A/N: Hi people! Sorry for the delay. I started playing Kingdom Hearts and couldn't tear myself away from the PS2. Some notes to some people:

Crystal Flame: Wow... thanks for the loyalty. You would flame someone for me? Thanks! But my source of dicouragement was actually a family memeber, on a peice of writing I didn't post. Still, I guess I should've realized what great reviewers I've had all along.... Oh no, I'm getting mushy now, hide me from myself... Oh, I didn't recieve any e-mails, aside from the first you sent me.

Julia Minuit: Don't call me Sarah, DUCKMOLE! Not here! It's Dark Raion!

Crystal Angel Kairi: Interesting suggestion. In fact, it was much along the lines of what I was thinking... You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out, though.

Chapter 5

Night fell swiftly on the thriving city, the streets suddenly becoming packed with the infamous night owls that roamed the town in search of action. Six people, however, were stuck in a hotel, trapped within the deadly cage of boredom. They had rented one large suite with two bedrooms, a living area with a fold out couch, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. No one really felt like sleeping just yet, however. Quistis sat in the living room, watching TV quietly as she sat next to Zell, who kept trying to put his arm around her with a sly grin on his face. Shiva, who sat at the kitchen table with a phone book, arguing with Ifrit over which was the better pizza delivery, would hear a loud 'slap' every few minutes and an 'ow' from Zell. Squall stood out on the balcony alone, looking out over the fading sun.

As he glared into traces of lavender and orange light, which was quickly being devoured by the ever-persistent darkness, he heard soft footsteps behind him, and sensed a familiar presence nearby.

"What are you doing?" she asked quietly, looking up at him.

"Just thinking," he replied, hesitantly. "Are you... feeling any better?"

She nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, a lot, thanks. It's was just... really strange. Everything that happened... everything that I saw."

"What exactly did you see?" he asked, curiousity getting the better of him for a moment.

Before she could reply, Quistis poked her head out the door and said, "We all decided to go out to eat. Are you coming, or do you just want us to bring you something back?"

"I don't really feel like going out," Rinoa lied, trying her best to look tired and worn out. "Do you mind?" she turned to Squall, knowing by now that he would stay with her.

He shrugged. "Like going out near all those people is a big thrill for me anyways. I don't care. Don't bother bringing me anything, though. I don't need to eat."

Quistis nodded and went back inside, leaving out the front door with the rest of them. As Rinoa was silently celebrating her deceptive victory, Squall turned to her and asked, "So, since I know you really feel fine, what compelled you to stay in this evening?"

"Oh.. you could tell?" she asked, slightly dissapointed.

"Your not the best actor in the world," he replied, turning out to face the sky once more.

"Well, I, um, wanted to talk to you," she answered. "Is that alright?"

He shrugged once more. "Shoot."

"The things that I saw..." she began, but faltered. Taking a deep breath and probing the recesses of her mind for the right words, she tried again. "I don't understand what's happening to me. I keep seeing these things... they're almost like dreams, but so real. That night you were with me... I know you think it's just a dream, but I know it was something more. The pain I felt was so real. Why is this happening to me, Squall?" she asked finally, her voice cracking a little at the end, in fear of his answer.

"You expect me to have the answers?" he replied. "I don't know any more than you do. Why not ask one of the others?"

"It's not a subject I feel very comfortable talking about with just anyone."

"But you have no problem talking about it to me?" he answered, a little more harshly than he'd meant to.

"Do I really bother you that much?" she asked suddenly. "I mean, you always act like being near me is a chore... is it really that bad to you?"

He studied the heavy black boots on his feet for a moment before finally making eye contact with her. "No, I guess it isn't. I just have a reputation to keep up, you know. I'm the Angel of Death, I'm supposed to be mean. But, just because I don't hate spending time near you, doesn't mean I like it, either."

"What the hell kind of answer is that?" she sighed. "You don't dislike me, but you don't like me, either?"

"I said I didn't hate you. But I do dislike you, and everyone else."

Rinoa smiled slightly, taking Squall by surprise. He'd half-way expected her to get mad at him and start yelling.

"I don't believe you," she said, slowly putting a hand on his cheek and guiding his hidden eyes to look into hers. "I'm not the only bad actor here tonight."

Squall felt a shock run through his body, orginating from their small bit of contact. He could feel a rush of warmth and tingling on his skin where she touched him. Both were sensations he shouldn't have been able to feel. He looked away from her, contemplating what to say or do next, but didn't break the contact. He suddenly felt her weight against him as she closed the distance between them, sliding one arm over his shoulder and running the other hand through his hair. As much as part of him wanted to, he found he couldn't move. All of the long-forgotten sensations of being human were rushing back to him now, over-loading his senses. Perhaps the most daunting information of all was the fact that he could actually feel it all so well. It was really beginning to scare him, but fear was another emotion he was unaccustomed to, and he wasn't sure how to react.

"You know, you really should take the glasses off," she murmered, her warm breath gently brushing against his lips, making him swallow hard.

