Chapter 17
Will it be a happy ending?
Rinoa stirred her black coffee around the white polystyrene cup and stared out of the window. The electric lights of the café shone into the glass, and made the outside world speckled in light bulb reflections. Rinoa took out her notebook and looked at her scribbled words. They told of happy thoughts of her first observations upon arriving. They seemed so distant to her now. So many things had happened since that happy time that she had not been the slightest bit prepared for.
Rinoa sipped the soothing drink and watched the happy people in the diner.
"Hey Jeanie, did you see the new show, erm living with the cowboys last night?" One of the waitresses asked aloud, as her friend sat down opposite her at the counter.
"Yeah, where the cowboys got drunk and beat each other up?" Her friend replied, drinking her cola through a twisty straw.
"Yeah that's the one! And then their wives got drunk and beat up the men!" The waitress said happily. Her friend nodded in agreement and giggled. "Then they rode off on their horses and got drunk in the next town."
Rinoa smiled but felt disappointed that she wasn't able to see this new show; she needed something to make her laugh. Just as she was relaxing, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
"Shit." Rinoa whispered, holding a nearby paper up over her face in a hope that he wouldn't see her. To her disappointment he walked straight over to her, and sat himself down opposite.
"You'd do better Rin if you had the paper up the right way." He said smoothly, smiling one of his most seductive grins.
"Yeah thanks." Rinoa said folding the paper away with a blush.
"Hey, I expect loads of people have made that mistake before. Although I would have expected better from you Rin, seeing as you work for a newspaper!"
"Always you dazzle me by your amazing wit Seifer." Rinoa said smiling with a façade of cheerfulness.
"Wit? Oh that's just part of my charm." Seifer replied, thinking himself smooth and winning. Rinoa smiled amused.
"Well I hope in that case, the rest of it's better than wit department." Rinoa said smiling sweetly. Seifer looked at her confused for a moment, but pushed it from his mind.
"Whatever Rin."
Rinoa finished her now warm coffee and ordered another. Seifer ordered himself a cheese burger and a hot chocolate, and it was clear that he wasn't planning on going anywhere soon.
"How'd you find me here anywhere?" Rinoa asked as their orders were brought over. Seifer took a bite of his burger before answering, and stirred his chocolate slowly. Showing that he enjoyed making Rinoa wait for the answer she really wanted.
"You checked into the same hotel as me, I saw you come in and then I followed you here." Seifer explained. Rinoa stared opened mouthed, out of all the hotels in the city she had managed to check into the same one as Seifer. It was just too unbelievable. "Look, you wanna check?" Seifer said holding out a similar form to what Rinoa had been given. The dates corresponded directly to what Seifer claimed, and Rinoa was left to think that fate really had it in for her. "Rin, I know about you and Squall."
"How the hell would you know anything about me and Squall?" Rinoa asked annoyed. Seifer smiled and ate some more of his burger.
"Rin, it's all over the papers." Seifer answered. Rinoa stared confused.
"What is?" She asked. Seifer passed across the table a recent newspaper. Rinoa grabbed it greedily and allowed her eyes to sweep over the front page. The headline jumped out at her, and the main picture showed her and Squall walking together somewhere. His arm was fastened around her waist and they looked flustered, but Rinoa had to admit that he looked gorgeous never the less.
Galbadian journalist proves fairytales are real and captures the heart of the president's son. Will it be a happy ever after ending for the pair?
Rinoa dropped the paper in shock.
"It seems there won't be a happy ending after all." Seifer said smirking. Rinoa looked annoyed and Seifer stopped grinning immediately.
"Shut up Seifer, you wouldn't know a happy ending if it hit you on the head." Rinoa snapped.
"There's still time to teach me." Seifer said cockily. Rinoa rolled her eyes.
"You never give up do you?" Rinoa asked irritated.
"Not when I want something, no I don't." Seifer answered confidently. Rinoa sighed and placed her elbows on the table and put her head in her hands.
"Seifer I don't feel anything for you. I just see you as a friend, that's all." Rinoa explained.
