A/N: I so did not forget to update this winter break. I've just been to busy to write. xD Not really. It was a minor writer's block. I hate knowing what to write, but not knowing how to put it into words. Anyway, so here we are - chapter 14! Thank you for all of the reviews for the last chapter! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas (or I suppose holiday, to be politically correct), and have a wonderful new year! Winter break went by way too fast!

Oh, and quick warning before beginning... this chapter - drama. Drama, drama, drama... and tear jerker if you're sensitive. Nice and juicy and overly dramatized, just like the movies. Haha! It was so hard to write this. Kind of funny how that works out. End warning... please enjoy!

"Did you wait long, sleepyhead?" his gentle voice whispered in my ear.

Hazily, I shook my head. I lips turned up for a half-second, a breif smile while trying to be stern. "Took you long enough."

He took me by the hand, leading me out the door. "Come on," he beckoned. It was still raining out. He quickly pulled me down the staircase and out to the empty streets by my building.

We laughed together as we ran around in the rain, chasing each other and splashing each other by jumping into various puddles. We were both soaked within minutes, but stayed out in the rain anyway. Finally, after at least half an hour of playing in the rain, he pulled me into an undercover area. He kissed me, smiling as he did it.

It would've been the best moment of my life. I should've smiled back, giggling shyly. I should've kissed him again, and dragged him back into the rain and danced my heart out. All of it... it's what should've happened to begin with.

But it wasn't what happened. Fate had forgotten to take driver's ed.

I was in my room. My curling iron was plugged in, my make up was scattered all over my dresser, random articles of clothing were scattered all over my bed. I was completely oblivious to the five billion phone calls that were coming in. I was distracted only by the doorbell that rang. Someone had come. I had been hoping that it was Squall. By the time I reached the door, I had a nagging feeling it wasn't.

An impatient Quistis stood at the door with Seifer standing behind her, his usual half-arrogant stance absent from the scene.

"It's about time," she said quietly, pushing me back into the house. She ran around the house, turning off things, blowing out candles and apparently looking for proper clothes.

"We've been calling you for ages," she said as she organized things. "Where were you?"

"I was taking a shower," I stated. "What's the rush?"

"They called my place first," Seifer said cryptically as he shut the door behind him. "They must've thought we roomed together or something..."

Quistis waved her hand, cutting him off. "Squall's at the hospital," she continued. She threw my jacket towards me. "Get dressed."

I sat, frozen in shock. "What?" I asked, shaking the fuzziness from my head. I must've been dreaming...

"Rinoa, get dressed," she repeated firmly. "You'll freeze out there. Come on, quickly!"

She and Seifer each grabbed one of my arms and led me to my room. I changed into whatever it was she threw into my hands and ran out the door with them. Seifer drove as fast as he possibly could - at least 10 miles over the speed limit. Each red light felt as though it took 10 minutes to change. Finding a parking space was absolute hell. I didn't even bother sticking around to find out where he parked the car. Quistis and I jumped out of the car before he even pulled into the parking lot.

"We'll meet you inside!" Quistis yelled back to him as she led me through the hospital doors.

The elevator once again took for ever as we went up one, two, three... maybe four floors.

"Why the hell is he on the forth floor?" I questioned stressfully. "Isn't emergency first floor?"

"I told you, you didn't answer the phone," Quistis reminded me, her voice very stressed. "It's been at least an hour, maybe two since the accident. Didn't you realize he was missing?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but she seemed to have read my mind.

"He went home with you Rin," she tilted her head at me as she spoke. We walked out the opening doors of the elevator. "He went home with you... when we got there, you had candles lit and a meal half prepared. Not to mention you don't ever wear that much make up and curl you hair for no reason."

We turned the corner and ran into Selphie and Irvine. I raised my eyebrows. What were Irvine and Selphie doing here? And why did they know what was going on before me? Why was I left in the dark?

"Thank god, you're finally here!" Selphie exclaimed as she jumped up. She ran over and gave me a hug. What're they not telling me?

"It's going to be okay, Rin..." she said comfortingly. "Just because we haven't heard anything yet doesn't mean anything."

I shook my head, tearing up a bit. I was in a hospital and Squall was here. My instincts knew from the very start that something was wrong. But no one told me anything.

