Chapter Seven: Extreme Risk

July 12th 11:21 a.m.

"I can't believe we gave up that parking space," Irvine grumbled as his eyes stared intently at the narrow road before him.

"And I can't believe you wanted to walk up a mountain just to get out of parallel parking again. What a man!" Selphie huffed crossing her arms and purposely looking out of the passenger window. This was a full blown protest.

"Whatever," Irvine answered, borrowing the commander's usual indifference. "Just so you realize that we are now driving up the world's most dangerous road in a car designed by a Moomba! They're not exactly known for the ability to produce quality off road vehicles ya know."

"Oh sure, blame the poor defenseless Moombas and not bad driving skills. Your ability to actually stay on the road is only outweighed by your ability to parallel park Mr. Deling City Guy…"

"Hey, hey now… I'm not the only one in the car from Deling, remember? Plus what? Do you think you can drive better Ms. Trabia…they don't even have roads there!"

"And strangely enough, I could still stay on them better than you and - Oh My God Irvine! Did you see how close you were to the edge there? I saw my life pass before my eyes and it wasn't pretty…especially the parts where you were stark naked except for your stupid cowboy hat!"

…And that was as far as Squall could let this conversation go. He was trying to drown it out, but it was impossible, plus now he had a mental image he really, really didn't want. There was a line that had been suddenly crossed and that, unfortunately, would haunt him forever. Not to mention he also curiously wondered if Rinoa had the same image, which was also rather disturbing. He hoped that she didn't, women don't picture that sort of thing, right? Great, now with that thought, he was even more irritated than before.

"Guys, could you two please stop?" His question was more of an order. At least that was the way it was intended. He still had to have some command authority in this situation… at least he hoped.

"Some of us would rather enjoy the scenery in peace," Squall continued.

Okay, he really wasn't referring to himself, but he needed to say something to stop the bickering. These two truly did have the most dysfunctional yet loving relationship in recorded history. They weren't always like this; in fact, they were normally quite loving and considerate of one another. Even Squall had begun to see how well they meshed after the initial shock of their hooking up wore off. It was only in some of these unique situations that their petty arguments magnified.

"Sorry," both replied in unison, though Selphie still refused to look at her boyfriend.

"You doing all right?" Squall whispered soft enough for only Rinoa to hear. She looked up at him and offered only a hint of a smile. It wasn't her normal comforting gesture, it was forced.

After they left the hotel, she had been nearly wordless. He could tell that she was not handling the idea of jumping well, but she seemed to be pushing through her fears… at least for now.

She never said outright that she had a fear of heights; it was just something that he had always sensed. Even when they flew in the Ragnarok, she always clammed up at take off. A little into the flight she would loosen, but it usually took the conversation and solace of her friends. He couldn't blame her after thinking about all the things she had endured over their journey: floating hapless in space, hanging off Garden's edge, and even the endless fall in time compression.

Somehow she had managed through, maybe off the strength of others and the desire to survive. Yet, those things were not done voluntarily, they happened because of happenstance. There was a huge difference from the wills of fate and the act of purposely jumping off a bridge.

It was times like this he realized just how different their upbringing had been. It wasn't just an emotional difference, it was also the ability to let go and make the most out of an adventurous spirit. He had lived for the rush of battle and the adrenaline of facing nearly insurmountable odds. Even in his last trip to Dollet with the cadets, he got a rush from climbing up the mountain. It was only the teaching and supervisory aspects that didn't sit well with him, the adventure was exhilarating.

This was truly a difference that defined them. Last night he was the one in quiet contemplation, now the situation was reversed. They both had their own fears to overcome, but they were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Still, if there was one thing he had taken away dealing with cadets it was how to help them through the situation. The SeeDs ended up a little worse for wear however, so he would do his damndest to be there for her during this - physically and mentally.

