Chapter 3
It had been a long time since Rinoa had walked the streets of Deling at night. She missed the sights, the smells, the bright lights. Since she had been with Seifer, she had found herself driven everywhere she went, usually gala nights and film premieres. She wasn't used to walking without the constant attention of a gang of reporters or TV crews. It felt refreshing to walk down the street without anyone recognising her. It allowed her to be a part of the crowd again.
"Life with Seifer sure is sheltered from the outside world," she thought wistfully.
"Hey watch it." Squall put an arm in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her attention back from her surroundings, focusing on where she was walking. It was then that she noticed how close she was to stepping out into the middle of a busy road.
"Sorry. Guess I was too lost in thought." He shot her a disapproving look, but said nothing. They both waited until the steady line of cars passed by and quickly crossed.
"Guess I don't blame her, though," he thought. "Stuck with a guy like that, she probably has a lot of thinking to do. Why does she even stay with him? Especially after what I saw today. Guess it's not my concern. She must have her reasons."
"So, is this your first trip to Deling?" asked Rinoa, in an attempt to start a conversation.
"No."
"When did you come here before?"
"A couple of years back."
"You're really not very talkative are you?" She just expected to receive an abrupt reply to her comment, but she was pleasantly surprised when Squall began to talk to her.
"I was sent on a mission here, if you must know. I was protecting the president during the elections."
"Wow, you get jobs like that?" She stood there staring at him, open-mouthed.
"I've had much better missions than that," he stated matter-of-factly. "Believe me, it was unbearably dull. All it was, was meeting after meeting."
"Now I see why you're so bitter about this mission. If you think guarding the president was dull, I can't imagine how you feel about looking after me. You must be bored already."
"I don't know. This could get interesting." Rinoa noticed a sudden change in his expression. She followed the line of his vision and saw a gang of five men, all dressed in black, walking towards them.
"Who are they?" she whispered.
"I'm not sure," he replied, reaching for the blade at his waist. Rinoa noticed this and was horrified.
"You can't just go and kill people on the streets. You don't even know what there intentions are yet," she hissed. He sighed, slipping the blade back, surveying the group from the corner of his eye. Quietly, they walked past, seeming to ignore both Squall and Rinoa. "See?" But Squall's instincts were too good to be fooled. They had been sharply honed over years of training. He heard a swift movement from behind him, and he instinctively stepped in front of his client, protecting her. He noticed that all the men had drawn knives. Not having time to draw his, he punched the first attacker in the stomach, causing him to hunch over in agony. A second attacker was moments away from striking Rinoa when he found the knife flying from his hand, propelled by a powerful kick from Squall. A second kick struck him the head, making him fall to the pavement. Seeing that they were outmatched, the attackers fled. Squall began to pursue, before remembering his first duty was to protect Rinoa.
"Are you alright," he asked.
"Yeah, I think. I guess I'm just a little shaken." She stood, rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do next. "I wasn't expecting that to happen."
"You didn't believe the threats?"
"I wasn't sure what to believe. I thought maybe Seifer was just making it up."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. To keep me with him maybe."
"He wouldn't go to the trouble of hiring a SeeD though, would he? I mean if he did fake the note."
"I don't know," she shouted, making several passers by stop and stare. She looked around, embarrassed, and was glad that so many people had fled as soon as the fight had broken out.
"Fine. Sorry." He sensed she didn't want to talk about this. "Let's just go to the hospital."
"Squall, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. It wasn't your fault."
"Whatever. Let's just go." He stormed off towards the hospital. "If she has issues, I don't want to hear about them," he thought.
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while, miss," the nurse told her. "You can take a seat right there." She pointed towards the waiting room.
"Thank you," Rinoa replied politely. She took the nearest seat she could find and invited Squall to sit next to her. "I need to apologise," she began. "I shouldn't take my anger out on you. It's Seifer I should be angry with."
"Look, I don't need to know any of this."
"Squall. If you really think Seifer might have something to do with this, then you need to hear it."
"Fine."
"I'm guessing you know Seifer's history with his father and brother?"
"Doesn't everyone?"
"I guess. Well, anyway. My father is an army chief. Seifer was at of his parties and I was introduced to him. My father was very keen for me to be involved with me and Seifer seemed interested. At that time, I had only heard good things about him. I thought he was a wonderful man, just like everyone else did. We've all been fooled. I wasn't too keen to move in with him, but my father and he both insisted and I didn't feel like I could go against their wishes. It was then that I found out about his drinking problem. He's an alcoholic. At the beginning, I tried to help him, but now I know it's pointless. He's beyond hope. He soon became violent too. Today isn't the first time anything like this has happened." She pointed to her bleeding hand. "He's a powerful man with a powerful temper. I know you've probably been wondering why I don't leave him. Well, the truth is, I'm just too afraid." She looked down at the floor, ashamed. An uncomfortable silence ensued, as Squall didn't know how to react in these situations.
"Excuse me, miss? Would you like to follow me?" asked the nurse.
"Alright," she gulped.
"Never had stitches before?" asked Squall. She shook her head.
"Do they hurt?" She looked frightened.
"Depends what you mean by hurt." She paused for a second.
"Would you mind coming with me?" she asked him. He didn't reply. "Think of it as an order from your client," she pleaded.
"Fine," he got up and followed her into the ward. She sat down on the bed and held out her hand for the doctor to examine.
"You'll just need a few stitches," he announced, taking a needle from a tray. She bit her lip and looked away. Looked towards Squall. He could see that she was frightened and lonely, and something in his heart stirred. For the first time in his life, he felt compassion towards someone.
