Chapter Nine: Paternal Instincts
By PasifikStar
Author's Note:
All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
The sun was rising in the east, it's warm morning rays caressing the Garden and all within it. Quistis Trepe walked from the cafeteria, a mug of coffee in her hands as a folder with a stack of collated stapled papers was underneath one arm. She took a sip of the hot dark drink and allowed the aroma to cover her body.
Behind her, Seifer was going through some paper work that had to be turned into one Captain Leonhart by the end of the day. "Are you prepared for your first final of the week?" he asked casually as his fiancee drank her coffee.
"Everything is ready," Quistis said. She looked back over her shoulder. Seifer, like Squall, didn't wear his SeeD uniform. Instead, he was wearing a dark gray turtle neck and dark blue jeans underneath his usual gray coat. He was paying close attention to his paper work and Quistis smiled smile. "You look so serious."
"Well, I want that promotion," Seifer told her as he looked up. He smirked slightly. "What? Don't think I can do it?"
"I wouldn't be marrying you if I didn't think you could." she replied sweetly. Seifer chuckled and sped up to put his arm around her waist. He gently rubbed her stomach.
"So...when are we going to tell them?" Seifer asked calmly. "I mean...you don't seriously plan until waiting until you SHOW do you?"
Quistis laughed. "I'm going to start showing soon anyway," she said as she walked along side of him. "We'll tell them when the time is right."
Just as she said that, Rinoa rushed past them. Seifer and Quistis looked at each other and frowned. "Hmm... doesn't she usually sleep in?"
"I don't think she has anything planned for today..." Quistis agreed. She looked at her watch. It was still seven in the morning. Students were barely getting up for their eight o'clock classes. "Rinoa!" Quistis called. The blond couple looked down the hall as the brunette slid to a stop.
"Oh! Hey, guys! Morning!" she said quickly before whirling around and continuing her running.
"Rinoa!" Quistis called out. "Rinoa, wait a second. What are you doing up so early?"
"Umm..." The brown eyed brunette looked around nervously and smiled weakly. "Actually...it's Squall."
"What happened to Captain Puberty this time?" Seifer asked.
"Is he all right?" Quistis added.
Rinoa nodded. "Yeah...he's...um...been in the infirmary since last night-"
"Oh my Hyne! What happened?" Quistis gasped as she and Seifer walked towards Rinoa.
Her eyes darted around nervously as she began to fidget with her fingers. "Umm...he...uh...fainted."
"I did not FAINT," Squall said as he sat on the infirmary bed, a obvious frown set across his face as his friends stood around him. Rinoa was sitting at a chair by his side, smiling weakly. "I passed out."
"It's the SAME THING!" Zell exclaimed. Squall shot him a glare.
"I PASSED OUT." Squall stressed as Zell cowered behind Selphie and Irvine.
"Well, we KNOW you did," Irvine said. "Question is WHY. What happened?"
Squall froze in his spot. He forced himself not to glance over at Rinoa as that would mean she was involved in it and the last thing he wanted for their friends to bombard her with questions. They had already discussed it when he finally woke up.
"Nothing serious to worry about," Squall assured them calmly. "Might have been heat stroke or something."
"Hmm..." Quistis said suspiciously. "Are you going to be able to do your work?"
"I only have one final to give and it's not until Friday. Everything else is just the paper work for the SeeD evaluations," Squall told them. "Anyway, don't you all have finals to get to? Quistis, I know you have a final every day this week. Zell, you have a class, so do you, Selphie. And Irvine, you have an evaluation due by Wednesday. Seifer, you have-"
"Paper work due on your desk at five, I know, I know..." Seifer grumbled.
"All right then," Quistis said. "Let's let the captain rest." She ushered everyone out of the infirmary, leaving Rinoa and Squall alone.
The dark haired girl sighed and leaned forward against Squall's shoulder. "That was close..."
"Why do you want to wait until the end of the week to tell them?" Squall asked as he lifted his hand and gently caressed her head.
"They should concentrate on their finals and stuff," Rinoa said. She looked up at him and grinned lopsidedly. "You, however, I just HAD to tell."
"I hope you got the reaction you were looking for." Squall mumbled with a roll of his eyes. Rinoa laughed and nodded.
