Copyright:Ok, and here we go. Dont own ff8, or the characters. i dont own the lyrics either. they are from the songs "4am forever' written by ian watkins (yum) and sung by the lost prophets, and "miracles happen" by Myra. as i have said before i once owned squall but he ran away with the spoon. if u see that damn spoon tell her her days are numbered!

Note:Ok chapter 4 of 5. were almost done.. thanks to the usual, anyone who read and my good friend hannah (lol shes read all the chapters so far) Warning this is a little sad. But you dont get noone more of a squinoa fan than I. so keep reading you may like the ending...

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...Outside the room stood a row of four thugs, one of whom was holding a gun, and the leader, "Did you really think I'd let it all go that easily" the leader laughed "you see now I've got even more leverage to bargain for Garden with. I'm sure your headmaster wouldn't want his commander dead."

'Damn it' Squall thought ' I walked right into this one. stupid'

"Fine" Squall said reasonably "fine. Use me. But then you don't need Rinoa. Let her go"

"your right" the leader said "we don't need her anymore. But why would I want to let her go.?" he drew a large knife from behind his back "where's the fun in that"

Squall knew he had to get Rinoa out of there if she was to live.

"Rinoa, run" Squall yelled preparing to fight off the leader and his thugs.

"But.."she began to argue.

'One of us has to get out of here alive. If I can't save myself I can at least save her.' Squall thought

"Just go!" He commanded her.

With a look of despair in her eyes she did what he said and ran out of the room. Squall made sure that none of the thugs followed her, by standing amongst them. All eyes were on him, concentrated for their next victim.

One thug threw a hard punch at Squall which caught the side of his face and disorientated him slightly. The thugs were easy enough to take down, but once Squall floored the third thug, he heard shots being fired. One bullet missed, and flew a few inches past his face. A second shot was fired. Squall clutched his arm in pain, hot blood running from it. The pain was unbearable, but Squall considered himself lucky it was not his heart or his head it had gone through. Bravely he made a dive tackle for the gun-thug successfully knocking him off his feet. He grabbed the gun and hit the man twice in the head with the handle, rendering the man unconscious. Keeping hold of the gun, he stood up and scanned the room. The leader had disappeared. So had Rinoa. Squall headed for the exit, assuming Rinoa would have headed outside. He shivered in the cold night air, and couldn't see Rinoa anywhere. He called her name. The third time he called her name, he got a response, but not from Rinoa.

"looking for someone?" said the all too familiar voice of the leader. He was quite a distance away from Squall and had hold of Rinoa in one hand, and his knife in the other.

"Don't you dare hurt her" Squall yelled at him across the distance between them "it's over. You lost. Give it up"

Fear overtook Squall. Deep down he knew exactly what was coming. 'No, this can't happen…not now.'

The leader laughed maniacally to himself before raising the large blade in the air and then pushing it straight through Rinoa's back. Squall saw her face contort into pain, and she doubled over in extreme pain.

"Noooooooooooooooooooo!" Squall cried running towards Rinoa, tears already stinging at his eyes. As he got closer, the leader yanked the blade out, causing Rinoa to collapse completely on the floor, and started to run into the distance. But not quick enough. Without even thinking, Squall raised the gun he still had hold of and fired 5 shots. The leader fell to the ground, defeated.

When Squall reached Rinoa he dropped to his knees, lifting her off the ground and cradling her in his arms. He was about to watch his whole life slip through his fingers. For once he was helpless, powerless.

"come on Rinoa" Squall said brushing strands of ebony hair from her face, "come on talk to me"

Nothing. She didn't move. She didn't speak. Squall felt like his heart had been pierced. If he had been the one stabbed he still wouldn't hurt as much as he was hurting now.

Maybe you thought it was all pretend All these words I could never send I just let them slip away. Why don't you hear me when I'm calling out to you?

"No please, no" Squall said tears flowing from his eyes "you have to be okay. I need you. I'm so, so sorry. This is all my fault. Why couldn't I just tell you how I felt. Why couldn't I have just told you to stay. When you wanted to listen, I couldn't say anything. But now. Can you hear me. Please hear me Rinoa. I love you. I never stopped loving you, and I never will.. But don't leave me.."

