A//N; Got a new story for ya! I'm not sure to make it a long run or if I'll end the story soon. Please let me know what you think! I don't wanna continue a story that nowone wants to read... pleasepleaseplease R&R!

"Daddy! Daddy!" 5-year old Teylan jumped up on his parent's bed. Gippal groaned when his son crawled up on his stomach.

"Hey, kiddo. I thought I put you to bed?"

"I don't wanna sleep!" Teylan pouted, but he couldn't hide the fact that his eyelids were heavy.

"C'mon, Tey. Go back to bed." Gippal turned over on his stomach, burying his face in the pillow.

"Where's mommy? I wanna say goodnight to her!"

"She's not home, Tey. Now get back to your room!" Teylan wasn't used to hearing that tone from his father, but he knew that he shouldn't push it. Reluctantly, he walked to the door.

"I want mommy back..." He whispered before leaving the room.

Gippal didn't mean to be so harsh on his son. Teylan just hit a sour spot. 'I wan't her back to, kid...'

They should never have done that stupid bet! He should have known better than to push Rikku into making such a measure to their failing marriage.

One week earlier;

Gippal knew he was in trouble. It was 2 am as he walked inside the dark and quiet house. Rikku wasn't happy about him putting work before his family, but he couldn't help it. He really couldn't! He'd given up his soul to his company. It wasn't easy keeping it running, but he managed. So what if he came home late at night and left again at dawn?

He knew the drill by now. He'd come home to find Rikku waiting in an armchair. Qietly, she'd turn on the dim lights on the coffe table and stare at him for an eternity. He'd stare back at her, waiting for her flood of accusations. 'You're late. Is this your opinion of a good father figure? You have a son, remember him? Do we mean ANYTHING to you?'

He sighed deeply, placing himself behind the often-used chair. But no lights came on... He stepped closer. She wasn't there.

"What the...?" He looked around the room, but she didn't sit in another chair, either. He had a bad feeling in his gut. Trying to supress the emotion, he took of his shirt while stepping inside the bedroom. Trying his best to get his clothes of in the dark, he could finally slip beneath the sheats of the bed. Exhausted, he reached out his arm to drag his wife closer. But all he could grasp was air. He opened his eye in surprise. Had he missed something? Was she going out tonight? No, Rikku never got out anymore.

Suddenly, he heard movements from the guestroom. 'What the HELL is she doin' in there?' Gippal couldn't help the rage rising inside him. He wasn't in the mood for games. He stepped out of the bed and walked to the guestroom.

There she was. Hugging her pillow tightly in her sleep.

ooOoo

Rikku woke up with a scream when someone scooped her up in the air. She started kicking and squirming when she realized who it was.

"Put me down, Gippal! NOW!"

"No." With her in his arms, he walked back to their bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. Rikku was furious.

"Who do you think you are, mister? Don't you-...!" Her speech stopped suddenly when Gippal nailed her on the bed with his body. The tip of his nose almost touched her's as he leaned close to stare her in the eye.

"You're my WIFE. You sleep in MY bed. Understood?" Rikku looked away, tears in her eyes.

"I'm not your wife, Gippal. I'm just taking care of your house and raising our son. That's all I am. I stopped being your wife a long time ago..."'

"What the hell are you rambling about, Rikku? You're my wife! I married you, doesn't that count for something?!"

"Appearently not, considering how you treat us!" She put her hands on his chest in a try to push him away. He didn't move. Frustrated, she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Y'know what? Let's make a bet!"

"A bet?" Gippal frowned, startled. After 6 years of marriage, he still couldn't keep up with her way of thinking.

"Yeah, a BET! I bet that you wouldn't last a month as a stay at home dad while I go back to the work I had before I made the mistake of marrying you!"

Gippal ignored her insult and thought about the bet. 'It's not like it's THAT hard make some food and playing with Teylan!'

"What's the stake?"

"Isn't it obvious?"Her right eyebrow rose.

"I won't agree to divorce, Rikku!"

"What's the meaning of being married when you're never around?"

"I'm around!"

"Yeah? Where were you when Teylan, your SON, took his first steps? Where were you when built his first machina? You've missed EVERY damn anniversary in this so-called "family"! You promise Teylan so much, but everytime you let him down because something "came up". He deserves better than that..."

Gippal was speechless. He suddenly realized how far the distance had become between him and his family.

"And...and if I win? Are you staying with me then?"

"When I come back in a month, and you can tell me the meaning of the words "family" and "presence", then you win."

'I can do that,' he thought. 'I have to do that.' He rolled off of her, grabbed the sheets and swept them around their bodies.

"Deal."

"Really?" Rikku stared at him in surprise.

"What? You backin' out?"

"No! I just thought..." she silenced.

"Thought what?"

"That you'd make more of a fuss about it, that's all."

