Ch. 7
Reconciliation
Bright and early the next day Squall and Emma started out for Deling City along with them was Zone, Watts, Vincent and Kira.
The train ride was awkward Squall sat in a small compartment with the five others. He had offered to let them use the SeeD compartment, but Emma didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.
Throughout the ride they all remained quiet. Two years ago Squall would have loved this silence, but now he dread it. It left him to ponder.
They were going to go see Caraway. Squall hadn't seen the man since the whole sorceress assignation situation. There were a lot of things that the General probably didn't know like his daughter being the sorceress or Squall's undeniable love for her. He had presumed that Caraway had heard of her death, but there was that tiny fear inside of him that maybe Caraway didn't know and he would have to tell him. Squall didn't think he could do that.
As the train rode on Squall recalled some of the conversations he had with Rinoa about her father. In fact father's, or lack there of was something the two had in common. Squall remembered going to Rinoa right after he found out that Laguna Loire, president of Esthar, was his father.
* * *
Squall didn't know how but somehow he was able to stumble into his room. Past memories that the Guardian Forces and himself had made him forget long ago were suddenly resurfacing in his head. He could no longer tell what was what; his mind was wrapped in an inner chaos. After all these years he now had a father. The revelation was startling.
Squall collapsed into his bed. Laguna Loire, ex-Galbadian soldier, one time lover of Julia Heartilly, savior of the first Sorceress War, Esthar President.his father.
From within his thoughts Squall heard a knock on the door. He didn't bother to answer it nor did the knocker wait for him to answer. After one knock Rinoa stepped into the room. Her eyes immediately fell upon his own. He saw sympathy and love shrine through Rinoa's eyes. He could feel his heart grow warmer as she sat down next to him. "Squall," she said taking his hand "What's wrong?"
Squall replayed to her his conversation with Laguna. Her eye's widened at the part where Squall discovered who his long lost father was.
"But.but then why where you raised at the orphanage?"
"My.my mother Raine Leonhart died giving birth to me. Laguna when he had finally found Ellone sent her back to Raine in Winhill alone. When Raine died Ellone and myself where sent to Edea and Cid's orphanage. We spent a few years there together then Sis.I mean Ellone was taken away. Laguna said when he finally got back to Winhill and discovered Raine had died he had no idea that I even existed. He didn't even know until recently when he met back up with Ellone and she told him"
When Squall was finished Rinoa sat there speechless. At last after many moments of silence she spoke.
"This doesn't have to be a bad thing Squall."
He glares at her. "How can having that moronic man for a father be a good thing?"
"Having a family is always a good thing."
"That's not true look at you and your father."
"That's a different scenario."
"Enlighten me. How is it different?"
"Your father hasn't caused your family pain."
"Yes, not being there for my mother on her death bed and totally being a void in my life for the last seventeen years hasn't brought an ounce of pain." Squall said cynically.
"Fine Laguna isn't perfect, but I don't think he's trying to be. I think he just wants to be part of your life."
Squall yells. "Why now!? I don't need this. I'm finally happy!" Squall looks into Rinoa's eyes his voice softens. "I'm finally happy here with you Rinoa. I don't need a father."
Rinoa smiles at Squall wrapping her arms around him.
"Life can be ironic, but take this as it is Squall. You now have a father. You have four friends who would love to say the same. Maybe you shouldn't dismiss it so quickly."
"Maybe your right."
The two grow quiet as they cuddle on Squall's bed after awhile Squall asks Rinoa.
"Rinoa, do you want to change your relationship with your father. I mean he doesn't even know you're a sorceress."
"Even with Guardian Forces something's of the past aren't so easily forgotten, but yes someday I wish we make commence with each other."
Squall hugged Rinoa tightly. Families didn't matter to Squall as long as he had Rinoa he would be alright.
* * *
"Squall wake up."
"Commander, please."
"Squall, sir."
"Squall wake up were there."
Squall woke up with five people surrounding him. He jumped up startled.
Emma let out a small giggle. "Come on Squall where there."
Squall took a moment to remember that he was on a train and was going to talk to General Caraway and not in his bedroom cuddling with Rinoa. The realization was very disappointing.
The six of them got off the train and made there way to Caraway's mansion. They where walking through the streets of Deling when Emma asked him.
