Dedicated To You
Disclaimer: I didn't create any of the characters in this story.
Chapter 19
As Squall sped down the road on his motorcycle with Rinoa, he couldn't help but feel different. 'Why did I say those things?' he thought to himself. 'Did I really say that we BOTH needed to talk to her father? Maybe this isn't a good idea...' He looked ahead, suddenly feeling a sense of determination. 'It's the only way...' he ended, sighing only slightly.
Rinoa had her arms wrapped tightly around Squall's waist. 'I hope I don't fall!' she thought again and again. But she knew she wouldn't. It was only to keep her mind off of her father, of her home, if you could call it that. 'It's more like a prison...' she thought angrily, wishing that things never had to happen this way. She wished that her father didn't keep her locked up in her room all the time. She wished that he didn't expect her to be a wind up doll, constantly performing. She wished...he would let her be free. She sighed sadly, closing her eys for a moment. She willed herself not to cry, she had to be strong. 'I WILL be strong...' she thought, suddenly feeling stronger. She opened her eyes, waiting for the mansion to appear, and for the future to become present/.
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General Caraway sat in the study, trying to distract himself with the usually large pile of paperwork. Upon realizing that his mind was truly on other things, he sighed, sitting back in his plush chair. He took off his reading glasses, and looked at the painting hanging on the wall. Julia smiled back at him, and a little girl smiled up at her. " Rinoa..." he mumbled aloud, " You look so much like your mother..." He stared sadly at the painting. " You two are o much alike...so much talent, so special...but both of you have left me...why?" He rubbed his eyes for a moment, trying not to get emotional. 'Emotion is for the weak.' he thought, 'If we all obey and dictate and command, then we are perfected. We may not be perfect, but it is emotion that brings man to ruin. And I have no intention of letting it take over ANYONE. Not even me.' He was startled, however, by a knock on the door.
" General," the maid said, peeking her head in the study, " The hour is growing late. Perhaps a little rest might help ease your troubles?"
" I have no 'troubles', Maria," he replied firmly, " And I am not tired. You may go."
" Sir," she insisted meekly, almost certain that her actions may get her fired, " It has been a long day, and the past few days haven't been so well, either. But, I think that it might be best if you did get some-"
" THANK YOU," he replied sternly, raising his voice slightly, " You may go now."
She curtsied, and quickly backed out of the room, grateful that she hadn't been fired.
The General sat up once more. Putting on his reading glasses, he bent over his work once more. 'I have no troubles,' he thought. 'That maid has no idea what he place is in this house. She is under my dictation, and that means obeying me, not commanding me. I should have fired her.' He paused. 'Should have? There is still time...no, no, just a firm repremand will do. Why am I distracting myself?' He groaned. 'I haven't got all night now!'
He tried to concentrate, but looking at that portrait made him think of his wife. " Julia..." he said softly. 'I should've taken better care of you...' he added in his thoughts. ' I should've taken better care of Rinoa, too. Letting her go out into the world! She's been taken by a sorceress, for Hyne's sake! If anyone knew, they would kill her for sure! They don't care about her.' He stopped. 'None of those people could possibly care about her...I do. That's why she must always stay here. Where it's safe. With me. She should never leave. If I ever find her, I will do everything in my power and more to keep her from leaving EVER AGAIN.' Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. " Enter!" he commanded.
The butler walked in. " Sir," he said, " Your daughter has been brought back safely, and she wishes to have a word with you."
The General rose. " Good," he replied, " I have several for her."
The butler bowed. " Very good, sir." he said, closing the door behind him as he left.
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Rinoa and Squall waited nervously in the main hall for the General. Squall looked at his feet, while Rinoa looked around.
" It is SO like him to make us wait!" she groaned impatiently. " He only thinks of himself! That's why he locks me up here!"
Squall looked up for a moment, then back at his feet. 'The General is VERY angry...' The words never ceased to echo through his head. 'Why does he hate me?' he thought, 'I've never really met him, but he hated me from the start! Why?'
" Squall?" Rinoa asked. " Are you okay?"
Squall looked up at her, and shrugged. "..."
