GoodGurl: Hello everyone! I'm glad I'm getting a lot of reviews for this fic! I am soooo happy! All right so it's ooon with the chapter! Prepare for tissues, because this can be a tear jerker! I think…LOL
Disclaimer: Owned by Squaresoft, not by GoodGurl…sadly! *sniff*
Chapter 28 – Laguna's Story
A bit of time was what they needed, but even that, did not even renew the relationship between father and son. Three days and still, Laguna and Squall were not seen hugging each other with emotions usually seen only on Hallmark commercials. Edea did the best she could to make them talk to each other, even paying for a movie she knew they would enjoy together, but none of them worked. All her efforts were in vain. Every night, when they would come home from their 'night out,' Squall would head for the room he was sleeping in, his face full of expressionless air, while Laguna silently shuffled to the kitchen to prepare himself a cup of coffee. She had told Raine about this and all she received from her younger sister was silence. Edea knew that somehow, Raine wanted to forget the memories that led to this type of relationship her son and her husband had with each other, so Edea mentioned none of it anymore.
It was morning—the fourth day of, to what Laguna mentioned, 'spending time' with his son. She looked up and noticed Laguna reading over the National Post, deep in thought, but Edea hated the silence over breakfast, even if one was too busy reading a newspaper. Now that she had her brother-in-law and nephew staying with her for a week, there was no point in keeping silence in the house forever. "What is your plan today with Squall?"
Laguna looked at her, and then back down at the newspaper. "I was thinking maybe we just stay home," he replied. He turned the page of the National Post and began reading again.
Edea sighed. "You and Squall are very stubborn!" she said, as calmly as she could. That comment forced Laguna the full attention she needed from him, his eyebrows furrowing curiously. "I don't think it's time that you two need, I think it's your ears! I think you two are too stubborn to listen to each other!" She stood up, quickly shuffled to Squall's room, leaving Laguna baffled and came back seconds later with Squall following behind. "Sit there, Squall!"
Squall was too confused to argue, so he sat down on a chair opposite of Laguna, giving his father a curious glance before looking up at his Aunt. "What's going on?" he asked.
The dark haired woman glanced from one person to the other, and then sat down in between Laguna and Squall. Her eyes slowly dragged back to Squall first, and ended up staying there. "Squall I want you to start first."
"With what?" Squall was getting annoyed now.
"I want you to start telling your father about how you feel towards him-!" She paused and lifted up a hand to stop Laguna's protest. "Squall the first step in making a relationship stronger is having a straight conversation." Edea looked at Laguna. "With no interruptions…"
"You want me to say how I feel?" Squall asked, looking at his Aunt, then at Laguna, now with determination and anger all mixed in one. "Well he's a man I don't want to talk to, so let's just leave it at that, all right!?" He stood up and was about to walk away, when he felt a pair of hands on his arm. Squall turned and noticed Edea giving her the most pleading look he has ever seen.
"Squall think about how your mother is feeling right now. This has been going on for three days and your mother is probably worried about how you two would handle being alone together."
"What are you talking about?" Laguna asked.
Edea glanced at her brother-in law and sighed. "She asked me to call her every day and report to her if there was any progress between you two."
Squall stood in his spot and folded his arms across his chest. "So you are like a spy?"
The dark haired woman shook her head. "No, I am like her sister…Please sit down, Squall." Squall finally obeyed and sat back down. "Look you two, this won't go anywhere if you just stop and listen to each other talk. I think that's the problem you have. You've been spending your time going out to movies and restaurants, with all the noise, instead of being in a quiet place with no distractions to talk things over."
Squall winced, while Laguna put his newspaper down and folded it on his lap. They looked at each other and nodded agreeably, much to Edea's relief. I don't like talking, but she's right, Squall thought.
She is quite correct, Laguna said to himself, as both father and son turned to face each other once again. Edea straightened herself on her chair and waited until she was sure both of them were on the same level and cleared her throat. "Let's try this again. Squall, I want you start telling your father how you've been feeling these last couple of years."
Squall kept his arms folded over his chest and took a deep breath before saying, "I have been feeling angry at you dad for not being there all the time with your family. Sometimes I always feel like I have to watch over Cloud all the time instead of watching out for myself. He needs a father to help him grow up, not his older brother." He stopped and took a deep breath. "That's all," he said, looking down at nothing, trying to avoid eye contact with his father.
"I feel that you are capable enough to take care of your little brother, Squall, which is something I know I don't have…." Laguna paused and shook his head. Suddenly, he slammed a hand down on the table angrily. "This is really stupid Edea!" he spat.
Shocked, Edea looked at him, wide eyed.
Laguna was never the type to lose his temper, but even THIS was ridiculous for him. It felt as though they were being interrogated in a psychiatric hospital! "Listen Squall, do you REALLY want to know why I have been distancing myself from you?"
Squall was taken aback and was forced to keep his mouth shut from his father's outburst. He could hear the wind growing stronger by the minute outside, forcing tree branches to tap restlessly against the windows.
