Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII....

Author's Note: This chapter is definitely not one of my best. It basically focuses on Rinoa and Quistis, but for some reason, I'm just not happy with it. I was trying to create a more lighthearted chapter, where the girls could begin to renew their friendship. Maybe I should stick to the angst. Anyway, please tell me what you think, even if it's something horrible!

To Love You More

Chapter Twenty

"There's nothing you can say

Nothing you can do

There's nothing in between

You know the truth

Nothing left to face

There's nothing left to lose

Nothing takes your place..."

- "Not Enough" Our Lady Peace

Rinoa entered the cafeteria, looking around for Quistis. She spotted the older girl at a table towards the back of the room. At that same moment, Quistis looked up and waved her over. The cafeteria was fairly empty, but the students that were there all seemed to have their eyes glued to the two women. Ignoring them, Rinoa made her way over to the blonde.

"Hey," she greeted as she took a seat. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I got a little held up."

"Oh?" Quistis raised an eyebrow. "Were you able to work things out with your account?"

The brunette nodded. "Yes, everything is taken care of. I just need to stop by the bank and give them some papers. You know, in order to reactivate my account."

"Of course. Oh," she gestured toward the food in front of her," This is for you. I remembered that your usual breakfast was cinnamon oatmeal with a cup of coffee."

Rinoa smiled, touched that Quistis still remembered. "Thank you. I can't believe that you still remember that!"

Quistis looked away embarrassedly. "Really, it was nothing."

"Oh, before I forget, do you mind if we do our shopping in Deling City instead?"

Quistis frowned. "That really isn't a problem, but why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well, I thought that I would go and see my father when we were done. I'd kind of feel better if I had someone with me. If you don't want to go, though, I would definitely understand."

"No, that's fine. So we can stop by the bank in Balamb and then take the train to Deling."

Rinoa nodded. "Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, do you mind if we stopped by Ma Dincht's house? Irvine told me that Angelo is there and I would really like to see her."

"Of course. Actually, I haven't been there in a while. It will be good to see Ma Dincht."

"Thank you, Quistis," Rinoa said sincerely. "I'm sorry to be dumping all of this on you."

"It's no problem. Can I ask you something, though? Why do you suddenly want to see your father?"

Rinoa was surprised at how forward Quistis had become. She thought it wise not to mention the deal she had made with Squall. "Well, um, I guess I just realized that I should see him. Even though we never really got along, maybe we can work some things out."

Quistis nodded. "I understand. So, are you ready to get going?"

"Yes, I'm done."

The two stood up and exited the cafeteria, depositing the remains of their breakfast in a trashcan along the way. A few minutes later, they were in the parking lot. Quistis led the way to a shiny red convertible.

"Wow," Rinoa gasped as Quistis unlocked the doors. "This is your car?"

Quistis smiled. "Yes. Squall bought it for me, actually, as an anniversary gift. Come on, get in."

Anniversary? Once in the passenger seat, Rinoa turned to the blonde. "So...have you and Squall been married long?"

Quistis shook her head. "Not at all. We got married a week ago."

"What?" Rinoa was shocked. "A week ago?" If I had called sooner...would Squall have married Quistis? Quickly composing herself, she added, "What about your honeymoon?"

"Oh," she rolled her eyes, "Garden pretty much screwed us over on that one. We had left Irvine in charge while Squall and I went to Dollet. We planned to stay there for at least two weeks, but then Irvine disappeared. Xu was put in charge of Garden, but then she fell ill, so we had no choice but to come back. Our honeymoon ended up lasting days, instead of weeks."

"I'm sorry," Rinoa said quietly. Was she, though? A small part of her felt triumph at the fact that Quistis and Squall had had to cut their honeymoon short.

Quistis waved it aside. "It's not a big deal, really. Who knows? Maybe I can persuade Squall to take a second honeymoon." She suddenly remembered that Squall wasn't currently speaking to her, but she pushed that thought aside.

"What was your wedding like?" Rinoa asked softly.

Quistis looked at the younger woman concernedly. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Why wouldn't I want to hear about my friends' wedding?"

Quistis sighed. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Do what?"

"Be nice for my sake. I want our friendship to be genuine, Rinoa. Like it used to be."

