Ch. Seven: Besaid Isle Heartbreak

"You had to open your big mouth," Mallet said as he stared out of the bus window.

"A lot of help you were. I thought you were supposed to be Gippal's friend," Spencer accused.

"I am. But, in case you forgot, we're on tour. We just got signed. Gippal isn't going to stop now because you think he's addicted to blizzaga."

"Because I think that? And you don't?"

Mallet grew quiet. Grudgingly, he had to admit that Gippal had taken a lot of blizzaga since they'd been on the road. And somewhere down the line, it would begin to affect his work as the front man of Penance. Already, he was edgy, hardly slept, and seemed to be spending a lot of Gil on the stuff. It wasn't like they were bringing in top dollars. But someday, if they continued to work hard, they could make as much as Tromell and the Guado, or even O'aka and Wantz. And like O'aka, they could open a chain of restaurants as he had with pizza. Or maybe have their own cologne. The road was endless. But, this was just the beginning. They'd just released their first album, and although Gippal was writing material for the second album due out next spring, they had to be careful.

People had been wary of Penance in the beginning. Especially when they'd discovered that Knaves had sang their first single. The fans that they had formed enjoyed Knave's singing, but they loathed the way he looked. People liked to have attractive people singing love songs to them, there was no mystery there. But, Knaves didn't have Gippal's natural talent for writing good music. And they had struggled to follow up on another hit. It wasn't until Gippal had returned that they'd scored their second hit. And now their third, Be My Fayth, was eating up the charts.

Spencer wasn't satisfied. Despite the suspicions he'd revealed to Pax, their manager still hadn't changed anything regarding their schedule. Right now, they were going to Macalania to shoot the video for the new song. Pax had liked the location, and thought it was really a beautiful sight to behold, especially at night. Spencer didn't disagree with this, but he wondered how much longer Gippal would be able to hold up. They were due to sing live in Zanarkand in two weeks. And then they had a few more tour dates to go before they wrapped up in early October.

Pax turned around to view the boys as they traveled the long road. He would have flown to Macalania, but he thought Penance was too big to expect to travel like that unnoticed. He was going to make a lot of Gil for these boys. Especially if Gippal kept turning out the hits. He had assured Spencer that he'd heard everything that he was saying, but they needed Gippal right now. At least until the tour was over. A few more months, and they could throw him in rehab. He wondered how he had managed to get so lucky. He'd had his eyes on Penance since their first single, but they had to get rid of that ugly lead singer. As soon as they'd gotten rid of that guy, and dumped their old manager, he'd pounced. Now, he had a group to lead a strangely untapped market in Spira.

Tromell and the Guado couldn't be touched on the rock charts, O'aka and Wantz were the hip hop kings, but no male group had considered pop. He'd cleaned them up and made them heartthrobs. Spencer with his carrot red hair and sapphire eyes, Mallet with his blue-black hair and gray eyes, and Gippal, with all of his Al Bhed blond handsomeness.

Gippal stretched and opened his eye. Damn. They were still on the road.

"How much longer?" he asked.

"About two and a half hours," Pax told him.

"We gonna stop soon?"

"For what?"

"I need…to stretch my legs," he lied.

He'd taken his last capsule just this morning, and was craving another hit. That guy who he'd bought his last supply from had lied. It hadn't lasted six months. Or perhaps because he'd started doubling up, he hadn't noticed taking it all. He was more than glad they were heading to Macalania again. Maybe he'd be lucky enough to run into his old friend again. But, Gil was going to be a problem soon. Most of the money Penance made was spent on royalties and such. He had his blitzball Gil, but his parents had made him put it into a savings account so he wouldn't blow it. They hadn't given him access to it, either.

"We'll stop in ten minutes, Gippal," Pax assured him.

"Good."

Spencer watched him fall into sleep again almost immediately. He wasn't surprised. When Gippal was up, he stayed up. He didn't think that they could wait until October to do something about Gippal. And he was more than certain that time would prove him right. The only thing he couldn't afford was to be too late.