Laguna looked away and stared to his left at the refrigerator. "Every day, you looked exactly like me when I was growing up. When you were a boy, you were always so carefree, smiling with your friends, studying to be the best student in school… just like me when I was young. But there was something different between us… it was the fact that I never got to experience that same feeling you had when I was growing up. Yes, I was carefree, yes I laughed along with my friends and yes I was the straight A student in the school, but when I came home, I was always ambushed by my father and was beaten because he didn't approve of me for some reason. I knew that he hated the fact that I was better than him when he was a child. He was jealous of me… I studied hard during high school, got better and decided to go to a college far away so I wouldn't have to see him…." He took a deep breath and stood up. Laguna headed for the cupboard to grab a glass and to the water dispenser, where he poured himself a cup of water.
"What happened?" Squall asked, feeling his gut wrench with shame for the first time. Edea sat silently, listening intently. That was the first time she has heard his side of the story. She heard most of it from her sister, but never from Laguna.
Laguna put his empty cup down in the sink and turned around to face him. "Well I met your mother and had you, but even then, I couldn't shake the thought of his face, just glaring at me. Remember the first time you spilled ink all over my blueprints?"
Squall thought for a moment. He remembered some parts, but not all of it. He was just six years old the first time he did that. Squall was playing in his father's office, pretending to be like him, but when he reached over to grab a pen, his right elbow accidentally hit the bottle full of ink and it splattered all over his father's orphanage blueprints and the floor. "When I came in, that was the first thing I saw," Laguna said, finishing Squall's train of thought. "I was tired and overly stressed at that time, so I got angry with you." He paused again. Squall wished he didn't do that… it added more anxiety in his throat, making it drier than before. "I looked at you with anger in my eyes, but when I saw your face, I saw myself. I saw the fear in my eyes when my own father was angry with me and when I stopped to think about what I was doing, I saw my right hand raised in the air ready to strike you."
The young man clenched his fists at his sides and looked up. His father was staring at the counter wall in front of him, as if in a trance, but he went on anyway. "For the first time in my life on that night, I was ashamed of who I was. I was ashamed that I was THAT man's son. I couldn't look at you, knowing that if I did, I would feel more shameful." He swallowed hard. "After that, whenever I came home from work, I would look at myself in the mirror in the bathroom, telling myself that I wasn't my dad. I kept telling myself that, but that night would keep playing all over in my head like a broken record, reminding me whose son I really was. So I decided that I should stay away from you for a while, thinking that those memories of his face full of hatred would go away."
"Does mom know about this?" Squall couldn't believe he was even listening to his father's shocking confession, nor even asking about anything at all that concerned his father.
Laguna finally turned to look at him. "Of course she does. I would never keep anything from her… not in a million years. When I told her about this, she was very supportive about it. She was even more supportive when I told her not to tell you until I was ready. And…" He sighed. "I guess now is the time to tell you."
Squall frowned. "Glad you noticed that," he growled, turning his head away from him.
"It was hard for me, Squall. I thought you were too young to know or even understand how I was feeling at that point. I thought you would act rational about it, or even hurt."
Squall kept the frown on his face, looking back at his father. "Rational? I thought you knew me better than that."
His father looked at him. "I guess I didn't… that was one mistake I did. A week ago when you came in, crying and asking me for help about Rinoa, I realized what a mistake I made that by getting rid of the past, I had to ruin my own future with my son."
Squall said nothing.
Laguna walked back to the dining room table and sat back down on his spot across from his son. He glanced at Edea first, then at Squall. "I kept myself busy, usually coming home late and leaving early in the morning for work so I wouldn't have to see your face. I knew that you were angry at me for not being there everyday, but I just couldn't face you. Your eyes, your expressions of determination…It was as if I was looking at my own reflection. It wasn't because I was ashamed of you, Squall. I was ashamed of myself for not being able to stand up to my father when I was a boy. I was ashamed at myself for being weak."
"Why do you need to be ashamed? It's not like I would care whether you stood up to that bastard or not," Squall said quietly. "I just needed a father… And if you told me this sooner…" He was tired of this. He needed to let off some steam…needed Rinoa. She was the only one who could help him deal with this type of problem, but it was quite impossible right now. Right now, he has to deal on how to convince Ian concerning Rinoa's daughter. "If you told me this sooner, I would never have been angry with you… I would have understood." Was he really saying what he thinks he's saying? Was it his voice talking? He couldn't tell, because his ears were ringing.
There was silence once again, in which, after a few seconds, Edea broke. She stood up and went to the kitchen counter and grabbed three mugs from the cabinet. "I'm going to make some coffee. Would you two like some?" She glanced over her shoulder at the silent figures sitting on their chairs.
Laguna stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head. "No thanks, Edea. I think I'm going to go for a walk," he replied, turning around.
Squall looked up and watched his father disappear from the kitchen. He could hear his father's faint footsteps as he crossed the living room and to the front door, where it disappeared right after the door slammed shut.
Edea put one of the coffee mugs back into the cabinet quietly.
