Chapter 19

As the six SeeD entered their suite in the Presidential Palace to get dressed for the day, everyone expected Squall to go immediately to get dressed so that he could retrieve his daughter. Instead, he grabbed Kylah by the arm once they passed through the door, steered her into her room, and shut the door behind him – right in Selphie's indignant face.

"Hey!" she called, pounding on the door. "I gotta get dressed too!" Silence was her only answer. "Fiiiiine," she finally huffed, plopping herself down on the couch, and giving Quistis a helpless look.

Quistis only shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be out in a minute," she said, calmly.

"For his sake, I hope so," Selphie growled, glaring at the door.

Inside of the room, Kylah was giving Squall her own look of indignance. "What the heck was that all about?" she asked, pulling away from him and looking up at him with a baffled expression.

"I don't want you to go on this mission," Squall replied firmly, his jaw set at a stubborn angle.

"Wait… What?" Kylah asked, sounding confused. "Why not? It makes the most logistical sense for me and Irvine to go.

He looked down at her, his gaze intense. "It's a dangerous mission, Kylah. The others have been to Deling City many times before as well; let one of them go. Stay here and see to Laguna's security, like you were hired to."

"Laguna also hired us to diffuse this situation," she pointed out. "I'm the best chance we have of smoothing things over with Galbadia right now, and you know it as well as I do. Yeah, it's a little dangerous, but no more so than a whole slew of other missions that I've been on."

"I just don't think–" he began.

"Squall," Kylah said, holding up a hand to interrupt him. "I appreciate your sense of chivalry and protection here. But I'm a big girl. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself in Deling City, despite what you obviously think. Now," she said, "I have to get dressed and gather some things together. And I believe that your daughter is waiting for you. I'll talk to you later." Without further word, she turned her back on him and stalked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

But not before Squall caught the hurt expression in her eyes.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose, cursed softly under his breath, then strode over, yanked the bedroom door open, and stalked across the sitting room to his own room.

"Finally!" Selphie called, running into the bedroom.

Quistis observed the rather disgruntled expression on Squall's face, but wisely decided it was best not to ask. Quietly, she followed Selphie's lead, and went in to put on some real clothes.

Squall stormed into the bedroom he was now sharing with Irvine and Zell. He found Zell engaged in a series of pushups to get his day off right. Irvine looked up from the mirror he was standing in front of, shaving, as Squall burst in. Noting the stormy expression on Squall's face, he calmly turned back to the mirror as Squall began to noisily gather up clean clothes from his dresser drawers.

"Have a fight with Kylah?" Irvine asked, knowingly.

His only reply was a dark glare.

Irvine was silent for several minutes. The only sound from his direction was the gentle scrape of his razor over his stubbled cheeks. Finally, he rinsed the razor off, patted his face dry, and turned to look at Squall. "You want my advice?" he asked.

Squall rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. That's exactly what I want," he replied, sarcastically. "More advice on women from the great Irvine Kinneas."

Slightly offended, Irvine raised an eyebrow. "How about advice from someone who has not only known Kylah for years, but also has a fairly good idea of what you're going through right now."

Turning back to his dresser, Squall snorted. "What would you know about how I'm feeling right now?" he asked, sulkily.

Irvine sighed and shook his head. "Do you think it's any easier for me to watch Selphie head out on some of those dangerous missions she gets sent out on?" he asked, his tone uncharacteristically soft.

For the first time since he had entered the room, Squall paused. Slowly, he turned to look at Irvine, a questioning look on his face.

"There's something I think you need to hear, Leonheart, and all I ask is that you stop, listen, and let it sink into that thick head of yours." Irvine paused for dramatic effect, then continued. "Kylah is not Rinoa," he finally said.

"Really?" Squall said, a touch of impatience and sarcasm in his voice. "You're kidding me!"

"What I mean by that is," Irvine continued, shooting him a silencing look, "they're different people, and they're going to have different needs."

"Rinoa was a great girl," he said, fond remembrance on his face. "We all adored her. But she was… well, she was a little helpless. She needed you to protect her, take care of her. She needed someone that she could stand behind and support, but that she knew would be her shield from the rest of the world."