"I never take them off," he managed to mutter back, being as still as he possibly could.

"Not even for me?" she pouted.

"Not a chance."

She smiled, laughing slightly, and kissed him on the cheek before drawing away from him and heading into the hotel room once more. He stood there for a long moment, dumbfounded, and rested his blank gaze on the now black void overhead, smirking slightly as his eyes caught on the first twinkling little dot to appear that night.

His peaceful reverie was interrupted by a sharp scream ringing out through the air. He quickly ran back into the room, only to find Rinoa cornered by a crowd of black-winged beasts, each armed with an ancient- looking broad sword.

Upon Squall's arrival to the room, they opened their wings and took to the air, at least as high as they could go in a hotel room. He closed his eyes in concentration, intent on ending this battle before it could begin, but was startled to find that it wouldn't work. He couldn't kill them in the conventional sense, as they were soulless, and were therefore non-living creatures. There were very few ways to deal with them, and none of these options seemed open to Squall and Rinoa.

"Squall, what do we do?" Rinoa asked, staring up at the vile beasts, their black scales slick and oozing, and their half-rotted fangs dripping with acid.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know," he replied. "I have no weapons to fight with."

Suddenly tired of their senseless chatter, one of them chose to launch itself as Rinoa. She screamed and cowered against the wall, but the only thing she felt was weight against her. She looked up to see Squall in front of her, sheilding her body with his own. He had now had a gaping, bleeding gash in his stomach, but it quickly healed itself, leaving behind only a barely visible stain on his black T-shirt.

"How long do you think you can hold them off?" Rinoa asked.

"As long as I have to," he replied, taking another blow to the shoulder, then jerking the sword from the clumsy hands of the demon and impaling him with it.

Squall stood from the floor, blocking and countering as he did, and said over his shoulder, "Stay behind me at all times."

Another swing and another one was out, leaving about six more to deal with. Luckily, the front door swung open at that moment, and Shiva, Ifrit, and the others stepped in, the former drawing their own weapons and quickly doing away with the remaining pests.

As soon as the last one was gone, their remains, as well as the sword in Squall's hand, turned to ash.

"I knew we shouldn't have left," Shiva commented, shaking her head. "Well, the threat is gone for now, and no one's hurt, right?"

"Doesn't look like it," Zell replied.

"That's good," Quistis muttered, then turned to Rinoa and Squall. "Are you two sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Rinoa answered, though her voice was still shaking in fear. "I just need to go lay down, I think."

With that, she started off into one of the bedrooms, Squall following wordlessly behind her. Quistis couldn't help but smile at this. He was finally getting use to his new job. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

"So, what do we do now?" Zell asked, casually taking a seat on the glass coffee table in the middle of the room. As soon as he did, there was a loud crack, followed by the sound of shattering glass. He stood up and realized he'd broken the glass of the table in half.

"Zell," Shiva groaned. "That table could survive the battle, but you go and sit on it for two seconds, and destroy it. Well, when the charge us for it, it's coming out of your pocket."

Zell blushed slightly. "Uh, sorry. Guess I should've layed off the hotdogs at dinner, huh?"

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Once the door was closed behind them, Rinoa collapsed against the wall and slid into a sitting position, her hands beginning to tremble, and her face turning pale.

"Rinoa, are you alright?" Squall asked, true concern shining through in his voice.

She nodded slowly. "I just really thought I was going to die back there. I mean, it's not the first time I've been in danger, but ever since my mom's funeral... after seeing how final it all is, I guess death scares me even more," she explained, allowing a few tears to spill out.

"You certainly had the others fooled," he commented.

She smiled up at him, tears shining in her deep, hauntingly dark eyes. "I guess you're not the only one who feels the need to put up a facade sometimes. I just don't want people to know how weak I feel... how scared I get. If I act cheerful and happy, then they'll think I'm strong."

He crouched down in front of her, so that their eyes were level. "If you don't want anyone to know, then why don't you hide from me?"

"I don't know," she shrugged slightly. "I guess I just feel safer with you."

He opened his mouth to reply, but immediately shut it, unsure of how he should respond. Rinoa didn't give him the chance to, however. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, burrying her head in the crook of his neck.

"I can't explain it," she whispered after a moment. "You just make me feel safe... secure. Like my mother once did."

"I'm not your mother," he replied softly.

She laughed against his shoulder. "No, you're not. The way I feel about you is completely different."

Slowly, hesitantly, he let his arms slide around her, and guided her up from the floor. "You need some sleep."

"Only if you stay with me," she murmered back. "And promise not to let me go."

Unconciously, he held her a little tighter, allowing his hand to rub her back in a comforting manner. He was about to reply to her, when he felt something shaking rapidly against him, and the sound of something vibrating reached his ears. She backed away from him rather quickly, then, but kept one arm around his shoulder.

He laughed embarresedly, reaching into his coat and pulling out his pager. "I uh, always set it to silent mode," he said blushingly, as if trying to explain the bizarre situation.

"Oh, right," she laughed as well, trying to break the tension a little. "Who is it?"

