Squall doesn't get in jail quite yet. I'm still leading up to it. There will be more Squall and Rinoa bits but … well… you'll see.

Rinoa hardly ever took her necklace off. The only time it didn't hang around her neck was when she was afraid it might be broken while she was sleeping. For Christmas they had a small tree but it was for the best. It was a mini tree, small enough to sit on a countertop. Anytime Julie was close to it she would make a grab for the lights. "No, no," Rinoa said. "Don't touch those, dear." Not many presents were under the tree but it was enough to make the holiday meaningful. All the presents except two were for Julie.

Squall said, "Are you ready?" His young wife nodded and sat down on the living room floor with Julie in her lap. The three of them were dressed for bed. Zip up purple pajamas kept Julie warm enough. Rinoa was a little chilly in her long t-shirt and shorts but she didn't seem to mind. The thought of being held under the blankets kept her cheerful. "What should we start with?"

"Start with Julie's presents first," Rinoa said.

"Alright." The box wrapped in red paper covered in pictures of Santa Clause about the size of a shoebox though not as thick was the first to be set down in front of the one-year-old. It struck Squall as odd that something as meaningless as wrapping paper could entertain a child so. His daughter's eyes danced with wonder at the sight of this brightly colored object. Rinoa tore a small piece to get the girl started. Tiny hands clenched the thin sheet but did not tear it down. She had to have help. Once a small piece of it was in her hands, she tried to put the paper in her mouth.

"No, no, honey," Rinoa said as she took it from her. "Don't eat that. Here." She finished tearing the wrapping paper off and began opening up the box, amused noises came out of Julie's throat as she played with the wrapping paper. Inside the cardboard square was a tiny dress. It puffed out at the sleeves and had white lace bordering the neckline. "Look at this." She put it on the floor by Julie. After staring at it for a moment, Julie picked it up and held it in her hand as she babbled.

"I'm surprised she even picked it up," Squall told her.

"No kidding." Wrapping paper was torn, boxes were opened up, and numerous new toys and outfits for Julie were unveiled. One of the presents, a toy phone that made noise, made Julie laugh as though she were being tickled to death. "She likes that. Here, Squall. If you don't like it, we can take it back and you can get something else." Squall took the box. It was heavy and about half his height. It had to be put down on the floor so he could open it up without dropping it. Inside the box was a long sword. This one was shaped different than regular swords. The end of it was almost like a hook and the handle was in the shape of a gun's handle. Inscribed on the blade was a picture of a lion.

"Where did you find this?" he asked.

"I didn't. Fujin did. She was helping me pick out something for you and she saw it. Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding? Of course." He bent down and kissed her. "Makes my present seem like nothing."

"I'm sure it's fine. Make sure you put that where Julie can't get a hold of it."

"I will. Merry Christmas, Rinoa." He gave her a small box that was obviously a jewelry box. She took the paper off and opened the velvet container. Inside it was a silver ring. The blue diamond was in the shape of a teardrop. On the inside of the band was, "To a beloved wife and mother: Rinoa" inscribed. It fit perfectly on her middle finger next to her wedding ring.

"Thank you, Squall," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck but not before she kissed him.

Squall leaned back and said, "We're going to your parents' house tomorrow right?"

"Yes. Mom told me that your mom dropped presents at their house for us. I don't know who exactly sent anything but that's what she told me. Did you send presents to them?"

"To everyone but Laguna." Recently Squall had taken up the habit of calling Laguna by his first name instead of "dad". The reason why was obvious enough, no one had to ask. Though there was nothing that anyone besides the two of them could do about it, Rinoa still felt guilty about it. She felt helpless watching the two argue with each other. Interfering would only make it worse, she knew. After cleaning up the garbage, they all went to bed. Julie fell asleep right away. Rinoa lay close to Squall so she could get warm. She was out well before he was. The clock turned the time to midnight before sleep finally found him.

In the morning, Rinoa was awakened by Julie's crying. Quickly she worked to get the child to quiet down so Squall would not get up. It would be bad to have him crabby today. She didn't want any incidents to spring up at her parents' house. Julie wasn't taken out of her pajamas right away. They weren't expected to show up until lunchtime rolled around. To start the day off, Rinoa made breakfast while she balanced her daughter on her hip.

Julie was sitting in her highchair, eating eggs with her hands when Squall came downstairs. A fork was by the plate, clean and untouched. It was a mystery to him why Rinoa bothered to give the kid any silverware. Not only does she not know how to use it but also she could hurt herself with it if she wasn't careful. "Eat something," Rinoa said after she swallowed what she was eating.

