Chapter 23 – Wrapping it All Up

A soft moan escaped Squall's lips as he began to regain consciousness. Screwing his eyes more tightly shut, he threw his arm up over his eyes. Who would have thought that light could cause that much pain?

With great effort, he finally managed to pull his arms away and open his eyes just a little. He found himself lying comfortably in a hospital bed in a brightly lit room. Kylah was perched on the end of his bed, legs crossed and dangling over the edge of it. She was filthy dirty, banged up, her hair was in absolute disarray, and yet she still wore an absolutely smug and satisfied grin as she watched him.

He managed to return the smile. His face, remarkably, was one area of his body that didn't hurt. "You look like the cat that ate the canary," he remarked, looking up at her.

Kylah's grin broadened. "Well, not really," she replied, leaning over to plant a kiss firmly on his lips. "But I watched it get devoured."

Squall started to ask her what she was talking about, when the memories of his last moments before unconsciousness flooded his mind. Struggling to sit up, he looked at her urgently. "Laguna…?" was all he dared to ask.

"Over here," a drowsy-sounding voice called from the other side of the room. Squall turned his head, looked across the room, and found Laguna stretched out in another bed. He was shirtless, bandaged from one shoulder to the opposite side, and slightly glassy-eyed from painkillers. "I think I was trampled by a behemoth," he said, gazing contemplatively at the ceiling. "Maybe a ruby dragon."

Kylah chuckled, slid off of Squall's bed, and stepped over to look down at the president of Esthar. "That," she said, poking him lightly on his uninjured shoulder, "was reckless, careless, inconsiderate…" she paused, and then smiled. "…And incredibly brave. But what possessed you to rush out there and fire a gun that hadn't been used in over twenty years? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

Sheepishly, Laguna grinned up at her. "I couldn't let you guys have all the fun," he replied, boyishly.

Laughing, Kylah shook her head. "Kiros said to tell you that he rejected your resignation, by the way."

"Ah well," Laguna said, settling more comfortably into his bed. "At least I'll get a vacation out of this mess," he added, pointing to his dressings.

"The last thing I remember is Seifer getting ready to strike us down," Squall interjected, a contemplative look on his face. "What happened after that? How did we get here?"

Scrunching her dirty nose, Kylah flopped down in a chair between their beds and propped her feet up on the end of Squall's bed. "I'm not exactly sure, to tell you the truth," she began, looking thoughtful. "I saw Seifer start to run at you, and I remember fighting as hard as I could to get over and help you. But then something strange happened…"

She closed her eyes, wanting to remember every detail of the scene. "Just before you both collapsed, you developed blue auras around you. The auras then began to form bolts of blue energy that began to arc between you. The energy formed what looked like a giant flower on the verge of blooming, but when it opened it formed what looked like a woman."

Her eyes opened, and she looked back and forth between the two men who now looked at her with nearly-identical, astonished, intent expressions. "She was gorgeous, with white skin and pale blue armor. She had long, dark hair that fell halfway down her back. And she had a sword that had a blade that looked like pure crystal. She paused, looked at each of you, smiled, then turned to Seifer." Kylah paused for dramatic effect. "And nailed him with the sword."

"Woah…" Laguna breathed, stunned.

"A GF?" Squall asked.

Kylah shrugged. "I would say so, though I'm not sure what. She looked very nearly like Shiva with the blue and white, but not quite." She stopped and looked back and forth between them for a moment. "It almost seemed as if she was born from the connection between the two of you. And she seemed very fond of you both."

Squall glanced at Laguna, remembering the brief moment of connection on the battlefield before all had gone black. "Could be…" he mumbled, looking away.

Laguna looked at him for a moment, but decided not to press the issue. "Was Seifer killed?" he asked, cautiously.

"Almost, but no," Kylah replied. "He'll be receiving medical treatment at the local mental health facilities. He'll be locked away for a very, very long time." She looked at Squall, and saw relief flood through his eyes. Finally, no more looking over his shoulder.

"With their leader gone, Punishment Syndicate and the Galbadian army turned tail and fled. They should be nearly back to Deling City by now. President Caraway and Ambassador Deraldi have gone back to greet them, and restore order to Galbadia. But," she added, looking at Laguna, "President Caraway wanted me to be sure to tell you that he fully intends to return next week to sign that treaty, just as was intended."

Laguna smiled, looking satisfied. "Alls well that ends well, I guess," he said, settling back in his bed. Kylah noticed that, now that he knew what had happened while he was out, the president was beginning to look a bit drowsy.

When Squall yawned too, Kylah stood, stretched, and leaned over to kiss him gently. "I'm heading down to go to bed," she said, softly. It's the middle of the night, and everyone else has been out for hours."

Sleepily, Squall nodded. "See you in the morning," he murmured, allowing the effects of painkillers to overtake him.