"Kylah's a lot tougher than that," he added, a grin spreading over his face. "She's strong, capable, and can handle herself in even the worst of situations. She doesn't need someone to protect her – if she needs protecting, she is more than happy to take care of it herself. She needs someone to stand beside her, not in front of her."

Squall started to speak, but Irvine held up a hand to quiet him. "I'm not finished," he said, "so shut up and listen." Once he was certain that Squall wouldn't interrupt again, he continued. "I know you went into that room and demanded that Kylah not go on this mission, and I imagine that she's pretty hurt and angry with you right now. And, honestly, I don't blame her."

"She's not an ordinary girl, Squall. She's a SeeD. Kylah has gone through the same training that you and I have. You went in there, and though you didn't intend it that way, you questioned her ability to do her job, a job that in a lot of ways defines her."

"I guess," he finished up, jamming his hands in his pockets, "what I'm trying to say is, if you're going to be involved with Kylah, you're going to have to accept her for who she is, and not try and change her into someone that she's not. Because, by asking her not to do what she thinks is right, you're asking her to be someone other than Kylah."

Squall was silent for several moments, allowing Irvine's words to sink in. Finally, he heaved a sigh and looked up. "I guess I owe her an apology," he said, sounding defeated.

Irvine grinned and patted him on the shoulder as he walked by. "I'd give her time to cool off, first," he advised. "She packs one hell of a punch when she's angry."

A small chuckle escaped Squall's lips. "Yeah… Just ask Laguna and his stomach."

Laguna stood with Ellone on the landing deck of the Esthar Airstation, fidgeting nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kylah and Irvine standing together, deep in conversation. He figured that they were discussing the particulars of this trip to Deling City, and wanted to stay out of their way. Besides, he had other things on his mind.

They were waiting for Squall's return from Balamb Garden in the Ragnarok with his daughter, Cassidy. Laguna had mixed feelings about the impending arrival of Cassidy: excitement, and sheer terror.

"Do you think she'll like me?" he asked Ellone, shifting his weight back and forth nervously.

Ellone rested a comforting hand on his back. "I've yet to meet a small child that didn't like you. You're like a big kid yourself. She'll adore you."

"I hope you're right," Laguna said, anxiously. A gentle breeze picked up on the landing pad, and he reached up absently to brush his hair out of his face. He didn't recall having been this nervous since the first time that he met Squall. She's a kid, he told himself. Give her some ice cream, and she'll be thrilled with you.

But would it really be that easy?

"There they are!" Ellone cried, happily, pointing to the rapidly approaching Ragnarok.

Laguna took a deep, bracing breath. C'mon, Loire, get it together. You've spoken to her once. This won't be nearly as hard as you think it will be. Then again, there's a big difference between a videophone and real, live flesh. What if she hates me? Oh, Hyne, I hope not. I don't think I could handle it if my only grandchild hated me. Grandchild! Can I keep up with a grandchild? I'm not as young as I used to be…

He probably would have continued this internal monologue indefinitely if the Ragnarok hadn't landed. He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the closed door to the ship. Butterflies kicked up in his stomach as the door slid open. Seconds later, Squall appeared, strolling down the ramp with a small, dark-haired girl alongside him, chattering a thousand miles a minute.

"And then this bite bug came up, and Ma Dincht hit it, but it FARTED on her! Daddy, it really FARTED on her! And we ran and ran back to Balamb, and then—" Cassidy interrupted herself when she caught sight of a familiar face across the landing pad. "Ellone!" she squealed, and ran across the pad to her aunt's waiting arms.

Ellone grinned, squatted down, and met Cassidy with a hug. "Goodness you've grown," she said, hugging her niece tightly.

Cass grinned at her. "Matron says that I grow like a weed! That must be really fast, because she's always saying that my clothes don't fit anymore." Cass looked around, and looked up at Laguna, who was standing and grinning at her affectionately. She grinned up at him. "Mr. President Laguna!" she said. "I talked to you on the phone!"

Laguna squatted in front of her, smiled, and nodded. "You sure did," he said. "And now I'm glad I get to see you in person."

Squall silently stood by and watched their exchange with amusement. He desperately wanted to speak with Kylah, who he had seen across the landing pad, before she left, but he wouldn't miss this for the world.