*********************************
"So, when can I see her?" Rinoa looked up at the sound of Quistis' voice. The blond had sat herself down across from her, putting down her food tray in front of her. She looked at the younger girl, while picking up the sandwich from her plate and taking a bite out of it slowly.
It took a moment for Rinoa to realize what the blond was talking about. "Diana?" It was the first time Quistis had asked to see her daughter. They've known each other for weeks now and not once did the blond asked to see her daughter, except now.
"You want to see her? Why so sudden?" Rinoa watched her suspiciously.
Quistis just shrugged and smiled. "I thought it would be time. How old is she now?" She absent-mindedly fidgeted with the napkin that she took in her hand to wipe her stain filled hands from the mayonnaise that dripped from the sandwich.
Rinoa kept staring at her, trying to figure out the reason of the blonde's sudden idea to see her daughter. "She's going to be turning one next month, why? How come you're suddenly intent on seeing her?"
For the second time, Quistis shrugged. "I just thought maybe I could come with you to your house after school and see her."
The dark haired girl lifted up an eyebrow curiously at the blond. "Why? I thought you have tutorial with Seifer?"
Quistis said nothing. Rinoa wanted to press on the subject with Seifer, but the way the older girl's shoulder tensed and the way her eyes narrowed into thin slits, gave her a reason to change her mind. The dark haired girl nodded. "All right, you can come with me, but you can't stay long though…I have to work around three thirty." She gave Quistis a reassuring smile. The blond gave a short nod, followed by a genuine smile. From where Rinoa sat, she could tell Quistis was relieved she agreed. She may have to wait until the blond was ready to tell her what was going on between her and Seifer.
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They arrived at the house about ten to three. The walk would have been more memorable if the weather wasn't so windy and cold. The girls had to basically bury themselves further into their useless, thin jackets that did not help warm them up. Rinoa assured Quistis that once they got to her house, she was going to make hot cocoa for the both of them. The blond was relieved about Rinoa's promise as she followed the dark haired girl inside the building that Quistis has never been to before.
Rinoa expected to be greeted as usual by Patti. Whenever she came home from school, Patti would be in the kitchen, already making dinner, but something was different as she entered inside the house, followed by the blond. "Patti?" she called. She made her way to the kitchen, but when she didn't see the older woman there, she turned and headed for the living room, where a shadowed figure stood by the fireplace. "Patti…Why is the living room so dark?" She reached beside her on the wall and turned on the light.
Patti looked up, her bushy hair around her face moving to the side. "Rinoa….they came again…" She paused and noticed Quistis standing behind her, then glanced back at the dark haired girl.
Rinoa felt her heart stop. The same fear that surrounded her two weeks ago snaked back into her whole body, making her knees weak and her body shaking. "What?" She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to hear it again. "What are you talking about? She's here isn't she?" Rinoa moved to where the crib was, hoping that Patti was just lying and looked down.
It was empty…
The dark haired girl stood staring at the empty crib. She felt her hands shaking, her eyes still trained on the empty crib. Rinoa suddenly jerked her head to Patti. "Where is she!? Why isn't she here!? Patti, stop joking around with me!" Tears were now visible in her eyes. They all fell like rain down her cheeks and onto the floor.
Patti looked at her sadly. "I'm not joking, Rinoa. They were just so insistent that they took her away. They didn't even turn around to show they showed even the slightest remorse to you…" She closed her lips suddenly when Rinoa sank to the ground, burying her face in her hands.
"Squall…" she mumbled. The same pain she felt that she thought her daughter was taken away was now throbbing even harder. Her heart drowned in all her tears. She needed Squall more than ever now. Rinoa felt arms go around her shoulder and she felt someone pull her into an embrace. She looked up and noticed bushy brown hair surrounding her face.
"It's all right, Rinoa," Patti whispered in her ear. "Everything is going to be all right. I have my faith that Squall will pull through this."
Rinoa did not listen instead she freed herself from Patti's embrace and stood up. Without even acknowledging that Quistis was still there, she walked over to the telephone hanging in the kitchen and dialed a number. Still sobbing, she waited for two rings until a soft, female voice answered on the other line.
"Hello?" the woman on the other side said.
The dark haired girl could not keep herself from weeping. As she opened her mouth to speak, her voice quickly began to shake. "Is-is Squall there p-please?"
***********************
Raine's eyes furrowed worriedly. "Hello? Who is this?"
The voice on the other line was cracking from what sounded like sobs. Thinking it could be the line at first; Raine pressed the phone harder against her ear and once more said, "Hello? Who is this?"
"It's- Rinoa. I would like to speak w-with Squall p-please…" The girl paused then added, "Th-this is Rinoa. Squall's-Squall's girl-girlfriend…"
Raine's eyes widened. "Rinoa? Is something the matter? What's wrong?"
Then there was silence.
"Rinoa, please answer me," Raine pleaded. "What's happened?"
"They-they took away my-my daughter…" Rinoa answered. "This-this after-afternoon…" Every word was followed by hiccups each time she spoke.
Raine couldn't believe her ears. "But I thought they were fine with you taking care of her?" She thought Laguna handled that already? Did her husband not succeed or did he even try to save her daughter?
