Rinoa knew she was supposed to be asleep. But she couldn't. The images of what Ultimecia wanted were still so very vivid in her mind. The final battle was six months ago and she'd been having nightmares since a month after it was over. Before, though, they were just nightmares and not even full ones; just a few flashes here and there. But in the past few days, they were night terrors almost. She even threw herself awake, once. She knew now, from being tied to Ultimecia more than once, she was seeing the sorceress's feelings. Some of what that wicked woman felt Rinoa could still see. She could still feel the emotions: her hunger for power, even her lust for it. She also sensed something else she didn't expect: fear and pain.

Something deep inside Ultimecia was hurting.

Maybe whatever was left of her that was human was feeling all that pain. Maybe even she was afraid of what she had become. It had been keeping Rinoa up for the past few nights. This night was the worse so far; those feelings felt so close, almost like Rinoa, herself, was experiencing them. She got out of bed and went into the bathroom. She turned on the water to splash some water on her face. After turning the faucet on, she stopped when she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

She couldn't avert her gaze. She didn't try and make herself look away for some reason. She just stared and stared. Pain and fear. It wasn't that long ago that she experienced more than she thought she would ever feel. True, she powered through but that was because she had Squall and the rest of her friends.

But what if she had gone through that alone? What would happen then? She is a sorceress. Her powers… her body… she was a part of this, even if she didn't know it or couldn't control it. What if it happened again? What if Squall couldn't save her the next time? What if she went down so far that no one could save her? What if they had to kill her?

An even worse scenario entered her mind as she stared. What if she got more power? What if she couldn't be stopped? What if she defeated her friends? What if she hurt her friends? What if she killed them?

What if she hurt Squall?

What if she killed him?

The thought of that made her cry, immediately. She tried to cover mouth but she couldn't stop. The pain and fear hit her instantly. She was afraid that she would become that same monster. Her powers… she managed to hurt the others before. But that wasn't her.

Was it?

No, no, it was Ultimecia. It was definitely her.

Or was it?

It was during those days when she was unsure of whether or not she belonged in the group. But that was a nonissue, now. Since then, the others, especially Selphie and Quistis, told her that she was just as much family as any of them. But was it enough?

Is she just a powder keg waiting blow? Is she capable of destroying these people who became her friends? Her family?

She thought about it a lot lately; how things had changed with all of them. Things with her and Squall were just so right. Zell and Irvine became like brothers to her, with the latter even no longer hitting on her. Quistis and Selphie were the sisters she always wanted and the vice was exactly versa. Rinoa and Quistis even had a talk about the blonde instructor's former affection for Squall; Quistis assured her that nothing of that sort was true anymore and that she had moved on. So close was that conversation that they became each other's closest confidants ever since.

That proved it: they were her family and she was theirs. That was enough. It had to be. That, alone, would keep her from falling into evil.

But when she looked at her reflection again… she saw a flash of Ultimecia. Rinoa gasped, very loudly. She started to cry again. She bowed her head and leaned over the sink, placing her hand against it to steady herself. She covered her mouth with her other hand to keep crying so loud again.

"No, no…" she whispered against her hand. "Please… please, don't let me hurt them… don't. Please! I can't… I can't…" She kept crying, pleading to not fall into the same evil that monster did.

Slowly, a pair of arms that made her more comfortable than her own bed back in Deling wrapped around her.

Rinoa's crying slowed down as she let her head fall back against Squall's chest.

"I've got you," he whispered.

That was all it took. Her tears didn't dry up right away but her breathing returned to normal. Three words from this man… made up for all the pain in the world to her.

"Bad dream?"

"No…" she looked in the mirror to see him. "Bad… possibilities."

"What do you mean?"

"What if… what if I turn into her? What if me and Ultimecia are the same? What if I'm just some crazy, insane sorceress waiting to happen? What if I go mad with power? What if I become her?" A few tears fell at the very notion of her next question. "What if I ki…" She stopped. "What if I kill you?"

He pulled her closer. He could hear this internal turmoil of hers so clearly, it was like the battle in Dollet all over again. He knew she was keeping something from him. All the nights she thought he was asleep while she tossed and turned, he was actually awake. He would fake like he just rolled over in his sleep to put his arm around her in successful efforts to calm her down. He didn't want to push whatever was bothering her until she was ready to talk about it.

He wasn't sure if she was ready but she couldn't keep in anymore. Good enough for him. He kissed her cheek.

She loved it when he did that. Every single kiss meant something to her.

"It won't happen," Squall declared. "You're not going to turn evil and we won't have to come after you. It's just not going to happen. Even if it even looks like in some slim chance in hell it would, we won't let it. I won't let it."

She was always amazed when he spoke this. Such confidence. She would follow him anywhere based on how strongly he spoke alone.

He stared at their reflection in the mirror. "No evil is coming for you, Rinoa. Because, if it does, it has to deal with me. And I promise you… it will regret it."

She let his words sink in. She looked at his eyes in the reflection… even the reflection of his eyes were truthful and fearless. Hyne, she loved this man. She turned around and kissed him. After their kiss, she stroked his cheek with her thumb. "This… this isn't the first time I woke you up, is it?"

He smirked. "No. But I didn't want to push anything until you were ready."

She sighed. "I'm sorry I've been keeping you awake."

"Don't worry about it. I wake up next to you. Always worth it."

She smiled. His compliments were rare for anyone else but plentiful for her. Like his kisses, she loved every single one. "I don't know why I worry so much. I know you'll protect me."

"Always. I made you a promise."

"You did…" She stared into his dark brown eyes. He looked at her in a way he didn't look at anyone else. She felt home all over again. "I love you, Squall."

He smiled at her. "I love you, too, Rinoa."

She looked at the bed, she wasn't ready to go back to sleep yet. She looked back at him. "Will you hold me? Just a little longer?"

"Whatever you want."

"Oh, in that case…" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. After the kiss, she looked into his eyes, becoming very serious. "Promise to love me forever… no matter what."

He stared right into her eyes. "I promise."

She smiled.

"But I gotta tell ya… forever's too short a time."

"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I'll take it."

He smiled at her then wrapped his arms around her tighter. She leaned her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and let her fears fall away. It was easy to do: she was safe in his arms.

A/N: This idea came to me just because I've been wanting to write about Squall and Rinoa forever. I loved their romance in the game. At first, I had the feeling that I may have made Rinoa a bit OOC but, when you think about it, not really. I think it's logical and expected for what she went through. But what do you guys think? Let me know! REVIEWS! Thank you!

T2 Angel