Author's Note: The chapter was rushed so I just wrote it as it came to me. I don't have time to read it so forgive me if stuff isn't accurate or if I have errors or if it sounds bad. I had to delete Chapters 19 until 23 because I had to fix stuff. Anyway, here's the Nineteenth Chapter. Anyway, I really have to type Chapter Twenty now because you guys read so fast. Haha! Here are the thank you notes.
Sensei Raharu – I'm not mad. Why would I be? I'm actually quite grateful. Didn't I tell you I was grateful? Thanks for your review and I'm so happy you'll still read my story. And thanks for the compliment about the potential thing. I don't receive many compliments so that means a lot. Once again, thank you!
PasifiKStaR – So you like Angelo, too, huh? I hope you won't get mad with what happens to the poor doggie in this chapter. Anyway, thank you for reviewing. I appreciate it!
SquallsGIRL – Thanks for reviewing! I'm sorry, I don't watch soap operas. To be honest, I don't even have a clear definition of what they are in the first place. But anyway, I hope you like this chapter, though I did have to rush with it.
lostfallenangel – You thought the last part was cute? Well, I owe that to to someone really special. Anyway, thanks for the review. I hope you continue to like the story and that you'll keep reading.
LionHeart823 – Thank you for the review, though that did sound a little bit uncertain. Enjoy the chapter.
Tai-Style – Thanks for reviewing and for the…uh…faith that you have in me. I appreciate it. I appreciate all of your reviews and it makes me happy that my readers like my story. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, too, though I don't really like what happened even though I wrote it.
The wise – Of course I updated. There is no way I would let this story die. I'll try to keep up with you guys but you read faster than I write. Haha! Enjoy the chapter.
diamonddust1414 – Rinoa wasn't alone. She was with Raijin (and Angelo). I wrote it there, you probably missed it. Anyway, that's okay. Thank you for reviewing!
flare draco – You're still welcome and will always be. Thanks for reviewing. I hope you will like the next chapters more because there will be more Squinoa. Enjoy reading!
Chapter Nineteen
Rinoa sighed as she sat on the stone steps just outside the tomb. They hadn't been able to find Raijin and it was already evening. "Do you think he'll be able to find his own way out, Squall?" Rinoa queried as she threw a stick for Angelo to fetch.
"No," Squall answered.
"That's so mean," Rinoa said with a laugh. Angelo had returned to her with the stick and lay down in front of her.
"You did want my honest opinion, didn't you?" Squall said.
"Never mind," Rinoa answered as she looked up at the sky. She sighed again. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.
Squall walked up to her and said, "What is?"
"The sky," answered Rinoa, "the moon, the stars, and even the hazy, grayish clouds. Their all beautiful, aren't they?"
Squall looked down at her eyes, which were faintly reflecting the bright light from the heavens. "Yes," he answered distractedly. "Very."
A breeze blew and she turned to look at him and smiled. "I like your eyes, Squall," she said suddenly, though it had nothing to do with what they were talking about. She laughed and he said, "What?"
"Your eyes," she murmured, "they're nice." He sat down beside her, keeping his eyes on hers, but her gaze wandered back up to the stars.
"You know, I…" she paused, biting her lip.
"What?" asked Squall, urging her to continue speaking.
She wrinkled her nose a little but then said, "Sometimes, when I…when I just think of you for some reason, I look up at the stars and count them. With every star, I say something I like about you, or something you always say, or a reason why I should be with you…those kinds of things. And then…I suddenly realize…'Haven't I already counted this star?' There are so many things about you, Squall, that I can't seem to forget but…but when I think about it too much or long for you too much…Seifer falls into the picture."
"What's wrong with you?" Squall asked, angry that she just won't admit she loves him. He suddenly looked away, knowing what he said had just come out harsher than he had wanted it to. That wasn't even what he meant to say.
She didn't say anything for a while, but then she whispered, "I don't know, Squall, I'm sorry." She at least didn't sound hurt. "Tell me…what is love?"
"An emotion," he replied, looking at her again.
"No," she said. "What is it like?"
Squall needed to pause for a while. Love…what was it? Something…he couldn't describe it. All the more he couldn't define it. He thought deeper. What was love? 'Rinoa…' he thought. Love for him was Rinoa. It was an emotion he had with just looking at her, hearing her voice, feeling her touch.
"Squall?" she asked, waking him from his thoughts.
He faced her again. "You want to know what love is?" he asked.
She nodded and he said, "Remember that night when you first said you loved me. Or the night when I first said I loved you. What made you believe that you loved me?"
"I don't know," she said. "I…I just knew."
He looked deep in her eyes and said, "Then you'll know."
"I don't understand," she said with a frown.
"You don't need to understand," he told her, leaning still closer. "You'll just know it. You'll feel it. No one has to tell you. No one has to show you. No one has to teach you. It's a dream that you forget in the morning but remember when the time comes. It's the mirage in the desert that you see from afar but disappears when you approach it."
Rinoa laughed, breaking the seriousness and intensity of the moment. "You really should talk more. Where did you learn that, Squall?"
"From you," he replied.
"From me?" she asked, bewildered.