Once again there was silence.
"Okay, I'll call Squall, okay?"
"Where is he?" Raine could tell the girl was trying to keep her sobs in check as to not stumble with her words.
"He's…out right now, but I'll call him right now!"
"Okay…" Rinoa hung up the phone without another word. Quickly, Raine pressed on the receiver, and then released it, dialing the number to her husband's cell phone.
*****************
The night sky was beautiful, if it wasn't for the cold wind that bit him around his face. The stars would have been beautiful if it weren't for that case. Laguna thought about what he had told Squall. Had he done the right thing in telling the whole reason on why he was neglecting his son all these years? Laguna could still see the pain in Squall's eyes when he found out that his father was ignoring him because for that reason alone. He was just about to cross the State Park when he felt his chest vibrating. It took him a moment to realize that it was his cell phone. Laguna never left without a cell phone, in case there was some kind of emergency. Reaching inside his right jacket pocket, he took out his silver Motorola phone.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Laguna!" The man immediately recognized his wife's voice, but he was startled when she suddenly yelled in his ear.
"What is it?"
"Rinoa JUST called and told me they took away her baby."
Laguna's eyes widened. She didn't need to explain who 'they' were and didn't need to explain further about what had happened. He had the idea already that this was going to happen. He was too wrapped up in trying to renew his relationship with his son that he had forgotten about Rinoa's situation. "Damn!" he hissed. "I'll let Squall know." He hung up the phone and dialed a long distance number.
Two rings and a man with a deep voice answered the phone. "Greg Millstone speaking."
Laguna nodded out of nowhere and said, "Hey Greg, this is Laguna. Could you find out a number of me under the name of Ian Adamms in Washington, D.C.?"
"All right, Mayor." With that said, Laguna could immediately hear the sound of fingers banging against a keyboard. Laguna knew that Greg Millstone was fast with his hands on the keyboard and was very intelligent when it came to computers that, seconds after, he came back on the phone. "Ian Adamms, Washington, D.C. 354-8409," he replied with a monotone voice.
"Thanks Greg," Laguna said, hanging up the phone. He went back to his cell phone again and dialed the number Greg told him. Two rings (which seemed to be the routine in Washington these days) and a woman with a thick, Mexican accent answered.
"Adamms residence, how may I help you?"
"Yes, may I speak with the main resident of the household?"
"May I ask who is speaking?" the woman asked.
"I am a Mayor of Seattle, Laguna Loir." There was definite reluctance the way the silence was held, but after a couple of seconds, another woman's voice appeared on the other line.
"Yes, this is Mrs. Adamms."
"Mrs. Adamms, you might remember me when I called a week ago to ask about your husband," Laguna said in a very polite tone.
"Yes I do, Mayor. My husband hasn't returned from his business trip yet and I specifically told your son that he would return in a week," she replied, matching the polite tone with his.
"I am curious Mrs. Adamms… Someone called to inform me that Diana, your husband's child was taken away. I don't remember watching Rinoa signing the agreement of sharing custody with your husband. The Social Services wouldn't even take the child away without the mother present, then that would be called kidnapping."
There was silence in the other line.
Laguna pressed on. "I should know, because I promised the Seattle Court House that I would be Rinoa's lawyer, even if she didn't know it. Tell me the truth Mrs. Adamms. Where did your husband REALLY go?"
There was a sigh, before she said, "He went go to see his daughter back in Seattle. He told me not to tell anyone about it."
"Are you aware about what you are saying Mrs. Adamms? Are you telling me that you're husband decided to…?" Laguna stopped, when he heard footsteps behind him. He jerked his head around and noticed Squall standing there, his clenched fists. "I'll have to call you back." He hung up the phone and put it back inside his jacket pocket. "Squall…"
Squall looked up, his eyes full of tears. "Where is he now?" he growled, clenching and unclenching his fists a couple of times at his side.
Laguna shrugged. "No idea, but from what his wife told me, he's back in Seattle, but I got more bad news…" His son braced himself for the 'bad news' he was going to tell him as Laguna took a deep breath. "Rinoa just called home looking for you. Your mother answered and told her what had happened…." He took another deep breath. "Diana is missing, but they think the social services took her."
Squall's eyes widened his face in a mixture of shock and anger. "Are you telling me that Ian would go as far as to kidnap his own daughter from her mother!?"
"That's the only conclusion I can think of…"
They stood like that for a moment, silence once again filling the air. Both of them were too busy rummaging through their brains trying to figure out what to do, until Squall turned around and headed back to the Kramer house. Laguna knew exactly what he was thinking, but he decided to ask to make sure. "Where are you going?"
Squall, without looking back said, "I'm going back to Seattle and do whatever it takes to get Diana back!" Just thinking of Rinoa crying in her sleep made his heart ache as he crossed the street and headed down the road without caring that he was walking in the middle of it. Laguna sighed and followed his son back to the main path.