"Me too!" Cass enthused. She grew quiet for a moment, looking him over. "My daddy told me something funny about you," she said, for the first time in her life looking a little shy.

Still smiling warmly, Laguna tilted his head and shot Squall a brief, questioning look. "What did he tell you?" he asked, cautiously.

Cass hesitated, looked up at him, then blurted it all out in one rush. "Mydaddysaidthatyou'rehisdaddyandthatbecauseyou'rehisdaddythenyou'remygrandpa."

Laguna's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes briefly rose to meet Squall's. The younger man smiled slightly, and nodded just a bit. A grateful smile entered Laguna's eyes, and he turned his attention back to Cass. Clearing emotion out of his throat, he nodded. "Yeah, your daddy is right. I am his daddy," he said. He knew that there were still a lot of things to be worked out between he and Squall, but his son had just given him one of the greatest gifts he could.

Cass gazed at him for a moment, giving that careful consideration. And then, a wide grin spread over her small face and she launched herself at him, throwing her small arms around his neck in a tight hug. Laguna looked momentarily startled, then with a smile, tightly returned the hug.

Ellone smiled at the duo, then stepped over to Squall. "That was a kind thing that you did for Laguna," she said, grinning up at him.

Squall watched his daughter with his father. "I may still have my issues to work out with him, but I didn't see any reason to rob the two of them of a chance to get to know each other," he admitted. "I think Laguna has been robbed of enough in his lifetime." His eyes came to rest on Kylah, who was obviously in final preparations with Irvine to leave. "I'll be right back," he said. "There's something else I need to make right."

He caught her by the arm just as she was starting to walk up the walkway. Irvine breezed past them, and grinned at Squall. "See you when we get back, man," he said, and walked up the walkway, whistling.

"I need to talk to you before you go," Squall said to Kylah, refusing to let go of her arm.

She sighed, and looked up at him, her eyes full of hurt and annoyance. "I need to be going," she replied, coolly.

"Then I'll make it fast," he said, still refusing to let her go until he spoke his peace. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I was wrong to question your ability to handle this mission." He sighed, and looked down. "I'm not used to being with a woman who is so independent and capable. I'll need to adjust," he finished, giving her a pleading look.

Kylah sighed, and looked up at him. "I won't pretend that it didn't hurt," she said, "but I kinda understand." She smiled, slightly. "Just don't let it happen again, Leonheart."

"You be careful out there," he said, running a finger along her cheek. "I know you can handle yourself but still… be careful."

Rapidly softening, she smiled back up at him. "I will. And I'll be back soon." Then, standing on tiptoe, she brought her lips up to his in a kiss that he fervently returned.

"Wooooooooooo!" called a small, childlike voice from across the landing pad. "Daddy's kissing Miss Kylah!"

The duo broke apart and looked across the landing pad with flushed cheeks. Cass was grinning broadly at them, while Laguna and Ellone both chuckled with amusement.

"I'll be going now," Kylah said, her cheeks crimson with embarrassment. "I'll catch you when I get back." And with that, she disappeared into the ship.

Red-faced, Squall strolled back over to his family so that the ship could take off. "Daddy, did you like kissing Kylah?" Cassidy asked, a knowing look on her impish face.

Squall flushed even more, and pointedly ignored the question. "Let's go see about finding some ice cream," he said, gruffly.

Laughing, Laguna scooped the giggling Cassidy up and started to walk toward the transport to the palace. "I think that can be arranged."

"That looks like a good landing spot over there," Irvine said, pointing to the edge of a forest near Deling City. Smoothly, he began the descent toward the ground.

"Where'd you learn to fly this thing so well?" Kylah asked, leaning over his shoulder to watch their landing through the front windows.

"Selphie taught me," he replied, easing down for the final approach. "She flies it amazingly well. And loves doing it."

"So I've heard," Kylah grinned. By this time they had safely come to a stop. "Let's go," she said, grabbing a knapsack from a nearby chair. "We've got a little walking to do."

They exited the Ragnarok, and started in the direction of Deling City. "Hold on a sec," Irvine said, pausing to turn around and look at the ship. He retrieved a remote from his pocket, and clicked a button. The walkway retracted, sealing the ship up securely. Another button, and it vanished completely.

