Fly Like an Eagle

Chapter 5: Unwelcome Good-bye

The next morning Rinoa awoke, clinging to something warm and firm. As her eyes adjusted to the morning light, she saw that she had been clinging to Lionheart's chest, while he had his arm around her.

His name is Squall, she thought. Why do I keep calling him Lionheart?

Squall mumbled slightly in his sleep, she couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but he looked so sad. Finally he said aloud:

"P-P-Please... n-noo... don't leave me... you're all I have!"

"Shhh. It's ok. I'm right here." She said, aware that he was speaking to someone in his dream.

"I... I miss you..." he said, shaking in his sleep. She held him close, gently running her fingers through his hair. He seemed to calm down, his hair was so soft. His eyes opened slowly.

"Good morning." she said.

"..." He said by way of reply.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"... nothing... why?" he asked.

"You talk in your sleep, did you know?" she asked, looking into those steel gray eyes, which, for the first time, looked scared.

"What did I say?" he said, still looking scared, but his eyes met hers, and his gaze did not falter or waver.

"You were so scared... like a young child... what were you dreaming about?" she asked, gently running her fingers through his hair.

"I was... no matter, it's not important." he said, his eyes returning to their normal slightly narrowed, all-knowing sort of state. "Come, lets go, I wanna get him outta here." he said gesturing to Zell.

"Wait,"she said, looking pleadingly at him.

"What?"

"Kiss me."

"What?

"Please, I wanna know that last night was real, every time something like last night happens between us, the next day you act as though it hasn't happened. I wanna know that it was really real."

Squall looked at her, his steel gray eyes looking directly into hers. Then, he smiled at her for the second time, leaned in toward her, and kissed her gently on the lips. Unlike the previous night, when they broke apart, he was not blushing; she was scarlet.

"Ok?" he said, looking at her with his beautifully unique eyes. He was no longer smiling, but traces of it remained on his face.

"Ok." she said, getting up and packing up. They were finished in a few minutes, and as Squall was hoisting Zell up onto his shoulder again, Rinoa took one last look at the most beautiful place she had ever seen. She almost didn't want to leave.

"Are you coming?" he asked her.

"On my way," she ran to catch up, noticing that not only did he wait for her, but their pace was about half of what it was the previous day, though still a fairly rapid pace. She smiled to herself. What a difference, she thought to herself, No way in hell he'd be this nice to me a few days ago. Back then, I was just a mission.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Squall who was waiting up ahead. She had just caught up to him when he laid Zell on the ground, with the bag he was carrying.

"Wait here." he said to her. Just then Rinoa realized where they were, the edge of the forest by the Galbadian military base. She looked through the trees and saw two guards sitting behind one of the gun turrets, lazily talking to one another.

"Shit, I thought we'd get out of here before they changed shifts."

"Huh?" she asked him, confused.

"If I could have taken out the other two guards, I could've hid their bodies and they wouldn't be found 'till we were long gone because it was the end of their shift. If I take these two out, they won't report in for their hourly check-in at the base, and others will investigate, and we won't be far enough away." he explained, still monitoring the guards behind the turret. "Oh, well. I guess I have no choice. Listen, if I'm gunned down, wait here, wait until you see them leave and run, you'll have about 10 minutes to get as far from here as you can. Dollet is about 10 miles that way."

Without another word he turned and ran silently at the turret. Rinoa gasped as the two men looked up one second too late. Squall had vaulted over the turret flipping upside down and drawing his knife as he did so. As he landed he slit one's throat and stabbed the other straight in the chest. Both guards fell. Squall looked back at Rinoa, bloody knife in hand, his jumpsuit now covered in blood, his eyes cold and merciless. They softened as he looked at her, but did not loose their seriousness. He ran back to her, and grabbed Zell and his bag.

"Fuck, I'm such an idiot." he said. "C'mon, hurry, NOW." he continued as she was about to speak. She ran after him, and not long after they had left the shelter of the trees did Rinoa hear an alarm ring loudly. "Fuck, I was right, cameras. I miscalculated the speed at which it turns, I thought I'd have a few more seconds." he yelled back to her. She looked toward the base and saw the doors thrown open wide and several units of soldiers charge out toward them.