She had been tense as they had gotten into the car. Rinoa didn't refuse to go outright, or speak further against the subject. She just channeled her emotions in silence. As they pulled onto the main road, Squall had instinctively placed his arm around her. He didn't even remember contemplating doing it, or even thinking about the action. He simply just did it. She leaned onto his chest and rested her head just below his.

And that is how they sat in silence, at least between themselves. The occupants of the front seat…well, not so much. After Squall had said something to them, both Irvine and Selphie seemed to be getting along. Or at least they had stopped arguing enough to let Irvine concentrate on his driving. It was about twenty minutes up the winding road, which eventually turned from paved to dirt. They finally reached a clearing, which turned out to be the end of the line for them. Irvine parked next to a few other cars that were there and pointed to a sign that marked a path.

"There it is Behemoth Bridge and Bungee Service!" Selphie pointed eagerly to the sign. "It's about a five minute hike the rest of the way up, but I hear it's really beautiful. Actually, it's like 'a plethora of nature's breathtaking bounty, where the sky gently kisses the horizon.' At least, that was the exact the wording on the brochure… and brochures never lie!"

"God, they actually paid someone to come up with that crap?" retorted Irvine. "I mean what's wrong with 'It's high enough for your ears to pop and your nose to bleed.' That's at least the truth, damn it."

"It's safe right?" Rinoa asked softly finally speaking since leaving the hotel.

"Oh yeah, totally Rin. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't. This place has a 100% safety record!"

"Uh huh…" she answered not at ease by Selphie's obvious enthusiasm.

As they started up the path she felt Squall reach for her hand. He interlocked their fingers as they hiked along the worn dirt trail. He didn't say anything to her, just reassured her with his presence. Selphie and Irvine walked ahead, or rather, Squall and Rinoa seemed to lag behind. Squall looked around, it really was beautiful. He had never been to this part of Dollet, only the plateaus where the Anacondaurs made their nests. Off in the distance, behind some trees, he could see a tall chain link fence that was used to keep larger game out of the area. For the most part this area was safe, but it was always good to have precautions against unwanted monsters.

They walked hand in hand until they passed a small brook. There was a wooden planked bridge along the path. As they walked over it, Squall stopped gently pulling Rinoa next to him. Placing both arms around her, he brought her into a loose embrace.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want," he said softly placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I do…" she began hesitantly, "it's just…"

She didn't finish her sentence shaking her head. What was it just? She didn't even know how to describe it…besides immobilizing fear. Leaning into him, she tried to hide the fact that her body was trembling. His arms wrapped tightly around her as he rested his head on hers.

"I'll be right here, no matter what you decide. Okay?"

She nodded and pulled away. Honestly she didn't want to get too far behind the other couple. She hated times like this when she felt like such an outsider. They had their SeeD training and she had 'amateur' resistance fraction – two totally different things. Garden could take on the world and she could barely take on her father. She had found the strength before, and she would damn well find it again. She wasn't alone and that was a huge factor.

"Come on," she said reaching for his hand and taking the lead. "I can't believe Selphie said it was five minutes. It's been at least twenty. Let's see if we ever can find the top of this mountain."

The quartet sat outside a small wooden shack filling out forms. Rinoa tried to ignore what she was signing, there was nothing good in reading all the things the bungee company was not responsible for…really, there wasn't. Her mouth was completely dry by the time she made it to the last page of the wavier. Her fingers shook so hard, her signature was nearly illegible. Everyone else had finished a long time ago, she doubt they read a single word. She hadn't really either; well, beside the opening paragraph of all the wonderful benefits of this life changing experience. Yeah right, life changing as in life ending – but that would be a horrible tagline for their business.

A member from the jump crew walked over to the group rubbing his hands together.

"Okay, just a quick rundown before we harness you lucky jumpers up. You're going to be experiencing one of the best bungee locations in the entire world. You'll have 8.5 second of free fall so take it all in, the only thing better is jumping out of a plane."

"Oooh, that sounds fun too!" Selphie chirped in excitement. "Can we do that next?"

