FanFiction.Net - unleash your imagination 
mobile edition|
Author of 30 Stories |
Summary: It's about five months since the end of the game, Squall Leonhart has been forced into the role of an international icon, and out of active duty. He finally gets the opportunity to go on another mission, but what happens when things go wrong and he's taken prisoner? Will Squall's friends find him? And what happens when it seems he doesn't want to be found?
Disclaimer: Square owns all things Squall and co. all I conceived of were the circumstances surrounding this story and Deman and co.
Warning: There's a considerable amount of (shudders) fluff in this chapter... Well, I consider it... fluff... But maybe it's not, really. You can decide.
A/N: Well, this is it. The LAST chapter of AD. When I wrote it, I was thinking of a sequel... I doubt that's ever going to happen. But, because of that, there's this little scene at the end that kind of enigmatically hints at future possibilities for this story. Kind of like an epilogue, I guess.
Some parts of this chapter were edited out because I felt they were pointless. So, if there's any confusion or if you want to know more about some given situation, let me know. I can explain whatever it is, and if I think it's necessary, I'll go back and edit the story content to contain the answer to your question.
I hope you enjoyed AD. I'm proud of it as the first decent story I've completed. (I completed a long humor story back when I first started writing, but looking back on it, I cringe.) Since the story is over, and you've had the chance to read all of it, this will be the only time I'm actually going to ask for it, but...
Please review and let me know what you thought of the story! (Especially if you haven't reviewed yet.)
Ardent Deception
IX.
An hour and a half of brooding later, Squall found himself looking up at Garden from the outside for the first time since he had retrieved his memories. His mind inadvertently flashed back to the awe he had felt the first time he looked upon it and he suddenly felt at home, like he hadn't felt for months. A pang of guilt hit him at being away for so long and his stomach began to get queasy as he thought of what he was here to do. He just hoped he wouldn't see any of his friends, that might crush his feeble resolve completely.
Irvine waited until Squall was ready to start forward again. He took the man's hesitation as a good sign and took the moment to reflect on the beauty of Garden himself. He had grown up in the Galbadian Garden, it's military strictness was a stark difference to the laid back feeling Balemb held. And, of course, Selphie was waiting in there for him… he glanced back at Squall, again impatient to get moving.
Squall was completely ignorant to Irvine's anxiousness and started the familiar walk up to Garden on his own accordance. He silently relished in the familiar process, entirely enjoying the repetitiveness of each step as his mind put his body on auto, remembering doing this exact thing countless times in the past. It was good to have a place you knew so well, a place where you belong.
He acknowledged the doorman's salute as he entered and slowly climbed the steps leading up to the main complex, relishing in the predictable familiarity of every step as he went. It was a stark difference from the constant feeling of loss he had endured for the last several months. Relief washed over him as he stepped into the elevator with Irvine and keyed in the request for it to bring him to the third floor. They hadn't run into anybody, just like he wanted. The doors slid open and he absent-mindedly stepped from the elevator, suddenly overcome with his nervousness with the task at hand—although he took care to hide his worry from Irvine.
Therefore he was taken by complete surprise when a high pitched voice squealed: "Squall!" with delight and a person considerably shorter than himself suddenly latched onto him in a surprisingly strong hug. After managing to wrench the said person off of him, he looked down with growing dismay at Selphie's beaming face. His dismay grew as his gaze quickly scanned the room to find the rest of his friends standing around him, all smiling at his return.
"How are you feeling?" Quistis asked as Squall half-heartedly urged Selphie on to her usual place at Irvine's side—Irvine gratefully accepted her.
"Fine," the answer was completely automatic and it was out before he even realized what he was saying. His mind catching up with his mouth, he quickly added, "I need to see the Headmaster."
"Already?" Selphie complained, wiggling out of Irvine's arms, "But we set up a party for you and everything! Don't you want to go to that first?"
Squall attempted to steel himself from his friend's begging but found he was torn as to which he should do. He knew if he didn't see Cid now he might lose his nerve but at the same time he really wanted to spend some time with his friends, after all he hadn't seen them in months… well, he had, but they hadn't exactly been friends most of that time. His eyes gazed over the expectant faces around him and came to rest on one face in particular.
