Please don't harm me! I didn't intend to write another long one! But know that I talk a lot in my little corner, so think ofit as taking up most of the space whichmakes it seem longer. Yeah! -oh yeah, it's obvious... -whispers- I don't own Final Fantasy 8.

Chapter 7: The Calm Before the Storm

"Hey Sefie, are you sure you got everything?" Irvine asked his young fiancée while setting down a brown medium-sized suitcase. The two had packed lightly for their three-day trip away from town to supposedly shop for new clothes and accessories, but Irvine was more infatuated with the thrilling Gun Show that would be taking place in the city district.

"I don't know… I feel like I'm forgetting something." The petite brunette said, scratching the side of her head as a long list of things she would need and had already packed appeared in her mind. She looked around their living room once more before folding her arms and sighing in disgust. "I can't take it! What am I forgetting?"

"…Do I need to read from the list again?" Irvine asked, kicking the suitcase across the floor.

"No! We've done that seven times already!"

"Well then let's go! I don't see why we're bringing all this stuff along anyway. We're only going away for three days. And its not like we're in for a long ride back if we forget something because downtown Balamb is only a few miles away!"

"But still, I want to be prepared. I don't want to go all the way there and discover my toothbrush isn't packed—speaking of---"

"Side compartment, under the folded towels beside your rinse, and soap; Sefie, sweetie, it's already packed! We've checked five times!" Irvine laughed, resting his hands at Selphie's sides from behind. "Besides, if we forget something, we'll just buy another when we get there… Face it, we're going there to shop anyway, right?"

Selphie relaxed and leaned back into Irvine's hold as she smiled, "That's right. I don't know what I'm thinking. Let's hurry up and get out of here!" She said, grabbing his hands and pulling him toward the door.

Irvine was practically dragged from the house until he chucked out, "Selphie, we're leaving luggage!"

"Oh!" She giggled while looking back at him, "I'm sorry! …Hey, I've gotta call Rin!"

"Okay, I'll load up the rest and then we'll head out, alright?"

"Alright." He gave her a quick peck before the two parted their separate ways. Selphie picked up the telephone and dialed for Rinoa, waiting only a few minutes before receiving an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rin, it's Selphie!"

"Oh, hey! What's going on?"

"Irvy and I are hittin' the road and won't be back for a few days, so I was calling just to say bye to you and Rori."

"That's great, but…Rori's still asleep."

"Ah…well, that's too bad…" Selphie sighed into the phone, "…Rinoa, how are things holding up? Irvine talked to Zell and found out Squall's been working at the shop for a little while now. And he says Squall isn't doing too well."

Rinoa laughed into the phone, "…He can take care of himself. I'm just glad to hear he's working again."

"No Rin, Zell knows Rori… Have you forgotten?"

"……."

"Rinoa?"

"…I didn't think about that."

"So what are you going to do?"

"…What am I going to do? …Nothing. …He hasn't asked about her yet so I'm fully convinced Zell kept that big mouth of his shut. Besides, we've…gotten a lot closer during these past few days. So I'm hoping to tell him…soon."

"Really? I'm so happy for you, Rin! …But…umm…what about…you know."

"…Seifer?"

"…Yeah."

"Well…I…"

"Rinoa…you can't keep them both, you do know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do…but…" Rinoa sighed, " Don't worry, I'll…I'll figure something out, I promise."

"Good!" Selphie said, but was interrupted by Irvine tapping his foot with a grin. "Oh, Rinoa, I have to go now. We can't waste anymore time, so tell Rori bye for me, okay?"

"Okay. You two have fun now."

"We will!" Both Selphie and Irvine yelled into the phone, she had allowed Irvine to listen in on the last few words of her conversation. "Later Rin!" Both shouted into the phone and received a shaky answer from Rinoa's behalf, "Yeah, later."

When hanging up the phone, Selphie turned to Irvine and smirked, "We can go because I'm confident we have everything."

