A/N: Sorry about the long wait but I'd hit a serious anti-creativity wall which has fortunately gone and not a moment too soon with Uni starting again in less than a month.

Rinoa approached the aircraft cautiously, what if someone had caught wind of what was happening everything would be destroyed. She placed her two suitcases on the ground to look up at the impressive aircraft. It wasn't exactly the height of luxury but anything was good enough if it meant leaving here and an army aircraft meant people would be like likely to assume she was inside. When she looked back she noticed the running figure only about three metres from her and braced herself for the impact. Quite unexpectedly instead of being forced to the ground by the force of the running figure she felt a pair of arms wrap around her as the small frame made her stumble backwards.

"Rinny!" As she prized the smaller girl with the vice like grip away from her she saw the brilliant green eyes staring at her and the brown bob that seemed to defy gravity in exactly the same way it had when they were young. A bright yellow dress reached just to the middle of her thighs making Rinoa wonder just how exactly the girl managed to stay warm in the cold night air.

"Selphie?" The girl's brilliant smile radiated from her and Rinoa couldn't help but welcome its contagious nature quickly pressing the girl back against her in a firm hug.

"The papers don't do you justice miss Heartily." The charming masculine voice sounded out from behind the girl who had captured her attention. Stood before her now was a young man probably no older than herself his attire somewhat cowboy-ish in nature. A charming but cheeky smile crept over his lips his grey eyes warmed with the smile. He held his hand forward as a means of a greeting. "Irvine Kinneas, at your service." He tipped his hat with his other hand and waited for her to take the outstretched one. She was slightly taken back when instead of shaking her hand he kissed the back and she smiled nervously.

"You know anyone would think your girlfriend wasn't stood right in front of you the way you're carrying on." Selphie's voice was filled with annoyance as she glared coldly at the man she had declared her boyfriend.

"Oh, yeah sorry Selph I didn't see you there." A smile crept across his lips as he tried and failed to keep up his sweet an innocent act suddenly looking down on her to emphasize the dramatic difference in their height. Selphie's hand swiftly connected with the back of his head and Rinoa had to hold back her laughter as the small girl scolded her partner while he continued to tower over her.

"Hello Irvine." Immediately the boy straightened up and became much more serious saluting in the direction of the voice. "At ease soldier there's really no need for that." The voice assured as it approached a friendly hand resting on the young man's shoulder as he passed. Caraway stood just beside Irvine studying the young girl he had once known. "Hello Selphie it's wonderful to see you well." Selphie spun around to face him and smiled charmingly.

"Oh hello General Caraway, it's nice to see you again too. It's been a while." He smiled and nodded.

"Yes it has, just before..." A sudden wave of sorrow washed over the father and daughter.

"Dad..." He smiled warmly at the word forcing the smile past his watery eyes; it had been a long time since she had meant that word.

"You two take care of this one." He approached Rinoa and encased her in his arms, "You look after yourself and don't you dare forget to call! I love you baby girl." He kissed the top of her head as she leant into his protective hold.

"I love you too dad." She whispered into his chest as she hugged him tightly back.

Winhill wasn't particularly big even by village standards and Squall soon found that he had explored all he felt there was to see. Currently he had headed just outside of the village to determine what the fiend level was like. A few smallish creatures had popped up but nothing compared to some of the much larger ones found outside of Esther. While Winhill was a pleasingly small and quiet place Squall doubted that there would be much there to keep his mind occupied and in some way he began to wonder if maybe his life wasn't so bad after all.

Stupid, I can't handle all that press it make me feel like a child, so helpless.

He shook his head, those thoughts wouldn't help him. One more quick glance around at the fields surrounding Winhill and he decided to turn back. Maybe the village would be busier now it was nearing mid morning.

They had only arrived a few hours prior and had regrettably had to wake the owner to the hotel just to get into their rooms, but Rinoa had not been able to sleep. It was nearing ten thirty and she assumed that the village would be livelier than it had been at their arrival. She quickly changed into a pair of black denim jeans and sky blue vest top with a set of stylised angel wings on the back; she shoved on a pair of ankle boots and rushed out of the stuffy hotel room.

She paused as she reached the exit to the hotel her hand resting on the handle. She had been eager to test the people here to see if anyone recognised her before she committed herself to staying but now she wasn't so sure. What if she opened that door and someone did recognise her? What if they told the world where to find her? Would it mean the last hiding place would be gone? She wasn't sure she could live in a world with nowhere left to hide. She closed her eyes and allowed her hand to slip from the metal beneath it with a small sigh.

"Going out?" She whipped around at the sound of Irvine's voice and saw him leaning on the banister railing his hat hanging from his finger tips.

"Are you spying on me?" He laughed at the question and shook his head.

"I'm waiting for Selphie but I didn't want to interrupt that argument you were having with yourself."

"I was not!" She stomped her foot on the floor like a small child her hands curled into fists at her sides.

"Sure..." He smiled at her but it was a warm smile unlike the smart ass smirk she had expected. "I don't think you're exactly what I expected." He put on his hat and quickly returned to using the banister as a leaning post.

"I've lost a lot, maybe the best part of myself."

"No, I guess what I mean to say is that you aren't the stuck up rich girl I expected."

"Aren't I?" He shook his head and she gave him a questioning glance.

"I've met worse." She smiled at his joke of a response almost laughing and he seemed to delight in the action.

"Ok I'll take your word for it."

"Still going out?" He asked nodding towards the door. She chewed on the inside of her lip as she considered it.

"I don't suppose you and Selphie want some company?"

