A/N: Thanks again to you reviewers: Kyrial Arthian, eolhcsullivan452, Reaper's Shadow, Aspexit, and acerose.

So sorry this took so long. I would have had it up earlier, but in addition to moving, a horrid storm swept through my city and knocked out my electricity for two days.


Chapter Nine

Vaan awoke in the morning slightly disoriented, until he remembered where he was and what he was doing. Camping in the Giza Plains with Penelo. Penelo was, amazingly, still asleep right next to him, so close their arms were almost touching. She was facing him, her fingers grasping the hem of his vest.

He didn't dare move for fear that he would wake her. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. Almost…happy. Wisps of hair had escaped her braids and fell across her face, stirring with every breath she took.

They had made it through a night in the desert without any monster attacks, and without any panic attacks on Penelo's part. It had been a very, very good night. Vaan hadn't felt so refreshed in weeks. Or so content. He hadn't told Penelo how very cooped up he had been feeling in the apartment, and this taste of freedom was intoxicating. He suddenly, desperately, wished he had an airship and he could just get on and start flying…he didn't care where.

Penelo sighed in her sleep, and Vaan's thoughts were dragged back to earth, and to the reality in front of him. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, waiting for Penelo to wake up. He was beginning to feel rather impatient, because he was getting a bad cramp in his side and he was really kind of hungry, but Penelo had slept so little lately, so he didn't move.

Her eyes finally started blinking, focusing slowly on him, and then gave him a peaceful little smile. A genuine Penelo smile, and something inside of Vaan unclenched a little. He grinned in return. "I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have let me." Penelo stretched before sitting up. "I think that was the best I've slept in weeks."

Vaan sat up, too, immediately reaching for the food. "Next time you're having trouble sleeping, we'll just drag a tent out into the desert." He dug into their bag of breakfast, and Penelo reached over to snag some of it.

"Sounds good to me. I forgot how much I missed your snoring."

"Hey!" Vaan wasn't sure whether he should be offended or just happy that Penelo was teasing him again. The instinct was to just tease her right back, and the words came out before he'd really thought about them. "At least I don't drool in my sleep."

"I do not drool."

"Do too."

"Do not."

After breakfast, they packed up their stuff and headed back toward the city. On the way, Penelo finally asked him why Balthier had come. "I know it wasn't just to deliver an invitation."

Vaan filled her in on the rumored uprising of Archadian nobles, and she frowned. "Really."

"You sound like you don't believe it."

"I don't know, Vaan. It just all seems…" Penelo shook her head and trailed off. "Never mind."

It took them several hours to reach Rabanastre, and when they finally stood outside of South Gate, Penelo took a deep breath and reached for Vaan's arm, halting him in his tracks. "Vaan…I need…can you…"

Vaan raised his eyebrows. Since when was Penelo at a loss for words?

Penelo's face had turned as red as a rogue tomato. She could never help blushing when she was embarrassed or flustered, and Vaan usually teased her about it to no end. He decided not to this time, since he wasn't sure how much teasing she could handle all at once today. "Can-I-"

Vaan crossed his arms and waited. Without looking at him, she finally said in a rush, "I need to hug you."

Okay, that was just too much of an opening to miss. "Because I'm just so irresistible?"

Penelo didn't respond to that; she looked down so Vaan couldn't see her face, and he sighed to himself. She usually would have just slapped his arm for a comment like that, and he had to remind himself that although she had been more relaxed and teasing today than she had lately, she was not better. "Sorry," he said. "Come here, then." He opened his arms, and Penelo stared at him. "What? I thought you needed-"

"Here?" Penelo glanced around at all the people in the area, going about their daily business.

He was really confused now. Wasn't this what she had just asked for? What did he care if anyone was watching? "Um…sure?" Penelo continued to look at him as if he had grown an extra head or something. "What?"

A small, sudden smile made its way across her face, and she stepped forward into his arms, letting out a long sigh of her own. He held her for a long moment before asking, "So, um, why did you need this?"

Penelo stiffened and drew away from him, now flustered. "I…it sounds stupid."

"So?"

"I've…had…sort of a hard time lately."

No, really?

"With-I just think-I mean, it would help me if I could-"

"What?"

"Hug me everyday?" Penelo said quickly. "I mean, even if I-if you think I don't-just-"

Vaan watched her, bemused. She was acting like it was a terrible thing to ask, but he really didn't find it all that weird. Maybe because he had been friends with her for so long, and usually he couldn't avoid getting or giving her hugs. He did find it a little strange that she felt awkward about asking, but he guessed that given current circumstances, it made sense, except it sounded like she thought it would be a burden for him. "Sure."

She stopped stumbling over her words and blinked at him. "Really?"

"Well, if you keep sounding so surprised I might reconsider," he said. "Of course, really. Come on, Penelo, you're acting like I think you're diseased or something."

Penelo's face went from red to white in an instant. She completely blanched, and only then did Vaan realize what a stupid, stupid thing that had been to say. For all he knew, she did feel that way, or did think he thought…damn it, why was this so complicated? "Look," he said quickly, before she could cry or yell or slap him or something. Then, realizing he really didn't have anything to say, he just pulled her back into his arms and squeezed her hard enough that she yelped. "There. Two for today. Okay?" As he released her, he was glad to see that smile on her lips again, as opposed to tears or her hand flying toward his face.

