Hey, totally forgot about this story and with my uni exams approaching fast and being completly addicted to deathnote at the moment I haven't had much time. Needless to say that i dont think any of my stories will be updated until after my exams finish at some point in june, although saying that I might get an early may update in somewhere, possible. Anyway enjoy, and thanks for the reviews.

The Mission

Squall frowned down at the floor of the car, arms folded across his knees as he leant forward

Ridiculous. Squall frowned down at the floor of the car, arms folded across his knees as he leant forward. This was absolutely ridiculous. He could understand it if it was a person of importance, someone with high social standing but this was some rich general's daughter. What could they possibly gain…?

He'd read the contract repeatedly; there was no denying that he had the right of it. They, he and his team-mate Seifer, were to kidnap the daughter of a general of Galbadia.

The contractor must just be after a large sum and nothing political or moral. It was strange; Garden usual declined any request that was for such personal gain. Why had this one slipped through the net?

"We're almost there," Seifer said standing, he smirked, "Why don't you go check."

Squall ignored him, his mind retreating into his own world again. How were they going to steal Miss Heartilly right out from beneath her father's nose? He'd read the notes that accompanied the contract extensively. The girl was under twenty-four hour surveillance, there was not one point during her day, that he could see, that she was alone except in the privacy of her own house. She even had a highly ranked SeeD as a bodyguard, which meant that they could spot neither him nor Seifer or they would risk the entire operation. The SeeD was with her from the moment she left her house right the way through whatever outing the general's daughter was undertaking until she was safely back at home again…He frowned, except for once a week when she visited her psychiatrist. Great, he sighed, they were dealing with a maniac as well as a SeeD.

"Oi! Leonhart." Seifer growled in annoyance.

Squall remained silent, waiting for the car to slow down and eventually stop altogether.

Deling City was loud and busy. Night had fallen by the time they had arrived. A quick glance at his watch confirmed how late it was getting. Squall peered tiredly around at the well lit and wet streets, his interest caught on a bus labelled number 08' pulling up at a bus stop not far from where he stood.

"Twenty-three hundred hours," Seifer said, "We'll make our way down that street-" He pointed to his left, extending his arm with his gunblade carelessly.

The idiot, Squall thought, of all the people I had to get paired up with…I wish he'd put that bloody gunblade down and keep it out of sight before he scares someone and gets us both arrested.

"- and find a hotel to spend the night. We'll discuss what plan to take tomorrow at breakfast." His voice was laced with authority, smug authority.

Squall stared at him blankly. He knew Seifer would try to take charge as soon as Cid had said that they were to work together as partners for the case. Because it was just the two of them and not a real "team" neither of them was the "leader". Well, he wasn't going to take any orders from him.

Squall turned away and walked slowly down the street to the bus stop. "Excuse me sir?" He asked, leaning in the bus doorway so that he could be heard over the traffic and rain. "Where does this bus go?"

The driver raised his eyebrows in shock. "Full circuit of the city. Down Deling Street, past the residential palace-"

"Ok, thanks sir. Do you mind waiting a moment?" Squall leant back out the door planning to call back to Seifer only to find he'd followed him. "Never mind." He climbed onto the bus, assuming that Seifer would follow.

Seifer frowned at him, a hint of an amused smirk lighting his face at the same time. "You actually asked for directions," he snorted taking a seat opposite him. "What kind of man are you?"

The smart kind, Squall thought in reply, if we did things your way we'd be soaked and without a room until at least gone midnight. He watched the streets carefully as the bus drove on. Knowing the city well would be useful in any kidnapping attempt that they were going to undertake. First thing tomorrow he'd need to buy a map, they would need to know the quickest route out of the city were they to succeed in the kidnapping.

He stood; they'd reached their destination. Climbing off the bus they found themselves half way down Deling Street, right opposite a large hotel Squall guessed looking at the lighted sign.

Seifer snorted, it was the only acknowledgement for a job well done he was going to get from him.

Squall awoke early as usual. He didn't even bother getting dressed but took a seat at the table. They had to get this completely right. She lived at the residential palace, so all they needed was the number 08 bus…maybe. The residential palace…he wondered how guarded it was, one guard on the gate is easily handled. One guard closer to the door would be quite a bit harder. More than one guard-

"Oi! Leonhart!" Seifer banged on the door harshly. "Let me in."

Squall sighed and as he made his way over to the door he pulled a pair of trousers on. "One second."

He grabbed his shirt from the bottom of his bed and opened the door.

"Oh, Hyne's sake! Put a shirt on, please!" Seifer muttered pushing past him into the room.

Rolling his eyes he pulled his shirt on over his head and sat back down at the table.

"Right," Seifer said, turning to sit opposite him, "I say once we kidnap her we bring her here, to this room. Disguise her and high tail it out of here."

"You're getting ahead of yourself." Squall said quietly to the tabletop, "we need to discern how to kidnap her first. When, how."

Seifer snorted, lounging back in his chair, one long arm thrown across the back of it. "Oh?"

"Miss Heartilly does pretty much the same thing day in day out. The only exception being her weekly 3 hour assessment with her psychiatrist."

Seifer snorted, "Psychiatrist! We're dealing with a messed up, snooty bitch then? Great, she better be hot."

"I think its important to note that she is only on her own entirely after entering her house each day."

"And the psycho's office. All people who arrive with you have to wait in the entrance unless they have special permission to come in with you, everyone knows that."

"I wouldn't. I can't say I've ever been to one myself."

Seifer snorted, "Perhaps its time you thought about it. You're one messed up kid."

"Shut it Seifer…I still think that it's a safe bet to sneak into the house, abduct her where and when people will most likely think its impossible. You're more likely than not going to be seen kidnapping her in a building full of paranoid people."

"Fine, fine." Seifer waved his hand in submission. "So, where does the princess live?"

"Residential palace."

"Ohhh," Seifer smirked, "this is going to be fun."