Rinoa sighed. " Great, back to square one!" she exclaimed. " Squall, I know my father isn't exactly the nicest person in the world, but, please, don't go back on me here! I don't want-"
" Rinoa?" the General called, walking into the main hall. " Where have you been?! I demand to know!"
Rinoa faced the hallway her father was emerging from. " Away from you!" she shouted, " It's better than being locked up in this house like a prisoner!"
" You know it's for your own safety!" he replied, " It's in your best intere-" He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Squall. " YOU!" he shouted. " What are you doing here?!"
" He made me come back home!" Rinoa answered for him. " Yeah, that's right, I WOULDN'T BE HERE if it wasn't for HIM!"
The General glared angrily at Squall. " You may have broght my daughter home," he said to him icilly, " But you may NEVER, EVER come near her AGAIN! Do you understand me?!"
Rinoa ran up to her father, and said to his face, " That's the thanks he gets?! If it were up to me, I would still be out in that field! But Squall," she turned to him for a moment with a look of sympathy, " Wanted me to do the right thing." She glared at her father. " You don't even know him! WHY DO YOU HATE HIM?!"
" He is DANGEROUS, Rinoa!" he replied, suddenly changing over to worry, an emotion. " Rinoa, do you know who his father is?" he asked, quieter than he had been the entire night.
Squall suddenly realized the connection, and the reason for hatred. His father...
" I don't care!" she replied, " Squall and I love each other, and nothing can break that!"
" His father, Rinoa," her own father replied, " Is Laguna Loire, President of Esthar."
" So?" she asked, not quite understanding.
" Rinoa, how can you say that you love each other, if he doesn't know YOU?" he asked, almost tenderly. He sounded very tired.
" He DOES know." she replied. " I told him."
" He knows?!" he asked, panicked. " Rinoa, his father is in control of the Sorceresses' Memorial! Do you realize the risk?!"
Rinoa froze. She had never realized that.
" Rinoa," her father said yet again, " Do you realize the effects if anything were to happen? What if they found out, and locked you up? Wouldn't it grieve you if you had people to care about? You would never see them again. I would never see you again! You would be known as something vile, something hated. But," he added, hoping to appeal to her, " If you follow your mother's dream, you will be remembered for bringing joy to thousands, or even millions of people. You would be something loved, something beautiful. Everyone would remember and smile.Do you really want to throw that away?"
Rinoa sighed. " If having those things means having to give up MY life, and MY dreams, thenthat isn't the life I want." She gave him a firm look.
" You're seventeen," he scoffed, " You don't know what you want."
" So you have to want it for me?" she asked, starting to grow angry.
" I know what's best." he replied cooly.
" No, you don't!" she replied, recognizing the familiarity of the argument. " I am NOT one of your soldiers! You can't COMMAND me, or dictate my life!" she paused. " After all, that's what you LIVE FOR. Control..."
Squall saw anger in her eyes. Or, was it? If so, then he understood nothing about women, because her eyes began to glow red. Wait...'She's being possessed!' he thought, panicking. " Rinoa!" he shouted, " Breathe! Calm down! Rinoa!"
She turned to face him, and she looked pained. The glowing had stopped, and she uttered the words, " I can't control myself..." Suddenly, her eyes flashed bright red, and she screamed. The house shook, and several various items came crashing down. The General stepped back slowly, trying to stay out of harm's way.
'Rinoa...' Squall thought, stepping forward. 'You don't have to listen...just find yourself...I know you can...'
Rinoa pointed a finger at him, glaring with red eyes. " You have no right to come near me!" a voice said. " You have NO RIGHT!!!"
" RINOA!" Squall shouted, and she screamed. " Stop listening!"
She screamed again, and the house shook even more. More things fell, heavier things now, and when Squall turned around, he saw the General was standing under a falling statue. He raced as fast as he could to him, and pushed him out of the way. The General fell back, but Squall wasn't fast enough for the both of them. The statue collapsed on his left leg. He held back a cry of pain.
The General rose. " I ORDER YOU TO STOP AT ONCE!"
A cackle, followed by the response, " You have no authority over me."
