Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII...

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I just want to let everyone know that I'm going to be holding a monthly writing Final Fantasy challenge. Details about this challenge can be found in my Fanfiction.net profile. Please check it out! The more people that get involved, the better ^_^

On the Ice

Chapter 15- Contemplating Matters

"Rinoa, are you okay?" Squall asked her as he entered the living room. "You've been quiet ever since you came out of Dr. Kadowaki's office."

"I'm fine," Rinoa insisted. "I told you, Dr. Kadowaki said that I'll most likely make a full recovery. I'm just relieved beyond words."

Squall frowned. "Are you sure? You know that you can tell me anything."

She forced a smile. "Of course. I really am perfectly fine, Squall."

He shrugged. "Alright then, what do you want for lunch?"

Rinoa looked surprised. "You can cook?"

"Actually, no. I was going to order some take-out," he admitted.

Rinoa giggled. "Just order a pizza. I suddenly have a really strong craving for pepperoni pizza."

"One large pepperoni pizza coming right up," Squall said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

God, what am I going to do? What if Squall isn't ready to be a father? Hell, I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother! I mean, surgery, physical therapy, and all with a baby on the way? I can't keep this from Squall forever... Rinoa sighed. Worrying over the matter wasn't going to help. I need to take action.

She jumped as she felt Squall's arms around her. "The pizza's on the way," he said as he sat down beside her.

"Okay."

"Are you ready to tell me what's gotten you so on edge?"

Rinoa sighed again and turned to completely face Squall. "I...I need to tell you something."

Squall looked at her anxiously. "So tell me. Rinoa, I hate seeing you like this."

"I can't keep this from you. I'm...afraid of what your reaction to my news might be, but you have every right to know. Squall...Dr. Kadowaki called me into her office today to tell me that I'm pregnant."

"P-pregnant?" Squall repeated dumbly.

Rinoa nodded. "I know this must be a shock for you, I mean, it's a complete shock to me. Squall, please say something."

"I don't know what to say. Rinoa, a baby. This is going to change our whole lives. What about our career?"

"Our career? I tell you that I'm pregnant and the first thing you think about is your career?"

"What do you want me to think about?" Squall snapped. "How do you think we're going to afford this baby? Sure, I have money saved up, but that's not going to last us forever. Who knows how long you'll be out with your injury. This couldn't be worse timing."

Rinoa fought back tears at the anger in Squall's voice. "I never wanted to be a burden to you, Squall. I can see that's all you're going to see in this baby, as well as me. I guess I should just move out and leave you alone."

"Don't be ridiculous, Rinoa. I'm not going to throw you out on the streets. Especially not in your condition."

"And what condition would that be? The one that's left me in this wheelchair, or the one where I'm going to have your child?" she snapped.

Squall sighed. "Rinoa, please, I can't deal with this right now. I need to go...clear my head. Are you going to be alright here alone?"

Rinoa nodded. "Don't worry about me, Squall. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"I won't be long." He grabbed his keys off of the counter and exited the house, leaving Rinoa alone with her thoughts.

Well, that weren't perfectly, didn't it? Squall took the news really well. Tears poured from Rinoa's eyes as she recalled the past few minutes. Sure, a baby was a lot of work, but it most certainly wasn't a bad thing. Why did Squall act like it was? Squall is going to stay by our sides as long as he thinks we're incapable of fending for ourselves. "That's not true, is it?" Rinoa rubbed her stomach affectionately. "We can take care of ourselves. We don't need Squall to baby us."

Rinoa wheeled herself to the phone. "I don't need Squall to think I'm a burden to him. I'll figure out who did this to my leg, I'll get the surgery, and then I'm out of here. I don't care if I have to go to Caraway's. It's better than staying here unwanted." She picked up the phone and dialed the number for information.

"Hello, may I help you?"

"Yes, can I have the number for Seifer Almasy, please?"

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About thirty minutes later, the doorbell to the condo rang and Rinoa found herself opening the door for Seifer. "Thank you for coming," Rinoa said sincerely. "Have a seat." She led him to the living room.

"Rinoa, what's this about? You sounded pretty upset on the phone."

"I need to talk to you."

Seifer frowned. "I thought you hated my guts and never wanted to see me again. Where is your new man, by the way?"

"That's none of your concern. I asked you to come here because I want to know if you had anything to do with my accident."

"Your accident? How could you even accuse me of that? I admit, the last time we talked, we weren't on the best terms, but attacking you? Do you think I would actually stoop that low?"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "Fine, if you didn't do it, then Quistis did. I remember hearing a female voice just before I blacked out. Did she do it? Please, don't lie to me, Seifer."

He sighed and reached for her hand. Surprisingly, she let him. "I never wanted it to have to come to this, Rinoa." His voice was husky and filled with pent up emotion. "You have to understand that I loved you, but it was as if you were always drifting away from me. I wanted you so badly, but you were never truly mine. When Quistis entered the picture, she was just like me; a lost soul. I took comfort in her embrace, but I never loved her and I still don't. She was the one who attacked you. I could never do that to you." He reached out to stroke her cheek.