"Administrative office," he replied, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Administrative office?" she repeated, obviously confused.

"Yep. That big administrative office in the sky. I have to go, and I'm afraid you can't come with me. There's a strict 'no mortals allowed' policy."

She nodded. "Right, well, I guess I'll go join the other for a little while."

He nodded, wondering at what he might've been "caught" doing. "Yeah, I'll be back soon," he said, turning away from her.

"Hurry," she called after him as he dissapeared into a circle of blinding white light.

Once on the other side, Squall found himself standing in a huge lobby with smooth gray walls, and mable flooring. On one side of the room sat row after row of leather, padded chairs. The chairs were surprisingly half- empty, the other half filled with varieties of people each holding a number. On the other side of the room was a long desk with hundred of white-winged receptionists calling numbers and talking on phones. Squall went right to the front of one of the lines, making several people angry, and spoke to the receptionist.

"Excuse me, I was paged just recently," he explained.

She squinted at him for a moment, then smiled. "Of course, Mr. Leonhart. We've been expecting you. Go right on ahead," she said, gesturing toward the elevator. "your new administrator is waiting for you on the fifth floor."

He nodded and stepped into the elevator with a chubby, bald man he knew to be the Angel of Irony. He was holding a palm pilot, watching the people of Earth as they went about their various tasks. Every now and then he would push a few buttons and burst out laughing at the misfortune he caused.

Up on floor five, there was nothing but large, expensively decorated offices, and another, yet smaller receptionist desk at the front.

One of the receptionists took a brief look at him then said, "Office number twenty-two, sir."

After going through endless rows of offices, he finally found the right one and stepped inside, not bothering to knock. Inside, a petite young woman with flipped-up brown hair and sparkling emerald eyes stood up to greet him.

"Hi, there! I'm your new administrator, Selphie Tilmitt. I'll be giving you all your orders from now on. Now I just called you up here to tell you about a few changes in your schedule."

Squall quirked an eyebrow. Did this mean he would no longer be chasing after Seifer and protecting Rinoa? Would someone else be assigned the job of being her body guard? He was shocked to find that he really wasn't very happy with that idea.

"It seems you've gotten a little behind on your job," Tilmitt stated, flipping through her records. "Now, that's perfectly understandable, what with the new task you've been given, but it's not acceptable, I'm afraid. Dead people need assistance immediately. Therefor, it's been decided that we will hire a temporary replacement, until your task is finished."

"Who?" Squall asked.

"His name is Nida something. I forget what. Anyway, he'll be taking care of your reaping until you've succeeded in your new mission. Meanwhile, we also have someone else to add to your party, in light of recent developments."

If Squall had a pulse, he would've sworn that it stopped just then. Did they know about him and Rinoa? Wait, of course they knew. The question was, were they angry?

"We'll be adding a Mr. Irvine Kinneas to your party. He's one of our top ranking demon hunters. He'll be sure to keep you and your party safer, if there are any further attacks."

With that, a tall man in a cowboy hat, carrying what appeared to be a normal looking shotgun with him, appeared and grined at him. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Reaper, sir."

"That's Squall," he replied through gritted teeth. "Is that all Ms. Tilmitt?"

"Yes, I suppose so, for now. you may leave. Good luck!" she shouted to them as they left her office.

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Though it really hadn't taken Squall but half an hour, a few hours had passed on Earth while he was gone. He returned to find everyone asleep in the living room, with the lights off and the TV on mute. The bed had been pulled out of the couch, with Shiva asleep sitting against a cushion and Quistis laying across it. Ifrit was stretched out across the floor, Zell was asleep in one chair, and Rinoa in the other chair, shivering slightly.

"You can use that room to sleep in, or whatever," Squall said to Irvine, pointing to the smaller of the two bedrooms.

With that, he tunred and looked down at Rinoa, a sudden feeling swelling in his chest and choking him as he looked at her. Even when he was living, he had never been an emotional person, and could not recall having ever felt something as strong as what was creeping up on him now. He slipped his black trench coat off his shoulders and put it over her shivering form before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

She opened her eyes slightly as he carried her down the hall. "I thought you weren't going to be long," she said sleepily as she snuggled against his chest.

"I wasn't. Time there is just different then it is here," he answered, laying her down on the bed so she could finish sleeping.

"Stay with me tonight," she pleaded, holding onto his hand so he couldn't leave.

"Do I have a choice?" he asked, half-joking.

"Meany," she mumbled. "Just stay here, next to me. Just for tonight."

He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and peered at her half- open eyes through the darkness. "You're still scared, aren't you?"

"A little."

Shyly, he laid down next to her. "Just this once," he replied, and watched her smile wearily.

"Deal," she said, and allowed her eyes to drift closed.

Though it wasn't necessary, and though he never had before, having been too tense, he actually slept that night for the first time since his death, unconciously relaxing in the presence of his sleeping companion...

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A/N: So, what do you think? I'm going to go so far this time as to say that I'm proud of this chapter. Thanks, everyone!