"Irv," Zell started, "I'm really sorr-"
"Save it!" Irvine snapped, cutting Zell off. Irvine had felt nothing less than betrayed by Squall and Zell- his so-called "best friends" had actually believed that he was capable of attempted murder. How could they believe it? From him, of all people? A man who wouldn't even dream of taking another person's life. Irvine was angry, furious. And right after he and Selphie had agreed to have children together! Before Irvine could complete his thoughts, however, the car pulled up outside Esthar air station, and Zell was helping Irvine out. Squall was also there, waiting. Irvine stared straight at him, and spoke from the heart.
"Where do you get off, Squall?" He asked. "Arresting me? Do you honestly think I could shoot you just like that? What kind of a friend are you anyway?" Squall had no answer, instead staring at the ground, his cheeks burning. Squall felt more ashamed at that moment than he had ever done in his entire life. The three of them boarded the Ragnarok and departed for Balamb.
Meanwhile, Selphie was back at Irvine's (adoptive, of course) parents' house, trying to explain to them why their son was arrested on charges of attempted murder.
"They did WHAT?" Eddie, Irvine's father, shouted. Lucy, his mother, simply gasped in shock.
"I-I can't explain it," Selphie said, sitting down on the couch between them. "They just marched right up to our table and handcuffed him." Selphie was in a state of shock herself- not over Squall or Zell's actions, but her own. I hit him! Selphie thought to herself, shamefully. I actually hit Squall! What was I thinking? Selphie was not your typical "girly" girl- rather than romance movies, she preferred action films. The more explosions, the better, and Selphie was hardly afraid of anything. Her friends had eventually started to recognise these traits, and one of them (Selphie thought it might have been Rinoa) dubbed her a "closet psychopath." Still, never in her wildest dreams would Selphie have imagined that she'd ever physically attack one of her best friends. She felt ashamed, too ashamed to even tell her in-laws.
"Afterwards," Selphie continued, "Squall tried to explain it to me, but I-I just walked off. I couldn't bear to hear it." Irvine's parents, naturally loving people, comforted Selphie. Irvine's father in particular was a kind and gentle man (Selphie could see where Irvine got many of his qualities), and he put his arm round Selphie's shoulders, re-assuring her.
"Come on, girl," Eddie started, "it's not like you're to blame." Selphie flashed him a weak grin, the memory of her attack on Squall still raw in her mind. "Once they've interviewed him," Eddie continued, "they'll see that he couldn't possibly have shot at them." Lucy had words of comfort too.
"Irvine idolises Squall," she said to her daughter-in-law, easing her even more. "There's no way he could ever take a shot at him. Or Seifer, for that matter. You know how much Irvine loves his books." Selphie nodded- Lucy was right on all counts. Irvine respected Squall more than any other person he knew, and he had bought and read all of Seifer's books from cover to cover, and was deeply moved by all of them.
"Where did you say they were taking him?" Eddie asked again.
"B-back to Balamb," Selphie replied. Eddie stood up at this, and urged his daughter-in-law to stand up as well.
"Well then," he said, once Selphie was fully upright, "we'd better get you on the next train back, hadn't we?" Selphie was somewhat dumbfounded.
"Wha-?" She muttered.
"The first face Irvine will want to see when he's released is yours," Lucy interjected. Selphie perked up a little at this.
"OK then!" She said. She knew that it would all turn out to be a misunderstanding, and she and Irvine would get down to the task of making babies…
"There's something else I need to tell you," she started, remembering what Irvine had asked her before he was taken away. "Me and Irvine are going to try for a baby!" Eddie and Lucy were both pleasantly shocked at this news.
"Really?" Eddie asked. Selphie nodded, a huge grin on her face. "Well then," Eddie continued, "we'd better get you back to Balamb as quick as possible so you can start trying right away!" He led Selphie out of the house to his car, and drove off towards Esthar train station (Laguna had ordered that the rail network be extended into Esthar some time ago). Lucy waved them off, and Selphie had cheered up no end. In just a few hours, she would see Irvine, and then they would start conceiving their child. Selphie mused over the fact that it had been Eddie who had put her in this good mood. Like father, like son, she thought to herself. Until she remembered the fact that she'd also have to see the man she'd slapped across the face. Squall… she thought, how am I going to explain myself to you?
Irvine spent the trip back to Balamb confined to the Ragnarok's observation lounge. He was still angry, but had calmed down enough to know that anger wasn't going to solve anything. Eventually, they landed outside the Garden, and Irvine was escorted to the interrogation room via the back entrance. Before he entered, however, he had words of his own for Squall.