"I'm not hungry," he told her. Metal clanked against glass, the sound of a fork dropping on a plate. He escaped to the bathroom before he could be questioned. Rinoa hoped the day would turn out better than it started.

Over at Rinoa's parents' house, Julie was preparing food for dinner. Caraway was up in his office, doing God only knows what. His wife assumed he was working. He was always working. It's surprisingly hard for him to get any time off. The last time they tried to go on a vacation (she couldn't remember how long ago that was but it was a long time ago), he got so many business calls that they ended up just going back home. But God knows he tries. He surprises her every now and then with gifts she's grateful for but doesn't really need. When the doorbell rings, Julia swears under her breath then yells, "Coming!" Of course it is her daughter and the family at the door. "You could've just come in, dear. This used to be your home, you know." Rinoa returned her mother's smile.

Rinoa said, "Do you need help with anything?"

"I can handle it but if you'd like to help, you can." Rinoa handed Julie over to Squall then followed her mother to the kitchen. Not sure what else to do, Squall sat on the couch with his daughter.

"How has everything been?" Julia asked her daughter. "Everything going well?"

Rinoa said, "Yeah. We're doing fine. Look at what Squall gave me." She held out her hand, palm down, fingers spread so her mother could see the ring. "And my friends bought this locket for me. Isn't it cute? Look at the pictures inside."

"Beautiful. I hope you thanked everyone."

"Of course I did. …Uh, mom? Did Laguna send anything to Squall? Any presents?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Good," Rinoa said with a sigh of relief.

"Why is that good?"

"I don't know… Guess I just figured if he sent anything it'd be something mean- some sort of cruel joke. I don't want Squall to get upset… or mad."

"Well you got nothing to worry about, dear."

Julie's head bobbed around as she tried to steady herself. Squall had a hold of her to make sure she didn't fall over. She was trying to stand up by herself. An odd noise came out of her mouth that sounded happy. The look on her face made it obvious that she was pleased, she had accomplished her goal. Incessant babble was all the noise she made after that. The indecipherable words meant nothing to Squall but he wondered if they meant anything to her. When she grew up would she remember the little moments like these? Would she remember something as important as her first birthday? It was doubtful. After all, who really did? Squall, for example, had only a few memories of his infant years. But of what he could remember, life was basically nothing. There were no joys (except for the occasional toy now and then), no triumphs. Then again what was there to accomplish? He wasn't even sure why he was thinking about it at all.

Rinoa came in and sat down next to her husband. "She's trying to stand up by herself," he told her. "She's not doing too bad… except I'm holding her of course."

"Rinoa," Julia said as she came in. "Go and get your father, dear." Obeying her mother's request, Rinoa ran upstairs. The room fell silent once the sound of her footsteps faded. Julia leaned against the doorway with one hand on her hip. "How have you been, Squall? Been taking care of everyone?"

"Yeah."

"If you need anything you make sure and let us know."

"We've been doing a lot better. Thanks for the help. I'm going to take Rinoa on a little vacation for a while. She needs a break."

"Yes. I'm sure you do too. You work a lot. The both of you need a break, not just Rinoa."

Caraway was finishing signing a few letters while his daughter waited for him. Silence hung in the air around them. Neither of them really knew what to say to the other. Like a stereotypical teenage, Rinoa didn't talk to her dad a whole lot. Not about personal things anyway. As much as she would've liked to ask him what exactly he thought of Squall, she couldn't do so. It was hard to tell whether she was afraid of what his answer might be or if she was just too embarrassed to ask. The uncomfortable quiet was broken by Caraway's voice saying, "Is that boy treating you well?"

"Of course, daddy," she answered.

"He better not be misusing that money we've been giving you. That's for you and Julie."

"He's not, daddy. You don't trust him."

Caraway sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "Well, sometimes when people get married young, bad things happen. Now I'm not saying anything is going to happen but if it does, you better let me and your mother know."

"I will, daddy. You got nothing to worry about. We're doing fine. I know Squall's a little tired of working so much but once Julie's old enough for me to get a job, he can have a bit of a break. Besides, we're going for a little vacation over the weekend. He ought to feel better after that."

Everyone was quiet when the two finally came downstairs. Rinoa set up a highchair for Julie at the corner of the table then helped her mother set everything out. Once Julie was securely in her seat, Squall sat down himself. It was uncomfortable for him to sit next to Caraway. Though honorable indeed, it seemed to Squall that Rinoa's father could break a man with words alone. It was unimaginable how it'd feel to get in trouble with a man like him, especially as his child. Would the kid be left cut up and bleeding tears or would they see a hint of mercy from him? Getting in trouble with Laguna wasn't fun. But most of the time he was too drunk to remember what the punishment had been.

