A/N: Here ya go! The End!

Chapter Twenty

Quistis smiled and walked casually to the chair. She'd be seeing Selphie in a few hours...perhaps she could even get Selphie to stay? She glanced over at Irvine who bounced into the kitchen, humming some tune to himself. Quistis pulled her legs up, hugging her legs tightly. So...he was going to go to Rinoa? She glanced over at Irvine, who had now turned on the CD player in the kitchen, singing along with the song, placing hte groceries away. She cocked her head one way, her blonde hair in a ponytail swinging down next to her. Could she even like Irvine more than a friend? She blinked as Irvine turned to look at her, laughing. "What's so funny?" she asked, suddenly out of her thoughtful state.

"You. Why are you watching me? Am I that great of a singer that you are mesmerized by it?" he asked, flinging back his short ponytail.

She rolled her eyes, and said, "If you're squawking is the best you can sing...then no."

He stuck his tongue out at her, continuing with the song and placing the groceries away. She stood up, walking over to help him. He immediately ran to the entrance of the kitchen, placing both hands against the walls, preventing her from passing. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked her.

She let out a huff of air. "I happen to be a bit hungry. I was going to grab a bite to eat," she barked at him.

"No. Stay out of the ktichen."

"EXCUSE ME?" she said, flinging her hand to her chest. "Stay OUT of the kitchen? Am I that bad of a cook?"

Irvine shook his head, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. "No, you're a wonderful cook. I...just...want to impress you is all."

She rolled her eyes, walking away from the kitchen and into her room. Irvine sighed, staring as the door slammed shut. Every single day she ended up in that room, and she spent the day crying her eyes out over him.

ooooo

Squall marched onto the Ragnarok, sitting in the co-pilot's seat. "Alright. Let's go."

Selphie spun around in the chair, stopping at the wheel and smiled brightly. "I can't believe you're going to do it, Squall!"

"What choice do I have?" he said, no fear and no sadness in his voice. He was truly happy to be able to hold her, hug her, comfort her, kiss her, and everything he couldn't do for that week and the weeks before.

Selphie kept on smiling, starting the Ragnarok up and patting the supplies next to her. "And I'm sure she'll be happy to see these, too!" Squall rolled his eyes and leaned back in the chair. "Ok! Away we go to Winhill!"

ooooo

Quistis glanced at the clock as Irvine continued to make their food. "Where is she?" she muttered under her breath. Irvine turned his head to look at her, but she merely shook her head. It had already been four hours since she had called Selphie. She glanced downwards. She only had enough feminine products to last her until tonight, tomorrow if 'it' decided to play fair.

She let out a huff of air, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Quistis?" Irvine asked. She turned and looked at Irvine immediately. "Everything ok?" he asked, concerned written all over his face.

"Oh...yea. Just...hungry," she said. Obviously it was a lie, and Irvine knew this. He nodded his head and continued to cook the meal he was creating.

ooooo

Selphie landed the ship, grabbing the bag and smiled right at Squall. "Go get your woman!" she cheered on as Squall stood up. He rushed off the Ragnarok, jumping down the steps and then jumping down off of the bridge. He landed with a soft thud on the ground and he looked around, hoping to find the beauty. He walked swiftly, his mind pounding. He walked first to the hotel. He entered, asked the receptionist if they had seen this woman, the woman from the picture he had stared at for one week. A simple no.

He walked over to the bar. He walked to the bartender, showing the same picture. Again, a simple no.

He frowned and walked over to the market. Again, a no.

No, not at the farm.

Not at the flower lady's home.

Not there.

Not anywhere.

Selphie looked as he walked over to her, his face red with anger and hatred. "Where is she?" she asked, her hopeful voice failing.

"She's not here."

ooooo

As they reached the Garden, Squall walked straight to Cid's office. He past Zell and Nida, both of them looking at him with intrigue. He entered the elevator, after pushing an Instructor out of his way, and ended up on the third floor. He walked past Xu, who stood up, blinking at him. He walked straight up to the desk, a hard fist slamming down. "Where's Quistis," he demanded.