GoodGurl: There you have it folks! Another twist in the story to keep you guys reading for more! Oh yes you noticed it WASN'T a tear jerker after all! ;) I was just exaggerating! Woohoo and I'm finished this chapter! This story may have more chapters than I expected but oh well! All the more to be wrapped up in! ^^
Disclaimer: Owned by Squaresoft, not by GoodGurl…sadly! *sniff*
Chapter 28 – Laguna's Story
A bit of time was what they needed, but even that, did not even renew the relationship between father and son. Three days and still, Laguna and Squall were not seen hugging each other with emotions usually seen only on Hallmark commercials. Edea did the best she could to make them talk to each other, even paying for a movie she knew they would enjoy together, but none of them worked. All her efforts were in vain. Every night, when they would come home from their 'night out,' Squall would head for the room he was sleeping in, his face full of expressionless air, while Laguna silently shuffled to the kitchen to prepare himself a cup of coffee. She had told Raine about this and all she received from her younger sister was silence. Edea knew that somehow, Raine wanted to forget the memories that led to this type of relationship her son and her husband had with each other, so Edea mentioned none of it anymore.
It was morning—the fourth day of, to what Laguna mentioned, 'spending time' with his son. She looked up and noticed Laguna reading over the National Post, deep in thought, but Edea hated the silence over breakfast, even if one was too busy reading a newspaper. Now that she had her brother-in-law and nephew staying with her for a week, there was no point in keeping silence in the house forever. "What is your plan today with Squall?"
Laguna looked at her, and then back down at the newspaper. "I was thinking maybe we just stay home," he replied. He turned the page of the National Post and began reading again.
Edea sighed. "You and Squall are very stubborn!" she said, as calmly as she could. That comment forced Laguna the full attention she needed from him, his eyebrows furrowing curiously. "I don't think it's time that you two need, I think it's your ears! I think you two are too stubborn to listen to each other!" She stood up, quickly shuffled to Squall's room, leaving Laguna baffled and came back seconds later with Squall following behind. "Sit there, Squall!"
Squall was too confused to argue, so he sat down on a chair opposite of Laguna, giving his father a curious glance before looking up at his Aunt. "What's going on?" he asked.
The dark haired woman glanced from one person to the other, and then sat down in between Laguna and Squall. Her eyes slowly dragged back to Squall first, and ended up staying there. "Squall I want you to start first."
"With what?" Squall was getting annoyed now.
"I want you to start telling your father about how you feel towards him-!" She paused and lifted up a hand to stop Laguna's protest. "Squall the first step in making a relationship stronger is having a straight conversation." Edea looked at Laguna. "With no interruptions…"
"You want me to say how I feel?" Squall asked, looking at his Aunt, then at Laguna, now with determination and anger all mixed in one. "Well he's a man I don't want to talk to, so let's just leave it at that, all right!?" He stood up and was about to walk away, when he felt a pair of hands on his arm. Squall turned and noticed Edea giving her the most pleading look he has ever seen.
"Squall think about how your mother is feeling right now. This has been going on for three days and your mother is probably worried about how you two would handle being alone together."
"What are you talking about?" Laguna asked.
Edea glanced at her brother-in law and sighed. "She asked me to call her every day and report to her if there was any progress between you two."
Squall stood in his spot and folded his arms across his chest. "So you are like a spy?"
The dark haired woman shook her head. "No, I am like her sister…Please sit down, Squall." Squall finally obeyed and sat back down. "Look you two, this won't go anywhere if you just stop and listen to each other talk. I think that's the problem you have. You've been spending your time going out to movies and restaurants, with all the noise, instead of being in a quiet place with no distractions to talk things over."
Squall winced, while Laguna put his newspaper down and folded it on his lap. They looked at each other and nodded agreeably, much to Edea's relief. I don't like talking, but she's right, Squall thought.
She is quite correct, Laguna said to himself, as both father and son turned to face each other once again. Edea straightened herself on her chair and waited until she was sure both of them were on the same level and cleared her throat. "Let's try this again. Squall, I want you start telling your father how you've been feeling these last couple of years."
Squall kept his arms folded over his chest and took a deep breath before saying, "I have been feeling angry at you dad for not being there all the time with your family. Sometimes I always feel like I have to watch over Cloud all the time instead of watching out for myself. He needs a father to help him grow up, not his older brother." He stopped and took a deep breath. "That's all," he said, looking down at nothing, trying to avoid eye contact with his father.
"I feel that you are capable enough to take care of your little brother, Squall, which is something I know I don't have…." Laguna paused and shook his head. Suddenly, he slammed a hand down on the table angrily. "This is really stupid Edea!" he spat.
Shocked, Edea looked at him, wide eyed.
Laguna was never the type to lose his temper, but even THIS was ridiculous for him. It felt as though they were being interrogated in a psychiatric hospital! "Listen Squall, do you REALLY want to know why I have been distancing myself from you?"
Squall was taken aback and was forced to keep his mouth shut from his father's outburst. He could hear the wind growing stronger by the minute outside, forcing tree branches to tap restlessly against the windows.
