Disclaimer- Sadly, I do not in any way own any aspect of Final Fantasy VIII. Not even the game, which belongs to my boyfriend. I own nothing....that's depressing.

Author's notes- Okay, after much aggravation and entirely too many computer problems I can say that I finally have a computer that works! At least half the time anyways. shrugs It's a rental until the new computer is built. That being said, I hope some of you still want to see the end of this thing. You're two chapters away.

Sulou - Hey my ten year old computer's finally crashed. Oh well, glad mom got a rental so I could update. I hope you're happy too. Glad you liked the chapter. It alone was months of work. I started it during chapter 4.

Aratcorien - I was afraid it was too much. Afraid Squall was too brutal and then I realized that he was a soldier trained to do that. I make the characters so approachable in my fics that I sometimes forget their occupations. And yeah, Rinoa rocked. I had fun with that part.

Crescent Pearl - Thanks. I tried really hard and put a lot of effort and work into it.

Element6 - Grins Glad you liked it so much. Don't worry, Zell's story is all planned out. I just can only do one story at a time with my classes. Good to know you're still interested in it though.

Hyperion's Phase

Stretched out beside him, she studied the features of his sleeping form. She watched the slow rise and fall of his breaths, deep in his contented sleep. Through the curtains on the far wall, a brilliant hue of crimson seeped into the room and crept across the comforter. He groaned lightly and rolled over towards her. She took a deep breath of the cool and seemingly weightless air of an early Estharian winter morning. A small grin crossed her features. At this new angle, the sun's first beams crossed his face, just over the bridge of his nose. In this new light, dozens of faint freckles became clearly visible, just dusting the his cheek bones and nose. She grinned again. He was so gorgeous.

His eyes fluttered open in the peak of a wakening dawn. As his vision cleared he was rewarded with the shyness of her timid expression.

"Good morning," She said softly.

"Morning," A wry grin crossed his features. "So what are you so happy about this morning?" His voice teased. A light blush crossed her cheeks as she sat up, careful to keep the sheet held up against her chest. He sighed at the action and lazily wrapped his arm around her waist. She squealed as he pulled her back down into bed.

"Seifer!" She scolded him in a hushed tone.

"Ellone!" He mimicked her as he snuggled up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Oh Elle," He continued, dropping his voice a little lower to a more seductive tone. He felt her squirm a little in his arms. Letting go of her, he watched her curiously as she sat up.

"Kiros is coming back today," She said. "He suspects us." Seifer lightly rolled his eyes.

"Is he here yet?" He asked.

"He won't be until this afternoon," She answered as his mouth claimed hers in a soft kiss.

"In that case, we still have the morning," His expression held a mischievous glint. She grinned as he pulled her up onto his lap, knowing everything he was implying.

"Seifer Almasy," She spoke in a timid wonder.

"Hmm?" He answered as he lightly kissed her collar bone and moved up to her neck. She fought off a laugh induced by the tickling his lips were doing to her sensitive skin. "You want to say something?" He asked as he reclaimed her mouth with his and settled his hands on the bare skin on the small of her back.

"Mm hmm," She answered, not wanting to break the kiss. He pulled back just for an instant to hear her words. "You have your moments," She started. "When you're irresistible." A playful smirk began pulling at the corner of his mouth as he pulled her back down into the blankets. "Seifer?" Her voice questioned. "Seifer?"

He opened his eyes to see her concerned face just inches above his own. As his vision slowly focused he could make out the warm smile that was beginning to cross her features. "I was asleep?" He asked.

She laughed nervously. "Yeah. You've been out of it for three days now. I was starting to worry when you didn't wake up after surgery."

"Surgery?" He asked.

"For your shoulder and neck. There was a lot of tissue damage that had to be repaired in your right shoulder," She answered. He narrowed his eyes in confusion and then began picking at the bandages and medical tape he hadn't noticed before. In the other room, a baby began to cry. Ellone sighed as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'll be right back," She said to him as she kissed his forehead and hurried into the other room. Left alone to his thoughts, Seifer slowly extended his right arm and grimaced at the tightness that soon led to pain in his shoulder. Dropping his arm back down, he tried to gingerly rub the sore area through the layers of gauze and wrappings.

"The Doc said you should regain some of your arm's mobility," Raijin's voice startled him. Seifer turned around to come face to face with his former posse members. Looking at the smiles on their faces he couldn't help but to smile as well.

