A/N: Hehe ... thanks for the reviews, everyone. I know you guys like it when I update quickly, so here is the update :) I loved the reaction to Ashleigh btw hehe ... but like I said, she'll be a bit the same, but just won't have a major part. Not yet anyway :P And Ashleigh's last name is Ferris in this fic, that's why I called her Ferris in the last chapter. Anywho, here is the new chapter...

Flying with Broken Wings

Chapter 6 – Broken Life

More days went by and school was inching closer. Squall began to see Rinoa more frequently and was slowly, but surely, opening up to her. Whenever he was silent or didn't bother answering Rinoa, she would always bring up the fact that he was breaking his promise. Funnily enough, he hated the thought of breaking this promise to her and ended up speaking to her, even though his answers weren't always what she expected.

Caraway was becoming less aware of Rinoa going out to meet Squall, as he had finally gotten a job. This meant that he was home less often, and Rinoa seized this opportunity to get out of the house. This also meant that Rinoa didn't have to work at the café anymore, so she resigned before her two-week break was over.

There was only a week left until school began. Rinoa was feeling sulky at the thought of having to return to Timber High because of all the people there. She was so glad that it was her last year of school, but was wondering what she should have done afterwards.

"What do you want to do when you get out of school?" Rinoa asked Squall one afternoon.

The two of them were sitting at the lake, alone, once again. Obel Lake became their little place where nobody went. They enjoyed the peacefulness and both were glad that there weren't a lot of people around for their own reasons. The day was patchy grey, with a cool wind blowing in the air. The sky was stained with dark clouds of threatening rain, and as if the birds could sense a storm coming, they all fled in fear.

Squall shrugged. "Haven't decided."

"Oh come on, you must have some idea," said Rinoa.

Squall thought about it for a moment. "I guess … I'd like to be in the army." He didn't mention that Laguna was president of the national army, because he didn't feel it was necessary. As much as he hated to admit it, Squall really admired his father's work.

Rinoa smiled. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Squall shrugged his shoulders.

"So … why the army?" asked Rinoa. "You like killing things, don't you?"

"Something like that," murmured Squall.

"Is that how you got that scar?" asked Rinoa curiously.

"I guess," replied Squall wearily. "I had a fight with this guy…"

"Oh, really?"

Squall nodded patiently. By now, he was used to Rinoa's constant questions. "Yeah. He had gunblade expertise, just like me. We got into a fight and we both ended up with these massive scars on our faces…"

"Wow," said Rinoa in awe. "You can use a gunblade? That's really cool…"

Squall shrugged. "I guess it is."

"Are you really good with it?"

"Highest rank," said Squall casually.

"Wow," was all Rinoa could say.

"Yes…" Squall didn't know what else he could've said.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I want to do when I leave school?" said Rinoa.

Squall rolled his eyes. "All right … what do you want to do when you leave school?"

Rinoa grinned. "Well, I'm not sure yet, to be honest."

Here we go … she'll be yapping on for hours, thought Squall. Better get comfortable…

"…I mean, I've considered a lot of things," she continued. "But I suppose I've always wanted to be an astronomer, because I love stars. I'm so fascinated by them. But you know what I really want to do? I really want to be a doctor. A specialist, if you will."

Squall nodded.

"I guess … I want to help people," said Rinoa dreamily. "I want to save lives, and I want to find cures for things that don't have cures." She stopped midway, as if contemplating on whether to say something or not. "Have you ever heard of…?" She paused, decided against saying what she had in mind. "Forget it."

Squall wasn't going to question her any further.

"But yeah … I would like to study medicine and become a doctor," said Rinoa. So I can find a cure for this stupid Sorceress Plague…

The thing that Rinoa wanted to say before she stopped herself was whether or not Squall had heard of the health condition she had. She didn't know why she stopped herself. Maybe she was just afraid of him finding out what was wrong with her, and she was definitely afraid of how he would react to it. But she had to tell him before school started, or else people from school would tell him since everyone knew about her anyway. And she wanted to tell him herself rather than him finding out from someone like Ashleigh…

"I see," said Squall, when Rinoa didn't say anything else.