All of them remain silent as they eat, with the exception of Julie's gurgling and senseless babble. Now and then someone would spit up a question that someone else must answer. Once in a while, Squall was the one who played the role of the recipient while Julia was the questionnaire. Caraway was the one who remained unquestioned and unquestioning. Unwillingness kept his tongue still.

Rinoa helped her mother clear everything off and put it all away after everyone was done eating. Julia said to her daughter, "If you want any of the leftovers to take home, feel free to help yourself."

"Thanks, mom," Rinoa said.

"Ready to open the presents now?"

"Yeah, sure." Squall was already sitting on the couch with Julie when they came in the living room. Caraway was sitting in an isolated chair in the room. Presents were handed around to the designated people. "I'm sorry we only have one for you 'cause we got it for you together. Hope you like it."

"Quantity doesn't matter, dear. It is the thought."

"I know, mom." There was a present for Squall, Rinoa, and Julie- separate presents- from each Raine and Ellone. For Squall, the present was pictures of his little sister. Not cheap school pictures, nice ones. Like the ones Rinoa just handed to her parents of Julie. For Rinoa, it was a ring. The band of the ring was thick. She figured it must've been three times the size of her wedding ring. Diamonds surrounded by beads lined the center of the band. Just looking at it made her feel guilty. It must have cost a lot of money, she figured. A few toys were given to Julie.

"Oh wait," Julia said. "There's one more thing for you. Here." She handed them an envelope, another present from Raine but Raine alone. Inside it was money, fifty dollars. Squall wanted to send it back. He knew they were having worse money problems than Squall and Rinoa were. Even though it wasn't a whole lot, it was still a generous gift.

The present from Rinoa's parents to Julie was a stuffed animal, particularly a bear. Although seemingly plain because the only decorative thing on its white fur was a red ribbon around its neck, its simplicity made it all the lovelier. It was only slightly smaller than the one-year-old. Immediately she was attracted to its shiny black eyes. For Rinoa and Squall, the present was money. "Use it to buy something nice for yourselves for once," Julia said.

"Thanks, mom," Rinoa said. "But we've taken enough of your money already."

"I know, dear. That was to help you with bills and groceries though. Buy something nice for yourselves that you want. Okay?"

"Okay." They were persuaded to take leftovers home before they left. Julie fell asleep quickly that night, as did Rinoa. Squall was once again alone in the dark.

That weekend, Julie was left with Rinoa's parents while her own took their vacation. They didn't go very far, only down to the cities, about an hour and a half away. Rinoa watched all the lit buildings pass by her window. She hadn't been to the city much, only a few times. The lights at night were her favorite things about it. The traffic was something everyone could do without. From the outside, the only thing Rinoa could tell about the hotel was that it was gigantic. "How much did this cost us?" Rinoa asked Squall as they walked up to the entrance.

He simply said, "Enough." With Rinoa's arm hooked in his, they carried their bags inside. Rinoa was so impressed by the receptionists' room that she couldn't imagine what the bedrooms must have looked like. The white marbled tiles, the angel fountain in the center, the marbled white walls, and the diamond chandeliers overhead made her feel as though she were in a castle from a fairytale. The two white carpeted, light wood staircases lead up to the balcony walkway, which was the way to the hotel rooms. From the overlook on the second floor, Rinoa could see the place better. Beyond the entrance where the five smiling receptionists sat, was a set of glass doors leading to a dining room. Chandeliers hung over the fancy light wood tables, various paintings (very sophisticated looking ones) hung on the walls, and all the people were dressed up in their best.

"Look at that," she said lightly tugging on his arm.

He stole a glance then said, "Yep."

"You didn't even look."

"I'll see it later, okay."

"Fine." She followed him down the end of the hall to an elevator. Everything so far was colored in white and gold. "How far up are we?"

"Fourth floor," he told her. "Not quite the top."

"Nice view from the window?"

"Oh I'm sure." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Their stomachs felt as though they had turned upside down in their bodies when the elevator stopped. The doors opened at the sound of the bell. "Look for number 406."

"Shouldn't be that far down."

"Nope. It's right here." Across the hall, a few doors down was their assigned room. Once unlocked, the door pushed open easily. Although white and gold were still the themed colors, the space was enjoyable. Rinoa guessed it was two times the size of regular hotel rooms. She opened the curtains and looked down at the city below. It felt to her as though they were thousands of miles up but this feeling was over exaggerated (and she knew it of course). It was possible that her excitement contributed to her irrational thinking, which was understandable.