"Was it ever really genuine to begin with? You always had feelings for Squall; even I could see that. You never said anything about it, though. You just pretended that you were perfectly content."

"Rinoa, I..." She trailed off as she realized they had reached Balamb. Quistis silently parked the car and quickly exited.

"I'm sorry," Rinoa said suddenly. "Quistis, I didn't mean to say that. It was completely uncalled for."

Quistis shrugged. "It's the truth, isn't it? That's how I was. I never said anything to you about my feelings, and I should have. You were his girlfriend, after all."

"Quistis, no, just stop. I didn't mean to bring that up at all."

Quistis smiled faintly. "Why don't we let the past remain as just that? Today should be a new beginning."

Rinoa nodded. "I couldn't agree more. Enough about the past."

"Come on, let's go to Ma Dincht's first."

The two women traveled down the street to Zell's mother's house. Walking inside, Rinoa realized that, like Balamb Garden, it hadn't changed a bit. It was funny, how nothing had seemed to change in the physical sense, but in the most important sense of her life, everything had changed.

"Hey, who's there?" a male voice called. A moment later, Zell walked down the stairs and spotted them. "Hey guys!" he greeted with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to see your mother," Rinoa explained. "Irvine told me that Angelo is here."

At the mention of her name, Angelo came bounding into the room. Upon seeing Rinoa, she barked with joy, circling her in happiness.

"Looks like she remembers you, Rin," Zell commented.

Rinoa immediately threw her arms around the brown ball of fur. "Hey girl," she cooed. "I missed you."

Angelo woofed happily in reply, and upon hearing the commotion, Ma Dincht walked into the room. "Oh my!" she exclaimed. "I didn't realize that we had company."

"These are my friends," Zell explained. "Quistis and Rinoa."

"Oh, don't be silly, Zell! I know who they are." She turned her gaze to Rinoa. "I'm glad to see that you're okay. Zell told me about what happened."

Rinoa slowly pulled away from Angelo and stood up. "Thank you. I don't know how to repay you for your kindness in taking care of Angelo."

Ma Dincht shook her head. "There is no need to, Dear. Angelo has been a blessing and a wonderful companion to me. I am truly going to miss her."

Rinoa's face fell. "I'm sorry. I don't want to take her away from you."

Ma Dincht once again shook her head. "Dear, I think you need her more than I do. Besides, I have three adorable puppies to keep me company now."

"That's right!" Rinoa exclaimed. "Irvine told me that Angelo had puppies."

Ma Dincht smiled. "Would you like to see them?"

"I'd love to."

The older woman led Rinoa into the living room. Running around were three of the cutest puppies Rinoa had ever seen. Two of them were the spitting images of Angelo, but the third had white spots all over her dark brown fur.

Seeing Rinoa's gaze on the unique puppy, Ma Dincht said, "We suspect that the dog next door fathered Angelo's puppies. That one there looks exactly like him."

Rinoa smiled. "It looks like Angelo has been busy while I've been gone!"

"Rinoa, I don't want to break this up, but we really have to get going if you want to stop at the bank before our train leaves," Quistis explained.

Rinoa nodded. "Do you mind if I leave Angelo here until I get back?" she asked Ma Dincht. "We're going to Deling City."

"Of course. You can pick her up whenever you get back."

"Thank you," Rinoa said genuinely as she hugged the older woman.

As soon as they had exited the house, Quistis quickly led the way to the bank. Once there, she checked her watch. "Okay, Rinoa, the train leaves in twenty-five minutes. I'll go get the tickets, and then meet you out here."

"Okay," Rinoa said. "I won't be long."

She walked into the bank and was greeted by a young woman, maybe a few years older than her. She had light brown hair, green eyes, and a serene smile.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. "How can I help you today?"

Both physically and personality- wise, the woman seemed to resemble Selphie. That thought made Rinoa extremely anxious to see her old friend. She realized then just how much she truly missed the bubbly brunette. Selphie had been such a comfort to her in the short time that she had known her. Her mere presence exuded happiness wherever she went and it was impossible not to smile when you were around her. Rinoa made a mental note to find some way to get in touch with her when she returned to Garden. Maybe she could ask Quistis about it.