"Some of my mobility?" He asked.

Fujin nodded. "LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION."

"Yeah," Raijin agreed. "Something about scar tissue preventing some muscle development or something....ya know?"

"No I don't," Seifer answered Raijin as he rubbed up and down his injured arm slowly. "If I can't use this shoulder..."

"You can use it man," Raijin said as he flopped down on the bed beside Seifer. "You just may not be able to lift everything you used to, or move your arm around as far as you used to....or something like that ya know." Seifer didn't respond, only seemed to be thinking of what Raijin had just said. His gaze fell upon Fujin who seemed preoccupied with staring off towards the corner. He followed her gaze and paled. Hyperion. Standing up slowly, he walked across the room in nothing more than a pair of boxers. Slowly bending down, he lifted the gunblade and clumsily played with it in his left hand. Both of his comrades fell silent as they watched. Standing with carefully spread legs, he placed his right hand on the weapon's handle and absorbed the way the grips felt below his fingertips. Squeezing the handle tightly, he stared at the shine and reflectiveness of the blade. "Squall cleaned it up pretty nice ya know. One of those guys used it to attack Squall, there was this big fight between them and...." Raijin stopped talking at Fujin's distraught expression. "Never mind man. I'll tell you later ya know." Seifer nodded absently, knowing Fujin's relation to the two men that they'd fought at his manor.

"You alright Fuu?" Seifer asked as he let Hyperion fall to his side, suspended by only his left hand.

"AFFIRMATIVE," She answered. Seifer looked at her skeptically.

"You sure?"

She nodded and offered him a reassuring smile. Deciding that was the best response he'd get, Seifer went back to Hyperion. Pulling it back up, he wrapped the fingers of his right hand around it and released it with his left hand. Immediately the weapon fell downwards. Everyone in the room watched silently as the tip of the once forbidding blade clanged against the marble flooring and echoed through the room. Placing his left hand on his right shoulder, Seifer tried to pull the gunblade up into a defensive stance but failed to get it more than a few inches off the ground. A silence filled the room that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was if no one was breathing but they were all focused on him; him and another one of his failures. He stared at the weapon in disbelief and then anger as he let the tip fall back to the ground. Without any warning, he flung the weapon as far as he could with his injured arm. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Ward watching in the doorway. He didn't turn to face the man, he just ignored him as he watched the polished blade slide and skitter across the dark floor. The light reflected magnificently off of it, reminding him of the greatness he had once held. It kept sliding until it hit the wall and abruptly clanged to a stop. Still not turning to face anyone he spoke,

"So how'd I get to Esthar?"

The air in the Laguna's private office seemed to have grown thicker since Kiros had escorted President Robert Caraway inside. 'The man definitely has a presence like no other,' Kiros thought to himself. Caraway had shown up unannounced and unbeknown to anyone in his cabinet or Laguna's. After twenty minutes without a sign of Laguna, Caraway was getting restless. Kiros crossed his arms and leaned against the wall across from Laguna's desk. He watched in amusement as President Caraway looked around in boredom. Keeping a stoic face, he only raise his eyebrows when the President looked in his direction. Caraway shifted in his seat again; the sixth time since he'd been seated.

"Not to seem impatient," Caraway's voice surprised him. "But what's taking Lagu...um President Loire so long?"

Kiros kept a stoic face and even voice as he shrugged. "He has his baby grandchildren here Mr. Caraway. Its to my understanding that you have one. Children, especially babies, can be rather time consuming Sir. Your abrupt arrival was unexpected. I'm surprised he's taking the time to meet with you. His off time is almost exclusively reserved for his family."

Caraway remained silent for a moment. "I wasn't trying to complain. I was just curious."

"Even so, if something were amiss in Esthar, do you honestly believe that President Loire's security advisor would tell a foreign president the details in casual conversation? Do you think I'd be here supervising you?" Kiros looked past the man before him.

"In all honesty, I don't think I'd be able to get you to tell me the man's favorite past time," Caraway replied. Kiros raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I already have and you should try it."

Caraway narrowed his eyes. Kiros marveled at the expression that reminded him so much of Rinoa. 'She must have inherited from him,' Kiros thought to himself.