Rinoa snapped out of her train of thoughts and smiled sweetly. She couldn't help but think about Ashleigh. "Squall…"

"Hmm?"

"Would you … would you ever think differently of me as soon as we get to school?" asked Rinoa uneasily, thinking back to Ashleigh's attitude towards her.

"What?"

Rinoa blushed a little. "It's just …I'm not really liked at school."

"Uh … so?" said Squall, not knowing why Rinoa was talking like this. I should be the last person she says this to. After all, I'm not really liked anywhere

Rinoa smiled weakly. "Never mind."

Squall didn't know what to say, but he somehow felt that he should have comforted Rinoa somehow. But how was he supposed to do that? He wasn't good at that type of thing. He wasn't exactly sure what Rinoa meant when she said that she wasn't really liked at school, but the thing that bothered him was that she took something like that to heart. It certainly didn't influence the way she behaved – in fact; she acted like a 'normal' person. But Rinoa wasn't like everyone else … not to Squall. And maybe whatever was making her 'disliked' was what Squall liked about her.

No … I don't like her. I mean, I like her, but just as a friend. Oh great, now I just admitted she's my friend.

But somehow, he didn't feel so ashamed to call Rinoa his friend. He actually felt quite … happy.

Thunder rumbled in the sky. The visible storm clouds were moving towards the Timber area. At that moment, it began to drizzle. Neither party seemed to mind, so they stayed stationed in their position. Rinoa felt the cool water against her skin quite refreshing, a nice change from the usual summer heat.

"What makes you think I won't like you just because you say nobody else does?" said Squall.

Rinoa laughed weakly. "I can't believe you just said that. But … I guess you're right. Argh, what was I thinking? You're not like 'everybody else' at all!" She laughed pathetically again.

And neither are you, Squall wanted to say.

Rinoa sighed. She really wanted to tell him about it ... but something held her back. She couldn't bring herself to do it. "I wish I could tell you my story, Squall. But … it's so broken. I've lost all the pieces."

"My story is broken too," murmured Squall.

She smiled a small smile. "Let's fix them together. I feel like I've known you forever … I think I can help you, if you help me. I just have the feeling that there's something set up for us together, as if there's so much lying ahead of us. Like … destiny."

I don't believe in destiny, thought Squall.

The light drizzle became just a little bit heavier. Rinoa sighed dreamily again, embracing the cool adrenaline. She always loved the rain.

"I said this to you before, but I don't think you believed me then," said Rinoa. "But now that we know each other better, I can say it again. I'll help you put your story back together, Squall. I know I can."

Squall suddenly felt like he'd already had this conversation with Rinoa before. It felt so familiar, as if it had happened before. Then he realised … Rinoa did say this before she had her last 'fit'. But this event also happened in his dream. A shiver went down his spine at the thought of a dream coming true. But … it can't come true. In his dream, Rinoa bent over to kiss him … she wouldn't do that in real life … she wouldn't do that now…

"Please let me help you," she said softly.

Squall remembered the last time she said this is reality, and he had abruptly pushed her away. In a way, he still wanted to push her away. But then again, he didn't. Was it because of that dream he had before? In the dream he said he would let her help him. What would she do if he said yes in reality? But he was almost afraid to say yes … he was so afraid to let someone in. How could he have possibly let anyone this close enough to him to get into a situation like this?

Just say yes. You know you want to fix this messed up life of yours. You can't just leave yourself to rot. If anyone is going to help you, it might as well be her. You can trust her, can't you? She's stuck by you for this long already and you haven't managed to kick her out of your life yet. She won't leave you.