"Shhh," Irvine hushed his girlfriend who placed her hand over her mouth realizing she interrupted. It was so hard not to say something, this was just so invigorating.

The man continued, "Um yeah, anyway… I do want to warn you, I see the lot of you are wanting to do this as couples. I wanted to let you know that is slightly more dangerous. Jumping in tandem runs the risk of hitting your heads together. It can be a painful experience, so I wanted to give you the heads up."

"Hehe," Selphie laughed, "Heads up! Good one." Irvine glanced at her and shook his head. "Oh oops, sorry again."

"We're going together," Squall answered without having to look at Rinoa.

Raising her hand like she was back in class, Selphie answered for the other couple, "Us too!"

"All right then. I can take the first couple," the instructor said before then adding, "I bet I don't even have to ask who is going first."

A few minutes later, Rinoa sat at the table waiting as Selphie and Irvine had already headed toward the bridge. She would find the strength to go over and watch them when it was time. Of course, that meant actually having to walk on the old steel bridge to get the platform. Still, maybe by watching her friends and seeing the fun that they were having, she could get over this.

"Hey," Squall said sitting down next to her. He had been inside the building for a quick break.

"Hey back," she responded without turning.

"Look what we get for free with the jump."

She glanced upward seeing two blue folded t-shirts in his hand. He undid one, holding the front side up for her to see.

"I jumped at Behemoth Bungee and all I got was this lousy t-shirt…" She read rolling her eyes. "Seriously, they put that on the shirt? What is it with these people?"

"That's not all," he said with a small smile. He flipped it over and read the back of the shirt aloud, actually attempting to be somewhat enthusiastic. His voice was raised and slightly rushed, "And the most amazingly awesome time ever!"

"Were you just trying to imitate Selphie?" she had managed to laugh.

He shrugged. "I have no idea what that was." In truth he didn't, he was just trying to get her to forget about her fears and it just slipped. It seemed to work, however, she was laughing which in turn made him happy.

She had never heard him try to emulate another personality and it was absolutely adorable. Okay, he wouldn't say that, but she darn well did. Plus she knew he never did anything like that. Ever. She must have really been in bad shape if he was trying to cheer her up.

"Squall, did anybody ever tell you that you're amazingly awesome?"

"No," he replied now back in his normal tone. It instantly made him feel uncomfortable. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way. A second ago, he was the one trying to bring a smile to her face, now he was the one retreating. The fact that the comment was directed toward him made the difference. Nobody in his life had ever thought of him as amazing or awesome, maybe his gunblade skills, but not truly him as a person.

"Stop it." Rinoa shook her head; she knew what he was doing. "You know, just deal with the fact that I think you're amazingly awesome, because I do. Don't try to make sense out of it, just go with that fact, okay?"

She paused looking down at her copy of the jump contract, pushing the pen back and forth as some sort of detraction. Neither of them spoke for a short period. Finally, she sighed while now pushing the end of the pen forcefully, making it spin in place.

"Squall," she began with hesitation. "You want to do this, right?"

"I'm not doing anything you're not comfortable with."

She inwardly laughed; this was almost the complete reverse from last night. She was the one with doubts and he was the one pacifying the situation. Still one thing was different, he didn't ask her last night about her feelings. He never asked what she would have done – would she have shared a room if given the chance? However, she had to be a little more direct than he was, though in her heart, she already knew.

"Squall, you know I'm going to make you answer my question. I asked if you wanted to do this, not what I wanted."

He scratched the back of his neck looking in the direction of the bluff. Rinoa had still been scrutinizing the piece of paper before her, he wondered if she was actually reading the fine print. She didn't seem the type, that was him, but given the circumstance and her doubt, this may be the one time she'd be meticulous.

"Rinoa, you know, this is the kind of thing I've trained for…obviously not this particular thing, but things dealing with heights and even the rock climbing. It's rather an acquired sensation. When I was younger this stuff quite frankly scared the shit out of me, after while, I enjoyed the exhilaration."

