LunaticPandora1: a little nuts? Haha. He's almost manic! Lol. It's okay, you can say it, that's why we all love him so much! Hehe.

And as for you kit, more guna/irvy fics now? Man, you're making me an awfully long list of fics to write! Haha. At this rate, I'll never be finished! Ah well, at least I have a nice evil muse to give me ideas and well, you to yell at me when I start getting lazy! *grins*

I think you two are the only people still reading this story. That's kinda a bummer, but I'm gonna make sure I finish it anyways, because I'm having a lot of fun writing it, as out-of-hand as it's gotten.

So yeah, don't own FFVIII or any of it's characters, do own...a helluva lot of ramen. (I LOVE ramen! Lol!) And on with the story.

*****

"Until the End of Eternity, and Longer"

by: Banshee Puppet

Part II

Chapter Twenty-Four

*****

"I give up! I'm just going to close Garden for the week!" Squall huffed, scowling at Quistis. "Unless YOU want to stay here and monitor everyone. Just leave the lunch ladies here and let them all fend for themselves. I don't CARE anymore!"

"Squall. You're aware that you're throwing a temper tantrum, right?" Quistis inquired blandly.

"YES!" he snapped. 'Hyne, I'm turning into Rinoa. Make it stop!' he thought. Taking a deep breath he said, finally. "Quistis. I'm taking a vacation, Irvine is coming with me and anyone else who wants to, and I don't really care what you do to make it happen. Put Xu and Nida in charge if you have to, I just don't give a damn."

Quistis thinks a moment and then says, "hey, actually, that's not a bad idea."

"…Really?"

Quistis nods. Once in a while, Squall Leonheart, just occasionally, you say something smart.

"Fuck you."

Quistis sighs. "Well, it's a quickly passing phenomenon."

*****

Laguna paced nervously, tying and untying the elastic in his hair, trying to get his ponytail just right, even though it looked perfect and identical each time he did it.

"Uncle Laguna…" Ellone sighed.

"They're coming Elle. They're really coming. My boys are coming to spend the holidays with us like...like a real family," he smiled emotionally, like a new mother might, but Laguna was DEFINITELY not a mother.

"Yes, Uncle Laguna, they're coming, and they're sure to be here soon, so please stop playing with your hair and put a shirt on, would you?"

"Oh uhm…haha, right! Sorry Elle, I'm just happy. I still miss them so much, Raine and Jace, and since they both loved Christmas, this means a lot. I just…I didn't think he'd actually come. Irvine, sure, but Squall…Squall is really…"

"Here," Seifer announced as he stood in the doorway, packing a fresh box of cigarettes.

"Wha..!" Laguna gave the blonde a panicked expression as he fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.

Seifer just smirked menacingly, saying no more as a slight figure, all but ignoring his presence entirely, passed under his arm and through the doorway. She wore black garments of the oriental style, her proud abs displayed with a carelessness that comes from lack of concern either way, a silver chain at her hips, around a thicker, more purposeful belt, which held the sheath of the katana on her right hip. On her left hand, there was a large metal claw adorned with lessons in brutal force on its surface, the weapon of a beast. And perhaps that is why the men of Esthar's security division had taken to calling her kuma-chan, little bear.

"Ragnarok just landed President Loire. You asked me to inform you when your son and his friends arrived. Shall I go attend to them now?" she asked, voice thick with business and apathy.

"Oh, thank you Jynx. I'd actually like to do that myself, if it's okay."

Jynx gave a curt nod. "I'll attend you," she said.

"Oh, you don't have to…" Laguna began to say when a fine set of the jaw informed him that she refused to take no for an answer.

"I know this is a family affair, sir. All the same, it is my duty to protect you, at all costs, and it will not do to have you walking around without an escort. You may have been a soldier once, Mr. President, but that was a very long time ago."

A sadness passed through Laguna's eyes for a moment. Sure, she meant well, but he didn't like being reminded that he wasn't the fighter that he used to be. And also, he knew she knew her job well, perhaps too well. Resigned to his fate, he sighed. "It's nearly Christmas Jynx, can't you get into the holiday spirit, just a little, or at least pretend to?" he asked.

"If by "get into the holiday spirit" you mean, "drop my guard" Mr. Loire, then the answer is no. They're waiting. We should go."

With a sigh, Laguna gave Ellone a slight pout and passed through the doorway, Jynx hot on his heels, saying, "Almsay, that means you too."

Seifer waved a hand flippantly, kicking off the doorframe. "yeah yeah. I'm coming, I'm coming."

