I really feel like I'm making up for lost time here. First, I leave everybody hangin' for seven months, and now two updates in 24 hours! I guess it helps that I'm on vacation until Tuesday and I have nothing better to do.

Hyvlo: Is this soon enough for you?

hibeki: Funny as what? Irrelevant! Gotta love Laguna humor.

Angry Girl: Odd, you don't seem angry. Anyhoo, I think this chapter might answer your question.

JadeAlmasy: I wouldn't call four-years-old grown up, but he is older.

shadow-goddess99: Glad you like it.

Luis: A lot of this comes from first-hand experience. I just have to put myself in each characters shoes.

Well, Squall met Irvine and Zell in the last chapter, here he meets another familiar face.

CHAPTER 10: FATHER'S PAST, SON'S FUTURE

Though it took some doing, Squall was able to talk Raine into taking him back to the park the next day. She had gotten in touch with Irvine and Zell's mothers and agreed to set up some sort of play date, since the three seemed to have fun the day before. When Raine arrived with her son, Squall was glad to see that his two new friends were already there hanging upside-down on the jungle gym. Stuffing his shirt into his pants to keep it from falling to his chin, Squall joined the two. Before long, the young boy got a look of wonder on his face.

"What's that over there?" Squall said pointing to a bench about fifty yards away.

"It looks like a person." Zell said.

"Maybe we should go see?" Irvine said.

"Maybe we shouldn't?" Squall said. "My mom said not to talk to strangers, and then my dad set an example."

"What's an example?" Zell and Irvine said together.

"I'm not sure," Squall said, "but I think it means my dad doing something that ends up with my mom smacking him on the head."

"Why does she do that?" Irvine asked.

"I dunno." Squall said. "but I think they're playing around because my mom says my dad 'giggles like an idiot' every time afterward." With that, Squall ran over to his mom, and pointed over to the bench in question.

"Mom, what's that over there?" Squall asked.

"I don't know." Raine said. "You stay with you're friends, I'll go look." Squall ran back over to Zell and Irvine, and the three promptly positioned themselves on top of the jungle gym so they could see. To her surprise, Raine saw not one person sleeping on the bench, but two. One was a woman Raine guessed to be about her age, dark hair, normal height; obviously a young mother, because the other person there was a little girl. Raine wasn't standing there long before the little girl woke up.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi." Raine said back. "Is that your mom?"

"Uh-huh." Said the little girl.

"Why are you sleeping on a park bench?" Raine asked.

"Cause we just got here."

"Where do you live?" Raine said.

"I think mommy said Deling City."

"Wow, that's really far away." Raine said.

"Uh-huh." The little girl said. "That's why mommy's so sleepy." Very soon, the woman woke up, and saw Raine standing over her.

"Ma'am, are you ok?" Raine asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." She said. It was then Raine caught a glimpse of the woman's face, and recognized her almost instantly.

"You're…!" Raine stammered. "You're…Julia Heartilly!"

"Please, not so loud!" Julia said hushing Raine. "I don't want a crowd."

"What are you doing in Esthar?" Raine asked.

"Hiding." Julia said. She soon realized her daughter was still right there, and didn't want her to hear this story.

"Rinoa," She said, "Why don't you go over there and play?" The little girl ran over to the Jungle Gym to play with Squall and his friends. When she was sure her daughter was out of earshot, Julia continued her story.

"My husband is a Galbadian Army general." Julia said. "Recently, a bullet flew through our window. The police never caught the assailant. He told me to take our daughter and find a place to hide. He gave us some money, and we made our way here."

"So there is an assassin after your family?" Raine asked. "You came to the right place. With Sorceress Adel gone, Esthar is the safest nation in the world."

"But soon after we got here, we were mugged!" Julia continued. " I'm glad that all he wanted was our money, as he took it and left as soon as he had it in hand."

"Don't worry," Raine said, "I know some very powerful people, that man will be caught."

"That's why you just saw us sleeping on this bench." Julia said. "With no money, we were unable to get a room or a meal."

"I'll help you." Raine said. "I have no proof with me, so you'll have to take my word for it. I'm the First Lady of Esthar. I'll be able to help you." As the conversation carried on, Raine's mind wandered to her song 'Eyes on me,' and Raine remembered what Laguna told her the day Kiros came to Winhill.

"You and your daughter should come with me." Raine said. "My husband will be happy to help you out."

"How can you be so sure?" Julia asked.

"He told me a story once, about how he used to listen to you play."

Laguna was sitting at his desk, discussing something with Dr. Odine.

"Please?" Odine asked.

"No." Laguna said.

"Juzt a bit?"

"No!" Laguna repeated.

"But she's got a strange current in her brain!" Odine begged.

"I don't care if she has gold between her toes!" Laguna said. "You're not experimenting on Ellone and that's final!"

"Ugh!" Odine said as he left the room. "Vat's ze use talking to you!" As the Doctor left, the first lady walked in.

"You don't want to experiment on Ellone to, do you?" Laguna asked sarcastically.

"Actually, I found someone sleeping on a park bench today." Raine said. "Actually, Squall spotted her, but I confronted them."

"Them?" Laguna asked.

"A woman and her daughter. About Squall's age." Raine said.

"There's a four-year-old mother out there?" Laguna asked just to be an idiot.

"The DAUGHTER is four you cartoon character!" Raine said. "Anyway, It broke my heart to see them like that. So, I had no choice but to bring them here."

"Raine, I know you hate your mother for that incident four years ago," Laguna began, "But I think you should have listened to her when she said not to bring home strays."

"Don't be smart!" Raine said as she smacked him on the back of the head. "She needs our help, and I know you would help her."

"How can you be so sure?" Laguna asked.

"Because you used to listen to her play." Raine said.

"Play?" Laguna asked as Raine opened the door to show her guest in.

"He's ready for you." Raine said. As she walked in, Both of their eyes shot up in surprise.

"Julia?"

"Laguna?"

"Wanna see something cool?" Squall asked the little girl, who's name he learned was Rinoa. He pointed up to a glass case.

"What is it?" Rinoa asked.

"My dad calls it a Gunblade." Squall said. "He said he used one of those in basic training, whatever that means."

"Is it a big sword?" Rinoa asked.

"Sort of," Squall said, "I still don't understand it, but I want to. Dad says he'll teach me when I get older."

"My dad has something like that, but it's a lot smaller." Rinoa said. "He calls it a Blaster Edge, but I'm not allowed to touch it."

"Yeah, I'm not allowed to touch this either." Squall said. "My mom says my dad's not even allowed to touch it, and it's his!" This caused the two youngsters to roll around on the floor laughing. Before long, Julia ran out of the room with a huge smile.

"Rinoa, sweetie," Julia exclaimed. "They're gonna help us!"

"Yay!" Rinoa squealed as she ran up to hug her mother. "Does that mean we're gonna have a house here?"

"Yes ma'am." Julia said.

"And lots of food to eat?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Can I have a bed with blue covers?" Rinoa asked. Squall learned earlier that blue was her favorite color.

"You can have anything you want now, sweetheart." Julia said.

"Can I have a swimming pool? And a trampoline? And a…"

"Don't go overboard little lady." She said, "Do you have something to say?"

"Thank you Mister President." Rinoa said as she hugged Laguna.

"You're welcome." Laguna replied. Soon, an escort took Julia and her daughter to a vacant house for them to stay close by.

"You're a good man, Laguna." Raine said.

"Curse my good nature." Laguna said as he picked up his son. "Come on big guy, time for dinner.".