Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy 8; it is the property of Squaresoft. However all original characters and storylines are mine. No money has or will exchange hands. Thanx.

Well here it is, the last chapter of this story, I hope that everyone who's read it has enjoyed it as much as I have writing it, thank you so much for all your reviews – all of you! And thank you to my beta reader Ste-raw – not to mention those who've offered to beta read for me! Look out for the follow up set another few years in the future but more details at the end because I still haven't come up with a title for it.

"Woo Hoo home!!!" Selphie exclaimed, jumping several inches of the ground whilst the hatch was being opened. She'd been in the same mood since boarding the airship and it hadn't relented at all, no body seemed to mind though – or had simply learned to ignore it. Either way the journey had passed smoothly and now they were back home for good.

"I guess that'll leave me with the luggage again then." Irvine muttered, thinking that no one had heard him.

"Actually there should be a few people along to help with that in a minute." Squall told him, walking past and taking Rinoa by the hand.

She smiled at him, wondering what was going on inside his head, there was a look in his eyes that she'd been seeing a lot of recently but she couldn't quite gauge it's meaning. She considered that he'd had something planned for when her power results came back and that it'd been delayed by the events that unravelled directly afterwards... but she didn't have any real idea of what he was going to do.

"Come on guys!" the brunette called from the door and soon enough all four of them were heading out.

"So where is our new room?" Irvine asked as they walked past the fountain, Selphie was still running ahead of all of them so he'd left her to it.

Rinoa shrugged, now feeling slightly guilty for her earlier request – but them reminding herself of all the nights she'd cast a silence field around their room when they had been at Balamb so that everyone else had been able to sleep.

"Zell should tell us when we meet up with him in the lobby, that's when your luggage will be picked up, and it's more of an apartment than a room. There's a small kitchen and living area so you should have a lot more space." She explained, knowing that their living area at Trabia had been far smaller – it was still the smallest of the three Gardens, even after the restoration.

"Which reminds me, I should go and see Xu and catch up on what I've missed – I've also got to make some changes to my personal details and explain a couple of things to her." Rinoa nodded and noticed that he actually looked somewhat happy about it; he seemed to be taking to the idea slowly but surely.

"Ok, well we'll probably be in the canteen when you're done and no doubt discussing the welcome home party for our latest transfers." She told him leaning closer to him and whispering the last part.

He cringed slightly, it wasn't that he didn't like parties – he just always felt uncomfortable at them and felt as though everyone was expecting something form him. His position as Commander made this all the more difficult and he'd developed a severe distaste for political parties especially.

Just ahead of them they could see Zell and Laurie waiting for them and two of the general staff waiting to be sent to the Ragnarok to retrieve the luggage.

Squall looked to Rinoa and she nodded, "I'll see you in a bit." And he smiled at her, stopping for a few seconds before he headed off. It was for more than just business that he needed to speak to Xu, he had a favour to ask her, one that would make his little plan possible.

Selphie was already way ahead of the cowboy and the sorceress and had pulled both Zell and Laurie into a hug, starting conversation before the other tow joined them.

Irvine leaned over to Rinoa and whispered, "Thanks for letting us come on back here, Seffie's really missed all this."

She smiled and lowered her head, "How could I refuse family?" her voice was just loud enough so that no one else could hear her and he nodded his appreciation of the fact, tipping his hat as he did.

"So can you do it?" Squall asked, looking at one of his second in commands hopefully.

"Yeah, absolutely Commander." Xu replied, nodding her head and typing in Squalls new personal information into the database. He'd been worried at first that the information would be accessible to all of Garden, but Xu had explained that she could restrict the files of anyone that wanted it. There was also the fact that most of his information was restricted anyway – it all comes with the job, however Squall didn't seem to be aware of that.

"There's something else as well." His voice was lower and she figured that it was a private matter that he needed help with.

"Is there anything I can do?" Xu volunteered, it was her job after all.

"Yeah, there is actually. I need to know if there is anyone left at the orphanage." His head was still lower and although Xu couldn't figure out why, what she could do however was answer his question.

"No, there's no one left at all – Cid and Edea are staying with some friends in Galbadia Garden and they won't be going back home for another couple of weeks." She paused and when he didn't say anything to her in response she added, "Can I ask why Commander, is there someone you need to talk to or something that you need?"

He looked up at her and smiled, still looking nervous though. "Both actually, but it's no one I need you to contact for me...I need a reason to go back to the orphanage because there's something I've been planning and I was wondering..." but he trailed off as his nerves got the better of him.

