Balamb Garden. Home to the legendary hero's that saved the entire world from the crazed plot of Ultimicia a Sorceress of the future. A place that made the brown haired, and green eyed youth feel uneasy. Looking at its mammoth size the young youth shuddered and clutched at their box filled with the few possessions they had.

"Don't want to go." He said turning his eyes away from the huge Garden and squeezing his eyes shut. "I want to stay with Tish."

The two adults with him looked at each other with remorse. Tish, the older teenager to which he referred to was dead. Killed in a fire that rendered the poor child homeless.

"Well what are we going to do?" The young strawberry blonde haired woman asked biting her lips. "Poor kids got no where else to go." Her blue eyes rested on that of the side profile of the man with her. Her eyes taking in the firm look of determination on his face. "Squall?" She asked softly, as she looked back at Balamb Garden.

"You deal with it." He said shrugging his shoulders and walking towards the huge mobile home as it came to land on the ground and made his way into what was once the main gate of his military home.

"Now hold on a moment Squall!" Quistis said shouting after him. "You can't expect me to do all the work!"

Squall stopped hanging his head, and was silent for a few moments before letting out a loud annoyed sigh. "Whatever." He said walking back towards the two, and then un-ceremoniously picked up the young youth and hitched him over his shoulder the card board box dropping onto the ground as the young boy started to cry even harder.

Quistis biting her lips, bent down to replace the boys personal effects back into the box and picked the whole thing up. "Oh hon, please don't cry." she said to the boy.

"Put me down! I want to stay with Tish!"

"No." Squall said as he started to once more trudge towards Balamb Garden. Quistis trying everything in vain to get the boy to stop crying.

"Hyne, this can't be good. The poor guy's terrified." She said as she hurried her pace to walk next to Squall. "Are you sure it's such a good idea to carry him like that?"

Squall grunted and looked at Quistis from the corner of his eye. "Well how else do you deal with a spoiled city kid?"

"LEGGO!" The youth screamed and slammed his fists on Squalls back. Squall only grunted and continued walking, his objective the main lobby elevator. The sooner Matron saw the brat the better Squall would feel. Babysitting just wasn't his thing. Why Matron thought it was a good idea for Squall to go with Quistis on this trip he didn't know. He just wanted it to be over with so he could go back to his room in the dorms and be done with everything. It hadn't even been a week and already he was feeling the stress of being the Military Leader for Balamb, and with Rinoa having gone back to Deling to make amends with her father, Squall didn't feel like doing anything. 

"Squall!" Quistis growled under her breath glaring at him.

"Whatever." he said letting go of the boy and turning around and stepping back into the elevator. "I'm out of here."

"Not so fast, my boy." said the voice of the headmaster as he opened the door to the inner section to the lower half of the bridge. "You're still needed here. Edea wants to talk to you."

Squall slumped and then turned around grumpily and walked back the way he came. "Yes, Headmaster Cid." He said grumpily.

"Right. Now then, it looks like we have our newest recruit to our School." Cid said as he bent down and looked at the young youth between Quistis and Squall. "So what's your name?" He asked kindly.

The young youth opened his green eyes and swiped his hands through his hair and bit his lip. After a moment he opened his mouth and quietly whispered. "Hayner."

"Well Hayner!." Cid said smiling. "Welcome to Balamb Garden!"

"Yes. Welcome to Balamb my child." Came the soft spoken voice of the long raven haired Edea, Cid Kramer's wife. "I hope you will come to see everyone here as family." She said as she glided towards Cid and lightly smiled before resting her eyes on Squall. "Of course we still have to find a place for you to stay in the dorms."

Squall looked at Edea and the small smile on her face and balked.

"What?" He asked knowing all to well where this was going to go.

"Squall, my child." Edea said and nodded her head. "It is my wish that young Hayner stay with you in your new home." She said with a nod at Cid.

"New home? What, how, huh?!" Squall gibbered at Edea and then looked at Cid.

"Well that is ah..." Cid said then cleared his throat. "You see, we think it would be good for the both of you to live together. So we moved your things into the Jr. Classmen dorms." He said looking at his feet when he finished.

"Why!?" Squall asked flinging his arm back. "I'm no good with kids..." He nearly shouted and glared at Cid. "No. Just no." He said backing up. "I don't have the time to deal with some kid. I have to pick the SEED exams, and make arrangements with Galbadia Garden for the new transfer student pick ups.."

"It's all been taken care of my child. While you do have the skill needed for SEED affairs, you do however lack the social tact needed for your new role in Garden." Edea said moving forward and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"New role...?" Squall sputtered. "Oh no. No. I refuse to take on any new roles, jobs, or any kids till things are explained." He said crossing his arms over his chest, his face changing from the look of confusement to that of annoyance. 

Edea smiled and nodded. "All will be explained in time." She said as she looked at him with a faraway look. "For now though, you are no longer on active duty. Unless needed. You have new responsibilities now, to young Hayner. If you dislike having your things moved to the Jr. Classmens wing, I'm sure we could make a more suitable agreement?"

Squall huffed and looked away from Edea.

"Child?" She pressed.

"Fine. I'll take him on, but I want my old room back. The one I had back when I was a cadet. The kid.. I mean Hayner can use the vacant bedroom next to mine."

"That can be done." Edea said with a smile, "Anything else?"

"Yes." Squall said. "Put him in Quistis' beginner class at the start of the new term. As for my not being on active duty, I disagree. I'll remain on duty and keep earning my pay."

With that the tall man turned on his heel after saluting and stepped onto the elevator. "I'm going to the training center. Page me when my things are in place."

As the door shut behind him and the elevator moved down through the floors, Squall sighed. "Great. Now I'm a babysitter." He said banging his head on the wall with an echoing thunk.

Little did he know, that this was just the begining of a whole new adventure...