, was pointless.
"Nope, just sketching some stuff."
"Well, you can bring it with you on our way to Balamb," Kiros said with a slight smile for his old friend - no matter the rank, it was impossible to think of Laguna as your boss. "I'm afraid there's some confusion over there about something, and they need to talk to you. Nothing major, but it would be an excuse to get away from here for a day or two."
"Really?" the dark haired man perked up. "Where're Elle and Ward?"
"We're going to meet Elle at the airport, and Ward will be staying behind in case anything sudden comes up - can't have all three of us gone, after all, or Odine's likely to try finding some way to turn his lab into a large crater again."
"...He's insane," Laguna muttered, shaking his head.
"But usually very useful," Kiros pointed out with a slight sigh. "We really don't need to have this argument now, though."
"I'm hungry," Laguna remarked, forgetting the past subject with a slight nod. "Can I just grab a PB&J first?"
"Fine," Kiros chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "Though I think the kitchen staff wants to kill you by now. By the way - what were you sketching," he asked, slightly curious. Laguna might have been a columnist for a while, but he wasn't usually much for drawing.
"Nothin' much. I was barely lookin' at the paper, and the stupid computer has something wrong with it so I can't play that little game with the smiley guy."
Kiros calmly reached over and pressed the power button on the monitor, not saying a word as it came up to reveal the screensaver.
"Auuuughhh!" Laguna yelled in complaint. "I turned that on, so why did it work for you?!"
"Because it was on when you pressed the power button, Laguna," Kiros said patiently, trying not to laugh. "Remember, when you don't turn everything off at night, it looks like it's off in the morning but it's not. Come on - let's get to the airport, we'll go through that little book that came with the computer on the way if you'd like."
"...Nah. I wanna talk to Elle, I've been busy lately and I miss her."
"Let's grab your sandwich and get going, then."
"Okay." With that, the two of them started down for the kitchen, Laguna pleasantly unaware of just how serious the situation at Balamb really was..
~~~===~~~
"Laguna, I'm afraid that I need to borrow Elle for a few minutes," Kiros said as he came back into the passenger's section of the relatively small jet they were using to get to Balamb.
"What's up?" Laguna asked, looking from Kiros to Ellone.
"...Uncle Laguna, if we told you, it would spoil the surprise," Ellone giggled, a smooth flow to her words. /Ironically, I'm not really lying./
"She's right - so don't go peeking, or we'll have to throw you off the plane," Kiros smirked, waiting for Ellone to stand so he could lead her to a more private area.
"Aw, you guys," Laguna pleaded, eyes wide.
"Sorry Uncle Laguna," Ellone laughed, giving him a hug before walking towards Kiros.
"You'll find out soon enough," Kiros assured him, holding the curtain open politely for the young woman before following her back.
"Okay, so, what's going on?" she asked. "I mean, obviously he doesn't know, but.."
"It's complicated to say the least," Kiros sighed, keeping an ear out for the sound of Laguna trying to eavesdrop on the two of them. "I know you have a strange habit of knowing more than you usually should," he said with a slight smile, "so why don't you start by telling me what you think is going on, if you have any guesses."
"Uncle Laguna has no clue, they're set to take the test when we get there, and Squall has no idea either?" she laughed weakly.
"Right on all counts," Kiros nodded. "And I suspect that means you know what the test of for."
"Yeah." Ellone replied simply.
"Okay," he nodded. "On the bright side, it can't get much worse than it is, as long as we can keep Laguna from figuring out what's going on and telling Squall before you and Rinoa get the chance to talk to him."
"Or Zell," she remarked. "Though he's not going to run to Matron now." The look on her face stated clearly she was remembering some fuzzy little memory, probably involving Squall.
"If we're lucky, he'll forget the details of what she said before it becomes an issue. I don't think it will matter if the rumor mill hears that Rinoa was histerical about something. It would be easy enough to brush that off, and she's better at that sort of damage control than I am. The details - those would be harder to deny."
"Knowing some of the students at Garden, there's probably already enough rumors going around. Let's face it, the majority of them didn't hang around long enough for Quistis to save Zell's life."
"Good point," Kiros nodded. "But it would hardly be the first time somebody around there threatened to kill Zell," he chuckled. "Maybe the first time it wasn't after they tried asking him out on a date, but not the first time in general. I would imagine that they don't have nearly enough information for it to be dangerous."
Ellone shrugged. "Unless Zell says something, people are just gonna wonder what was up with Rinoa and Zell. And that's no problem because Squall trusts him-- that and Rinoa's annoyed enough at him to be repulsed at the thought. Our problem here is Uncle Laguna."