He didn't know whether to believe his inner voice or not. He hated that inner voice, but he knew it was always right. Squall tried to find the right words to say to Rinoa, because her innocent brown eyes staring at him made him nervous.

"I…" began Squall. "I … I don't know, Rinoa."

You idiot! Why did you say that?

"W-what do you mean?" said Rinoa quietly.

"I just … I don't know how you've managed to get this close to me," admitted Squall. "But … I think it was a mistake. I can't let you in anymore..."

Rinoa bit her bottom lip nervously, as if trying to hold back tears. "M-mistake?"

Squall turned away from her. She had that look on her face. He hated that look so much. "It's just … you don't need me." He said that instead of 'I don't need you', because it just sounded better. "Why would you want to help me if you didn't need me?"

Rinoa pursed her lips together, and at that moment, a silver tear left her eye. She couldn't believe it. Was this what she thought it was? Was this rejection? But it wasn't as if she was asking him to marry her or anything … all she wanted to do was to help him, to become closer to him. But he was just throwing back at her face, and this time it wasn't in a cold tone, it was in a regretful tone. That hurt her the most, because it meant that he seriously meant what he was saying. She thought she would really get through to him, but apparently she hadn't.

Rinoa was tempted to say 'I do need you'. But what did that mean? That she needed him as a friend? That she needed him as a person? That she needed him more than anything? It would demean herself if she said that … so she said nothing.

At that point, the rain was rather heavy. Rinoa began to grow slightly cold, but she took no notice of it. What Squall was saying to her was much colder than the rain. Her hair was immersed in water, her clothes drenched, and the raindrops were mixing with her tears. Lightning struck, followed by another roar of thunder.

Squall tried to avoid eye contact with Rinoa. He was well aware that the girl was crying, and it tore him to bits … but what was he supposed to do?

Rinoa let go of her mind and let her heart speak. "But Squall … I do n-need—"

She stopped midway. No, not now…

Her throat felt like sandpaper, her heart throbbing intensely with the cold. Her breathing deepened, as much as she tried to keep it even. She began to tremble uncontrollably, so she clenched her hands into tight fists to try to keep herself stable. But it didn't work. It must have been the piercing cold that made her this way … she was stupid to stay out in the rain…

Rinoa fumbled around and tried to reach into her pocket, but had great difficulty in doing so. Squall's concerned staring was simply a blur to her now, but she tried to concentrate on getting to her retainer. Her breathing was very raspy at that moment … she sounded like she was trying to breathe through sobs, but she definitely was not crying anymore. This pain was physical now.

"Rinoa … are you all right?" asked Squall anxiously.

She acted as if she didn't hear him. Finally, her trembling hands reached her pocket. She let out an audible gasp when she found that there was nothing in her pocket. Why didn't she bring her respirator? She must have thought she wouldn't have an attack any time soon, seeing as how the last time she did was almost two weeks ago…

"Sq-Squall," choked Rinoa weakly. She tried to string more words together, but it was hard to do that and breathe at the same time. She regretted not telling Squall about her condition … if she had told him about it, then he would know what to do…

This isn't the time for regrets, thought Rinoa. She squeezed her eyes closed and let out a harsh cough. Another cough followed it, and another, and another. She clutched her chest with her eyes closed tightly, trying to control her breathing. Her heart was beating like crazy. She could feel the blood pounding in her head, and now it felt like the raindrops were piercing at her skin.

"Rinoa!" said Squall, "W-what do you want me to do?"

"B-Breathe…." Rinoa clutched at her abdomen with both hands, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Her breathing was as raspy as ever. She tried to control everything, but her control of the situation was slowly slipping. She couldn't find her voice, and it felt like she couldn't open her eyes anymore. Slowly, she fell face first onto the wooden quay of the lake, her arms still wrapped tightly around herself.

"No … not this again," murmured Squall.