"What?" Caraway asked. Kiros remained silent and took a step backwards so that he was back against the wall. Caraway turned at the sound of footsteps to see Laguna walking over to his desk, clad simply in a pair of worn out pants and a faded denim jacket pulled over a white t-shirt. Against his chest he cradled a small bundle, which judging by how dearly he held it, had to be a baby. Caraway quickly rose.

"You can just stay seated Rob," Laguna said softly as he pulled back a bottle and looked at it skeptically. President Caraway did as he was told and watched silently. "You weren't hungry," Laguna playfully accused the infant in his arms. "You just wanted attention didn't you," Laguna's voice took on a babyish tone. It was Caraway's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh hey, you don't mind if I call you Rob do you?" Laguna asked distractedly as he let the infant take hold of his index finger.

"Well really, I'd rather ..."

"You're such a cutin' and you know it don't you," Laguna interrupted him. "Yes you do. You're gonna be cute like your mama," He continued, forgetting the question he'd posed to Caraway.

Caraway looked back to Kiros.

Kiros raised his eyebrows. "What? You don't think they're cute?" Caraway sighed. "He's like this with all of his grandchildren. You should see him. It gets really entertaining."

"So Laguna," Caraway started. Hearing his own name had gotten Laguna's attention. "What's its name?"

"This one's Blade. Ward's packing his brother around here somewhere."

"Twins?" Caraway asked.

"Yeah," Laguna was beaming. "They're sooo cute," He began playing with Blade once again. Finally giving in, Caraway stood and walked over to see the baby in his adversary's arms.

"Wow he's small," Caraway stopped speaking when Laguna looked up at him quickly.

"You should see how tiny his brother is," Laguna responded. Caraway took a deep breath, glad he hadn't said anything offensive. The last thing he needed was to insult Loire's grandson and evoke another fight with this man.

"Uncle!" A woman's voice broke the timid silence. Caraway stepped aside and watched the petite brunette place her hands on her hips. "The last thing I need is my babies being bored to death by politics and international affairs." Caraway watched the young lady, wrapped in a light lavender full length dress, with interest.

'An Iris amidst a thorn,' He mused as he glanced towards the doorway in which she'd come. He paused. 'Seifer Almasy?' He looked back to the baby she was lifting from her uncle's arms.

"His daddy wants to see him," He heard her tell Laguna but her voice seemed a great distance away. He was too lost in thought as to why this former menace was so close to two presidents. Where was Loire's security? Why wasn't Kiros reacting to this man? After a few moments, her words dawned on him as he still stared at the young man leaned in the doorway, clad in what looked to be pajama pants.

'Daddy?' He thought and then paled. 'Almasy a daddy,' He frowned but offered her a quick smile as she walked over to the battered looking blonde in the doorway. 'Hmph,' He thought to himself. 'She's more like an Iris of thorns,' He corrected his previous assumption when he realized that she was tied to not only Laguna but Squall and Seifer as well. The sound of sliding books caught his attention, startling him from his thoughts. Across from him, Laguna sat down on the corner of his desk and loosely crossed his arms.

"So, how are the wounds healing up?" Caraway tried to make some kind of conversation.

"Just fine," Laguna answered quickly. Caraway looked him over skeptically. He looked thinner and paler than he'd used to. His gaze fell to rest on a scar, just barely visible over the collar of his jacket. "So did you get at least a little scratch?"

Caraway shrugged. "A few. If it makes you feel any better I severely bruised my tailbone when I slid over my desk and landed on the floor."

Laguna smiled a little. "So, how's the replacement for your security chief working out?" Laguna stretched out his leg slowly.

"With what little respect I do owe you, that's not really any of your business." Laguna raised and eyebrow. "I would never ask you a question like that."

"My apologies. I had just been talking to Squall and he said something about you having limited faith in your department's capabilities. I was just trying to make some kind of conversation." Caraway looked indifferent. Laguna started to frown but stopped when he saw Kiros standing behind the Galbadian President, looking more than amused.

