DISCLAIMER: Let's face it. I have a soft spot for Cowboys. I think I have a soft spot for most of the FFVIII men, too bad I don't own them. *Sighs*

Author's notes: The only things I think you need to know is that spoken words are shown with "..."

thoughts '...'

jumps in time ~*~*~*~

Blue Gales and Hazel Eyes

Irvine put the car in park and leaned back in his seat. He quietly took in the all too familiar surroundings of where he'd grown up. Across the street from where they sat in a banged up rental, was the town's first cafe. Down a few hundred feet from it was the second. He smiled as he remembered growing up in this small place. The simplicities of this backwards country town hadn't seemed so simple when he was little. Next to him, Selphie moved to try and get a better view of what he was so amused with.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Ah its nuthin'. Just rememberin' when I was little, and the owner's of those two cafe's used to fight with each other," He looked over to her and grinned. "There are only about eighty people who live here, so competin' for customers was a real hassle. Every time one owner would lower a price, the other guy would come knockin' on his door with a double barrel because it was takin' away his business."

"They would fight over coffee prices?" Selphie raised both her eyebrows, making him laugh.

"Why sure. They usually got arrested about once a month. Problem was there's only one jail cell in this place, so the police would handcuff one to one side of the cell and one to the other. And for the whole night they were in there, they would fight about how the other was tryin' to put them outta business or steal their wives," Irvine shook his head at the thought and then looked out the passenger window.

"I don't know," Selphie sat back in her seat. "That sounds like small town gossip to me."

Irvine feigned hurt and insult as he stepped out of the car and walked around to her door. With a hard tug, the door fell open. "I'll have ya know lil' lady that what I just told ya wasn't based on some small town gossip, but rather the ears of two nosy little boys." Selphie shook her head and looked around at the small little houses that lined the cobblestone street. "I was one of those boys," Irvine added for her amusement.

"I'm not surprised Irvy," Selphie said as she examined the chipped paint on an unreadable sign. "What is this place? You didn't leave Toby at an orphanage did you?"

Irvine was taken aback. "No way," He pulled his hat down over his eyes as he lead her towards the buildings' door. "This is the jail house."

"You left him at a jail house!" Selphie looked mortified, in a cute way. Irvine grinned as he opened the door for her.

"No Sefie dear, I didn't," He whispered as he stepped in behind her and took in the sight of time's handiwork. The floor was warped in places, and he noticed that a few boards were missing in the corner. The once mustard colored walls were now faded to a dull yellow, tainted beige with dust and grime. He watched Selphie examine the old oak desk in the corner. She picked up a pair of handcuffs that looked rusted. Irvine stepped up behind her, noting how the floor gave a little with each step, and turned her to face the lone cell. She stared, wide eyed at the old iron bars of the jail cell and quickly noted the two sets of handcuffs dangling from opposite ends of the bars. She looked at Irvine who shrugged in an I-told- you-so fashion before looking some more around the room. "I left him in the apartment above the jail house," Irvine finally added onto his previous statement. He didn't give Selphie time to respond before he casually and carefully made his way into a back hallway and up the staircase along the wall. "Be careful. Last time I was here that banister was loose," Irvine warned.

"Okay," Selphie said as sudden worry swept over her. Was every building in this town in this condition. Was this the kind of setting Irvine had grown up in? She watched as he knocked twice on the door at the top and waited. After a few minutes, a girl, Selphie assumed was close to her age answered.

"Irvine?" She asked.

"Hey Jenny," He smiled. "I'm here for Toby." She nodded and handed him a bag.

"You can come on in if you want, but Max has got most of the kids outside. You can use this door here if you want?" Jenny said with a strong draw. Irvine smiled and nodded and then motioned for Selphie. He stepped inside the clean little apartment and looked around.

"This place looks good," He stated as he examined the polished wood floors and the new windows and paint.

"We started to remodel downstairs but last spring's flood nearly wiped away all of our progress. This place is a flood plain," Jenny answered.

Irvine nodded in understanding, knowing all to well about the floods that ravaged the area. "Jenny, I want to introduce ya to my girlfriend Selphie. Selphie, this is Jenny. She used to be an old bully of mine. Now she's the closest I'll ever have to a sister-in-law. ...She married the second nosy little boy," Irvine added for good measure. Jenny and Selphie shook hands and smiled at one another while Irvine opened the door to his left. Selphie diverted her attention from the girl next to her to the small child asleep on a pad on the floor.

"That's Isaac. He's Max and mine's," Jenny answered Selphie's unasked question. Irvine motioned for Selphie to follow him outside so she did. She was suprised to step out of the apartment and onto soil. She looked around curiously and realized that all the buildings on that side of the street were built into the side of a hill. Irvine put his arm around her shoulders and led her to the top of the hill. They both looked around until they saw a guy, no older than Irvine playing with a small girl. Irvine grinned at Selphie before adjusting his hat.