Cid blinked from his paper that he was signing, stared at the fist, then stared into the eyes of the lion. "Classified information."

"Irvine told everyone they went to Winhill. Care to explain?"

Cid shook his head. "I'm sorry Squall, it's classified information. The only people who know, and who are going to know, are myself, Irvine, Quistis, and the Ragnarok driver."

"Selphie," he mumbled out through gritted teeth.

"No. Selphie was unavailable that day." Squall blinked. "I'm sorry, Squall, but all that information is disclosed and classified. Now, if you don't mind, please let me return to my work."

Squall half saluted, and turned to leave. He walked swiftly out of the office and back into the elevator. After a few minutes, he was sitting in the cafeteria. Selphie walked over to him, her hand wrapped in Nida's. "Did he tell you?"

"No. It's classified. When they left, who was driving?"

"Zell."

ooooo

Quistis sat patiently as Irvine brought out the meal. He smiled brightly, placing a bowl of salad on the table, followed by a chicken with rice dish on the middle. Quistis bent over some, sniffing the chicken. "Is that a lemon sauce?" she asked, the scent filling her nose.

He smiled brightly, clapping his hands. "Yea! Wow, I'm so happy that you noticed it!" She smiled politely as he left the dining area and walked into the kitchen, grabbing two wine glasses and a bottle of wine. Within the time that has past, Quistis noticed that Irvine rather enjoyed cooking. He set the two glasses down, and grabbed the wine opener, slowly pulling out the cork. There was a loud 'pop' and then a soft fizz noise. "You don't mind white wine, right? I mean...I have red wine in the kitchen...just, you're supposed to drink white wine with chicken and seafood."

"Seafood?" she asked as she slowly adjusted the napkin on her lap. He nodded his head, a bright smile raising to his lips. "What seafood?"

"Oh, that's right!" he said. He quickly turned around, placing the bottle down on the table. She reached for the wine and grabbed the two glasses, slowly pouring the wine in. Irvine turned around, smiling as he walked back to the table and set the seafood dish on the table. Quistis turned her head and looked at it. Mussels, in a white wine sauce. "I remember when we were in Fisherman's Horizon that one time...you kept commenting about how good the mussels were."

"Irvine, that's...sweet," she said, her heart pounding softly. She shook her head and slowly reached for the spoon. She grabbed Irvine's plate, just as he was reaching for it, and their hands touched. He immediately pulled his away and smiled.

ooooo

Squall walked up down the hall. He seemed to be doing that...a lot. He turned one corner and immediately walked into the library. He was no where else to be found. The doors opened and Squall walked through, seeing Zell turn towards him. "Hey Squall," he whispered. The girl behind the desk immediately shushed him.

Squall walked over to Zell, his face starting to turn red with anger. "Where's Quistis?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh! You remember her?" Zell said, smiling happily.

"Shh!" the librarian said again.

Squall rolled his eyes, bringing his voice to a soft whisper. "Yea, I do...where is she?"

"On vacation with Irvine. He's trying to get her to go out with him."

Squall's eyes flared. "WHERE is she!"

"I say! Will you two pipe down?" the librarian finally said.

Squall spun around, glaring directly at her. "Why don't you mind your own business!" He spun back to Zell, who leaned against the bookcase.

"I can't tell you! I was sworn to secrecy!"

Squall glared at Zell, immediately turning to leave. He had to find Selphie. Selphie could get anything out of Zell.

ooooo

Quistis looked up at the clock. Selphie still wasn't there, and she doubted that she would come, especially this late. They had finished their meal, which was surprisingly quite delicious. She finished the last of her wine, and smiled politely to Irvine. "That was delicious," she remarked.

He smiled brightly and stood up, refilling her wine glass. She watched as the soft golden colored drink slip into her cup, small bubbles popping here and there. "Have room for dessert?"