"What's going on?" I cried. "What is all of this?"

"You were supposed to explain it to her in the car!" Selphie hissed at Quistis.

"Do you think I had time to?" Quistis retorted. "We made it here in record time!"

"I told you," she said as she turned to me. "There's been an accident."

I shook my head again, trying to clear it. It didn't help at all. "Okay... and?"

"And what?" Quistis groaned exasperatingly. She was no longer the firm and strong minded woman I knew. Her once confident voice wavered, her patience paper thin. "And your boyfriend got hit, that's what!"

Irvine smacked his forehead with his palm as Selphie made a face.

"Okay... that works I guess..." she mumbled. She slowly lowered me into a chair, sitting down next to me. Quistis collapsed next to me as well. Seifer walked in from behind us and stood next to Irvine.

"Squall's been hit by a car..." I repeated. I knew exactly what it meant. I put on a smile and scoffed at her even though more tears had made their way into my eyes. "You're joking, right? You're just hiding him somewhere and using Quistis's internship or something to bring me here, right?"

Quistis groaned. "Rinoa, look at the rain out there!" she exclaimed, pointing at the window blurred by downpour. Her eyebrows burrowed together and her lips formed a frustrating frown. "The driver was probably blind, Squall was out on the street... bam! It happened!"

She jumped up as she was explaining. Seifer quickly held her shoulder, holding her back and calming her down. She seemed to get her senses back at his touch.

I was silent. My lips pursed together as I tried not to cry. "Why didn't he stay in his car?" I asked quietly.

"He didn't have his car, remember?" Selphie answered gently. "We all headed home from the cafe. He walked to your place."

I shut my eyes tightly, tilting my head back to keep my tears in. "It's all my f-"

"Don't even start," Quistis cut in. "It's not your fault."

"But I sent him ou-"

"Just like you would've done anyw-"

"But I knew-" I argued.

"You didn't," Quistis argued back.

"But the phone-"

"Coincidence," Quistis shrugged. "Pure coincidence." The confidence in her voice was back. She was always the strongest of the three of us though. Selphie and I always broke down at a certain point, but we had yet to see Quistis fall. She was always there to reassure us.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat and rubbing the bridge of my nose. "It can't have been..."

"It had to have been Rinoa," she said reasonably.

"How do you know?"

It took her a moment to answer.

"I know."

Within an hour we were able to see Squall. Although, according to Quistis it had been at least two, possibly three hours. It amazed me how it was possible to lose track of time so. I had told Squall that he had half an hour to get back... but I found out that he was in a hospital over an hour after he left. I had been so absorbed in myself, in looking beautiful for him... in being so vain, I hadn't even noticed. In the past, if anything had gone wrong for either of us, I would know. I never really understood how I knew... only that I always had a feeling. This time... I didn't even feel it...

They left a chair by his bed for one of us to stay by him in case he woke up. I had suggested that we take turns, but Quistis and Selphie insisted that I stay.

"You're the first person he'll want to see," Selphie had said. I nodded, not wanting to argue.

I sent Irvine and Seifer out to get Squall's clothes, as his own that he had been wearing were damaged and thrown out already. They were his best friends. I doubted that he'd mind that they went through his closet.

"We'll look into this too, Rinoa," Irvine said, patting my shoulder.

I smiled. "Thanks... but it's okay. Really. It's just an accident, right?"

"It's the least we could do," Seifer added in, his voice considerably different without his usual seemingly-egotistical air. "Just to make sure, you know?"

I let them go on their search, not entirely sure what they'd come up with. Selphie and Quistis left not too longer afterwards, saying that they needed to do some research on their own as well. I only shrugged in reply.

I held on to Squall's hand the entire time I was by him. I wanted to make sure he knew he wasn't alone and that I was there. Irvine poked his head through the door about an hour after he and Seifer left.

"Rin?" he asked quietly. "Where do you want us to put his clothes?"

"There by the sink is fine," I answered equally quiet and still shaky. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said as he put down the bag. He silently left the room moments later. Through the crack of the door I saw Quistis and Selphie waiting across the hall. As Irvine walked out, they nervously glanced in. Selphie cracked a smile when she saw me look up and waved before turning and following the others as they left. I sighed, turning my attention back to Squall.