"Well, I was actually hoping you'd be really excited..." she said, a twinge of disappointment in her voice as her eyes diverted. Squall reached out and held her chin gently. He made her look up at him.
"I AM excited," he said with an intent smile. "It was a surprise, that's all. I didn't know how to take it...honest."
"Squall..."
"I want our baby," he reassured her softly. She looked into his eyes, watching the warmth radiate from his usual cold steel baby blues. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"You probably would've gone all control freak on me and made me lessen on the play just as crunch time was approaching," Rinoa shrugged. "That's why I've been spending a lot of time in sleeping my own room lately."
"So I wouldn't see the morning sickness?" Squall asked. Rinoa nodded.
"When I started getting them, I went to see Dr. Kadowaki...and well, she confirmed it," Rinoa chuckled sheepishly. "That was about three weeks ago...I'm sorry for not telling you."
"No, that's all right," Squall assured her. "As long as you and our baby are fine..." Squall smirked slightly. "I'm actually kind of excited now...I never saw myself really having a child. But now, it just seems to natural."
"You could teach them how to use a gun blade," Rinoa suggested. "Or how to answer everyone in one word."
Squall rolled his eyes. "Funny..." he sighed. "Do you know if they're a boy or girl?"
"Not for a while," Rinoa answered as she looked down at her stomach and patted it gently. "So no buying clothes and stuff until we know, okay? I want to be efficient." Squall smiled and nodded.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a father..." Squall said thoughtfully. '
"Speaking of fathers..." Rinoa said. "I should tell them. Oh, I bet, they'll be excited!"
Squall raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Oh, of course it is!" Rinoa said cheerfully. "Why wouldn't they be happy?"
"Dear Daddy, Congratulations! You might be wondering why. Well, I have great news! Squall and I are going to have a baby! So CONGRATULATIONS! You're going to be a grandfather! Love, Rinoa..."
The slip of paper fluttered on to the desk as shaking hands that held it continued to tremble. His face was white as a sheet as he looked down and re-read the paper from his daughter. The second time he read it, his face turned bright red. His hand shot out and grabbed the phone on his desk.
"Yes, General Caraway?" his secretary asked as she picked up the phone.
"Cancel all my appointments for the week and book me a ticket to Balamb!" Caraway barked quickly.
"Yes, sir!" the secretary said. He slammed the phone down and looked down at the paper.
A shaking hand crushed it and he narrowed his eyes. "LEONHART!!!"
"Hi, Dad, Sis Ellone, Kiros, & Ward! Congratulations! Before you get confused, Squall and I would just like to tell you that we are going to have a baby! Congratulations! You're going to be a grandfather, an aunt, and granduncles! Love, Rinoa & Squall."
Laguna looked up from the paper as Ellone, Kiros, and Ward all looked at each other after he read the letter. His lower lip trembled as he sniffled. "Grandpa Laguna..." he said softly. He could hardly contain himself. Laguna shot up from his chair and began to run towards the door from his office. "YES! Elle! Go book us all tickets to Balamb right away! Kiros! Get the car ready! Ward, you're coming, too!"
Kiros looked at Ward and then looked at Laguna. "Ward wants to know why."
"We're going to buy something for my grand child!"
The week had passed by quickly. Most of Squall's mind was focused on his Rinoa's pregnancy. So much so that one his little five-minute breaks between the hours he was going over SeeD evaluations, he began to write up a list of all the things he had to buy in preparation.
He signed his name on the last SeeD evaluation form and closed the folder He pushed it aside and leaned back on his chair. The pen he was holding was placed back in the pencil holder as he opened up one of the drawers on his desk and took out a yellow note pad. He unhooked the mechanical pencil that was clipped on to the side of the note pad.
"Video camera..." he mumbled as he added it to page two of the list. He stared at it some more, trying to think of more things to get.
"Squall?" There was a knock on his door and Squall quickly shoved the list back into his drawer. "Squall, it's me. The others are here."
It was Rinoa. Squall took a deep breath. "Come in."
The door opened and Rinoa walked in, their friends trickling in behind her. Squall immediately stood up and gave Rinoa his seat as she entered. Quistis and Selphie took seats on the two chairs in front of Squall's desk. Behind them, the others stood.
"So what's the meeting for?" Seifer snorted as he stood behind Quistis' chair with his arms crossed over his chest.
