Disclaimer: I got everything on my list this Christmas except for a digital camera and SquareEnix. Desormais, Final Fantasy 8 n'est pas en ma possession. (I think my next disclaimer shall be in Spanish!)
Chapter Twenty-Nine"We're so screwed." Julia concluded after ten minutes of silence and picking at the cords that were binding their wrists together, "We're done for … if Rinoa and Squall are in the same position that we're in, we might as well just …"
"Your positive outlook on this has made my spirit soar." Caraway drawled sarcastically, "Thank you kindly, my dearest spouse." He continued to wriggle his wrists. It was becoming a painful task as the cord was cutting into his flesh, but still he persevered.
"Oh, shut up!" Julia snapped suddenly and glared at him, "I'm so sick of hearing you, it's incredible! Before your hands fall off stop moving around and sit still! We aren't getting out this way, if we do get out at all." Caraway glared back and no words were needed to communicate the anger that was coursing through each other's eyes.
***
Zell and 'Mr. Caraway' took an elevator to the 20th floor of the agency in mutual silence. Zell was too dizzy to speak of anything coherent and 'Mr. Caraway' was too deeply engrossed in his thoughts. Upon reaching the floor of the famous infirmary, Alessandro Caraway helped Zell down the endless hallways to the Dr. Kadowaki.
"It's a busy day …" Heaved the doctor, rubbing her temples sorrowfully, "He's in a pretty bad shape. This may take a while." She took Zell to a more secluded room and began to mend his cuts. She couldn't do something instantaneous about his arm but she did wrap it and put it in an arm sling so he could injure it no further.
"Your grand-daughter was so kind as to drop me a visit." The doctor informed Caraway whilst cleaning a bullet wound in Zell's arm, "She's turned into a beautiful woman … a good mother. Her son had gotten hurt, you see." Dr. Kadowaki shot a glance at the older man who encouraged her to go on, "Squall is … trying to meet her expectations. Very hard." The doctor smiled and shook her head, "He's failing miserably. But … I think there is a glimpse of a potential man in him. He's on his way to becoming … I suppose. They both deserve better than what they're about to face."
"Freedom has a costly price." Caraway replied thoughtfully, "Then again, one error should not rob one's future entirely. They've dealt well with the unjust consequences. Now it's time to end all this. It's time that they had a real life."
"I suppose not everything had been peaches and cream for them …" Dr. Kadowaki put in.
Zell interrupted them both boldly; "It hasn't been peaches and cream for me either. Living with them's been Hell. Leonheart who won't stop glaring at me, I must've received more than five hundred death threats from that grand-daughter of your's who you seem to think so highly of." Caraway chuckled good-naturedly and waved away Zell's complaints. The doctor shook her head laughing.
"Don't be so quick to judge her. You haven't known her that long. She becomes much more audacious and violent when she knows you well." Caraway winked, "I'm sure James could identify with what I'm talking about."
"So could Leonheart." Zell replied piteous of poor Squall who's endurance must be unmatched.
***
Squall's endurance must have gone unmatched, Zell was right to make that statement. He was enclosed in a miniature prison, right after being beaten by Seifer. His bruises pained him, his cuts were still fresh and bleeding and the tormenting thought gnawed at his spirit, leaving it crushed. The thought that he could do nothing to save his wife or children now. The thought that his stupidities had taken toll on his beloved.
A clang was heard and the guard came tumbling down the stairs near his cell. "Ah!" He screamed in horror and got back on his feet shakily. Squall became slightly intrigued as he heard the footsteps slowly echo in the staircase. The fluorescent lights began to give him a head ache so he looked away for a split second.
He swung his legs off the bed and shot to the guard, "Who
was it?" The guard just stared back fearfully and shook his head 'no'. Squall's eyebrow arched. The footsteps had stopped. Squall heaved himself all the bed and with
his remaining strength grabbed, through the prison bars, the guard's collar,
"Who the Hell was it?"
"I-I-I don't know!" The guard squealed, obviously the first time he had been on
jailor duty.
"How could you even doubt who it was, Squall?" Rinoa had just finished her calm descent down the stairs. The guard squealed like a pig and tried to wrench himself free from Squall's grasp. The agent only looked on in wonder at the coward. "It's really incredible … I just kick him down the stairs and he's scared shitless."