Hers was the one face that hadn't looked ecstatic at his return. Her brown eyes were looking at the ground and her face was pale with ugly dark circles under her eyes. She looked much worse for the wear, although she still looked beautiful to him, and a longing to hold her like he hadn't known before suddenly overpowered all his other wants. Silently slipping back into a spontaneous mode he thought he had abandoned, Squall swiftly crossed the room and did just that.
Rinoa looked up in surprise as her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her and as she realized just what was happening unshed tears welled up in her eyes. Behind Squall, Irvine quietly motioned everyone out of the room and the two of them were soon alone.
"Squall… I missed you so much…" Rinoa whimpered, returning the embrace and allowing some of her tears to finally fall.
"I'm so sorry," Squall whispered back, gently stroking the young woman's hair with one hand as the other held her tightly, "Everything I did… I apologize."
Rinoa didn't pretend she didn't know what he was talking about, instead she replied, "You didn't know what you were doing," he was about to interrupt, to insist it was no excuse but she continued, "It doesn't matter anymore, anyway. You're back now, and that's all that matters… We're together again."
Squall smiled and if anything held her tighter, "I don't ever want to be away from you again," he whispered, his earlier decision to leave Garden all but gone from his mind. He would go wherever Rinoa went, whether she wanted to stay at Garden or return to D.C.
He was soon back in the small cadet's room he had been sharing with Irvine, they hadn't bothered to switch him back to his old room just yet which suited him just fine. He stared up at the black ceiling, his thoughts slowly wheeling down. (It's good to be back… I can't believe I wanted to leave this place for good… Leave her for good…)
A small smile spread across his lips at the very thought of Rinoa and he allowed his eyes to close again, to be engulfed completely in darkness. Within moments he was asleep, unaware of his surroundings, but for the first time in months he was at peace.
"As fun as that might be, I have something else in mind." Squall's eyes quickly zeroed in on the man speaking, no sooner doing so than his mind flashed with pain. He blinked hard several times, trying to see through the blinding light that seemed to be before him and at length his eyes focused painfully on the face.
"D-deman?" Squall voiced, his throat aching at the unwanted use, "What… what's going on?"
The man smirked, "Just a little experiment, sport… but don't worry, it's perfectly safe."
Squall suddenly realized there was another man beside him, doing something he couldn't see to his head. He gasped as a searing pain washed over him, throbbing from the point the man was touching. He looked back up at Deman, pain shining in his eyes as he fought back the urge to scream, "Deman."
His friend just smirked down at him, "It hurts, doesn't it, Squall? Hurts to be betrayed by your friends…" He stepped closer, touching his temple where the other man had been pressing moments before. At the moment of contact, pain shot through him again, more intense than before, "Scream for me, Squall, no one will help you now." The pain seared even more and Squall screamed, his head fit to burst.
Squall's eyes snapped open at the scream, and he shut his mouth as soon as he realized it was his own. His forehead was drenched in sweat and he was breathing hard, but there was no pain shooting from his temple anymore. His eyes roamed the room, the familiar room that was issued to every Garden cadet.
The door burst inwards and Squall's wide eyes quickly focused on the stumbling figure that was Irvine entering his room. The sharpshooter was wearing black shorts and a white T-shirt, he was carrying his shotgun and his sharp eyes quickly took in the room. Seeing no immediate danger, he lowered his weapon and turned to the now thoroughly awake Squall.
"Are you okay?" Irvine asked, looking at him with concern.
Squall quickly looked away, his eyes eventually landing on the clock reading 3:00 in small red letters. "I'm fine." He breathed at length. Part of him wanted to tell Irvine what he had just dreamed, wanted someone to assure him it was just a nightmare… but a stronger part of him knew that wasn't all it was, and didn't want to show the sharpshooter what it considered a weakness.
Irvine cocked an eyebrow, "You're fine," he repeated skeptically, "Look, I don't get out of bed at three in the morning for just anything. You were shouting and I want to know why."
A wave of bitterness and irritation washed over the brunette. He hadn't asked Irvine to wake up, he didn't need him checking on every sound he made. But another part of him was a little glad he asked… His reply still came out as an irritated snap, "It was just a dream, okay?… I don't even remember it anymore." He added although it was a lie.
