Author's Note - Seifer and Squall might break a little out of character toward the end of this chapter--especially the latter--but it added so much to the dialogue that I couldn't resist.

Chapter Sixteen

Big City Nights

The guys did indeed reach the East Galbadia Station first—thankfully their first paycheck had been deposited into their accounts, so that Squall was able to afford a ticket—and boarded the train. Unfortunately that left several minutes where they paced the car, wondering what the other three were doing that was taking so long. Squall went ahead and stepped over to the SeeD car access panel. Might as well open it now and get it over with, as Selphie was sure to demand it as soon as she stepped foot onboard.

A moment later the bouncy brunette in question hopped on board with a breathy sigh, completely ignoring Zell's suspicious glare. Rinoa entered next, followed by the long-legged cowboy. Only Seifer was taller than their newest member, by a couple of inches at best. Selphie went immediately for the door and laughed aloud when it opened readily for her. She turned to Squall and grinned, green eyes dancing.

"Hee! You caught on!" Then she went ahead and passed through, into the hallway beyond to take up her usual position near the windows no doubt. Back in the front car the PA suddenly came over the speakers.

"This train, bound for Deling City, will be departing shortly."

Rinoa burst into giggles as the train released it's breaks and started forward. At the others' confused glances she sighed. "This is the only train bound for Deling City, anyway." Zell and Irvine chuckled with her. Squall just rolled his eyes while Seifer looked more preoccupied with watching the scenery out of the small window on the far side of the car, arms crossed and expression brooding.

After a moment Irvine suddenly sighed wistfully. "Hmm . . ." he murmured as he strolled for the door leading into the SeeD car. "Perhaps it's fate . . ." And then after those cryptic words he stepped through, the door closing behind him. Zell and Rinoa exchanged a disbelieving glance, then they turned to Squall.

"So what do we do about him?" the blonde fighter demanded belligerently. Rinoa bit her lip.

"Um . . . he just kinda . . . went off. Shouldn't you go check on Selphie?"

Squall endured her pleading stare for another minute before he heaved an aggravated sigh and then stepped through the doors. Sure enough, he found Irvine standing near Selphie toward the other end of the car—the latter of which had braced herself up near the windows as usual. The redhead motioned grandly with his arms.

"Selphie," he purred in his slow-twanging drawl. "We're destined to be together!"

Selphie let out a shaky expulsion of breath. "Y-yeah right!" she laughed, still staring out the window. Irvine leaned down over her, a small grin on his face.

"A sigh of love?" he questioned. That made her whirl, pinning him with a glare—but a red-faced and highly flustered one.

"N-no!" she insisted, then whirled away again. Irvine just kept smiling, but lifted away finally and began back down the hall. He hesitated when he came to a frowning Squall who was now blocking the way. Irvine smirked again, tipping his hat.

"Pardon me," he murmured, then stepped past when Squall finally shifted his shoulder and allowed it. Squall waited until Kinneas had left the car before he neared Selphie. She was now staring hard out of the window, her cheeks a bright pink.

"My heart's pounding," she hissed, tone almost strangled. "What is this I'm feeling?"

Squall—completely misinterpreting the reason for her upset—shrugged. "It's an important mission," he attempted to console, somewhat awkwardly. "Get used to the pressure while you still can."

Selphie heaved another sigh and rolled her eyes over to him, pinning him with a look of disbelief mixed with exasperation, before she just sighed again and turned back to the windows. "How long 'til Deling City?" she questioned then, changing the subject entirely.

Squall checked his watch. "About an hour. It's not too far away." She nodded and—as she appeared to be just fine now—Squall decided his duty was done and then went back into the first car.

Only to find that randy cowboy pinning Rinoa to the side of the car. She half-yelped, half-giggled, then ducked under his arm and ran behind Seifer for protection.

"Rinoa!" the redhead called, sounding as if his heart were broken, even going so far to clutch at his chest with theatrical pain.