Squall turned Rinoa around so that her face was up. Her skin was dead pale, her lips icy blue, her breathing going from one extreme to another – before her breathing was deep and loud, now it was shallow and less detectable. The cold wasn't biting at him like it was to Rinoa, so he quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around the unconscious girl in attempt to get her body temperature back to normal.

He tried to think back to the last time this happened, and remembered that he gave her mouth-to-mouth to revive her. This time, he didn't hesitate to do it, because somehow the situation now seemed much more frightening than it did before. Perhaps it was the heavy rain along with the crashing thunder and lightning that made him nervous.

Squall flipped some wet strands of hair out of his face and pressed his mouth against Rinoa's cold lips, trying to breathe his life into hers. As soon as his lips met hers, he tasted blood, just like in his dream. But he tried not to think about something stupid like that and got on with trying to save Rinoa's life. One breath … two … three … four … five … six breaths, and still nothing. This only began to make him more nervous, because she should have woken up by now like she did last time.

Seven … eight … nine breaths, and still Rinoa showed no response to life. Squall decided to scrap the idea and thought back to what happened last time. He remembered that Rinoa inhaled some contents of a retainer she had in her pocket. He reached into her pocket, but it was empty.

Squall cursed under his breath. What was he supposed to do now? He didn't know what the heck was going on, and what he did last time wasn't working.

Take her to the hospital.

Squall wasn't entirely satisfied with that idea, because he had no idea where the hospital was. But he couldn't just leave Rinoa to die here in the rain … he had to do something. So he picked Rinoa up gently and placed her on his back. He held on tightly to her and began running as if his life depended on it.

He ran in the pouring rain for ten minutes, and found himself in town already. He pushed past all the bystanders impatiently, ignoring their quizzical looks. Squall was drenched to the bone, but ultimately, he wasn't cold in the least way. He suddenly stopped after he ran around for a bit, because he realised that he didn't know where he was going. He still wasn't familiar with the town, seeing as how he hardly ever went into town anyway, and now he cursed himself for it.

Squall swerved into the closest store, still holding onto Rinoa tightly. The store he entered was almost empty, save for the clerk and a certain customer browsing through the clothes at the store.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" demanded Squall.

The clerk stared at Squall, wide-eyed, because he was dripping with water and getting her shop all wet.

"The nearest hospital isn't a public one," said the clerk acidly.

"I don't care, just tell me where it is!" said Squall loudly.

The customer in the store turned around, and to Squall's alarm, it was the redheaded Ashleigh. She looked confused at first, but turned serious almost instantly as soon as she saw Squall holding the unconscious Rinoa.

"Leave the store and turn right," said Ashleigh sincerely, "Keep going and then you'll see the hospital."

Squall didn't know whether to believe her or not, but judging by her serious expression, he decided to take her word for it.

"Did she have a Sorcer—"

"All right, thanks," said Squall quickly, cutting the girl off.

"Relax, she's just doing it to get your attention!" called Ashleigh, but by then, Squall was gone. She groaned and murmured to herself, "All that girl wants is attention."

Squall ran in the direction Ashleigh told him to go, without ever once stopping for a break. At long last, he reached Timber hospital, and bolted past the car park and through the doors as fast as he could. He ran into the white building, where he saw nurses and doctors walking around with patients. He didn't know where to go from here, so he darted towards the reception, leaving a dripping trail of rainwater behind him.

"Hey, Miss, I have an emergency," said Squall breathlessly.

"What's the matter?" asked the receptionist.

"This girl … she just collapsed and it looked like she had a lot of trouble breathing," answered Squall quickly.

"What's her name?"

"Rinoa … Rinoa Heartilly," said Squall, trying to remember Rinoa's last name.

"Rinoa Heartilly," murmured the receptionist, "Oh dear…" She reached over and grabbed the telephone, speedily dialling a number. "Hello? Doctor Odine? Miss Rinoa Heartilly is here on the condition of an emergency. I believe she must have suffered a Plague attack … yes, hurry." The receptionist placed the phone back. "Are you a family member, sir?"