Baralai opened his eyes slowly. He had no idea what time or day it was. His first impulse was to rub his eyes, but he found that he couldn't move his wrists. His eyes opened further with alarm. His arms were pinned behind him. He soon found he was tied to a chair. Full of indignation, he opened his mouth to make demands. This, of course, was heard by no one. His mouth had been sealed with tape. He focused on his surroundings and tried to remember what had happened. He had come to an old cabin with Boyle, claiming to meet his friend Ermine. There had been no Ermine. He had turned to Boyle to ask what was going on, and someone had pricked him in the neck with something. He'd fallen unconscious immediately. By the stiffness of his limbs, he could tell that he had been sitting in the chair for days. Well, someone had better show up soon. He had to pee really badly.

He looked at the almost empty cabin. A dim fire was glowing close to where he sat. There was a couch, a table and three chairs, and what appeared to be someone sleeping in a sleeping bag near the fire. He struggled to make some noise, using his strength to make the chair jump a few times. The person in the sleeping struggled immediately and sat up. He glared. Boyle. The son of a bitch that had brought him here in the first place.

"Oh, I see your finally woke. We were afraid we'd killed you there for a second. Sometimes he uses too much," he mumbled, getting up and slowly walking over to where Baralai sat. "What do you want? I'm not supposed to remove your tape. Do you want something to drink?"

Baralai shook his head. He hoped Boyle had life insurance because when he was freed, he was going to kill the bastard. How dare he do this to him? Didn't he have any idea who he was?

"Do you want something to eat?" Boyle asked tiredly.

Baralai shook his head again.

"Well, what do you want? You gotta pee or something?"

Baralai nodded vigorously.

"Okay. That makes sense. I can't untie you, but I'll help you pee."

He saw the horror come into the young man's eyes.

"I've got one, too, so it's really not a big deal," Boyle shrugged, walking over to a dark corner and coming back with a vase.

Baralai's eyes widened. I can't believe this shit. Why the hell had I bothered to come to Gagazet, anyway? And to top it all off, now I've got no choice but to let this fool hold my dick so I can piss. Great. Just how I planned on spending my summer.

"Let's get this over with," Boyle said, using his free hand to reach for Baralai's zipper. He ignored the fire coming from his eyes and unzipped. He was relieved he was wearing boxers. "My fingers might be cold," he apologized, leaning over and reaching inside the waist band of the boxers.

Suddenly, Baralai moved, head butting Boyle so hard that he lost his balance and dropped the vase in the process. The glass broke.

"Are you out of your damn mind?" Boyle angrily demanded, holding his head.

"What's going on out here?" a man demanded from a doorway.

He shuffled into the room, holding an old robe together over faded pajamas. He was older, at least fifty, with a head of matted dirty dark gray hair.

"I was trying to help him pee and this is the thanks I get," Boyle complained, his head still pounding.

"Oh…he's woken. Finally. Now we can get this thing underway. I'll have my wife help you relieve yourself if that makes you feel more comfortable. If not, you can sit there and soil yourself."

Baralai shook his head, struggling to remove his tape.

"I'll remove your tape shortly. I just wanted to make sure that you kept your mouth shut and listened to everything first. Let me get my wife and then we'll get down to business," the man said, leaving the room again.

"You'll pay for my head," Boyle warned.

A short woman with grayish brown hair came into the room carrying a bed pan. She seemed just as old as the man. Her plain face was expressionless as she set about helping Baralai relieve himself. She reached nonchalantly into his pants and held his organ over the bed pan. Her scarlet eyes held no information on whether or not she liked what she saw. Like the man, she wore the same ratty old robe and pajamas. When Baralai was done, she retreated to the room with the bed pan again.

The man appeared again, dressed in worn jeans and an ill fitting sweater. He sat on the couch and looked at Baralai.

"Based upon the information that you registered at Boyle's job, we were able to find out who you are. Lucky us. It appears as though you belong to one of the wealthiest families in Zanarkand. That pleases us a lot. As you can plainly see, we are not rich. In fact, we're dirt poor. Life in Gagazet holds no hidden treasures. I believe that can change. We just need some Gil to get started. But, there is something more important than that I must find out first," the man declared, walking over to Baralai and snatching the tape from his mouth.