"Not quite. It looks a little hazy out there so I'm thinking we'll need our umbrellas…"

"…And where are they?"

"…I can't remember."

"IRVINE!"

----------

Rinoa stared at the phone in a daze. All this time, Squall had been working with Zell, probably asking him all that he wanted to know. She knew Zell would mouth off about everything; after all, he was responsible for the town knowing of Squall's departure. She groaned and stood to her feet, and it was then that Rinoa noticed very little sunlight had illuminated the room. When walking to her window, she saw a gloomy shadow luring over Balamb, overcast and windy. …It's going to storm. Rinoa thought to herself, backing away from the window as she heard Rori's tiny feet thumping into the living room.

"G'morning!" She called out, and Rinoa displayed a fake smile as she turned to her daughter.

"Oh, morning, Rori. Had a good sleep?"

"Yeah! I missed my bed!" Rori said, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she jumped into Rinoa's opened arms. She snuggled her little body into the depths of her mother's warmth and muffled into Rinoa's chest, "Mommy…?"

"Hmm?"

"Who was that man you were talking to yesterday?"

"…What man, sweetheart?" Rinoa questioned, knowing exactly whom Rori was talking about, yet she played innocent.

"The man with the brown hair, he's the same man that saved Sefie's card!"

Now Rinoa, before answering Rori's question, wondered just how Rori knew Squall had visited them. She decided to question the little girl in hopes of changing the direction of their conversation. "Rori…how did you know about him?"

Rori became silent. Rinoa could imagine the girl's eyes growing as wide as a cow's, knowing she was caught in the act of doing something wrong.

"Rori?" Rinoa questioned with the intimidating tone of a strict mother.

Rori giggled against Rinoa's chest and hid her face as she admitted in one yell, "I was looking out the window!"

"Uh-huh, so you were spying on me!" Rinoa said lifting the girl in the air and away from her body. Rori laughed, knowing the sound of her mother's playful voice.

She chuckled, "I'm sorry!"

Rinoa put her down, "No…you can't apologize to me. …Ms. Tickles wants a word with you!"

"NO!" Rori laughed and took off running to her room, hounded by Rinoa whose fingers readied to tickle her until she could laugh no more. She laughed until she had forgotten the reason for her mother's madness, and all along, Rinoa knew she would have to tell Rori soon. Trying to figure out a way to tell her had been the problem. Rinoa also knew Rori would need her father, if not now, then someday, and there was no way Seifer would be able to take on that role. Only one person could…Squall.

In the late afternoon, Squall was busy fixing an oil leak on the car he and Zell were supposed to have finished before, but the day grew late quickly and soon after, the two men found themselves calling it a quits. Zell was glad to see the owner hadn't stopped in, meaning it would give him a little more time to finish up the repairs; an oil leak, two busted tires, and a dirty muffler, obviously their hands were full. Squall hadn't mind the extra work; in fact, he was thrilled about it.

When working, Squall tended to think clearly and organize his thoughts. Today, his mind was focused on the words of a mere stranger. All day long, a four-lettered word had been eating away at his mind, and almost caused him to puncture another oil leak within the vehicle's structure. Lying on his back and underneath the car, Squall shook his head to focus, as the name seemed to emerge from his mind: Rori.

He groaned, his breath grumbling like the thunders outside of the shop. Zell instantly looked up from his station and laughed, "What's the matter, Squall? Scared of a little thunder?"

Squall laughed it off coolly, disregarding his previous thoughts. "Sure Zell, but at least I didn't wet my pants when lightning str-"

"Shut your face, I was only a kid!" Zell sneered.

"You were eight years old!"

The blonde scolded, "So? Drop it before I fire you!"

"I thought you said you'd never do that?"

"Tch! Well I just changed my mind!"

Squall sniggered, "Whatever."

