Disclaimer: yup here i am not owning ff8
Note:well heres another chapter. i had so many computer problems, this is the htird version of this chapter and this isnt as good as the first two i wrote but oh well. in this we see Squall and caraway come face to face ehehehe. thanks to wayne for his reviews and general coolness and to hannah-put that you read this story on your ucas form. and enjoy the snaps. thanks to anyone else whos reading. enjoy the story everyone!
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It was coming up to 6pm. The negotiation meeting was scheduled for 6pm, at General Caraways' mansion. As the group of SeeDs sat in the car travelling to the mansion, which was on the other side of town to the protest base, Zell decided to break the silence.
"Yo, you guys. How weird is it to be going back to that house. I mean remember last time! Man does that seem like forever ago. I mean we were all so…." Zell seemed to be searching for the right word "…new. It was like our first major mission"
"Yes. Things certainly were different" Quistis agreed "My, matron was still our enemy at that point."
Squall thought about this. Now, Matron was a beloved member of Garden and a great friend and helper to the gang and it was hard to remember that she had once been their most dangerous enemy .Back then the world was still at war, the gang hardly knew each other, and -the thing that seemed strangest to Squall-Rinoa was still just his client.
"ooh and Seifer was still…." Selphie began
Zell jumped in "a jackass?"
"Nooooo! I was going to say…evil" Selphie finished glancing at Seifer
"Ahh good times, good times" Seifer said, prompting strange alarmed looks from everyone "Kidding" he said rolling his eyes
It was at that moment that the car pulled up outside the familiar mansion.
'here we go…'Squall thought to himself
Stepping into the house, Squall noticed that not a lot had changed. It looked exactly the same as it had last time he was here. A man in a Galbadian uniform lead the gang into a room with a large table in the centre. At the head of the table sat General Caraway. He didn't look too different than he had the first time Squall had encountered him. He still had the same harshly angled face, rigid posture and distinctive silver grey streak running through his hair.
Squall and his friends assembled around the table, along with the red-haired woman who had insisted on coming along. Squall was happy to get straight down to business to avoid sticking around any longer than he had to. But unfortunately that was not the way things happened.
As soon as Squall sat down, a Galbadian soldier shoved a piece of paper at him "Sign it" the guy said bluntly
"Soldiers at peace talks. Well if that aint irony…"
Caraway shot a glance at Irvine, and then glanced around the rest of the group
"have we met?" the General asked suspiciously "you all look familiar". he glanced around again, his eyes then settling on Squall "Yes! I remember you. The sorceress assassination…..that was you lot"
"yup that was us. The ones you set up and then left to rot in prison" Zell said anger creeping into his voice.
"Calm down Zell" Squall said distractedly looking through the papers he had been told to sign
"And I'm to assume you are the leader, still. Wait…" the General narrowed his eyes at them "you're the ones who…battled the sorceress, that ultemicia one are you not? I've heard about you"
"We are soooo flattered" Zell said sarcastically
The general dismissed Zell and turned his eye to Seifer. "you, I don't remmeber ever meeting you"
"Of course you didn't meet him. When you met us I believe he was….ah yes on the side of the sorceress right Seifer?" Zell said shooting a glare at Seifer
"So you were with the Sorceress?" Caraway said glaring at Seifer "You helped to destroy this nation and fuel this ridiculous 'Sorceress war' then! Are you completely mad.."
"Well that's Seifer for you" Squall muttered still reading through the paper
Seifer laughed a little "Hey old man" he said to the General "It's not me you want to be riled at. If you want to get mad at anyone, try him, not me" he nodded to Squall "I'm not the one banging your daughter"
"Seifer!!!!" Squall yelled. He had been hoping that Rinoa would not come up at all during this mission. Squall had no idea how much Caraway knew about him and Rinoa. But form the shocked look on Caraways face he was guessing he didn't know much
"What?" Caraway demanded he narrowed his eyes at Squall while seifer carried on laughing to himself
"way to go Seifer, that helped" Zell snapped
"What the hell is going on with you and my daughter?"
"none of your business" Squall said calmly
"Of course it's my business, we are talking about my daughter!!"
"Actually we are talking about my wife"
A look of utter disbelief spread across the Generals face
"what?"
"it's fairly simple. Your daughter is my wife. We got married."
"I don't believe this" Caraway hissed
Squall held up his left hand so the General could see his wedding ring "Believe it now?"
"I knew it. I knew years ago I should never have let my daughter anywhere near you. Just look at what you put her though. Don't think I didn't hear about her becoming ..A sorceress, all because of you and then she was stupid enough to go and marry you. You ruined her life"
"Ok one thing" Squall said becoming increasingly annoyed at Caraway "if you insult my wife again I may have to hurt you. Another thing being you tried to keep your daughter away form me, by locking her in a room I believe, she chose to find me again. And if your so damn concerned about what she went through why haven't you made any effort to contact her in the past two years? And as for ruining her life well I'm sorry but I really don't think you know what the hell your talking about"
"Your an arrogant son of a bitch" the general hissed
"Thank you. Do you have a pen?"
"W-what?" the General was taken aback
"A pen. To sign this" Squall said waving the papers he'd been given at Caraway
The red headed woman at the end of the table huffed "Are we finally going to get to do what we came here to do. I don't really give a damn about your stupid argument"
"My god, do you ever not moan" Irvine sighed rolling his eyes
"No, shes right Irvine. I didn't come here to discuss my personal life.So down to business. "
"And what exactly is your business here?" the General asked
"You, you're breaking the rules!! Stop trying to bring back the military you stupid little man" the Red haired woman cried
"I think we can be a little more professional than that" Quistis said coolly "I assume you know that you are in fact violating the rules and limitations about the Military laid down by Esthar?"
"Hmm. Esthar. And why do they get to tell us what to do?"
"Because they do. They know you have broken the limitations set and thus Esthar and the citizens of Deling have asked us to intervene" Quistis explained calmly
" I don't think there should be limitations. We need an army to defend ourselves. Esthar is just limiting our army so they can invade"
"Para-noid" Zell whistled
"Look. Rules are rules. Now this can all be sorted very quickly. All you have to do is stop conscripting people into the army. Esthar have agreed to raise the quota of Soldiers you are allowed but you are still way over that number. So basically stop before your stopped" Squall said bluntly
" And if I don't stop?"
"I'll act accordingly. Both in conjunction with Esthar and in my position as leader of Balamb garden."
Selphie took a piece of paper out of her bag and handed it to Squall, who passed it to the General "Read this. It's the stipulations according to Esthar regarding the current situation. You have a day or two to sign it. If you don't…well we'll be forced to limit the number of soldiers ourselves. That's all" Squall said standing up, the rest of the group doing the same. The others filed out of the room first and just as Squall was about to leave, Caraway grabbed his arm
"Please do not touch me" Squall said
"Wheres my daughter?"
" you don't need to know. She is, by the way, fine which you failed to ask."
"I always knew that girl would mess up her life. I take my eye of her and she ends up …..wait, so you're my son in law?" he asked disgustedly
"unfortunately. And you're my selfish arrogant asshole in law."
"I'll ask you again. Wheres my daughter?"
"She's at home"
"Home!! This is her home. You're not her family, I am. Were where you her whole life the whole time I raised her?" he exploded
"Were were you when I saved her life" Squall said before turning his back and walking form the room
Caraway watched Squall walk away, then he called out and a Soldier entered the room
"yes sir"
"Find out everything you can about Squall Leonheart"
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Next chapter Rinoa finds out the details of Squalls mission and shows up in deling city, but her presence only complicated things for Squall...