It was getting extremely late. Visiting hours were well past over. A nurse came in around midnight wheeling a cart behind her.

"Still hasn't woken up yet, has he?" she asked solemnly. I shook my head. She sighed and turned around, pulling out a blanket and pillow for me. "Feel free to make your self comfortable, then," she said as she handed them to me. "As comfortable as you can get anyway."

"Thanks," I said, nodding in true appreciation. I put the pillow behind me against the backrest of the chair and began to unfold the blanket.

"Would you like a midnight snack, dear?" the nurse asked.

I shook my head. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch earlier that day, but I was in no mood to eat. Not while in a hospital. Not while my boyfriend was unconscious next to me.

"I'll be right down the hall if you need anything," she said before leaving the room. I only smiled a bit at her and placed my hands back over Squall's. When the door finally shut, I put my elbows on the side of his bed and leaned towards him.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered to him, stroking the back of his hand. "I shouldn't have even let you leave..."

I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I brushed against his hand and kissed it.

"Please," I prayed. "Wake up... wake up. I need you with me..."

I slid off the chair and sat on the ground, my head laying on the bed with him. I stared at him, waiting for him to open his eyes and smile back, saying he was okay. In the dark night, I fell asleep before knowing if he ever did.

The next morning, a nurse woke me up and sent me back home.

"The doctor will just be checking up on him," she said reassuringly. "That's all. No worries."

Apparently it the checking up on him took some time, so she told me to get home and get cleaned up.

I practically ran home, walking faster than ever, swerving between this person and that. I showered, changed and was out the door in under twenty minutes. As I ran through the doors of the hospital, someone behind me called out my name. I paused mid-step, turning.

"Rinoa!" Irvine called as he and Zell ran towards me.

"Hey, good to see you too," I said quickly, trying to be as polite as I could. "I have to go, so bye!"

I turned to continue my fast paced walking, but Irvine caught my arm.

"It's about Squall!" he said, making me freeze in my spot.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously. "Is he alright?" I asked as I looked down the hallway, wanting to run down it to his room.

"He's fine!" Irvine said, still holding on to my arm. He made a face for a moment, looking as though he was thinking, What did I just say? "Last time we checked he was. Seifer and I-"

"Don't tell me you actually found something," I said as I stared blankly at him.

Irvine grimaced. "Sort of... Seifer's working on it. I've got a start..." He turned to Zell beside him, who in turn, looked to another friend that had shown up beside him.

I raised my eyebrow. Who was this guy?

"Erm..." all three looked back and forth between each other, seemingly nervous but anxious as well.

"Well..." the guy started. He quickly looked to Zell, obviously asking for some help.

Zell rolled his eyes and sighed before looking up at me. "Okay, well... do you remember those weird calls you got?"

"Yeah..." I said weakly, not really wanting to remember them.

"And you know how you said they were from my number?"

I nodded. He pointed over to his friend with his thumb.

"He's the guy that ended up with my old number."

It had been apparently big to the three of them boys (or four, if you count Seifer who probably did some researching work as well). Seeing my confused expression, the new guy began to explain.

"I... I've been calling you," he said. His voice wasn't like it was on the phone. If he hadn't told me, I probably wouldn't have even guessed it.

I stood in shock. I rubbed my temples, shaking my head. "Okay... so first Squall's in an accident, and now you're tell me this? What-"

"And I think I made the threats that scared you," he mumbled, looking down in shame. Think?

My eyebrows rose. My jaw dropped. Before it even fully clicked in my mind, I suddenly found myself leaping at him and was more emotional than ever (and in a hospital for that matter). Irvine and Zell grabbed me and held me back as I wiggled and dived to get to the other guy, tears begin to fall and my temper running hot.

"What is your problem!" I asked him between gasps. I stopped wiggling. It was wearing me down. With that and my crying, I had a hard time breathing. "Not only did you call my private, personal number... you stalked me, you threatened me, you should be charged fo-"

"It was his fault!" he blurted out, pointing at Zell.

I turned my head to Zell, who seemed as equally shocked as I was.

"My fault?"

"Yeah, 'cause you couldn't get the hell over her!"

"What?" Zell let go of me and stared at his friend in even more shock I slipped out of Irvine's grasp while they debated - apparently, the boys needed a referee as well - and ran down to Squall's room as fast as I could.