"Knock that the fuck off," Seifer finally growled, looking as unamused as Squall was himself. "We need your head in the game on this, Cowboy," the tall blonde continued. "Stop acting like a Grendel in rut and focus on the damn mission."

Irvine snorted, then straightened with a bitter sigh. "No one understands me," he heaved then. "Sharpshooters are loners by nature. We hone our instincts, pour our whole being into a single bullet." He emphasized the last by slamming one fist into his other hand with an audible crack. "The pressure of the moment," he continued. "An instant of tension . . . That's what . . . I have to face alone. It's not easy. So like . . . just do me a favor and let me be! You get my drift?"

Zell growled, then suddenly fell to a crouch, his fist slamming into the floor of the car. The whole train shook at the impact. Even Squall raised an eyebrow.

"Er, there was no damage to the train from that, err, minor vibration," the PA announced, the person on the other end sounding rather flustered. "I . . . uh . . . I repeat, there was no damage to the train from that, uh, minor vibration."

"Minor, hell," Squall muttered underneath his breath.

An hour later the train pulled to a stop in the busy metropolis of Deling City. The group disembarked from the train and headed through the thick crowds toward the exit of the station.

"The train bound for the desert will be departing platform 1," someone droned over the intercom. "The train bound for the Garden, heading west, will be departing from platform 2. The train bound for Timber is currently out of service. Please stand behind the white line."

They all got on the escalator leading up out of the underground station, and slowly the hustle and bustle and bright lights of Deling City came into view. Zell ran ahead, eyes the size of saucers. Selphie was right behind him. Rinoa didn't seem very fazed at all. In fact her expression was carefully shuttered, and Squall's suspicion rose another notch.

It seemed this was not the first time she had been to the capital of Galbadia. They stood for a moment, taking it in, then Seifer sighed. "We should get going," he heaved. Squall nodded.

"We're heading for Caraway's Mansion. It's in the government district." He paused until all eyes turned to him. He gave them all a stern look. "Remember, we're here as back-up from Galbadia Garden. Don't blow our cover."

Squall turned his back on Selphie's raspberry, beginning to lead the way down the street. Is Laguna here now? he suddenly wondered despite himself, then put the thought out of his mind with a scowl and a slight toss of his head.

"We can get to the government district if we hop on the number eight bus," Rinoa suddenly announced, trying overly hard to make her tone of voice bored and neutral. Squall turned to give her a silent stare and she fidgeted, then pointed to a near-by bus stop. "We can get on right over there."

Squall said nothing for now, just led the group over to the stop she indicated and then they all piled on. It was a fifteen minute drive from where they had been to the government district of the city. They all piled out again on a residential street to the side of the presidential residence, a huge mansion sprawling out in front of them. Squall sighed in staring at it.

General Caraway is the head of the Galbadian army, he mused. Could this be a coup d'état? No . . , he amended after a moment as they all began walking toward the front walk, being guarded by a single soldier. I don't think he's out to overthrow the president. He sneered. More's the pity.

Squall approached the guard first, the rest of the group fanning out behind him. The man in blue drew himself up and cleared his throat. "General Caraway's mansion is right through this gate," he announced, "but . . . I can't just let you walk in." Squall's eyes narrowed with annoyance.

"I believe he's been informed of our arrival," he returned dryly. The guard sighed.

"Yes indeed, but . . ." He shrugged. "I was ordered not to let you through until your skills have been tested."

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Rinoa growled under her breath, sounding more than a little annoyed. Zell scoffed beside her.

"What the hell's he talkin' about?" the blonde demanded huffily. Squall's stare never wavered from that of the guard in front of him.

"Test our skills?" he repeated slowly. The guard nodded. Squall took a moment to breathe deeply, reminding himself sternly of their cover, before he let it out again in a heavy rush. "What does he want us to do?"

