Disclaimer: I don't FF8 or any of its characters. Only Kate, k?
Author's Note: I'm soooooooooooooo sorry it took so long to get this posted!!! I've been really busy lately trying to raise my Math grade, and I haven't had time to write very much. It also took me a while to think about where to go from here… and I still haven't figured it all out, so if you people have ANY suggestions for me, please e-mail or place it in the review! Thanks! Enjoy!!!
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3 Alternate Realm
Chapter 9
Squall stared at Rinoa, confused by what she was trying to do. His heart began to race at guesses like, what if she tried to kill Laguna? Or, what if she tried to break up their marriage? He didn't want to run from the law with her if she wanted the first one… and he didn't want to feel responsible for the end of someone's happiness.
"Rinoa, what are you planning?" he said, hoping she wouldn't ignore him again. This time, she whirled to face him.
"Just trust me, okay Squall? I wouldn't be doing this unless I truly believed I love. And I do."
"W-what are you going to do?"
"Trust me." She turned back to Kate.
"So what do you need?"
"I'll be seventeen next month Kate. Almost a legal adult," she said in a hushed tone. "If I got a name change… maybe to Heartilly… I wouldn't be Squall's stepsister anymore… would I?"
"Legally, no. But in order to change your name, you'd have to be eighteen."
"Couldn't you fudge it a little?" Rinoa pleaded.
Kate looked uneasy, and Rinoa could see it. Squall simply watched, amazed at how wrong he was about Rinoa's plans.
"I know I'm asking a lot… but I wouldn't ask it if I wasn't desperate. Please Kate… this is the only option I've got…"
Kate sighed, showing her discomfort with her predicament. "And what about your Mom and Laguna? Won't they be a little unhappy with you breaking the law?"
Rinoa started to open her mouth, but shut it again. She hadn't thought of what they would do…
"They… we won't deal with that right now. If worse comes to worse, I'll… run away."
Squall was taken aback by this. "Whoa Rin," he said. "When did we decide that?"
She put a hand to quiet him. "So will help me Kate? Please?"
Kate stared hard at the two of them, contemplating what to do. Finally she took out a piece of paper. Squall looked over at his girlfriend, who was smiling and saying happily, "Thank you Kate… thank you so much."
Julia sat with Laguna; neither of them had said a word since Squall and Rinoa left, giving both of them some time to think. Julia spoke at long length choosing her words carefully.
"Why didn't you tell me about Raine?" she asked slowly. He sat still for a moment, lost in thoughts.
"I guess I… just didn't think she was a big part of my life anymore."
This angered Julia fiercely. If she died, would she suddenly mean nothing to Laguna? "Obviously she still is Laguna," she cried loudly, her nerves on edge, "You apparently thought she was a big enough part of your life to have a child with her!"
Laguna shrunk back at her harsh tone. He hated fighting with Julia… especially since she always won.
"I'm sorry Jules. I shouldn't have said that. I just didn't think I should Raine into lives. I didn't think…"
"That's right Laguna Loire," she interrupted. "You didn't think. Amazing, isn't it?"
She got up from the couch, leaving her stinging words hanging in the air. Rage from Julia boiled up and over, onto Laguna. His heart stung, but deep inside he knew she was right. He loved Raine… he still did. He just thought Julia would be uncomfortable if he brought her up all the time, as did he when they talked of John.
Her words still burned in him, and he felt almost on the verge of tears. He wouldn't cry though… he wasn't a baby. He'd allow Julia to cool off for a while, and see if she'd come to him again. Until then, he'd sit and let her words sink in, as much as they hurt.
Squall felt confused. Everything Rinoa had done seemed to go by so fast; he still couldn't fathom what was going on. They were headed back from the building where Kate worked, Rinoa leading the way at a rapid pace that seemed impossible to follow. He felt almost invisible to her, and he didn't like it. Finally, he could stand it no more.
"Damn it Rinoa Caraway, STOP!" he burst, halting her in her tracks. She looked back at him in astonishment.