"Ouch, you son of a bitch! If you really know who I am, you know that you have about two fucking seconds to release me!"

"SHUT UP! I'm running the show here. I'll release you when we receive payment and not before."

Baralai's mouth dropped. "You're kidnapping me? Holding me for ransom?"

"Of course. What else did you think we wanted with you? You see, while you were eating quite possibly the last good meal you're going to have in a long time, Boyle searched your information in the hotel's computer. And then he researched your family. Griffin Enterprises. Quite successful. He knew immediately that you were going to help us live the good life."

"What makes you think my father's going to give you one damn coin?"

"Because his only son's life depends upon it. You think I'm kidding? Do you remember how you got here? I doubt it. This cabin is hidden deep into the mountain. Boyle has erased your reservation information at the hotel. There's no trace of you here in Gagazet."

"I can't believe this," Baralai groaned.

"Believe it. I've been waiting a long time for someone like you."

"Who are you?"

"I believe you might already know me. In fact, I think you're looking for me and my wife, but I have no idea why."

Baralai's eyes widened. "You're Oscar Gardner?"

"That's right. Now why are you looking for me?"

"Unbelievable. My…friend, Paine. You supposedly died here at Gagazet seven years ago. Why the hell would hide out here and not even tell your own daughter? Or the granny, whosever mother she was!"

"What do you mean 'was'? Has something happened to my mother?"

"Yeah, she died. And Paine's been out of her mind since that happened, but let's get back to my first question…how could you do this to her?"

Oscar sighed deeply. He was never a good actor and saw no need to front for this stranger, anyway.

"Life in Zanarkand was going nowhere. When we left for Gagazet, I'd told my mother that we were planning to relocate…but the truth was Bora and I hadn't planned on returning. We told her to tell Paine that it was just a vacation."

Baralai was speechless. "You could just abandon your daughter like that?"

"I'm going to finish this now, and then we'll discuss it no more. I made my decision and I have no regrets. Paine has always been a headstrong young girl. She's never really needed anyone. Sure, she's lost a few relatives along the way, but I'm sure she's fine. I've led a really miserable life on a farm. I want more. I deserve more."

"Then why didn't you apply yourself and do something else?"

"Didn't I say I wasn't going to be made to feel guilty? My guilt abandoned me years ago. Bora and I want to finally live and we've been waiting for an opportunity like this. This is like hitting the lottery. Just one question before we close this discussion. Why did you come looking for us? Are you and my daughter dating?"

"Sort of. I thought she needed closure. She never asked me to do anything."

"She had closure. We sent word through Boyle that we'd been lost in an avalanche. Case closed. Don't you say anything to my wife about this or things for you will rapidly go from bad to worse. Now, give me a number to reach your father. And for your sake, it better be right."

"It will be," Baralai said in defeat.

He had come to Gagazet hoping to find out information about Paine's parents. He never expected to find her parents. And even worse, they didn't give a damn about their daughter. No wonder Paine never spoke of them. He imagined that they had been horrible parents. What could be worse than belonging to people who didn't want you? Perhaps this was why she had been closer to her grandmother.

Baralai stared at Oscar as he made his call. The man hadn't even blinked when he'd learned his own mother had died. What kind of people were holding him?


"I'll be in Besaid over the weekend and return on Monday morning," Chappu explained as he packed the few belongings that he had.

"I wish I could go with you. It sounds like it's going to be fun," Darcy moaned, almost regretfully.

She wanted to go, but she also knew that she would use the time to get to know Zelton Flannigan better. After all, he was the one that could really take her acting career somewhere. Chappu was fine when he wasn't overworked, but she needed a man to look after her. And somehow, owning a restaurant could do nothing for her except ensure that she was well fed. She was planning to break up with him as soon as she'd snared Zelton. It had been fun, and he'd been a nice distraction from Tidus, though he hadn't completely cured her. He was too boring. She wasn't sure the boy even knew how to have fun.

"I don't see why you can't come. Can't you tell them you have something important to do?"

"The play is important to me. And I have to rehearse all weekend. Besides, I'm sure you'll be just as held up with the Tornado in Besaid as you've been here."