Rinoa smiled brightly. "Well...you all wanted to know why Squall fainted-"
"PASSED OUT." Squall corrected her.
"Right, right..." Rinoa giggled. "'Passed out' Sunday night...well...I told him something that surprised him..." She chuckled and looked up at Squall, who had a slight blush across his cheeks. She took a deep breath and looked back at their friends. "We're going to have a baby."
There was a long period of silence as Rinoa smiled, Squall studied the group, and everyone else stared at them. Selphie was, as usual, the first to break the silence. "I'M GONNA BE AN AUNTIE!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs before jumping up in the air and running to hug Rinoa.
Rinoa burst into laughter as congratulations and hugs and handshakes were passed around the room. Squalled rubbed the back of his neck, an embarrassed action, but he was proud none the less. "How far are you along?" Quistis asked eagerly.
"About a month and a half," Rinoa flushed. She paused and looked directly into Quistis' blue eyes. Her mouth dropped and she covered it in disbelief. Quistis began to blush and looked away embarrassed. "And you?"
The group once again went silent as all eyes were focused on Quistis. "Umm...over two months..."
Once again, there was that long period of silence. Everyone turned to look from Quistis to Seifer. Zell was the first to comment this time. "Oh, man...don't tell me it's HIS."
Seifer was about to punch him when Quistis rolled her eyes. "Of course it's HIS," she said. "Unfortunately."
"Hey!" Seifer growled.
"At any rate, congratulations, you two," Rinoa said with a warm, beaming smile. She looked over at Selphie who was currently hugging Quistis like a vice. "See, Selphie. All of our hard work paid off! Right, Fujin?"
"Affirmative," Fujin said with a smile. "Auntie..." she said with thoughtful look on her face. "Hmm...boy or girl?" she asked the two pregnant women as the men were shaking hands and patting Squall and Seifer on the back.
"It's still too early to know," Quistis said. "But when we find out, we'll tell you."
"I get a pregnancy buddy!" Rinoa squealed. "I'm so happy right now! This just can't get any better!"
"Laguna, did you HAVE to bring all of that?" Kiros asked with dismay as Laguna lugged around a duffel bag filled with stuffed animals.
"Kiros, this is my FIRST grandchild!" Laguna insisted. "All good grandfathers spoil their grandchildren."
"Uncle, they haven't even had the baby yet..." Ellone sighed. "Where are they going to put all of that?"
"Oh, I'm sure they'll find a place," Laguna told her as they walked out of the train station. Up ahead, he spotted a familiar figure. "Oh! Look, it's Rinoa's dad! GENERAL CARA-"
His yell was cut short as the peeved looking General walked directly from the train station and into an awaiting black car. The door slammed shut and sped away. "Hmm..." Kiros said with a slight smirk. "Looks like General Caraway also heard the happy news."
'Squall is going to be murdered.' Ellone thought to herself.
"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Laguna said as he heaved the back of stuffed animals over his back. "Let's GO!"
"And THEN we have to have a baby shower. It should be separate so each mommy will have her OWN day," Selphie said as she began to meticulously plan the baby showers. "But I'm not going to tell you guys when. It'll be a surprise okay!"
The girls giggled and nodded. "It sounds good to me," Quistis said. "So is it going to be just us ladies?"
"Of course not!" Selphie said. "The guys are coming, too!"
"We are?" Irvine asked as he glanced over from where he was standing with several other men in Squall's office.
"They are?" Rinoa and Quistis and Fujin all chorused.
"Of course!" Selphie said.
"Well...does that mean we get a present from each person or from each couple?" Rinoa asked.
Just as Rinoa said that, Squall's phone began to ring. "Hold on a second," he said with a smile as he walked over to it. The women were talking and the men were snickering. Squall lifted up the phone to his ear, trying his hardest to contain his proud smile. "Hello?"
"Captain," a nervous voice said. "Um...there is someone here who insists on seeing you."
Squall narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who is it?" he asked.
"LEONHART!" a voice growled rabidly in the background. Squall recognized it immediately and nearly dropped the phone.
"SIR!?" he gasped.
Rinoa's head shot up and her eyes went wide. "Uh-oh..." she mumbled. She could hear her father's voice shouting in the back ground as Squall held the phone from his ear.