"You remember being afraid?" she asked softly looking up at him.

He could tell by her voice that she had turned his direction. He hadn't thought about that aspect of his response, he was only trying to find a way to carefully word his feelings. There was no way he wanted to come right out and say that he was looking forward to this - given her concerns. Still, in his line of work, fear was actually a good thing – if you weren't fearful it often lead to carelessness.

"Rin, to mean you're afraid means you're alive. Of course I was afraid, I was scared as hell during Ultimecia, but I couldn't show it. It's a matter of dealing with the fears and making them work in your favor."

"You really are amazingly awesome," she said leaning forward to give him a quick kiss on the lips. He didn't protest. He even reciprocated briefly, before pulling away.

"You are too," he responded. Standing up, he offered his hand to her. "Now let's head out to that bridge and watch Selphie and Irvine. Maybe they'll be the first couple in bungee history to argue all the way down."

"You're terrible!" She laughed tugging on his hand and then quickly added. "But right."

They walked to where Selphie and Irvine were harnessed face-to-face on a platform. Sorceress and knight remained next to one another as Rinoa offered her friend a tiny smile. However, the harnessed duo didn't seem to notice the other couple, they had other things on their mind.

"Told you that I'd get you into bondage yet," Irvine announced loudly, even in front of the two jump crew members.

"Oh dear god," Rinoa moaned leaning her head onto Squall's chest.

"Well, you know, we do offer weekends that are exclusively for those that want to bungee naked, plus there's no cost to nude jumpers either." One of the crew members announced, unfazed by the sharpshooter's comments.

"Could I at least wear my cowboy hat?" Irvine winked as Selphie groaned in annoyance.

"No, no, no…make it end," Rinoa said into her boyfriend's shoulder. "The visuals are killing me."

Great, well that answered his earlier question – yes, Rinoa did visualize things. That somehow was extremely disturbing in its own right.

"How are you guys getting back up to the bridge?" Squall asked hoping to divert the topic. "I saw two options on the form."

"We're going to be using their pulley system instead of the lowering onto the boat thingy. We want to be up here to see you guys go," Selphie explained. "This is so exciting. I'm so freaked out right now!"

Rinoa thought she certainly didn't seem freaked out, she seemed smiling and happy. Then again, they were two entirely different people and dealt with fear in the own ways, much as Squall had said earlier.

"You two are cleared, you have the go anytime." The crew member raised his hand gesturing to a man below who was waiting on a boat. He nodded below explaining, "As a safety protocol we have a medically trained member at the bottom, plus you get a video to take home."

"Oooh a video!" Irvine winked. "We'll add that to the collection."

"Shut up," snapped Selphie. "That's it, we're jumping."

The duo looked down at the gorge below, lacing their heads close together as instructed. They tightly hugged before shuffling to the edge and taking that last fatal step. Both screamed at the sensation of falling into nothingness…technically maybe not nothingness, rather a rock-strewn, rapid filled river. After the jump, they ended up spiraling for several more rebounds and thoroughly enjoyed every second of the process.

After they finally managed to come to a stop, they dangled like a yo-yo on a string. Irvine and Selphie went from frantically screaming to laughing hysterically and when they rested upside down they found a way to share a kiss.

"That was incredible! I so want to do that again, and again, and again!" Selphie announced vigorously.

"It was incredible, wasn't it?"

"Hey what was with all that crap up there? I mean, I know you're deranged and all, but that seemed a little overboard even for you," she questioned tethered by her ankles.

"Actually, it was for Rinoa, if that helps."

"Yeah… you're doing it wrong. I don't think any of that helps Rinoa… or Squall for that matter. They're not exactly us you know."

"I know that, Selph. I mean she's scared to death to jump. If for a few minutes I could get her thinking about something else and make her laugh, so be it."

"So your version of making Rinoa laugh is picturing you bungee jumping naked?" she asked mockingly.

"Hey, whatever I can do for a maiden in distress."