"Sounds more like a nightmare," Irvine mused.
Squall glared at him, (Of course it was a nightmare, even you can't possibly think that was a scream of delight.)
Irvine shrugged, "I guess I should've expected as much, though. Hyne knows I've had my fair share over all this."
Squall couldn't help but be surprised at this revelation, (What do you have to have nightmares over?)
"Think about it." Irvine replied before striding back out the way he had come. Squall watched after him with confusion before he realized he had said that last thought out loud. He flushed slightly and lay back down on his bed… (What does he have to have nightmares about? I'm the one who's gone through all this. I'm the one with the scars, not him.)
His mind wandered again, slowly winding it's way down again when realization suddenly hit him. Irvine's voice echoing in his mind, (I'll stay with you through this Squall…) He rolled over and closed his eyes again, quite unsure whether this realization was a comforting one or not.
Squall didn't manage to get to sleep again after that. The hours passed and he merely stared up at his dark ceiling, the wall next to him, and the clock on his bedside drawers, thinking about all that he could remember as he had been doing for the past week in the hospital. Only this time his thoughts lingered more on the past few months than anything. On his friendship with Eadig and Deman… and on their betrayal.
As soon as the morning was late enough that his presence wouldn't seem too rude, Squall left straight for the Headmaster's office, not bothering to wake Irvine who was still asleep in the other room. Squall burst into Cid's office even before the man's secretary had time to inform him of his arrival. Cid looked up in surprise and quickly noted the intense look on the young Commander's face.
"Problem, Squall?" He asked.
"What did you do with Eadig?" Squall asked immediately.
Cid was slightly taken aback, "Well, I haven't done anything with him yet," he answered, "Eventually he'll be returned to the Galbadian government, tried, and punished by their courts. Why? What's wrong?"
Squall ignored the question, "So he's still in Esthar?"
Cid nodded, "I believe so," he agreed, "he's being held there until Garden officially decides what should be done with him."
Squall quickly slipped into a strict salute, "Permission to go immediately to Esthar, sir."
"Now wait a minute," Cid said, raising his voice as a frown crossed his face, "Why do you want to go to Esthar? Wait, I can guess that well enough. But what do you plan on doing once you get there?"
Squall didn't answer but shifted uneasily under the Headmaster's gaze.
Cid sighed, sitting behind his desk and motioning Squall to a chair as well. He wasn't surprised at all when the SeeD didn't accept the offer. "I suppose we should have thought of this before," the Headmaster admitted, "we all assumed you would want him dealt with according to the law, we assumed once you knew what happened you would want him punished…"
He studied Squall's face, years of guardianship and watching the boy grow into the young man before him giving him the skills he needed to get even a slight clue as to what he was thinking. "But you don't want that, do you? Well, then, why don't you explain this to me, Squall. Your opinion is just as legitimate as anyone else's, probably more so in this case."
Squall took a deep breath, preparing himself for the longest speech he had ever given to a superior officer, "With all due respect, sir," he started, "I request Eadig to be released." The surprise on Cid's face did not go unnoticed, merely unmentioned, "I understand that four months ago he was engaged in terrorist activity, he kidnapped and presumably had a hand in killing several ranking SeeDs and even had a predominant role in my capture and… torture," Squall continued, hesitantly admitting this all while trying to keep his emotions out of his mind for now.
"I was… manipulated in part at his hand and, under his command, continued the terrorist attacks at his side…" Squall paused, taking another deep breath, "but, respectfully, sir, the last three months have taught me things I could never have learned here. As much as I enjoy my work here, what Eadig and the Egeslics offered me was something I'd never experienced before. For the first time in my life I was able to express myself in any way I wanted, there was nothing holding me back. Eadig, as well as some of the others, became good friends of mine and while I can't say I've forgiven him for what happened… I request that he isn't punished for it at this time. I believe he's changed since four months ago and will be able to make a successful integration back into society if given the chance."
Squall kept his eyes carefully glued to the wall behind Cid, not wanting to see how the man was taking this unusual show of emotion.
Cid studied him for a long moment before replying, "And if we don't agree?" He prompted.