Squall let him go and watched as Rinoa made quick work of the frightened trainee. A swift kick to the abdomen sent him crashing to the wall and an uppercut snapped his neck back. She bent down for the keys and clicked them off his belt. Rinoa observed her husband head to toe, "Had a nice recovery?"
"No … not really." Squall replied and rubbed the back of his neck sorely, "Actually, I'm feeling quite shitty."
She fumbled through the keys and picked one to insert in the lock, it didn't work, "This may take a while." She sighed and grimaced in pain as the cuts in her hands were still paining her and Squall visibly saw the additional massacre that had been dealt to her hands. He bubbled in fury. She began to criticize, "Why so many keys? There are like … two cells here! What the Hell are the rest for?" Finally, the lock clicked open and the prison door creaked open.
Squall stepped out and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks."
"Well, I wasn't going to leave you here … though I won't deny thinking about it." She smiled childishly and stuck out her tongue while he faked an offended look. He reached out and their moments briefly met. They both pulled away quickly, knowing work was still to be done.
It took thirty minutes to find the room in which Caraway and Julia were located. After freeing her parents, Rinoa's instincts pointed to the neighboring room and she was right. Relief seemed to wash over her when she saw her kids were safe (though the guards that were with them ended up with broken bones).
Unfortunately, they had no way of going up to meet Ackroyde. The lift set off traps if the fingerprints matched and it was out of the question to walk up those dreadful stairs again. Who knew if they even led to Ackroyde's office anyways.
Caraway and Squall began to ponder on more ways to get to the top floor as Julia applied her input as well. Only Rinoa remained silent, ears perked as if she was the only one who could hear the clicks of the high-heeled shoes down the hallway. She immediately stepped out and stopped Jennifer dead in her tracks, "YOU!" The secretary of the secretary of the boss shrieked in an annoyed fashion.
"In the flesh." Rinoa added informatively, as if it was necessary, "Would you be so kind as to step inside?" She motioned to the doorway and the secretary was obliged to acquiesce the request.
"Rinoa, don't you think … it's going a bit … evil?" Squall asked tentatively to his young wife.
"Hey, I'm not the one wearing stilettos here." Rinoa answered curtly and glared at Jennifer whose jaw dropped in offense, "Close your mouth, God knows what's been in there."
"Listen, as adorable as your kids are, and they must have gotten that from Squall by the way, I will not restrain myself from hurting them just to piss you off so you better just shut up." Jennifer snapped, one hand on her hip.
"I'm sorry, I must have misheard … did you just threaten my kids?" Rinoa turned to her and Jennifer seemed to back down, "Because I swear I'll do more than break your nails, sweetheart." Caraway rolled his eyes but kept away from the fray and Julia followed his glorious example. Squall, unfortunately, missed it.
"Ah … Rin …" He tried to put in aimlessly.
"You, shut up!" Rinoa turned to glare and him (nearly reminding him of the third rule of matrimony 'Thou shalt not interrupt thou beautiful wife's intelligent opinionated speech') and then returned her attention to Jennifer who looked completely appalled. "What was I saying? Ah yes …" Rinoa continued on as if nothing happened, "You're going to get in an elevator with Squall and I. You're going to press your little manicured finger on the fingerprint access code. We're going to go up to Ackroyde's office and then you are going to get out of my sight."
"What do you mean, you and Squall?" Caraway roared out suddenly, "You think you can take Ackroyde alone?"
Rinoa sighed in an annoyed fashion and added meticulously, "And you, father, are going to go with mom back to the van with Alex and Riana and you'll just wait it out, get it?"
"You are making me very angry!" Was the only thing that
Caraway could manage through clenched teeth.
"Just like old times!" Rinoa declared sarcastically, "So then it's settled. Lead the way, blondie."
"Ok, no! I don't agree to this." Jennifer
snapped back in protest.
"I know this is going to be hard, but could you try to be a little less
annoying?" Rinoa asked her patiently, "Because I'm extremely tired and I want
to go home, or what's left of my home.
I want to just get away from this damned place."
"Jennifer … just do it." Squall managed as politely as he could.
She looked as if she was considering the pleas coming from the handsome agent that she had been trying to woo into her life for years. "Fine."
