Chapter 2
Disclaimer: There are lyrics used in this chapter that are not mine, they belong to Bon Jovi. I've written them from memory, so they may not be completely correct. Once again, I don't own anything…
Returning homeSquall looked at the train timetable in his hand with a thoughtful expression. The final whistle for the train sounded and brought him back to reality with a jolt, hurrying him onto the passenger car. Without letting himself think about what he was doing, Squall left the platform.
Once on board, Squall headed towards the first class compartments automatically, until he realised what he was doing and doubled back. Sitting down on one of the wooden chairs, Squall picked up a newspaper from the table by the window. Flicking through quickly, he caught sight of something that he found interesting. It was a column written by Reporter Heartilly.
The Children's hospital on South Road Brambly has expressed their joy at receiving a check for 400,000 gil from the fundraising event held at the Presidential Palace. Dr Hibrey, who is head of a large team of surgeons and doctors, said that "The money came as a surprise; we knew there was an event being held, but we had no idea that we were going to receive such a large sum."
The money that was given so generously will be put to good use in the next few months. "We have recently built a new special burn unit which will be up and running in a few short weeks. The money will be used to buy new equipment and training of staff. On behalf of all of us here at the hospital, we give our most heartfelt thanks to President Loire for his kindness."
Squall placed the newspaper down and stared out of the window. The little picture under the article showed Rinoa with a bunch of happy smiling children climbing all over her, a group of doctors and nurses beside her. Squall folded it over until he couldn't see it anymore and placed it back onto the table. Closing his eyes, he waited what seemed like forever for the train to stop and slow into the station.
Ellone waited on the platform with a guard either side of her. As the train pulled into the station, a rush of air rippled her skirt and sent a chill up and across her body.
"Are you ok, Miss?"
"Yes, thank you, Gibs," Ellone replied while rubbing her arms with her hands in an attempt to warm them. "Where are you Squall?" She muttered through slightly chattering teeth.
The first class passengers were ushered off of the train first and led into the more expensive and eye-friendly part of the station. Eventually, Squall was allowed to leave the train with the rest of the passengers. He stepped off with a reluctant step but with silent relief. Three hours sat in one position wasn't an enjoyable experience. He certainly wasn't sorry for all the times he had been able to ride in the first class carriages.
Immediately he spotted Ellone standing on the platform with her bodyguards. Squall sighed, bodyguards again. He really was home now. Ellone smiled as Squall walked towards her. Raising her hand, she waved in a happy, careless way. As soon as the gesture was made, one of the bodyguards rushed towards Squall and grabbed his bag away from him. Squall felt the bag being wrenched from his hand.
"I wish, Sir, that you had let me collect you from Balamb. Your father would have gone crazy if something had happened to you."
"Thank you, Gibs, but I can ride the train on my own. Besides, I might have to get used to it," Squall replied as he neared Ellone.
"I'm glad you are back Squall. I missed you," Ellone said after hugging him. Squall's eyes looked over to the parked car waiting for them and his expression changed. "I suppose you want to get going right away," Ellone said, observing Squall's silent expression. Squall nodded, not meeting her gaze.
"Yes, it's probably best." Squall said, leading the way to the car. The bodyguards looked around feverously, searching faces for nervous movements within the crowd. Satisfied that there was no danger, Gibs let Squall walk towards the car and accompanied Ellone into the back seat.
Squall sat down in the front and stared out at the passing scenery.
"Oh, Squall. Galbadia's 10 o'clock news has been in touch. They want coverage on the ball tomorrow night; I thought I might give them rights to it," Ellone stated as she stared at the back of Squall's head. Feeling her eyes on him, Squall pulled a black woollen hat out of his pocket and pulled it on his head.
"Why you telling me then?" Squall answered, folding his arms over his black shirt clad chest. His beige-coloured trousers made a swishing noise as he turned to face the window.
"I just thought you might've wanted to know," Ellone muttered, now staring at his hat.
Squall strode into the palace with confident familiarity. The beautiful decorations of hand- painted walls and tapestries of a thousand years old, which had stunned so many a visitor didn't even batter an eyelid of this impatient young man. So used to the luxury was he that he no longer saw it.
Ellone watched him walk into the elevator before moving to follow.
"Father has been asking everyday when you would return. He never wanted you to leave, Squall."
This statement sent a flash of memory through Squall as he stared a hole in the elevator wall.
(Flashback)
"Squall, you cannot be serious!"
The exclamation vibrated around Laguna's office and bounced off of the walls in a surprised echo. It was as if the walls hadn't expected such an outburst and had acted slowly in response.
"I am resigning; I will look for someone to take my place as soon as I can," Squall said, adding his quieter tones to the room.
Squall could still remember the look on his father's face when he had declared his resolve of leaving--the look of utter despair and lost hope.
"But Squall…you can't leave!" Laguna had pleaded but with the knowledge that anything he said would be useless.
"I am going, and I make no plans to return." This statement had put the final seal on Laguna's disappointment. He had nodded with a slow head and unbelieving ears.
"This is all because of her, isn't it?"
At this Squall had risen and walked to the window to try and calm his growing temper. He didn't like the accusations that Rinoa might be controlling his life, although he knew that she was playing a big role in everything he did.
"No."
"Squall, you think by throwing away everything you have, all the responsibilities you are bound to, will impress her?" Laguna had said, showing the side of himself that was truly worth listening to. "The people of this city, the ones that depend so wholly on you, the ones that Rinoa fights so hard to tell the truth to... Do you think they will look up to you now? When you turn your back on them, will they still love you? Will she still love you?"