"So have you dealt with Caraway a lot?
"Once." Squall said simply.
"He can be an asshole, but deep in his heart he's a good man. He lost a daughter our age not to long ago. Seifer said he knew her did you?"
To say he knew Caraway's daughter would be an understatement and an insult to his and Rinoa's relationship, but Squall didn't want to go into details with Emma.
"I did," was all he said. Thankfully Emma left it at that.
They arrived at Caraway's mansion. The guard upon seeing Emma immediately let them in.
The six of them where brought to the same room that two years ago he along with his friends, Rinoa and General Caraway planned the assignation of the sorceress.
General Caraway was sitting at his desk waiting for them. Immediately the general eyed Squall. Squall could feel Caraway's stare burning into him
"Good evening," he addresses them his eye's not leaving Squall.
Everyone, except Squall, replied politely.
"I know there's a lot to discuss, but if it's not too much to ask can I have a moment alone with Commander Leonhart."
Everyone nodded and respectfully left the room. It was now just Squall and the General. The two military men stare each other in the eyes. With great tension Caraway spoke.
"My daughter.did she go painlessly?"
This wasn't the question that he thought Caraway would ask him. Squall would rather have had a punch in the face, but not this question that was asked so painfully. Squall thought back and tried to remember the last breathe she took, the exact expression on her face.
"I believe so." Was all he could answer.
"You believe so?" Caraway spat incredulously. "Dammit Leonhart you were suppose to protect my daughter.even.even from herself."
Squall looked at Caraway. He no longer looked like the stern face general, but like a father who had lost his daughter.
"You knew didn't you? You knew Rinoa was a sorceress?"
"I may not have been in touch with my daughter Mr. Leonhart, but I am in touch with the world around me." Caraway looks at Squall somberly. "Is that what killed her Mr. Leonhart?"
Squall nodded "Her body couldn't take it. She had the heart, but not the rest."
The two men grew quiet. They probably would have remained that way, but something was bothering Squall.
"General Caraway, if.if you knew then why didn't you say anything? Even when the world was looking for Edea's predecessor.I mean I thought it was your job"- Before Squall could finish the general cut him off.
"My number one job Mr. Leonhart is to protect my daughter. Regardless of how I failed that responsibility in the past I wasn't going to fail her when she needed me the most."
Nothing else about the subject needed to be said. Squall respected Caraway and Caraway respected Squall. Regardless of anything else they both loved Rinoa. Squall knew right now Rinoa was smiling down at them.
"I better retrieve the others. There are many pressing matters at hand." Caraway said his voice going back to his usual stern tone. He went to get Emma and the others when Squall called after him.
"General Caraway I loved your daughter."
The old general actually smiled at Squall.
"I know son."
Squall looks at General Caraway startled. "H.how?"
"Back those couple years ago when you were both in this very office I saw the way you looked at each other. You both might not have realized it yet, but I did. And now as I stare into your eye's I can see and even feel the love. I guess as a father I couldn't ask for much more for my daughter."
Squall looked at the father of the woman he loved. It made him wish terribly that Rinoa was there to share this moment with them.
Caraway gives Squall a nod the goes to get the others. Once the room was filled again they began to discuss their plans.
"We have all our forces," Caraway announced to the room. "We also have Balamb SeeD's and most of the support from the city of Timber; however, the Galbadian rebels have most of this countries support not to mention Galbadian Garden's. The war thus far is equal no force has an edge.
Squall thought about it, he could ask his father, but even though Squall knew Laguna would assist him in a heart beat Squall didn't want to get Esthar involved. Even till this day Esthar was still recuperating from the Lunar Cry. However, Trabia who Selphie and Irvine had built into quite a force might oblige.
"I could contact Trabia garden." Squall offered.
"See what you can do Mr. Leonhart. Trabia's help would e greatly appreciated."
They soon went into specifics all the while Squall came to a conclusion. This wasn't going to be the small war that he imagined. On the contrary this was shaping up to be greater then the Sorceress War.
They discussed plans late into the night. By the time they were actually dismissed and Squall was able to crawl into bed he was quite overwhelmed, but he was ready for it. This war was going to set a lot of wrongs straight and in Squall's opinion that kind of reconciliation couldn't come soon enough.