"No, I—"

"Then you'll have to wait here," said the receptionist gravely.

"But—"

At that moment, a couple of nurses and an eccentrically dressed male doctor came rushing towards Squall with a bed on wheels. The strange-looking doctor ran up to Squall, a placid look on her face.

"My name is Doctor Odine, Rinoa's specialist," said the doctor, in a strong accent.

"What?"

The nurses took Rinoa from Squall's back, placed the unconscious girl on the bed, and hooked her up to the drip stand. Squall, slightly dismayed and disorientated, could only fumble back clumsily.

"How did she get in zis condition, do you know?" asked Odine.

"Yes, we were just talking and then she had this … fit," said Squall. "It's happened before, but she woke up after I gave her mouth to mouth…"

"Did it vork zis time?" asked the doctor.

"Obviously not," said Squall, annoyed.

"Do you know about Mizz Heartilly's condition?"

"Condition?" said Squall, confused.

"Never mind…" The doctor turned to his team of nurses. "Take her to ze intensive respiratory ward and put her on ze apparatus there. I will be there shortly."

The nurses nodded and wheeled Rinoa away quickly, whilst the doctor turned to Squall.

"Did she take anything from her inhaler?" asked Odine.

"No, she didn't seem to have it on her," said Squall, as if he knew exactly what the doctor was talking about.

"I see," said Odine. "Does her father know about zis?"

"I … I don't think so," answered Squall.

"You say zis has happened before, but now she does not seem to wake?"

"Yes," said Squall, his worry level rising. This doctor seemed to know exactly what was wrong with Rinoa, and the fact that he sounded uncertain about Rinoa's condition didn't put Squall to ease at all. "Last time … it wasn't raining, and it wasn't as cold."

"I see," said Odine. "What vere you doing prior to her attack?"

"We were just talking," repeated Squall, becoming frustrated. "She seemed fine, but then it looked like she couldn't breathe."

"Are you sure she seemed 'fine'?"

Squall hesitated. He didn't feel it was appropriate to say what he and Rinoa were discussing, because Rinoa wasn't really fine. But if it was going to save her life…

"No … she was really upset," said Squall slowly.

"I see. You are family, no?"

Squall hesitated again. "Yeah, I am. I'm her brother." He couldn't believe he just lied like that. Did he really want to see her that badly?

"You shouldn't lie to me. Mizz Heartilly does not have a brother," said Odine. "Please sit in ze waiting room until visiting is appropriate."

Squall nodded reluctantly and prepared himself to sit down. Doctor Odine began to walk away.

"Doctor…"

Odine turned around, wondering what else Squall wanted. "Yes?"

"She'll … she'll be okay, right?" asked Squall.

The doctor smiled a sad smile. "I … cannot be certain."

Squall nodded, feeling like a heavy weight had been placed on his shoulders. He watched Doctor Odine walk away, and slumped into one of the waiting room chairs. The doctor's reply made shivers run down his spine, it made him regret what had happened and worry about what was to come.

What if Rinoa didn't make it? Squall would have become miserable for the rest of his life knowing that the last memory of Rinoa was of her crying because of something he said. He had never made a girl cry before, and frankly, he didn't ever want to make Rinoa cry again. That last haunting look of sorrow on her face before she passed out was going to be stuck in his mind forever…

This is what happens when I let someone get too close to me, he thought bitterly. They end up leaving. Rinoa might die, and if she does, I'll feel cold, alone. Just like usual. I shouldn't have let her in … I should have just pushed her away in the first place. Why did I have to meet her? It's as if someone has something against me … well, whoever you are, are you happy now? You've made my emotions boil and I just hope these emotions will just die already.

"Would you like a towel?" asked the young receptionist, standing before him.

Squall snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the friendly-looking woman. He noticed that a janitor was mopping up the trail of rainwater he left behind when he burst into the emergency room. Squall nodded slowly, standing up and taking the pile of white towels from her.