Xu suddenly understood what he needed though, even if she didn't know the exact details and she smiled at him in the knowing way that she seemed to have.

"Well I could always tell you that some of the cadets left some important paper work that needs retrieving." She suggested, knowing that there was no truth in it but that it would give him what he wanted.

Squall caught on quick and carried on with the façade. "And you need this done immediately so I'll have to go, me being the only one with an airship that could get there fast enough. Of course I'll need someone else to come with me in case anything should happen and who better than Rinoa, as she's the only one apart from myself who knows about the latest modifications."

His second in command nodded and winked at the Commander, "I'll take it that you'll need a couple more days off – which shouldn't be a problem seeing as you've got plenty of holiday time stored up."

He nodded at her. "Thanks Xu, I'll get right on it. Oh and after this I promise you can take a long holiday."

"Thank you Commander – and good luck." But by the time she said this he was halfway to the elevator and could only wave in response.

"Yeah, that'll be great." Rinoa enthused as her, Selphie, Zell and Laurie worked out the plans for the party.

Irvine was watching them, amazed at the wild idea's they were coming up with. He also couldn't help the sense of comfort that the scene brought him, like everything was back how it was meant to be – that they were truly home.

"What do you think Irvy, should we have a fancy dress theme?" the brunette asked him, moving to sit with her legs over his lap.

He considered the idea and smiled, he had the perfect person to go as.

"Well?" she asked him again and finally he gave her an answer.

"I think it's a great idea." He told her and then looked up to where Squall had just entered the canteen. He looked nervous, no more than nervous but Irvine didn't get a chance to ask why.

"Ah, sorry to break this up guys but there's something that me and Rinoa need to see to." The Commander informed them and Rinoa turned to him questioningly.

"What business?" she asked, leaning over the back of her chair and reaching for his hand, which he gave to her.

"Just something back at the orphanage, some important files were left there and Xu's asked us to pick them up." She could tell that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but she let it go, she wanted to find out what was going on and this seemed like the only way.

"Alright, I take it that she want's us to go now?" and he nodded so she stood and looked to the rest of their friends.

"Ah guys I have a feeling that this might take a while, can you do me a favour and remind Xu to feed Angelo please?" Rinoa asked, only for Selphie to send her a strange look.

"Where is she by the way." And her friend smiled.

"She's been in Squall's office while we've been away and Xu's been looking after her, she's not as young as she once was so she doesn't travel the world as much."

And satisfied with the explanation the others waved them off from the canteen, Squall about as nervous as he'd ever been in his life and Rinoa wondering what was going on.

Looking out onto the street below the hotel window Quistis lost all knowledge of her surroundings, she wasn't even really looking – she was still lost in her memories of that morning she had spent with Seifer.

It felt so different from anything she had ever known and the peace that seemed to have settled within her brought her to a whole new level of understanding of how wonderful life could be.

She knew now that she loved him, really loved him and that it was more than just some crush or misplaced affection. In truth it had been building for a long time, ever since she'd been assigned to him by Squall. It had started out as nothing more than an annoying buzz that she'd felt when he was around her, but slowly and surely it had manifested into what she felt for him today.

"Hey." He whispered, coming up behind her and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"You ready?" she asked as her mind drifted back to conscious thoughts once again and she remembered that they were supposed to be leaving.

"Yeah." He told her quietly, pulling her close to him for the few minutes left before they had to go back to Balamb.

"You think that we can make this work?" Quistis asked him before she lost her nerve, she really didn't want to go back home and have things return to the way they were before. Instead she wanted to explore her and Seifers relationship, she wanted to know where they could go with it. After all there was no one who knew her better than he did.

"Do you want it to?" he asked her without really knowing why; it just seemed to pop into his head. It was like a momentary fear had gripped him, something uncommon for him. But he knew he wanted to carry on with their relationship.

She gripped his arms that lay around her and turned her head slightly, she was almost eye-to-eye with him.

"Yeah I do." And she sounded more certain about that than anything else she had done or said before.

He smiled and kissed her. "Then yeah, we can make this work, can't promise you breakfast every morning though and there's my temper to contend with... but apart from that..."

"Seifer." She said in her instructor tone.

"Quistis." He replied mockingly, claiming her lips again briefly. Then pulling back and standing up.

She glared at him and he just shrugged.

"Well we can't exactly be late now can we?" he teased, taking the luggage and heading out of the room with a laughing Quistis just behind him.