Her form lay still in his arms.

'How can you leave me..'

I lost my closest friend, I wanted time to end. I wonder if my heart will ever mend. I just let you slip away. Maybe I'll never see you smile again. I just let you slip away.

I wish the sun would never come, it's 4am and you are done, you're letting go, it's 4am and I'm alone…..

"You can't leave me Rinoa" Squall pleaded laying his head on hers "I can't live without you". Squalls thoughts drifted to how his life would progress from this moment 'How will I do it? How can I move on from this . How could I tell everyone that you're gone. That I failed you, that I couldn't save you. How can I plan your funeral. How can I watch them bury you? How can I cope with people coming to tell me how sorry they are, they understand what I'm going through, how I must be feeling. No one could possibly understand. I can't go back to living without you. I'd be dead inside. I just couldn't cope. Then in a year maybe , people will be trying to get me to move on. Saying you would want me to be happy, when all you would've wanted was for me to save you. For us to be together. "Please Rinoa. Don't give up. Don't give up on us."

'Why? Why does this always happen. Why can't we just be happy, be together. Am I being punished for something? Have I done something so wrong in my life.?'

But there was nothing. No response, no movement. Rinoa's face was a pale white, her cheeks and lips practically colourless. She had lost the amazing glow she used to have. Squall couldn't accept this, couldn't take it. He had lost his only love. For a few moments he was blinded with rage "This isn't fair" he yelled, to no one in particular. "Why? Why did you take her away? Why wont you let me be happy? This can't be your plan for her. It's so unfair!". His anger soon melted away "I'm all alone. Again" he whispered to himself. He broke down into hysterical tears. Tears of anger, sorrow pain, Squall couldn't even tell what he was feeling anymore. He'd never felt this way. He clutched Rinoa's body to his and amongst his falling tears he prayed "I wish I could hear her voice just one more time. Just see her smile again. I'd do anything. Please Just let her come back to me. Please give me another chance. A chance to say all the things I never said. After everything we've been through, we deserve second chance. "

You never know. Hold a little tighter……

The first rays of sun started to piece the sky, stinging at Squalls already sore eyes.

Daylight was starting to spread. Squall looked up into the sky. How would he make it through this day…

Suddenly there was a faint whisper. "Squall"

Squall looked down at Rinoa. Her beautiful chocolate coloured eyes were open now, her breath could be heard in tiny shallow wisps. She was….alive!

"Squall" She whispered again

Squall was almost too shocked to speak "Rinoa…you're, you're...alive?"

Squall looked to the sky. Had his prayer been answered? Was this a miracle?

Someone is watching over us
Keeping me close
Closer to you everyday

"I thought I'd lost you" he whispered to her tears still rolling down his cheeks. " I was so scared. Rinoa I love you. And I'm sorry for everything that happened. I didn't mean anything I said. I want us to be together."

"I love you too". She lifted her hand and placed it on Squalls arm. "you're hurt"

Squall had forgotten completely about his arm, he hadn't felt any pain in it, he had been too overcome with emotion.

"I'm fine" he told her "but we better get you back to Garden". Squall knew even though she was alive now, her wound was still pretty serious. She wouldn't make it much longer without medical attention. Squall glanced around and noticed the leaders car was still there.

He lifted Rinoa off the ground, but the movement seemed to cause her a lot of pain. She lifted a pale hand and placed it on the wound in her stomach. Blood dripped through her fingers. "It hurts squall. I don't know how long I can hold on"

'no way I'm not loosing her now I've finally got her back'

"You can hold on. You're strong" he reassured her "just a little longer. Then everything will be fine" He stood up and held her in his arms. It was putting a lot of strain on his arm, and it was starting to hurt. But he didn't care.

"Don't let me go Squall" she whispered "I want to be together"

The soul is a shining light hen you believe, the heart has the will to fight,

don't be afraid We're gonna find our way

You showed me faith is not blind I don't need wings to help me fly
Miracles happen.
" Don't worry I wont let you go. Ever again." Squall told her as he carried her to the car "you're my angel. Everything's gonna be okay…I promise"

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Note: See! i told you to keep reading. Just one more chapter to ge. watch this space to see how it all winds up for our favourite twosome. 5 coming soon