Seifer began to snicker as he sat on the arm of Quistis' chair. "Oh, this is going to be good."
"Seifer!" Quistis snapped as she slapped his lap. Regardless, Seifer continued to smirk. Across from them, everyone watched an all too pale Squall hold the phone away from his ear as a furious sounding man yelled at him.
"Give me the phone!" Rinoa ordered immediately. She reached up and snatched the receiver from Squall's hands before he had a chance to react. She quickly brought the phone to her ear. "DADDY!?" she shouted, almost as loudly as her father was yelling.
"RINOA!? What did he do to you!? Hold him there! Wait until I get up there! I told him not to touch you! I WARNED him!" General Caraway growled.
"Daddy! Daddy! Calm down!" Rinoa began to shout. 'Click'. "Hello? HELLO!?" She pulled the phone away from her head and glared at it. "Dammit! He's coming up!"
"Round Two!" Seifer beamed.
"That's it," Quistis sighed. She stood up and grabbed Seifer's forearm. "We're leaving."
"What?" Seifer gasped, seemingly shocked. "NOW? It's about to get GOOD!"
"Seifer, I'm SERIOUS." Quistis said as she began to tug him towards the door.
"So am I!" the male blond insisted.
"Guys, you better go," Rinoa said as she ran her hand through her hair. A worried look was on her face as she looked at everyone. "This might get ugly."
"Which is WHY I want to STAY." Seifer insisted.
"Seifer!" Quistis hissed. She finally tugged him out the door with a strong, helpful shove from Fujin. The group slowly vacated the room. Irvine, Zell, and Selphie all told Squall good luck, but carried grim looks on their faces, as if Squall were about to be executed.
"Squall-"
"It's too late to hide, isn't it?" Squall mumbled in a daze. Rinoa sighed and shook her head.
"Squall, he's not going to do anything to you. He'll probably just yell at you." Rinoa assured him. Squall looked down at her with a look of disbelief.
"And why exactly do you think that?" Squall asked, almost annoyed at how calm Rinoa was being.
"Because you're the father of his grandchild," Rinoa explained. "He wouldn't kill you and allow his grandchild to have no father."
"Great...he won't KILL me..." Squall grumbled as he crossed his arms. "He'll just beat me until I'm in a coma."
"Squall-"
BANG! The door flew open and Squall nearly jumped several feet in the air. Rinoa stiffened Squall's chair as a furious looking General stomped into the office. Squall tried to stand up straight and salute the older military man, but found that his knees were against him. He swallowed hard as he stood there, under the heated gaze of a war hardened man.
A thick silence covered the room and all that could be heard was General Caraway's uneven breathing as he eyed Squall like a vulture does a carcass. Rinoa's eyes darted from her father to her baby's father nervously. "I TOLD you to stay away from my daughter..." Caraway hissed. "I told you not to touch her. I told you not to even THINK about it."
Squall swallowed. "Sir-"
"I'm not done!" Caraway growled almost demonically. Squall could almost feel his hair flying around his face at the sheer force of the man's voice. "You DEFILED my LITTLE GIRL! MY little princess! MY BABY GIRL! AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN MARRIED YET!"
"Knock knock!" a cheerful voice intruded from the doorway. The trio within turned towards the door to see a happy Laguna holding a stuffed white bunny with a big blue bow around it's neck. He was smiling from ear to ear as he stepped one foot into the room. "It's me! Grandpa Laguna!"
Rinoa immediately slapped her forehead and allowed her hand to drag down her face as Squall closed his eyes and prayed that he was dreaming. Slowly, Rinoa counted in her head... 'Three...two...one...'
Caraway screamed. "AHHHHHHH!!!!"
"Rin!" Selphie said as she straightened up from where she was leaning against the wall next to the infirmary door. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly as the other brunette nodded and smiled weakly.
"Poor thing...have you eaten, yet?" Quistis asked as she draped one of her pink shawls over Rinoa's shoulders. Rinoa shook her head.
"Not dinner..." she sighed.
"Saved meal," Fujin offered as she lifted up a paper bag. "Just burger." she said sadly.
Rinoa smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Fujin..." she said as she took the bag. "Hyne, I didn't think THIS would happen."
"First Squall...now your father..." Quistis said as she looked over at the infirmary. "But thankfully not you."