"Wait - Rinoa!" Irvine called. I ignored him and kept walking, just barely avoiding a collision with a nurse as I rounded the corner. When I got to Squall's room, I shut and locked the door, leaning against it and taking a breath. I waited. No one followed me. I breathed a sigh of relief, unlocking the door as I got up and sitting down next to Squall. I took his hand and leaned against his bed again.

Did this mean that Zell's friend did this to Squall? He did, after all, threaten to do something to Squall. Not to mention he hadn't denied stalking me. And Zell... Zell hadn't gotten over me?

"I can't make decisions to save my life," I mumbled to myself. My eyes and cheeks were still slightly wet. The tears never fell. It was much too late for that. But they kept on coming and drying, coming and drying.

"Help me Squall... what should I do now?"

Later that day, Squall's condition didn't seem to get any better. If anything, it worsened. He had yet to wake up, eat... anything. His breathing was normal only with the help of an oxygen mask. His doctors stopped by again and checked up on him. They sent me home afterwards, telling me that they'd call me if anything changed.

"I know you're worried," the head doctor had said. "We all are. There's nothing we can do now. We can only wait."

I walked home slowly, not really wanting to leave him in that big, lonely hospital. He'd probably adjust... a bit. He'd understand why I wasn't there if he woke up... probably.

I passed the cafe, sneaking a peak in and seeing Irvine, Zell and that weird guy seriously discussing something with Quistis, Seifer and Selphie. Probably me. We definitely hadn't met on pleasant terms. I quickly walked past it though, not wanting to stop by and talk.

Someone must've spotted me. Within three minutes of arriving back home, there was a knock at my door and all six stood in the doorway.

"We didn't finish talking," Irvine said right when I opened the door. He made his way in before I could say anything. The others followed in, the girls more hesitant than the boys.

"Well, hello to you to," I said sarcastically to the air. I shut the door and found them all comfortable on the couch already. I sat down across from them and sighed.

No one said a word.

"Well..." I started, seeing if anyone would continue off of that. No one did though. They were all in deep thought. "This is nice."

Sarcasm rolled off my tongue. I began to get up, but Irvine stopped me.

"Wait," he said, not looking up from the floor. "We'll start. But you can't do anything irrational until at least after we're done talking. Got it?"

I raised my eyebrow. Irrational? Why on earth he thought I would do something irrational was beyond me.

I sat back down and let them start.

Zell spoke up first. "Right, so you know the first part of it-"

I tilted me head. Oh really?

"At the hospital?"

"Right," I said. "It's always nice to meet your stalker and have tea with him." I couldn't fight the urge for sarcastic replies for some reason.

Zell made a face. "Rinoa..."

"I'm done, really."

"And the reason was because..."

"You couldn't get over me, right?" I finished for him, my patience growing thin. "I got that much at the hospital."

Zell shook his head. "I did. A while ago. But..."

"We don't get to see each other very often," his friend cut in. "The last time I saw him, he came back from here and was angry because apparently you were seeing some one else."

"He got the wrong impression..."

"... and I started a chain of events."

The two stopped, staring at me. That was definitely not enough of an explanation for me though.

"Continue..." I said softly, waving my hand.

"Erm..." the two looked at each other. What else was there to explain?

"How'd you get my number?" I asked them. "And how'd you get it so that Zell's number would call?"

"He likes to steal my cell phone," Zell said quickly, trying to point attention away from him. "So I just gave it to him."

His friend looked back hesitantly. "Um... so yeah, I got your number from his phone. Because it's mine now."

My icy exterior had yet to fade away. "And the phone calls and messages?"

"Well the first time he caught me-"

"You were calling her?" Zell cut in with a surprised face. I smacked my head. Here we go again with new things that we find out...

"I thought you guys got over this already..."

"We are," the two said together. His friend continued.

"After that you didn't answer the phone, so I was a bit surprised when you did answer. So I threw in something random about getting back at you... and then..."

"And then you got creepy and stalker-esque."

"Yeah..." he rubbed the back of his neck in shame. "I live in the floor below you now... so I thought, hey... I could follow this chick around and creep her out some."

I raised my eyebrows. So that's how he did it.