"Thank you," mumbled Squall, wrapping one of the towels around himself. He ran his fingers through his damp hair and sat back down again, the white towel clinging to his body.

The emergency receptionist walked back to her desk. "Wouldn't you rather go home?" she asked.

Squall looked up at her. "I … I guess I would. But I want to know if Rinoa is all right first."

"It'll be a long wait," she said.

Squall shrugged. I don't care, he thought.

The receptionist smiled brightly at him and turned back to her work. Squall sighed again. He tried to forget where he was, but it didn't work. Every second, he couldn't help but worry about Rinoa. If the doctor wasn't sure that she'd be all right … then what hope was there?

'There's always hope. Even for you, Squall.'

Those words came from Rinoa … he couldn't help but remember that day she said it. Those words clung to his mind. Those words gave him hope. Those words were his hope.

An hour passed … two hours… Still, there was no word about Rinoa's condition. Squall was completely dry by then, and he couldn't keep still. He paced around nervously, until he felt weary and decided to sit down again, and then he'd end up standing up again and pacing around. The young receptionist glanced at him every once in a while with wonder in her eyes, but she said nothing and let Squall be.

Squall looked at the clock on the wall, which read six pm. He wondered how much longer it was going to be until he heard news of Rinoa, and whether or not he should've stayed put at the hospital until he found out how she was. In the end, he decided to stay, because he honestly had nothing better to do…

Another hour went by … and another … the time was going by slowly and Squall was beginning to get restless. His worry for Rinoa slowly began to decrease as time went by, simply because he was growing weary. He let his eyelids droop for a moment, letting his guard down as well…

"…Has her father arrived yet?"

Squall perked up instantly, and couldn't believe that he dozed off for a while. He looked around, and saw Doctor Odine speaking to the receptionist at the desk.

"No, I don't think he's gotten the message," answered the receptionist.

Squall took off the towels and placed them on the chair beside him, stood up and walked over to the doctor, showing no sign of emotion whatsoever. "How is she?" he asked.

Odine turned around to face him, an unreadable expression on his face. "You are still here?"

"Yes … how is she?" Squall asked again.

"She iz in a coma," replied the doctor. "We have done all we can … now we have to wait and see what happens."

"May I see her?" asked Squall uneasily.

Doctor Odine smiled serenely. "Yes, of course you may. Follow me."

Squall followed the doctor down hallways and past empty rooms, until they reached a room with a small tag on the door reading 'Rinoa Heartilly'. Odine pushed the door open, and Squall apprehensively walked into the room. The place was bright with light, and the curtains on the window were pulled back, revealing the obscure storm outside. The room was small and a little empty, only holding a couple of chairs, some medical apparatus and a single bed.

The teenager hesitantly walked closer to the bed to find Rinoa, deep in slumber, with the blankets pulled over her. Her eyes were closed gently, her face carrying an expression of simple neutrality. She was hooked up to some complicated-looking machines, which made quiet humming noises under a loud beeping sound to indicate her life support. An oxygen mask was around her nose and mouth, making her appearance look more frightening than it really was.

"I will be open with you," said Odine, "I do not know if she will wake up from zat coma or not. She has not had a fit for a while, and zis one was a fatal blow to her system. If she had her inhaler with her, zen ze situation might be different. But oh well, what can you do?"

Squall nodded, but he still had no clue what the doctor was going on about.

"Will you be staying the night?" asked Odine glowingly.

Squall hesitated. "I … guess I will be."

"Very well," said Odine, "Zat couch opens up to be a sofa. I will getze nurse to bring in some blankets for you."

"Uh … all right," said Squall, shrugging.

"I will be checking up on her later," said Odine, and with that, he left the ward.