Peering out from under his blankets, Laguna looked up at her. "Don't I get a goodnight kiss too?" he asked, devilishly. "And maybe a bedtime story..."

Squall glared at his father, and Kylah laughed with amusement. "Go to sleep," she chided. "I'll see you both in the morning."

One week later…

"Well, sir, with the signing of the treaty, that ends your contract with SeeD."

Kylah stood, straight and tall in Laguna's office, looking trim and professional in her SeeD uniform. President Caraway and Ambassador Deraldi had just left the office to return to their suites for a brief rest before being taken out for a tour of the city. They both felt that a few days of rest were in order, and were very interested in getting a better look at the impressive city of Esthar. Laguna was more than willing to accommodate them. Squall had announced yesterday that he was taking a much-needed vacation, and would be spending the next few weeks in Esthar. At that moment, he and Ellone were spending some time with Cassidy at a nearby aquarium. Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, and Zell had all returned to Balamb Garden days before, and had all likely been sent out on new missions by now.

Laguna folded his arms over his chest, winced, and settled for resting his palms on the top of his desk and leaning back against the front of it. The wound on his chest, while much better than it had been, was still very tender. "I guess that does wrap things up," he observed, gazing thoughtfully at the redhead. "So, what's next on your agenda?"

She shrugged carelessly. "I suppose I'll go down, pack my bags, and return to Garden. Wait for the next assignment to come up."

The president stared at her as if searching for something. "Do you ever get tired of it? That lifestyle, I mean."

Surprised by the question, she cocked her head slightly and gazed at him for a moment. Did she? "I suppose that I'd be lying if I said that I didn't. It does get a bit old from time to time."

"Ever thought about changing careers?"

She eyed Laguna warily. "I hadn't really thought about it…" she replied, cautiously.

He grinned at her, stood straight, then walked around the desk to sit at it. "One of the reasons that I sent for SeeD is because I'm currently without a Minister of Foreign Relations," he said, picking up a pen and beginning to idly toy with some paperwork. "I liked the way you handled yourself in those negotiations. Would you be interested in the job? It pays well…" he added, sliding a piece of paper across the desk with a figure on it.

Stunned, Kylah could only stare at him for a few astonished moments. "Whaaa?" she finally managed to ask, not quite sure if she'd heard him right.

"You heard me," he said, pointing to the paper.

With slightly trembling hands, Kylah picked up the paper. The figure on it forced her to grope behind her for a chair. Her SeeD salary couldn't touch it.

"Well?" Laguna prodded, looking over at her expectantly.

For a long, silent moment, Kylah weighed her options. In truth, this was the kind of job that she would love. A full-time ambassador, with an astronomical salary. But…

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't take it," she finally said, looking up at him.

Disappointment fell over Laguna's face. "Can I ask why not?"

Briefly, Squall's face passed through her mind. "As much as I'd love the opportunity," she replied, placing the paper back on the desk, "and as much as I'd like working with you… it's just not worth what I'd have to leave behind at Garden." Or who…

"Ah well," Laguna shrugged. "You can't blame me for trying."

"I do appreciate the offer," she said, standing to leave. It nearly killed her to walk away from that job offer.

"If you ever change your mind," Laguna said, smiling at her, "the job is yours."

"I'll remember that," Kylah responded, returning the smile. And then, without further word, she left the room before she could change her mind.

"I think I liked the manatees best," Cassidy said decisively as she walked along the corridor with her father. They had just left Ellone at her own suite, and were now headed in the direction of Kylah's suite.

"Did you now?" Squall asked, amusement on his face as he looked down at the energetic, dark-haired girl.

"Yep!" she said. "They were soooo funny! Can we go show this to Miss Kylah?" she asked, holding up the stuffed manatee that Ellone had bought for her.

"Sure," he replied, anxious himself to see the redhead before she left. He paused and looked down at his daughter again. "You like Kylah, don't you?"

Cass nodded enthusiastically. "She's funny, and really nice! I like her a lot!"

"Would you like it if we kept her around?" he asked, choosing the words he spoke to his young daughter carefully.

The girl's green eyes widened. "Are you gonna marry her, daddy?" she squealed, delighted.

Squall stopped short and looked down at her. "It's a bit early to think about that, squirt. But I think she will be around for quite a while."

By now they had reached the door to Kylah's suite. Squall opened the door and Cass rushed in at top speed. "Kyyyyyyylaaaaaaahhhhhh," she called, running through the suite. Spying the open door, the little girl ran into the bedroom where Kylah was packing up her belongings to head home. "Look what Aunt Elle got me at the 'quarium!"

Squall entered the room to find Cassidy bouncing on the bed, peppering Kylah with tales of their adventures of the afternoon. Kylah listened attentively as she folded her clothes into a suitcase, delight and amusement reflecting in her blue eyes. Squall crossed the room, slid up behind her, and slipped his arms around her in a brief embrace. "You heading back to Balamb already?" he asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

Kylah turned and looked up at him. "Of course," she replied. "My mission is over." She pulled away to continue packing her clothes. "How long will your vacation last? When will you be coming back?"

