Lost within Blood and Tears Characters belong to Squaresoft. Chapter 4 - Disruption "When calm comes is the storm really over or is it just the eye..." - Unknown "Squall lets go. We're going to be late... again." Rinoa said flinging open the door to his dorm room. She was shocked to see him all dressed up as she entered the room. He looks good. Rinoa thought eyeing his dark blue slacks and white button-down shirt. He looks really really good she told herself eyeing him approvingly. Then she saw the hair. it was still the same as ever, messy with some of it falling near his eyes. Some things never change she mused. "Pretty sharp huh?" He said with an amused tone watching her give him the look over. " Have to go out more often you know that?'' She joked letting him know that she approved. "You're beautiful." He said. It was now his turn to compliment her and he was going to take advantage of it. " I could be wearing a sack and you would say that." "Or you could be wearing nothing..." "Squall!" She interrupted him, hitting him lightly with her fist. "Okay, okay I was kidding!" He laughed grabbing her wrists in his hands so that she couldn't hit him again. " No I mean it. You are beautiful." He looked intensely into her loving brown eyes with a sincerity that made her catch her own breath. God I love her Squall thought as he looked at his beautiful girlfriend. She was beautiful wearing a dark, wine-red halter-top dress that fell gracefully and inch or two above the knee. Her dark hair was up, a new for her, and pulled delicately back into a fancy bun, two short strands of hair hanging down upon her face. "Thank you." She whispered shifting her weight nervously biting her lip. She fingered the rings that hung around her neck. She broke away from his intense gaze. "Oh Squall get over here for a minute." Rinoa ordered when she looked up at him again. " You're hopeless you know that?" She said attempting to fix his off-centered tie. " Okay now we're ready." "Let's get going then." He pulled her towards the door and flicked off the light switch. ***** "Oh it's beautiful Rinoa! I love it. Thank you." Mrs. Dincht exclaimed pulling a silver chain out of a small box and attaching it around her neck. Only one gift left... "Oh hey Ma, I uh got you this. Well here you go.'' Zell stammered thrusting a small box wrapped in the comics from that morning's newspaper into her hands. As she peeled away the paper Zell found himself muttering," It's not much but it's well... it's from me, so yeah I love you mom." She continued to unwrap the small present as he stood over her shifting his weight and scratching his head in that nervous habit of his. "Oh Zell..." Mrs. Dincht gasped looking into the box. She grabbed for his hand and squeezed it tightly as she pulled out a metallic keychain with the words #1 MOM deeply engraved on it." "Yeah I made it. I made it for you mom." He kissed her on the cheek. "Well I think it's perfect." She said putting it right into her pocketbook and attaching it to her keyring. " Oh yeah I forgot. The other half of your present is at home." Zell said with a wink at his bewildered friends. Those who knew about the significance of the keychain shook their heads trying to discover the significance of the gift. Irvine and Quistis, not aware of the day's earlier excursion just sat in polite curiosity. Quistis folded her hands in the lap of her silver-blue dress a confused smile on her lips. "Let's go then." Mrs. Dincht exclaimed for the bill had already been paid and they were about to head off anyway. " You really are full of surprises Zell." She said to her smiling son as they waltzed off ceremoniously into the night. They walked through the small picturesque town of Balamb back towards the Dincht's house. The walk was quite pleasant, full of contentment and half-drunken laughter. The young couples of Squall and Rinoa, Irvine and Selphie were walking and joking hand in hand while Mrs. Dincht had her arm looped through her son's muscular one while she chatted pleasantly with Quitsis at her side. All was good. Life was good. As they approached the house Zell reached into his pocket and pulled out a bandana and tied it snugly around his mother's eyes. "Zell what on earth?" "Shhhh! You'll see. Can't ruin the surprise by letting you see it!" "How did you get it here without me knowing?" "Remember that prolonged bathroom break? Well..." "Zell my boy you really really are full of surprises." She laughed happily and went to hug the boy who ducked away embarrassed. Everyone loved it when she laughed. She seemed to send out cheer to the entire world with that one simple