After promising to be back in a flash and a few more
arguments between Rinoa and Caraway, the two agents had been off with the
secretary towards the elevators. The
ride went on in silence until Jennifer decided it was now safe enough to make a
little joke, "So, what's in it for me?
A kiss from Squall?"
"I beg your pardon?" Rinoa barked angrily, "Run that request by me one more
time?" Squall blushed furiously and covered his face with his hand.
"Sorry … I was kidding." Jennifer defended herself, slightly taken aback.
The color in Squall's face had died down by the time they had reached the top floor. They exited the elevator and Rinoa managed to thank Jennifer coldly before heading down the hallway to the dreaded office of the great Ackroyde.
***
Caraway, Julia and the two kids maneuvered through the
hallways successfully. That was, until
Alex turned a corner and gasp in fear and fell back onto his behind. He had bumped into an impressive man,
dressed in a dark suit. Beside him was
a figure that Alex recognized, "Zell?"
The rest, who weren't too far behind, caught up and both Julia and Caraway
looked at the unknown man, perplexed.
Julia was about to let out a cry of utmost terror when Alessandro
Caraway interrupted her, "It's been a while.
I wish I could explain but it would be a very tedious thing to do for me
tonight. Where's Rinoa?"
"Negotiating with Ackroyde." Caraway was the first to recover. There had always been a doubt within
him. A doubt that his father's death
had been an arranged event of the agency.
"Dear me, she's bolder than I would have thought!" Alessandro Caraway chuckled,
"Well, I'll have to chase after her, now won't I? Here, you go with Zell …" He pointed to his companion, "It's been
great to see you all again." His eyes brimmed with tears and he kneeled to the
two small children, "So what are your names?"
"Riana." The small girl pointed to herself meekly.
The taller boy looked at the man trustingly, "My name is Alessandro." The old man's smile seemed to grow wider.
"Well … you'll have to take care of your parents for me. They're very good people … well … you're father deserves a good kick but he's still got a good heart." The man got up again, "Rinoa will explain everything to you. Good-bye son, Julia." He nodded to them both and continued on his way to the elevator.
***
"Nice having both your visits." Ackroyde greeted as they strode into his office, unarmed.
Rinoa looked at him detestably but her worst glare was reserved for Seifer who was by his master's side (very surprised that Rinoa had managed another escape). Squall spoke up, "So … could we end this shit? Sign some papers, whatever, just let us get out of this city and never return."
"Things aren't as simple, I'm afraid." Ackroyde smirked sinisterly.
"Let's make
them simple." Rinoa growled angrily, "Because so far this had been pretty
damned complicated."
"Dearly sorry, Rinoa." Ackroyde drawled, faking an apologetic tone, "But giving
you freedom from your past would ensure you a life. And you must have come to the realization, since you're such a
smart girl, that you aren't supposed to have a life. You weren't supposed to have a future. You weren't supposed to live past that fateful night of the
Charles Mission."
"Yes, I realized that with the way you scheduled it. You made a great big booboo." Rinoa informed
him smartly, "And unfortunately, I passed high school math. Actually, graduated in honors. But that's besides my point. The point is that it didn't work and I was
watching the clock the entire time.
Hence, your plan failed. So why
did you want to kill us off?"
"Because you know too much." Ackroyde replied, clearly growing restless of this
small talk.
"Don't worry, I have no intentions of divulging your little government classified secrets." Rinoa snapped back, "Of course that's not really enough for you to believe me. So now, let's make a deal because I am so sick and tired of being here and looking at you and the bastard next to you!" She didn't expect to be the one to do all the talking but she couldn't help herself anymore. All the words tumbled out; hate scarring every last syllable.
"The one bargain you'll have to make, Rinoa … is one with the grim reaper. It's not right to cheat death." Ackroyde got up from his desk, pistol in hand, aiming for the couple.
"We didn't cheat death." Squall answered back calmly, "There
was just a glitch in fate, ok? Don't
fuck around with life, Ackroyde … hasn't anyone ever told you that? And yet you sit in this goddamn office, day
after day, toying with it!"
"I'm in no mood for accusations!" Ackroyde roared and slammed his free fist on
the desk.
"I'm in no mood to be toyed with." Squall challenged.