The guard straightened. "The Tomb of the Unknown King to the northeast," he pronounced. "All you have to do is go there. It's real simple but . . ." Now the guard chuckled. "You have to bring back proof that you were there. A code number."

"A code number," Squall parroted, his tone as dry as dust. Zell threw his hands up in the air.

"We came all the way out here for some stupid test of courage?" he growled. "Who does he think we are?"

"Shut it, wuss," Seifer snapped in warning, and Zell fell into a grumbling silence. The guard frowned at them.

"There are many students like yourself who wish to call on General Caraway. There was a student from Galbadia Garden just yesterday, in fact, who has yet to return from the Tomb of the Unknown King. It's located northeast of the city," he reminded them. "Your objective is to go to the tomb, look for traces of the lost student and return with his ID number." The man sighed then. "I don't recommend going in any farther than you have to. You may never make it back alive." He reached into his pocket and drew out a sheaf of laminated paper. "Anyway, here's a map for you."

Squall snatched the map out of the smirking guard's hand, then turned on his heel and left the area. As soon as they were out of sight and hearing, he turned back to the group.

"We have no choice but to play along," he announced heavily, "or risk blowing our cover as students from G-Garden." Zell groaned loudly, but a smack from Seifer had him hushing again. Irvine just shrugged lazily. Squall glanced down at his watch, then sighed. "It's too late to set out today. We'll spend the night at a hotel and head out in the morning."

Selphie leapt into the air, grinning. "Woo! Shopping spree!" Squall glared and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, what did you expect?! This is my first time in the city, and I've been wearing this same dress for three days," she announced gravely. "I need clothes."

Squall rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he intoned. "We're all checking into the hotel first, then you can do whatever the hell you want to until 6 tomorrow morning, as long as it doesn't give away our real mission."

Not surprisingly, Rinoa led the way through the twisting and turning streets, until they came to the huge Galbadian Hotel. Squall approached the front desk and ignored the somewhat insulting look the concierge gave him. "I need three doubles, two keys for each room."

"That will be two thousand Gil, sir," the man sneered. Squall pulled his SeeD Gil card from his back pocket and tossed it onto the counter. The man flustered a little, then took the card and ran it through. His shock at it getting accepted was visible. Squall gave him a tight smile as the wormy little bastard returned his card, then reached into the cabinet near by to fish out the keycards.

"For that price if I don't see mints on my fuckin' pillow or a mini-bar, I'm gonna be pissed," Seifer muttered, to which Rinoa and Selphie snickered.

Squall took the keys, then turned back to the others. He tossed Seifer a card. "Almasy, you're with me. Selphie and Rinoa," he then announced, handing them identical cards for another room, "you'll bunk together. And Zell, you're with Kinneas." He tossed the last two their keycards, ignoring Zell's horrified stare.

"Why do I have to sleep in the same room with him?!"

"Because you wouldn't know what to do in a room alone with a girl, Chicken-wuss," Seifer shot back, heading for the elevator that would lead up into the second floor where the rooms were. He turned around after he'd boarded, smirking. "You'd probably bust a nut just thinkin' about it."

Squall followed him onto the elevator, then turned back to flash the other four a rare smile.

"And I sure as hell am not listening to you snore all night long."

The doors closed behind them.

Back in the lobby, Irvine sighed heavily and eyed his new roommate distastefully. "Why do I get the suspicion that I've just gotten the raw end of this deal?"

The other three ignored him for the moment, instead exchanging wide-eyed stares.

"Yo . . . did anybody else just get a chill up their spine, or was it just me?"

"Yeah," Selphie breathed, shuddering. "They were, like . . . agreeing on something. And Squall was smiling. That was just creepy."

Rinoa just chuckled, then sighed. "Well, I'm all for a shopping spree Selphie, if you're ready?"

Selphie grinned. "Most definitely! I got 4000 Gil burning a hole through my card. Time to go hit that strip!"