*****

He saw Seifer first. It was almost a surrender, to not attack, but it was Christmas-time, and secretly, Squall wanted the holiday to be perfect for his father. It wasn't that he hated Seifer anymore, not really. It's just that the two boys had grown so accustomed to fighting, they didn't really know how to treat one another any other way. And as much as he wanted to blame the other boy for everything, he knew it wasn't his fault. At that time, with the sorceress, Seifer had just been…lonely. Squall could relate to that, as much as he'd never admit it aloud.

From behind him, a voice called, one he had just been talking with and had forgotten at the sight of the tall blonde smirking darkly at him. "Hey, tulip! Why so quiet all of a sudden?" the familiar drawl called out before the red-head's deep violet eyes locked onto a new target. "Oh," he said. "It's you."

"In the flesh," Seifer said easily, but Irvine's attentions were already elsewhere, snapping fingers in front of Squall's face which received the instinctive reaction of a slap upside the head from Squall, diverting his attention. "Stop being annoying," the shorter man said.

"But I'm so good at it!" Irvine protested.

Squall scowled up at him wryly. "Trust me, I know," he half-growled, but it wasn't the growl that he had always given Seifer, it was different, and the blonde noticed that, this growl, it was affectionate, maybe even…playful…brotherly. And though he'd be hard pressed to admit it, Seifer was jealous, just a bit.

The others disembarked. Rinoa and Selphie giggling together about how cute their boys were. Zell grumbling and trying to control his temper when he saw Seifer. Quistis tucking a small book into the pocket of a ¾ length leather jacket that she wore. Always the mature one, the one to break awkward silences. "Hello Seifer, you're looking well."

Seifer's smirk nearly turned into a smile…almost. "And you're looking old, instructor Trepe," he said, as if chiding her. "But it's good to see you." He meant it too. It really was good to see them all again, and it made him miss Garden all the more.

"It was a long flight," Quistis yawned before Irvine's voice caught everyone's attention. "Uncle 'guni!" he all but cheered, thrilled to see the older man. "…so good to see you!" The words came out in a rush, an ecstatic child all but bouncing with glee. Laguna had entered nervously at first, but at the cheerful welcome out of his nephew, and the giggles from the girls coming behind him as the cowboy bit his lower lip, hopping slightly, excited as a small child and unable to contain himself, but trying really hard to, Laguna's eyes lit up. "Irvine! You look great!" he greeted happily, walking as he spoke to stand in front of the rather tall young man. "Give your old uncle a hug would you? I haven't seen you in over a year you know!" And the two men hugged in that way men hug, slapping one another on the back in order to prevent anyone from thinking that they were any less manly for hugging in the first place, both genuinely happy, but also with a sadness that only comes with memory tweaking the corners of their eyes. Seifer had seen that somewhat wistful look in Laguna's eyes before, but in Irvine's as well…it was odd. 'What happened two years ago?' he wondered mentally as Laguna flitted from one member of the group to another, finally resting on Squall, who just stared blankly at him, like he had no clue what to do. They stared at one another for a long moment, Laguna shifting from foot to foot, playing nervously with the hem of his shirt, before, after over a minute, saying, almost reverently, his son's name. "Squall." A pregnant pause passed between them. "I'm glad you were able to make it. I…I've missed you. It's…good to see you." He wanted to hug the boy, but he didn't know if he should or not, if after missing so much of the boy's life, he could just start acting like a happy dad now, if he had any right to.

Squall seemed to be having some questions of his own, as his eyes searched his father's face, and found genuine happiness there, happiness that bordered on tears. Giving the tiniest of smiles, Squall, after a moment, spoke. "You should have the runway plowed. All that snow made for a difficult landing for Selphie," he said at first. And then, he added. "You look well, Dad. Thanks for inviting us."

And this was all the invitation Laguna Loire needed, to sweep the boy up into his arms, a huge bear hug, eliciting a strangled gasp, nothing more than a sharp intake of breath, from Squall before the boy wrapped his arms around the other's back and gave a gentle squeeze. "Alright. I get it. You're happy to see me. You can let go now," Squall chided, causing a blushing Laguna to step back, scratching his head. "Ah…right…sorry. I just…couldn't help myself."

Another pang of jealousy hit Seifer's chest. Why was he forced to stand here like this, and watch the touching family moment-he obviously wasn't a part of it. As if reading his mind, Jynx spoke. "Mr. President. If we're quite done here, you're hardly dressed for this weather, and Mr. Almsay and myself have a considerable amount of work to do."