Squall's lips tightened, his face set in a mask of determination. He didn't want to think about that eventuality. Cid got the message.
The older man sighed, "Squall, you leave me in a difficult spot, here. Give me a few days to sort this out with Galbadia and I'll get back to you on our decision…"
Squall hesitated, waiting for the man to continue, but finally opened his mouth when he didn't, "Sir, about my leave," he prodded.
"Don't you think it would be best if you remained here until we made our final decision?" Cid asked, "It will only be a few days delay, a week at the most. You can use the time to get reacquainted with your friends."
Squall carefully kept his mask in place, "With your permission, sir, I'd like to leave immediately… I don't think I'll be able to function properly here until I've dealt with this matter."
Cid reluctantly nodded, "Agreed. Although, I'd appreciate it if you told your friends goodbye first…" he paused for a moment then added, "and take someone with you, too… I don't want to take any risks with you at this time."
(He thinks I need a babysitter? I'm not that unstable.) Squall nodded, "Understood." He snapped off another quick salute and swiftly left the room, eager to get underway.
It didn't take as long as Squall feared for the first of the gang to show up. Quistis and Zell walked in not ten minutes later, talking to each other in low, confidential voices. Their conversation stopped a little after they entered the room and, after they'd gotten their trays, they quickly found Squall, smiled, and made their way over to his table.
"Hey, man, where were you yesterday?" Zell asked, sitting down opposite him, "You completely missed your party!"
Squall didn't reply but felt a good deal of satisfaction at having missed the party. He'd always hated large gatherings, even when he hadn't known who he was he did. He just wasn't a very social person, under any conditions.
Quistis smirked, as if reading the thoughts on his mind, "He probably missed it on purpose," she noted, "Did you and Rinoa have a good time, then?"
A sappy smile had crossed Squall's face at the mention of Rinoa's name before he could stop it, although he wiped it out as quickly as he could. Zell and Quistis had both seen it, however, and had quite a laugh at their friend's expense.
Before long Selphie and Rinoa joined them, and Irvine a bit after that—still looking plenty tired. Now everyone was around him, it was the moment he had been waiting for. His eyes met with Rinoa's and he couldn't bring himself to say a thing.
His friends all chatted happily for a while, Squall remaining skillfully silent, musing internally about his current dilemma. At length, one of the others noticed this.
"What's up, Squall?" amazingly, it was Zell, "You seem really quiet. I mean, more than usual."
Squall kept his eyes down this time, not willing to get caught in Rinoa's snare once again, "I'm leaving." He replied quietly.
Gasps flew around the table, "What?" Selphie asked, echoing the main question on everyone's breath.
"Only for a little while," Squall offered hastily.
"Why?" Quistis asked.
"I've got some… unfinished business." Squall answered evasively.
"You're going back to Esthar then, or what?" Irvine questioned.
Squall finally glanced up, meeting the gaze of the cowboy, "Actually, Irvine, we're going back to Esthar."
It took about five seconds for Squall's message to sink into Irvine's fuzzy mind, "Wait a minute, what do you mean 'we'?" He asked after a considerable silence.
"The Headmaster thinks it would be best if I brought you with," Squall explained calmly, adding under his breath, "although I really don't see why I should need a babysitter."
Next to him, Selphie giggled, earning strange looks from the others who had not overheard Squall's last comment.
Irvine sighed, "Alright, when are we leaving?"
"The train departs in two hours," Squall replied.
Irvine snorted, "Good thing I didn't have a chance to unpack, then."
"You have to leave already?" Rinoa asked quietly, looking up at Squall with imploring brown eyes.
Squall immediately felt awkward, starting to think that maybe he should stay… a few more days at least. He mentally shook his head, "Yes, I think it would be all around best if I got this out of the way now."
Rinoa looked down sadly but nodded, "Alright, Squall… you'll be coming back soon, right?"
"I hope so," Squall replied truthfully, "it shouldn't take more than a week at most."
Rinoa gave him a clearly forced smile, "That's not too bad, then… I'll miss you, Squall." She said before turning and walking off. Squall was secretly glad she was gone, behind her flew the great amount of pressure that had been building up in his mind, willing him to stay. Now that she was gone it was a simple matter of getting Irvine down to the station.