The waves lapped gently against the smooth rocks where she sat in the breezy night air with the sun blazing red across the sky, it was absolutely beautiful.

Rinoa was waiting for Squall to do whatever Xu had sent him to do, or at least pretend. He'd told her to wait where she was, watching the sunset on the smooth rocks by the beach just outside of the orphanage.

Squall approached her from behind and she felt his presence as he stood behind her for a moment before sitting down at her side and placing an arm around her back. Sighing she leaned against him and Rinoa rapped her shawl around her to protect from the cool night air.

They sat together in silence as they watched the sunset into the slowly lapping waves of the beach; she was just content to sit there with him for a while before they had to return to reality. It was almost hypnotic and it wasn't long before she was sinking into his embrace and almost lying in his lap, in response Squall pulled her back up slightly, wrapped his arms around her and pressed kisses into her hair.

"Rinoa?" he started, breaking the silence around them as the only other sound that could be heard was the gentle lapping of the waves against the sand.

"Umm." She mumbled against him, being reminded in that moment that she never wanted to leave his embrace.

"Do you ever think about the future?" he asked with some trepidation, he didn't look down at her, instead he looked out onto the blazing sky.

"Sometimes." Came the softly spoken reply from where she rested, with her head against his chest listening to his heartbeat.

"What do you think of?" he asked, he was now sure of his own intentions but he needed to know hers.

Rinoa looked up at him, hands fiddling with one of his belts as she considered the question carefully. "Why do you ask?"

He was silent for a few seconds before quietly saying, "Because I want to know how you see our future." And she could feel his heartbeat quicken, she was beginning to understand what he'd been hiding from her.

She smiled then, a beaming and warm smile, he may not say very much but when he did he knew exactly what to say. "Well then, I think of you and me."

"And?" at this she turned to look up at him, she didn't know if he knew what he was asking of her, did he want her to voice the dreams of a simple happily ever after? She hadn't mentioned it to him in the past because he'd taken long enough to adjust to living with her and having a group of people to care about.

"Are you really sure that you want to know?" her question was serious, but so was the answering look in his eyes.

"Yes, I want to know what you see for us, I promise that I won't run if you mention a white picket fence." Something in his tone or maybe in the way he was studying her told her that answering his question was the best thing that she could do.

"Well then... I think of us, together, married even." Rinoa sat up before she continued, but stayed in his arms with her eyes on his. "I'm not saying that we move away from Garden, because all of our friends are there... just that we have a place somewhere else away from the work and..." she stopped and dropped her eyes from his, suddenly nervous.

"Go on." He prodded gently.

She didn't look up again; instead she sank further into his embrace and looked out onto the water. Taking a deep breath before she continued.

"I think about us having a family." Rinoa told him, her voice so soft he only just caught what she had said.

In the moments of silence that followed she couldn't move or speak at all, she was scared that she had just stepped over some invisible line. And that in doing so had pushed away the man that she loved. But Rinoa couldn't help thinking that he wouldn't have asked her without reason or without knowing – at least on some level what she would say to him.

"Me too." Squall said eventually and she turned in shock, more that he had said it than he actually wanted it. "You look surprised."

She half nodded, not able to look away from his face. "I just...I... why did you ask me?" she managed to say and watched as the look in his eyes went back to the one he'd carried for most of the day.

"Because I've wanted to for a long time I just... I didn't seem able to until now." Squall explained and she hugged him in response.

This was it, if he was ever going to say it then now was the time, he already knew her answer but he still had to ask her so to speak.

"Rin?" he asked and she looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Yeah?" and she could see the question in his eyes before the words left his mouth.

"I... I want the same future that you do, all of it." Squall started.

"Squall." And he knew she was giving him her answer in the gentle way that she encouraged the rest of the question.

"I love you so much and I can't ever... I can't ever imagine being without you because all I do is remember what happened after time compression and it scares me so much that I could ever loose you."

He was pouring his heart out and every word spoke straight to hers, she couldn't describe how she felt but she was on the verge of tears, the emotions she was feeling were so overwhelming.

"I want to marry you Rinoa and spend my life with you." She gave him her answer when her arms flew around him once again and she held on, crying and refusing to let go.

She didn't say a word – it was as if all speech had been seized from her and replaced by a pure feeling of absolution. As if now everything was truly as it was meant to be and nothing in the world could ever take that away from her.

