Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Intensity ❯ Badger ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14.

Squall blinked his mind back to reality and saw that Edgeler was indeed going to shoot them and he fired, breaking the glass on the windsheild. Squall pulled the stick into reverse but before the car could move they were shot at again, Chyna ducked from the blast Squall tried to as well.

The bullet didn't hit him while he was trying to move but this time he was grazed on his cheek. Squall backed the car towards Edgelers house and the killer just walked towards them holding his gun over his shoulder. "Where you goin', huh?" He said following them.

Squall and Chyna ran back inside the house and as he approached his front door he saw his dogs sitting off to the side with their heads down. "I'll deal with you three later." He said and they lowered themselves closer to the ground with a wimper.

Squall and Chyna ran back into the cellar and they went into Chyna's room down there. He sat her down on the concrete step below the bed and he poured a liquid substance to the floor then walked away from the door when he saw Edgeler coming.

"You really messed up this time Squall," He called into the hole in the wall before going into the room. The gunblader sat down next to Chyna and held her shoulders to guard her. "You might as well toss out any weapons you have because compared to the size of my gun it really won't work."

Squall swallowed and then tossed a kitchen knife out of the room and Edgeler laughed picking it up. "This is-..." He laughed harder stepping into the room. "I can't believe you even tried to escape." He laughed out. "Then you-... come back here and try to kill me with a knife." He started to take off his jacket and tie of the police mans uniform he'd killed.

"I mean, I can't even begin to tell you what I'm feeling right now... it's like- it's like...." He thought a moment then asked. "Have you ever been to a really good buffet, now I don't mean that 'all you can eat' shit, I mean the really good ones; where every dessert looks just too good to be true and you can't decide on which one you want to start with first- and I expect an answer to that." He stated putting the gun against the wall.

Squall nodded and said lowly. "Yes."

"Well that's a lot like what I'm feeling right now." Edgeler said then mocked by adding. "Untouched and alive, huh? Well which one of you should I untouch first!?" And with that Edgeler flipped the knife that Squall threw out to him around in his hand and was ready to attack the two of them but the gunblader grabbed the pitcher and tossed it's contents on him.

"Well there's the answer to that question!" Edgeler snapped and rushed at Squall, but the gunblader held up the lighter from the gas station and lit the trail of gasoline he'd poured on the floor and it ran up Edgelers body.

"What the-..." He lit up like a dry piece of fire wood and Squall grabbed Chyna shouting.

"Come on!" They ran past the burning mass and Edgeler chased after them but Squall pushed Chyna from his hands and turned around closing the solid metal door and locked it off with the metal slider that keeps it shut. Edgeler banged on the door until the flames became too much for even him and he shrank down to the floor screaming.

Squall watched him from the window and sighed seeing that there was no way for him to escape at all. When he went out into the basement area he saw Chyna on the floor rocking and holding her knees to her chest. Her eyes moved back and fourth as though she were watching her life flash before her eyes down there, the pictures, the people, the dolls marking everyday she'd been gone from her home all burning and gone, and then most of all Edgeler..... dead. Chyna's eyes stopped moving then she closed them.

Squall wrapped his arms around the girl giving her a hug then pulled back. "Come on sweetie, lets go." He said and helped her up. The two of them walked outside as though it were a new day but night was beginning to befall the world.

As they walked across Edgelers lawn, Squall was seeing his own venture of all the cuts and bruises he's taken in all this and his side hurt like hell from a shard of glass that got stuck in it when he went through the balcony window. The graze on his cheek that would probably scar if he didn't treat it soon, his hurt legs from falling down the stairs not to mention his own personal scar being reopened.

He sighed and put his head down. "Squall!?" He heard a voice calling him and he looked up.

"Irvine?!" He called back and took Chyna's hand running her with him over to the sniper who ran over to Squall scooping him up and giving him a hug. "Ah! Ow! Not so hard." The gunblader said but Irvine couldn't help it.

"Oh darlin' I'm so glad you're ok. I couldn't get to you in time and-...Gods I don't even wanna tell you what I thought."

Squall just snuggled his face into Irvine's chest and sighed. "You were shot," Squall said moving back looking at his lovers side.

"Shoot that ain't nothin'." He replied practically calling it a lick off wound. "I'm just glad you're ok."

Squall hugged him again and smiled. "I am, untouched and alive." He mumbled and Irvine looked down at him kissing the top of his loves head when he noticed Squall's hand holding someone else's.

"Who's this?" Irvine asked.

Squall looked down at Chyna and replied. "This is the bravest girl I know, and she helped me out back there I couldn't have left without her." Irvine crouched down to the girls level and smiled saying,

"Thanks for keeping him safe little lady." He patted her shoulder and stood up taking his hat off putting it on Squall's head, then he wrapped an arm around his waist getting one in return. "Lets get out of here, I know a few people who are dying to see you again too." Irvine said and they walked back to the road and climbed into Seifer's car and started for home.

