Stage 1: Conviction
Warnings: Still none, isn't that nice?
Disclaimer: Well damn. I don't own Rikku or anyone else. But I'm keeping her name as a souvenir!
A/N: So here's chapter 2- the first stage of Yuna and Paine's plot. I know these chapters have been short, but this has been the best way to divide them up so far. Go here for Al Bhed translations: albhed dot netfirms dot com ; we cannot put in links into the stories, so you'll have to work with that. I am also putting a link in my profile. R CC is appreciated.

"Me and Gippal?" The blonde- haired Al Bhed pulled back from under the most recent model of Al Bhed machina, looking up at her cousin from a crouch. She lifted the grime-covered goggles from her face, "No way!"

"And why not?" Yuna placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward.

Rikku finished adjusting a bolt on the machine and stood with a sigh, "Yuniiiiiie, I haven't seen you in ages! Do we have to talk about him?!"

The former summoner straightened, clasping her hands behind her back, and flashed her friend an innocent smile, "C'mon Rikku, haven't you ever thought about it?"

"Wait, so you think I should take another stab at her?" Gippal scratched the back of his head as he looked disbelievingly at Paine with his good eye.

Paine sighed, taking another step towards him, "You know I don't like to repeat myself." Silently, she wondered why she had gotten stuck talking to Gippal. Sure she had known him longer, working with him, Nooj, and Baralai in the Crimson Squad, but she had little desire to try and talk to men about matters of romance. In her mind, the majority of them were idiots about it anyways.

"Well, I guess I've thought about it…" Rikku took off her gloves, carelessly dropping them on the floor next to her goggles. A passing machina worker sighed, picking up the girl's quickly forgotten gear, "Fuimt oui mega sa du vehecr dryd vun oui, Secc Rikku?"

"Hm?" Rikku turned her head to the worker, "Ugea! Dryd fuimt pa knayd. Yunie yht E ryja esbundyhd picehacc du yddaht du." She grabbed Yuna's hand as she hurried past her, moving quickly enough to almost knock her off balance as she did so.

"There's no way it would ever work." Rikku looked back over her shoulder at her cousin, "Gippal's too egotistical."

"Ah, no way." Gippal brought his hand down, moving his arms across each other in front of him, "Can't do it."

"And why's that?" Paine asked him, raising an eyebrow ever- so- slightly. "You like her, right?"

"Well… yeah," he crossed his arms, "but Rikku's too… well…she's…" Trying to think of something that would discourage him from pursuing her, Gippal found himself to be unsuccessful. "She's Cid's girl!" he threw his arms in front of him, already knowing the response he was going to get from Paine.

"And Cid supports you two getting together." Paine replied dryly, "Gippal, I can see right through your excuses. They didn't work in the Crimson Squad, and they won't work now."

Gippal made a noise that resembled a grunt, "Tysh ed, Paine…"

A member of the Machine Faction ran up to his leader, "Gippal cen, fa ryja suna ehdanjeafaac."

Gippal turned to the Al Bhed man, a distressed expression on his face, "Damm dras fa'na hud dygehk ehdanjeafc dutyo." He turned back to Paine, "Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Dismissing the worker, he turned and headed to his room at the back of Djose Temple's main hall.

Yuna quickened her pace to keep up with the speedy Al Bhed girl, "Don't make excuses, Rikku. He did help us a lot with Vegnagun. He can't be that egotistical."

Rikku stopped when they reached the door to the garage and began to fidget, knowing that her cousin was right. She let go of Yuna's hand, turning to back into the door, "Yuna!" She cried in exasperation as she pushed the door open, "Well poopie." She stepped into a side hallway of the newly rebuilt Home. "Have I really been reduced to having him as my only option?"

"Rikku," Yuna spoke softly as she also walked into the hallway, "Is there someone else you like?"

"Well, no." Rikku replied, her voice also becoming quiet. She looked down at her hands, unable to keep still.

"Then what's stopping you!?"

Rikku stopped and looked up, raising an eyebrow at Yuna, "Why are you so anxious to talk about it anyways?" She lightly punched Yuna's arm, trying to once again gain the upper hand in the conversation, "Tidus boring you already? Heh heh."

Yuna stepped back, "Don't be silly, Rikku! You're trying to change the subject!" She pointed a finger accusingly at the Al Bhed girl.

Rikku pretended to act offended, crossing her arms, "Am not!"

Both girls tried to hold a serious face as they looked at each other, but eventually broke into laughter. "But really," Yuna began once the laughter had calmed, "what's stopping you? You flirt every time you see each other! You should give it a chance."

About to give in, Rikku wagged a finger at the ex-summoner, "You sound like you're plotting something, you know?"

Yuna immaturely stamped her foot, "I am not!" Quickly she recovered and replied with a wink, "I'm just observant."

"I dunno, Yunie…" Rikku began, turning away.

"Just give him a chance!" Yuna stepped forward, giving her friend a light push.

"Yowza!" Rikku took a few steps forward to regain her balance. She turned back to Yuna and stuck her tongue out, "meanie." Yuna just looked at her, her wish clear in her expression. Rikku sighed and placed her hands on her hips, "Alright! Alright! No need to push!" She leaned forward, a small, shy smile forming on her lips, "I'll give him a chance… but he better not screw up!"

Paine followed Gippal into the room, closing the door behind her. He was already sitting on the bed, his head in his hands. Paine took a seat in a chair across the room, crossing her arms over her chest and one leg over the other, and waited for Gippal to start. Gippal lifted his head from his hands, "Do you really think she would say yes? I mean we did have a small thing in the past…"

Paine shrugged, "What's in the past is in the past."

Gippal stood, "You're right. I'll give it a try." He rubbed the back of his head and started walking towards the door, "I guess I should give Cid a call." He turned back towards Paine, "I just hope I don't screw up."