A/N: This is something I've wanted to do for a while now. My version of the relationship of Laguna and Raine. The game doesn't really give much detail on it, and I wanted to. I am in no way saying this should be taken as fact, it's just ONE example of how their story might have gone. There's some Squall/Rinoa thrown in here for good measure, as well. Enjoy! (Oh, and PLEASE let me know if any of the words are scrunched together. This site likes to do that.) ;p

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII, Squall, Rinoa, Raine, Laguna, etc. They all belong to Square. I own the idea for this fic, and that is all.

Prologue

Squall stared up at the Presidential mansion in Esthar, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his well-worn leather jacket, jangling his keys and coins nervously. Rinoa walked up behind him and squeezed his shoulder lightly. He turned his head to look at her, and she offered him a reassuring smile.

"He's your father, Squall," she said in a small, soft voice. "You can't ignore him forever -- believe me. It's good that you're doing this."

He narrowed his eyes and searched her face for a moment before he spoke. He knew this was difficult for her now. Her own father, General Caraway, had passed away just three months earlier. She was constantly beating herself up for not reconciling with him sooner, and, in his nearly six years of knowing her, Squall had never seen her so distraught. It made him feel helpless and sad, and the last thing he wanted was to make her feel any worse than she already did.

"Hey, Rin," he said, "you know you don't have to do this."

She put her fingertips to his lips gently and shook her head. "I know I don't have to, Squall. But I want to be here for you, okay? I know that this … isn't easy for you. You wouldn't have asked me to come if you didn't think my being here would make it easier. When are you going to just accept that I'm in this for the long haul, huh?"

Her soft brown eyes were so earnest and full of acceptance for him and all his faults, that it was all he could do not to ask her right then and there … but no. This was the reason they were here. And he couldn't look ahead until he'd looked back.

So he blew out an agitated breath and cast a sidelong glance at Rinoa. "Five years," he mumbled. "You think he's mad?"

Rinoa laughed. "I doubt it. President Loire didn't really seem to be the grudge-holding type."

"Yeah, but that was five years ago," Squall reminded her. "I mean, I've been putting off meeting him since …"

"Since you found out who he was?" Rinoa supplied. She shook her head. "This is exactly why you shouldn't put it off any longer. Squall, listen to me. You don't want to make my mistake. Trust me. You don't."

He took her face into his hands and looked at her, his steel-blue eyes intense on her face. She wrinkled her nose at his extreme scrutiny, and he smiled, satisfied that she was going to be all right. Warmth filled him; warmth that he should be used to by now, after nearly six years with this woman, but it never ceased to floor him. He hadn't known he could ever feel this content and free. And he knew without a doubt, that he had to do this. And do it soon. Waiting too much longer was likely to kill him.

He had told her that the sudden death of General Caraway had made him realize that the time had come for him to meet with Laguna -- really meet with him -- and finally find out where he came from, exactly.

But he didn't tell her the truth. Over the past year or so, he'd started to want things -- future-type-things. Things he'd always sworn he'd never want, things he said he didn't need. But he wanted them with her. And even though he knew (or was pretty damn sure anyway -- she never specifically brought it up, but sometimes she'd get that dreamy, far-off girl look on her face) that she wanted them too … he wanted to be able to offer her more than just Squall Leonhart -- man with no past.

Ellone knew bits and pieces, but she'd only been three at the time, so she could only offer so much. She didn't know anything about Laguna and Raine's actual courtship, and she'd been long gone by the time Squall was born …

And boy, that was a subject she was particularly prickly about. Squall reasoned out that she felt a lot of guilt for the fact that Laguna had been gone that fateful August night … though, to himself he wondered if it really would have made any difference? Laguna'd never come back for him anyway. Obviously, he just wasn't that important to him.

Ellone had snapped at him for saying things like that about Laguna. "You can't possibly know what he was thinking back in those days, Squall. And you don't know how terrible the people of Winhill were to him!" she had berated him. "You've never even talked to him! He's invited you to see him how many times now? And you always refuse! Don't you make judgments about him until you've actually sat down and talked to him."

Squall knew she was right, but he had never mentioned it again in her presence. He had tried to convince her to take him back to the past again, but she had vehemently refused. Ever since Ultimecia, Ellone had been much more cautious about using her gifts. At least, that was the excuse she gave him.

"Besides," she had told Squall. "Hearing the story first-hand from Laguna, seeing the expressions on his face when he talks about Raine and life in Winhill will tell you more than anything I could ever show you, anyway."

She'd been right, of course. She was always right. Between her and Rinoa, he couldn't win an argument to save his life any more.

So that brought him here. To Esthar. For a long-overdue visit with Laguna Loire. His father. The only person alive who could tell him everything he wanted and needed to know. "Okay," he said to Rinoa. "Let's do this."

