A/N: Tra la la la la. I'm in a very happy mood today. Writing for my life if something that I prefer not to do but… Ah, whatever. It doesn't matter. Anyways,  there's nothing like lunch while you write. So, on with the story!

Disclaimer: If we wrote one at the beginning, why do we have to write one every chapter? So, how's about this one: I DO own FF8! Nah, I'm dreaming. Forget it; I don't own FF8 or it's characters. So sue me if I write about them (don't)! You'll never find me, so you can't sue me!!!!!!!!!

~ 12: Killing Me Softly ~

Following Johnny's directions, Old Chap opened the envelope in his room at the doctor's house. The door was shut. He couldn't believe that his first friend that he could remember was an ex-mobster. How did he get mixed up in these things?

Old Chap looked through the package, amazed with what he saw. A lot of it's contents were familiar to him.  Old fighting techniques, various ways to murder someone- cleanly or messy-, ways to break into a room or building, - noisy or quietly- and who he was supposed to kill and some background info.

The fighting techniques caught his attention first. There were various techniques that he remembered very clearly, like the roundhouse kick and the good ol' One-Two punch. These were some things that he knew how to do without looking at the diagrams.  Others caught his eye but they were pretty useless. Who was going to attack him with a battering ram?

He looked at the various ways to infiltrate a closed off area… But saw that they were quite boring. The ways to kill someone was nothing new. He knew all this already, but where from; he didn't know.

Next he looked at the papers on the girl he was supposed to kill. There was a picture, vital information and a whole lot of miscellaneous facts about her. The picture was in black and white, but that didn't stop him from being able to identify the girl in the picture. His heart was racing and his mind went blank; he can't do it.

Quickly, he gathered all the envelope's contents and shoved them back in the paper folder. Tossing them under the bed for the time being, he ran out his room and out the house. The doctor was not home: he had gone out for a walk. He left the house in a hurry, leaving a note saying that e had left for some air.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rinoa sat quietly on her bed daydreaming about how life used to be.  She was snapped out of her dreams by a very loud knock at her door.

"Coming!" she called as she ran to the door. Opening the door, she smiled at her puffing visitor. There was a very unusual panicked air about him.

"I… Need… To… Know… About… How… I… Used… To… Be." He puffed.

"Well, you want to come in first?" Rinoa asked. The man looked up and nodded, entering the room. He took a seat on the couch and let Rinoa continue.

"Well, what is it that you don't know?"

"Everything."

"Well, firstly, your name is Squall Leonheart and you're a SeeD…" She said as she stared out the window behind him, "A pretty good one at that. You and I, we met when I hired SeeD to… Well, never mind. That's not really important." She looked at him in the eyes and saw that he was confused.

"What do you mean I was a SeeD?" Squall asked.

"SeeD… You know… Mercenary for hire… There really isn't much to explain about it. You went to Garden at a very young age… You were an orphan… Doesn't any of this sound familiar to you?" She asked. She was getting really concerned. Did his pas really not affect him?

Squall suddenly lowered his head and a searing pain began to take over his mind. He was remembering.

An orphanage in Centra… other kids there… His age. Happy kids… All the children playing with one another. Some played Tag while others opted for Hide and Seek.

The next memory took him to a tower in… Somewhere. He couldn't place it but he was yelling out orders and there was something in his hand… Something heavy… A gunblade.

Another flash brought him to a picnic in a desolate area. They were under a tree lying down on a blanket. The sky was blue and there wasn't a cloud in sight. They were talking about things like their past and their friends. Then he pulled something out of his pocket and gave it to her. A simple ring with a couple words inscribed on it. What were they? Did he come up with those words? Where had he bought it?

'The circle of trust' what did that have to do with anything?

The flashes subsided and he looked at Rinoa with confusion.

"Do you still have a ring that I gave you? The one with the words on it? The circle of trust?" He asked her.

She was taken aback. How did he remember that ring? Why wouldn't she have it?

"Of course I do. It's here." She said as she pointed at her chain. It dangled there with two others. She continued, "You gave it to me. It's a promise ring… And I did keep my promise."

"All right. I have to go now. Fisher will be expecting me. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." Squall said as he got up and went to the door. "Bye!" he called back before he shut it behind him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The night came quickly that day and the moon hung low, silently watching the sleeping city. The stars hung up above, casting their fate on the unsuspecting citizens.

Squall walked through the streets as if he belonged there. Clad in black pants and a sweatshirt, he slowly made his way to the hotel in which she was staying. He did not want to do this, but as he went through the package once more before he left, there was a note that read:

Either way, she dies. Be it horrible and painful or quick and painless, she doesn't live to see tomorrow.

How can anyone be so cruel? There had to be a better way. This wasn't happening to him. He tried to come up with a plan in his head… But he fell short.

Squall's hand griped the syringe that was in his pocket. He really didn't want to do this.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cloaked by the darkness of the alleyways, a tall figure watched as Squall walked down the street. He was there to make sure that things went off without a hitch. One could identify this tall brawny figure as MacFarley.

Surely, Johnny must have been desperate because as soon as Squall turned the corner, MacFarley lost him.

Not wanting to get in trouble, MacFarley went to look for him but gave up after an hour due to the fact that he was really tired.

In his mind, he had repeated to himself so many times that Squall did kill the girl that actually believed it.

He walked around like a zombie for a few minutes before he arrived home and crashed on his bed, falling into a deep sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Anyways, here is the 12th chapter. *Sniff* I'm going to miss writing Old Chap… Not really, but I'm going for the whole 'nostalgia' thing. Oh well. Review as always! Oh! And ideas are appreciated. I mean, yeah, I do have an end, but I need the stuff that goes in between. Help, please? Nah. Never mind! But review! Over and Out!