Standards

Standards

"He must be one helluva guy."

Rikku picked her head up off the palm of her hand, turning to face her father.

"Wha'? Pops whatcha talking about?"

Her Father was visiting the Celsius, mainly because he wanted to check out every fault in the way it was run and every aspect of the engine. All of course to bug the hypello potion out of Brother.

"The guy who you keep starin' off into space for."

"Pop's you're crazy, I have no idea what you're talking about." Rikku switched the way her wrist bent and disdainfully placed her chin on her finger tips her light tone trying to make light of the situation.

"Now don't you go and lie to me. It's been on your face for two years now. I've been lookin fer the culprit-"

Rikku's whole torso spun around from her cockpit chair to stare agape at Cid.

"Now now, I haven't been able to find the damned guy so quit flailing."

Rikku gesticulated angrily.

"You haven't found mystery guy because he doesn't exist." Hurt almost flinched across her face, and she turned back away from him.

"Rikku, don't you lie to your Pops now, I know that look and I didn't ever want to see you wear it."

Rikku put her head down, knowing he was speaking of her mother.

"It's a good thing no body else's here you poop head. You don't have to worry about me, cuz he's not here and he won't ever be." Her voice was almost incoherent at the end of her sentiment.

Cid came over to her and looked down at the blonde young woman that he still saw as his little trouble making- precious but definitely a pain in the butt- baby girl.

He didn't need to ask to know that 'he' was dead. But he also knew he couldn't have been that oblivious.

Her back and shoulders raised in a semblance of a laugh he supposed.

"Don't worry Pop, I won't go running off in search for a 'replacement'. I'm not that stupid." She raised her head with a knowing smile. She continued with a kind of proud underlay to her voice.

"I have standards you know. He kind of set them."

"Oh," Cid squinted his eyes at her and crouched down so he was nearly eye to eye. "And who exactly set these standards if it wasn't your dear ol pops?"

Rikku copied the look on his face and popped of the cock pit.

"Like I'm telling you."

Cid cried "I don't think so!"

"Well I do so there" She stuck her tongue out.

Cid spread his stance out on the metal deck and crossed his arms. "Rikku, I have a right to know. I am your Vydran."

Rikku stopped mid bound up the stairs. She sunk her shoulders and her arms went limp against the railing.

There was silence for a long while…Cid uncrossed his arms, for once patient… however much it killed him.

A woman's voice came from Rikku, strong and steady, quiet with the weight of stilled emotion.

"He is Auron."

Cid was shocked that he was not shocked. His silence continued while his hard wired mind tried to wrap her confession around it.

Why couldn't he see it.

He didn't want to.

Didn't want his girlie to end up hurting like Yuna.

Didn't want his baby to not get what Yuna got while she was hurting just the same.

He looked at Rikku, his little girl a woman, and he saw what she wanted and needed.

Acceptance.

She had made her peace with it, and now she needed it from him.

"You keep that legendary standard. You tell them they have to become a legendary guardian and keep watch over my baby girl before either of us'll let him near you."

Her eyes glimmered.

"Thank you Vydran."