Chappu stopped packing and looked at her. He didn't want to lose her. In almost eight months, she had become the most important person in his life.

"I have been working too hard, huh? It's just that I think Wakka's planning to stay in Besaid, and with Auron retired, I'll have to be in control of the restaurant here."

"Can't you hire someone else to do it? I mean, the general manager doesn't do everything. That's what you have a manager for."

"Maybe I will down the line. But right now, I have to show Auron I'm responsible enough so he'll stop coming by every day."

"Maybe his cancer will return and he won't have a choice," Darcy shrugged.

He moved to her quickly and shook her shoulders. "Don't say that! He's the only father I've ever known. If he's hard on me, it's because he has to be. I'm not soft. I'm used to it, in fact. Just because you hate your deadbeat dad doesn't give you a right, ya know."

"I'm the only one that can call that loser a deadbeat! And I'd rather have him than some twisted uncle that kidnapped me because he couldn't have my mother!"

"You better watch it! That's right! Auron wanted me, not Wakka! And I don't intend on letting him down!"

She broke out of his grasp. "You better get going to the airship station before you miss your flight."

"I have to pick up Auron first. Listen, Darcy, I'm sorry. It seems like all we've done lately is fight."

"I hope Auron is paying for this trip. After all, we don't have gil to waste," she said, disregarding his apology.

"He is. Well, I'll see you on Monday," he said, deciding not to try to kiss her.

"Have a good flight," she relented, not wanting him to leave her on bad terms.

After all, she still needed gil from him.

After Chappu left, she settled down in front of the television and decided to watch a nice romantic comedy. She hadn't done so well in rehearsals all week, and should be studying her lines. Being in a play was much harder than she'd thought it would be. She hadn't expected to have to learn so many lines. Mr. Isaaru came out of his office/room. He noticed her in the living room.

"Hi. Is this your plans for the evening?"

She shrugged. "Yep. Chappu's gone to Besaid. I have play rehearsals all weekend."

"Well, I'm heading out. I have a very hot date. Don't wait up," he said, heading out the front door.

Darcy shrugged again and decided she needed a snack with her movie. She headed down the wide hall to the kitchen. Upon entering, she saw Rikku hide something behind her back. She raised an eyebrow. It was no secret around the house that Rikku was on a diet of some sort.

"Hiding something?" Darcy couldn't help asking with a smile.

Rikku glared at her. "I was just taking a sip of soda. Don't say anything to Tidus," she warned, placing the soda back into the fridge.

"Why would I do that? I would have to care first," Darcy replied, opening the cupboard and grabbing a big bag of potato chips. "Do we have any dip?"

"I think Mr. Isaaru has some onion dip," Rikku reluctantly admitted, desperately wanting a chip.

"He does. Look, Rikku, I know we're not friends or anything, but since Tidus has gone to Besaid, and so has Chappu, we're home alone. I'm watching a really good romantic comedy."

"Okay, a truce just for now. When Yuna returns, I hate you again."

"Done."

Rikku carried a small plate of celery and carrot sticks to join Darcy in the living room. She bit into a stick watching her pour the chips into a big bowl. She couldn't seem to take her eyes away.

"They're at a commercial," Darcy explained, channel surfing. "Hey, look…"

Rikku tore her eyes away from the bowl and regretted it. On the screen, Gippal's devilish grin greeted her as he ran through a dark mysterious field. Her eyes were glued to the screen. He looked really great and the song sounded good, too. She knew it was their latest single, but she hadn't taken the time to really listen to it.

"His friends are cute," Darcy said, dipping a chip into the dip.

"Yeah," Rikku said, totally absorbed into the video until its end. By the time Darcy flipped back to the movie, she was in tears.

"Hey, Rikku, it's going to be okay. I heard Penance has a concert here in two weeks. You can see Gippal then."

"I don't want to see him. Not ever," she said with determination, setting the plate aside and reaching for a handful of chips.

Darcy said nothing as she watched her dip chip after chip.


