Author's Note: See look what happens when you drop me reviews speedy updates, yay! Sorry, that wasn't sarcastic I am a geek. So anyway. So this is a touch shorter than the previous chapters but I needed to stop it where I was... just because. Don't question I promise you I am good at pretending I know what I am doing. Another great beta-ing job by my friend Jesse Static. If I haven't previously mentioned she is my beta, yes even beta's need betas... And she rocks my socks off. And if you want to read a good story read, (now you are all expectinga Jesse Static plug/pitch here but she doesn't really write anymore which makes me sad), Dead Rose by yours truly. (Yeah that is a shameless self plug but hey this is my author's note!) Anyway even if you hate Final Fantasy VII fics or Rude/Elena stuff read it anyway because I am particularly proud of it. Okay off the shameless self-promotion and onto the story. Please drop me a review, all I need is a "Good Job, Carie." I am a feedback whore so... That's all. On with the show. Oh wait, one more thing the movie itself if you have no idea what it is, Love with the Proper Stranger 1963, Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, I am sure most of you have no idea who they are but it'sgood stuff, look it up. If you like this story, obviously you will like the movie... Okay sorry, I'll shut up now and stop promoting things.
Disclaimer: The plot isn't mine, neither are the characters. But the words in-between are mine so.
Chapter 4
It grew darker the deeper they ventured into the slums. Whether it was from the lateness of the day or the amount of buildings now blocking the sun, neither bothered to question. This was the part of the slums no respectable person would go, not even sanitation workers, so trash lined the streets. The smell was potent, no doubt making even the rats sick. Rarely did the crumbling buildings here have windows, but rather ply wood. With each step Rinoa took, she began to shake harder. Squall wrapped a reassuring arm around her, pulling her close, not knowing who he was trying to reassure.
The building they were scheduled to meet their doctor at was no different from the rest. He wasn't sure if brink could rot, but was sure these ones were. Rinoa sat down on the steps while Squall waited on the sidewalk smoking. He looked at his watch, they were late.
Squall recognized the figures of Biggs and a much smaller man shuffling toward him. The older, shorter man stopped before Squall and looked over him.
"Iz zis Leonhart?" the old man asked Biggs.
"Yeah, that's him," Biggs replied, leaning against a near by post. The old man looked around and spotted Rinoa on the stairs and walked over to inspect her.
"Pretty thing. I am Dr. Odine," the old man said to Rinoa. "Shall we begin?" He offered a hand to help Rinoa up.
"Not yet," Biggs said pushing off his post and walking to Squall. "Money," he demanded. Squall glared at the man before him and reached into his pocket, slapping his parent's gil into his hand.
"Now we can begin," Biggs said, pocketing the money. Dr. Odine led Rinoa into the disgusting looking house. They stopped into what looked like to be an old kitchen.
"You can go in zere and remove your clothes," Odine instructed to a door on the other side of the room. Rinoa slowly began for the door, she turned to Squall. Her face was pale and he could see she was crying. Squall smiled reassuringly to her as she entered the room. Odine pushed her lightly into the room and closed the door.
Rinoa leaned against the wall and watched as the supposed doctor set down his bag on the ground. First he produced a grimy towel, old blood spotted it, and set it on the dirt and debris covered floor. Then remove a set of gloves that thankfully looked unused and some instruments she didn't recognize.
"Get undressed miss and we can get started," he said. Rinoa let out a sob.
--
Biggs pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Squall, who refused. Something in his gut didn't feel right about this. The area, the building, the strange old man, more importantly, the way Rinoa looked at him before going into the room. No, he thought, this was a bad idea; he quickly walked to the door.
"Hey, you can't go in there," Biggs said, grabbing onto Squall's arm. He roughly pulled away from the other man and shoved the door open. Rinoa was hunched in the corner, crying, Odine trying to get her up.
"Get away from her," Squall yelled, picking up the man and tossing him easily to the side. While Biggs was checking on his associate, Squall knelt down, letting Rinoa know it was him and she allowed him to help her up. Quickly, Squall led Rinoa from the building and out of the slum area. What did Biggs and Odine care, they had the money.
--
When Squall reached a main street he called for a taxi. He carefully helped Rinoa into the back before sliding in next to her. Instantly she curled up into him and began to sob. Squall held her closer and told the driver to just drive. Definitely the last time he uses a name given to him by Irvine. He felt Rinoa's tears soak through his shirt. What were they going to do now? There was no way he could take her back to her house, and he didn't have anywhere to take her. But they needed to head somewhere.
"I can't just drive you around all night, pal," the driver said, looking as Squall through the rear view mirror.
"Take me to Elm and West 22nd Street," Squall said. He peered down at Rinoa, who had cried herself to sleep in his arms.
When they arrived at their destination, Squall tossed whatever money he had left at the driver and picked up Rinoa. He looked up at the dark building and carried her inside. Skillfully he reached into his pocket and produced a key and opened the front door. It was a surprise to Squall how light Rinoa was as he carried her up the stairs. He carefully opened the apartment door and set her down on the bed, before removing her coat and shoes. Gently, he tucked her under the sheets. She whimpered slightly as he moved from her.
"Don't leave," she whispered. Squall only nodded and climbed into the bed with her. She instantly clutched onto him like a child would a prized stuffed animal.
