After one failed attempt at the Dance Dance machine in the arcade, Squall decided to stop before he got angry and
broke it. He stood back and watched as Quistis continued to beat Zell brutally for the fifth time as the pumping
techno music filled the arcade along with the random sounds and laughter coming from the other games and their
players. This was fun, he thought to himself, he was glad he had people to come here with, and regretful that he
hadn't done this sooner.

Zell, without any rhythm whatsoever, jumped up and down on the arrow buttons in frustration while Quistis
effortlessly hit every mark perfectly. Her golden hair swayed and bounced when she did as she glanced over at
Squall smiling, looking for his approval. He was smiling just as big and laughing at Zell's sorry attempt at
dancing. The warm harbor breeze swept in as the last rays of the setting sun lit up the twilight sky. It was a
perfect day in all ways.

"Oh God I can't keep that up, all that butt kicking is making me tired," Quistis said teasingly to Zell.

"Hey, my shoes are like, really huge so, it's harder to move." Zell's feeble attempt at making up for his dance
skills, or lack there of, made Quistis laugh.

"Oh man I have no more Gil left, we're gonna have to call it quits for this game, and Zell needs to lick his
wounds." Quistis laughed.

Zell glared at Quistis and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Oh that's mature," an all too familiar voice resounded. The three of them turned to see Siefer casually walking
toward them from the entrance.

"Never gonna grow up are you, Chicken Shit?" Siefer spat out at Zell for no apparent reason.

"I thought it was Chicken Wuss Siefer," Quistis retorted.

"Nah, I decided to upgrade." With that Rinoa stepped out from behind him as if hiding till a signal was given.

She looked broken down, her eyes averted as though not to look at anyone directly. She carried herself with
slightly hunched shoulders and an expressionless face. Siefer snaked an arm across her small shoulders and squeezed
her as if to say she was his property. She seemed so small now that Squall looked at her, much smaller than she
ever seemed. He felt his heart pain and quickly shrugged it off reminding himself that she chose whatever was
happening to her, and he didn't care now.

"Fuck off asshole; we don't have to take your shit anymore." Zell spat at Siefer in anger. Squall turned to look at
Zell with a partially dumbfounded expression on his face.

Quistis was looking at him too, not knowing what to think, Zell had never stood up to him like that.

"Well, I guess you aren't Chicken Shit anymore, your just plain ole Shit."

Rinoa looked at the ground ashamed that Siefer was speaking to her friend this way and that she had to let him.

Siefer ignored Zell's rising anger.

"Babe, I'm gonna take a piss, stand here and don't fuckin move, feel free to talk to your old buddies, I'll be back
in a bit, so don't fucking try anything."

Rinoa winced at Seifer's instructions, with this he walked off and left her there like a naked little girl in the
cold. She found it in herself to look at Squall and then burst out.

"Oh my God you have to help me," she cried to him, "I'm so sorry for what I've done, I'm so sorry, I love you so
much please save me from him!" Her eyes were pleading with him.

Squall stood motionless as she begged.

"Shut up," he said tersely, and she did so, "Your pleas fall on deaf ears, you dug your own grave, now lay in it."

Squall dismissed her.

Pride swelled in Quistis' chest hearing him shun her in such a brazen manner.

"You can't mean that, you are always there to save me, please you don't know what its like, he's a monster."

Quistis looked to Squall for his reaction, her stomach in knots hoping that he wouldn't buckle under her cries for
salvation.

"You knew that already, that's why you were with me, and I never treated you wrong, so why did you go back? Why did
you leave me, leave us," he motioned to Zell and Quistis, "You did it to yourself, all I can tell you is call the
cops or something, I am of no use to you, you proved that when you threw me away."

Rinoa looked as though someone had shot her in the stomach.

"PLEASE take me back!" she cried louder.

"Oh give it up Rinoa, he has someone else!" Zell spoke out, he couldn't take it anymore.

Quistis and Squall both looked at him alarmed. They didn't know weather he was making it up, or if he really knew.

Rinoa looked to Squall questioningly.

"Is that true?" She asked. Squall sighed,

"Yes," he replied, "yes I do have someone and I'm very happy."

She looked to the ground again. "Is she a good fuck?" she asked, abandoning hope of him taking her back, and now
trying to hurt him with her words.