"What company, huh?" Selphie's voice reached them long before she did as she hopped down the stairs still trying to put on one of her shoes. Irvine grabbed her just before she missed the next step and encouraged her to sit down while she fastened her foot wear. Rinoa admired the way they fit as a couple and smiled longingly for the same love she had seen in her mother.

"Rinoa's a bit worried about looking around the village for the first time she wandered if maybe she could come with us." A big grin spread across Selphie's face at the suggestion.

"Sure, give us the chance to catch up. And talk about that amazing concert you did at that hotel."

"You were there?"

"Sure Selphie follows every bit of news they bring out about you I can't even remember the last concert she missed." Irvine rolled his eyes at the girl sat next to him and Rinoa's eyes watered at the smaller girl's determination. "And you don't want to know how much she talks about you."

"Why?" She asked as she glanced between the ornate wooden structures to focus on the girl.

"Because I missed you, for two years you just vanished off the face of the earth and then you never got in touch."

"I thought you'd have forgotten me." Selphie practically skipped to the bottom of the stairs then looked down at her feet as she spoke.

"I lost my best friend and when you started singing I went along just in case you saw me and remembered. I thought if you saw me again then I'd get my best friend back." She opened her mouth to speak but her eyes had welled so much with tears that she didn't dare should they fall.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." She whispered using the back of her hand to discourage the tears. Selphie laughed nervously as she ran over and gave her a tight hug.

"You didn't hurt me I understood why, I just missed you." She brushed under her friend's eyes to catch any tears that had fallen. "Come on let's look around town, I saw us pass by a shop with some really pretty dresses in the window." Irvine shook his head as Selphie ran out of the hotel. He rested a hand on her shoulder as he passed.

"Let's go Rinoa."

Still slightly curious to see exactly what Winhill had to offer entertainment wise he had decided after his return into the village to take a wonder along a small road of shops he had seen. Although thinking about it as he wondered from one to another he was beginning to regret his decision. For every one he entered there was a person of middle age or old that had been informed of his arrival to the village by Sophie. And in each one they spoke about him almost as if he weren't really there, saying how handsome he was or how it was lovely that Sophie finally had someone about her age around. It was like sitting in front of the girl's parents or grandparents every time it happened and all he had done was acknowledge the girl's existence not ask her to marry him. It was almost like being back at home except they didn't have a clue who he was.

He paused before entering the next one unsure if he could actually continue to torture himself by listening to another person acting like he was oblivious to what they were saying. He turned away from the entrance to head back to the house and paused again. If he did that he'd just be annoyed through sheer boredom, maybe it was better that it was other people causing his annoyance and not himself. Sighing he prepared himself quickly before entering.

A small bell ran as he entered but there was already a busy atmosphere within the store that had caught the shopkeeper's attention. The shop was filled with cloths dating from several key eras, everything seemed a bit mix and match but somehow the woman that owned it had made it work. A woman probably in her late thirties with red curls that reached no further than her chin was smiling from behind the counter as she watched the interactions of three people roughly his age. She looked over and offered him a slightly wider smile before turning back to the others.

"Oh this is perfect, I love it isn't it gorgeous, oh look Irvine." A small girl in a short yellow summer dress was addressing a much taller young man who simply smiled awkwardly at the girl as she admired it in the mirror sitting the item over her own clothes with the hanger wrapped around her neck. The boy she had presumably called Irvine shrugged in the direction of another girl whose back was to him. Her raven hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail, and on the back of her top were a set of angel wings.

"Wasn't she wearing one like that yesterday?" The girl spoke in a hushed voice so as to not wake the other from her dream like state as she admired the piece of clothing. He couldn't place it but her voice sounded familiar yet he knew he'd never met her; he shrugged it off as his mind playing tricks just to keep him entertained. The boy glanced to the smaller girl to be sure she wasn't looking and nodded in response. Squall dismissed them as he turned his attention to a rail of jackets not far from the raven haired girl.

He quickly found one that he liked, a leather jacket similar to the one he always seemed to wear on with short sleeves and a griever emblem on the sleeves. He took it out from the rail and stepped back to admire it. However he wasn't the only one that had stepped back at that moment in time and he felt the raven haired girl collide with his shoulder.

Rinoa spun around to see who she had bumped into, she didn't remember hearing anyone entering the shop but then again she didn't expect to with all the noise Selphie was making. Her hand instantly rested on their forearm as a form of apology, the muscles flexed slightly at her touch.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise..." their eyes instantly widened in recognition of each other, "You? What are you doing here?"

"Me? What are you doing here?" He seemed just as startled by her presence and quickly shrugged off her hand.

"This is just great; he's going to ruin everything!" Her words were directed at her companions who had decided it looked safer to stay well out of the pair's way.

"Me?"

"Yes you, mister every girl in the world wants me!"

"What about you? Doesn't every man on the planet want you? Oh but we all know how that ends." Her mouth gapped in horror that he should mention something so personal and haunting. Instantly she gritted her teeth and folded her arms across her chest.

"Fine have it your way."

"Fine... whatever"

"Selphie no." Irvine warned off the small girl with a stern voice but it did little to hinder the growing smile on her face.

"Don't you think..."

"No don't think Selphie just go." He interrupted her pointing towards the swinging door that Rinoa had practically run out of.

"But they're so..."

"No they are not! Just don't Selphie, because if Rinoa doesn't kill you for it then he will."

"But..."

"No!"

"I just..."

"No." Irvine smiled awkwardly at the young man in question as he pushed Selphie towards the door.

"Don't you..."

"No!"

"It won't be..."

"No!"

"But they're so cute." She blurted out before he could stop her, at least he could be thankful that he'd managed to get her outside before she'd said it and that Rinoa was too far away to hear her.

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