Even with the lighthearted joking from Zell, Squall still felt so much weight on his shoulders. He could swear that if the car above his body would fall and crush him with its incredible weight, it still wouldn't feel as bad as he had in that moment. And as another thunder cloudrumbled, he sighed to himself, "…Rinoa."

Meanwhile, Rinoa and Rori were watching television together on the sofa of their living room, muting out the sounds of the rain's downpour and boisterous thundering. Rinoa smirked at the 'kiddy' cartoon on television as she watched the characters bouncing around onscreen, making Rori giggle softly into her stomach. Just as the giggled was about to become a full roll of laughter, Rinoa heard someone knocking at her door. She quietly lifted Rori from her stomach as she muttered, "I'll be right back."

"Okay." Rori said, eyes never moving from the television. Rinoa shook her head and then made her way to the front door.

She had opened it slowly, believing that blue eyes would meet her own when instead they were green. Seifer peered inside with a smirk, "Hey."

"Seifer? What are you doing here?"

"I…I…um…" He scratched the back of his head with a huff. "How are you?"

"…I'm fine." Rinoa answered unsurely.

"Good…that's great." He said, grinning nervously and fidgeting around.

"…You still haven't answered me."

"Oh…that…" He looked the other way and sighed while biting his bottom lip. Looking away, he realized the clouds had become darker than before, and not only was the drizzling intensifying, but the winds gusted harder as well. He faced Rinoa with a smile as he asked, "Do you mind if we talked inside, the storm's getting a bit wild."

"…Sure." Rinoa opened the door wider and allowed him to walk inside.

Instantly a little voice roared across the room. "Seifa!" He immediately winced; Seifer was not expecting Rori to be there with Rinoa again.

"Hey Rori!" He said, kneeling down when he saw the girl charging toward him in haste. Rori jumped on him and nearly made him fall back onto the floor. Rinoa covered her mouth and chuckled at the two of them, as Rori tightened her arms around his neck. "Rori, I can't breathe!"

She laughed and released him, "Sorry."

"It's okay. You're getting stronger! After a while, you'll be able to squeeze the life right out of me!" He joked, placing Rori back onto her feet and then standing to his own.

She jumped up and down in excitement, glad to see her friend's return as she yelled, "I'm gonna be a giant!"

He patted her head and smiled, "Sure you will. Attack of the fifty foot-"

"Seifer!" Rinoa laughed, walking to the two of them. "Rori, you'll miss your favorite cartoon. Go on and watch it, okay?"

Rori nodded and ran to the sofa, diving across its cushions as Rinoa turned to Seifer and placed her hands on her hips. "What is it?"

Seifer looked from Rinoa to Rori and sighed, "…Umm…I was really hoping you were alone."

"Why?"

"…Can we talk in private?"

"Seifer, what's going on? Why can't you just tell me?"

"…Because… Well…it's about him."

"Who?"

Seifer looked at Rori once more, her attention fully captured by the television. He whispered to Rinoa, "…Your husband."

"Squ-"

Seifer covered her mouth quickly before she spoke his name aloud. He knew she would be shocked about his encounter with the hostile brunette. "Yeah, whatever his name is. …Can we talk in the back?"

"Sure, follow me." Rinoa said, leading Seifer out of the living room and into her bedroom. As the two entered the cozy room, Rinoa closed the door behind and folded her arms, awaiting Seifer's words. "What happened…?"

Seifer rubbed his face and nervously began tell Rinoa about his violent encounter with Squall. He had mentioned everything from what he saw moments before and after, to how he had departed with a heart of truth. As Seifer continued onward with his story, he noticed Rinoa's eyes were twinkling with sad tears.

Rinoa took a seat on the bed and covered her face with her hands, and Seifer had sat beside her, putting his arm around her. Leaning closer into his embrace, she stifled, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about him sooner."

"It's alright, Rinoa. If he ever comes near you again, just know that I'll be here to protect you." Seifer muttered, kissing the top of her head.