Reconciliation
Bright and early the next day Squall and Emma started out for Deling City along with them was Zone, Watts, Vincent and Kira.
The train ride was awkward Squall sat in a small compartment with the five others. He had offered to let them use the SeeD compartment, but Emma didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention.
Throughout the ride they all remained quiet. Two years ago Squall would have loved this silence, but now he dread it. It left him to ponder.
They were going to go see Caraway. Squall hadn't seen the man since the whole sorceress assignation situation. There were a lot of things that the General probably didn't know like his daughter being the sorceress or Squall's undeniable love for her. He had presumed that Caraway had heard of her death, but there was that tiny fear inside of him that maybe Caraway didn't know and he would have to tell him. Squall didn't think he could do that.
As the train rode on Squall recalled some of the conversations he had with Rinoa about her father. In fact father's, or lack there of was something the two had in common. Squall remembered going to Rinoa right after he found out that Laguna Loire, president of Esthar, was his father.
* * *
Squall didn't know how but somehow he was able to stumble into his room. Past memories that the Guardian Forces and himself had made him forget long ago were suddenly resurfacing in his head. He could no longer tell what was what; his mind was wrapped in an inner chaos. After all these years he now had a father. The revelation was startling.
Squall collapsed into his bed. Laguna Loire, ex-Galbadian soldier, one time lover of Julia Heartilly, savior of the first Sorceress War, Esthar President.his father.
From within his thoughts Squall heard a knock on the door. He didn't bother to answer it nor did the knocker wait for him to answer. After one knock Rinoa stepped into the room. Her eyes immediately fell upon his own. He saw sympathy and love shrine through Rinoa's eyes. He could feel his heart grow warmer as she sat down next to him. "Squall," she said taking his hand "What's wrong?"
Squall replayed to her his conversation with Laguna. Her eye's widened at the part where Squall discovered who his long lost father was.
"But.but then why where you raised at the orphanage?"
"My.my mother Raine Leonhart died giving birth to me. Laguna when he had finally found Ellone sent her back to Raine in Winhill alone. When Raine died Ellone and myself where sent to Edea and Cid's orphanage. We spent a few years there together then Sis.I mean Ellone was taken away. Laguna said when he finally got back to Winhill and discovered Raine had died he had no idea that I even existed. He didn't even know until recently when he met back up with Ellone and she told him"
When Squall was finished Rinoa sat there speechless. At last after many moments of silence she spoke.
"This doesn't have to be a bad thing Squall."
He glares at her. "How can having that moronic man for a father be a good thing?"
"Having a family is always a good thing."
"That's not true look at you and your father."
"That's a different scenario."
"Enlighten me. How is it different?"
"Your father hasn't caused your family pain."
"Yes, not being there for my mother on her death bed and totally being a void in my life for the last seventeen years hasn't brought an ounce of pain." Squall said cynically.
"Fine Laguna isn't perfect, but I don't think he's trying to be. I think he just wants to be part of your life."
Squall yells. "Why now!? I don't need this. I'm finally happy!" Squall looks into Rinoa's eyes his voice softens. "I'm finally happy here with you Rinoa. I don't need a father."
Rinoa smiles at Squall wrapping her arms around him.
"Life can be ironic, but take this as it is Squall. You now have a father. You have four friends who would love to say the same. Maybe you shouldn't dismiss it so quickly."
"Maybe your right."
The two grow quiet as they cuddle on Squall's bed after awhile Squall asks Rinoa.
"Rinoa, do you want to change your relationship with your father. I mean he doesn't even know you're a sorceress."
"Even with Guardian Forces something's of the past aren't so easily forgotten, but yes someday I wish we make commence with each other."
Squall hugged Rinoa tightly. Families didn't matter to Squall as long as he had Rinoa he would be alright.
* * *
"Squall wake up."
"Commander, please."
"Squall, sir."
"Squall wake up were there."
Squall woke up with five people surrounding him. He jumped up startled.
Emma let out a small giggle. "Come on Squall where there."
Squall took a moment to remember that he was on a train and was going to talk to General Caraway and not in his bedroom cuddling with Rinoa. The realization was very disappointing.
The six of them got off the train and made there way to Caraway's mansion. They where walking through the streets of Deling when Emma asked him.