The train ride itself wasn't that exciting. It basically consisted of Squall brooding, Irvine trying to make conversation, Irvine giving up and trying to sleep, Squall still brooding, Irvine waking up—due to some 'bump' from the train which Squall always insisted he didn't notice—trying to make conversation again, Squall still brooding, Irvine giving up again… and so on, in a viscous cycle. But, almost five hours later, the train finally dropped the duo off at Esthar Station—along with most of it's other passengers.
Irvine stifled a yawn, "So, where do we check in? Presidential palace or nearest hotel—makes no difference to me as long as it has beds."
Squall shot Irvine a glare, "You just slept for five hours on the train, are you still tired?"
Irvine crossed his arms indignantly, "I didn't sleep for five hours! I don't think I even got one hour's worth of good sleep in, what with the train jumping tracks like it kept on doing!"
Squall raised an eyebrow, "It was the smoothest ride I've been on in a while."
Irvine attempted to glare at the brunette, but the effect was destroyed when he yawned again.
Squall fought back the urge to laugh, "Fine, we'll check into an inn."
"Right behind you, oh fearless commander!" Irvine exclaimed, marching behind him for a few steps before he lost his momentary spurt of energy and resorted back to a half-asleep stagger. Squall tried to pretend he wasn't there.
Ignoring his companion's complaints, Squall quickly found his way to his first stop—and promptly halted outside the house that was his destination. Irvine waited with already thin patience for several minutes for Squall to make his next move, but the brunette continued to stand in indecision.
"Well? Are we stopping here or moving on?" Irvine asked, "Either way, let's get on with it, otherwise I'm going back to our hotel."
Squall shot the cowboy a weak glare but didn't respond otherwise. Voices could be heard inside the house during the silence that ensued… Irvine quickly lost patience again.
"Look, do you want me to knock?" Squall quickly shook his head, a very brief look of panic passing across his features. Irvine sighed, "Where are we anyway?"
"Ellone's house," Squall answered concisely, knowing the other man would understand without further explanation.
Irvine grinned, "That's great! I haven't seen her in a while, she's probably dying to know how you're doing. So… what are we waiting for?"
"… I don't want to intrude."
Irvine rolled his eyes, "Ellone won't mind, you're practically her little brother! Besides, would you mind if she showed up at your house?"
Squall shook his head, reluctantly admitting: "No."
"Then there's no problem!" Irvine exclaimed. Squall continued to be reluctant and the cowboy sent him a threatening look, "Either you go knock on that door right now, or I'll do it for you!"
Squall glared at him, (You wouldn't…)
Irvine took a step closer to the door. Squall still didn't move, firm in his belief that Irvine wouldn't go through with it. Irvine took another step, then another. His hand was only inches away from the wood when Squall finally scrambled up and shoved him away, shooting him an irritated glare before firmly pounding on the wooden door. Irvine grinned triumphantly in response.
The sinking feeling in Squall's stomach quickly intensified until, several long moments later, the door finally swung open. The young Commander felt almost nauseous when Ellone's face appeared in the doorway, but he swiftly pushed the feeling aside.
The young woman, apparently, didn't notice Squall's plight and she quickly drew him into a hug, grinning widely while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. "Uncle Laguna told me about your operation," she sobbed happily, "I'm so glad you're alright.
Squall felt increasingly uncomfortable as he realized exactly what was happening, but he managed to give her a small hug back before gently pushing her away. Ellone quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and invited both young men in. She led them to the sitting room where two little boys sat on a couch arguing loudly—a girl of the same age watching interestedly. Ellone plucked one of the boys from the couch—effectively barring the progress of their verbal war—and sat down with him on another, inviting Squall and Irvine to do the same—minus a kid.
As if sensing the presence over him, Irvine's eyes blinked open and he jerked back in surprise when he saw Squall's face less than two feet away. Squall straightened, a small smirk fighting to appear on his face.
"Don't do that!" Irvine exclaimed, "What do you want?"
"To go down to the palace," Squall answered without missing a beat, "Are you ready?" He obviously wasn't.