It had been a long time since Rinoa had walked the streets of Deling at night. She missed the sights, the smells, the bright lights. Since she had been with Seifer, she had found herself driven everywhere she went, usually gala nights and film premieres. She wasn't used to walking without the constant attention of a gang of reporters or TV crews. It felt refreshing to walk down the street without anyone recognising her. It allowed her to be a part of the crowd again.
"Life with Seifer sure is sheltered from the outside world," she thought wistfully.
"Hey watch it." Squall put an arm in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her attention back from her surroundings, focusing on where she was walking. It was then that she noticed how close she was to stepping out into the middle of a busy road.
"Sorry. Guess I was too lost in thought." He shot her a disapproving look, but said nothing. They both waited until the steady line of cars passed by and quickly crossed.
"Guess I don't blame her, though," he thought. "Stuck with a guy like that, she probably has a lot of thinking to do. Why does she even stay with him? Especially after what I saw today. Guess it's not my concern. She must have her reasons."
"So, is this your first trip to Deling?" asked Rinoa, in an attempt to start a conversation.
"No."
"When did you come here before?"
"A couple of years back."
"You're really not very talkative are you?" She just expected to receive an abrupt reply to her comment, but she was pleasantly surprised when Squall began to talk to her.
"I was sent on a mission here, if you must know. I was protecting the president during the elections."
"Wow, you get jobs like that?" She stood there staring at him, open-mouthed.
"I've had much better missions than that," he stated matter-of-factly. "Believe me, it was unbearably dull. All it was, was meeting after meeting."
"Now I see why you're so bitter about this mission. If you think guarding the president was dull, I can't imagine how you feel about looking after me. You must be bored already."
"I don't know. This could get interesting." Rinoa noticed a sudden change in his expression. She followed the line of his vision and saw a gang of five men, all dressed in black, walking towards them.
"Who are they?" she whispered.
"I'm not sure," he replied, reaching for the blade at his waist. Rinoa noticed this and was horrified.
"You can't just go and kill people on the streets. You don't even know what there intentions are yet," she hissed. He sighed, slipping the blade back, surveying the group from the corner of his eye. Quietly, they walked past, seeming to ignore both Squall and Rinoa. "See?" But Squall's instincts were too good to be fooled. They had been sharply honed over years of training. He heard a swift movement from behind him, and he instinctively stepped in front of his client, protecting her. He noticed that all the men had drawn knives. Not having time to draw his, he punched the first attacker in the stomach, causing him to hunch over in agony. A second attacker was moments away from striking Rinoa when he found the knife flying from his hand, propelled by a powerful kick from Squall. A second kick struck him the head, making him fall to the pavement. Seeing that they were outmatched, the attackers fled. Squall began to pursue, before remembering his first duty was to protect Rinoa.
"Are you alright," he asked.
"Yeah, I think. I guess I'm just a little shaken." She stood, rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do next. "I wasn't expecting that to happen."
"You didn't believe the threats?"
"I wasn't sure what to believe. I thought maybe Seifer was just making it up."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. To keep me with him maybe."
"He wouldn't go to the trouble of hiring a SeeD though, would he? I mean if he did fake the note."
"I don't know," she shouted, making several passers by stop and stare. She looked around, embarrassed, and was glad that so many people had fled as soon as the fight had broken out.
"Fine. Sorry." He sensed she didn't want to talk about this. "Let's just go to the hospital."
"Squall, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. It wasn't your fault."
"Whatever. Let's just go." He stormed off towards the hospital. "If she has issues, I don't want to hear about them," he thought.
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while, miss," the nurse told her. "You can take a seat right there." She pointed towards the waiting room.
"Thank you," Rinoa replied politely. She took the nearest seat she could find and invited Squall to sit next to her. "I need to apologise," she began. "I shouldn't take my anger out on you. It's Seifer I should be angry with."
"Look, I don't need to know any of this."
"Squall. If you really think Seifer might have something to do with this, then you need to hear it."
"Fine."
"I'm guessing you know Seifer's history with his father and brother?"
"Doesn't everyone?"
"I guess. Well, anyway. My father is an army chief. Seifer was at of his parties and I was introduced to him. My father was very keen for me to be involved with me and Seifer seemed interested. At that time, I had only heard good things about him. I thought he was a wonderful man, just like everyone else did. We've all been fooled. I wasn't too keen to move in with him, but my father and he both insisted and I didn't feel like I could go against their wishes. It was then that I found out about his drinking problem. He's an alcoholic. At the beginning, I tried to help him, but now I know it's pointless. He's beyond hope. He soon became violent too. Today isn't the first time anything like this has happened." She pointed to her bleeding hand. "He's a powerful man with a powerful temper. I know you've probably been wondering why I don't leave him. Well, the truth is, I'm just too afraid." She looked down at the floor, ashamed. An uncomfortable silence ensued, as Squall didn't know how to react in these situations.
"Excuse me, miss? Would you like to follow me?" asked the nurse.
"Alright," she gulped.
"Never had stitches before?" asked Squall. She shook her head.
"Do they hurt?" She looked frightened.
"Depends what you mean by hurt." She paused for a second.
"Would you mind coming with me?" she asked him. He didn't reply. "Think of it as an order from your client," she pleaded.
"Fine," he got up and followed her into the ward. She sat down on the bed and held out her hand for the doctor to examine.
"You'll just need a few stitches," he announced, taking a needle from a tray. She bit her lip and looked away. Looked towards Squall. He could see that she was frightened and lonely, and something in his heart stirred. For the first time in his life, he felt compassion towards someone.