And that was exactly the problem. Rinoa knew if Squall ever came near her again, she wouldn't want Seifer's protection, but she would want for Squall's, and she would need Squall.

Seifer continued, "…And that bastard, he didn't even flinch when I mentioned Rori. I didn't see anything in his eyes."

"…What do you mean 'when you mentioned Rori'?" Rinoa asked, pulling herself away from his body and staring into his face.

Seifer merely smirked, remembering his own cowering at the time. Yelling and then pulling off, indeed, a smart move. He could feel a slight lie tugging on his tongue as he opened his mouth again, "Well, I—"

"You didn't mention Rori…"

Unbelievable, even before he could finish coming up with some excuse that wouldn't make him look like a coward, she saw right through it."…Why? You're acting like he doesn't know she exists."

"…Because he doesn't!" Rinoa yelled, shoving Seifer's arm.

"What are you talking about? You told me he left you with a baby, didn't you?"

"But I didn't mean it literally. I told you Squall left me a long time ago, and that I hadn't known we were expecting."

"…So…he has no idea who Rori is…?"

"Right…" Rinoa said softly, turning her head away with shame in her eyes. Seifer stood from the bed and paced the floors quickly. "…Seifer?"

"No…" He said, fanning Rinoa's voice from his mind as he recalled his encounter with Squall. A man he once hated, and now…a man he could probably relate to. Seifer faced Rinoa as his pacing came to stop. "…You haven't told him, have you?"

It was that question again, the same question that Rinoa had been hearing repeatedly throughout the past days. She tired of that questioned, and she tired of those who asked it, hoping they would give her time to think, hoping they would leave her alone and let her solve this mind boggling puzzle game called life. She wondered how several individuals could have the same thought running through their minds whenever the subject of Squall erupted, but then the woman would stop and remember that she too had stopped to question her own judgments. What if I'm making a mistake? She'd always ask, hoping a voice would answer and give her every answer to every problem she encountered.

With Rinoa already in deep thought, Seifer added to her thinking load, "Rinoa, why haven't you told him yet? You're killing the guy."

Just as she placed her hands over her ears to block out his meddling, the sound of a loud thunderbolt boomed aloud and gave her a fright. For a slight second, the power shifted, and there was a flash of light throughout the room. Rinoa took a deep breath and removed her hands from her face, groaning, "I…I wanted to tell him. I almost did, yesterday…"

"Well, what about Rori? Does she know?"

Rinoa looked away as she muttered, "…No."

Seifer stared at Rinoa, trying to understand what would cause her to hold back the truth from people who deserved to hear it the most. He cared for Rori, he had cared for her like a little sister, and seeing Rori without her father would hurt him. Sure, he was forced to live with his own father, a man whose time was not his own, but he had always been grateful to having something of him, even if it meant spending two seconds with him before watching the man depart for work; Seifer was grateful for having that, at least. He had gathered his breath, ready to speak his mind when they both heard Rori knocking at the door.

"Mommy, the TV's not working!"

Rinoa was silent. It was quite obvious she had heard the child, but opted not to reply. Instead she sat, arms folded and head directly facing the door.

"Mommy?" Rori questioned from behind the door.

Rinoa finally answered her, "Rori, just go in your room and play."

"But the TV's---"

Rinoa lost her temper, "Rori stop whining and go to your room!"

"Rinoa!" Seifer said, giving her a questionable glare. "Why'd you yell at her? She doesn't have anything to do with this! I know that's why you're raising your tone!"

"I know, but I can't take it anymore!" Rinoa cried out. "Everyone's looking at me, waiting for me to make the move! You have no idea how hard it is for me to even speak to him! All the hurt and pain he's caused me! No one has stopped to think about me for a second because it's always about him! What if I do tell him about Rori huh? What if I finally managed to say everything that was on my mind? Then what! Did you ever think about this situation for me!"