"Exactly. I'd rather have not had him over there until Squall knew, but I think you know just how easily that could be arranged. One way or the other, he'd have gotten in contact too soon."
"I'll talk with Rinoa as soon as I can," Ellone promised.
"That's good," he nodded. "I just hope that the tests don't take long to run. I don't think anybody thinks Squall would accept just being told this, even with the evidence they have so far."
"He won't, you're right.." she hesistated.
"What is it, Ellone?"
She kept quiet for a moment, brown eyes nearly glazed over, when she suddenly shook her head, dismissively. "It's nothing.. The spirits are just unusually talkative today."
"Anything related to this, or just com chatter," he asked, slipping into the terms from his military days - which were usually adequate to explain whatever was happening in Ellone's head, something he never claimed to completely understand.
"Um. something. forget it, really," Ellone grit her teeth, and there was a brief flicker of light as she silenced the apparently chattering beings. "They were just sending me a message."
"I hope you're right about that," Kiros said, shaking his head. "We really don't need more complications with this."
"Definitely not," she agreed.
"Well, we should probably head back out there before Laguna decides that we're plotting something he just has to know about," Kiros chuckled. "I just wanted to make sure you understood the situation - should have known better than to think you didn't know just as much as I do."
"I've got connections," Ellone replied with a half laugh. "Raine would get so annoyed when I told Uncle Laguna she'd made cookies. She said she made them while he wasn't around so that the customers could have some."
"That does sound like Laguna," Kiros said, rolling his eyes. "I'm just glad you've gotten better at keeping secrets over the years - he certainly hasn't."
"He has his faults, but don't we all?"
"They're what make him Laguna," Kiros nodded with a fond smile. "Still, there are days when they're particularly frustrating ones."
"...Kiros, keep Uncle Laguna busy and away from the med lab when we get there, OK? I. think I should speak with Rinoa before they take the test."
"I suppose I can do that," Kiros said with a slight frown. "But the majority of the reason for him to go there is to go to the med lab."
"J-Just trust me on this one, OK?" Ellone asked simply, walking back to the passenger's cabin.
/Wonderful,/ Kiros thought to himself as he followed her up front. /She's as bad a liar as Laguna is, but she *does* know I can't call her on it up there. Why do I have the feeling this just got a lot trickier..../
~~~===~~~
Quistis was waiting at the impromptu landing strip near Garden when the jet landed, shielding her eyes from the sun as Laguna, Kiros, and Ellone touched down.
Ellone was chattering something to Laguna when she noticed her, and a broad, bright smile broke out on her face.
"Quisty!"
"Sis," Quistis grinned, moving up to hug the slightly older woman who was practically family, rather than just a friend. "Good to see you."
"You too," Ellone nodded, barely not swatting at the air around her. /Yes, I know. Just get back to her and tell her what I said./
"Quistis," Laguna nodded in her direction.
"Hello, Laguna," the blonde smiled as she let Ellone go and extended her hand, some degree of her normal composure recovered.
Laguna accepted it, then, a moment later, stretched from head to toe, muttering something about the uncomfortable seats on the jet.
"So," Ellone shook her head. "Have them install new ones.. It's not like it will take long-- five minutes, at the most, and robots can do something that simple."
".Those things creep me out. I don't trust 'em. Hyne knows just what Doc Odine could have programmed them to do," Laguna sighed. "But, we need him around," he intercepted what he thought Kiros would be about to say."
"I didn't say anything," Kiros chuckled as he followed the two of them down, and the walkway was retracted back into the jet. "Quistis, it's good to see you."
"Likewise, Kiros," Quistis smiled. "I'm glad to see you all here so quickly."
"What's the big deal, then?" Laguna asked. "I mean, from what I picked up it wasn't urgent.. Is something wrong?"
Ellone winced, but quickly glossed her motion over.
"Nothing's wrong," Quistis said quickly. "Just a little confusion down in medical - they need to get some paperwork filed, and the regs say they need some bloodwork on the Commander's immediate relatives. Nothing major."
"He's OK, though?"
"Squall's fine, Uncle Laguna," Ellone said. /Physically, anyway./
"Yes, Squall's fine," Quistis nodded. "It's just something we put off as long as we could, but if we don't get it handled fairly soon, Kadowaki's going to have kittens. Besides, it's a good reason for you to pay a visit," she smiled, trying to make it look like everything was all right.
"Oh, okay," Laguna seemed to accept this explanation, then an apologetic expression crossed his face. "Um, where are the washrooms?"
