The Ironic Things in Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8 or any of its characters, names or locations.

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"To hell with your high heels, Almasy!" Irvine screeched as he threw the 4 inch shoes at Seifer's front door.

Irvine Kinneas was mad, and not just a little bit. He was beyond reasoning. He had spent three hours putting on make up, two hours rehearsing his girly walk and an hour doing his hair but now it was only taking him a couple of minutes to take off his clothes and accessories and throw them at Seifer's front door.

"I hate you! I hate you so much!" he roared, stepping back and almost knocking a young woman over.

The young woman yelped as Irvine's foot came down hard and stepped on her own.

"I'm so sorry," Irvine quickly apologised, thinking that his day really couldn't get any worse.

The young woman's eyes widened and she quickly hurried into the apartment building next door, her long brown hair flowing out behind her.

-----

Squall was the happiest he'd ever been in a long time. He couldn't believe that Rinoa was finally ready to accept his apology. This stupidness between them had lasted for too long. It was finally time to get it over and done with and just two days before the premiere of his movie too.

His mind instantly became clouded with the news that Zell had brought him two months ago about Julia Caraway and how this entire mess had actually even started.

"Yo, Squall," Zell's voice said over the phone, "I really hate to tell you this…"

"What is it?" Squall asked, his body tensing up.

"Well, Julia Caraway's dead…"

"What!"

"Yeah, she died 15 years ago, man. I'm really sorry."

"But couldn't you find out how she was connected to my father?"

"Sorry, I did the best I could but there just wasn't anything on her. The General's still alive though but I doubt he'd be much help."

"Thanks anyway, Zell."

"Yeah, it's ok. But I found out two other things…"

"What?" Squall questioned, his curiosity peaked.

"Well, first off, Julia Caraway actually composed that hit song, 'Eyes on me'…"

"Laguna loves that song…" Squall muttered darkly.

"And you know that little girl in the photo…? She's still alive but I did a background check on Rinoa Caraway but no such person exists."

Squall took a deep breath and let it out as something else came to mind. Something that he wanted Zell to find out…

"You did the best you could, Zell…"

"Yeah, but I am sorry I couldn't be of more help…"

"Well maybe you could help me with something else."

"What?"

"There's this girl that I see every morning and I just wanna know who she is…"

"Oooh! Squall's got a thing for a girly girl…" Zell teased.

"Shut up! I just wanna know who she is!"

"Sure, Squall, sure…"

Squall sighed as he remembered how upset he had been that day when he had found out that there seemed no possible link left to Julia Caraway anymore. But now because of Julia Caraway, he was in a mess that he couldn't seem to find any way out of.

-----

"Quisty, Quisty you won't believe what I heard!" Selphie squealed the minute that Rinoa and Zell had disappeared into their rooms after dinner.

"Wha…?"

Quistis' curiosity was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who on earth is knocking at our door this late?" Quistis wondered.

Selphie shrugged.

"Want me to go check?"

"No, I'm the responsible adult here. I'll go check," Quistis declared, standing up and disappearing down the hallway.

"Tee hee hee!" Selphie squealed, "I can't wait to tell Quisty that Zell was talking to Squall!"

If Selphie had chosen to say that sentence a second later or in a quieter voice, perhaps she could've avoided what was about to happen to her, because standing right behind her was none other than Zell Dincht.

-----

"Yes, can I help you?" Quistis asked, warily eying the two men standing at the door.

The last thing she had expected to see were two men dressed in Galbadian body guard uniforms standing outside the front door of the apartment. She knew at once by their uniforms that they worked for an important member of the Galbadian military but couldn't understand what they were doing here.

"We're here for Rinoa Heartilly," one of them said.

Quistis raised an eyebrow.

"What for?" she enquired suspiciously.

Both of the men looked at eachother in confusion not really knowing what to say.

"Didn't Rinoa tell you, miss?" the other man asked.

"Tell me what?" Quistis asked.

"We're here to take her to her father," the first man answered.

"Yes, she did tell that she was going to her father's place, not that she was going to get mugged by people like you," Quistis snapped.

The first man coughed and seemed unnerved by Quistis' coldness.

"But we're her escort,' he said weakly.

"Why on earth would Rinoa need to be escorted by body guards who look like they work for some one in the military?" Quistis demanded, her eyes flaring up in annoyance.

She was really getting irritated by the stupidity of the body guards and didn't see it fit for Rinoa to be accompanied by them without her interrogating them thoroughly.

"Miss, don't you know who her father is?" the second man asked, flinching when Quistis turned to glare sharply at him.

"Who?"

The first man answered in disbelief.