Snapping out of her daze, she extracted the documents Squall had given her from her bag. "My account has been locked down for the past three years and I would like to reactivate it." She handed the woman the papers. "These documents should give you all the information you need."
The woman took the documents from Rinoa and read them over. "Oh, yes. You're Rinoa Heartilly. We've been expecting you."
Rinoa frowned. "You have?"

"Yes. A Mr. Squall Leonhart called us to inform us of the situation. It was very...unique, to say the least. On behalf of Balamb Savings Bank, I would just like to say that we are thrilled to have you back with us."

"Okay..." Rinoa said, feeling as if the whole thing was a bit surreal. "So everything is all set?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. In fact, I already entered all of the information into the main system. All that's left is for you to sign here." She handed a paper to Rinoa.

After reading through the paper, Rinoa signed it and handed it to the woman. "There you go."

"Okay, you're all set. You can now withdraw or deposit money into your account. Oh, and here is your new ATM card and the key to your safety deposit box."

"Thank you," Rinoa said as she took the objects from the woman. "Could I withdraw 1,000 gil now, please?"

"Yes, please wait a moment." The woman disappeared into a back room. Moments later, she returned with a stack of bills. "Here you go. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Just one more thing. Could you please take me to my safety deposit box? I know I can't get back there without having a teller escort you."

The woman nodded. "That is correct." She walked around the desk so that she was facing Rinoa. "Follow me, please."

As Rinoa followed the woman, she glanced down at her watch. About fifteen minutes to go until the train left. She would have to make this quick. The teller suddenly stopped before a door and quickly unlocked it.

"Here you go. Your safety deposit box is located in there. Just holler if you need anything."

Rinoa nodded and scanned the wall until she found the number of her safety deposit box, 541. She slid the key into the lock and then opened the door. She hadn't put many things in the safety deposit box. There were basically important documents, such as birth certificates and the like. She quickly scanned the contents to make sure nothing was missing. While she was doing so, an average sized black box caught her attention. She picked it up, not remembering having seen it before. Slowly, she lifted the lid. The object located inside made her gasp in awe. Silver chain...two rings...her necklace. How did this get here? I thought I lost it in the accident. Rinoa suddenly remembered something Squall had said when she had first been reunited with him.

"There was the crash...they said you didn't make it. I didn't want to believe them, but I found your necklace..."

My necklace...he must have meant this one. But if he found it, then why is it here? Shaking her head, she quickly deposited the necklace into her purse. She didn't have the time to ponder Squall's actions at the moment. Her and Quistis had a train to catch. Rinoa quickly locked up the safety deposit box and hurried out of the bank.

"Hey," Quistis greeted as she stepped outside. "Perfect timing. I just got back from buying the tickets. Now all we have to do is board the train."

Rinoa nodded absently, falling into step beside Quistis. Her mind was still swimming with thoughts about her necklace and how it had come to be in her safety deposit box. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't even notice that they had arrived at the train station.

"Rinoa," Quistis said as she tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you okay? I said that we have to board the train now."

"Oh, right," Rinoa said as she followed Quistis into the train.

After taking their seats, Quistis turned to Rinoa anxiously. "Did something happen at the bank? You've been extremely quiet ever since you've gotten out of there."

Rinoa shook her head. "No, I'm fine. A bit overwhelmed, maybe, but fine nonetheless."

"Were you able to take care of your account?"

"Yes. Actually, things were pretty much all set from the moment I stepped in there. I guess Squall called beforehand to let them know."
Quistis raised an eyebrow. "Squall? How did he know that you were going to the bank?"

"Well, I had to ask him about my account this morning. He's the one who printed out the documents I needed."

"Really?" Quistis said slowly. "You didn't tell me that at breakfast. I thought you had talked to Irvine."

Rinoa could hear the jealousy in Quistis's voice, and maybe some hidden accusation, but she chose to ignore it. "I did, but he told me that Squall handles the financial information."
"But he doesn't," Quistis insisted. "Actually, Xu handles the financial information."

"Well, I only know what Irvine told me."

"And Squall was able to help you?"

"Yes," Rinoa said, beginning to get annoyed.

"Oh," was all Quistis said as she settled back into her seat.

"So..." Rinoa began, deciding that it was time to change the subject, "You were going to tell me about your teaching."