"This isn't making you uncomfortable is it?" Irvine asked, genuinely concerned.

She shook her head. "I just want to see him." She hadn't totally lied. The thought of seeing a child that was Irvine's was a bit unnerving because it wasn't hers as well. She wasn't uncomfortable being there, but she was upset that Toby was going to become a big part of Irvine's life that she had no part in.

Irvine released her from his grasp and trotted down the hill side, leaving Selphie walking slowly behind. He stopped whenever he reached Max and the two hugged each other briefly in greetings. Selphie stopped and sat down on a boulder that was about twenty feet away from the two guys. From where she sat, she could hear their voices clearly, and she resolved to listening in on them.

"He still don't walk even though he's old enough to at least be able to try," Max told Irvine. "Jenn says that he's smarter than we all realize. She says that he's been waitin' for you to get back so ya could see it." Max shrugged as the little girl began tugging on his pants leg. Max turned his attention to the little blonde as Irvine slowly knelt down to the small boy that sat on an afghan blanket, playing with a stuffed animal. Selphie clenched her jaw and took a deep breath as she slowly walked around to see Irvine's facial expression as he talked to his son. She dropped to her knees in the blowing green grass as she watched Irvine help the little boy stand up. It was odd, seeing Irvine like this. His gentle nature was still there, but he just appeared more grown up. The breeze blew her hair into her eyes, and she used both hands to hold it back. There was no way she could miss a moment. She fell back into a sitting position as she watched Toby pull at Irvine's hat and succeed in removing it. She smiled at the sight of him leaned against Irvine's inner thigh as he tried to balance standing up while putting on the hat himself. When he finally succeeded, he grasped both ends of the hat's brim and pulled them down to further cover his already engulfed head. From where she sat she could see Irvine's eyes gleaming. It was then that she realized that although Irvine loved her, and was a member of their gang back at Balamb Garden, this had been his life before they'd been reunited. Toby had been everything.

Irvine looked up at her and motioned for her to come over. Selphie noticed that Max had decided on going inside so as not to disturb them. She stood up nervously and slowly made her way over to where he was crouched down. His life revolved around this little boy but she secretly hoped that he'd made room for her in it too.

'Of course he has,' She mentally scolded herself. 'He wants me here.' She knelt down beside Irvine and let him pull her close to his side. Toby picked that opportune moment to pull throw the hat off and look up at his father. He then shifted his gaze to her. Selphie froze in dismay. The little boy leaning back while looking up at her was the spitting image of his father. His fine whispy hair was a little lighter than Irvine's, but he had the same beautiful hazel eyes. He reached a dirty hand up to her face, but his arm was too short to reach. Selphie continued to stare at the baby until he leaned so far that he stumbled down. Of course Irvine caught him so he didn't hit his head, but Selphie still sat unmoving. Part of her was jealous that she couldn't have been his mother. She had to smile as Toby pulled himself once again into a standing position by holding onto Irvine's leg. "He's beautiful," was all she was able to say. Irvine pulled her into a hug with his right arm while he made sure to steady Toby's attempts to stand on his own with his left.

~*~*~*~*~

Despite Jenny and Max's best attempts to keep them in Blue Gales longer, Irvine insisted that they needed to leave if they were going to catch the train. Selphie sat quietly on the couch, legs crossed. still flipping through the magazine she'd taken from the previous train. Irvine looked up from the application papers he was trying to make sense of to check on Toby who was sitting on the floor, content with drooling on his hat. He then cast a glance to Selphie who seemed lost in her newly found treasure.

"It's a good thing I didn't reserve a room back in Blue Gales," He said softly as he pretended to review the paper in his hand.

Selphie looked up abruptly. "How come?"

"Ya might've stolen the towels like you stole that magazine," A wry smile crossed his lips as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

Selphie seemed at a loss for words as he turned to face her. She closed the magazine and ran her hand across the front of it. "Did the towels in Blue Gales have Sir Laguna on them?"

"I sure hope not," Irvine laughed at the idea.

"Then no worries!" Selphie hopped up to sit on her knees, hugging the magazine, while a broad smile crossed her face. Irvine raised an eyebrow as he watched her. He sat his papers on the cushion beside him, scooted over to her, and wrapped his arms around her in an exaggerated hug. Selphie toppled backwards, nearly causing them to fall off of the couch. They lay there laughing so hard their sides were hurting.

"I love ya Darlin'," Irvine announced over her giggles. Selphie ran her hands above his shoulders and around his neck, the magazine falling to the mercy of a now curious Toby.

"I love you too," She whispered as she pulled his ponytail out and let his hair fall loose. She raised up and pulled him into a kiss. For a few long moments, they both forgot where they were and what was going on. A ripping sound startled them both back to reality.

"Toby!" Irvine quickly reached down to the boy and pulled the magazine from him. "No! Give me that!" He handed the slightly mangled magazine to Selphie as he slid off the couch and down to the floor. Toby's eyes grew shiny as he pooched out his lips and looked down at the floor.