"Of course I do Rinoa, that's why I'm talking to you now. Listen to me, once you tell him about Rori, you'll feel better."

"Well I can't! Okay! I admit it! I'm afraid, I'm a coward!"

"What are you afraid of, you've already been through the worst! What could be worst than that!"

Rinoa screamed out, "Because Rori might not be wanted!" She had screamed, feeling all her pressure rise and her face heat with anger. She was trembling. Seifer walked near and took the fragile woman into his arms, easing all what was left of her distraught soul.

Moments later as things had settled down inside the bedroom, Rinoa decided she should apologize to Rori about yelling at her. She hadn't meant to lose control on her own daughter, but the heat continued to grow within her, bursting on the first thing that would temper it, Rori. Rinoa wiped her puffy eyes and walked to Rori's room, opening the door and walking over the little girl's bed. "Rori?" Rinoa questioned, noticing the strange silence in the room. She had sent Rori to her bed about thirty minutes ago, so why hadn't the girl been lying down. Rinoa soon realized Rori wanted the TV to work so badly and figured she might have been seated on the sofa. "Rori!"

Walking out into the living, Rinoa was surprised to find it too, empty. The young woman placed her hands on her hips before turning around and seeing Seifer walking from the hallway. "Seifer…is Rori in the bathroom?"

"I don't think so. It was empty when I walked by."

"…Oh no." Rinoa covered her mouth, "She must have heard me..."

"…Rinoa?"

Rinoa stared into Seifer's eyes. "Rori's gone!"

Once upon an Author's…Struggle? (hehe)
So, yeah…I have obviously taken my sweet little time with this update. Haven't I? I just hope I didn't screw up this time. :( Oh well, I guess it's up to you do decide now. And I bet you guys wasn't expecting this turn of events. (And if you did, then shame on you! –runs away crying-) lol

Thanks to:

Leonhartilly- Say, you reviewed the day I posted, I'm sorry I couldn't add you to the thanks list sooner. Please forgive me! –makes puppy eyes- hehe. Thanks for the review, and I do hope to keep the plot interesting!

Silver-nex- Calm yourself! Ease and breathe! Haha, We'll see when we get there. You make really good points, but…I can't speak about what's to come! Don't make me tell you! lol Thanks for the review, and a special thanks from me because I had no clue what I was doing with the kiss scene, lol.

Ayato- I'm really glad you enjoyed that last chapter, it really took a lot out of me. I was afraid I would stop writing this story. (It was so tiring!) Thanks again!

Lady-Rinoa- Hey, is your pc acting crazy? Beat it with a stick…heh, okay, don't do that, but I do hope it stops giving you trouble. Hey thanks, I was hoping it wasn't too sappy, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. My work has paid off, Yay!

Ittan-Momen- HEY! Where have you been, you scared the heck out of me! Do you know I thought something happened to you! Geez! -accepts thousands of cookies- Thank you! Oh yeah, I hadn't updated because things got terribly bad and I lost power. (Remember, the hurricanes) plus I lost the internet too, so that really sucked. And a lot of people didn't know I updated Between Heaven and Hell until like seven days later. (A super sappy ending, wasn't it? lol) No worries about the review mix-up, they're all going to the same person. Rori is definitely my favorite original character, aww… -splits cookies with Rori- Oh yeah; Squall could walk around in a muumuu and make it look good! O.O lol! By the way, tell your brother he missed a spot! Lol, I'm just kidding, don't hurt me! O.o Nice quote, I am definitely remembering that one as well! In fact, I'll close out with it, so hah! And yes, I hope to have more things heated up before I finish this story. So hang in there! It's good to see you again, and I'll take up your email, Yay! lol!

So folks, I apologize for another long chapter. I hope to clear up as much havoc I might create before I am shipped away to college… -cries-

….So umm…please leave a review. lol

And as promised:

"There is no remedy for love but to love more." -Anonymous? o.O

lol, Thanks again!

StardustRay