Squall tried to summon a GF, despite how much it hurt to think of harming Rinoa, but he failed. It seemed hopeless, until suddenly, a flash of fur appeared at Rinoa's side. It growled, and bit her hand.
Rinoa looked down, and the sight of her beloved friend, Angelo, brought out the real Rinoa. The red dissipated, and her evil seemed to become as an evanescence. She fell to the floor, and, after a moment, she lifted her head. " I'm sorry," she said softly, a single tear trickling down her cheek, " I'm so sorry..." She walked slowly to where Squall lay, trapped. " Squall..." she said quietly, looking at the statue that held him to the floor. " Are you....okay?"
Squall moaned, still holding back a lot of grievious cries.
Rinoa looked at her father. " Is anyone else still here?" she asked.
He shook his head. " We should put him out of his misery." he added.
" NO!" she shouted, " Why would you even THINK of such a thing?"
The man came forward, seemingly wise. " He has seen too much," he replied, " And, now, you've hurt him. You know what power he has. He could have you locked away!"
" He never would!" she replied, " You don't know him."
" I know reasoning!" he replied, and was soon cut off by a weak voice.
" I made a promise," Squall replied, as loudly as he could, yet weakly, " No matter what, I would always protect you." He paused for a moment, drawing a sharp breath. " And I always will."
Rinoa's eyes grew misty, and she took Squall's hand. " And I've never lost faith in that." she assured him. Looking once more at her father, she said, " Do you see what I mean?"
" Rinoa-" her father started, but he wasn't able to finish.
" I know that I'm all you have left of my mother." she said, standing, " And I know you have big plans for me. But, I have big plans for me, too. And you and I," she added, pointing a finger at him, then to herself, " Have completely different plans. But, you know what I've decided?" She paused, chuckling. " You aren't the one who's going to live the life you're planning, it's me. So, you know what?" She pointed to herself. " I am moving out, and I am going back to the Garden. Do you know why? Because it's MY life." By now, she and her father were face to face. " I don't care WHO Squall's father is, or what responsibilities he fulfills. I don't even care if he doesn't like me! What I care about is laying right over there," she paused, turning to Squall. " And I don't plan to change that. In fact, I will do everything in MY power to prevent it from changing." She faced her father once more. " I know you don't approve, hell, I don't CARE. I approve, and I know Squall approves, too, and I will weather out anything I may have to face." She started to walk over to Squall, then stopped. She turned yet again, and added, " I am NOT Julia Heartilly, and you can't make me be her, either." She continued toward the statue, leaving her father dumbfounded. She knelt down beside Squall.
" I may not always be able to control myself, you know." she whispered.
" I don't care." he replied.
She smiled. " Well, I can control this," she admitted, kissing him. When she pulled away, she was smiling. " I can also control this." She stood, and somehow made the statue rise, freeing him from his marble imprisonment. She tossed the statue aside, and helped him up. " Your leg must be broken." she sighed, starting to feel a rush of tears.
" Shattered would be my guess." he groaned, feeling a new wave of pain.
Rinoa held back a sob. " Come on," she said, " We've got to get you some help."
They started to head out the door, when a voice beckoned them. " Wait."
They turned, and stared at the General. " Take him to your mother's room." he replied, defeated, " I'll get the doctor."
Rinoa stared, now dumbfounded, at her father. "...Thank you..." she said, amazed.
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Several months passed. Squall's leg, which was broken in only two places, healed nicely, and he was slowly walking again. Rinoa couldn't help but smile when she saw him trying to hobble along without his cane.
" Squall!!" she giggled, " You don't have to do that for me! Just wait until the doctor says you don't need it anymore!"
" But I don't!" he replied, stumbling.
" You're going to break your leg again if you don't quit." she insisted, placing her hands on her hips.
Squall took her hands off her hips, and placed his arms around her instead. " I won't break my leg again." he said, " That's impossible."
Rinoa put her arms around his neck, shaking her head playfully. " You know you lie!" she replied. " It's very possible! Besides," she added, looking him over, " I promised Dr. Kadowaki that I would look after you. You know, make sure you don't hurt yourself again."
" Well, now, what a touching promise!" a voice shouted behind them. They turned to see Laguna coming up behind them. " Rinoa, truly, how thoughtful of you to be keeping an eye on my son!"