"You're such a fine example of a gentleman…But thank you, your heart is the right place just your execution is a little off. I know she's terrified and you're trying to make her feel better. That's my Irvine," she smiled still dangling by her feet. "I hope she goes through with it."

"Squall's with her. She can do anything with him, she just has to realize it."

"I think I'm going to just take that at face value."

"Hey, darlin' I mean it." He held her closer as they began their accent. "You know I love you right?"

"Yeah, I do. You can drive me crazy, but that's why I love you too."

Rinoa and Squall stood in the background as the team began to pull Selphie and Irvine up to the platform. Sorceress leaned against knight, while he leaned against the bolted railing. She had not even thought about her actions, or the fact that he hadn't refused even in a semi-public setting. She had sought comfort from the closeness and he had found comfort that he could offer himself in this way.

He reached down loosely placing a hand around her waist. Leaning in, he tickled her ear with his soft voice, "Think of it this way, you have wings right? You can fly."

"Ha…" she quietly laughed from the tingling sensation within her ear. "I hovered, hovered, maybe eight feet off the ground, if that. Even that was high enough when you have no control over your own actions."

"We're working on the control, remember? This time you have a knight and some discipline. Think of our training."

"Squall, it's just I've never felt so out of place in my life…" She turned her head to look in the eyes even as his hand remained on her hip. To an outsider their positions would appear intimate on an emotional level. However, neither of them seemed to notice. She had held it in long enough, now it was time to confess her fears to her knight.

"I'm scared. I really am and I don't want to be. I don't do stuff like this for recreation. I mean, I had to do things like this when we were fighting Ultimecia, I had no choice. This is a choice. I'm just not like you guys. Like I said, it just feels somehow that I don't belong."

"Rin, don't you think I feel out of place all the time?" He never broke his gaze, staring intently into her eyes. He felt it was the time to confess some of his doubts. "Tonight, Selphie mentioned a club. I mean to you that's probably something of a norm living in Deling. Me? No, that idea terrifies me, but I'm going to do it. When I said I'd come this weekend I knew what I was signing on for, even the social aspect."

"This whole thing isn't easy for you, is it?"

"No, it's really not Rinoa. These are my friends and I care for them, I just… well the thing is they're a couple, we're a couple. I've never done this sort of interaction in my life. To me, this whole weekend is the equivalent of jumping off a bridge."

"You're right."

"Okay next couple, we're ready to gear up!" A man yelled from near the platform.

"Ready to go earn that shirt?" Rinoa asked trying to put her fears into perspective.

"Yes." He reached out his hand interlocking their fingers once again.

They walked over to where the man stood with equipment in hand. "Okay then, let's get started. I'm going to be tying the bungee line to your ankles. The line around your waist will be for retrieval, nothing else."

Rinoa despised hearing the word 'retrieval.' She now felt like a stick they were going to toss over the edge and then fetch. She pretty much zoned out most everything else as two employees bound them together. She loved being this close to Squall - that was not the problem. The problem was with the huge amount of air between her and the ravine below. It wasn't natural to jump off a bridge, no matter how many times these people said it was.

"Oh my god!" She heard Selphie's voice now back on the bridge. "That was so…amazingly awesome, you two are going to love it!"

It was one of those moments she was glad for, when both her and Squall found a mutual reason to laugh without explanation. It honestly felt like such a simplistic 'couple' thing, where both understood the nature of the humor without having to say the joke out loud. She could feel Squall's arms wrap tighter around her as they stood being physically bound by two strangers.

It didn't take long before they had been helped to the platform. She hadn't even realized how she got here; it was rather a large horrific blur in her mind. Now she stood at the edge of sanity facing her fears head on.

On the other hand, over the last few minutes Squall had felt his heart rate increase tenfold. He loved this feeling. There was something so freeing about just letting go (in this aspect). He honestly couldn't believe how much he was looking forward to the rush and to share it with her would be exhilarating. Of course he understood her doubts, but he so desperately wanted this to be a shared experience. So much of his life was private; he wanted to open himself up to her in this way. He could never explain those emotions, it really couldn't be spoken, it was only felt.