"I can't believe he yelled at Squall for three hours..." Rinoa mumbled as she opened the bag and took out the wrapped burger. She slowly peeled the paper off and bit into it. She chewed and them swallowed as they walked with her down the hall. "Three hours! He repeated the same things over and over..."
"How's Squall, by the way?" Selphie asked.
"He's up hiding in his room," Rinoa sighed as she swallowed another bite. "After my dad got blue in the face and passed out, I suggested he make a run for it."
"And your father?" Quistis asked.
"He's angry about it," Rinoa sighed. "Go figure..."
"He won't hate the baby will he?" Selphie piped weakly. Rinoa shook her head.
"No...he just kept lecturing me on the responsibilities that come with being a parent," Rinoa sighed. "He made some good points, but he says that he doesn't think I'm ready for a baby yet."
"Well it'll be a few months until the baby pops out," Quistis told her. "You'll be ready."
"Quistis is already ready," Selphie chuckled as Quistis frowned. "She has mom written all over her."
Fujin chuckled as well. "Mother hen."
"I'm NOT a mother hen!" Quistis gasped.
"At any rate, I better go check on Squall and talk to Laguna, Sis, and the others," Rinoa said. "After all my dad's yelling, I still haven't had a chance to talk to them."
"Why don't you get some rest for today?" Quistis asked. "After all, you are pregnant. They'll understand if you talk to them tomorrow."
"She's right," Fujin said as they reached the elevator. She pressed the up button for Rinoa. "Get rested."
Rinoa nodded as the doors open. She stepped inside. "You're right..." she said with a tired yawn. "I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Goodnight!" the three other women chorused as the doors closed. Rinoa leaned against the wall of the elevator and mulled over the situation. She was pretty positive that her father was more frustrated than anything else. Once again, his daughter had done something not fitting of someone in her social standing. But at the same time, he seemed regretful, but she didn't know why.
The doors opened to the floor where Squall's bedroom was and she exited the elevator and made her way to his room. She pressed in the code into the keypad and the door slid open. "Squall?" she called out as she entered the dark room. Her hand ran along side of the wall until she found the switch and flipped it on.
"I'm right here." a dull voice said. She sighed and walked out into the living areas, where Squall was sprawled out, on his stomach, on the couch.
"Are you okay?"
"I've never been yelled at for three hours," Squall stated simply. His head was buried in a pillow and Rinoa sighed as she walked over and knelt down by the couch. She lifted up her hand and gently caressed his hair. "So...what death threat did he say when he woke up?"
"He didn't threaten you," Rinoa told him truthfully. "He just lectured me on the responsibilities of being a parent and what not."
"That's better than the verbal beating he gave me..." Squall said. "I didn't know you could spend three hours on the topics of how irresponsible, careless, perverted, and uncontrollable I am. Not to mention how this is all my fault."
"He's just frustrated, Squall," Rinoa said. "See, he didn't even lift up a hand to hit you or send the Galbadian army after you."
"He's just buying time..."
"Squall..." Rinoa sighed. She put her arms around him and physically turned him over until he faced her. "Squall, he's just frustrated, but daddy likes you. If you had been someone else whose the father of his grandchild, you'd already be dead..."
"Somehow, after the three hours of yelling and the heated glares, I doubt that the General LIKES me." Squall grumbled.
Rinoa sighed and shook her head. "Listen, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, I have to talk to your dad and them. You'll come, too."
"Whatever."
Rinoa stood up and headed towards the bedroom. Squall laid out the couch, his heart still partially racing from her father's threats. He heard Rinoa go to bed and saw the lights turn off. A few minutes later, he could hear her even breathing and finally stood up.
He sneaked out of his room and headed towards the elevators. A few minutes later, he stood in front of the infirmary door with one thought going through his mind - he would let THAT MAN know that he would take care of Rinoa and their baby regardless of how much General Caraway hated him. He took a deep breath and willed himself into enter.
The doors slid open and he walked into the brightly-lit infirmary. As he passed the beds, his heart began to beat faster and faster until he reached the last bed. He could hear voices coming from within.
"Sir," a serious voice began. "Please understand, my son will take care of Rinoa and their baby."
Squall froze around the corner and narrowed his eyes. 'Laguna?' he mulled over.
"He wouldn't - COULDN'T hurt them. I swear it." Laguna said, almost pleading.