"In the vehicle pool," Kiros and Quistis said almost as one. Quistis barely managed to avoid a slight giggle as she continued.
"I'll take Ellone down to see Kadowaki, then come for you when everything's ready, all right Laguna?"
"OK," he repeated. "'Bye, Elle."
"See you soon!" Ellone called back, following Quistis off.
Quistis waited until they were out of earshot before she spoke quietly to Ellone. "Kiros explained everything to you, right?"
"Didn't need to," Ellone replied. "But he did anyway."
"Should have known," Quistis chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Any idea how you and Rinoa will tell Squall?"
".I did, but things just got worse."
"Worse," Quistis asked incredulously. "How could things get worse?"
".Shiva's junctioned to Squall, right?"
"Uhm, usually, yeah," Quistis nodded.
"Well, it seems GFs like to gossip," Ellone sighed softly.
"Please tell me that she didn't find out and tell Squall."
"Not yet. but so long as he's junctioned, it's a risk."
"I hope she'll wait for Rinoa and you," Quistis said, shaking her head. "Though at least you'd have the argument that Rinoa was going to tell him, but their GF's got impatient. On the bright side, I don't know if Squall's using his junctions at the moment - he may well be, but the odds are against a fight starting soon, so he might have decided to get a few moments peace."
"We can hope," Ellone nodded. "But.. It's worse than that, too. GFs have some strange abilities to know things about their masters, and..."
"And," Quistis prompted, not liking Ellone's tone at all.
"Quistis, um." Ellone quavered. "Look, absolutely no one can hear this-- can we go to your dorm?"
"We're closer to medical - once we're past the outer doors, it's soundproof. Security reasons," she explained, as the doors in question opened, and closed almost silently behind them.
".Carbunkle told me that.. Well..
"Th-There's. another spirit. In Rinoa."
Quistis frowned as she thought about it. But it wasn't *too* unusual. "Meaning...?"
"An. unfamiliar one. Not a GF."
It clicked into place almost as soon as Ellone had finished saying it.
"You mean she's...."
".I-If you mean what I think you mean," Ellone nodded.
"She's pregnant," Quistis said with a sigh, knowing that was what Ellone meant. "Perfect."
Kiros opened the door to Laguna's office without knocking, as he'd become accustomed to doing over the past years.
"Laguna, are you busy?"
He looked up from his desk, and, guilty looking, slid a few pieces of paper into the desk. But he knew lying, at least to Kiros or Ward, was pointless.
"Nope, just sketching some stuff."
"Well, you can bring it with you on our way to Balamb," Kiros said with a slight smile for his old friend - no matter the rank, it was impossible to think of Laguna as your boss. "I'm afraid there's some confusion over there about something, and they need to talk to you. Nothing major, but it would be an excuse to get away from here for a day or two."
"Really?" the dark haired man perked up. "Where're Elle and Ward?"
"We're going to meet Elle at the airport, and Ward will be staying behind in case anything sudden comes up - can't have all three of us gone, after all, or Odine's likely to try finding some way to turn his lab into a large crater again."
"...He's insane," Laguna muttered, shaking his head.
"But usually very useful," Kiros pointed out with a slight sigh. "We really don't need to have this argument now, though."
"I'm hungry," Laguna remarked, forgetting the past subject with a slight nod. "Can I just grab a PB&J first?"
"Fine," Kiros chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "Though I think the kitchen staff wants to kill you by now. By the way - what were you sketching," he asked, slightly curious. Laguna might have been a columnist for a while, but he wasn't usually much for drawing.
"Nothin' much. I was barely lookin' at the paper, and the stupid computer has something wrong with it so I can't play that little game with the smiley guy."
Kiros calmly reached over and pressed the power button on the monitor, not saying a word as it came up to reveal the screensaver.
"Auuuughhh!" Laguna yelled in complaint. "I turned that on, so why did it work for you?!"
"Because it was on when you pressed the power button, Laguna," Kiros said patiently, trying not to laugh. "Remember, when you don't turn everything off at night, it looks like it's off in the morning but it's not. Come on - let's get to the airport, we'll go through that little book that came with the computer on the way if you'd like."
"...Nah. I wanna talk to Elle, I've been busy lately and I miss her."
"Let's grab your sandwich and get going, then."
"Okay." With that, the two of them started down for the kitchen, Laguna pleasantly unaware of just how serious the situation at Balamb really was..
~~~===~~~
"Laguna, I'm afraid that I need to borrow Elle for a few minutes," Kiros said as he came back into the passenger's section of the relatively small jet they were using to get to Balamb.