He hesitated. "I wanted to talk to you about that," he began. Quickly, he glanced over at his daughter. "Cass, go in the next room and watch TV for a bit," he said.

"But there's a TV in here!" she cried, pointing.

"Scoot," he replied, firmly, pointing at the door. "I need to talk to Kylah for a minute."

"Aw, man!" Cass grumbled as she hopped down and stalked out of the room. "I always miss the good stuff…"

Squall chuckled as he watched her leave, then sat on the bed and looked up at Kylah. "I've been talking to Laguna, and he made a request of me and of Cid. Cid and I have talked it over for the past couple of days, and it's going to become a reality." He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm going to stay here, and oversee the construction of an Esthar Garden, then stick around to be the headmaster."

Kylah stood and stared at him for a moment, blinking in surprise. Conflicting emotions coursed through her. On one hand, she was happy and excited for both Squall and Laguna. But on the other hand… "What about me?" she asked, hurt flickering through her eyes. "I thought we would be together, at Balamb," she turned away.

A slight look of confusion passed over Squall's face. "Well, now I'm a little confused," he replied. "Laguna said that he'd take care of that and talk to you about it. He said that he had a way for you to be here, too."

She froze, realization dawning on her face. "That sneaky…" she finally managed to say. Grinning broadly, she whirled around and planted a thorough, passionate kiss on Squall's startled lips. "I'll be right back," she promised, and then dashed out of the room and out of the suite before he had a chance to respond.

Just after Kylah left, Cass crept back into the room. Climbing up into her father's lap, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "She's gonna stay," she assured him, leaning against his shoulder. "Grandpa 'Guna will talk her into it."

Kylah stepped purposefully into Laguna's office, stopping just inside the door and folding her arms

over her chest. "You sneaky old man," she said, eyeing him sharply.

He didn't look up from the paperwork on his desk, and smiled triumphantly. After a moment he forced the smile from his face and looked up at the redhead innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, eyes wide.

"Nice try," she replied. She crossed the room and perched on his desk. "Why didn't you tell me that Squall was staying here?"

Laguna grinned boyishly up at her. "I guess this means that you changed your mind about the job?"

She shot him a withering look. "Okay, you have my curiosity up," she said. "I can understand why you'd want Squall here. But why try so hard to get me here, too?"

"A couple of reasons," Laguna replied, smiling. "For starters, I knew that there was no way that Squall would come without you. You were the clincher on that deal."

Kylah rolled her eyes. "Glad I could be of help," she said, sarcastically.

"The second reason," he continued, ignoring her comment, "is more complicated." He paused, the smile vanishing from his face. Rising to his feet, he walked over to the window and gazed out over Esthar, an affectionate look on his face. "I'm the president here now because twenty-three years ago, the Sorceress Adel was looking for a successor. I don't exactly agree with her methods, but I am starting to see the logic in her decision." He paused for just a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm not as young as I used to be, and one day I'm going to want to retire. I want to know that, when I do, Esthar is in good hands."

You could have knocked Kylah over with a feather. "Are you saying...?" she dared to ask.

Laguna turned from the window. "If you take this job, Kylah, I'm going to start grooming you for my job one day."

Kylah stared at him for a minute. "I need a drink," she finally managed to say.

"I want you to know the responsibility you'd be accepting up front," Laguna continued. "But that is my intention."

After a moment, Kylah found her breath. "But why me?" she forced herself to ask.

Shoving his hands in his pocket, Laguna smiled at her. "Because I've seen you in action. You're brave, courageous, and you don't let people walk all over you. You stand up for what you believe in. And you have people skills that astound even me." He paused. "You can do the job, Kylah, and I'd feel comfortable leaving Esthar with you one day."

"But what about Squall?" she asked. "He's your son. Shouldn't he be your…heir?"

Now Laguna outright laughed. "Can you really picture Squall doing the political thing? He'd go nuts inside of a week."

A grin spread over Kylah's face at the very thought. "Yeah, he would," she admitted. Silence filled the room as she pondered Laguna's offer. "How long of a 'grooming' period are we looking at?" she finally dared to ask.

Laguna only shrugged. "I have no idea. Years, probably. This is a one-day, down the road kinda thing. I like my job, and I don't intend to leave it for quite a while…even if I did try to resign last week," he added, sheepishly.

She absorbed that for a moment. She considered her options, weighed the consequences. She thought about Squall, and tried to imagine being in Balamb, away from him and from Cassidy. Finally she stood, crossed the room to Laguna, and held out her hand to him. "Mr. President," she said, grinning. "You've got a deal."

Fin

Author's Note: This is the end of this story, but not the entire story. Keep an eye out for the sequel to this one, to be titled "New Beginnings."