Squall rolled his eyes, and Rinoa giggled.
" No need to thank me, Mr. Loire," she replied, " I love what I do."
Laguna grinned wickedly. " Don't tell me you two have been going through therapy, now have you?" he asked, nudging Squall.
" NO!" they both shouted, and Laguna practically ached from laughing so hard.
" You should've heard yourselves!" he exclaimed, and, turning to Rinoa, he added, " You know you can call me Dad, right?"
" How?" she asked teasingly.
" C'mon now, Rinoa!" he replied, " My son loves you. That's family in my book. Especially because it takes a lot to make HIM happy." he added quietly, gesturing toward Squall.
" Knock it off, Dad." he replied, sounding a lot like his old self.
" Hey!" Laguna exclaimed, " You called me Dad!" He held his arms out. " Come here and give me a bear hug!"
Squall shook his head, but Rinoa quickly took his place. " HUG!" she exclaimed, soon to change her mind. " Too tight...TOO TIGHT!!!" she choked.
" KNOCK IT OFF, DAD!!!" Squall shouted, and Laguna quickly released the girl from his embrace.
" Whoa..." Rinoa wheezed.
Laguna looked down nervously. " Ugh, sorry 'bout that, Rin, didn't mean to squeeze so tight." he apologized.
Rinoa simply shook her head as an act of forgiveness. " No trouble..." she replied, almost in a whisper.
" Well, I just came here to drop off the one thing." he said, handing a package to Squall. " Call me anytime."
" Sure." Squall replied, almost sarcastically, but he stopped himself.
" See ya, son." Laguna said, waving as he walked off.
Squall looked at the package he held. 'Right...' he thought, hiding it in his jacket. He had already decided to save it for later.
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Author's Note: Not really much of a cliffhanger, but close enough! All I can say is, Three guesses. I would like to thank my R&Ring fans, and everyone else who may read, but not review. I can't name anyone right now, I'll cover it in the next chapter, but you all know who you are, and I wanna thank you for R&Ring! Keep on readin! Trin
Disclaimer: I didn't create any of the characters in this story.
Chapter 19
As Squall sped down the road on his motorcycle with Rinoa, he couldn't help but feel different. 'Why did I say those things?' he thought to himself. 'Did I really say that we BOTH needed to talk to her father? Maybe this isn't a good idea...' He looked ahead, suddenly feeling a sense of determination. 'It's the only way...' he ended, sighing only slightly.
Rinoa had her arms wrapped tightly around Squall's waist. 'I hope I don't fall!' she thought again and again. But she knew she wouldn't. It was only to keep her mind off of her father, of her home, if you could call it that. 'It's more like a prison...' she thought angrily, wishing that things never had to happen this way. She wished that her father didn't keep her locked up in her room all the time. She wished that he didn't expect her to be a wind up doll, constantly performing. She wished...he would let her be free. She sighed sadly, closing her eys for a moment. She willed herself not to cry, she had to be strong. 'I WILL be strong...' she thought, suddenly feeling stronger. She opened her eyes, waiting for the mansion to appear, and for the future to become present/.
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General Caraway sat in the study, trying to distract himself with the usually large pile of paperwork. Upon realizing that his mind was truly on other things, he sighed, sitting back in his plush chair. He took off his reading glasses, and looked at the painting hanging on the wall. Julia smiled back at him, and a little girl smiled up at her. " Rinoa..." he mumbled aloud, " You look so much like your mother..." He stared sadly at the painting. " You two are o much alike...so much talent, so special...but both of you have left me...why?" He rubbed his eyes for a moment, trying not to get emotional. 'Emotion is for the weak.' he thought, 'If we all obey and dictate and command, then we are perfected. We may not be perfect, but it is emotion that brings man to ruin. And I have no intention of letting it take over ANYONE. Not even me.' He was startled, however, by a knock on the door.
" General," the maid said, peeking her head in the study, " The hour is growing late. Perhaps a little rest might help ease your troubles?"
" I have no 'troubles', Maria," he replied firmly, " And I am not tired. You may go."