"So? That can all happen later, C'mon Rin, just one last chance." Seifer pleaded.
"Why are you pushing this Seifer, since when have you cared?" Rinoa asked suspiciously.
"Because I can't stand to lose you to Leonhart that's why." Seifer answered. Rinoa felt her cheeks flush up with anger.
"Oh I see. It's a rival thing." Rinoa said moving back in her chair and folding her arms. Seifer looked guilty, but tried to cover up his mistake any way he could.
"No no." He protested.
"You don't care about me at all!"
"No I didn't mean that." Seifer objected. "He doesn't love you, it's so clear that he doesn't Rin. But I do. I love you."
"He does love me." Rinoa mumbled. Seifer smiled in his knowing way.
"Then why did he tell you to leave?" Seifer asked knowing that he was winning the argument.
"I..." Rinoa began with doubts about her answer.
"I'd look after you Rin, because I love you. You know I do." Seifer said taking her hands in her own. Rinoa snatched them back.
"You don't know how to love." Rinoa said through gritted teeth.
Seifer sat back and observed her. Her soft face flushed in embarrassment of the topic, and her loose hair hung in wisps across her face.
"Well if he cares so much, then let's wait to see if he comes to take you back. I'll be here in two days, and if he hasn't begged for you to return, then give me one more chance." Seifer said reasonably.
"Seifer, I am not agreeing to anything."
"I'll be back in two days, two days Rin. Then I'll take you home." Seifer said making a move to leave. Rinoa shook her head causing him to sit back down.
"I don't want to go home." Rinoa complained.
"Rinoa don't be stupid. You're living in a motel, that's not a life Rin. You have no job here; you'll soon run out of money."
"I have no job anyway. The office hasn't gotten in touch for days; it's obvious that I am fired." Rinoa said pushing her cup over for the waitress to pick up as she walked by.
"2 days Rin." Seifer said standing up to leave. Rinoa nodded and played with the sauce squeeze-bottle to show that the conversation was over.
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Squall strode into the police station and rang the small gold desk bell. The occupants of the waiting room looked up in surprise as Laguna strolled in after him.
"Hey Squall, you know can't we go home now?" Laguna whined. Squall shot him a death glare and he quietened immediately.
"Look I didn't ask you to come along. I only stopped back home to tell you I hadn't had much luck enquiring at the train station." Squall said annoyed. Laguna shrugged and leant on the desk.
"Hello?" He called happily into the emptiness of the reception. Squall blushed with embarrassment at the immaturity of his dad. Laguna rang the bell a few more times until an interrupted looking man appeared from a back room.
"Ah Sir." He said saluting.
"I need to hire a detective." Squall told the man.
"Err detective sir?" He asked as if it wasn't a request that was made often.
"Yes a detective, you do know what one is right?" Squall asked as though he was talking to a child.
"Of course." The man replied confused. Squall smiled and they remained in silence for a while.
"Well?" Squall asked annoyed.
"Oh sorry, um follow me." Squall nodded and followed the man down the hall. Laguna tagged on behind and admired the pictures on the wall before joining them. "Soo detectives hey, what's the occasion?" The older man asked smiling.
"Can I talk to someone in charge?" Squall asked not enjoying the man's light humour that was ill timed.
"I am in charge." He replied proudly. Squall raised an eyebrow as if to say 'really?'.
"Okay, well can I talk to someone else then?" Squall asked ignoring the hurt expression on the elder man's face. It wasn't a time for chit chat. The guy obviously thought Squall would be as complying as his father, but he'd certainly got that wrong. Laguna was gazing lazily out of the window and Squall decided it was probably best to wrap this up soon before he started to become excitable.
"Sir can I help you?" Asked a uniformed man with a smartly trimmed moustache. Squall looked impressed, finally someone who looked as though he had a brain cell.
"Yes, I want to track down someone. She has only been missing for a day, but it is vital that I find her." Squall informed the uniformed man.
"Excellent! A real case finally!"
