15. An Offer (1/2)

a/n:

thanks for the reviews! sorry it's take so long to update, it's

been tricky writing this chapter. i'm not sure how many chapters

are going to follow this one, but not too many or the story will

start getting thin. hope you like!!

chapter

fifteen--an offer

once

rinoa had seen the fire blazing against the dark sky, a chill of fear

had passed over her skin. she knew what it was, it was

disappointment. they had not wondered where she was, they had

continued with their lives as if she had never even been a part of

it.

she

had watched camera crews and fire engines arrive, all fighting to get

near to the flames, all the while safe in the back of the police car.

but the novelty soon wore off, and she found herself alone with only

a dark possibility before her. she would have to go home.

whilst

the warehouse had existed, in her mind she had envisioned returning

to find the gang within it, waiting for her. she had known from the

moment she had walked out that she could never go back, but there had

always been a dream. she might have found a clue there, as to where

they had all gone. but it was all burning away now.

she

had no money. no friends. nowhere to stay. she had no choice, she had

to go home.

rinoa

hung her head as officer almasy and his colleague got back into the

car, they were going to return her to her father, and her freedom was

over. she listened to almasy talking on his radio, she didn't

understand most of what he said, but a few times heard her own name

mentioned.

"miss

heartilly," officer almasy said, looking at her through the rear

view mirror. "we're going to let you go without charge. it turns

out the car was stolen when you were still living with your father."

rinoa

frowned, it took a while for her to understand what he was saying.

then she remembered they had a picture of her in squall's stolen

car. she felt her eyes sting, she felt like crying at the thought of

squall. she would never see him again.

she

didn't realise how much she had changed since that day she had run

away. she had been accepted, and liked, and she had thrown it all

away in a moment of rage.

rinoa's

father was waiting at the police station, the same disappointed

expression on his face that he usually wore when looking at her. he

was standing on the station steps, a scarf wrapped around his neck,

keeping out the chill.

rinoa

walked towards him meekly, she was ready for his anger, but instead

all she received was indifference.

"come

back then have you?" he asked.

rinoa

nodded, she felt like crying again, and didn't really know why.

"we'll

drive to esthar, and take the train to fisherman's horizon."

he

waited for her to protest, but she said nothing. rinoa nodded, and

followed him silently to his parked car, and climbed into the back.

she didn't want to sit with him in the front, in the back she could

curl up and pretend it wasn't happening.

as

they pulled away, a motorbike revved it's engine and followed.

squall had headed straight to the police station once finishing the

raid. he knew this was where rinoa had gone, she had threatened as

much, and if she had seen the warehouse then she would have had to

turn herself in.

squall didn't know how long he would have to wait outside, or if

rinoa was even still here, but as he stopped he saw a police car pass

by. he saw a girl sitting in the back, her head bowed down. he

watched closely as she got out of the car, it was rinoa.

a

man was there to meet her, an older man who rinoa hung back from.

squall saw him try to touch her shoulder, but rinoa moved away from

him in a defeatist movement. the older man led rinoa to a expensive

car, where he opened the door for her. shunning him, rinoa opened the

door to the backseat and climbed in. the man, who squall now

suspected was her father, slammed the car door shut, walked around to

the driver's side and got in without a word. barely a second passed

and they were off.

squall

climbed back on his bike and proceeded after them. he was aware that

if his bike had been seen at the crime scene, he might now be

creating danger for himself. but he had no other transport, he had

not planned for any of this, and being someone who usually planned

for everything, he was taking a great risk.

rinoa

turned sideways in her seat, and hugged her legs close to her chest.

her father was driving with determination, overtaking anything that

went too slowly for him. rinoa looked behind her at the traffic they

were leaving, and thought about how much had happened to her since

they had come here. she saw a motorbike following behind them,

overtaking the traffic when they did.

she

rested her head against the car seat and closed her eyes.

they

met the traffic jam at esthar train station, and rinoa opened her

eyes to realise that she had fallen asleep and missed the journey.

she followed her father into the station, him pushing their luggage

on a trolley. he left her standing with the bags whilst he went to

the customer service desk to enquire after a ticket.

rinoa