Selphie tensed when the tall redhead turned to her, that quirky smile of his shooting straight to her belly and making it do crazy flip-flops. What was it with this guy? Selphie had only been teasing back outside of Garden, as Rinoa had, when they'd glomped onto his arms. Yet almost immediately the brunette had been assaulted by Irvine's warmth and his scent, a strange but heady mixture of male, leather and outdoors. It threw her off balance, and she still hadn't recovered completely. When he'd started to flirt with her on the train, she thought her heart was going to leap right out of her chest. Selphie had denied his advances then, and did her best to try and forget them. After all, he was nearly a full foot taller than she was, well near to six feet while she barely pushed 5'1½". The top of her head barely reached his collar bone. They were so totally wrong for each other it was ridiculous.

But why oh why did he have to be so darned good looking?! Those lazy, laughing teal blue eyes, slow-forming smile and that deep, drawling voice was effecting her like nothing else ever had before in her life.

"You ladies need any company?" he murmured softly. Selphie swallowed with some difficulty, then shrugged.

"I-I guess we could use a pack mule or two," she blurted. His eyebrow quirked under that black hat of his, then he grinned and tipped the thing to her with one finger.

"Well then, pack away, darlin'."

Wooo-boy.

Rinoa took pity on her then and looped her arm through Selphie's, and began leading her back out of the hotel. "Ok guys, follow me. I know just the place."

Irvine similarly grabbed Zell by his jacket and propelled him out the automatic doors. "Wait, what!" the blonde sputtered. "Why do I have to come along?!"

An hour later both males were loaded down with bags, Zell eyeing the redhead with a death-glare while Rinoa and Selphie browsed racks. Two stores ago Selphie had traded her dirty yellow denim jumper for a pair of blue jean shorts and a bright yellow cream top, with short fluttery sleeves and a scalloped neckline. Both went rather well with her knee-high brown boots. She and Rinoa had forced Zell to trade in his equally soiled blue-jean shorts and t-shirt for a fresh pair of blue-jeans and a clean black muscle-shirt, though he retained his red and blue jacket.

I don't like you thinking about that . . . that . . . human this way, Phoenix suddenly complained in her mind, tone testy. Selphie giggled into the mini dress she'd been admiring.

Aww, why not? she teased her somewhat bi-polar GF playfully. Over the years she'd gotten used to his perpetual crankiness and sometimes strange way of shifting so suddenly from emotions. Right now it looked as if Phoenix was in the mood to be grouchy.

He does not deserve you, was her Guardian Force's lofty response. I do not like his thoughts about you either. They are vulgar and crude in the extreme.

Selphie's eyebrow rose, now very intrigued. Oh really, she murmured. Just how 'vulgar and crude' are we talkin' here?

I refuse to repeat them, Phoenix insisted stubbornly. Selphie just laughed.

They visited shop after shop, Irvine growing more teasing and flirtatious as the evening wore on. He was funny and outrageous and he really made her laugh—a trait that Selphie really liked in a guy. She smiled and flirted back, and let herself think maybe their height difference wasn't so terrible after all.

Maybe by the time she finally got back to Balamb Garden, she'd have a hunky new boyfriend to brag to her friends back in Trabia about. Liselle and Beccah were constantly on her case to hook up with someone. Selphie cast her eyes askance at Irvine as he leaned against the wall and grinned to herself. No, she didn't think Bec or Lissy would have much to complain about at all.

After a while they capitulated to Zell's whining and directed their steps to the weapon upgrade shop. They found Squall there already, testing the weight of a new, sleek silver gunblade in his hand. He nodded silently to Selphie's chipper greeting, then exited again, new weapon in tow.

Zell rushed forward right away and began haggling on the price of getting his gauntlets upgraded into a newer Maverick model.

Selphie eyed the Morning Star model nunchaku displayed in the glass case, tapping her chin in contemplation.