"General Caraway…"

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"I can't find Selphie or Zell anywhere!" Rinoa exclaimed, as she shoved her bags into the two guards' arms.

"They were here just a second ago…" Quistis trailed off.

Rinoa shrugged as she adjusted her handbag.

"Well, I can't wait around forever. Maybe they both fell asleep or something. I'll call as soon as I get to the Presidential Residence, ok?"

"I can't believe you never told me who your father was!" Quistis scolded as she hugged Rinoa.

Rinoa shrugged again as she stepped out of the apartment.

"I don't consider him to be my father. My mum died when I was very young so I've sort of had to fend for myself ever since then. Luckily there've always been three very important people there for me."

"Who?" Quistis asked, curiously.

Rinoa glanced darkly at the two body guards who were a few metres away and had dropped her bags on the floor. One of them was bent over clutching his stomach as if in great pain and the other was stepping away waving his hands in protest.

"Unfortunately two of those three important people happen to be the two morons standing over there…..Zone and Watts."

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With a sigh, Quistis closed the door shut and then realised what Rinoa had said about Zell and Selphie's sudden disappearance. Without warning, she turned the corner into the kitchen and collided with Zell.

"Zell! Where have you been?" she demanded, "Rinoa just left. She's gone to her father's place."

"Uh…um, I was in the toilet…" he blurted out.

"And where on earth is Selphie…?"

"Oh…uh…she said that she was really tired. She's gone to bed."

"Really? But she was perfectly awake when I was talking to her ten minutes ago."

"Well, that's what she said and I wouldn't wake her if she's tired," Zell suggested.

"Alright, well I'm going to bed too," Quistis decided, "Night, Zell."

"Night. Uh…wait, didn't Rinoa say that she was ready to accept Squall's apology?" Zell questioned.

"Yeah."

"But she's gone now. How will he apologise?" Zell wondered out loud.

"How am I supposed to know, Zell? I guess it's just too bad for Squall…"

"But his movie premiere's on Sunday….if he doesn't apologise by then, then the media will eat him alive…" Zell muttered underneath his breath.

"What, Zell?"

"Uh, nothing…."

"Well, I'll see you in the morning…" Quistis said, walking off in the direction of her room.

That's when Zell panicked.

"Oh, god! Squall is going to kill me when he finds out that I let the target go! He fired Seifer, now he'll fire me too!"

-----

"Hello?" Squall said, as he answered his cell phone.

"Hello, Squall?" came Zell's anxious voice.

"Yeah, Zell?"

"Um…."

"Nothing's wrong is it?"

"Well, it's about Rinoa…"

"What happened?"

"Um…uh…"

"What did you do Zell!"

"You know how you told General Caraway about Rinoa's letter…?"

"Yeah…"

"And you know how I said two of General Caraway's body guards came to talk to her…?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, they sorta…kinda…took her away."

"…"

"Squall…?"

"Where did they go?"

"She went to her father's place."

"And where are you?"

"I'm at the apartment…"

"And why are you not following her?"

"Uh…well, I have a small problem…"

"…"

"Squall…?"

Squall heaved a sigh.

"What is it, Zell?"

"I have a body to get rid off…"

Squall's stomach instantly clenched.

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"Hello, hello, hello," Irvine drawled sexily as he answered his cell phone.

"Pull yourself together, Kinneas," a familiar voice scolded.

"Uh…Kiros?"

"Praise your intelligence level," Kiros retorted, "I have a bone to pick with you."

"What's the matter, Kiros?" Irvine asked, gulping at Kiros' stern tone.

"What is your current occupation?"

"Uh…personal assistant?"

"So give me a good reason why Squall has been so shamed by the media when you're supposed to be making sure that he stays out of trouble!"

"…I…uh…"

"Don't forget Kinneas, there are many other people out there who actually have qualifications."

"I know…"

"I expect Squall's name to be cleared by his movie premiere. This isn't doing any good to Laguna's mood."

"I understand, Kiros."

"I hope I don't need to have this talk with you again. But be warned, if this situation gets any worse, I will have to have you replaced."

"Yes, Kiros."

"And Irvine?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you keep your pants on at all times…"

-----

"We've gotta go after her!" Squall exclaimed.

Squall and Zell were sitting in Squall's car, trying to figure out what their next move would be. Squall was hell bent on following Rinoa to her father's mansion and apologising to her and Zell was trying his best to make sure that no one saw him with Squall. That was the last thing he needed.

"Zell, are you listening!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…"

"We've got to follow Rinoa!"

A/N: Thanks for waiting so patiently for this next chapter. It took me a while to think up what to write but I finally did it! Thanks for reviewing too! You guys are seriously awesome.

Luis

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