---Disclaimer: Everything is © Square

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"Hey! Look, they finally showed up!" Someone shouted from the back of the ballroom, bouncing on the balls of their feet and pointing over the sea of heads. Edea's head snapped up immediately, and she nudged Cid hard in the ribs, hissing at him. His head popped up and he grinned apologetically at his wife before setting down his glass of champagne and started clapping as the 'heroes', as the people at Garden liked to refer to them now, filed in one by one.

Selphie came in first, waving ecstatically to the crowd and practically screaming with her joy. She had never had that much attention before, and the impact of so much at once was overwhelming to the Trabian. She was followed at a large gap by Irvine, who was blowing kisses behind his fiancée's back to a few young SeeDs who held out their hands to him. Zell came through the door next, head high and his fists clenched. He, like Selphie, was enjoying the attention a little too much. Quistis pursued him in a typical Instructor fashion, hands folded neatly over her stomach and a pleasant, yet slightly smug, smile on her face. Her credentials had been restored earlier that day, and her mood seemed to be lifting by the moment. Rinoa bounded after her, smiling broadly and tugging Squall in beside her. He seemed as unwilling as he had been the night of the SeeD graduation, but they entered to a swell of applause and cheers, painting the Sorceress' face red and making Squall turn his head away in embarrassment.

The press was there, of course. They had started snapping occasionally when Selphie stepped into the room, but a huge mass of clicking and flashing lights ensued when Rinoa and Squall entered. The young woman was trying desperately to avoid them, using her unwilling boyfriend as a sort of human shield, positioning herself so that they couldn't get a clear shot of her. Although Zell and Irvine were threatening them with raised fists and a cocked Exeter, they, like all forms of the press, were unrelenting. Cid finally sent for security and had them removed, to everyone's great comfort.

"Hyne, they scare me outta my pants," Selphie whispered, seating herself next to Irvine. He had been smiling gallantly at two SeeDs across the room, but presently snapped back to attention when she plunked down next to him. He put his arm pleasurably across her shoulders, leaning back and sighing contentedly.

"I like it; this world needs more of my face on their papers," He said in a dreamy voice, and Selphie elbowed him in the stomach, making him double over.

"I don't like them either, Selph. They've been hanging around since we ended time compression," Rinoa said in an equally low voice, tugging her napkin over her legs. Zell yawned, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms.

"Listen, I'm not sitting down for this long. This is a celebration, not a sit-down dinner. Anyone else 'sides me gonna get up and dance?" He asked, winking at Squall. He shrugged, turning his head away. When no one responded, he shrugged lightly, standing and going over to his pigtailed admirer. The words couldn't be understood, only the tone of the voices, but it seemed as if she were ecstatic about the fact that he had asked her, and she immediately yanked him onto the dance floor, taking up where the other couples were.

"Personally, this champagne looks fine by me," Selphie said, already downing her third glass. She stole Irvine's, tipping it down her throat and standing to get more.

". . . Better go make sure she doesn't hurt herself," He said, grinning and hurrying after her. Vaguely, they heard him shout, "Sefie, wait!"

"Well, c'mon, Squall. I'm not letting you leave like that again; you're not getting away from here without a dance," Rinoa said, playfully running a hand through his hair. He flattened it down self-consciously, staring at the rather intricate stitching in the plain white tablecloth.

"Rinoa, I don't . . ." He began, looking up at her. Then he sighed; her eyes had caught him abruptly off-guard. "Fine. Just for you, but just one. No more than one, and make it short," He grumbled, scraping back his chair reluctantly. Rinoa leaped up, clapping her hands and grabbing his wrist, mimicking the first time she had ever seen him and dragging him onto the dance floor. He gingerly placed his hands on her waist, and she took one of his, swaying back and forth to the music.

"You're going to like me, you're going to like me, you're going to like me . . ." She teased, grinning. He rolled his eyes, trying to act as if it didn't bother him. "You'll like me yet, you'll see," She told him, spinning slightly as she avoided colliding with another couple. "Now, none of that this time."

"I'll try, Goddess of All Dancers," He murmured, staring at his feet. She shook his arm, successfully catching his attention.

"Don't look down there. It'll make you do worse," She instructed wisely, and he nodded, taking it seriously. She groaned. "Look, don't take this all so Commander-ish. Have a little fun tonight, Squall. You really deserve it; we all do."

He merely looked down at his feet again, finding that her advice didn't work in the slightest. They danced silently; better than before but occasionally exchanging a glance or two. Well, she had worked in one aspect: he did like her, he did like her, he did like her. A lot. Yet it still didn't change his discomfort at touching another person, or speaking in public. That was her one flaw, yet she persisted in trying to bring that side of him out, a side that he didn't want to show.

I hate that side of me . . .

"Squall?" He glanced up at her, and she smiled slightly at him. "Don't do that to me; don't go off into your own little world. You worry me then."

"And I don't worry you normally? I'm shocked, Ms. Heartilly," He said, cracking a smile for the first time that evening.

"I -"

"LOOK WHAT CAME!!" Selphie had bounded into the ballroom, waving around two large plastic bags. She already had Irvine's hat perched on her head, and her cheery yellow dress was hanging over her arm.

"I didn't even realize she was gone," Zell muttered to Squall as he came up beside he and Rinoa, arms linked with the library girl.