The image before her tore Selphie apart. "Its okay Hun," Selphie said quickly as she placed a hand on Irvine's shoulder. He looked up at her and then back at his son. Selphie could barely stand to watch the situation, they both looked so pathetically miserable. Irvine was trying to be a stern parent, when she knew he had no experience and too soft of a heart; and Toby was sniffling on the floor, wanting nothing more than a hug. "Irvy! He's just a baby! Let him know he's not in trouble," Selphie whined as she fought the urge to take matters into her own hands. Toby wasn't her baby, but he was a baby nonetheless; and she wasn't going to ignore him for much longer.

"Toby," Irvine said. The baby kept looking down but edged a little closer to Irvine's lap. "Toby!" He said a little sharper, forcing the boy to look up at him. "Come here," Irvine smiled gently. Selphie fought the urge to cry and hop into Irvine's arms as well whenever Toby curled up in Irvine's lap and whimpered quietly. "Stop that. You're not in trouble." Irvine said soothingly. "It's going on ten. He needs to get to sleep." Selphie nodded in understanding and watched Irvine put the little boy on the bottom bunk bed.

When they finally reached Balamb Garden that night, Irvine walked Selphie to her dorm while cradling the sleeping Toby in the crook of his arm.

"Good night," Selphie said quietly to avoid waking Toby.

"Sleep tight Darlin," Irvine answered as he kissed her lightly on the lips. He waited until she'd shut the door before he started walking to the elevator. Irvine knew it had to be going on eleven if not midnight, but Cid had specifically ordered him to bring Toby by before he retired for the evening.

Groggily, Irvine pressed the third floor button and waited while the elevator slowly made it's way up. When the doors opened, he was suprised to see Cid's door open, and he hesitantly stepped inside. To add to Irvine's initial shock, Quistis was sitting around a corner table talking nonchalantly to Seifer. They all turned when they heard his first few muffled steps on the carpet and he froze. Awkwardness was not a feeling he had dealt with much in the past. He preferred taking everything in a steady stride and letting everything work out. Cid looked up at him and greeted him with a warm smile that Irvine was accustomed to, and was hoping to see when he showed him Toby. The older man examined the sleeping baby, but didn't touch him. He then looked to his wife who ran her thumb and forefinger through Toby's whispy hair.

"He's so beautiful," Edea whispered as she continued to admire him. Irvine was starting to get the feeling that if he wasn't careful, she might try and snatch Toby so she could raise him herself. Irvine smiled at the compliment, and then he noticed Quistis. She looked different than she did just moments ago. Her eyes were screaming out everything her facial expressions were trying to hide. He saw a mild bit of disbelief mixed with what he thought was longing and sadness. Was he really looking at Quistis? Something about her seemed so different. Cid said something inaudible to her, and she smiled in acknowledgment.

Irvine tried to convey his concern through his eyes but she turned away and walked over to his side in a hesitant motion. "Selphie'd told me, but I never would've believed it until now," A smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "It's late, I'm going to bed. So should all of you. There are classes tomorrow, not to mention a Garden to run," Quistis picked at Cid in an almost daughterly fashion.

"I'm afraid that's Squall's job my dear," Cid answered as he adjusted his glasses. Quistis rolled her eyes lazily in defeat and left the apartment. Irvine turned to watch her go while Edea kept fussing about how adorable Toby was. In the far corner where'd Quistis had been talking earlier sat a slightly annoyed Seifer. Irvine watched with a bit of anxiousness as the former knight eyed his son and then shook his head.

"Hey Matron, it's past midnight. Isn't it past due for little cowboy there to get to bed?" Seifer finally spoke. Edea pulled her hand away.

"I suppose," She smiled sweetly at Irvine. "You should've told me if you were feeling tired." Irvine nodded to her, and noted Seifer shaking his head as he collected Hyporion.

"I meant the baby," Seifer mumbled under his breath as he walked past. Irvine had to grin at the statement because it was obvious that Edea hadn't caught it.

"I'll let you go on to your dorm," Edea continued. "Do you need anything? If you do I'll be more than happy to help."

"Ah uh, no," Irvine answered. "Right now I just need to get some sleep."

"All right then. Good night."

Irvine had reached his dorm room door before he realized that he'd forgotten to give Cid his papers. Part of him wanted to run them up there quickly, but his more convincing part was ready to collapse on his twin sized bed. The door slid open to reveal his plain dorm room, set apart by the unused ones by only a guitar and a few jars of baby food on the desk.

************************************************************************

Well, here's chapter three. Hope you guys like this chapter. I spent a lot of time on it. Although I doubt any of you would have known this, Blue Gales was a town mentioned in the Reunion story that I removed about a month back. Also, I left hints to another one of my stories in this chapter......but I can't tell you guys everything. Anyway, please review. Let me know what you thought. It really means a lot.