Irvine reluctantly pulled himself out of bed, grabbing his pants which were draped over a chair, "It isn't even open this early, is it?" He asked, pulling on his shirt after the pants.
"Which gives us time for breakfast," Squall reasoned, "and maybe a morning run. You're getting out of shape."
"I'm…!" Irvine sputtered, spinning around to face his friend, who was smirking again. He silently fumed for a moment and then gave up, slapping his hat onto his head he growled, "Fine. I'd love to go for a run with you, Squall, who needs sleep?"
Squall was halfway out the door already when he turned around and Irvine muttered a curse under his breath and grabbed his jacket while following after him.
"Squall Leonhart," he said upon the secretary's questioning look, "I'm here to see Eadig." It only just occurred to him that he didn't know the other man's last name.
The man nodded, "You're expected," he confirmed and rummaged through one of the drawers for a moment before reemerging with a pair of pass cards reading 'Guest' and 'Clearance B' along the bottom. "You'll need these to get through security," he explained, then proffered them a sheet of paper, "I'll just need you both to sign in on this…"
Squall picked up a pen that was lying within easy reach and scribbled down his signature, then handed the pad to Irvine and he did the same. The secretary smiled and handed them their passes, "Have a good day."
The two SeeDs had been in this lower section of the palace almost two weeks earlier, as it was where Eadig had been kept during their stay, so they didn't need to get directions. As they stepped off the lift, they found this area of the palace was already quite alive. Laguna was there, having a serious discussion with a man in a suit, and several ranking military officials in Galbadian uniforms were milling about, as well. There were other men in suits among the company also, but Squall couldn't quite place where they were from.
A group of young people saluted Squall as he stepped off the elevator, and he casually noticed their black uniforms, recognizing them as Galadian SeeDs. He returned the salute, then approached the president and whoever he was talking with.
"Ah, Squall," Laguna greeted, cutting off his conversation abruptly, much to his companion's irritation, "I have to admit, we were a little surprised to receive your request. It's quite unorthodox, you know."
Squall nodded sharply and bit back a retort. (Laguna, of all people, calling something unorthodox.) "Is everything prepared?"
"We haven't made all the decisions yet," Laguna said, "we still have to decide where to place him after his release, and in whose custody, but I think we're all in agreement that he will be released." He looked pointedly at the man he had been speaking with when Squall entered.
The man nodded reluctantly, "Of course."
"Can I talk to him?" Squall asked, a little unsure about whether he really wanted to or not. It felt awkward to be facing him again, now that he had his memories back, and could clearly hear his voice echoing in his mind from the time he'd been their prisoner. It also felt like something he needed to do.
Laguna nodded and pointed out a door, "He's right in there, Squall."
Squall wove through the crowd of people to the door, and didn't say anything as Irvine followed him into the room. They shut the door and suddenly the talking voices were shut out to nothing more than an unnerving murmur. Eadig glanced up from the bench he was sitting on.
His eyes returned to the ground after briefly connecting with Squall, "I heard you got your memories back," he muttered.
Squall nodded, not sure what to say. "Yeah… thanks… I guess."
Eadig looked up at him, an eyebrow arched, "Thanks?" He repeated, "I'm the one who took them away in the first place."
"Without your help I might not have been able to ever recover them," Squall said, "you didn't have to do that."
"I did," Eadig said, his eyes falling again "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I didn't." There was an awkward pause. "So… I assume all those people are out there for a reason. Did they finally decide what to do with me?"
"… Yeah," Squall answered.
Eadig raised his eyes again, "And…?"
"They're letting you go," Squall provided.
Eadig's eyes widened in shock, "What? After everything I did they're letting me go? Just like that?"
"Well… it's a paroled freedom," Squall admitted, "but it's better than nothing, right?"
"Better than anything I ever expected," Eadig said, his eyes returning to the floor, smiling a little. He paused again and frowned, "Why?"
Squall didn't answer, and when Eadig looked up again he noticed the teen had found something very interesting on the floor and seemed to be in the process of devising a lengthy report about it in his head. "Squall?"
When the brunette again wasn't forthcoming with a response, Irvine took the initiative, "Squall had a talk with the Headmaster, and he arranged things with Galbadia and Esthar."