Kylah raised an eyebrow. "Cloaking technology? Nice."

"The entire city of Esthar used to be surrounded by this stuff. It was easy enough to install on the Ragnarok," Irvine replied, grinning, and flipping the remote in the air before returning it to his pocket.

They chatted amiably as they walked along, talking about casual things such as Selphie. He tried hard, but Irvine was unsuccessful in weaseling out of Kylah many details of the relationship that she and Squall were developing. They purposefully kept the conversation inconsequential, just in case someone were to overhear them.

"I haven't been to see my parents in a while," Kylah said, shooting Irvine a pointed look, as they passed the Galbadia Hotel. "I think I'd like to go visit them."

Irvine took the hint, and began walking in the direction of the ritzier section of Deling City. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the Deraldi manse. "Let's get this over with," Kylah said, ringing the bell. A moment later, the butler came to the door.

"Miss Deraldi!" he said, sounding quite surprised to see her.

"I need to speak with my father," she said without preamble. "It's urgent."

"Of course, Miss Deraldi," he said, still looking startled. "Right this way."

Irvine whistled softly as they were ushered through the house. "Nice digs," he commented. "Why was it that you abandoned this place in favor of Garden?"

Kylah shot him a look as they followed the butler into her father's study. As they stepped into the room, Ambassador Deraldi looked up, shocked to see his daughter, and dropped the book he was holding. "Kylah!" he cried, standing to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

Irvine closed the door behind them. "We need to talk," Kylah said, stepping over to her father's desk. "Esthar was not behind that attack, and you know it as well as I do."

Ambassador Deraldi eyed her warily. "You're still working for them, aren't you?" he asked. His gaze slipped briefly over Irvine. "You had the nerve to come all the way here with your boyfriend to defend them after what happened?"

Kylah and Irvine exchanged an amused look. "For starters," Kylah began, fighting a laugh, "Irvine Kinneas is NOT my boyfriend. That would be entirely too much like dating my brother." She paused and shuddered briefly. "Secondly, I'll be the first to admit that I'm under the employ of Esthar for the moment. I'm here because President Loire has asked us to diffuse this situation and clear his name with Galbadia. And I will not leave until I've achieved that objective."

Her father shot her an icy look. "Give me one good reason why I should listen to you, Kylah? You have no loyalties. Or, rather, I should say that your loyalties go to the highest bidder. You and your kind will do anything and defend anyone as long as you're on their payroll."

Irvine's eyebrow raised. "Now wait just a damn minute there—" he began, but was cut off by Kylah's silencing hand.

Coolly, she stepped up to her father, and looked him unwaveringly in the eye. "You may not approve of the life that I lead, but this is the life that I've chosen for myself. I'm not just here because President Loire is paying me to deal with this situation; I'm here because I believe in him, and I've promised him my loyalty. It's personal, not just professional." She paused, reached her hand into her jacket, and pulled out a video disk. She held it up for him, and continued. "You see this? It's the recorded confession of two former members of an insurgent group called Punishment Syndicate, admitting to having a hand in the attack."

Her gaze darkened as she lifted her chin. "Whatever has happened between you and me, I have never lied to you. And I never will."

Irvine watched this exchange from the vantage point of leaning against a nearby wall. His eyes reflected admiration as Kylah defended her position, and offered her father proof. Her cards were on the table, and the move was in his court. Irvine could see the old man battle momentarily with indecisiveness, struggling between years of disdain and new respect. Finally, he sighed with defeat.

"Let's go see President Caraway," he said. "If there is a problem like this, he needs to know about it."

"I need to know about what?" a voice said from the door. Kylah and Irvine both turned around to find Caraway standing in the door, surveying the scene. His gaze came to rest on both Kylah and Irvine, and his gaze hardened. "SeeD. What are you doing here?"

Again, Kylah and Irvine exchanged a look. "Hey, Mr. President," Irvine drawled casually. "Long time, no see."

Kylah fought a grin as President Caraway shot him a disdainful look, then turned his attention to Kylah. "Miss Deraldi," he said. "To what do we owe this pleasure."