"So have you dealt with Caraway a lot?
"Once." Squall said simply.
"He can be an asshole, but deep in his heart he's a good man. He lost a daughter our age not to long ago. Seifer said he knew her did you?"
To say he knew Caraway's daughter would be an understatement and an insult to his and Rinoa's relationship, but Squall didn't want to go into details with Emma.
"I did," was all he said. Thankfully Emma left it at that.
They arrived at Caraway's mansion. The guard upon seeing Emma immediately let them in.
The six of them where brought to the same room that two years ago he along with his friends, Rinoa and General Caraway planned the assignation of the sorceress.
General Caraway was sitting at his desk waiting for them. Immediately the general eyed Squall. Squall could feel Caraway's stare burning into him
"Good evening," he addresses them his eye's not leaving Squall.
Everyone, except Squall, replied politely.
"I know there's a lot to discuss, but if it's not too much to ask can I have a moment alone with Commander Leonhart."
Everyone nodded and respectfully left the room. It was now just Squall and the General. The two military men stare each other in the eyes. With great tension Caraway spoke.
"My daughter.did she go painlessly?"
This wasn't the question that he thought Caraway would ask him. Squall would rather have had a punch in the face, but not this question that was asked so painfully. Squall thought back and tried to remember the last breathe she took, the exact expression on her face.
"I believe so." Was all he could answer.
"You believe so?" Caraway spat incredulously. "Dammit Leonhart you were suppose to protect my daughter.even.even from herself."
Squall looked at Caraway. He no longer looked like the stern face general, but like a father who had lost his daughter.
"You knew didn't you? You knew Rinoa was a sorceress?"
"I may not have been in touch with my daughter Mr. Leonhart, but I am in touch with the world around me." Caraway looks at Squall somberly. "Is that what killed her Mr. Leonhart?"
Squall nodded "Her body couldn't take it. She had the heart, but not the rest."
The two men grew quiet. They probably would have remained that way, but something was bothering Squall.
"General Caraway, if.if you knew then why didn't you say anything? Even when the world was looking for Edea's predecessor.I mean I thought it was your job"- Before Squall could finish the general cut him off.
"My number one job Mr. Leonhart is to protect my daughter. Regardless of how I failed that responsibility in the past I wasn't going to fail her when she needed me the most."
Nothing else about the subject needed to be said. Squall respected Caraway and Caraway respected Squall. Regardless of anything else they both loved Rinoa. Squall knew right now Rinoa was smiling down at them.
"I better retrieve the others. There are many pressing matters at hand." Caraway said his voice going back to his usual stern tone. He went to get Emma and the others when Squall called after him.
"General Caraway I loved your daughter."
The old general actually smiled at Squall.
"I know son."
Squall looks at General Caraway startled. "H.how?"
"Back those couple years ago when you were both in this very office I saw the way you looked at each other. You both might not have realized it yet, but I did. And now as I stare into your eye's I can see and even feel the love. I guess as a father I couldn't ask for much more for my daughter."
Squall looked at the father of the woman he loved. It made him wish terribly that Rinoa was there to share this moment with them.
Caraway gives Squall a nod the goes to get the others. Once the room was filled again they began to discuss their plans.
"We have all our forces," Caraway announced to the room. "We also have Balamb SeeD's and most of the support from the city of Timber; however, the Galbadian rebels have most of this countries support not to mention Galbadian Garden's. The war thus far is equal no force has an edge.
Squall thought about it, he could ask his father, but even though Squall knew Laguna would assist him in a heart beat Squall didn't want to get Esthar involved. Even till this day Esthar was still recuperating from the Lunar Cry. However, Trabia who Selphie and Irvine had built into quite a force might oblige.
"I could contact Trabia garden." Squall offered.
"See what you can do Mr. Leonhart. Trabia's help would e greatly appreciated."
They soon went into specifics all the while Squall came to a conclusion. This wasn't going to be the small war that he imagined. On the contrary this was shaping up to be greater then the Sorceress War.
They discussed plans late into the night. By the time they were actually dismissed and Squall was able to crawl into bed he was quite overwhelmed, but he was ready for it. This war was going to set a lot of wrongs straight and in Squall's opinion that kind of reconciliation couldn't come soon enough.