"Yes," he answered. "It was all from you." She laughed again, seemingly amused, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"I like being loved," she said, laughing again. He wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her deeply, before saying, "I like loving you."
Squall drove Rinoa home an hour later. He parked in front of the mansion and she said, "I had fun tonight." She smiled at him. "I want to see you again."
"Maybe tomorrow," he said. "If Seifer won't interfere, that is…"
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But no more…we agreed that would be the last. I…I'll be married soon and…well, you know. Nothing more than friends, Squall…"
"Right," he said. She stepped out of his car and he stayed there for a while, just watching her. She looked at him once more before she, Angelo following ever-obediently, opened the door and went inside. He leaned back and groaned. He was just about to start the car again and drive off when he heard a scream.
"Rinoa!" he said suddenly, getting out of the car, his Lionheart drawn. He ran towards the door and ran inside to find Rinoa on the floor and a man on top of her, determined to stab her with a knife.
"Help!" she screamed. Angelo limped towards her, barking madly. His blood creating puddles on the floor. Another bark escaped him before he fell over.
Squall rushed to Rinoa. The man, noticing this, moved away. Rinoa got up immediately and pulled on Squall's arm. "No! Don't!" she said. "He's Seifer's father."
"He tried to kill you!" said Squall, fury in his eyes. Zeon brought out a gun and was about to shoot when Squall kicked it away from his hands. It then lay forgotten.
Rinoa just shook her head and ran to Angelo, who was still bleeding profusely. The dog whimpered, struggling to get back up. Rinoa started to cry and Squall glared angrily at Zeon. Squall stood by Rinoa and said, "Come on, we have to get Angelo to someone who can treat him." Rinoa nodded and Squall knelt down.
Zeon took this moment to grab the gun again and fire.
It happened in an instant. Squall heard Rinoa call his name desperately and the next he knew Rinoa had her arms around him and there was a loud gunshot. Squall reacted purely on impulse. He rushed forward and pushed Zeon against the wall. He grabbed the gun and hit him hard on the head. It took him a moment to decide whether to shoot him or not.
"Squall…" he heard Rinoa call weakly. He had no choice but the latter and he ran to Rinoa's side. "Squall…" she said again, her tears cascading down her cheeks.
"It's going to be okay," he said. "I promise." He lifted her from the floor and ran outside, placing her in the car. He was about to drive to the hospital when he remembered Angelo. He ran back into the house and placed Angelo in the back seat of the car. Hurriedly, he started the car and drove towards the hospital. He was halfway when a policeman started to go after him. "Fuck!" he cursed but didn't slow down.
The policeman managed to keep up with his speed and reached his open window. "Sir, top the car!" the policeman demanded.
"Fuck off!" Squall angrily cussed. "If she dies, I'll kill you!"
The policeman noticed Rinoa on the passenger seat and, with a look of shock, contented himself on following Squall's car to the hospital.
When Squall got out of the car and was getting Rinoa, the policeman said, "Sir, would you like me to help?"
"Yes," Squall answered. "There's a dog in the backseat. Get him."
"What?" said the policeman.
"Just do it!" Squall yelled. He rushed into the hospital and immediately, the nurses who saw him with Rinoa came to help him. The next moment he watched them take Rinoa to the emergency room. Next came Angelo…
"Please, sir, this is not a place for pets," said a nurse to the policeman who had just carried the blood-soaked dog into the hospital. Squall came to them and let all of his anger pour out at the nurse.
"There isn't time to take him anywhere else!" he shouted.
"Sir, that's a dog…" said the nurse.
"I'm not blind!" Squall yelled at the nurse. "Now you treat him or I swear you'll wish you never took up nursing!"
Soon, some nurses and doctors also tended to Angelo. Squall pressed a hand to his forehead since he suffered from a severe headache. The policeman came to him and said, "I'm really sorry about earlier, sir…"
"Never mind," said Squall. "I need one more thing."
The policeman nodded.
Squall wrote the address to the mansion where Seifer lives, hoping Seifer was already there, and said, "I want you to go here. When you get there, ask for a man named Seifer Almasy. Tell him, 'Rinoa is in the hospital.' Got that?"
- : - : - : -
Seifer had just gotten home. Raijin had found him in the Shopping Arcade and told him that Rinoa was gone. Going home to see if she was there, Seifer was surprised to find his living room floor painted with blood. "What the hell happened here?!" he said. He turned to Raijin and Fujin. "Check the house. Look for Rinoa."
He went to his father, who lay unconscious on the floor. A gun lay not far from him. He was so tempted to shoot the old man. Raijin and Fujin came back and Raijin said, "She isn't anywhere inside, Seifer."
"Shit!" Seifer shouted.
Knocks came on the door and Seifer answered it. "What?" he said.
"Uh…I'm looking for a man named Seifer Almasy…" said the policeman. He looked like he was new to the job. The look in his eyes gave it away.
"I'm Seifer Almasy," Seifer answered. "What do you want?"
"I was told to tell you that Rinoa is in the hospital," answered the policeman.
The color drained from Seifer's face and if he didn't want so much to get to the hospital and see Rinoa he could have very well killed his father, who he was sure had absolutely everything to do with this.