Wakka stood by the entrance of the brand new Tornado restaurant greeting guest after guest. He was nervous and excited. So far, everything was going well. He and the staff had done a dry run to make sure that the dishes were prepared and tasted as expected. He wondered briefly where that big mouth old man was. It was early afternoon and he felt in control. Lulu still hadn't showed yet, but he wasn't concerned. She would be there. She knew how important it was to him. Also, he wanted to tell her his plans.

"Everything looks really good, Wakka. I'm very impressed," Auron said, appearing at his side.

"Thanks, Auron. How does it feel to be back on the isle?"

Auron shrugged. "Just fine. This isn't the first time I've been back since I left. I've been back several times over the years. Why don't you let me stand here at the entrance while you go keep an eye on things inside?"

"Nah. I want to do this. But, why don't you do me a favor and keep a eye on things inside?"

Auron stared at him. It was hard, if not downright difficult for him to allow someone else to be in charge of his restaurant. It was his baby after all. He had brought it up from nothing but an old abandoned store when he was just twenty-four. Wakka was younger; therefore Auron thought that he needed more than a tiny bit of guidance.

"I'll do that," Auron said, patting Wakka's shoulder and heading inside.

Wakka didn't tell Auron but he was by the door mainly because he was awaiting Lulu's arrival. Things between him and Talynda were dangerously heating up. But then, things between them had always been hot. He just hadn't been a relationship type of guy back then. Speaking of the Al Bhed brought her walking up the short steps to the entrance.

"Hi. Someone looks handsome tonight," she greeted him.

"Thanks," he said, glancing down at his dark slacks and dress shirt.

It was warm out, but he thought he needed to look important tonight. Tomorrow, he'd be back in his usual tank top and shorts.

"I'm going to head inside, though it looks pretty crowded. Maybe I can get a seat at the bar. See you later?" she asked.

"Probably not. Lu should be here."

"Oh. Well, I'm not heading back home just yet," she promised him, and entered the crowded restaurant.

"Hey, Wakka. The restaurant looks good from the outside," Tidus said, as he clasped hands with his friend.

"Ya. I had a few worries along the way. But, so far, so good. How are things on your end?"

"I wish I could say I was having the summer of a lifetime, but with Yuna gone, it's just been okay. Have you seen Lulu?"

"She's supposed to be here any minute. I can't wait to see her, if you know what I mean," Wakka winked.

"Believe me, I know. I'm dropping by Bevelle tomorrow on my way back home to see Yuna."

Wakka frowned. "I thought you said she wasn't allowed no visitors."

"I'll talk my way past that," Tidus shrugged as the rest of the Abes came over to congratulate Wakka.

He accepted all of the compliments. He had no intention of telling anyone that he wasn't returning to Zanarkand before he told Lulu. He would miss them. They had been a team for almost eight years. But, they would move on. Maybe if things were flowing smoothly at the restaurant he could play one more tournament before he quit the team next summer.

"Where's Baralai? He too good to come and see my restaurant?" he asked quickly.

Botta shrugged. "Don't know. Haven't heard from him in a week."

After the Abes piled into the restaurant, Wakka began to feel apprehensive. Where was Lulu? She had already missed the ribbon cutting. Finally, a familiar dark haired beauty appeared in his line of vision. She was here. She hadn't let him down, after all.

Tidus observed the crowd inside of the restaurant. He was happy for Wakka and Auron. He'd glimpsed Chappu lurking in the kitchen area, but made no attempt to greet him. He was glad that he would see Yuna tomorrow. He needed to be reassured by her sweet kisses. He needed to be held by her warm arms. He needed to melt into her loving gaze. He needed…to have orgasm after orgasm as he slid effortlessly into her valley of pleasure. He turned to Datto to occupy his mind on other things. After all, the restaurant was crawling with girls in bikini tops.

"Hey, how are things going with Rikku?" he asked, as a sandy haired beauty gave him a friendly smile.

"Fine. Why? Did she say something?" Datto asked quickly, sipping his milkshake.

Tidus tried not reveal anything. Of course, he'd already asked Rikku about things. He glanced absently out the window at the sun setting as he recalled the discussion.