"Ah, right! Sorry Jynx. Everyone, please, come inside," Laguna offered easily, heading for the doorway. Only now did Squall notice that his father was wearing nothing but a pair of khaki slacks and a short sleeved shirt of crisp white linen. No coat, no shoes, not even any socks. He sighed in defeat, shaking his head at the other man's retreating form.

Smirking, Irvine leaned over and said, "that guy'll never learn, huh?"

And shaking his head slightly, Squall allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips as Rinoa wrapped herself around his left arm and the group headed inside, Seifer taking up the tail end of it, as he had been "taught" to do by Jynx. Taught, that was a joke. It was more like…flatly informed to do if he knew what was in the best interest of his health. If she punished him, or whatever, for disobeying orders, he knew, it would be nothing personal. And perhaps that is what bothered him the most. It was never anything personal when Seifer was involved anymore. Fact was, since the Sorceress War…nobody cared. Ignoring him was the human equivalent of taking out the trash. He just didn't matter at all. He hated that, not mattering. He wanted to matter somewhere, to someone. 'Maybe I haven't really grown up at all,' he thought, frowning deeply as he closed the door behind him.

"Minister Kiros. Minister Ward. I leave the President in your ever-capable hands," Jynx said with an even nod, almost a bow but not deep enough to be considered one. "Mr. Almsay, if you would, we have rounds to complete."

"Yeah, sure. I know. I know," he said, almost a complaint, but that he knew it wasn't that she had something against him. She didn't have anything against anyone, really. That's just the way she was. It wasn't that she was trying to be rude. It just…she didn't care…like she was incapable of it, or something.

"One of these days," he said as the door to the east wing shut behind them, "you're going to have to tell me what you're story is."

Jynx gave a bland shrug. "And what story would that be?" she asked.

"The one that happened before you ended up in Esthar."

"I would presume, Mr. Almsay, that you would find much of yourself echoed in that tale," she said flatly, her expression almost changing, as if someone pricked her with a pin rather suddenly and she was trying to figure out what happened for a split second before making the realization. "There would really only be one major difference."

She didn't seem as if she was planning to divulge anything further, so he pryed. "Which would be?" Now he was interested. Before, she was just an object, shaped like a human, who had more authority then him, and bossed him around. Now, she was almost a person, almost, even though, on her end, little if nothing had changed, her mannerisms the same, her features, identical.

"You were brainwashed," she answered silkily, apathetically, as if it didn't matter, but something in those haunted eyes hinted. It mattered. It really did matter quite a bit. "Well then, I leave you to the eastern patrol. You know how to contact me if you need me," she gestured at the small com links they both wore on the cuff of their left sleeves. "I'll be patrolling the Northern Quarter," she said, allowing the door to click behind her.

When it did, Seifer let out a disgruntled sigh. "What the hell happened to you, to make you so…so…dead, Jynx?" he said irritably into the intercom, not really expecting a reply, so he started when he got one.

"Life, Mr. Almsay. Life happened. Life always happens, and you can't stop it. Listen, let me give you some advice, from one of life's victims to another…if you want to go back to Garden, then ask him. If you don't, you're always going to be miserable, right? Forget the past. The past doesn't matter. The past doesn't even exist. Just do what you want."

"You make no sense."

"Mr. Almsay. You have two choices right now. You can patrol, like I told you to, or you can chase after your dream. But if you're still standing there when I reach the video center in five minutes, then please consider yourself fired."

A familiar click and hum signified that she'd broken the connection and had nothing else to say. She was always abrupt like that. Seifer bit his lower lip. As much as she annoyed him, she always managed to make him think. Maybe that's why he found her annoying to begin with. But, fact was, he didn't know what to do. And he only had five minutes to decide.

*****

hey, well, this chapter was a little longer! Uh, okay, maybe not much, but…it's progress…sorta. Didn't think Seifer was going to be this involved in the story, but…well, it's partially a set-up for the next one, and partially not and uhm…anyways. Jynx, my ff8 cameo char is in this story too…didn't really expect that, but…I dunno, it just seemed natural to have her here, so, bleh. There are so many original chars in this story that one more doesn't really change anything. Whaddya think? Like where it's going? I really dun know what's gonna happen next-this story really took on a life of its own.

Well, r&r if you have thoughts, or just because I asked politely…sorta.

Until Next Time,

Happy Haunting,

~Banshee Puppet~