Eadig's eyes snapped over to briefly rest on Irvine, "Squall did all that for me?" He asked, wonder in his voice.
"I'm not forgiving you for what you did," Squall interrupted quickly, "not yet, at least. But I think your recent actions prove you deserve a second chance. As long as you stay on the right side of the law, you should be free of your charges in no time."
"Squall…" Eadig looked back down at the floor, finding it as interesting as Squall had before, "Thank you."
Squall nodded, professionalism over taking him now that that was out of the way. "There's still a matter of where to put you that's up in the air, have any ideas?"
Eadig shook his head, "I'm just thankful I'll be getting out of here. Do you have any suggestions?"
Squall paused, he did, actually, he was hesitant to bring them up, though. At length he decided he might as well, "Actually, I did have something in mind." Irvine and Eadig both turned their heads to look at him. "Esthar has an advanced research institution, well known around the world for the amazing inventions they produce under the orders of Dr. Odine." Eadig nodded, he had, of course, heard of the doctor before. "You have a good mind for that kind of stuff, you could intern under him for your parole."
Eadig gave his hesitant friend a smile, "That sounds like a great idea, Squall."
Squall gave him a small smile back and nodded at the decision, "I'll go tell the others."
"Squall," Eadig interrupted, stopping the SeeD just before he opened the door, "thanks for everything. I hope you find the kind of life you're looking for."
Squall continued out the door without a word of acknowledgment, Irvine one step behind him.
"In so much as Squall and Rinoa have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company, having given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and having declared same by the giving and receiving of a ring," Cid spoke loudly and proudly, his eyes crinkled with joy as he did so in the gathered company, "I pronounce that they are now husband and wife."
He turned his attention predominantly to the couple, "I ask you now to seal the promises you have made with each other this day with a kiss."
Squall obliged, his face turning red—he wasn't one to show such romantic displays in public. It was a relatively quick kiss, and Rinoa smiled across at him encouragingly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Cid continued, looking again at the small gathering, "I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Leonhart."
The gathered company stood and clapped, and Squall grinned broadly at his wife. She smiled back mischievously, and then pulled him in for another kiss.
Squall turned the envelope over in his hands, a slight frown adorning his face. It looked innocent enough, but he could never be too careful. As an international figure—whether he liked to admit it or not—threats to his livelihood had been made more than once. He had no desire to have a repeat of his last adventure.
Finding nothing wrong with the plane envelope, Squall opened it carefully, and slipped the piece of paper out. He unfolded it to look at the letters, scribbled over the page in a sloppy, but familiar, print.
"Dear Squall,"
It started, Squall reading over the words even as he tried to pin a face with the writing.
"I heard what you did for Eadig, I thank you for that."
Squall immediately knew who it was from. There was only one person it could be from, in his mind.
"I also heard he apologized for what happened between us. I hope he didn't do so for me, as well. I'm not sorry at all. It was probably the best thing I've ever done—getting to know you. Although, I guess I should apologize for the means we used to do so… Sorry for all that torture stuff.
"You might be happy to learn I've found a nice little town to settle down in—you're a SeeD again, so I won't tell you where. The people here are decent enough folk, though I have a feeling that if I let my guard down they'd just as soon stab me in the back. But that's just what you get now days.
"Anyway, I've got a job in a flower shop down here—Don't You Dare Laugh, Squall—the owner is getting old and needed some help looking after the place, she reminds me of my grandmother. So, if you're ever in need of flowers, look me up! I'm sure you'll find me soon enough, and I won't hold it against you if you bring me in, I guess I kind of deserve a punishment for what I've done.
"All I'm really trying to say, I guess, is thanks. We don't deserve your mercy, but thanks for sparing Eadig. You're a real friend, Squall.
"-Deman Beorn"
Squall's lips curled up slightly in a smile. He already had a pretty good idea as to where the other man was, but he wasn't going to look for him. Let him be as long as he isn't bothering anyone.
"Squall?" Squall glanced across at Rinoa, who was looking at him curiously with large brown eyes that shone happily just to be near him, his smile didn't fade. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Squall answered, folding the paper again and sliding it into the inside pocket of his jacket as she came over to him, "It's not important."