"How are things going with you and Datto? I believe you've reached a record five dates," he'd joked one evening while they were preparing dinner.

She continued slicing tomatoes at the counter before she answered. "I like Datto okay…"

"But?" he'd prodded, sensing something. He turned the grilled chicken to appear busy.

"He's a really nice guy. But his mother…she's a pill. I never knew a boy called his mother even while he's out on dates! She checks up on him constantly. I'm not saying he's a mama's boy, but…" she shrugged.

"Is that bad? I thought that if a guy treated his mother nice, a girl would know he'd treat her nice."

"This is far beyond just treating her nice. She does his laundry and helps him pick out his clothes. She treats him like a little boy."

"Maybe you should talk to him about it."

"I don't know. I mean, it's not like we're anything official, anyway."

"Don't you like him?"

"I do, just not like that."

"What's the problem? You're not attracted to him?"

"He's cute, but…I like pretty blond guys," she said, staring directly at him.

He stared at her. "Rikku, you've got to get past Gippal."

"I know," she said, continuing to slice.

He had breathed a sigh of relief. For just a second there, he'd thought she'd been flirting with him. And that could lead to a lot of trouble. For both of them.

"No. Where do you see this going? Do you like her?" Tidus asked, popping a chocobo bite into his mouth and trying to ignore the sandy haired girl who kept giving him looks.

"I do. But, I don't want to rush things. I know she's still kind of hung up on Gippal."

"Yeah, he did a number on her. But, not just her. He hasn't contacted any of us. Damn jerk. Well, don't give up. Be her friend. That's what she really needs right now."

"Right. So, you're not returning with us tomorrow?"

"Nope. I've got to go to Bevelle to see my lady."

"Oh. Well, tell Yuna I said hi."

At a booth nearby…

"What are you really doing here, Talynda?" Paine asked as she picked at her shrimp platter.

She had come to show Wakka her support, but her mind was on other things. She had been half hoping to run into Baralai here, but no one had seen him.

"What do you think? The man of my dreams is the owner of this establishment," Talynda said, taking a sip of her pineapple martini.

Paine sighed deeply. "I should have known. When will you get over your crush on Wakka already? It's been five years now."

"I can't help it. Ever since he offered me a piece of gum in freshman English, I've been hooked."

"Bull. You didn't find him interesting at all until he joined the Abes."

"I already liked him. That uniform made him a man."

"That and puberty," Paine said dryly. "Has Wakka mentioned Baralai?"

"No. Why? Are you two fighting again?"

"No, not at all this time. His mother claims he went on a trip. Of course, she isn't telling me why."

"Maybe he took company."

"That's what she said. It might strike a lot of people as odd, but Baralai and I might be in an actual relationship."

Talynda raised an interested eyebrow. "Really? You and Baralai are a couple?"

"Well…nothing official…"

"And you're admitting that you love him?"

"I didn't say that."

"You love him," Talynda taunted gleefully.

"Will you shut up? I didn't say that," Paine demanded. "This should shut you up, Lulu's here."

Talynda turned in their booth and saw Lulu standing very close to Wakka. She frowned, but she was far from discouraged. Lulu would return to the city soon enough, and then she would have Wakka all to herself again.

Across the restaurant, Auron took in the scene. He always felt excitement and arousal at viewing a capacity filled restaurant.

"Hey, don't I know you?" an elderly man asked.

"I don't think so, sir," Auron replied politely.

"Yeah, I know you. You look like a member of the Morgan family."

He had Auron's attention now. He certainly couldn't place the old man in his memory, but the island had a lot of old people. If any of their memories still served them, they could place him here as a teenager or young man. Those whose porch lights were still shining bright at night could even remember him as a child.

"That's right. I'm Auron. Who are you?"

"Too old for you to remember, but I used to go fishing with your father back in the day when you and your brother were still little ones."

"I'm sorry, but my father was friends with almost everyone on the island."

"It's fine. My name's Roland."

"How do you like the addition of the restaurant?"

"Unnecessary. We're not trying to advance here. We like things the way they are."