Squall, unable to really do much other than old her himself, knew that he had to ask her properly, that despite already knowing her answer, it was some sort of formality that couldn't go unsaid. Never in his life did he expect to be in this sort of situation, never did he think he could be this happy and it was all down to her.

She was the one who had opened his heart, had stood by him and had loved him so completely that he knew what it truly was to be alive again.

"Marry me?" He asked, smoothing his hands over her wet cheeks.

And she found her voice between the gentle flow of tears and the emotions inside her.

"Yes." Rinoa answered and she once again fell against him, watching him as he leaned in and placed his lips over her own, she knew then nothing else mattered. Anything they would have to face they could do together. She loved him with all her heart and would, for all eternity feel the same.

And the sun set on lovers bound willingly for all eternity.

"My god, how much do they pay you to be able to afford something like that?!" Laguna exclaimed, examining the ring on his future daughter in laws land.

"Enough." Squall told him, "And besides it's not exactly a large stone." And it wasn't, he knew that she wouldn't want anything flashy or too overstated.

"Yeah but these are so rare... I don't think I've ever seen another one like this – hell I didn't even think they existed!" his father told them, running his hand through hid hair and releasing Rinoa's hand.

"Well they do if you know the right people, turquantine sapphires can only be found in certain parts of the world – I just happened to be in those parts." And Rinoa smiled at her fiancé, he'd taken her to the small valley where he'd found it the morning after he'd proposed.

"So, what do you think of the festival?" Laguna was changing the subject for no to other reason than he was running out of things to say.

"It's great, I can't believe that you do this every year and we've never been before." Rinoa told him, knowing that they and been asked, just that squall had seen no point in going.

"Well you know you can come here whenever you want, these people have festivals every couple of months." The president informed and the sorceress narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah but wouldn't we just be imposing – I mean it's really nice of you to let us stay in the palace and everything but..." she stopped when Laguna sent his son a look.

"You didn't tell her?" Squall shook his head.

"We were kind of busy and I didn't get the chance to."

"Ah guys, what am I missing?" Rinoa asked and both men looked at her.

"Laguna has given us the apartment that we're staying in, it's ours anytime we want." Squall finally told her.

"But it's huge – there are three bed rooms, it's a two floor apartment, not to mention the view!" she protested, although not too much as she actually liked the idea of having a place that was just theirs.

"Yeah well think of it as your holiday home or something, it was going to be mine and Raines, as I've already explained to Squall. But I think you two should have it." The older man was beginning to look a little embarrassed and Rinoa smiled at him.

"Thank you, I don't really know what to say apart from that." Then she glanced at her watch and to Squall. "We should head off now – you said celebrations start early tomorrow so..."

"We'll be off now dad; you know to check out the apartment and everything."

Laguna laughed and waved them off, turning his attention to the rest of his son's frineds. Irvine and selphie were stood near the front of the carnaval parade dancing around, seifer and quistis were next to them. now that was a sight to see, one that he expected but.. he couldn't put his finger on it, they had almost completly changed in the few weeks they had aparently been together and according to all reports Garden seemed to benefit from their renewed interest in life.

That only left Zell and his wife, she didn't look so good and had spent the majority of the morning in the bathroom. if laguna was the sort of man to speculate he'd have said that the patter of tiny feet were around the corner for those two... but it was really none of his business.

for now he was just content to be with his own family and the new extentions that it would bring, he felt more at peace then he ever had done in his life and he knew now at least he had a future to look forward to.

"So... this is our apartment." Rinoa said, walking around the front room and pulling Squall gently by the had around the room.

"Yeah it is." He told her, "Sorry about not saying anything – I just thought that you already knew."

She chuckled and then pulled him closer, the look in her eyes changing into something she kept only for him.

"I love you." She whispered, stepping close to him and smiling as his arms in circled her.

"I love you too." He told her and she smiled again.

"Wanna christen the new apartment?" and she pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet, kissing him briefly and then lowering herself down again.

"Our new apartment. "He corrected and picked her up.

"Is that a yes?" and she laughed as he strode to the door with her in his arms before silencing her completely and sealing their newly defined relationship with everything that he had, no matter what had happened in his past or the mistakes of their parents, for now at least everything was perfect and they would strive learn from the lessons of the past.

well that's it, i hope you all enjoyed it. i'm kinda sad to see it end. anyway, the follow up is called 'silent hope' so please look out for it in the next few weeks. thank's again to everyone who's read this! the support has been wonderful! as always positive reveiws and constructive critism welcome. thanx