" Sir," she insisted meekly, almost certain that her actions may get her fired, " It has been a long day, and the past few days haven't been so well, either. But, I think that it might be best if you did get some-"
" THANK YOU," he replied sternly, raising his voice slightly, " You may go now."
She curtsied, and quickly backed out of the room, grateful that she hadn't been fired.
The General sat up once more. Putting on his reading glasses, he bent over his work once more. 'I have no troubles,' he thought. 'That maid has no idea what he place is in this house. She is under my dictation, and that means obeying me, not commanding me. I should have fired her.' He paused. 'Should have? There is still time...no, no, just a firm repremand will do. Why am I distracting myself?' He groaned. 'I haven't got all night now!'
He tried to concentrate, but looking at that portrait made him think of his wife. " Julia..." he said softly. 'I should've taken better care of you...' he added in his thoughts. ' I should've taken better care of Rinoa, too. Letting her go out into the world! She's been taken by a sorceress, for Hyne's sake! If anyone knew, they would kill her for sure! They don't care about her.' He stopped. 'None of those people could possibly care about her...I do. That's why she must always stay here. Where it's safe. With me. She should never leave. If I ever find her, I will do everything in my power and more to keep her from leaving EVER AGAIN.' Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. " Enter!" he commanded.
The butler walked in. " Sir," he said, " Your daughter has been brought back safely, and she wishes to have a word with you."
The General rose. " Good," he replied, " I have several for her."
The butler bowed. " Very good, sir." he said, closing the door behind him as he left.
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Rinoa and Squall waited nervously in the main hall for the General. Squall looked at his feet, while Rinoa looked around.
" It is SO like him to make us wait!" she groaned impatiently. " He only thinks of himself! That's why he locks me up here!"
Squall looked up for a moment, then back at his feet. 'The General is VERY angry...' The words never ceased to echo through his head. 'Why does he hate me?' he thought, 'I've never really met him, but he hated me from the start! Why?'
" Squall?" Rinoa asked. " Are you okay?"
Squall looked up at her, and shrugged. "..."
Rinoa sighed. " Great, back to square one!" she exclaimed. " Squall, I know my father isn't exactly the nicest person in the world, but, please, don't go back on me here! I don't want-"
" Rinoa?" the General called, walking into the main hall. " Where have you been?! I demand to know!"
Rinoa faced the hallway her father was emerging from. " Away from you!" she shouted, " It's better than being locked up in this house like a prisoner!"
" You know it's for your own safety!" he replied, " It's in your best intere-" He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Squall. " YOU!" he shouted. " What are you doing here?!"
" He made me come back home!" Rinoa answered for him. " Yeah, that's right, I WOULDN'T BE HERE if it wasn't for HIM!"
The General glared angrily at Squall. " You may have broght my daughter home," he said to him icilly, " But you may NEVER, EVER come near her AGAIN! Do you understand me?!"
Rinoa ran up to her father, and said to his face, " That's the thanks he gets?! If it were up to me, I would still be out in that field! But Squall," she turned to him for a moment with a look of sympathy, " Wanted me to do the right thing." She glared at her father. " You don't even know him! WHY DO YOU HATE HIM?!"
" He is DANGEROUS, Rinoa!" he replied, suddenly changing over to worry, an emotion. " Rinoa, do you know who his father is?" he asked, quieter than he had been the entire night.
Squall suddenly realized the connection, and the reason for hatred. His father...
" I don't care!" she replied, " Squall and I love each other, and nothing can break that!"
" His father, Rinoa," her own father replied, " Is Laguna Loire, President of Esthar."
" So?" she asked, not quite understanding.
" Rinoa, how can you say that you love each other, if he doesn't know YOU?" he asked, almost tenderly. He sounded very tired.
" He DOES know." she replied. " I told him."
" He knows?!" he asked, panicked. " Rinoa, his father is in control of the Sorceresses' Memorial! Do you realize the risk?!"
Rinoa froze. She had never realized that.