"You made dessert, too?" she asked, surprise filling her mind. "Why are you doing this?"

He smiled as he turned back into the kitchen, digging through the freezer. "Doing what?" he asked as he pulled out a small box. "Being nice to you? Quistis, how many times do I have to tell you? I like you. I like you a lot."

She turned her head to the side, her eyes looking back at the clock. "Why though? I've been nothing but mean to you."

"No, you haven't. You're the only girl who doesn't push me around and beat me up for no reason. You're the one person who can understand who I really am. You think I show this side to everyone?" She let out a small laugh. "No. Because then they'd think I was being stupid and gay."

"Who cares what they think, Irvine? Just be yourself..."

ooooo

Squall leaned against the wall as Selphie walked down the hall. Zell was walking towards her and she immediately stopped right in front of him. "Hey Zell, I need to know where Quistis is at."

"Not you too...listen, I can't tell. Irvine made me promise not to tell a soul."

"But its important!" Selphie cried out, stomping her foot. Squall wanted to chuckle, knowing that Zell would be rolling his eyes.

"Of course it's important. But it has to wait for another two and a half weeks." He went to move, but Selphie slipped to stand in front of him again. "Let me pass."

"No, it's really important!" She quickly thought of a lie. "I have to drop off something to Quistis." So it wasn't really a lie.

"So give it to me. I'll drop it off.

Quickly, she thought of a cover. "It's um...well, personal products."

"...personal products?" Zell asked, confused.

"Yea...you know...tamp..."

"OK! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Zell quickly raised his hands to his ears, covering them. Selphie rolled her eyes. "Fine, she's in Shumi Village. Don't they sell them there?"

Selphie turned to leave. "Apparently not!"

And with that, she turned the corner, running down the hall to catch up to Squall. She smiled brightly as they both darted towards the Ragnarok.

Within three hours, Selphie and Squall landed in front of Shumi Village. They both stood outside, the snow falling delicately against their bodies. "Squall?" He turned to look at her. "You want me to go in with you?"

"No. I'm going to do this myself."

ooooo

Irvine knelt in front of Quistis. She blinked, giving him an odd look. "I am myself. I just...I just can't be myself around anyone but you, Quistis."

"Irvine, in all honesty, who cares if you're yourself or act like a jackass? If you want to go around with a mask on your face all day, then please do so, if that's what you're comfortable with."

"I'm comfortable with you." She sighed as he neared her lap, placing his head down. Her hand instincly went to rub his face. "Why won't you date me, Quistis?"

She stood up, and began to walk towards the door. Squall has forgotten her, and more than likely was back with Rinoa. She sighed and leaned against the door frame. "I'm going for a walk."

"Will you tell me your answer then?" he asked, his voice sounding so sad.

"...yes, I'll tell you my answer then."

She went to open the door, but immediately felt Irvine's hand over top of hers. She sighed and removed her hand, allowing him to open the door. She walked out, her skirt flapping as the soft breeze blew. She walked out of the doorway, with Irvine following. She walked to the end of the wooden pathway, Irvine still following behind her. The moment she stepped off of the walkway, she heard her name being called out.

"Quistis!" She looked up from the ground, her eyes searching.

"Who the hell is that?" Irvine asked, suddenly getting defensive.

"Quistis!" the voice called out. She blinked. She knew that voice.

She walked past the bushes that had blocked their temporary home and looked around. There, she saw him, his fur collar brushing against his cheek. He turned in the direction of her, his face filled with worry. He saw her standing there, with Irvine right behind her. He immediately began to run in her direction. Quistis' heart was pounding. Perhaps he was just going to tell her that he's going back out with Rinoa.

"Quistis! I found you!" He pulled her into a tight hug, lifting her up and swinging her around. Jealousy flashed in Irvine's eyes as he set Quistis down. "I...I'm so sorry, Quistis."