"Okay, you got clearance," a man from the jump crew announced. "Three, two, one – bungee!"

Silence.

There was no movement from her. Nothing. He wasn't going to force her. She hadn't even managed a single word since they made their way to the platform. It was real now…all too real.

"Rin, it's a leap of faith… Trust me," Squall whispered, his voice easing of assurance.

Her eyes looked down at the ravine and she felt so small and insignificant. It couldn't be that far down, it had to be some sort of sick optical illusion. Her body trembled in utter fear. This was idiotic. This was not entertainment; this was a masochistic indulgence that crossed the line of sanity. No person in their right mind would hang upside down on an amped up rubber band on steroids. She managed to peel her eyes away from the rocks below, the very sharp and deadly rocks, and turned to her boyfriend.

"Squall, I trust you… but I also trust physics and gravity... and right now they have the edge."

She knew that he would be disappointed. Hell, she was disappointed in herself. Her uncertainty was evident, even in her stuttered and broken speech.

"Rin, we don't have to do this. I would never make you do something that you're uncomfortable with, you know that."

"I know," she nodded now breaking her stillness and glanced back at her friends.

Selphie and Irvine seemed so thrilled by the experience. Part of her envied that her friends had done this together, showing little doubt. The last thing she wanted to do was back out. Nobody would care, but she would. She had spent so much time trying to prove that she could handle her own in battle. And no, this was not a test of SeeD skill or bravery, but it was still a test – a test of one's self and pushing one's self to the limits.

Rinoa was going to have to jump…not for Squall, but for herself. Still, it didn't make the reality of the situation any less terrifying. It defied logic and reason, and therein laid the beauty.

"Selphie, if I get out of this alive… I will never speak to you again," Rinoa mumbled looking forward again to the horizon. She wasn't mad at her friend, just angry at herself for stalling even longer.

"I figured, but it's so worth it! Trust me, it's great!" Selphie laughed at the empty 'threat.' She knew Rinoa would never follow through...well, hopefully.

"Again with the trust issue… This is not about trust. It's about sanity…and right now you've all lost it."

"It's okay. Seriously Rinoa, we don't have to do this," Squall stated again in an amazingly calming voice.

"No, no…. I'm going to do this. Just give me another minute…or twenty," she stated looking into the eyes of her boyfriend, before adding, "If I don't jump, I will forever be known as the new Chicken-Wuss."

Maybe humor could get her though, apparently nothing else was working.

"Well then we just start calling Zell Rooster-Wuss, right?" Irvine interjected jokingly. "See then everyone is happy. I mean, technically that is what Zell should be anyhow."

"You're not really helping," Squall stated flatly giving him a friendly warning.

"I could push you. Would that help?" Selphie stated with a huge grin.

"Everybody's gone mad. Seriously," quipped Rinoa. She could feel her heart beating madly throughout her chest cavity. If she didn't jump soon, these people were going to drive her insane. Then again, maybe that was their master plan.

Squall held her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. There was so much he wanted to say to her: for her not to be afraid, that he would never let anything bad happen to her, and that he'd protect her, even from her own fears. He just wished that he could offer the emotional encouragement that she so often gave him.

"Rinoa, listen… I understand how you feel. You don't have to do this to prove anything to me, to yourself, or to anybody. I'm with you either way, every step of the way. I'm not leaving your side. If you don't go, I don't go. We're in this together. I wouldn't want to do this any other way."

"And that's why I love you," she whispered sincerely.

She had listened has his words consoled her, and took a deep breath. Trust. Fear. Independence. It was all contained with a single action. So she let go. She let go of her fears and doubts and put all her trust with fate and the solace she felt with her knight. She said once that she felt like she could do anything with him by her side, now it was time to make the figurative literal. She gave a slight nod, she could not speak. It was not possible to even make a sound… but he knew.

And they jumped.