He breathed hard, calming his nerves. He hadn't meant to yell like that, but she was frustrating him. At last, he had her attention.
"I'm sorry… you've just been ignoring me. I'd like to know just what you're planning, if that's alright with you."
She looked a little hurt at his tone, but answered nonetheless. "Kate, my friend we met, she changed my name to Heartilly. You and I are no longer stepbrother and sister. I love you Squall, I want us to be together. If that means running away, so be it."
This was beginning to eat away at Squall's nerves. He tried to keep his calm the best he could, for her sake.
"I thought we were a team, Rinoa. When did you start making decisions for us? Isn't my input important to you?"
Rinoa looked stunned at his sudden feelings for what she was doing. I hadn't realized it before, she thought as she stared at his unsettled features. I didn't ask him about anything this who time… because I assumed he was okay with it. How could I have been so ignorant?
"What if I don't want to run away?"
She stepped closer to him, but he refused to let her near him. He was still too livid.
"I'm so sorry Squall… I was just so set upon what I wanted to do that I forgot to ask you how you felt."
"You can't just 'forget,' that a team is more than one person."
Tears began to well in her russet pools. "Will you ever forgive me? All I want is for us to be happy together… together being the main word there. Please Squall, try to understand."
His fury slowly began to subside, her words melting him. She tried moving toward him again, and this time he allowed it.
"Of course I forgive you. I love you. I just got irritated. I like knowing what's going on once in a while, that's all. Where are we going?"
She kissed him softly, as they parted lips, she replied, "Back to my place. I have to tell my Mom and your Dad what we've done."
Squall looked down to the ground. "Please don't call him that…"
"Sorry… I have to tell my Mom and Laguna what we've done."
"And if they don't accept what we're doing…?"
"Well," she paused, trying to catch herself before she said that wrong thing. "Then we run away… if that's okay with you."
He pulled her close to his side as they walked. "As long as I'm with you Rinoa, I'll follow you anywhere," he hesitated, adding, "as long as you check with me first."
She laughed wholeheartedly as they continued on towards her mansion, praying to Hyne above that they wouldn't have to run away.
Author's Note: I'm soooooooooooooo sorry it took so long to get this posted!!! I've been really busy lately trying to raise my Math grade, and I haven't had time to write very much. It also took me a while to think about where to go from here… and I still haven't figured it all out, so if you people have ANY suggestions for me, please e-mail or place it in the review! Thanks! Enjoy!!!
1
2
3 Alternate Realm
Chapter 9
Squall stared at Rinoa, confused by what she was trying to do. His heart began to race at guesses like, what if she tried to kill Laguna? Or, what if she tried to break up their marriage? He didn't want to run from the law with her if she wanted the first one… and he didn't want to feel responsible for the end of someone's happiness.
"Rinoa, what are you planning?" he said, hoping she wouldn't ignore him again. This time, she whirled to face him.
"Just trust me, okay Squall? I wouldn't be doing this unless I truly believed I love. And I do."
"W-what are you going to do?"
"Trust me." She turned back to Kate.
"So what do you need?"
"I'll be seventeen next month Kate. Almost a legal adult," she said in a hushed tone. "If I got a name change… maybe to Heartilly… I wouldn't be Squall's stepsister anymore… would I?"
"Legally, no. But in order to change your name, you'd have to be eighteen."
"Couldn't you fudge it a little?" Rinoa pleaded.
Kate looked uneasy, and Rinoa could see it. Squall simply watched, amazed at how wrong he was about Rinoa's plans.
"I know I'm asking a lot… but I wouldn't ask it if I wasn't desperate. Please Kate… this is the only option I've got…"
Kate sighed, showing her discomfort with her predicament. "And what about your Mom and Laguna? Won't they be a little unhappy with you breaking the law?"
Rinoa started to open her mouth, but shut it again. She hadn't thought of what they would do…
"They… we won't deal with that right now. If worse comes to worse, I'll… run away."
Squall was taken aback by this. "Whoa Rin," he said. "When did we decide that?"
She put a hand to quiet him. "So will help me Kate? Please?"