"So Quistis was just someone you could use for sex?" Rinoa asked outraged. "Because I wouldn't sleep with you?"

"You have to understand that I wanted you, Rinoa...I still do. Every time I was with Quistis, I had to pretend it was you."

"Seifer, I'm sorry that you felt that way, but our relationship never would have lasted. I'm with Squall now, and I love him. We're...going to have a baby together."

Seifer's eyes widened. "So you'd sleep with Squall, but not with me? What the hell is wrong with me, huh?"

"Nothing! I don't love you, Seifer. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"I just confessed that Quistis attacked you. She'll probably go to jail, and I'll be left without a partner. I'm risking my life for you!"

"I never asked you to do that, Seifer." She shook her had sadly. "You need to let this go."

Seifer shook his head. "No, never." He advanced towards Rinoa so that his lips were just centimeters away from hers. "I am going to make love to you the way I should have done before. Then, we'll see who you love."

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Squall stared into the deep blue ocean below him. It was funny how so much could change in one day. When he had woken up that morning, the last thing on his mind was that he was going to be a father. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. It's not that I'm unhappy that Rinoa is pregnant. It's just...so much at once. I guess I'm scared that I'll do something wrong. I don't know the first thing about being a father. What if I...? What if I fail?

Squall shook his head, trying to rid himself of his thoughts. How long had he been standing there, looking at the ocean? He had to get back to Rinoa. He owed her an apology. I...want to stay with her...forever. I haven't known her for that long, but I feel like I know her better than anyone I ever thought I knew. What if she doesn't care anymore? How could I have been so cold to her?

He turned and walked away from the railing. She seemed to want me to make a commitment, but...she thinks she is just a responsibility to me. How could she think that? I love her...and I know that I will love this child, no matter how scared I am. With that thought on his mind, Squall got into his car and drove home confidently. No matter what happened, Squall knew where he wanted to be, and that thought calmed him.

As he pulled up to the condo, he felt a strange sense of longing. It was almost as if his soul recognized the importance of the woman located just through those doors, and he took comfort in the feeling. The feeling just made him feel an extreme comfort, one which he relished in. He got out of the car and opened the door. The first thing he saw was Rinoa laying down on the couch, her shirt torn and soaked with her tears, which were still falling.

Squall immediately rushed to her side. "Rinoa, what happened?"

"Seifer," she sobbed.

"Shh, it's okay," Squall said as he held her against him, stroking her hair gently. "No one can hurt you now."

Rinoa cried into Squall's chest for a few minutes, taking comfort in his arms. Finally, she pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Seifer... Oh God, Squall, I was so stupid!"

"Just calm down and tell me what happened," Squall said softly.

Rinoa nodded. "I called Seifer and...asked him to come over here."

"Rinoa," Squall said sternly.

She shook her head. "Please, let me finish. I know it was stupid, but I thought that without you here, I might be able to get Seifer to confess that he attacked me. He told me that Quistis was the one who had attacked me. Then...he told me all this stuff about how he still loved me. He..." Rinoa paused to fight back tears. "He tried to get me to sleep with him. When I refused...he became violent."

Squall felt the rage pumping through his veins. "Did he...hurt you?"

Rinoa shook her head. "He tried to. He forced himself on me and ripped my shirt. If it wasn't for the pizza guy, he probably would have raped me," she started sobbing again.

"The pizza guy?" Squall asked gently.

"Yes. Before you left, you ordered a pizza, remember? The guy delivering the pizza rang the doorbell before things could get too serious with Seifer. He heard me screaming and threatened to call the police. As you can imagine, Seifer was out of here like a bullet when he heard that."

Squall sighed. "I should have never left you alone. Now, Seifer knows where we live..."

"I'm sorry, Squall. This is all my fault. I was upset over our conversation earlier and I just felt like I had to do something. I'm useless to you..."

"Rinoa, don't say that. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I never should have upset you when you told me about the baby. The truth is, when you told me you were pregnant...I was scared."
Rinoa looked up at Squall. "Scared? Why?"

"It's not like I've ever been a father before. What if I failed this child?"

"You could never fail our child, Squall," she said as she reached up for his face.

"You don't know that. The point is, I did a lot of thinking. I realized that everyone screws up and makes mistakes. I...don't want this to be a mistake. I want to be there for you and this child. I will let you down, that's a guarantee, but I want to spend the rest of my life making up for it."

Rinoa looked at him, amusement evident in her eyes. "Are you proposing?"

Squall shrugged. "I figure that we'll be sticking around each other for awhile. So, why not make it official?"

Rinoa smiled tremblingly. "You're certainly the romantic. Do you really mean that, Squall? You're not just doing this out of obligation?"

"I would never do that, Rinoa." He held her closer to him. "Never."

~*~