"When I get out of there, Squall," a still-angry Irvine said, "Me and you are gonna have words." Squall could detect the unusual hostility in his voice, and nearly found himself crying at the words. He avoided eye contact with Irvine, as he had done since they'd arrested him. He watched Irvine being escorted into the interrogation chamber, and took his seat behind the magic mirror on the other side, where he could see Cid and Zell questioning Irvine.
"I don't see what this is gonna accomplish," Irvine started, "you both know I didn't shoot them."
"It doesn't matter what we believe, Irvine," Cid started, "it's the evidence that counts. Did you, or did you not, remove a Fox-17 sniper rifle from the weapons locker on the day of August 7th?"
"I did," Irvine replied.
"For what purpose?" Cid asked.
"For test purposes," Irvine responded, glaring at Cid, who was remaining stoic, and at Zell, who was avoiding his gaze the same way Squall had done some time earlier.
"Where are the results of this test?" Cid asked.
"They're unfinished," Irvine responded. "I was three-quarters of the way through them when I departed on vacation."
"Did you, or did you not, take the Fox-17 with you to Esthar?"
"I did not," Irvine responded.
"Are you sure?"
"Why would I take it with me? I don't mix business with pleasure. You know that."
"Irv," Zell interrupted, "someone took it to Esthar and shot Squall and Seifer with it. If not you, then who else?" He was trying to prompt Irvine- in Irvine's mind, it almost seemed as if he wanted to get him off the hook.
"Who else had access to the Fox-17?" Cid asked, also trying to prompt Irvine into remembering something he otherwise wouldn't.
"Only you and Squall," Irvine responded.
"Where did you keep it?" Zell interjected.
"What?" Irvine asked, puzzled by the question.
"Where did you keep the rifle when you weren't testing it?" Zell allowed himself an inward smile- it was a clever question for him, and he knew he was on the right track toward getting Irvine off the hook.
"In my secret cache," Irvine responded.
"Which is where?" Cid asked, seriously. He'd never heard of Irvine's secret weapons cache and was VERY intrigued as to what else he had in it…
"Behind my sofa, in a recess in the wall."
"Anything else in there?" Cid asked.
"No sir," Irvine responded, "only the ones I test."
"When did you last take it out of the cache?" Zell asked, again proud at asking another intelligent question.
"Three days before I left."
"Did you check to see whether it was still there before you left?" Cid asked.
"Why would I need to?" Irvine responded. Cid turned to Zell.
"Zell," he started, "retrieve all security tapes from corridor 7J for the past five days." Zell nodded- he knew what Cid wanted done. "Irvine," Cid said, turning to the sniper, "I am releasing you on provision. You are not to leave the Garden, or enter the training centre. I will also have to confiscate all weapons you currently possess," Cid said, emphasising the word "all". "You will also be relieved of all your duties as armoury chief."
"I understand," Irvine said.
"Questioning suspended 19:46," Zell said, before getting up and opened the door. The three of them departed the room, heading for Irvine's quarters. When there, he turned over all his guns to one of Zell's security officers, and opened up his secret weapons cache, letting Cid and Zell look. He was shocked at what he found, however.
"It's gone!" Irvine shouted, staring at an empty recess in the wall.
"Most probably," Cid started, "it is in the possession of whoever shot Squall and Seifer."
"That person who wasn't me, you mean?" Irvine asked, challenging Cid. Cid didn't take to kindly to having his authority undermined, but let it slide this one time.
"The tapes will determine that," Cid said, regaining a degree of control over Irvine. "You will report back to the interrogation room at 8AM two days from now. We should have this all cleared up by then, one way or the other." Irvine nodded. "I'll see myself out…" Cid exited Irvine's quarters after Zell and his security team, leaving Irvine alone on his bed. He was not alone for long, however, as he heard a knocking at his door. Leave me the hell alone… Irvine thought, assuming that Cid wanted to rebuke him some more. Nonetheless, he leapt up and answered the door. His pained expression was replaced by one of pure happiness.
"Boo!" Selphie shouted, smiling up at her husband.
"Sefie!" Irvine shouted, giving Selphie a kiss and a big hug. "Since when did you get back?"
"Just now," Selphie perkily replied. "Your dad drove me to the train station."
"I bet they're taking the news well," Irvine said, as he and Selphie sat down on his old couch.
"Come on!" She shouted. "They know you couldn't have done it!" Irvine smiled.
"You're absolutely right," he said back. "On a more important note, didn't we agree to try to have a baby?" He grinned coolly at Selphie. She smiled wildly and started taking off her dress. Meanwhile, Irvine locked the door to their quarters and started undressing himself…