"Squall?" she asked, her voice shakey. "You...remember me?"

He pulled her into another hug, gently kissing her cheek. "Yes...I do remember you..."

He suddenly felt Irvine's hand pull him away. Squall spun around, anger flashing in front of his face. "How the hell did you find out that we were here? It was confidential!" he exclaimed.

"Confidential?" Quistis asked. "You said that it was a change of plans..."

"Yea, we went to Winhill first, and no one saw you there."

"We?" he exclaimed, getting angrier.

"Selphie and I! We had to lie to Zell in order to find out where you guys were!" Squall reached for Quistis' hand, who immediately took his.

Irvine glared at both of them. He immediately reached for Quistis' other hand, pulling her gently towards him. "Listen, Squall...you're not supposed to be here!"

"I don't care. I want to be with Quistis."

"Well so do I!"

Quistis pulled her hands away from both of them, shaking her head. "Hey...knock this off! Why don't you two go inside and discuss like normal human beings?" she said, raising a hand to her side. She glared at both of them while they glared at each other. "I'll come back in a few hours..."

She spun her heel and walked down the street, Irvine immediately reached for her, pulling her back. "Quistis, it's going to be dark soon..."

Squall immediately pushed Irvine away. "Don't touch her!"

ooooo

Selphie stood at the entrance of Shumi Village. She looked around, smiling at a Moomba. "Hey! It's a Moomba! I haven't seen you guys in a while!"

The Moomba turned and looked at Selphie, his eyes going wide with fright. He immediately darted in the other direction.

"Hey! I won't hug you as tightly as before!" she said as she began to chase the Moomba.

ooooo

Quistis sighed, staring at Squall. She turned her head back towards Irvine, frowning slightly. "Irvine...you know that we were dating..."

Squall blinked, staring at Quistis. "Were?"

"Squall..." she sighed out, her sapphire eyes filled with sadness. He nodded his head, allowing her to continue.

"But he wasn't there for you when you were bawling your eyes out! He left you once before, and then he did it again! What makes you believe that its not going to happen again?"

Quistis looked from Squall to Irvine, her head pounding hard against her skull. She had no clue what to do. She slowly inched her way to Squall, her eyes looking pleadingly at Irvine. "I'm sorry, Irvine...I..."

He shook his head, sadness filling his dark eyes. "No...don't even say it. I don't want to hear it." He turned to leave, his cinnamon hair bouncing as he walked. She knew that he was crying and she immediately went to console him, but Squall pulled her arm back, holding her tightly to him.

His heart began to throb as he held her closer to her, her blonde hair tumbling in his own hands. Her voice was shakey as she began to mumble incoherently. "Just relax," he said, stroking her hair. "I'm not going anywhere." She stopped mumbling, her face inches away from his.

"Kiss me..." It wasn't a request, or a question...it was a demand. And he did so. He kissed her, right there. His lips gently danced with hers. It had been ages since they kissed. He broke away from it, holding her tightly to his chest.

"You want to leave?" he whispered in her ear. She nodded her head, holding onto his hand tightly. "You want me to go in and get your stuff?"

"You promise not to fight?" she whispered, tears building up in her eyes.

"I promise not to break his face in, yes. Listen...Selphie should be waiting at the entrance." With that, he let her go, immediately walking into the hut. He opened the door, and saw Irvine sitting on the couch. Irvine looked up at him, his cowboy hat taken off, and his cinnamon hair out of its ponytail.

"You just had to remember her..." he grolwed out.

Squall shook his head, walking directly into what he thought was Quistis' room. He pulled out the three suitcases, carefully filling in each one what he thought was hers. He heard Irvine moving around in the dining room. After a few moments, Squall picked up the three suitcases and walked out. "Next time you pull a stunt like this Irvine, be careful."

Irvine's hand immediately flew up, flipping Squall off. Squall cracked his neck, slowly taking his mind off of hurting Irvine. "Fuck you, Squall...you always get everything. All the glory, all the attention, everything..."