"Loire, that is not what I am worried about," the deep, stern voice of General Caraway began. "I'm sure you were an excellent parent to Ellone, but you have no idea what it's like to take care of a baby."
"I know that-" Laguna began, but Caraway continued.
"It's round of clock work. A baby isn't a soldier you can just order to wake, sleep, eat, and shower at the time you want. It's the other way around. If the child is hungry at three AM, then you feed the child at three AM. They have to be watched twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and must be given constant attention." Caraway explained.
"I know that, sir," Laguna sighed. "But Rinoa and Squall are very responsible. And they have friends that can help-"
"Yes, but the child's parents can't always depend on their friends to help. I know that they will make good parents and will try, but I don't think they're ready for a child yet. Rinoa is always working on her plays and books..." Caraway mused. "And Squall..."
'Wow...he used my name...' Squall thought to himself silently as he sat there quietly.
"He's an up and coming SeeD. Who knows, in a few years, he could become Headmaster. Then when will he be able to spend time with the child?" Caraway asked. "It is a difficult task to be a military man and still have time for your family. I don't want what happened between Rinoa and I to happen to them and their child."
"You're afraid that they'll drift apart?" Laguna asked, surprised.
"Yes, Loire, I am," Caraway conceded. "They will want to provide as good a life as they can for their child, that I have no doubt of. But they will still need to spend time with the child and if they're both busy, the child can become neglected. I learn the hard way what happens when a child and a parent drift apart."
Laguna let out a scoff and nodded. "Tell me about it..." he mumbled thoughtfully. "I wish I were there for Squall when he was a child...I can't just make it up to him now, you know. No matter how much I want to."
"I don't want my grandchild to run away and get hurt..." Caraway admitted. "I made the mistake of letting Rinoa and myself drift apart after her mother passed away. I don't want them to have to go through the same thing."
"We won't..." The two men looked up as Squall finally appeared from around the corner. Immediately, Caraway stiffened in the bed he was reclining on as Laguna looked up at his son from where he was leaning by the window. "Having a father chat without me?"
"You're not a father yet." Caraway snorted.
"Sir," Squall said as he turned to face the weakened General. "I won't let my work go in place of my family."
"It's not that simple," Caraway told him. "When you're out there, trying to protect your family...all that will be in your mind is the safety of your family. Not your daughter's ballet recital or piano solo. Your intentions will be there, but they won't see it that way."
"I know, sir," Squall admitted. "But no matter what happens, I will be there for Rinoa and my child."
"You do understand, Leonhart, that I am still angry at you for doing this to Rinoa." Caraway mumbled.
"Sir, it seems that you miss the fact that the only thing I did was show Rinoa how much I love her..." Squall insisted.
"I do not wish to discuss that with you," Caraway spat out proudly. "She IS my daughter after all."
Laguna chuckled from the window. "Squall, you know that this baby is the General's and mine, as well. Both of us weren't there for you and Rinoa. To us, this is our second chance. Right, sir?"
Caraway merely turned his head away and grumbled something in coherent. Squall raised his eyebrows. "I am also concerned with Rinoa's health," Caraway stated. "Julia was a petite woman as well and had a difficult time giving birth to Rinoa..." he paused and took a deep breath. "Loire...Leonhart... both of you must know what could happen to a woman at child birth."
Laguna sucked in his breath as Squall closed his eyes. Raine had died giving birth to Squall. "I'll make sure she has the best of everything," Squall said. "I'll make sure she goes to the doctor to get checked-"
"Just make sure my daughter is all right," Caraway cut him off. "I'm allowing you to marry my daughter and be the father of my grandchild, Leonhart. But you better sure as hell make sure they're all right. Or else..."
Squall nodded. "Sir, yes, sir!" he said, saluting quickly.
"Squall, why don't you go to bed?" Laguna said. "It's late...I'd like to talk to the General alone a little more."
Squall nodded and turned around. He paused. "I thought you might want to know...Rinoa hasn't told the others yet, but we've already decided what to name the baby if it's a girl...we're going to name her after her grandmothers."
Both grandfathers looked up, surprised, yet pleased by the news. "And if it's a boy?" Laguna asked hopefully.
Squall merely smirked. "What else? Squall Junior."
