A/N: I wrote this as a response to an LJ challenge. This story is similar to I'm Still Here, since they were both done for the same challenge. This was my original idea, but I scrapped it after awhile and wrote the one-shot. I wanted to share this version with all you Aurikku fans out there. Be warned, there is ANGST. I hope you enjoy!

Together Again

Part 1
-Yuna and Tidus's hut-

"Jeez Rikku, do ya think you could put down the Twinkies for a minute?"

Rikku only stuck her tongue out at Tidus, half a chewed up Twinkie in her mouth.

"Ewwwwwwwww…Learn some manners!"

She ignored him as she looked at her prized Ding-Dong's, Ho-Ho's and Twinkies sitting in her lap. She knew she shouldn't be eating all that junk food, what with the sugar content and all, but Gods, she was sooo hungry all the time! She couldn't even make fun of Wakka being tubby anymore, because she had put on a few extra pounds. Lulu entered the hut then, bringing with her the scent of hot stew.

"Mmmmm! Lulu, are you cooking?" she asked, her mouth watering.

"Yes…I just came over to borrow some spices. You're all welcome to join Wakka and I."

"Oooooh, I can hardly wait! I'm starving!" Lulu looked at the wide array of sugar infested food lying in the girl's lap and shook her head. Starving? You'd think the girl was eating for two, the way she was scarfing down food lately…

Lulu almost did a double take at this thought. 'I wonder...No, it's not possible.' Lulu watched as Rikku stuck two Ding-Dong's in her mouth at the same time. 'I must speak with Yuna.'

Tidus rolled his eyes at the girl. "You can't be starving, Rikku. You've already eaten a whole box of Twinkies, and all the ice cream in the house…"

"Not to mention all of the leftovers in the fridge," announced Yuna, emerging from the kitchen holding several empty Tupperware bowls.

"Well, I am starving, thankyouverymuch! This is just a snack…"

"Yuna, could you come over and help me with something…" Yuna noticed the odd tone in Lulu's voice and came over to her immediately.

"Sure, Lu. Let's go." The two women waved to Tidus and Rikku as they left the hut, coming out into the bright sun of Besaid.

"Is something wrong?"

"I mustn't speak of it just yet. Wait until we are away from the others."

Yuna frowned, but could only shrug as she followed the older woman to her hut.

Once in Lulu's kitchen, Yuna questioned her again.

"It's about Rikku…Have you noticed anything...odd about her lately?"

Yuna pondered this for a moment, but came up empty handed. "No…Well, nothing odd, as you say. Just the usual. She eats a lot of sweets, but I guess that's where she gets most of her hyper-ness from."

"It's not only that, Yuna. The girl has been moody lately. And she has been gaining weight, only it's in her midsection…Do you think there's a possibility…." She hesitated.

"Possibility of what, Lulu?"

"...that she might be...pregnant?"

----------------------------------------------

After Yuna's initial shock wore off, she looked at Lulu, realization dawning in her eyes.

"You don't…She couldn't…What…Oh my gosh"

"Exactly…She's been showing some signs, but I haven't noticed until just today. We must convince her to be tested. That's the only way we can be sure."

"I wonder who the father is..."

"That is for Rikku to reveal, if she so chooses. She may not want anyone to know."

"Yes...yes, you're right. But we have to tell her what we suspect! She probably doesn't even realize that she could be..." Yuna couldn't even bring herself to say it.

"Wait, Yuna. We must choose the right moment. We will wait until tonight, when the others aren't around."

Yuna hesitated. "Ok Lulu, but only if you're sure."

"I am sure of it." They ended the discussion and Lulu went back to cooking, seeing as her stew was threatening to burn if she didn't tend to it right away. Dinner was finished in record time and Yuna called the others to eat. During their evening meal together, both Yuna and Lulu watched Rikku like a hawk, looking for even more confirmation. This went unnoticed by the girl in question, as she was too busy slurping the stew out of her bowl.

Once dinner was over, the ex-summoner and the black mage shooed everyone out of the hut except Rikku. They looked ready to pounce on her, she thought to herself. Rikku backed up a pace as they both stepped forward, their gaze intent on her.

"Oookay…what's the deal with you two?"

Yuna cleared her throat before speaking. "Rikku, how have you been feeling lately?"

"How have I been feeling? Umm, ok, I guess…Why?"

"You haven't felt…sick to your stomach…or anything else like that, have you?"

"Well...yeah, some. I did upchuck my breakfast the other morning. Wakka said it was probably only a virus going around."

Lulu and Yuna looked at each other knowingly. The nodded and set their sites on the Al Bhed again. "Rikku…cousin. It might not be just a virus…Lulu and I…we think…well, we think you might be…er...um…"

"Pregnant." finished Lulu.

Rikku said nothing as her eyes began to slowly pop out of her head…It was apparent to the other women that she had stopped breathing for a moment. Yuna gently shook her cousin out of whatever thoughts were racing through her head and spoke calmly. "You need to be tested, so you'll know for sure."

"I…I…can't be pregnant. I'm not. I just had a bug, and now I'm fine, see?" She twirled around on her tiptoes, only to stop a moment later. She could feel her dinner trying to come up, and it did NOT feel too good. She sat on a nearby chair, taking in smalls gasps of air, trying to force the nauseous feeling back down. Yuna sat beside her, holding her hand.

"Rikku, I must ask you...have you...you know...?" Yuna made a motion with her hand while Rikku looked on, confused. Then it dawned on her.

"Ooooh! Do you mean, have I ever..." Rikku repeated the hand motion Yuna had made before and Yuna nodded vigorously. Under any other circumstance, this display might have been funny, but the circumstances were very serious indeed.

"Yeah...I have. A couple of months ago. But it was only once. And...well...yeah. That's it."

"Then you must get tested. I'll go with you to the healer, if you want, so you won't have to be alone. We could go tomorrow."

"I don't know. I mean, what if it's nothing! What if it is just a bug?"

"And what if it isn't? You at least need to find out," said Lulu, always the wise one.

Rikku gulped and nodded. "...Alright. I'll go...I guess I need to find out for sure..."

----------------------------------------------

The next day dawned bright and sunny, but for Rikku, it might as well have been gloomy outside. It would certainly have matched her mood.

Yuna met her outside the healer's hut and linked arms, slowly guiding her towards the doorway that almost seemed to signify the separation from her present life and her future. Taking a deep breath, she pushed back the flap and entered, Yuna still at her side.

After waiting ten minutes to see the healer, she was brought into the back room. Blood was taken and a check up was done. Had the situation been any different, Rikku would have marveled at the technology being used, most of it machina. Tests that would have taken days to process, were now done in a matter of minutes.

The healer finished, and waited until Rikku sat down before giving the news.

"It's positive, Rikku. According to my chart, you're only about 2 months into your pregnancy. I've got a list here of the medicines you need to take and a list of things you can and cannot do while you are pregnant."

"Preg…preg..nant?" she stuttered, eyes wide. Deep down, she had sort of known, but to hear it from the healer made it so much more…real. It was definite...It was true…She was with child.

End Part 1

----------------------------------------------