" Rinoa," her father said yet again, " Do you realize the effects if anything were to happen? What if they found out, and locked you up? Wouldn't it grieve you if you had people to care about? You would never see them again. I would never see you again! You would be known as something vile, something hated. But," he added, hoping to appeal to her, " If you follow your mother's dream, you will be remembered for bringing joy to thousands, or even millions of people. You would be something loved, something beautiful. Everyone would remember and smile.Do you really want to throw that away?"
Rinoa sighed. " If having those things means having to give up MY life, and MY dreams, thenthat isn't the life I want." She gave him a firm look.
" You're seventeen," he scoffed, " You don't know what you want."
" So you have to want it for me?" she asked, starting to grow angry.
" I know what's best." he replied cooly.
" No, you don't!" she replied, recognizing the familiarity of the argument. " I am NOT one of your soldiers! You can't COMMAND me, or dictate my life!" she paused. " After all, that's what you LIVE FOR. Control..."
Squall saw anger in her eyes. Or, was it? If so, then he understood nothing about women, because her eyes began to glow red. Wait...'She's being possessed!' he thought, panicking. " Rinoa!" he shouted, " Breathe! Calm down! Rinoa!"
She turned to face him, and she looked pained. The glowing had stopped, and she uttered the words, " I can't control myself..." Suddenly, her eyes flashed bright red, and she screamed. The house shook, and several various items came crashing down. The General stepped back slowly, trying to stay out of harm's way.
'Rinoa...' Squall thought, stepping forward. 'You don't have to listen...just find yourself...I know you can...'
Rinoa pointed a finger at him, glaring with red eyes. " You have no right to come near me!" a voice said. " You have NO RIGHT!!!"
" RINOA!" Squall shouted, and she screamed. " Stop listening!"
She screamed again, and the house shook even more. More things fell, heavier things now, and when Squall turned around, he saw the General was standing under a falling statue. He raced as fast as he could to him, and pushed him out of the way. The General fell back, but Squall wasn't fast enough for the both of them. The statue collapsed on his left leg. He held back a cry of pain.
The General rose. " I ORDER YOU TO STOP AT ONCE!"
A cackle, followed by the response, " You have no authority over me."
Squall tried to summon a GF, despite how much it hurt to think of harming Rinoa, but he failed. It seemed hopeless, until suddenly, a flash of fur appeared at Rinoa's side. It growled, and bit her hand.
Rinoa looked down, and the sight of her beloved friend, Angelo, brought out the real Rinoa. The red dissipated, and her evil seemed to become as an evanescence. She fell to the floor, and, after a moment, she lifted her head. " I'm sorry," she said softly, a single tear trickling down her cheek, " I'm so sorry..." She walked slowly to where Squall lay, trapped. " Squall..." she said quietly, looking at the statue that held him to the floor. " Are you....okay?"
Squall moaned, still holding back a lot of grievious cries.
Rinoa looked at her father. " Is anyone else still here?" she asked.
He shook his head. " We should put him out of his misery." he added.
" NO!" she shouted, " Why would you even THINK of such a thing?"
The man came forward, seemingly wise. " He has seen too much," he replied, " And, now, you've hurt him. You know what power he has. He could have you locked away!"
" He never would!" she replied, " You don't know him."
" I know reasoning!" he replied, and was soon cut off by a weak voice.
" I made a promise," Squall replied, as loudly as he could, yet weakly, " No matter what, I would always protect you." He paused for a moment, drawing a sharp breath. " And I always will."
Rinoa's eyes grew misty, and she took Squall's hand. " And I've never lost faith in that." she assured him. Looking once more at her father, she said, " Do you see what I mean?"
" Rinoa-" her father started, but he wasn't able to finish.
" I know that I'm all you have left of my mother." she said, standing, " And I know you have big plans for me. But, I have big plans for me, too. And you and I," she added, pointing a finger at him, then to herself, " Have completely different plans. But, you know what I've decided?" She paused, chuckling. " You aren't the one who's going to live the life you're planning, it's me. So, you know what?" She pointed to herself. " I am moving out, and I am going back to the Garden. Do you know why? Because it's MY life." By now, she and her father were face to face. " I don't care WHO Squall's father is, or what responsibilities he fulfills. I don't even care if he doesn't like me! What I care about is laying right over there," she paused, turning to Squall. " And I don't plan to change that. In fact, I will do everything in MY power to prevent it from changing." She faced her father once more. " I know you don't approve, hell, I don't CARE. I approve, and I know Squall approves, too, and I will weather out anything I may have to face." She started to walk over to Squall, then stopped. She turned yet again, and added, " I am NOT Julia Heartilly, and you can't make me be her, either." She continued toward the statue, leaving her father dumbfounded. She knelt down beside Squall.