He slipped back into bed and Rinoa put her arm around him. "Did you have fun talking to the grandfathers to be?" Rinoa asked. Squall nodded and put an arm around her. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
"I told them what we're going to name it if she's a girl..."
Rinoa smiled broadly in the dark. "Did they like it?"
"Yeah...even told them the name if it's going to be a boy."
Rinoa groaned. "Squall, for the hundredth time, we are NOT naming our son 'Squall Junior'."
"Seifer, for the hundredth time, we are NOT naming our son 'Seifer Junior'," Quistis said as she laid in bed dressed in a satin pink nightgown while reading a book. "I think we should name him after Cid."
"Are you INSANE?" Seifer snorted as he laid next to her, reading an article in Timber Maniacs. "CID ALMASY? There is no way in hell we're naming MY SON 'CID ALMASY'," He casually looked back at his magazine and flipped the page. "Now, Seifer Cid Almasy II...I can work with that."
Quistis rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that Squall and Rinoa are going to name their baby, if it is a boy, Squall Junior."
"Psh..." Seifer mumbled as he began to read a new article. "Puberty Boy Junior is more like it."
"Seifer!" Quistis snapped.
"My son will kick his son's ass."
"Hyne, Seifer, the children aren't even BORN yet and you're already placing bets on them!" Quistis frowned.
"What! It's true!" Seifer said. "I mean...look at OUR child's genes. Tall...built...blond...they'll be PERFECT."
"What if Rinoa and Squall have a daughter?" Quistis asked.
"Then my daughter will be prettier."
"Seifer..."
"Okay, okay..." Seifer shrugged. "Smarter."
"That goes without saying," Quistis told him quickly. "But that's not what I'm talking about. Selphie mentioned something earlier while we were waiting for Rinoa. She wondered what would happen if we had a son and they had a daughter or vice versa..."
Quistis trailed off, but Seifer quickly picked up on the hint. His emerald eyes narrowed. "Oh no...NO! No child of mine is going to EVER going to get anywhere NEAR Puberty Boy's."
"I'm sure Squall would agree."
"What's wrong with my kid!?" Seifer snapped instantly. Quistis snapped her book closed and placed it on her bed side.
"Goodnight, Seifer." she said calmly as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Wait! Go back!" Seifer said as she reached over and turned off the light. "My kid will be WAY TOO good for Squall's!"
"It's two weeks until the wedding and you got an email from daddy," Rinoa said as she sat on Squall's lap in his office. He nodded and put his hand on the mouse to show her the email. "It's not another death threat is it?"
"Um...not really..." Squall said as he opened the message for her. Rinoa looked over at the monitor as the message popped up.
"Leonhart - I hope you remember to make sure that Rinoa goes to the doctor this week. Otherwise, I'll make sure YOU go to the doctor. - General Caraway. Aww...isn't that sweet?" Rinoa asked as she beamed Squall a smile.
"Rin...what part of the threat did you not understand?" Squall asked.
"He's just doing it to keep up appearances."
"Yeah, well, he's doing a damn good job considering how he chased me through the Garden when he figured out WHEN exactly the baby was conceived..." Squall grumbled.
Rinoa blushed and giggled nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. They were having lunch on the last day that the grandparents were there.
It had been Quistis who said that their children would be born just a few weeks apart since Rinoa was just about a month and a half pregnant. General Caraway was merely nodded, but snapped into attention when Laguna spoke up.
"Yeah! That vacation you took in Deling City must've really helped you guys out since I heard it's hard to get pregnant when you're stress or something." Laguna piped.
At that point, Squall paled as he realized the little technicality had been let out. He sent a vicious glare towards Laguna, who just sat there, beaming him that all too familiar idiotic smile. Caraway dropped his fork and gripped his knife in his hands as his eyes fastened themselves directly on Squall.
"A month and a half ago...you were in MY city...in MY house...DEFILING MY DAUGHTER...UNDERNEATH MY OWN ROOF!?" Caraway growled.
"Run, Squall! Run!" Irvine shouted as Squall jumped from his seat. Behind him, General Caraway as chasing him with a knife in one hand. Meanwhile, Rinoa was screaming for them to stop.
"I'll KILL YOU, you disrespectful, sick, little...little..."
"Horn dog!" Irvine shouted as the General couldn't remember what to call Squall. Selphie had slapped Irvine's arm and frowned disapprovingly.