"I need the best detective you have, no matter what the cost. Just get him here now." Squall ordered. The man hurried off leaving Squall and Laguna alone in the police staff room.
"Oh a peanut!" Laguna exclaimed taking it off his chair before he sat on it.
"Whoopie, why don't you eat it." Squall said venomously. Laguna looked at him in a shocked way.
"It's not my fault Rinoa hid herself so well in the city." Laguna said quietly. Squall stomped over and sat down opposite.
Squall waited in the boring room for half an hour before the detective showed up. He was wearing casual worn out clothes and had an air of business about him that Squall liked.
"Mr Leonhart, how can I be of service?" He asked.
"I need you to find someone. A young lady named Rinoa Heartilly."
The inspector nodded in understanding, and paced the room in thought.
"Do you have a picture?" He asked after a while. Squall nodded and produced a newspaper. The detective studied it and read the caption beneath the main picture. "I guess it wasn't a happy ending then." He said solemnly.
"It hasn't ended yet." Squall answered without a trace of emotion, although it had taken him a strong amount of courage to force out those words.
"Do you have any idea where she might be?" The detective asked bringing Squall back to reality.
"Look if I did, do you think I would be here?" Squall snapped. The detective nodded, it was clearly a touchy subject. After Squall calmed down, he was able to give more information. "She left in a taxi."
"Thank you Sir, I will start straight away."
Squall left with mixed feelings about the detective. Whether he would be any help or not would have to wait, and be later proven. But it couldn't hurt to have him keeping a look out. So Squall convinced himself that he had done the best thing.
"Yippie detectives, I've never been in there before!" Laguna said happily.
"Who knew anyone could be so impressed by everything?" Squall mumbled to himself as the climbed into the car.
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Squall wandered back into the palace just before midnight and was met by a concerned Ellone in the hallway.
"Did you find her?"
"No, I've been driving for hours. I've informed the train station master that if she tries to board a train, he must inform me." Squall replied walking past her and heading for the lounge.
"But she promised me she wouldn't leave!" Ellone exclaimed.
"I don't know what she promised; I only know that I want her back." Squall said sulkily.
"You're always messing it up with your girlfriends, why are you bothering so much about Rinoa?" Ellone asked curious for the truth.
"I dunno, it's so strange. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I just can't let her leave without…without telling her that I love her."
"My brother, truly in love? I can hardly believe it." Ellone said looking at him with a happy expression.
"I've been so stupid though."
"Why did you send her away if you love her?" Ellone asked. This had been a question on her mind for sometime.
"I thought it was the right thing to do, I couldn't bear to have her so close to me and knowing that she wasn't mine. All the more hurtful when I thought I had lost her to Seifer." Squall explained in a voice that showed he was speaking from his heart, and not a prearranged speech. Ellone smiled reassuringly and wrapped her arms around him.
"She loves you Squall, I know she does. But she is so confused with the way you acted, that it may take time for her to remember that she cares." Ellone explained. "Squall just don't be expecting Rinoa to jump back into your arms straight away"
The more familiar he became to the idea that Rinoa might not be too happy, the less likely he would be unprepared and say something untactful to drive her further away. Ellone felt Squall nod and she released her hold on him.
"Will you help me Ell?" Squall asked looking pleadingly into her eyes.
"Can't you find her on your own?"
"I have a detective on the look out, but that is no good if she checked into hotels and other places with a false name. Which I have a feeling that she would have done." Squall answered. Ellone hadn't thought that Rinoa would change her name, but the more she considered it, the more it seemed a possibility.
"I'll help you, as long as I am not going against Rinoa's wishes." Ellone said. "If she asks me not to tell you where she is, then I'm not telling you ok." Squall nodded understandingly.
"Thank you sis." Squall said kissing her forehead. Ellone smiled. Squall hardly ever called her sis anymore; Ellone had begun to think he had forgotten his childhood name for her.
"You better get to bed." Ellone said standing up. Squall nodded.
"Yes, but if there's any news promise you will tell me. No matter what time it is." Squall said.
"I promise." Ellone said smiling and watching him leave.
As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed!
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