"Hmm . . . do I want those pair of new Blue Dragon hide boots, or a weapon upgrade?" she mused aloud. Rinoa stood at her side, admiring the Valkyrie model arm cannon. The brunette had to pause however as the girl at her side suddenly tensed. Frowning in confusion, Selphie glanced up at her—took note of Rinoa's uncomfortable expression—and then turned to see what the matter was.

And immediately wished she hadn't.

Irvine was standing just outside of the shop, smiling and laughing and flirting with some blonde stranger with a low-cut top displaying breasts so large and perky they had to be plastic. Selphie felt her air-supply cut off for a second, feeling strangely crushed.

I will spread his ashes to the four winds! Phoenix vowed furiously. Selphie blinked, then swallowed and shook her head.

Don't bother, Fee, she soothed blandly. He isn't worth it. He's just a flirt, big deal.

She gave Rinoa's pitying stare an equally buoyant grin, hiding her hurt and her humiliation behind her ever-present cheerfulness.

"The weapon, I think," she decided then, turning to wave a clerk down. "Definitely the weapon," Selphie continued, doing her best not to picture herself shoving the nunchaku with the shiny, sharp star end up a certain smooth-talking cowboy's ass and failing miserably. The group collected their weapons, and then Selphie breezed out of the shop and right past where Irvine was sweet-talking the other girl, chin lifted and gaze cool. The lanky redhead stumbled out a hasty good-bye to his little floozy, then gave chase.

"Hey, hey, hey," he called, hurrying to catch up. "Selphie, darlin', what gives?" he demanded as she continued to walk briskly down the sidewalk back toward the hotel. She turned her head and shot him a sneering grin, steps never faltering.

"I dunno Irvy-poo," she cooed, "why don't you go ask your new friend back there? You know, the one with the fake boobs? I'm sure she can give you a few pointers."

Then she spun back and continued on her way. Rinoa settled for a withering glare before she followed. Irvine just stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. Zell snickered.

"Yo, man . . . you just got burned," the blonde snickered. Then he hitched up the bags in his arms and jogged after the girls.

Irvine scowled, then spun on his heel and stalked off into the night, expression thunderous. Who he was angry at—Selphie or himself—wasn't clear, however.

Squall deposited his new Shear Trigger gunblade in his hotel room, along with a couple of changes of clothes that he'd bought. Seifer was currently off to parts unknown—most likely the bar downstairs getting hammered if he knew the cranky blonde—so Squall peeled himself out of his grimy shirt and jeans. He winced with distaste, setting them aside to be laundered along with his jacket sometime tonight before heading into the bathroom to get a shower. It'd be nice to sleep in a real bed tonight. The recliner that Chief had loaned him the night before hadn't been very conductive to restful sleep.

Squall got a nice hot shower, dried off, then dressed in his new clean red t-shirt—the left shoulder emblazoned in a stylized roaring lion head that looked remarkably like his pendant—and a pair of heavy black jeans. He replaced his boots, then headed down to the dining area.

As soon as he entered the door Squall had to hesitate, swamped with an eerie feeling of déjà vu. It was just the same as when he'd visited as Laguna, nothing—if anything—had changed in the décor. The massive black grand piano that Julia Heartilly had played sat off to the left on a raised dais, the bar to the back right and several booths and tables stretching out before him. The room was full but not packed, a soft buzz of lulled conversation echoing throughout.

A hostess approached him with a practiced smile. "Hello sir, how many in your party?"

Squall glanced around the room. Selphie, Rinoa and Zell were seated at a booth near the piano, already in the middle of their dinner. Irvine was strangely absent. They were all laughing and talking boisterously together and Squall winced, in no mood for that kind of atmosphere. He kept looking, then spotted Seifer hunched over the bar, just where he'd figured he'd find him. Squall sighed.

"I think I'll just go over there to the bar with my friend," he announced, motioning. She glanced over, then nodded.