"What's up?" Laguna asked, looking from Kiros to Ellone.
"...Uncle Laguna, if we told you, it would spoil the surprise," Ellone giggled, a smooth flow to her words. /Ironically, I'm not really lying./
"She's right - so don't go peeking, or we'll have to throw you off the plane," Kiros smirked, waiting for Ellone to stand so he could lead her to a more private area.
"Aw, you guys," Laguna pleaded, eyes wide.
"Sorry Uncle Laguna," Ellone laughed, giving him a hug before walking towards Kiros.
"You'll find out soon enough," Kiros assured him, holding the curtain open politely for the young woman before following her back.
"Okay, so, what's going on?" she asked. "I mean, obviously he doesn't know, but.."
"It's complicated to say the least," Kiros sighed, keeping an ear out for the sound of Laguna trying to eavesdrop on the two of them. "I know you have a strange habit of knowing more than you usually should," he said with a slight smile, "so why don't you start by telling me what you think is going on, if you have any guesses."
"Uncle Laguna has no clue, they're set to take the test when we get there, and Squall has no idea either?" she laughed weakly.
"Right on all counts," Kiros nodded. "And I suspect that means you know what the test of for."
"Yeah." Ellone replied simply.
"Okay," he nodded. "On the bright side, it can't get much worse than it is, as long as we can keep Laguna from figuring out what's going on and telling Squall before you and Rinoa get the chance to talk to him."
"Or Zell," she remarked. "Though he's not going to run to Matron now." The look on her face stated clearly she was remembering some fuzzy little memory, probably involving Squall.
"If we're lucky, he'll forget the details of what she said before it becomes an issue. I don't think it will matter if the rumor mill hears that Rinoa was histerical about something. It would be easy enough to brush that off, and she's better at that sort of damage control than I am. The details - those would be harder to deny."
"Knowing some of the students at Garden, there's probably already enough rumors going around. Let's face it, the majority of them didn't hang around long enough for Quistis to save Zell's life."
"Good point," Kiros nodded. "But it would hardly be the first time somebody around there threatened to kill Zell," he chuckled. "Maybe the first time it wasn't after they tried asking him out on a date, but not the first time in general. I would imagine that they don't have nearly enough information for it to be dangerous."
Ellone shrugged. "Unless Zell says something, people are just gonna wonder what was up with Rinoa and Zell. And that's no problem because Squall trusts him-- that and Rinoa's annoyed enough at him to be repulsed at the thought. Our problem here is Uncle Laguna."
"Exactly. I'd rather have not had him over there until Squall knew, but I think you know just how easily that could be arranged. One way or the other, he'd have gotten in contact too soon."
"I'll talk with Rinoa as soon as I can," Ellone promised.
"That's good," he nodded. "I just hope that the tests don't take long to run. I don't think anybody thinks Squall would accept just being told this, even with the evidence they have so far."
"He won't, you're right.." she hesistated.
"What is it, Ellone?"
She kept quiet for a moment, brown eyes nearly glazed over, when she suddenly shook her head, dismissively. "It's nothing.. The spirits are just unusually talkative today."
"Anything related to this, or just com chatter," he asked, slipping into the terms from his military days - which were usually adequate to explain whatever was happening in Ellone's head, something he never claimed to completely understand.
"Um. something. forget it, really," Ellone grit her teeth, and there was a brief flicker of light as she silenced the apparently chattering beings. "They were just sending me a message."
"I hope you're right about that," Kiros said, shaking his head. "We really don't need more complications with this."
"Definitely not," she agreed.
"Well, we should probably head back out there before Laguna decides that we're plotting something he just has to know about," Kiros chuckled. "I just wanted to make sure you understood the situation - should have known better than to think you didn't know just as much as I do."
"I've got connections," Ellone replied with a half laugh. "Raine would get so annoyed when I told Uncle Laguna she'd made cookies. She said she made them while he wasn't around so that the customers could have some."
"That does sound like Laguna," Kiros said, rolling his eyes. "I'm just glad you've gotten better at keeping secrets over the years - he certainly hasn't."
"He has his faults, but don't we all?"
"They're what make him Laguna," Kiros nodded with a fond smile. "Still, there are days when they're particularly frustrating ones."
"...Kiros, keep Uncle Laguna busy and away from the med lab when we get there, OK? I. think I should speak with Rinoa before they take the test."
"I suppose I can do that," Kiros said with a slight frown. "But the majority of the reason for him to go there is to go to the med lab."
"J-Just trust me on this one, OK?" Ellone asked simply, walking back to the passenger's cabin.