Auron smiled tightly. That had been the answer he'd been expecting from the old man. Most of the older islanders feared change. But, he was certain that the younger generation would find the restaurant most useful. He waved Wakka and Chappu over. They should meet Roland.

Wakka grimaced as soon as he saw the old man. What was he doing here?

"Boys, I want you to meet Roland. He and my father used to go fishing together," Auron said.

"We met already. What'cha think now, old timer? Still think my restaurant will be a waste of space?" Wakka couldn't help asking, though he'd noticed Auron's scowl at the way he'd addressed the man.

"Ha. You think you've won just because you got all these hungry tourists here right now. Wait til the season's over, and then you'll be begging to file bankruptcy."

"We'll see about that," Wakka said, accepting the challenge.

"Don't be cocky, Wakka. There's nothing wrong with someone disagreeing with your ideas. That doesn't mean anyone's wrong," Auron lectured.

Chappu listened silently. He wished he'd grown up with Auron's guidance.

"Well, Roland, we've got to get back to attending to the restaurant," Auron apologized.

Roland nodded. "I guess I'll order something since I'm here."

Nah, cause you can't resist, old bastard, Wakka triumphantly thought as he headed back into the crowded kitchen area. Five hours later, after he'd overlooked the closing and cleaning up of the restaurant; he'd joined Lulu in his little hut. And after they'd made love twice, he wondered if he should mention anything about not returning to Zanarkand. He decided not to, not wanting to ruin the moment.

In the morning after they'd made love again, he accompanied her to the airship station.

"I wish you could stay another day, Lu," he said.

"I do, too, but getting away yesterday was hard enough. I have to be present for the rehearsals, too. But, I'm really glad I came. The restaurant is wonderful. The only thing to do now is find someone suitable that you can trust to run it while you're home," she said, handing the airship crew her luggage.

He sighed deeply. She had brought it up, so he would have to address it. He stared at her. She looked refreshed and happy this morning.

"Look, Lu…I'm going to be running the restaurant here," he said, avoiding her eyes.

"How are you going to do that? And return to the university?"

"I'm not. I'm not returning."

"Wakka, just because you've helped open a restaurant doesn't mean that you should throw away your college opportunity. There are plenty of people that can run a restaurant."

He shook his head. "No, Lu. I meant I'm not returning to the city."

She stared at him. "What? You're life is in Zanarkand. How can you give that up so easily?"

"It's not easy, but now I'm responsible for something. For the first time, I'm solely responsible for something."

"Well…what about us, Wakka?" she asked quietly.

"We can make it work."

"Zanarkand is a long way away and I'll be returning to school again in a few weeks. And I have to help out at the bakery."

"What are you saying, Lu? You want to break up?" he asked with disbelief.

"I'm not saying I want to. But, we have to be realistic about this. Without you being home, we don't stand a chance of surviving. Is this that important to you?"

He looked over her head at the beautiful blue sky. She would never understand why this was important to him. He didn't want to lose her, but if she wasn't even going to try, what could he do? She was already on her way back to Zanarkand. She couldn't even stay the weekend with him. Why didn't she think she should sacrifice? So what if they would have to take a lot of airship rides to see each other? But, once again she was putting everything else before him.

"Ya, it is. I'm sorry, Lulu."

She smiled sadly. He hadn't called her by her full name in years.

"Well, good luck, Wakka," she said, deciding to board the airship while she still had control of her emotions.

He grabbed her arm. "Just like that you can walk away from me?"

"We're heading in different directions. I'm just trying to prevent the inevitable."

He released her and nodded. "Well, good luck to you, too."

She nodded and hurried to board the airship. She wished she could assure Wakka that they had a chance of making it, but she didn't believe in long distance relationships. She took her seat and watched him walk away from the station, his head low. Her heart wanted to say the hell with the rehearsals and go reclaim her man, but her mind was set. After all, he hadn't bothered to tell her his plans until this morning. Why had he waited until the completion of the restaurant? She saw the Abes boarding, and pretended to be reading so they wouldn't bother her. Had he even told them anything? Or would they be receiving the same shock?

"Bye, Wakka," she whispered as the airship began to fly away.

End of Ch. 7. Thanks for reading.