A gunshot went off. Time froze. A figure recoiled backwards and fell dead to the floor.
Rinoa spun around to where the noise came from and nearly fainted. At Ackroyde's doorway, she spotted a figure that she knew all too well. A figure that she thought she should have forgotten by now. "Grand-pa?"
"That babbling fool just never shuts up! It's always on and on and on and for Christ's salty sake! I've had enough of it!" Alessandro Caraway criticized openly and shot a glare to Seifer, "And you! Such a bloody, annoying prick! I think I'll shoot off those caps in your ass before I rip your throat out!"
She had never seen her grand-father in such a state of anger
but she was still stuck on the fact that he was here, real, "Grand-pa, oh my
God … holy shit …"
Her grandfather turned to her and shook a finger, "Watch your language." And
then he cleared his throat, "And might I ask what the Hell you were thinking
coming here to 'negotiate'? Or was it his
brilliant idea?" He pointed an accusing finger at Squall.
"Hey! No!" Squall defended himself,
"Why is it that the Caraways blame me for everything?" He asked the ceiling.
"Because you're an asshole!" The grandfather replied
gruffly, "But anyways, how have you been Rinoa?"
"I've been … ok … what … how?" She kept looking at her grandfather in awe like
he was the living dead.
"Ah, well you see … in order to ensure your protection … I had to … remove
myself from the picture, so to speak.
So … faking death was the best way to accomplish that." He admitted
hesitantly, as if he were ashamed, "But I've seen both your kids, Rinny … and
they're both beautiful … certainly not the genes of that moron besides you."
"Hey, can I ask why you hate me?" Squall snapped hopelessly.
"I told you! Because you're an
asshole!" The older man countered and then turned towards his granddaughter, "Is
he always this thick-headed?"
Rinoa didn't answer.
All she could do is smile and keep herself from crying. "I'm not an asshole and I'm not thick-headed!"
Squall tried uselessly.
"Yeah, you really are." Seifer sneering voice came from the other side of the
room.
"Hey, fuck off!" Squall screamed back, "I don't think you can afford to be a
smart-ass right now! In fact, I think
I'll be beating the shit out of you right no-"
"Oh, be quiet you whining dumbass!" Caraway broke in, "I'll be doing the
'taking care' of things from here! You
two … just … run. Go have a nice
peaceful life in Winhill." He added the last past genuinely and continued on
that way, "You two deserve it. Just
forget about this place. I'll be keeping
in touch … once in a while."
Rinoa nodded hesitantly and began walking towards the door, "Hey grand-pa …
I'll see you soon."
Caraway smiled, "Of course." Squall began to walk away but was called back, "Hey asshole!" His jaw clenched and he walked back to the old man. Rinoa waited at the doorway.
"Yeah, grand-pa, what?" Squall hissed.
"Not everyday you marry someone like Rinoa Heartilly." His voice was low and
secretive, "Not everyday you have your wife's grandfather threatening your
pitiful life if you don't make her happy … is that clear?" Squall nodded and
Caraway went on, "Oh, and when I come to visit I expect you to be sleeping in
different beds. None of that
children-making going on … get my drift?" Squall blushed furiously and walked
away from the man, "Bye Rinoa … bye asshole!"
"What'd he tell you?" Rinoa asked curiously to her blushing husband when they had gotten into the elevator.
"Nothing mildly intelligent." Squall replied stressfully,
"He's off his rocker."
"That is my grandfather that you're talking about." Rinoa reminded him
innocently.
"Yeah, well, if I told you what he requested you'd be thinking the
same." Squall lamented himself but changed the subject quickly, "It's over."
"Yeah." Rinoa quivered, smiling. Then,
without prior notice, burst into tears.
"Hey!" Squall protested, "What … what-a?
Why're you crying?" He hugged her against him.
"Because it's over." She replied through her sobs, her voice muffled by his
torn shirt.
"Yeah, baby, that's a good thing." Squall whispered and held her tightly.
"This is it … 'beyond the bloodshed' has just begun." She wrapped her arms around his waist, unable to control the tears that she had held back for so long.
"Yeah … it's just begun."
Sabam: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER BY ANY MEANS! THERE WILL BE A SHORT EPILOGUE FOLLOWING THIS CHAPTER! So please review!