"When I heard about your fight-"

"How'd you hear about our fight?" I asked him. I didn't tell anyone about that... did I?

"Well, normally you guys come home together. When you came home alone..." he drifted off, shrugging.

"Right." I nodded.

"So I thought it'd be kind of fun to scare you even more, so I followed you around that day... called you that one night and... told you that I'd kill him..."

His voice faded away. We all stayed quiet.

"So you thought it'd be fun?" I asked him quietly, building up and getting louder. "If you just wait a while for us to forget, and then just casually run him over with a car?"

"No!" he exclaimed. "I didn't-"

"My boyfriend is in the hospital now," I spat at him. "And you put him there!"

"I didn't do it!" he yelled back.

"You made the threats, you stalked me... you told me that you would do something to h-"

"But I didn't!" he argued. "I didn't!"

"Then explain wh-"

"He didn't, Rinoa," Seifer cut in sternly. "It was an accident."

I stopped fighting and stood up straight, trying to come as close to eye to eye as I could with Seifer.

"Do not tell me it was a coincidence again," I murmured irritably. "Quistis already gave me that crap, and I didn't believe it for a moment."

"But it was," he said as bent down, his glare matching mine. "Because the guy who did it isn't standing in this room."

My eyes narrowed. "Prove it."

I had no idea what I was thinking when I said it. What were they supposed to do? Drag me down to the station and show me some guy in a jail cell? Irvine let go of me though and grabbed a folder that was in Quistis's lap.

"Here," he said, waving it back and forth. "... is your proof."

He threw it on to the coffee table. I watched it slide across the glossy surface, coming to a stop right in front of me and Seifer. I picked it up slowly, suspiciously. I opened it and scanned its contents

"So this guy's wanted to for repeatedly driving under the influence," I shrugged. "What does this prove?"

"Keep looking through it," Irvine said. They all waited patiently for me to read through every page. Apparently, everyone had already seen this file except me.

"I don't see anything..." I whined softly as I finally flipped to the last page. I froze when I saw it. There was a black-and-white copy of a photograph dated yesterday. A car had driven right up a sidewalk and into a lamp pole. On the hood of it, a vaguely familiar, unconscious man. I had to blink twice to get it through to my head.

"No way," I whispered, shaking my head furiously. I dropped the folder on to the table and backed away from it, trying to get it as far away from me as possible. "No way! You can't possibly... how did you get a copy of that? Police can't show these records to anyone-"

"Except themselves," Seifer said, nodding. "You forget who I am Rinoa."

I winced, shaking my head. Seifer Almasy... from a line of reigning police officers. Of course.

I walked over and leaned back, crashing down on the couch between Selphie and Quistis. I held my head in my hands.

"This is too much," I cried. "How could you guys give this all to me in one day?"

Quistis put her arm around me in a motherly sort of way and hold my head as I was on the verge of crying. Selphie took my hand and comforted me in a similar fashion. The four boys stood across from me.

Zell looked down at me apologetically. He shifted his position and stuffed his hands in his pockets, clearing his throat.

"We'll let you guys handle things now," he said quietly to Seifer and Irvine. They nodded as a reply. Irvine led Zell and his friend to the door. A strange feeling arose inside of me as I heard the door clicked shut.

"Everything will be okay, Rinoa," Seifer said, bending down next to Quistis. "I'll make sure the ass gets every ounce of punishment he deserves."

I didn't say anything. I stared out the window across from me blankly. My eyes were glossed over. "Something's happened to Squall..." I said in a monotone voice. I looked at the clock. "It's 7 o'clock... something's happened. Something's wrong..."

"Nothing's wrong, Rin," Selphie whispered comfortingly. "It'll all work out, you'll see."

It didn't help at all.

It got late into the night, the sun setting and getting extremely dark. The rain continued to pour. Giant puddles formed in the street. After Zell and his friend shut the door and out into that rain, I had an empty feeling in my chest. I didn't say much afterwards, mostly listening to what Seifer had to say about the accident.

The man driving had apparently been charged in the past for reckless driving, as well as for disruption of the peace. He ran from his car, but since it was the same one as his last case, police recognized it almost right away. He was known for being drunk, but wasn't drunk at all when he had hit Squall. He was, in fact, simply speeding and couldn't stop. He had never put anyone in critical care before though. It was a possibility that he could be charged with manslaughter for doing so, depending on Squall's condition.