"So..." Laguna started. "You come all the way to Esthar without any warning just to tell me that Galbadian affairs are none of my business? I'm certainly not going to tell you Esthar's," He paused and looked past Caraway to Kiros, who was pointing discreetly at the piano in the corner. Trying not to arouse suspicion he continued talking while watching on Kiros out of the corner of his eye. "Why did you come here? I never thought we were really close friends..." Kiros pointed to the piano again, moved his hands in a fashion that illustrated the shape of a woman standing before him, and then pointed at Caraway. All the pieces fell into place and Laguna hesitantly continued. He wasn't too sure he liked what Kiros was telling him to say. "But hey, I'm a laid back person. I'll talk to just about anyone about just about anything." He smiled as he stretched his arms.

Caraway looked at him skeptically. "So, did Julia ever talk about me?" He asked, a playful glint in his eye. Kiros watched the scene before him with great interest. Questions like this always tested a person's temperament fairly accurately.

"Wha...," Caraway seemed speechless. "What? What kind of question is that? You know what..."

"What's your daughter's name?" Laguna wrapped his fingers around the desks edge and nodded to Kiros. Caraway remained silent as he stared at the man before him. Kiros took a few steps forwards, unsure of whether or not he'd have to end up pulling the two president's apart.

"You know her name!" Caraway spat as he crossed his arms and glared at Laguna.

"I do, its Loire," Laguna added and watched Caraway cringe at his words. Why did Caraway hate him so much? "But why wont you tell me her first name?" Laguna asked as he hopped off his desk and took a few steps towards Caraway. Kiros readied himself for a fight. "How am I ever going to be able to trust you as a President if I can't even trust you as a regular person? Why can't you just answer one of my questions?" Caraway remained silent but glared daggers at the man before him.

"I came here to renegotiate in a last ditch effort to save my country's economy!" Caraway shouted. "I didn't come here to get scrutinized and evaluated!"

"Quiet down," Laguna ordered. "You're in my house with my family here. Don't make a scene."

Caraway sat down and rubbed his temples. "Look, I need some kind of help. The last sorceress war nearly depleted all of my country's assets. I have nothing to work with, and my country's quite possibly facing the beginnings of its worst depression in over a century." Laguna and Kiros exchanged glances.

"You have to understand that I can't give you access to any of Esthar's resources," Laguna responded.

"I know I know," Caraway continued rubbing his temples. "I'll take anything I can get, even a loan."

Laguna looked over to Kiros and then back to Caraway. "How much do you want Rob?" Caraway looked up at the former Galbadian soldier and grinned.

Small little fingers slid across the contours of Seifer's chest. Carefully holding Blaine up against himself, Seifer watched as Raijin rocked his older brother. He grimaced as Ellone removed his bandages and gently cleaned the area underneath. Beside him, Fujin lightly stroked the baby's wispy blonde hair. Seifer let his gaze drift over to where Hyperion still lay and stared at it sadly. Fujin watched him silently and nodded to Ellone, as if to tell her what was wrong. Elle stared at the weapon for only an instant longer before she carefully placed new gauze over his shoulder and at the base of his neck. Kissing the top of his head, she pulled him from his thoughts and caused him to strain his neck to look up at her. He grimaced at the pain it caused as he returned his attention to his baby son in his left arm. Fujin stood slowly and motioned for Raijin.

"We'll be back later," She said as she offered Seifer a smile and walked out of the room. Raijin took her lead and laid Blade in the crib before also leaving.

A gentle touch on his stomach, as Ellone wrapped her arms around him, told him that she was finished with his shoulder. Goose bumps trailed down the length of his body as she softly kissed his left shoulder and then placed her left hand against his to help hold Blaine. Seifer remained silent as he studied the infant's pink skin.

"I'm afraid I'm going to drop him," He said softly as he watched the baby lightly touch his chest.

"I won't let you," Ellone assured him as she rested her head on his good shoulder. "Irvine brought by that chicobo mobile and insisted that I had to use it because you were expecting it. What's he talking about?"

Seifer grinned at the mobile he'd bought for Toby a few years prior. "Let's just say that I picked it out."

She looked over at the mobile and then back at her fiancé. "I'm so glad things are settled down now," She whispered as to not wake Blade.

"Me too," He responded. "Now maybe we can settle down?"

"Seifer Almasy, settle down?" She teased playfully. He shrugged as he let Blaine take hold of his right thumb.

"I'm sure stranger things have happened," He said as he gave Hyperion a glance, acknowledging that it was now just a mere symbol of a phase in his life. He looked down at the tiny infant in his arms and acknowledged that he had entered a new phase, one in which this small boy and his brother, were his life.