"This is ridiculous, go now, as fast as you can. Take all you can but don't carry too much. Remember what I said." he said as he stopped in his tracks, laying Zell on the ground next to the bag he had just dropped. As Rinoa slowed down, about to ask what was going on, he yelled, "Drop your bag and go! Now!" so she did as he said, dropped her bag, and sprinted by him, now realizing what he was going to do.

"You'll be killed! You can't stay and fight!" she yelled.

"Contact Timber and tell them your escorts are dead and you need assistance. They'll know what to do."

"I love you." she called to him, running with everything she had in her, and, sure enough, she had no pursuers.

"I love you too," he muttered under his breath as he drew his pistol, holding it in his right hand, and his bloody knife in his left.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands on your head!" the soldiers called to him.

"Leave if you value your lives." he calmly called back.

"We do have permission to use lethal force if necessary," they called.

"Bring it on." he said to himself, firing four times into the small army of enemy soldiers, hitting four targets right between the eyes. They charged, and so did he. He stabbed one in the chest, jumped on his shoulders and flipped high into the air, firing 6 shots into the crowd, dropping six more soldiers. As he landed, he shot 2 more enemies, making a hole in the unit that now surrounded him. He dashed through the hole, and now faced them all head on, rather than being surrounded. As he reloaded his pistol, he was caught in his left forearm by one of the bullets that was now flying at him from the Galbadian soldiers. He fired 5 more shots, but was quickly surrounded again. He charged at the weakest part of the circle, and, ignoring the pain in his arm, slashed a way through two more opponents, but this time was caught in the back by another bullet. He fell to his knees, blood seeping slightly from his mouth. He remained still, and the soldiers stopped firing at him, closing ranks around him. He knew they would try to take him alive if possible. He dropped his pistol and grasped his knife in his right hand as two soldiers approached him slowly, guns raised. When they were about 10 yards or so from him, he leapt up with all his might, slashing both throats in a single powerful swing of his bloody knife. He flipped over them and landed perfectly, but fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"I'll handle this." the commander said, and he stepped forward to face the kneeling Squall, who, with everything he had, leapt high and fast, coming down hard on his opponent. As Squall was about to stab him directly in the chest, his knife was hit out of his hands, his left arm was grabbed, and he was flung around fast onto the ground and stabbed in his chest.

"Balamb SeeD fighting style for close quarters combat. I learned it too." the commander said as he removed his helmet, revealing a head of short blonde hair and bright green eyes. All faded to black...

"Wake up pretty boy!" called a voice he'd heard recently. He opened his eyes. He was in a dimly lit chamber, strapped down onto something with a metal surface, that he could not entirely see, but he saw that he was elevated several feet off the ground. He noticed the top of his jumpsuit had been cut off, so it looked like he was wearing gray pants made out of the canvas-like material. He felt his heart beat, and then a shot of pain, as blood dripped down his exposed and bloody chest. As he regained consciousness, he noticed the blonde man was in front of him, examining the top of his jumpsuit.

"You are a balamb SeeD and fighter pilot. I would also bet you were one of those transporting the jet we shot down. We are aware of three fighter escorts. One we have confirmed dead, and then we found you and the dead body you were carrying around. That makes 3 right? What I want to know is who or what were you transporting to where and why? Start talking or I'll have to jolt–" at this Squall felt a searing, white-hot pain course through him, "you into talking. You feeling me?" he finished.

"Go to hell. You'll get nothing out of me!"

"Oh well, I thought we could do this the easy way, but not to worry, you all crack with time. Go to level 10." he said to the soldier at the control pannel

"Level 10 sir? Are you sure?" said the soldier at the desk.

"Are you questioning me?"

"NO SIR!" the soldier said, pushing a button again.

Once again Squall felt that horrible pain surge through his body, and he began to smoke slightly because of the high electrical charge that burned the inside of his body.

After miles of traveling, she had finally made it. Dollet. Here she would be safe. She would go right for a pay phone and call for aide. She knew he was dead, but something inside her told her it was worse. He wasn't dead, but he was in such pain he was wishing he was. She couldn't say what told her this, but she hoped he would hold on, she would make sure a squad was sent to his rescue. Everything would be ok. She hoped.

A/N: Hi, long time no review huh? Well this is a slight change from my original plans, but I think it will be better this way. Lemon postponed even more! Don't hate me Griever's Ruler, I really am planning on including one. Anyway, about this 'chappie' as some would say, I like it. Squall being acrobatic like this is pretty badass, no? Well r&r whether you love it or hate it.