Stage 2: Preparation
Warnings: still none
Disclaimer: Does Gippal's sexiness belong to the makers of Final Fantasy? It does? Well damn. Still don't own anything... -clutches Rikku's name to breast- I'm not letting this go.
A/N: alright, this chapter is a bit longer since I'm really starting to get into things. Don't need to worry about Al Bhed translating in this one. I found this chapter rather amusing to write—even if it is a transition chapter. Anyways, lucky you guys- I'm still posting chapters more consistently than I usually do. Okay, now I'm rambling. CC still appreciated. R&R please


Rikku was wriggling as she and Yuna walked down the hallway towards Home's central elevator. The concept of her and Gippal getting together seemed both natural and foreign to her at the same time. Perhaps it had something to do with how old they had been the last time they had been "together." She, herself, had been only 14—a year before she had been sent on the mission to liberate High Summoner Yuna from her fate. Then it had been easy to say they were together without really complicating things.Now that they were older, would he have… expectations… of her? The thought of it sent a lukewarm shiver down her spine. Rikku had little experience with girlfriend/ boyfriend relationships—especially when it came to the physical aspect of love. Then again, would it be so bad if Gippal wanted to be physical? After all, he was cute and so… Rikku quickly found herself becoming uncomfortable with this train of thought and turned her attention to her cousin, "Yunie, we should probably go see Pops. He would be really upset if you came to Home and didn't see him."

Yuna smiled, "You're right. We'll stop by there first."

Eager to keep herself distracted, Rikku quickened her pace to reach the elevator. "He's probably in his office. He doesn't do much else except give orders from there anymore." Rikku made a face as she punched in buttons on the control panel. The doors to the elevator opened, and Rikku jumped a little too quickly inside. Yuna stepped inside next to her friend, choosing not to comment on the clear anxiety Rikku was experiencing, and closed her eyes with a smile. The Al Bhed girl fidgeted even as she entered in a code on the control panel inside the elevator.

The elevator moved quickly, but smoothly, sending them to one of the topmost levels of Home in a matter of seconds. The metal doors opened to reveal a well- adorned office with pictures of former Al Bhed leaders gracing the walls of the room. At a desk in front of a large window- wall overlooking Home and the Bikanel desert, sat Cid.

He looked up as Yuna walked forward to greet him, "Hello, Uncle Cid."

Cid stood, his arms outstretched, "Well if it isn't my favorite niece! Yuna!" He walked over to the former summoner, enveloping her in a bear hug. "Yuna! It's great to see you, girl! How you been?"

"Same as usual." Yuna smiled warmly, returning the Al Bhed leader's hug, "Tidus and I have been quite busy."

"Well, that's good to hear," Cid replied gruffly, but friendly all the same, "That Tidus kid; has he been treating ya well? Cuz if he hasn't…"

Yuna hastily ensured him that Tidus had been treating her well, ending with, "I haven't ever been happier."

Cid nodded his approval and returned to his desk, "Well that's good then. You make sure and let him know I'm keeping tabs on him."

Yuna laughed softly, "Will do, Uncle Cid."

Cid continued to nod and looked past Yuna to Rikku, who was shifting around in her position by the elevator. He raised an eyebrow and looked back to Yuna, "What's up with her?"

Before Yuna could answer, Rikku hurried forward, "Nothing Pops! Eheheh…" She placed her hand behind her head and then turned to Yuna, grabbing her arm, "Let's go. I need to get out of these clothes!" She used her free hand to motion to the machina grime that covered her entire body.

Yuna nodded, understanding her cousin's hurry, "Okay, Rikku." She bowed forward politely, "Bye, Uncle Cid. I'll have to stop by and visit you again sometime."

Just as Rikku began to pull Yuna away, Cid interrupted to stop the two girls, "Hey, wait up; Rikku, I have a message for you."

Rikku only turned her head as she continued towards the elevator, "Well I want to go change first then…"

"It's from Gippal."

She froze. A message? Already? Even as she slowly turned back to face Cid, Rikku could feel her heart rate increase. "heheh, Gippal?"

"Yup." Cid replied, oblivious to his daughter's inner confliction, "He called a while back saying he had to settle some things with the Machine Faction, and then he was going to return Home for a while."

She was almost afraid to ask, "And this is a message for me… how?"

"uh, well yes," Cid rubbed the back of his bald head, "He was planning on taking you somewhere tonight… though he didn't say where…"

Rikku once again returned to fidgeting and moving around, made incredibly anxious by this news, "ooh, Pops, when's he gonna get here?"