"Very good, sir. Enjoy your night. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more accommodating, just let us know."

Squall nodded to her trained spiel, then moved past. He sat down in a stool next to the tall blonde, who didn't lift his gaze from the glass of amber liquid in front of him. Winhill Whiskey if Squall guessed it right. Squall ordered something to eat and soda to drink, ignoring Seifer's snort.

"You're no use to me hung-over," he quipped laconically after the bartender had left.

"Blow me, Pubes," was Seifer's quick reply.

"Only in your sick, sick fantasies Almasy."

Seifer snorted, then chuckled. "Hot damn, you just cracked a joke," the blonde heaved, eyeing him and then shaking his head. "Man, I am such a bad influence on you."

Squall smirked around the rim of his glass of soda. "Probably," was his bland answer. Seifer didn't reply to that and they sat in an easy silence for several moments. Squall braced his arms on the cool wood, staring at the bottles and glasses lined up along the back wall. Surprisingly, he was the one that break the quiet. He sighed. "She wouldn't want you to blame yourself, Seifer," he finally announced at length, his voice neutral but steady with conviction. "She was a mercenary, same as us. She knew the risks of the job. You don't have to carry the guilt of her death."

Seifer tensed on the stool and was very still for a moment before he lifted his glass and kicked back what was left. "Don't start with that shit," he heaved, tone hoarse. "First off, you don't know a damn thing about what Trepe would or would not have wanted." He turned to fix him with a narrow glare. "You spent half your life ignoring her or doing your best to get the hell away from her, remember?"

Squall quirked a brow at those telling words. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that Almasy was . . . jealous? Did he . . . had he liked Quistis? Is that what this was all about?

"Secondly," Seifer continued bitterly, "you're the last person who should be preaching to me about emotional wellness. Butt the fuck out."

Squall turned back forward, taking a gulp of his drink. Okay, point to Almasy. He had to give him that one. They lapsed back into another silence—this one not quite as comfortable as the last—but Squall noticed that Seifer didn't order another whiskey, instead ordering a tall glass of water. No doubt to avoid the hangover Squall had mentioned earlier.

"You should think about upgrading your gunblade while we're here," he suggested after another moment. "The weapons customization shop here is pretty impressive."

Seifer shook his head. "Can't." Squall turned to give him a sneering look.

"Why? Too attached to that tired old piece of shit Hyperion model you've been swinging since adolescence?"

Seifer chuckled sarcastically. "Hyne, I've created a monster," he growled to the ceiling, then turned back and grinned at him nastily. "No smart-ass, I can't upgrade my blade because I lack the funds necessary to buy the supplies and pay for the work." Squall blinked and Seifer sneered distastefully. "Not all of us are blessed with a high rank and equally fat paycheck, unfortunately. My Gil paid for these drinks and dinner, and that's about it."

Squall's eyebrow rose. "What rank are you?" Seifer turned back to his water, but lifted his hand and extended his pointer finger. Squall snorted, then out-in-out snickered. The pointer was exchanged for the middle finger, but he kept chuckling. Then he sighed and pulled out his card.

"I've got about twelve hundred left on that," he announced, tossing it onto the bar in front of the blonde. "Won't get you a weapon upgrade, but it'll pay for a couple changes of clothes."

Seifer glared. "I don't want your charity, Pubes."

"Good," Squall shot back, "because you'll be paying me back every Gil, I don't care how long it takes you to work it up on your sorry ass Rank 1 paycheck. I look at it as doing myself a favor," he finished, leaning down to the plate of food that had just been set down in front of him. "This way I don't have to smell you."

Seifer sneered again, but finished off his water and got to his feet, grabbing the card on his way.

"Oh, and Almasy?" Squall called without looking back. "Go ahead and get yourself a new coat, too. It's about time that ratty gray piece of crap saw the inside of a dumpster."

"Knock the coat one more time, Pubes, and I really will have to kill you."