Squall shook his head and walked out of the hut. He looked at Quistis nearing him and he gave her a soft smile. She grabbed one of the suitcases out of his hand and she smiled softly back at him. "What about Cid?"

Squall sighed. "We'll deal with it...if I have to, I'll quit being a commander."

"No. I don't want you to do that. I'll...quit being an instructor."

"Quistis...let's just go home, enjoy the three hour ride together, and deal with it when we have to." Squall smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not losing you again, and I'm not fighting with you again." He walked with her towards the entrance, and frowned. "Now, where's Selphie?"

"MOOOOOOOOOOMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Quistis and Squall both turned their heads to the left, seeing Selphie chase a group of Moombas, all of whom tried to avoid her like the plague. Quistis smiled, raising her free hand to her forehead while Squall merely shook his head.

THE END

A/N: Ok, that's not how I wanted to end it, despite the fact that it is cute and adorable and I completely see Selphie doing that. The way how I wanted to end it basically took an additional seven to nine pages. Yea, I didn't really feel like having to type that out, especially since this chapter is long enough. I MIGHT (very big might) write an epilogue chapter. Perhaps after I've started the two new stories in my head and continued the other two stories that I need to finish. So yea...The real ending is actually very sweet and romantic.

There's a couple people I want to thank.

Cailin Skylark: My very first reviewer for this story! Heh heh...and to think that was a year and a half ago... --
frost: You've stayed through and reviewed ever since the first chapter! I ALWAYS look forward to your reviews now.
Kentai: You joined in late, but that's no big deal! You're another reviewer that I always look forward to
xpunky-galx: Thanks for the reviews
Ezri-Candy:sniff: I thought I lost you at one point!
Divine Dark Oblivion: I really enjoyed having such an avid Quall fan review LOL
GothicAngelEyeS: Another avid Quall fan, hehe! We shall band together and make Quall's take over the world!
diddly day: A late joiner, but still...I loved your reviews Moulin Rouge forever! BWAAHAHAHA...Oo...that gives me an idea...
Arienneye: LOL You missed a lot of updates sometimes from one review to the next - LOL
And to all my other reviewers that read, stuck by this, and reviewed!

I have three favorite scenes.

In Chapter Three: Quistis and Irvine are sitting next to each other at the dining hall. There's a small tiff between Rinoa and the Priestesses so, Irvine rubs Quistis' back and starts whispering in her ear. Quistis' line: "Yea, I kn...get your tongue out of my ear..."

In Chapter Nine: Squall gets a cramp in his leg, like father like son, after KISSING Quistis. Line: "I'm sorry. I...shouldn't have done that," he whispered out, moving his once silky hair entwined hair to his neck. He slowly felt a soft cramp in his left leg. What the...? Oh...oh no, he thought. His face dropped.

Quistis turned to look at him and noticed his cramped leg. The lips that had touched the lips of the man she always wanted started to curl up into a smile. "Don't tell me..."

"Don't you start!" he immediately fired back at her. She pulled her lips into her mouth, preventing her from laughing. "Don't you dare laugh, Quistis..."

She couldn't hold it in. The laugh blew out of her mouth. Squall had never seen her laugh so hard ever. She was polite, poised, proper. She hid her mouth as she silently chuckled. He rolled his eyes as he slowly started to tap his thigh. "Haha...you're just like your father!" she called out as the laughter came out.

"Ok, ha-ha...laugh it up."

And she did. She held onto her stomach as she fell to the ground on her knees. Tears slowly poured out of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away with her free hand. She paused and breathed in, looking up at him punching his leg. The laughter came out harder now, her face red as a cherry. "I can't believe...your leg is cramped!"

He rolled his eyes and limped around in a circle. He looked down at Quistis, who was now lying on the ground on her back.

And then the entire chapter of Chapter Eleven.

Thanks again for all the support and reviews!