Hey girl you know you drive me crazy
One look puts the rhythm in my hand
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down.

Rikku was sleeping soundly on Gippal's shoulder until he shook her awake. She raised her head wearily, looking around. "Hey, Yuna and Paine are back." Gippal told her as she yawned. Her face lit up after he said those words. "Really?" Gippal nodded and pointed upward, Rikku following his finger. She waved her hands above her head. "Hey! It's about time!" She yelled. "Sorry! We had to search all over the airship for a rope. Plus, we met a new person!" Yuna yelled back excitedly. "Then hurry up and let us up!" Yuna laughed at Rikku. 'Same old out-going Rikku' She thought as she let down the rope. "Vincent, could you help me pull them up?" The man nodded at Yuna, and stood behind her holding the other end of the rope. 'Vincent?' Rikku thought as she climbed up the rope. 'Hmm...That name sounds so familiar.' Once at the top she jumped up and helped Yuna bring Gippal up. "Geez, Gippal, yer really heavy! Y'know?" Rikku said as she helped him out of the hole. "Shut it, Cid's girl. You're just weak." Rikku stuck her toungue out at him then giggled. "Hey, guys, I want you to meet--" Before Yuna could finish, Rikku interrupted her. "Vincent!" She rantowards Vincent and hugged him, making him stumble back a bit. Vincent blinked, lightly hugging back. "How does she know him?" Gippal whispered over to Yuna, who just shrugged at his question. "Beats me."

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wait around forever you will surely drown
I see what's going down.

Once back in Spira, Rikku told Vincent everything that had happened to her while Vincent had been...Well, roaming around the planet. Vincent listened quietly, nodding at the appropiate times. Once she finished telling him everything, she asked him what he had been doing.

"Just, you know, saving the planet from complete distruction." Was Vincent's reply to Rikku.

'He hasn't seemed to have changed much,' Thought Rikku. "Rikku?" Vincent's voice broke straight through her thoughts. She looked over at him and tilted her head, showing him that she was ready to listen. "Who was the other guy next to you earlier?"

"Oh. You mean Gippal? He's my boyfriend. Been dating him for a week now." Rikku answered, smiling brightly. Vincent had also stayed with them for a week.

Vincent felt a small pang of disappointment. "I'm going for a walk." Vincent announced. Rikku instantly jumped up from her seat. "I'll go with you!" She ran to catch up with Vincent. He didn't dare argue with her; Once her mind was made up, she was always too stubborn to change it, no matter how hard someone tried to convince her. Once they stepped outside, a shiver ran down Rikku's spine from the coldness of the wind. "Something wrong?" Vincent asked. Rikku shook her head. "Just a bit cold is all." Vincent nodded and started walking, Rikku following closely behind him, the sound of her soft humming drifting up to his ears. He relaxed a bit, but stayed silent. He finally reconized the song she was humming. 'A...Church song?..' He thought and stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Rikku asked.

"You're going against Yevon's teachings, Rikku."

"How do you know about his teachings?!"

"You told me. Remember?"

"Oh. Right." Rikku looked down.

Vincent turned from her, heading back to her and Gippal's house.

"Wait!" She ran after him and tugged on his cloak. "Please, please don't tell anyone, Vincent!" For a 17-year-old, she was pretty strong. Vincent stopped and looked back at her.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because! I'll get kicked out of the Gullwings and out of Home! I'll be disgraced by everyone, even Gippal!" She whimpered and kept tugging on Vincent's cloak. "Please!!" Vincent sighed and turned back around, facing her. "Alright! I won't." Rikku let go of his coat, letting out a sigh of relief at the same time, and hugged Vincent tightly. Gippal had seen the whole thing, but heard nothing of the conversation. Jealousy bubbled up inside him, which soon turned into anger. He went to search for his whip. Once he found it, Rikku and Vincent were already inside. Rikku's foot steps could be heard as she came up the stairs. She opened the door and smiled at Gippal, not noticing his glare. "Hey, hun," She said, leaning forward to kiss him. Gippal just leaned back, avoiding the kiss. Rikku stood normally and blinked, looking up at Gippal. "Something wrong?.."

"Why do you hang out with that guy?" Gippal asked sternly.

"He's my friend. He's new to Spira, I was just--"

"Friend? Yeah, right." He cut her off.

Rikku still didn't get it. "What?"

"Turn around." Gippal commanded her. Rikku instantly obeyed. Gippal gripped the whip in his hand, raised it above his head, and brought it down upon Rikku's back. She let out a small yelp as he did the same thing three more times. By the time he was done, she was trembling with pain.

Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now, as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

After Gippal rushed her out of their room, Rikku thought of who in the house would be kind enough to let her sleep in their room for the night. Her first though was Yuna, but then she shook her head, remembering how motherly she could be. Paine wouldn't really care. The only person left was Vincent. She made her way over to his room, barely being able to walk because of the pain the traveled down her spine. She stopped in front of his door and raised her fist, knocking lightly on the door. 'He won't answer' She thought. 'He's probably still sleeping. Or thinking about that Lucrecia girl. Or...' Her thoughts trailed off as the door opened. "Rikku...?" Vincent blinked, staring at the shuddering girl in front of him. "G-Gippal wouldn't let me sleep in our room tonight. And if I went to Yuna's she'd get all mother-like and yell at Gippal, which would bring more trouble. Paine wouldn't care, not one bit..." "And I was the only one left to ask, correct?" Vincent asked. Rikku slowly nodded. He softly sighed and opened his door more letting her in. He looked at her back, which was red. "What happened, Rikku?" Rikku wrapped her robe tightly around her and sat down on the side of Vincent's bed. "He didn't tell me. But I'm guessing that he saw me hugging you outside and got the impression that I was cheating on him. When I went into our room, he looked really mad and had his whip out on his bed. He told me to turn around, so I did. After I turned around, he whipped me four times..." Vincent sat down next to Rikku and pulled her closer to him, hugging her tightly. Soft sobs came from her but soon stopped. It didn't take long for him to figure out that she had fallen asleep. Vincent, too, soon fell asleep.

Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now, as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.