"I'm right behind you," Rinoa told him as he walked forward to the lift that would take them inside the palace. "Like always."

Five minutes later, they were in Laguna's office, at the request of one of his aides. The young man had gone to find Laguna, and had told them to make themselves comfortable.

Squall didn't think such a thing was possible at this point in time. Rinoa was sitting on the dark brown leather sofa, looking around the sparsely decorated room. "Not much for personal mementos, is he?"

"Don't have many." A voice in the doorway caused her to jump up quickly and stand at Squall's side.

"Mr. President!" she stammered, nodding her head at him in deference.

Squall elbowed her. "Rinoa," he hissed.

"Oh, Hyne, don't start that," Laguna said good-naturedly, entering the room. "It's Laguna to you, young lady."

"Yes, of course, Mr. … Laguna." She looked at Squall, who rolled his eyes at her and mouthed "Suck up."

"You look exactly like your mother," he told her, stopping to stand in front of her and taking her hand in his. "Almost gave me a heart attack to see you sitting on the sofa over there."

Rinoa smiled at the compliment. To her, being compared to her mother was the highest honor anyone could pay her. "Sorry to have startled you," she said earnestly.

He patted her hand before he released it, and then walked over to his desk and sat on the edge. "Don't apologize for looking like your mother! Hyne save us, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He laughed lightly to himself, and then turned his attention to Squall. His face turned serious. "So. You've finally decided to visit."

"Yes, sir," Squall said, mentally kicking himself for taking on the same stiff, formal tone he'd just made fun of Rinoa over. Laguna's face was serious for a long moment, and Squall began to worry that he was angry, that he'd waited too long; this visit was too little, and way too late.

But then Laguna smiled broadly. "Well, it's about time!" he said, clapping his son on the back. "How long are you staying? Don't worry, there's plenty of room here. You won't be putting anyone out at all. We live for guests around here! Hope your trip was all right. Esthar traffic can be a bitch, I know."

Rinoa hid her smile with her hand and pretended to cough to keep from giggling at the dumbstruck look on Squall's face.

"Wait. You're not … mad?" Squall said cautiously.

"Why would I be mad?" Laguna asked, genuinely befuddled by the question.

"Because I ignored your requests to visit for so long? You know …" Rinoa put her hand on Squall's shoulder. He was legitimately embarrassed about his poor behavior over the past few years, especially seeing how warmly Laguna was welcoming him now.

"I knew you'd visit when you were good and ready to," Laguna said easily. "I'm not one to get all worried about things I've got no control over."

"Oh, man," Rinoa couldn't help laughing. "Are you sure you're his father?" Squall's glare was deathly. "Sorry," she mumbled, biting her lip and looking at the floor.

"Don't be," Laguna said. He looked at Squall. "Raine was a worrier, too. Way too uptight, I always told her."

Squall's head shot up at that. "Raine."

Laguna nodded. "I assume that's why you're here."

Squall nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, really, I just …"

"Hey, like I said … no worries." Laguna looked thoughtful for a moment. "Tell you what. Forget the hotel. You two have had a long trip. You guys can stay here and get some rest, and tomorrow morning, I'll answer any questions you might have about your mother or me, or both of us … whatever you like."

Squall could only nod, having been completely steamrolled by Laguna. Rinoa could only smile. Before her stood two men, who looked so much alike, and yet were as different as could be. Hyne help her if she didn't love them both to pieces.

"Thank you," she told Laguna as he led them upstairs to one of the guest rooms.

"Oh, wait. Should I be, like, making you two have separate rooms or something?" He looked at Rinoa questioningly. "That's the 'dad' thing to do, right?" he whispered uncertainly.

"Try it, old man," Squall growled, pulling Rinoa into the room with him.

Rinoa giggled. "I think you're okay," she told Laguna with a wink, positioning herself in the doorjamb so that Squall couldn't shut the door. "Thanks again!" She kicked her surly beloved in the shins and looked pointedly at Laguna.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks. Or whatever," Squall mumbled, glaring at Rinoa.

Laguna just laughed. Squall and Rinoa -- they were so much like he and Raine had been, once upon a time. And Squall was so much like his mother. Looking into the boy's eyes was almost painful … those were Raine's eyes, no two ways about it. "See you in the morning."

When Rinoa finally moved out of the doorway (or rather was moved by Squall) and the door was shut, Laguna's merry smile faded. He was so glad Squall was finally here, but he dreaded what was to come next.

Telling the story of he and Raine was something he hadn't done since … well, ever. He didn't even know where to begin, really. Then it came to him. Of course, he didn't have a good starting place for the story. But Raine did.

Now he just needed to remember where he'd stashed that old journal …