"Mr. President," she greeted. Bypassing any other formalities, she held out the videodisk. "I have in my hand the recorded confession of two members of an insurgent group known as Punishment Syndicate. In this confession, these two admit to their group's involvement in the attack that occurred during the planned signing of the peace treaty between your country and Esthar, and even go so far as to name the group's leader."

"Mr. President," she continued, "this is conclusive proof that Esthar was not behind that attack. President Loire is still very interested in signing that peace treaty. He firmly believes that if this world is going to progress, then we all need to lay aside our differences for the common good. He sincerely hopes that you share that belief."

You could have heard a pin drop in the room. The silence was absolutely deafening as Kylah and the President stared one another down, each daring the other to back down. Finally, President Caraway began to chuckle, a deep, amused chuckle from the deepest part of his belly. "I will give you this much, Miss Deraldi; you have pluck. There is truly nothing that frightens you, is there?"

Briefly, Kylah's mind drifted back to an image of Squall lying still and silent in the hospital bed in Esthar. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that, sir," she admitted. "I'm human, just like everyone else."

Smiling, he took the videodisk from her. "I'll review this," he promised. "If everything checks out exactly as you described, then you can go back to Esthar and inform President Loire that I will be in touch to reschedule—"

"Mr. President! Mr. President!"

They were interrupted as the Deraldi's butler came rushing into the room, out of breath. "Mr. President! Ambassador! The house is under attack!"

"What!" cried every other person in the room. He had everyone's full and undivided attention.

The butler paused, his hands braced on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. "The house, sir," he said, addressing President Caraway. "I guess someone saw you come to see Ambassador Deraldi, sir. We're under attack! The house is completely surrounded, and the perpetrators are on the verge of getting in, sir."

At that moment, they could hear a thundering crash from down the hall, signaling that the front door had indeed been broken in.

"We gotta boogie," Irvine said, shooting a quick glance around the room for an escape.

"This used to be my house," President Caraway spoke up, "before I took office. There's an escape passage behind that statue."

"Wait!" Ambassador Deraldi interrupted. "My wife!"

Kylah froze in mid stride to the statue, and turned to look at her father. He was right; they couldn't leave her mother behind. After a split second of indecision, she spun around to look at Irvine.

"Go," she said, pointing to the statue.

"What!" he said. "K, have you lost your mind?"

"No, I haven't," she replied, calmly. "Someone needs to stay and protect the President and the Ambassador and his wife. You're too easily recognized. Slip out, and take the Ragnarok back to Esthar. Bring backup. I'll stay here."

Before Irvine could protest, Kylah had the door to the passage open. "Kinneas," she began, and then paused and cringed when a loud bang sounded on the door to the study. "Irvine, I'm not asking you this as your friend; I'm giving you an order as the commander of this mission. Now go!"

Irvine sighed and dashed to the door. "You are the single most stubborn woman I've ever met," he said as he passed through the door. "I'll be back. Be careful, or Squall will kill me for leaving you behind."

The door to the passage slid shut just as the door to the study banged open. Kylah spun on her heel to face the smoking wreck of the door, and silently prayed that Irvine managed to make it out. Carefully, she stepped over to stand between her father and President Caraway. "I'm not a SeeD," she said under her breath, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "I'm just the Ambassador's daughter."

As the dust settled, a tall younger man strode arrogantly into the room. He had short, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a long, pale-grey coat, and had a gunblade slung casually over one shoulder. His eyes rested first on the frightened butler, who obviously amused him. The man chuckled, then kicked the butler, sending him flying into a nearby bookshelf. He then looked at the Ambassador. "Ambassador Deraldi," he said with mock respect. His gaze drifted over Kylah, looking her up and down in a way that made her decidedly uncomfortable. Finally, he looked up at President Caraway, and grinned. "Mr. President," he drawled, grinning darkly. "It's been a long time."

"I'm afraid—" Caraway began, but was cut off.

"You don't remember me? Awww… That's too bad. I dated your daughter for a while, several years ago. Since you're obviously having memory troubles, let me refresh it for you." He flashed a dark grin, and slammed his gunblade into the floor. "My name is Seifer Almsay. Pleased to meet you all."