He did not sleep the entire night, only laid next to her, thinking. What was he going to do now? There was no way he could afford to take her to some clinic now. Even so, he couldn't risk it, no matter how careful they were, things like this always had a way of leaking out.
Squall sat contemplating his next move; weighing the pros and cons of each. When the sun finally rose the next morning he knew what he had to do. It was about eight in the morning by the time he gained enough courage to face his responsibility. He took one last look at Rinoa, who at last was sleeping peacefully and left, hoping to be back before she woke up.
It was ten in the morning when Rinoa finally awoke. She stretched herself out before looking around the strange apartment.
"Squall?" she called, but there was nothing. She wondered where he had gone and if he'd be back. She knew he would, he didn't seem like the type that would do that. As she looked around, she wondered if it was his apartment, it was very girly if it was. The floral blankets and pink tint to just about everything. Nope, she finally decided, there was no way this was Squall's. Then whose was it?
--
Quistis tiredly climbed out of the taxi and handed the driver his fare. She couldn't wait to get inside and take a long hot bath. With that thought, Quistis found more energy and climbed the stairs to her apartment hastily. Upon entering she knew something was wrong, the bed had been slept in and she could hear the radio playing in the bathroom. Angrily, she shoved opened the bathroom door, causing the person in there to scream. The brunette quickly grabbed a towel and covered herself.
"Who the hell are you?" Quistis asked the intruder. From the look of the girl she was no threat.
"I'm Rinoa, Squall brought me here," Rinoa said, her heart racing.
"Squall? Why of all the-"
--
A silver sports car pulled up outside of the apartment building. A blond man climbed out, the traces of a scowl still present on his face. The passenger side door opened and Squall climbed out. His once unblemished face now pale and scarred with a long cut leading vertically down from his forehead to just below his nose. He touched it with a pained look on his face. The bleeding had stopped not long ago but the pain was still searing through his skull. He knew he deserved some phsyical pain for what he did, but this seemed a bit extreme. The blond man glared at the shorter brunette and climbed the stairs to the front of the building and waited to be allowed in. Squall grumbled and followed the path Seifer had taken.
--
The door to the apartment pushed opened to reveal Quistis standing there, burning holes with her eyes into anyone who dare cross their path. It was only quarter passed eleven and Squall was having a bad day.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Squall asked, walking into the room, followed by Seifer.
"I live here. Now what are you doing here. More importantly why is she here?" Quistis asked, pointing the closed bathroom door. Squall looked to the door then back to an aggravated Quistis.
"It's a long, complicated story," he explained.
"I have all the time in the world," she challenged.
Before Squall could get out another word, the bathroom door opened and Rinoa appeared.
"Oh your back. What happened to your- Seifer," she exclaimed noticing her brother behind Squall.
"Me and Squall here had a nice long chat," Seifer said, moving next to and patting Squall on the back.
"Looks like you did more than talk," Rinoa commented, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Will someone please explain to me what's going on here?" Quistis asked still fuming.
"Go make some coffee will you," Squall requested turning to her.
Quistis let out an indignant squeal. "I will not be ordered around in my own-"
"Yeah, yeah we get it you pay rent here. Shut up," Seifer commented. Quistis let out another squeal and moved into her kitchen. Seifer turned back to Rinoa.
"Squall and me had a nice chat and he's willing to make an honest woman outta ya," Seifer said.
Rinoa's eyebrows shot up in curiosity, "Why?"
"Whatta mean why?"
"No, it's not the way he put it," Squall told her. Then added over his shoulder, in a mumbled, "the idiot."
"Who you calling an idiot, you son of a bitch. I'll cut the other side of your face," Seifer yelled, getting in Squall's face.
"Shut up," Squall said, shoving the taller man out of his way. He walked over to Rinoa. "I made a mistake and I am willing to pay the price."
"Oh, is that it? I'm a punishment now?" Rinoa said getting angry pushing past Squall and going to the door.
"No, that's not-"
"Who's the idiot now?" Seifer muttered under his breath, loud enough for Squall to hear. "Listen, Rinoa calm down here. This sounds stupid coming from us, but he's willing to do right by you."
"Well I don't want him to," she said, turning to face her brother and Squall.
"What?" both men asked at the same time.
"I don't want to marry him," Squall looked visibly hurt by her words. "Oh don't look his pride is hurt. I don't want you to marry me out of obligation. I want you to because you want to," she said to Squall.
"Okay fine, I want to marry you, Rinoa," he said almost sincerely.
"Answer me honestly, if I agreed your nose would fall off," she said, Squall's eyes dropped to the floor. "I don't want to feel like a prison guard my whole life."
"What are you talking about Rinoa?" Seifer asked.
"He doesn't want to marry me it's not fair to force him to. He'd be unhappy, then I'd be unhappy and the baby would be unhappy and we'd be a group of unhappy people," Rinoa said turning back to the door. She reached for the handle then stopped and turned back toward the kitchen, to where Quistis stood in the doorway.
"Thank you, Quistis for letting me stay here," she said before leaving the room.
"Anytime," Quistis called after her. Both men stood there dumb founded, watching Rinoa leave.
"That went well," Seifer said with a bitter chuckle.
"She's your sister," Squall replied. Seifer turned and glared at the man.
"I like her," Quistis said from the kitchen doorway before turning back to finish the coffee.