"It's beautiful," Rinoa remarked without taking her eyes off the scene below. Squall wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He planted a light kiss on the side of her neck. "I love you, Squall."

"Love you too, Rinoa. What do you want to do today? Isn't it nice? We actually have time to ourselves for once. I love Julie but sometimes…"

"I know. I promise we can take a break once in a while. I just wanted to get through the first year with her without anything interrupting. You know?"

"Yes, I know." She turned around to face him without breaking the embrace. Her lips brushed against his but only for a brief second.

"Let's stay up here and we can explore tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course… How come you want to stay up here? Do you have a plan or something?" A smile appeared on his face and made her laugh. "And how do you suppose I guessed that?"

"I have no idea." They stayed awake most of the night, playfully picking on each other among other things. In the morning, Squall woke up to Rinoa's beautiful face hovering over him and the tips of her hair brushing against his skin. She was sitting on him.

"Good morning," she said. "What should we do today?"

He said, "How about we eat breakfast."

"I mean besides that."

"One thing at a time, don't overwhelm yourself."

She laughed, "You're such a jerk."

"I try."

"Oh shut up."

"I'll shut up if you let me get up."

"Fine, ruin my fun." They smiled at each other and Squall got up to get dressed. This was how he'd pictured things. He figured (or was hoped the better word) that he would marry her. He'd hoped they would have a child (or two) but not as fast as it came. Now, the loving playful way she was acting, was so different than how she'd been acting a few days ago. This was how he wanted it to go. But the difficulties of life hit them in the face hard. Then again, if they could continue to climb out of the pit that their downfall had left them in, maybe things would go the way he'd hoped it would- if they could get out of course.

Once the two were dressed, they went down to the first floor. In the dining room they were given a place to sit by the window. Rinoa's eyes fell unto the busy street just beyond the sheet of glass. "It looks beautiful at night," she told Squall. He himself wasn't very familiar with the city life but he found it odd that he was not the least bit curious about it. Quite the opposite was Rinoa's thoughts concerning it all. When she saw someone pass by the window on the sidewalk, she wondered about his or her lives. Why had that particular person come here? Had they been born here? Was he or she in a relationship? Did they enjoy their job? All were questions she found herself making up the answers to.

They both ordered something cheap for fear of spending all their money. The meal was quite enjoyable nonetheless. The two then decided to go outside. "I wonder how much a cab costs," Squall said more to himself than Rinoa.

She answered though, saying, "Let's walk. We can just wander around and that way it wont cost us anything. Plus, we can look around a lot easier than having a cab stop everywhere."

"Okay." Their hands clasped together as they began to make the walk down the gray concrete path. Stores of different themes containing different objects beckoned them silently to come in. But the tempting places did not affect them. They only stopped at places that held things of their interest. Rinoa ended up buying a few presents for Julie. Squall told her to buy something for herself too.

"I will. I just haven't found anything yet. That's all." She though about buying an outfit for herself that might appeal to Squall but decided against it. She wasn't exactly sure why she chose not to. Perhaps it was because she blushed just at the thought of it. A very shy type she was indeed. Instead, she ended up buying a few tank tops and a few skirts. Once the clothes were paid for, Rinoa decided to wear one of the outfits.

Squall commented, "Looks good. You look nice. But you'd look good in anything."

"That's sweet but you're lying. You're such a sweetheart though. That's why I love you. No one could be luckier than me."

"Ah I'm no prize. You could do a lot better. I'm lucky you picked me."

"We could probably argue about this all day if we wanted. How 'bout we shut up now?"

"Okay." He picked her up and swung her around.

"You know," she said. "I was going to buy something else but I decided not to. It's indirectly for you. Too bad I changed my mind."

"What was it?"

"Guess you'll never know." The two ate lunch at restaurant they came across on the way back to the hotel. It was a cheaper place but not necessarily fast food. They wanted to save most of their money for dinner. Rinoa kicked Squall under the table.

"Why'd you do that?"

"I felt like it. I'm thinking about getting a job once Julie starts school. I know that's a long ways away but still. I don't want to watch you all do the work and I don't want to take my parents' money all the time. You've heard that a thousand times and I'm sorry. But I do want to help."

"Well, since there isn't much we can do about it right now, don't worry. If you want to get a job later, that's fine. But let's not think about it now, okay." She nods slightly. They ordered the food that they wanted and began to eat when it arrived. After they were finished with lunch, the two wandered around aimlessly until they got lost. At that point they had to get a cab in order to get back to the hotel. They spent the rest of the night in their room.