"Shut up, Zelly. I got yer clothers 'ere! Laundry lady gave 'em back t' me." Selphie had jogged over to Zell, her gauzy green shawl tied in a large not around her waist and no longer looking elegant. Her skirt was hitched up and tied at least five inches more up her legs. Slamming a ball of what would be clothes into the martial artist's arms, she moved over to Rinoa, digging through the bag.

"Awesome!" Zell said, yanking apart the clingy fabric.

"Here ya go, Rinny!" Selphie said proudly, jamming the Sorceress' own bundle of clothes into her arms. It took only a moment to find Squall's ninety-nine percent leather ensemble and shove it into his arms.

"Irvy's already wearin' his, and Quisty's diggin' through the other bag looking fer hers. C'mon, let's all get changed!" The brunette chirped, hugging her dress to her chest.

"I think she's a little drunk . . ." Squall muttered to Zell, eyeing Selphie as she tried to yank on her typical wear over her green dress.

"What do you mean 'a little?'" Zell responded, looking as if he wanted to be as far from her as humanely possible.

"No, you all look so stunning tonight. We should take a picture before you all change into your comfort clothes," Edea said in a misty voice, making all five of them jump. Cid was clinging to her arm, and Laguna had come up beside them, hands in his pockets. Squall looked slightly taken aback as he saw his father come into view: for one, he wasn't expecting him to be there at all. Second, he was dressed like he was every other day, loose clothes hanging off of his shoulders and hair tugged back into a short ponytail. However, he had an indigo jacket yanked over his faded teal shirt as well. Squall immediately recognized the large silver disks on either shoulder and the raised threads, and didn't need telling twice that Laguna needed a bit of Raine with him that evening.

"Uh . . . okay," Squall said uncertainly, glancing around for Quistis. As if reading his thoughts, the Instructor clipped over to them, Irvine in tow. He grabbed his hat off of Selphie's head, setting it on an angle over his own messy auburn hair.

"Well, come here; get out of the way . . ."

Once Edea had gotten them all in a suitable position with their clothes pulled in the right arrangements, she smiled happily, moving to stand next to the library girl. Cid was fumbling with the camera, and it took him nearly twenty minutes to find out how to take a picture. After a few practice shots (to him they had been real; however, they had all been of either someone's feet or their ear) he positioned himself to get them all into the screen, and snapped the button, grinning proudly.

"Very good, dear," Edea said, chuckling slightly.

~

"I can't do this anymore . . . I just can't. Please, Squall, don't be angry with me."

The dim glow of starlight falling through the tall windows of the ballroom illuminated the two people standing at one end, two large and bumpy objects clutched in the slimmer one's hands. A piece of paper was lying at the taller one's feet, feminine script crawling across it.

He stared at her, disbelieving.

"You said you . . . you said you loved me. Remember, after the ball that night, after the picture? When you kissed me? I thought you meant it. Hyne Rinoa, don't pull an Ellone on me!" He groaned, running a hand down his face. His eyes truly held panic, and they darted to and fro from her own sad, brown orbs to the bags she held in her hands.

"I can't be the butt of everyone's suspicions. I don't want to leave you, honestly Squall! But I won't be subject to this anymore; get them to calm down, and maybe I'll come back. But remember, it's not because of you. I just need . . . a little air. Some room to grow. You heard those girls today; I'm so sick of this." She had tried to get her words to sound as least harmful as possible, although she failed miserably.

"You're the only one I ever . . . Hyne, I went into space for you Rinoa, and you're leaving me now?" He asked, his mouth dry. His lips could hardly form the words, let alone could he get his will to force them out of his throat.

"You don't understand . . ." She moaned, feeling the tears flow. But he cut her off sharply, his eyes turning to blue steel.

"I thought that you were stronger than that, Rinoa. Just because a few people start gossiping, or say something about you, you're just going to give up on this? I thought this relationship, this bond, meant so much more to you than petty rumors. I guess it wasn't that important to you after all." He stood, folding his arms and turning around. His back was now to her, and she was glad; her bags fell, and she buried her face in her hands, feeling the tears surging from behind her eyes.

"I . . ." She knew it wouldn't help anything; she had hurt him. And to what a hurt would be like to a normal person, it was multiplied tenfold on Squall's emotions.

"You know, if you were going to end up leaving me anyway, you should've left me in time compression. Now it's not worth trying anymore."

Rinoa could barely hear the dull thud of his boots across the wooden floor as he exited the ballroom, and didn't want to hear it anyway. She sank to the ground, head in her hands, glossy black hair falling across her face and sticking to her cheeks, her own tears acting like glue. So now all of their had work meant nothing after all - she would never have accepted Laguna's plea of her taking Ultimecia's powers if she didn't know that Squall would be by her side; she never would have endured being junctioned to Adel if she didn't know that Squall was going to save her.

Now nothing was worth the price they all paid.

~

Once again: thank you to everyone who's reading this! I really appreciate all of the great feedback I've received so far, and I look forward to more!

Hope this chapter cleared up a few things. If I didn't expand on it enough, with her leaving and the press and everything, mention it and I'll put in another flashback. This chapter was really angsty . . . it wasn't planned that way, but I don't think it's all that bad ^^