Kate stared hard at the two of them, contemplating what to do. Finally she took out a piece of paper. Squall looked over at his girlfriend, who was smiling and saying happily, "Thank you Kate… thank you so much."
Julia sat with Laguna; neither of them had said a word since Squall and Rinoa left, giving both of them some time to think. Julia spoke at long length choosing her words carefully.
"Why didn't you tell me about Raine?" she asked slowly. He sat still for a moment, lost in thoughts.
"I guess I… just didn't think she was a big part of my life anymore."
This angered Julia fiercely. If she died, would she suddenly mean nothing to Laguna? "Obviously she still is Laguna," she cried loudly, her nerves on edge, "You apparently thought she was a big enough part of your life to have a child with her!"
Laguna shrunk back at her harsh tone. He hated fighting with Julia… especially since she always won.
"I'm sorry Jules. I shouldn't have said that. I just didn't think I should Raine into lives. I didn't think…"
"That's right Laguna Loire," she interrupted. "You didn't think. Amazing, isn't it?"
She got up from the couch, leaving her stinging words hanging in the air. Rage from Julia boiled up and over, onto Laguna. His heart stung, but deep inside he knew she was right. He loved Raine… he still did. He just thought Julia would be uncomfortable if he brought her up all the time, as did he when they talked of John.
Her words still burned in him, and he felt almost on the verge of tears. He wouldn't cry though… he wasn't a baby. He'd allow Julia to cool off for a while, and see if she'd come to him again. Until then, he'd sit and let her words sink in, as much as they hurt.
Squall felt confused. Everything Rinoa had done seemed to go by so fast; he still couldn't fathom what was going on. They were headed back from the building where Kate worked, Rinoa leading the way at a rapid pace that seemed impossible to follow. He felt almost invisible to her, and he didn't like it. Finally, he could stand it no more.
"Damn it Rinoa Caraway, STOP!" he burst, halting her in her tracks. She looked back at him in astonishment.
He breathed hard, calming his nerves. He hadn't meant to yell like that, but she was frustrating him. At last, he had her attention.
"I'm sorry… you've just been ignoring me. I'd like to know just what you're planning, if that's alright with you."
She looked a little hurt at his tone, but answered nonetheless. "Kate, my friend we met, she changed my name to Heartilly. You and I are no longer stepbrother and sister. I love you Squall, I want us to be together. If that means running away, so be it."
This was beginning to eat away at Squall's nerves. He tried to keep his calm the best he could, for her sake.
"I thought we were a team, Rinoa. When did you start making decisions for us? Isn't my input important to you?"
Rinoa looked stunned at his sudden feelings for what she was doing. I hadn't realized it before, she thought as she stared at his unsettled features. I didn't ask him about anything this who time… because I assumed he was okay with it. How could I have been so ignorant?
"What if I don't want to run away?"
She stepped closer to him, but he refused to let her near him. He was still too livid.
"I'm so sorry Squall… I was just so set upon what I wanted to do that I forgot to ask you how you felt."
"You can't just 'forget,' that a team is more than one person."
Tears began to well in her russet pools. "Will you ever forgive me? All I want is for us to be happy together… together being the main word there. Please Squall, try to understand."
His fury slowly began to subside, her words melting him. She tried moving toward him again, and this time he allowed it.
"Of course I forgive you. I love you. I just got irritated. I like knowing what's going on once in a while, that's all. Where are we going?"
She kissed him softly, as they parted lips, she replied, "Back to my place. I have to tell my Mom and your Dad what we've done."
Squall looked down to the ground. "Please don't call him that…"
"Sorry… I have to tell my Mom and Laguna what we've done."
"And if they don't accept what we're doing…?"
"Well," she paused, trying to catch herself before she said that wrong thing. "Then we run away… if that's okay with you."
He pulled her close to his side as they walked. "As long as I'm with you Rinoa, I'll follow you anywhere," he hesitated, adding, "as long as you check with me first."
She laughed wholeheartedly as they continued on towards her mansion, praying to Hyne above that they wouldn't have to run away.