"Shut up! It was her wish. It's what she wanted."
"No, I don't believe that. Rinoa would of too high a regard of your duty to the people to demand such an abandonment of responsibility."
(End Flashback)
The refection on time stopped here; in an abrupt few seconds he had seen an hour of pain condensed into a few short flashes. The question that Ellone was burning to ask burst into Squall's ears without knocking.
"Squall, are you home for good now?" Ellone asked nervously, knowing that the answer wasn't going to be anything she wanted to hear. But to calm her wandering thoughts, she had to ask.
"I don't know," Squall replied offhandedly. He couldn't give her an answer because he honestly didn't know.
Laguna sat at his desk reading files and listening to soft classical music. It was odd to see him doing work; it just didn't seem right somehow. Squall looked around the door like a child might look into somewhere they shouldn't.
"Hey, working hard?"
Laguna looked up. He had recognized that voice and sarcastic tone.
"Squall! You're home!" He said, smiling from behind his desk.
Squall was surprised when he made no move to get up or hug him. Feeling somewhat disappointed, yet finding it hard to say why, Squall swallowed his disappointment and sat down opposite to him.
"So this ball of yours…it was a welcome home thing, wasn't it?" Squall said, watching for any changes in expression.
"You knew and you still came?" Laguna asked, surprised. Yes, it had been a sort of trick to get Squall back, but he never thought it would have worked.
"I figured it out 10 minuets before I got here," Squall answered.
"You're getting slow," Laguna remarked through a smile.
"I wasn't really thinking clearly on it. Plus, it was too late to turn back."
"The press will be there, you know…" Laguna said, pretending that he wasn't interested in what reaction this would produce. Surprisingly, Squall didn't seem to care; either that or he was very good at not changing his expression in the slightest.
"I know."
"She will be there, Squall." Laguna continued, seeing how far he could push this before it produced a violent result.
"I know."
"Of course you knew! You wouldn't have come otherwise!"
Squall opened his mouth to retort an answer, but was cut off by the opening of the door and the entrance of Quistis.
"Welcome home, Sir." Quistis said, not realizing what she has just interrupted.
"Hello," Squall replied. Laguna rolled his eyes. Here they go again, back to the wonderful world of Squall's minimal speech.
Rinoa twirled around in her dress, the one that had been bought and never worn. The dress had been found in her room after a very long, hard day at work. Rinoa had returned one evening to find the beautiful thing lying on her bed along with a dozen red roses. A note had accompanied it, lying gracefully at its' side, and there was no doubt who it was from.
The note had read...
An angel smile is what you sell,
You promise me Heaven and put me through Hell.
Chains of love got a hold on me
Love is a prison; you can't break free.
Rinoa had frowned at the words but then had smiled. It was Squall's attempt at something romantic she had supposed.
A mask of pearls and diamonds lay on her dresser. Reaching out a hand, Rinoa wrapped her fingers around the slim silver pole that could be held to place the mask on the face. The pole could be unscrewed and removed. Two dainty clips would then fasten onto her hair and keep it in place over her face.
The mask covered her forehead and the hairline. Little white feathers stuck out from the top with little diamonds crested along the middles of them. The eyes were to look out from two almond shaped holes rimmed with the tiniest blue stones. The mask finished by covering the bridge of the nose and the tops of the cheeks. The mouth was left exposed.
This had been a gift from her mother, who had used to tell her tales of balls and parties where numerous beautiful people would place masks on their faces and dance into the night.
Rinoa wasn't sure how much of the stories had been made up to satisfy her hungry childhood ears. Most of it sounded like dreams to her now, and her mother was just a mere memory. But something reawakened the fairytale ballroom of her mothers' tales when the mask had been held.
Rinoa was hoping that she would be allowed to take her camera crew inside. That way, when she had finished her report, she could sneak off into the crowds and pretend that she was one of them. As long she kept her mask on, no one would recognise her.
The light blue of the old-fashioned gown reflected the strong electric lights with an eerie glow. Rinoa felt that she wasn't doing the dress justice; it should be seen in romantic candlelight, the way it was always intended to.
Sighing at the thought of putting the dress away, Rinoa undid the many tight laces on the bodice and lifted it over her head. The puffed skirt was taken off in two pieces. First, the blue silk top skirt was unclipped and removed, leaving only the frilled petticoats underneath. Rinoa stepped out of these and pulled her dressing gown over her shoulders, tying it around her middle. Her feet found her slippers and she placed her dress on a chair.
Tomorrow she would be able to truly wear it.
Beta Reader: Bianka-chan here. Any mistakes in this chapter are 100% my fault! Now that was a good chapter, wasn't it? All reviews are greatly appreciated!
A/N: Well you all know what is going to happen next, and if you don't, then I'm not gonna tell you.
Thankyou to everyone that reviewed!
mary, Keiry, Menchi-Pie, cookiedough, Lulu, Amber Tinted, Cherry6124, Verdannii de la Rosa, nuaro, liliangel, The Ever Smiling, AngelPrinczess29, icedragon6171, Griever Leonhart, The Angel of the Lion, Kayo, melissagurl, The Notorious Naurwen, Lionheart, trekken46, Subzero-Strike, Moshi Moshi Mai, Phoenix Blade, Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart, Paperback Rider, Billie the Wild Angel, Sunday, Archangel_666, summoner-fantasy-bearz.
Special thanks to Bianka-chan for beta-reading for me. Hopefully there won't be any of my usual mistakes all over the place.