action. "I know and you love me for it." He said as he led her blindly into the house. "You stay here." Zell directed his mother. "Guys you make sure she doesn't peek. Watch out she's sneaky. I'm counting on you guys. Rin you come and help me." Both Zell and Rinoa went up the sturdy stairs and into Zell's room. Rinoa made sure she didn't touch anything and violate his 'sacred' space. On the bed they found the cardboard box that still contained the tiny present. "Zell how did you find the keychain anyway?'' Rinoa asked perplexed. "Pocket." Zell answered matter-of-factly. " You got to tie this ribbon thing for me. I'm not good at this delicate type stuff and I kinda had a feeling that Squall wouldn't be any good at it either so you're it." "Flattered" Rinoa responded as she typed a pale pink ribbon gently around the tiny object. "Okay let's go." Zell said as he watched Rinoa finish critiquing her work. He stopped halfway to the door "Do you think she'll like it? Really?" He asked uncertain now. "Without a doubt." "Good." The smile returned again to his face. They reenterd the room to find Mrs. Dincht exactly the eway they had left here but now she was beginning to grow ansy. "Ready?" Zell asked her. "Yes" the reply came. "Then you may take off the blind-fold." She took it off only to see Zell place a plain and extremely light cardboard box into her expectant up-turned palms. Zell what are you thinking? She wondered to herslf as she began to lift the folded flaps. He has to be up to something. "Oh my..." She said as she opened the box speechless. "Zell," was all she was able to gasp out as tears began to form drop by drop in the corners of her eyes. "If you don't like it I can always-" He began upon seeing the tears. "No no no! I'm just so happy." She said as she lifted out of the box a tiny black and orange patched kitten. A soft meow and then a sweet satisfied purr were heard as Mrs. Dincht hugged the tiny body against her own chest. "She's beautiful." She said with the tears freely falling from her eyes dampening the soft fur of the now asleep kitten. "Zell thank you." She whispered hugging the man with one arm and cradeling the kitten with the other. "What's her name?" Selphie asked delighted. "Let's see" Mrs. Dincht said wiping her eyes and the tears away with the back of her hand. " What do you all think about Ghanima?" "Pretty name" Irvine replied sincerly. "Ghanima it is then." Said Zell who was now hugging his mom in return. "What a wonderful birthday. Thank you all so much. You know this is the big one, the big 40, I don't get anymore parties. Under my decree. I don't want to feel too old!" She ordered causing all of them to laugh. "Okay now all of you get out of here and leave an old woman to get some sleep." "Love you all! Take care of my baby for me!" She yelled rather loudly and good-naturedly as they began walking down the now dark and deserted Balamb streets. Zell blushed. ***** Squall sat bolt up -right with a start. Something had woken him up and he had a feeling that it was bad. Somehting was happeneing, he could feel it. And what ever it was it couldn't be good. He heard the voice, Matron's voice over the intercom, "Squall. Squall Leonhart report to headmaster Cid's office. IMMEDIATELY. Quistis Trepe, Zell Dincht, Rinoa Heartilly, Selphie Tilmitt, and Irvine Kenneas report to headmaster Cid as well. It is urgent." This couldn't be good. Squall thought as he grabbed his clothes and changed quickly out of the suit he had fallen asleep in. How often do they wake you up in the middle of the night for a meeting? "Rinoa. Rin wake up." He said shaking the girl out of her pleasant sleep. She was already dressed in her normal clothes so she didn't have to change before they went. "What?" She asked sleepily and half dreamily. "We gotta go." Squall answered as he pulled her off his bed and into her feet. He comned his fingers hastliy through his girlfriend's tosseled hair trying to tame it a little before flipping her over his shoulder and walking out of the dorm room and towards Cid's office. They met up with everyone in the main hallway as they waited for the elevator to arrive. Squall had put Rinoa down now that she was awake enough to walk on her own and had filled her in on the situation on the way to the elevator. "Anyone know what this is all about?" Irvine asked posing the question they all were wondering to the group. "No but whatever it is it can't be too good." Squall responded bluntly as they stepped off the elevator. As they entered the office they wrere shocked by the sight that met their eyes and the pained word that had greeted their ears; "help"