"Well he was almost finished settling the Faction when I talked to him," Cid grinned, "So he's probably on his way now!"

"Eep." Rikku grabbed Yuna's hand, "Yunie, I've got to go change! See ya, Pops!" The two girls rushed from the room and into the elevator before Cid was given a chance to say any more to them.

"So Gippal's taking a shot at my little girl, eh?" Cid said into the air with a chuckle, "Well, good luck to the both of them. They're gonna need it."


Rikku rapidly jabbed her finger into the buttons on the control panel, sending them another level higher, "Yunie! What am I going to do?"

"What do you mean?" The metal doors slid open, revealing a small hallway with a door at the end. Yuna stepped out ahead of her cousin, "You said you were going to give it a chance, right?"

"Ooooh, but Yuuunie! He totally just asked me out through Pops!" Rikku hastened out of the elevator to catch up with the brown haired girl, "And he's going to be here any minute!" She pranced around in front of Yuna and stopped, "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Oh, Rikku, don't be ridiculous." Yuna stepped around the blonde girl and continued to the door, "You're just nervous."

Rikku stomped her feet, "No! This just…" She pulled out a key for the door and fumbled with the lock, hardly able to keep her hand still enough to get the key in the lock, "it doesn't feel right, ya know?" The lock turned, and the control panel next to the door glowed a blue color. Please enter the Passcode.

Yuna placed her hands on Rikku's shoulders, offering a supportive smile, "Don't worry; everything will be fine."

"mhm!" Rikku wriggled away and typed in the passcode, "Yunie, how is it that you always remain so supportive?" The door clicked and opened. Rikku hurried into the room and went straight to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Yuna walked leisurely into the room, closing the door behind her. "You know, you probably don't have to rush so much. It might make you seem too eager."

Rikku winced. Sarcastic Yuna. She dried her hands on a towel and exited the bathroom, "Yuna, I'm having a hard time with this." She headed towards her closet, throwing the doors open.

Yuna raised an eyebrow as she noticed Rikku eying stuff other than what she usually wore. She knew all she had to do now was push. "Well, I think you should just stop acting like this. Calm down and get ready. It's too late to go back now; so you might as well make sure you don't embarrass yourself."

Rikku quieted her movements and lowered her voice, "you're right, Yunie…" She finally reached into the closet and pulled out an outfit: A short, blue skirt with a light blue halter top that would come just below her ribcage in the front and down to the base of her spine in the back. She threw the clothes on the bed and began to dig through her closet for shoes. Just as she picked out a pair (blue platforms that strapped up around the leg), there was a knock at the door. Rikku squeaked, throwing the shoes across the room as she jumped towards the door.

"Ummm, Rikku…" Yuna tried to stop her, "That's not…"

"He's here!" She whispered loudly, "Yunie, what do I do?"

"But that's not—" Yuna tried again.

"Oh, forget it!" Rikku threw up her hands and dove behind her bed, "You answer it!"

Yuna sighed, seeing that she wasn't going to be listened to by the irrational blonde. She walked over to the door and opened it.

Rikku quickly ducked her head behind the bed before inching her face up to see over the covers. Standing in the doorway was… Paine.

Rikku sighed loudly, pulling herself up onto the bed. "oh, Paine- you scared me!" She crawled over the top of the bed, hopping down on the other side, "I thought you were someone else."

"Gippal?" Paine crossed her arms, "He had to check in with Cid first."

"You already know about him?" Rikku looked back and forth between Yuna and Paine. "I KNEW IT---"

Paine quickly cut her off to prevent accusations that could ruin the whole operation, "We just happened to get here at the same time. What's going on?"

Rikku filled her silver- haired friend in on the conversations between her and Yuna and then with Cid.

"Well," Paine placed one hand on her hip, "If you plan on meeting him like that, then there's really no point in even trying." She gestured to Rikku's still grime- covered body, "Unless he has some weird thing for girls covered in machina oil."

Rikku looked down at herself, "Crap!" She began running around the room getting her stuff together. "I have to shower!"

"Need any help with that?"

Rikku stopped in her tracks and all three girls' eyes looked to the source of the new voice. All of the stuff in Rikku's arms fell when she saw him. "uh, hey, Gippal," She just barely squeaked out, her throat suddenly dry and constricted.

Gippal leaned against her doorframe, a smooth grin on his face, "Hey, Cid's girl."