Laguna looked away and stared to his left at the refrigerator. "Every day, you looked exactly like me when I was growing up. When you were a boy, you were always so carefree, smiling with your friends, studying to be the best student in school… just like me when I was young. But there was something different between us… it was the fact that I never got to experience that same feeling you had when I was growing up. Yes, I was carefree, yes I laughed along with my friends and yes I was the straight A student in the school, but when I came home, I was always ambushed by my father and was beaten because he didn't approve of me for some reason. I knew that he hated the fact that I was better than him when he was a child. He was jealous of me… I studied hard during high school, got better and decided to go to a college far away so I wouldn't have to see him…." He took a deep breath and stood up. Laguna headed for the cupboard to grab a glass and to the water dispenser, where he poured himself a cup of water.
"What happened?" Squall asked, feeling his gut wrench with shame for the first time. Edea sat silently, listening intently. That was the first time she has heard his side of the story. She heard most of it from her sister, but never from Laguna.
Laguna put his empty cup down in the sink and turned around to face him. "Well I met your mother and had you, but even then, I couldn't shake the thought of his face, just glaring at me. Remember the first time you spilled ink all over my blueprints?"
Squall thought for a moment. He remembered some parts, but not all of it. He was just six years old the first time he did that. Squall was playing in his father's office, pretending to be like him, but when he reached over to grab a pen, his right elbow accidentally hit the bottle full of ink and it splattered all over his father's orphanage blueprints and the floor. "When I came in, that was the first thing I saw," Laguna said, finishing Squall's train of thought. "I was tired and overly stressed at that time, so I got angry with you." He paused again. Squall wished he didn't do that… it added more anxiety in his throat, making it drier than before. "I looked at you with anger in my eyes, but when I saw your face, I saw myself. I saw the fear in my eyes when my own father was angry with me and when I stopped to think about what I was doing, I saw my right hand raised in the air ready to strike you."
The young man clenched his fists at his sides and looked up. His father was staring at the counter wall in front of him, as if in a trance, but he went on anyway. "For the first time in my life on that night, I was ashamed of who I was. I was ashamed that I was THAT man's son. I couldn't look at you, knowing that if I did, I would feel more shameful." He swallowed hard. "After that, whenever I came home from work, I would look at myself in the mirror in the bathroom, telling myself that I wasn't my dad. I kept telling myself that, but that night would keep playing all over in my head like a broken record, reminding me whose son I really was. So I decided that I should stay away from you for a while, thinking that those memories of his face full of hatred would go away."
"Does mom know about this?" Squall couldn't believe he was even listening to his father's shocking confession, nor even asking about anything at all that concerned his father.
Laguna finally turned to look at him. "Of course she does. I would never keep anything from her… not in a million years. When I told her about this, she was very supportive about it. She was even more supportive when I told her not to tell you until I was ready. And…" He sighed. "I guess now is the time to tell you."
Squall frowned. "Glad you noticed that," he growled, turning his head away from him.
"It was hard for me, Squall. I thought you were too young to know or even understand how I was feeling at that point. I thought you would act rational about it, or even hurt."
Squall kept the frown on his face, looking back at his father. "Rational? I thought you knew me better than that."
His father looked at him. "I guess I didn't… that was one mistake I did. A week ago when you came in, crying and asking me for help about Rinoa, I realized what a mistake I made that by getting rid of the past, I had to ruin my own future with my son."
Squall said nothing.
Laguna walked back to the dining room table and sat back down on his spot across from his son. He glanced at Edea first, then at Squall. "I kept myself busy, usually coming home late and leaving early in the morning for work so I wouldn't have to see your face. I knew that you were angry at me for not being there everyday, but I just couldn't face you. Your eyes, your expressions of determination…It was as if I was looking at my own reflection. It wasn't because I was ashamed of you, Squall. I was ashamed of myself for not being able to stand up to my father when I was a boy. I was ashamed at myself for being weak."
"Why do you need to be ashamed? It's not like I would care whether you stood up to that bastard or not," Squall said quietly. "I just needed a father… And if you told me this sooner…" He was tired of this. He needed to let off some steam…needed Rinoa. She was the only one who could help him deal with this type of problem, but it was quite impossible right now. Right now, he has to deal on how to convince Ian concerning Rinoa's daughter. "If you told me this sooner, I would never have been angry with you… I would have understood." Was he really saying what he thinks he's saying? Was it his voice talking? He couldn't tell, because his ears were ringing.
There was silence once again, in which, after a few seconds, Edea broke. She stood up and went to the kitchen counter and grabbed three mugs from the cabinet. "I'm going to make some coffee. Would you two like some?" She glanced over her shoulder at the silent figures sitting on their chairs.
Laguna stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head. "No thanks, Edea. I think I'm going to go for a walk," he replied, turning around.
Squall looked up and watched his father disappear from the kitchen. He could hear his father's faint footsteps as he crossed the living room and to the front door, where it disappeared right after the door slammed shut.
Edea put one of the coffee mugs back into the cabinet quietly.
*********************************
"So, when can I see her?" Rinoa looked up at the sound of Quistis' voice. The blond had sat herself down across from her, putting down her food tray in front of her. She looked at the younger girl, while picking up the sandwich from her plate and taking a bite out of it slowly.