" I may not always be able to control myself, you know." she whispered.
" I don't care." he replied.
She smiled. " Well, I can control this," she admitted, kissing him. When she pulled away, she was smiling. " I can also control this." She stood, and somehow made the statue rise, freeing him from his marble imprisonment. She tossed the statue aside, and helped him up. " Your leg must be broken." she sighed, starting to feel a rush of tears.
" Shattered would be my guess." he groaned, feeling a new wave of pain.
Rinoa held back a sob. " Come on," she said, " We've got to get you some help."
They started to head out the door, when a voice beckoned them. " Wait."
They turned, and stared at the General. " Take him to your mother's room." he replied, defeated, " I'll get the doctor."
Rinoa stared, now dumbfounded, at her father. "...Thank you..." she said, amazed.
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Several months passed. Squall's leg, which was broken in only two places, healed nicely, and he was slowly walking again. Rinoa couldn't help but smile when she saw him trying to hobble along without his cane.
" Squall!!" she giggled, " You don't have to do that for me! Just wait until the doctor says you don't need it anymore!"
" But I don't!" he replied, stumbling.
" You're going to break your leg again if you don't quit." she insisted, placing her hands on her hips.
Squall took her hands off her hips, and placed his arms around her instead. " I won't break my leg again." he said, " That's impossible."
Rinoa put her arms around his neck, shaking her head playfully. " You know you lie!" she replied. " It's very possible! Besides," she added, looking him over, " I promised Dr. Kadowaki that I would look after you. You know, make sure you don't hurt yourself again."
" Well, now, what a touching promise!" a voice shouted behind them. They turned to see Laguna coming up behind them. " Rinoa, truly, how thoughtful of you to be keeping an eye on my son!"
Squall rolled his eyes, and Rinoa giggled.
" No need to thank me, Mr. Loire," she replied, " I love what I do."
Laguna grinned wickedly. " Don't tell me you two have been going through therapy, now have you?" he asked, nudging Squall.
" NO!" they both shouted, and Laguna practically ached from laughing so hard.
" You should've heard yourselves!" he exclaimed, and, turning to Rinoa, he added, " You know you can call me Dad, right?"
" How?" she asked teasingly.
" C'mon now, Rinoa!" he replied, " My son loves you. That's family in my book. Especially because it takes a lot to make HIM happy." he added quietly, gesturing toward Squall.
" Knock it off, Dad." he replied, sounding a lot like his old self.
" Hey!" Laguna exclaimed, " You called me Dad!" He held his arms out. " Come here and give me a bear hug!"
Squall shook his head, but Rinoa quickly took his place. " HUG!" she exclaimed, soon to change her mind. " Too tight...TOO TIGHT!!!" she choked.
" KNOCK IT OFF, DAD!!!" Squall shouted, and Laguna quickly released the girl from his embrace.
" Whoa..." Rinoa wheezed.
Laguna looked down nervously. " Ugh, sorry 'bout that, Rin, didn't mean to squeeze so tight." he apologized.
Rinoa simply shook her head as an act of forgiveness. " No trouble..." she replied, almost in a whisper.
" Well, I just came here to drop off the one thing." he said, handing a package to Squall. " Call me anytime."
" Sure." Squall replied, almost sarcastically, but he stopped himself.
" See ya, son." Laguna said, waving as he walked off.
Squall looked at the package he held. 'Right...' he thought, hiding it in his jacket. He had already decided to save it for later.
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Author's Note: Not really much of a cliffhanger, but close enough! All I can say is, Three guesses. I would like to thank my R&Ring fans, and everyone else who may read, but not review. I can't name anyone right now, I'll cover it in the next chapter, but you all know who you are, and I wanna thank you for R&Ring! Keep on readin! Trin