* * *

At the presidential palace they're all just sitting down to dinner and the room is dead silent. Laguna doesn't want to ask it but the question has been bothering him all day so he figured he might as well go for it. "Uh... is it wrong to ask, where's Squall?" The group looked around silently and kept their heads down. "Did I do something wrong, that's why he's not coming?" Silence. "Guys?" He said and they all said at once.

"We don't know."

"What?!" Laguna cried jumping up. "What do you mean you don't know? Is he- when did you last see him?" Seifer put his head down sorry that he hurt Laguna; after all he was the one who kept him from jail after the war and he's very grateful for that so he figured he should tell the man the truth.

"We were on a mission in Dollet on some drug bust and well he kind of didn't come back."

"Why?" Laguna asked and Seifer shrugged. "We have to find him he could be-..."

"Right here." Squall said walking into the room with Irvine and Chyna.

"Squall!" They all said standing and rushing to him for hugs which he gladly took. Tears were coming into his eyes but they didn't fall he just held onto as many of them as he could reach.

"I'm glad to be back." He said lowly.

"Where were you, are you ok?" Laguna asked and everyone parted the way so they could hug alone.

"Yes, I'm fine." Squall hugged his father tighter then backed away. "But right now, I don't wanna talk about that, lets just sit here and have a nice Thanksgiving. I'll tell you all later, I promise." He said and they walked over to the table still wanting to hug him but they sat down.

"By the way," Squall said getting their attention. "this is Chyna Shepard... she's gonna be having dinner with us- if that's okay with all of you?" He said to Laguna and everyone.

"Sure! Hi Chyna." Laguna said, cheerfully getting up to pull out her chair. The girl had a shadow of a hello to him. "Hi Chyna." The others said and she gave them the same response.

When they sat down Seifer leaned right and said to Squall. "Do I have to keep a closer eye on you when we go on missions Leonhart?" Squall smirked to that and Seifer added. "I guess, I'm glad you're back too."

"I'll bet." Squall said jokingly.

They all had a nice Thanksgiving dinner that night and when dinner was over they moved to the living room and Squall told them everything that had happened. Laguna was disgusted about how little help the police were and said he'd do something about that and it was fine with Squall because someone had to.

When they all went back to Balamb Garden, Squall still had some loose ends to tie up with Chyna and he went to the Esthar clinic for the mentally disabled to see what was going to happen to her. She had been out of his care for three days while the place had her and he wanted to know why he hadn't heard anything back yet.

"We've looked over all the paper work you've given us," The council was saying but paused a moment.

"Well?!" Squall snapped not meaning to.

"Well we the councel believe that the miner in question-..."

"Chyna! Her name is Chyna." Squall said cutting the woman off.

"Right, well we believe that Chyna is unable to go with you."

"But that's stupid!" Squall commented nearly shouting. "Why the hells not?" The council looked at each other for a glance and then a man continued.

"She has to go to a special clinic to be treated."

Squall shook his head. "She wouldn't want that, doesn't she have a say in this?" The members of the council shook their heads to that statement.

"Our records show that the girl is completely incapable of speaking at all. And the only way to help her even a little is by sending her away to be worked on by a specialist who has to have years of experience to help her."

'What bullshit.' Squall thought.

"This is what's best for Chyna, people with her type of trauma take a long time to recover." Another woman said. Squall was silent a moment then asked.

"Can I at least see her one last time?"

"We don't advise to that but, we can make a slight exception if you make it quick." One of the men said.

They walked down a long off white hall and into a large room full of people under the clinics care and Squall frowned when he saw Chyna sitting in a chair again, by a window staring out of it. 'This is no place for her.' He thought as he crossed the room to the girl. "Chyna?" He said kneeling down beside her and taking her hands.

"Chyna look." Squall said holding up a tin to her. "Irvine made it, he bakes pretty good cookies too. It's from all of us to you." She looked down at them and he placed them on the side table, and looked back at her. "Chyna, these people think you aren't stable enough to leave this place and they want to keep you here for treatment." He bit his words back because he didn't want to tell her what he had to say.

"I have to go for now, but don't worry okay, because I'm gonna get my dad to come here and we'll help you go some place nice all right? You won't be alone, remember that." He looked at her but she was looking out the window sadly. "I'm sorry, for now you're gonna have to stay with these people... but don't worry, I'll be here for you." Squall gave her a quick kiss on the side of her eye and stood up.

"I'll see you around, Chyna." He stood up placing a hand on her head then walked to the door. The girl said something lowly, then she repeated it getting louder. "Badger... Badger!" Squall turned around hearing her calling him and his mouth dropped in disbelief. "Badger! Badger!" She kept shouting and he ran over to her grabbing the girl up into a hug.

The council looked shocked by her suddenly speaking then they looked at each other as if it were a miracle.

"Thank you, Chyna." Squall whispered smoothing her hair down while he hugged her and she hugged him back tighter smiling happily.

The End.