It took a moment for Rinoa to realize what the blond was talking about. "Diana?" It was the first time Quistis had asked to see her daughter. They've known each other for weeks now and not once did the blond asked to see her daughter, except now.
"You want to see her? Why so sudden?" Rinoa watched her suspiciously.
Quistis just shrugged and smiled. "I thought it would be time. How old is she now?" She absent-mindedly fidgeted with the napkin that she took in her hand to wipe her stain filled hands from the mayonnaise that dripped from the sandwich.
Rinoa kept staring at her, trying to figure out the reason of the blonde's sudden idea to see her daughter. "She's going to be turning one next month, why? How come you're suddenly intent on seeing her?"
For the second time, Quistis shrugged. "I just thought maybe I could come with you to your house after school and see her."
The dark haired girl lifted up an eyebrow curiously at the blond. "Why? I thought you have tutorial with Seifer?"
Quistis said nothing. Rinoa wanted to press on the subject with Seifer, but the way the older girl's shoulder tensed and the way her eyes narrowed into thin slits, gave her a reason to change her mind. The dark haired girl nodded. "All right, you can come with me, but you can't stay long though…I have to work around three thirty." She gave Quistis a reassuring smile. The blond gave a short nod, followed by a genuine smile. From where Rinoa sat, she could tell Quistis was relieved she agreed. She may have to wait until the blond was ready to tell her what was going on between her and Seifer.
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They arrived at the house about ten to three. The walk would have been more memorable if the weather wasn't so windy and cold. The girls had to basically bury themselves further into their useless, thin jackets that did not help warm them up. Rinoa assured Quistis that once they got to her house, she was going to make hot cocoa for the both of them. The blond was relieved about Rinoa's promise as she followed the dark haired girl inside the building that Quistis has never been to before.
Rinoa expected to be greeted as usual by Patti. Whenever she came home from school, Patti would be in the kitchen, already making dinner, but something was different as she entered inside the house, followed by the blond. "Patti?" she called. She made her way to the kitchen, but when she didn't see the older woman there, she turned and headed for the living room, where a shadowed figure stood by the fireplace. "Patti…Why is the living room so dark?" She reached beside her on the wall and turned on the light.
Patti looked up, her bushy hair around her face moving to the side. "Rinoa….they came again…" She paused and noticed Quistis standing behind her, then glanced back at the dark haired girl.
Rinoa felt her heart stop. The same fear that surrounded her two weeks ago snaked back into her whole body, making her knees weak and her body shaking. "What?" She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to hear it again. "What are you talking about? She's here isn't she?" Rinoa moved to where the crib was, hoping that Patti was just lying and looked down.
It was empty…
The dark haired girl stood staring at the empty crib. She felt her hands shaking, her eyes still trained on the empty crib. Rinoa suddenly jerked her head to Patti. "Where is she!? Why isn't she here!? Patti, stop joking around with me!" Tears were now visible in her eyes. They all fell like rain down her cheeks and onto the floor.
Patti looked at her sadly. "I'm not joking, Rinoa. They were just so insistent that they took her away. They didn't even turn around to show they showed even the slightest remorse to you…" She closed her lips suddenly when Rinoa sank to the ground, burying her face in her hands.
"Squall…" she mumbled. The same pain she felt that she thought her daughter was taken away was now throbbing even harder. Her heart drowned in all her tears. She needed Squall more than ever now. Rinoa felt arms go around her shoulder and she felt someone pull her into an embrace. She looked up and noticed bushy brown hair surrounding her face.
"It's all right, Rinoa," Patti whispered in her ear. "Everything is going to be all right. I have my faith that Squall will pull through this."
Rinoa did not listen instead she freed herself from Patti's embrace and stood up. Without even acknowledging that Quistis was still there, she walked over to the telephone hanging in the kitchen and dialed a number. Still sobbing, she waited for two rings until a soft, female voice answered on the other line.
"Hello?" the woman on the other side said.
The dark haired girl could not keep herself from weeping. As she opened her mouth to speak, her voice quickly began to shake. "Is-is Squall there p-please?"
***********************
Raine's eyes furrowed worriedly. "Hello? Who is this?"
The voice on the other line was cracking from what sounded like sobs. Thinking it could be the line at first; Raine pressed the phone harder against her ear and once more said, "Hello? Who is this?"
"It's- Rinoa. I would like to speak w-with Squall p-please…" The girl paused then added, "Th-this is Rinoa. Squall's-Squall's girl-girlfriend…"
Raine's eyes widened. "Rinoa? Is something the matter? What's wrong?"
Then there was silence.
"Rinoa, please answer me," Raine pleaded. "What's happened?"
"They-they took away my-my daughter…" Rinoa answered. "This-this after-afternoon…" Every word was followed by hiccups each time she spoke.
Raine couldn't believe her ears. "But I thought they were fine with you taking care of her?" She thought Laguna handled that already? Did her husband not succeed or did he even try to save her daughter?
Once again there was silence.
"Okay, I'll call Squall, okay?"