Squall sighed, and sat in the chair next to Rinoa's bed. All that was heard was the droning of the machines. He stared down at the girl, her sleeping face so innocent yet worrisome at the same time. The very sight of her in this condition sent chills up and down Squall's spine. What was this feeling? Why was he so worried about her all of a sudden? Just before, he tried to shut her out of her life and admitted that he didn't want her to get closer to him … and now, he somewhat regretted saying that. It was as if he very much wanted to let her in. It was as if he should have let her in when he had the chance…

And what if she didn't make it? What if she died? The very thought of that made Squall uneasy. It made his stomach churn and his heart flop. All he wanted was for Rinoa to wake up. He wanted her to spring to life, to see her cheerful smiling beaming at him, to hear her voice again, to smell her sweet scent of strawberry cologne…

Maybe he didn't want to admit it, but all of those things he thought hated about Rinoa were the ones he ended up missing the most. He never thought he would want to see her to 'yell' at him, to ask him dumb questions, to crack stupid jokes, to make his heart skip beats whenever she touched him…

Squall quickly shook these thoughts out of his head. He hated feeling these feelings. But there was nothing he could do to get rid of them … Rinoa's entrance into his life was something he could not forget, it was something he could not neglect any longer, it was something tattooed into his memory forever, and the thought of having to deal with the loss of something so influential seemed so close and so bitter…

"Rinoa … please wake up," murmured Squall.

Why was he speaking to someone who couldn't hear him anyway? This wasn't like him … but he couldn't help it … there was a crazy whirl of emotions inside of that he just had no control over anymore … fear, sadness, care, worry… Squall knelt down on the floor, beside Rinoa's bed. As if against his own will, his gloved hand went up to reach Rinoa's. It was delicate and cold … he couldn't control the trembling rage inside of him … he held onto Rinoa's hand ever so tightly, as if she would slip away if he were to let go…

"Rinoa," said Squall, a little louder, "I … I hate to see you like this. I hate to think that you won't make it…"

What's happening to me? This feeling … it's so strange, yet so familiar. It's the same feeling I had when mom died. She was lying in a bed like this, just like Rinoa; lifeless and cold … I had all this hope that mom would still be alive. It's the same hope I have now … but that hope was in vain. I don't want this hope to be in vain. Rinoa was right. Even if I've only known her for a couple of weeks now … it feels like I've known her forever. Maybe it's because she's one of the only people who make me feel this way, who make me feel like there is something worth hoping for…

Squall closed his eyes, trying to hold it all inside. He just wanted to scream, to cry, to hurt someone and make them feel the hurt he was feeling. It was like history was repeating itself. He knew he got colder every time he lost someone dear to him, and that had happened to him three times. He thought he couldn't get any worse … but what was to happen if he lost Rinoa too?

"Please Rinoa," said Squall urgently, his voice trembling slightly. He kept his eyes closed and his hand clasped tightly around Rinoa's hand. "Please wake up. I want to hear your voice. I want to see you smiling again…"

The silence that he was met with made him want to break down.

"Rinoa … wake up … call my name again," said Squall quietly.

Squall opened his eyes, and the sight of Rinoa, so dead-like and motionless, made him cry out softly. He dropped his head onto the bed, still grasping on Rinoa's cold hand, and simply tried to blur out all his surroundings. He hated this feeling so much. He couldn't help but question his existence. He didn't know what to do, or say, or think.

Why? Why is it all on me…?

Perhaps this is what it felt like when they say 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone'. All this time, Squall had been neglecting Rinoa's presence in his life. He never thought of her as anyone significant. He thought he could carry on without her. But now … seeing her in a state like this put things into perspective. The thought of losing her was a real blow to him. And it's only now, when Rinoa is on her deathbed, that he realises that she isn't just anyone. It's only now that he realises that Rinoa had a bigger impact on his life than he thought.

It's only now that he realises that he really does care about her…

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Parts of the last scene was kind of taken from the actual game itself, because I loved that scene so much :D Anyway ... if I don't update beforethen, merry Christmas everyone and have a nice new year!