"I don't have to. I'm gonna win this bet anyways."

"Don't be such a self-centered coward, Gippal!" He interrupted her by pressing his lips against her's in a fierce kiss.

"Shut up, Rikku! I'm tired."

ooOoo

She packed her things the next day while he watched her from the door.

"So, what's the drill around here? When should I wake Teylan up?"

"I can't tell you that, Gippal." She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"You have do find it out on your own. That's what I had to do..." And with that, she took her bags and left the house behind.

The only visible part of Rikku was her legs sticking out from under the machina she was working on. It was a tricky one. All the cables to the engine were twirled and all had the same colour. If she cut the wrong one, the whole piece would blow. 'I'd probably end up looking like Gippal... NO! No thinking of him! Focus, Rikku!' She sighed, making herself a little more comfortable, lying on the ground.

"Lady Rikku?"

"There's no lady around here folks!" Rikku said, not looking up from what she was doing. She didn't appreciate people calling her that.

"Please Ms Rikku, we have some questions..." She groaned and made a mark on what she hoped was the right cable before crawling out in the sun. She froze. Before her stood CommSphere recorders and reporters, bombing her with personal questions.

"Have you abandoned your husband?"

"Have you filed in your divorce-papers?"

"What will happen to your son?"

"Are you homosexual?"

Rikku was startled. She didn't predict one of the questions to come.

"Did you finally find out about your husband's affaire with LeBlanc that started a year ago?" A female reporter shouted out. Her eyes locked at the reporter. 'What?'

Brother witnessed her distress and pushed through the crowd to get her out of there.

"Nothin' to see here, folks!" He hid his little sister behind his own body, dragging her from the nosy reporters.

'Did you finally find out about your husband's affaire with LeBlanc that started a year ago?'

Rikku wasn't one to listen to gossip. But she couldn't help wondering about that question. A year ago, their problems had gotten worser than before. Gippal could stay away for days, not letting her know where he'd gone and avoiding talking about it when he got back. A year ago, he stopped caring.

A knock on her door stopped her in her thoughts.

"Rikku?" She heard Brother on the other side.

"C'mon in, Brother."

The door opened and Brother stepped inside. He seated himself on the bed where she was lying.

"Y'okay?" She couldn't help a weak smile from appearing. Most if the time Brother was a real pain in the ass but he'd go through hell and back only to keep her safe and happy.

"Yeah... It's just one of the questions that keep bugging me."

"What?"

"One of the reporters accused Gippal of having an affaire one year ago and she seemed so sure and..." She became silent, her eyes fixed on her Brother. There was something in his eyes that...

"It... It's true?" She gasped.

"Rikku, I..."

"And you knew?!" She pulled back from him. "You knew he's been cheating on me for a YEAR and you haven't told me?!"

"I didn't want you to know! Gippal promised me it wouldn't happen again!"

"Appearently, it did." Tears filled her eyes. Sobbing, she lied down facing the wall. Brother tried to talk to her, but she ignored him and soon he gave up and walked out.

Gippal sat in the sofa, lazily flipping through the CommSphere-channels. He almost got a heart attack when the front door flew open. Hearing someone running up the stairs, he followed. When he reached Teylan's room he heard Rikku's voice.

"Pack your things, kiddo. We're gonna go see gramps!"

"So... You couldn't stay away? I guess that means I won." Gippal placed himself in the doorway. Rikku turned around to face her husband.

"No, you didn't."

"What's up, Cid's girl? Can't admit your defeat?" He smirked at her. She responded with an icy glare.

"Oh, I admit my defeat, alright."

"Then where are you going?"

"I'm going Home with my son." Gippal stiffened.

"What happened to your decision to leave OUR son in my care?"

"I realized that he's done nothing to deserve a father like you." She turned away and continued to pack Teylan's bags.

"WHAT?" He wanted to ask her what she really accused him of but found himself being pushed aside from behind by Brother.

"Rikku! You ready?"

"Yeah. C'mon, Tey." Rikku took Teylan's hand and together they walked past Gippal. He reached out his hand to stop her, but a furious glare from Brother made him hesitate.

"Let's go." Rikku said to her brother.

"Go ahead. I'm comin'."

Brother stepped closer to Gippal, waving a white envelope before Gippal's face.

"I'd be glad to tear your other eye out of your fuckin' face, Gippal. Too bad that this is all she wants..." He said in a silent, firm voice that was so far from his usual tone of speech that Gippal turned speechless. He just took the envelope and watched Brother leave to.

As soon as he heard the engines of an airship taking off, he opened the letter.

Application of Divorce

Name of husband: Gippal Hale

Name of wife: Rikku Hale

Date of Marriage: 16th July 2001

Cause of rupture: A cheating husband

He leaned heavily against thte wall, paper falling from his hands.

"No..."