Selphie and I stayed quiet, casually exchanging a few words to pass the time. I vented to her for a little while about all that I had to take in for the day... Squall in the hospital, his worsening condition, Zell's friend, seeing the accident with my own eyes... the empty feeling by my heart never seemed to go away. At 9 o'clock that night, the hospital called.

Quistis picked up the first time. Her eyes dimmed as she nodded and handed the phone to me. I didn't have to look at her to understand.

I took the phone from her. Five seconds later, it fell to the floor.

At seven fourteen, Squall Leonhart had flat lined.

Several attempts were made to save Squall. They tried so many times after his heart monitor went flat at 7 o'clock that day. None were successful.

Seifer picked up the phone and talked to the nurses for me after I dropped the phone. He walked into my bedroom and shut the door so I didn't have to hear the explanation or anything that would hurt me even more. Everyone seemed frozen in their spot. Quistis sat alone on the biggest couch, in complete shock and awe. Selphie and Irvine sat together on the loveseat, equally shocked and hurt. No one cried up a storm harder than I did.

I was curled on the floor by the wall where I had taken the phone from Quistis. I leaned my back against the wall for support, but it didn't help. The tears fell and fell, despite all of my attempts to stop them. I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't think... when Seifer came out of my room, I practically screamed. He was gone... forever.

The days that followed were all a blur. The funeral was arranged by his father. My own father flew in and attended the service as well, knowing exactly how much it meant to me. He stayed with me in my apartment for a few days, but neither of us really spoke to one another. I had been asked to say a few words and help out at the funeral, but declined, not having the will power to do so. It was said that no man should have to bury his son as Laguna was doing... no young woman should have to bury her lover either.

The day of the funeral was fitting... a rainy day. How typical. I had always loved rainy days like it... and our first kiss had been in the rain. A month before, we were dancing and laughing in the rain together... he'd come out and chase me around the empty streets. He had died on a day not much different from those. Everyone had umbrellas up at the funeral, and hurried home afterwards, but I stayed after, not wanting to leave his side.

I stopped dancing in the rain, stopped smiling and laughing through the rain. I visited Squall every time it rained, telling him stories of us, my life and anything else I could think of to pass the time.

Seifer and Quistis took me home after I walked back from his grave, making sure that I actually made it home.

"Take care," Quistis had said, holding me in the motherly way that she always did. She was always my support... she and Squall. And now she was the only one left.

I smiled a bit and nodded, trying my best to stop crying after a week of doing so. I walked in and found my father inside, who also comforted me in a similar manner.

"If you ever need me," he said pleasantly before leaving. "I'm just a phone call away."

My father was always distant, although he tried to be the best father he could be. He left that night, after the funeral, for a business trip across the country. I gave him a hug as he left and shut the door.

I continued my life as well as I could, succeeding in completing my schooling, getting a job. It always felt empty without him though, and I never forgot to cry whenever I thought about that fateful rainy day.

A/N: And there you are... the end of Rainy Days.

I hope everyone sort of caught on with some of the connections that I tried to make. Introducing Zell at the beginning, and his semi-important role to tie it all together. How the stalking started later on, and not early off. Things like that. I don't remember all of them myself, but I tried. If anyone wants reasons for any other unanswered question was left open, just let me know and I'll PM you back. xD There were some major clues along the way... some minor ones... but hopefully I wasn't too predictable in my ending. I hate being predictable... hopefully that last twist at the end kept me from being so.

I first got the idea for this fic in 2003! Can you believe that? At first, it wasn't eve a FF8 story. And the plot line was up to about the 5th chapter. I stopped writing for a while, and then changed it a bit and reposted it on here in 2004. Again, I stopped writing at about the 4th or 5th chapter. I picked it up again in the summer of 2005, and finally completed it now, at the end of 2005. It took me a while, but I'm quite proud of it. It's my first multiple-chapter story that I've actually completed.

And lastly, before I let it all go... what shall I write next? As I get older, I'm getting busier and busier as well, but... I have to say, I kind of do enjoy writing. Even if it takes me forever. I really should be focusing on school more, but I just can't help it! In my profile are some ideas... which you like to see in 2006? Let me know in your review!