"Oh, yes," Quistis said, seeming to perk up. "Well, I'm still a teacher. My students can be a handful sometimes, but it's really a rewarding experience. Have you thought about what you want to do now that you're back at Garden?"
"In all honesty, no, I haven't. Actually, it's been one of the furthest things from my mind. I suppose that I could go back to being a secretary. Would I have to clear that with Cid?"

Quistis shook her head. "Cid is on a temporary leave of absence from Garden. Edea was concerned about his health, so he is currently residing with her at the orphanage."

"It's not serious, is it?" Rinoa asked worriedly.

"No, nothing like that. If anyone knows Cid, then it's Edea. I think that she felt a break from Garden would do him some good."

Rinoa nodded. "I can't blame her for being worried. Cid was one of the most hardworking people I knew. I'd really like to visit them sometime."

"I'm sure they would like that."

The two woman drifted into a semi-comfortable silence as the train pulled into Deling City. They gathered their purses and followed the line of people off of the train. Rinoa felt a strong sense of nostalgia upon entering the city. Sure, she had spent most of her childhood here, but she found her thoughts wandering back to the night of Edea's parade, and her naivety in going to see her. When Squall had rescued her and told her to stay close to him, she had melted. It was then that she had begun to fall in love with him.

"So, where are we headed?" Quistis asked. "Do you know any good shops?"

Rinoa shrugged. "Let's head to the Shopping Arcade. I'm sure we can find something there. It's just down the street, so we don't need to take a bus."

After walking the few blocks to the Shopping Arcade, Quistis spotted a cute little boutique. Rinoa, having remembered going to the store years ago, was more than happy to oblige. Once inside, Rinoa felt overwhelmed at the selection of clothing. The styles had seemed to change in the years she had been away. She didn't even know where to begin.

"Do you want to split up?" Quistis asked. "I can pick out some things I think you like, if you want. We might be able to cover more ground that way."

Rinoa nodded. "Sure. I'll take the front half of the store, and you can take the back."

Thirty minutes later, they met up at the dressing room, their arms piled high with various articles of clothing. Quistis had also selected a few items for herself along the way. The two of them had a great time modeling their different outfits for each other and cracking up when they had definitely committed a fashion faux paus. It felt like old times, and both Rinoa and Quistis enjoyed that feeling very much. Finally, Rinoa had just finished trying on everything, when Quistis burst into the dressing room.

"You have to try this on!" she exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" Rinoa said, but then her eyes caught sight of what Quistis was holding up. It was a beautiful ivory-colored gown. The top of the gown was a ruffled halter top with a plunging neckline. The skirt, which was made in a gorgeous leaf-life pattern, met with the top in an elegant swoop that looked like it would reach a few inches above her ankles. The whole dress was made of pure silk and Rinoa fell in love with it immediately.

"I saw it and I just knew you would love it. Will you try it on?"

"It's beautiful, but when could I possibly wear it?"

"Just try it on," Quistis urged.

With a roll of her eyes, Rinoa took the dress from Quistis and reentered the stall. A minute later, she walked out wearing the dress. Quistis herself was stunned at how great her friend looked. It was as if the dress had been made for her. It fit every curve of her body perfectly and accentuated her natural beauty.

"What do you think?" Rinoa asked.

"I think that you would be a fool if you didn't buy it."

Rinoa smiled. "I want to buy it, but like I said, I wouldn't have any reason to wear it."

Quistis waved that aside. "Remember all those times we went shopping, and I said the same thing? What was your excuse? 'You never know what could come up. Besides, you could always wear it to the next SeeD Inaugural Ball.'"

Rinoa laughed. "You got me there. Alright," the brunette said, holding up her hand in defeat, "You win. I'll buy it."

They headed for the register with their purchases. After paying a hefty sum for the large amount of clothing they had bought, they exited the store.

Rinoa yawned. "Man, I'm exhausted. Let's take the bus to Caraway's Mansion."

"Are you sure that you want to see your father, Rinoa?" Quistis asked.

She nodded. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."

"No, I don't mind. I wouldn't leave you alone in the 'lion's den', so to speak."

"Thanks, Quistis. I really do appreciate your doing all this."

"I told you, Rinoa, it's no problem."

"Well, here's the bus. I guess it's time to 'face the lion.'"