Chapter 5
Squall opened the door to the driver's cabin, scratching the back of his head, deep in thought.
"Squall. You alright man?" Zell received no reply. "Squall?"
"Hmm?"
"So you are listening. What's up with you?"
"Nothing. How far are we from the meeting point?"
"Couple of hours. It'll take Quistis and the others longer to get there though."
"How much longer?"
"Four hours, maybe more. I don't know exactly. It might take them longer to get there coz it's night, and you know how bad a driver Irvine is." Squall nodded and stood silently against the wall, staring out of the window. "Yo, go check on Rinoa will you."
"Why? I only just finished checking on her."
"I'm trying to concentrate and you're just creeping me out, standing there and saying nothing."
"Whatever." Disappointed with his leader's reply, Zell began to sing the "Train Song" that Selphie had taught him.
"Train, train, take us away."
"Alright, alright. I'll go." Zell smiled to himself as Squall left the room.
Rinoa was still crying when Squall returned.
"Please don't take me to him. I don't wanna see that man." Squall could see the fright in Rinoa's eyes, but merely shrugged his shoulders.
"I've got orders."
"So you just follow them? You don't question them?" He shook his head. "Let me guess, you're SeeD?" Squall didn't reply. "I knew it. Only SeeD are naïve enough to do that."
"Your'e calling SeeD naïve? You're the one who trusts total strangers you know nothing about. Is it any wonder you were kidnapped if you were that stupid?"
"What…what are you talking about?"
"You mean you still haven't figured it out?"
"Figured what out?" Squall laughed to himself.
"And to think they told me you were dangerous."
"I don't know what you mean. Just tell me," she screamed.
"Fine. Didn't you think it was strange Quistis and Selphie didn't try to help you?"
"You mean…?" He nodded his head.
"How could they do that to me?"
"Orders." Her crying became worse.
"Well at least I'm not the one who's working for his enemy," she spat.
"I don't know what you mean."
"No, you wouldn't. You SeeDs only work for one thing…money. You don't care who you get your job from as long as they pay you. Fools. Only people too stupid to think for themselves join SeeD. They don't want anyone with their own beliefs, opinions or morals. The only people who join are would be murderers."
"That's not true," he hissed, trying to control his temper.
"Go on then. Why did you join? Was it because you wanted to kill people or because you wanted to be rich?" she taunted, storming across the room towards him until they were face to face. "Which one is it?"
"Neither." He spoke with so much venom that she considered backing down. "I had nothing left. I had nobody. SeeD were the only people who would offer me a home. I had no choice." She broke their gaze and stared at the floor.
"I…I'm sorry," her voice softened.
"Hmph. Whatever."
"No, I had no idea that it wasn't your choice." After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, she decided to push the issue further. "So what happened to your parents?"
"I don't want to talk about it." He turned away so that he was facing the wall.
"Please? It'll help."
"…"
"Squall?"
"Leave me alone." Honouring his wishes, she walked over to the window, staring at the scenery flashing past. Trees, fields, small villages. She must have stood there, lost in thought, for more than an hour. The sound of Squall fidgeting brought her back to reality. She turned to face him.
"I'm sorry."
"What for?" He looked up at her, his deep, stormy blue eyes piercing her to her very soul, making her a shiver run down her spine.
"For asking about your parents. It obviously still hurts you."
"No it doesn't, I just don't like to talk about it."
"It must hurt you if you don't like to talk about it."
"Fine," he sighed. "I never knew my mother, she died giving birth to me. My father left just before that, not wanting to be with us and I was brought up by my older sister who died when I was about eight. There. You happy?"
"Oh, Squall. I'm sorry." She sat down next to him and tried to take his hand, but he swiftly brushed her off.
"What for. It's not your fault."
"I didn't say it was. I'm just sorry you've had to go through all that."
"Whatever."
"I mean it."
"No you don't, you think I'm a cold-blooded murderer, and maybe I am, but that's still no business of yours."
"You mean, you've actually killed someone?" She sounded frightened.
"What do you think SeeDs do?"
"Well, I don't know."
"We fight wars for other people. People rich enough to employ others to die for them. We're just expendable. Of the cadets who joined at the age of eight, only two of us remain. That's how expendable we really are."
"Is that why you're the way you are?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is that why you're always so cold?"
"What makes you think I'm cold?"
"The way you talk to me. That, and Quistis told me."
"Quistis told you?"
"Well, I presume it was you. I overheard her talking to Selphie about a man with a scar down his forehead and dark hair that hangs over his eyes. She said you wouldn't even talk to her after all the year's you've known her. She was in tears, reminiscing about all the times you shook off her advances."
"What advances?"
"See. You're too blind to even notice." She threw up her hands in frustration. "You have the worst people skills of anyone I've ever met."
"Sorry."
"It's ok. I guess you have an excuse."
"Which is?"
"You've seen everyone you grew up with die. You must wake up everyday thinking it could be your last. You expect the end to come. It's no surprise."
"You don't even know me and now you're trying to figure out my whole life?"
"Sorry. You're just easy to read, the stereotypical, cold-hearted mercenary." He shook his head. "You know I'm right."
"Maybe I chose to be cold. Did it ever occur to you that I might like being like that?" he snapped. He was genuinely shaken by this woman sat next to him, everything she had said was true. "What is she, psychic or something?" he thought. "No, she doesn't know anything about me."
"Squall?" Rinoa asked, worried about the expression on her captor's face.
"You don't know anything about me," he screamed at her, storming out of the room. "You don't know anything."
Big thanks to:
Renegade Seraph
Firgodes7
Riona
CTHKSI
Rinoa Leonhart73
Ruby Dragon
Lionheart
Rebekka
Hiasha
Ashintana
Tiger Eyes
Townberry
Exhile87
JessyNick
StarGazer
Krnman
Ps. Merry Christmas everyone!!