"Where is he?" Raine could tell the girl was trying to keep her sobs in check as to not stumble with her words.
"He's…out right now, but I'll call him right now!"
"Okay…" Rinoa hung up the phone without another word. Quickly, Raine pressed on the receiver, and then released it, dialing the number to her husband's cell phone.
*****************
The night sky was beautiful, if it wasn't for the cold wind that bit him around his face. The stars would have been beautiful if it weren't for that case. Laguna thought about what he had told Squall. Had he done the right thing in telling the whole reason on why he was neglecting his son all these years? Laguna could still see the pain in Squall's eyes when he found out that his father was ignoring him because for that reason alone. He was just about to cross the State Park when he felt his chest vibrating. It took him a moment to realize that it was his cell phone. Laguna never left without a cell phone, in case there was some kind of emergency. Reaching inside his right jacket pocket, he took out his silver Motorola phone.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Laguna!" The man immediately recognized his wife's voice, but he was startled when she suddenly yelled in his ear.
"What is it?"
"Rinoa JUST called and told me they took away her baby."
Laguna's eyes widened. She didn't need to explain who 'they' were and didn't need to explain further about what had happened. He had the idea already that this was going to happen. He was too wrapped up in trying to renew his relationship with his son that he had forgotten about Rinoa's situation. "Damn!" he hissed. "I'll let Squall know." He hung up the phone and dialed a long distance number.
Two rings and a man with a deep voice answered the phone. "Greg Millstone speaking."
Laguna nodded out of nowhere and said, "Hey Greg, this is Laguna. Could you find out a number of me under the name of Ian Adamms in Washington, D.C.?"
"All right, Mayor." With that said, Laguna could immediately hear the sound of fingers banging against a keyboard. Laguna knew that Greg Millstone was fast with his hands on the keyboard and was very intelligent when it came to computers that, seconds after, he came back on the phone. "Ian Adamms, Washington, D.C. 354-8409," he replied with a monotone voice.
"Thanks Greg," Laguna said, hanging up the phone. He went back to his cell phone again and dialed the number Greg told him. Two rings (which seemed to be the routine in Washington these days) and a woman with a thick, Mexican accent answered.
"Adamms residence, how may I help you?"
"Yes, may I speak with the main resident of the household?"
"May I ask who is speaking?" the woman asked.
"I am a Mayor of Seattle, Laguna Loir." There was definite reluctance the way the silence was held, but after a couple of seconds, another woman's voice appeared on the other line.
"Yes, this is Mrs. Adamms."
"Mrs. Adamms, you might remember me when I called a week ago to ask about your husband," Laguna said in a very polite tone.
"Yes I do, Mayor. My husband hasn't returned from his business trip yet and I specifically told your son that he would return in a week," she replied, matching the polite tone with his.
"I am curious Mrs. Adamms… Someone called to inform me that Diana, your husband's child was taken away. I don't remember watching Rinoa signing the agreement of sharing custody with your husband. The Social Services wouldn't even take the child away without the mother present, then that would be called kidnapping."
There was silence in the other line.
Laguna pressed on. "I should know, because I promised the Seattle Court House that I would be Rinoa's lawyer, even if she didn't know it. Tell me the truth Mrs. Adamms. Where did your husband REALLY go?"
There was a sigh, before she said, "He went go to see his daughter back in Seattle. He told me not to tell anyone about it."
"Are you aware about what you are saying Mrs. Adamms? Are you telling me that you're husband decided to…?" Laguna stopped, when he heard footsteps behind him. He jerked his head around and noticed Squall standing there, his clenched fists. "I'll have to call you back." He hung up the phone and put it back inside his jacket pocket. "Squall…"
Squall looked up, his eyes full of tears. "Where is he now?" he growled, clenching and unclenching his fists a couple of times at his side.
Laguna shrugged. "No idea, but from what his wife told me, he's back in Seattle, but I got more bad news…" His son braced himself for the 'bad news' he was going to tell him as Laguna took a deep breath. "Rinoa just called home looking for you. Your mother answered and told her what had happened…." He took another deep breath. "Diana is missing, but they think the social services took her."
Squall's eyes widened his face in a mixture of shock and anger. "Are you telling me that Ian would go as far as to kidnap his own daughter from her mother!?"
"That's the only conclusion I can think of…"
They stood like that for a moment, silence once again filling the air. Both of them were too busy rummaging through their brains trying to figure out what to do, until Squall turned around and headed back to the Kramer house. Laguna knew exactly what he was thinking, but he decided to ask to make sure. "Where are you going?"
Squall, without looking back said, "I'm going back to Seattle and do whatever it takes to get Diana back!" Just thinking of Rinoa crying in her sleep made his heart ache as he crossed the street and headed down the road without caring that he was walking in the middle of it. Laguna sighed and followed his son back to the main path.
GoodGurl: There you have it folks! Another twist in the story to keep you guys reading for more! Oh yes you noticed it WASN'T a tear jerker after all! ;) I was just exaggerating! Woohoo and I'm finished this chapter! This story may have more chapters than I expected but oh well! All the more to be wrapped up in! ^^