/Wonderful,/ Kiros thought to himself as he followed her up front. /She's as bad a liar as Laguna is, but she *does* know I can't call her on it up there. Why do I have the feeling this just got a lot trickier..../
~~~===~~~
Quistis was waiting at the impromptu landing strip near Garden when the jet landed, shielding her eyes from the sun as Laguna, Kiros, and Ellone touched down.
Ellone was chattering something to Laguna when she noticed her, and a broad, bright smile broke out on her face.
"Quisty!"
"Sis," Quistis grinned, moving up to hug the slightly older woman who was practically family, rather than just a friend. "Good to see you."
"You too," Ellone nodded, barely not swatting at the air around her. /Yes, I know. Just get back to her and tell her what I said./
"Quistis," Laguna nodded in her direction.
"Hello, Laguna," the blonde smiled as she let Ellone go and extended her hand, some degree of her normal composure recovered.
Laguna accepted it, then, a moment later, stretched from head to toe, muttering something about the uncomfortable seats on the jet.
"So," Ellone shook her head. "Have them install new ones.. It's not like it will take long-- five minutes, at the most, and robots can do something that simple."
".Those things creep me out. I don't trust 'em. Hyne knows just what Doc Odine could have programmed them to do," Laguna sighed. "But, we need him around," he intercepted what he thought Kiros would be about to say."
"I didn't say anything," Kiros chuckled as he followed the two of them down, and the walkway was retracted back into the jet. "Quistis, it's good to see you."
"Likewise, Kiros," Quistis smiled. "I'm glad to see you all here so quickly."
"What's the big deal, then?" Laguna asked. "I mean, from what I picked up it wasn't urgent.. Is something wrong?"
Ellone winced, but quickly glossed her motion over.
"Nothing's wrong," Quistis said quickly. "Just a little confusion down in medical - they need to get some paperwork filed, and the regs say they need some bloodwork on the Commander's immediate relatives. Nothing major."
"He's OK, though?"
"Squall's fine, Uncle Laguna," Ellone said. /Physically, anyway./
"Yes, Squall's fine," Quistis nodded. "It's just something we put off as long as we could, but if we don't get it handled fairly soon, Kadowaki's going to have kittens. Besides, it's a good reason for you to pay a visit," she smiled, trying to make it look like everything was all right.
"Oh, okay," Laguna seemed to accept this explanation, then an apologetic expression crossed his face. "Um, where are the washrooms?"
"In the vehicle pool," Kiros and Quistis said almost as one. Quistis barely managed to avoid a slight giggle as she continued.
"I'll take Ellone down to see Kadowaki, then come for you when everything's ready, all right Laguna?"
"OK," he repeated. "'Bye, Elle."
"See you soon!" Ellone called back, following Quistis off.
Quistis waited until they were out of earshot before she spoke quietly to Ellone. "Kiros explained everything to you, right?"
"Didn't need to," Ellone replied. "But he did anyway."
"Should have known," Quistis chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Any idea how you and Rinoa will tell Squall?"
".I did, but things just got worse."
"Worse," Quistis asked incredulously. "How could things get worse?"
".Shiva's junctioned to Squall, right?"
"Uhm, usually, yeah," Quistis nodded.
"Well, it seems GFs like to gossip," Ellone sighed softly.
"Please tell me that she didn't find out and tell Squall."
"Not yet. but so long as he's junctioned, it's a risk."
"I hope she'll wait for Rinoa and you," Quistis said, shaking her head. "Though at least you'd have the argument that Rinoa was going to tell him, but their GF's got impatient. On the bright side, I don't know if Squall's using his junctions at the moment - he may well be, but the odds are against a fight starting soon, so he might have decided to get a few moments peace."
"We can hope," Ellone nodded. "But.. It's worse than that, too. GFs have some strange abilities to know things about their masters, and..."
"And," Quistis prompted, not liking Ellone's tone at all.
"Quistis, um." Ellone quavered. "Look, absolutely no one can hear this-- can we go to your dorm?"
"We're closer to medical - once we're past the outer doors, it's soundproof. Security reasons," she explained, as the doors in question opened, and closed almost silently behind them.
".Carbunkle told me that.. Well..
"Th-There's. another spirit. In Rinoa."
Quistis frowned as she thought about it. But it wasn't *too* unusual. "Meaning...?"
"An. unfamiliar one. Not a GF."
It clicked into place almost as soon as Ellone had finished saying it.
"You mean she's...."
".I-If you mean what I think you mean," Ellone nodded.
"She's pregnant," Quistis said with a sigh, knowing that was what Ellone meant. "Perfect."