Quistis winced.

"Does she please you? Is she as pretty as me? Does she love you like did?"

She was now looking up at him defiantly.

"Yes, to the first two, and no to the last, she doesn't love me like you did, because you never loved me Rinoa."

She scowled.

"I did to love you, and the bitch you're with won't ever be as good as me, I was the only one who even tried to
love you, remember you cold hearted son of a bitch? Everyone use to tell me to drop you, don't bother, you were
hopeless, but I didn't give up."

Right now Squall was glad the arcade was so loud, because he couldn't bear to have a crowd for this. Zell noticed
that Siefer was flirting with a girl behind the snack counter and was glad for it.

"I bet when you fuck your new girl you think of me don't you?"

Quistis was beginning to get angry now.

"I bet you close your eyes and think of me when you're with her!"

Quistis had had enough.

"Shut up Rinoa you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I don't, and I suppose you do?"

Quistis snapped, "As a matter of a fact I do, and do you know how?" she paused, hesitating before she said her next
words, "it's because I'm the girl he's fucking!"

The arcade seemed to get a little quieter but soon the noise picked back up. Quistis felt her face flush as she
looked to Squall for a reaction. He ran his hand through his hair and nodded as if to tell her it was ok, he wasn't
mad. Rinoa stared in disbelief at them both.

"Oh." She choked out.

As if on cue, Siefer strode up to her side and placed his arm of ownership back across her shoulders.

"Oh, now I hope you all played nice while I was gone."

Zell pushed past Siefer while muttering "fuck this". Squall and Quistis followed leaving Siefer standing in slight
confusion and Rinoa in tears.

"Well what the fuck happened?" he asked her.

"Nothing, they just, gave me what I deserved."

Siefer shrugged and tugged her into the opposite direction.

---------

The three stayed quiet until they reached the town gate.

"What the hell was that all about?" Zell asked as soon as they hit the road.

Quistis looked at Squall.

"It's true, but, I thought that you knew after you told her that Squall had a girl, I mean, I just couldn't take it

anymore I had to shut her up, she had no right to say those things," Quistis answered.

"Well no duh, but wow, no one thought to tell me? Did I not deserve to know? You two, are like, together? I mean, I
knew I heard a girl in your room but I never in a million years would have guessed it would have been you Quistis."

Zell scratched his head and let out a deep breath.

"Well it is her, and I love her, have for a while now, and I'm sorry we didn't say something before, but, we didn't
know a right time with you, I mean, not to be mean, but you open your mouth a bit too much, and we don't want a big
fuss."

Zell smiled.

"Yeah I do talk too much don't I?"

They all smiled.

With the tension broken they all sat on the roadside and watched the stars come out.

"Man, this is awesome, I mean, you guys are like, made for each other, man, do Selphie and Irvine know?"

"Yeah," Quistis answered, "Selphie found out on accident, and she told Irvine." Squall told him.

"Wow I'm like, the last to know then, man, I'm sorry it had to be under such weird circumstances."

They all nodded in agreement.

"I feel sorry for her," Quistis said after a short pause, "I mean, she's like, a moth, she just likes the fire I
guess."

"I sure as hell don't feel sorry at all," Zell stated, "She was supposed to be our friend, so, serves her right,
she knew what she was getting into with an abusive ass like Siefer, I mean, she dated him before she met us, you
would think she would know better."

Zell shook his head.

"Well how about we stop talking about her and go back to Garden, I'm sure Selphie and Irv would love to hear about
what happened." Squall said.

Zell and Quistis looked at Squall in astonishment.

"Wow, I don't remember you being so open about your business with us," Zell said, "man I feel special being in the
loop now."

Quistis giggled as she got up, Squall followed her. Zell was already up and ready to go by the time he was. The
warm wind blew lazily as Squall and Quistis walked hand in hand laughing at the ridiculous karate moves Zell was
demonstrating for them as they made there way back to the Garden.

"Way to grow a set by the way." Squall said sardonically.

Zell shot him and look, "Don't be jealous because mine are bigger." he retorted.

Quistis busted out laughing and Squall frowned. Some things would never change. They were all finally happy now,
all of them together, just like when they were kids, but closer than ever.