Fujin and Raijin had run after the General to try and stop him as Seifer laughed at Squall, who was currently alternating between turning around and trying to calm the General down and running for his life.
Seifer's final words were, as he put his arms around Quistis and smirked. "Baby, I'm glad you don't have a father."
"He can run pretty fast for an old man, huh...?" Rinoa mused thoughtfully. Squall sighed and gently urged for her to get up.
"Let's go get something to eat," Squall told her. She nodded and stood up. Squall took her head and led her outside. "Oh, wait...I have to pick up something at the library."
"Let's go get it then." Rinoa said. Squall nodded and they headed towards the library. Rinoa followed Squall as he lead her up to the loft where she was suddenly bombarded with...
"Surprise!"
"Whoo-hoo!" Rinoa shouted as she immediately realized what it was. "BABY SHOWER!" Quistis had just had hers the week before in the same place. 'Hmm...why didn't I realize mine was coming up soon...'
She was seated in the mommy-to-be chair and a cake was placed in front of her. It was white and blue and Rinoa beamed a proud smile. "Okay," Selphie said as she grinned from ear to ear. "It's important that you eat for two now so I'm going to ask you a big question - what do you want to eat?"
Rinoa thought for a moment as Squall narrowed his eyes. "What kind of question-" he began.
"Squall, shh! I'm thinking!" Rinoa snapped. Squall crossed his arms and took a deep breath. Her brown eyes went wide. "Anything, right?"
"Anything." all the girls chorused.
Rinoa smirked.
General Caraway looked at his watch as he heard the knocking on the mansion door. All the servants had gone for the night and it was quite late. He wouldn't have answered the door if he still hadn't been awake going over budget files.
With out bothering to look to the peephole, he unlocked one of the double doors and opened. Immediately, the robe clad General's eyes went wide as he jerked his head back. "What are YOU doing here?" he snapped.
"Sir..." Squall said as he swallowed, embarrassed. He took out a slip of paper from his pocket and squinted in the dim light. "Rinoa is having hunger cravings and requests the following..."
"Is he coming back now?" Rinoa asked as she was on the phone with her father. "Thanks, daddy...oh, really? Mommy wanted those, too, when she was pregnant with me? in the family I guess. Yes, I'll take it easy. Okay...bye, daddy."
"So did he get it?" Selphie asked as they sat around Rinoa's room. Rinoa nodded. "Wow..." Selphie grinned and looked over to Irvine and Zell. "That's twenty gil each!"
"Damn!" Zell said as he reached into his back pocket to get out his wallet. "I was SURE that he wouldn't go."
"Yeah, Seifer didn't go when Quistis wanted that strawberry salt rock cake thing from Centra last week." Irvine pouted as he handed over a wad of money to Selphie.
"Well, unlike puberty boy, I'm not whipped." Seifer snorted proudly.
"Excuse me?" Quistis asked, raising her eyebrow in question. Seifer leaned forward.
"Just play along..." he pleaded quietly. Quistis rolled her eyes. He sat straight up again and smiled.
"Hey, Seifer, Quisty," Selphie said as she counted her money. "Since you're further along than Rinoa, when are you two getting married?"
"Uh...well...actually..." Quistis rubbed the back of her neck nervously, unsure of how to tell them. "Legally...um..." Seifer sighed and jumped in.
"Last week, when we said we were going to Fisherman's Horizon to pick up something, we actually went to Dollet and got marriage papers done." Seifer said quickly.
Everyone's jaw dropped. "What." Selphie stated dangerously as her face darkened.
"Selphie, calm down," Quistis told her. "That's just on paper...we're going to have an actual wedding but we're going to wait until our baby is born."
"Oh...okay," Selphie said, pleased. "For a second I thought you weren't going to have the ceremony."
"No, we're going to have one," Quistis assured her before the petite green eyed brunette went nuts at the threat of not getting to be maid of honor to someone. "So don't worry."
"Yep...don't worry. Now that my dad and everyone knows," Rinoa said, pleased with herself. "The wedding is set in two weeks...There are no more worries."
Next Time: The Wedding begins and someone goes missing. Rinoa's hair problem and Quistis doesn't fit in her dress. And then, Zell looses the wedding rings. How great can this wedding get?