"…thanks, Vaan."

"Ah-ha!" A loud, familiar voice suddenly exclaimed, and before Vaan could even move, Tomaj was beside Penelo, tugging on one of her braids. "I can hardly believe my eyes! Penelo is actually out of the shop?" He pulled her other braid. "How come you haven't come to see me, hm? Vaan's been around."

Penelo stepped neatly out of his reach and planted her hands on her hips. "What about you? You couldn't be spared to drop by Migelo's?"

"I've been busy," Tomaj said.

"So have I."

Then they both smiled at each other, and Tomaj turned to Vaan. "Guess what, Vaan? I think I might've found you a new airship."

Penelo frowned in Vaan's direction, her eyes narrowing. "What? You didn't tell me you were looking for an airship."

"I'm not!" Vaan protested, to both her and Tomaj.

Tomaj shrugged easily. "Oh, I know, you said you're hanging around Rabanastre for now, but really, a deal like this doesn't come along everyday. I know you've been without an airship for a while, so I've been keeping an eye out for you…besides, having one doesn't mean you have to fly it now. Just means you'll have one ready when you need it."

Vaan tried to hide the sudden surge of excitement at the prospect of again having his very own airship; Penelo's worried eyes were fixed on him, and he almost felt like his excitement was a betrayal. He still couldn't help asking, "Where'd you get it?"

"I got it-ah, never mind that. It's a long story. It's perfectly legitimate, if that's what you're worried about. I can get it to you for a very reasonable price."

"How much?"

Penelo sighed and turned away from them both, and as Tomaj told Vaan how much gil it would cost, she began walking away, heading through South Gate. Torn between his longing at the thought of an airship and his guilt for the same reason, Vaan quickly told Tomaj, "Look-give me a day or two to think about it?"

"Well, all right." Tomaj was frowning in Penelo's direction. "Only two days, though, Vaan, and then the offer goes to someone else."

"Okay, okay." Waving, Vaan ran after Penelo. "Penelo! Wait up!"

She didn't slow down as she headed up the stairs, and Vaan caught up with her at the top of them. He moved in front of her, bringing her swift footsteps to a halt. "Penelo-"

Penelo looked up at him, and her face was schooled into a smooth mask, showing no sign of worry or exasperation. Her voice was equally emotionless when she asked, "Are you going to get it?"

Vaan faltered. "Penelo…"

"I know you've missed having an airship." She skirted around him and kept walking, and he fell into step with her.

"I didn't tell Tomaj one way or another," he said.

Penelo stopped and faced him. "You should just get it, Vaan."

What? But a minute ago, he could have sworn she was upset by the idea… "What?"

"We have the gil, right?"

"Well…"

"You haven't used the gil you got from-from the last job, right?" Penelo suddenly sounded strained.

Vaan thought of the large amount of gil sitting in the bottom of his closet, and he shook his head. "No."

"So?"

He shook his head again. "I can't."

"Can't what? Buy the airship?"

"I can't use that gil to get an airship. I can't use it to-you know what? Just forget it. We're fine here, in Rabanastre. Right?" Vaan tried to smile at Penelo, to show her that he really was fine…but the part of him that was just purely excited about having an airship was slapping him upside the head and telling him he was stupid to let an opportunity like this go by. Tomaj might have gone to some trouble to 'keep an eye out' for an airship for him. How could he just say no, thanks, he didn't need it?

Vaan had been really suppressing his desire to get out of the stifled apartment, to taste the freedom of the skies again. To do something. He had never been very good at sitting still for a long time. Granted, it had only been a couple of weeks, but the time had dragged so slowly that it felt like much, much longer.

Besides, what if we do need a fast getaway? Having an airship again would be useful in a pinch…

Two weeks ago, he wouldn't have hesitated. But this was not two weeks ago, and he did hesitate.

When they got back to Migelo's, they greeted him and Fae, the woman who worked part time as a clerk, and Migelo beamed at them. "See? I knew a day off would help. You two look much better. Oh, before you head upstairs-this came for you this morning." He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Penelo.

Vaan looked over her shoulder; their names were written neatly on the front in Ashe's handwriting, and the envelope was closed with the royal seal. Penelo slid it open and pulled out a note, which he read silently.

Penelo and Vaan,

I've returned to Rabanastre until the fete in Archades. I do not expect you to come to the fete, but should you choose to, I would offer you a ride on my airship.

We have so far had no luck in deciphering the parchment you brought us. We will continue to work on it and update you should we find anything.

Please do not hesitate to call on me should you need anything at all. Basch and Larsa send their regards, as do I.

Ashe

Vaan was strangely glad that she signed the message Ashe, and not Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca or Queen Ashelia or something. There had been times since she became queen that she had been really distant, and he understood why, but it was nice to know that there was still camaraderie there. Reassuring.

Penelo tucked the note back into the envelope and stuffed it in her bag. "I'll be back down to work in a few minutes," she told Migelo, heading behind the counter.

"No need, Penelo. It's already mid-afternoon, and I think we have it covered for today," Migelo told her. "But I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, all right?" He winked at her and waved her toward the stairs.

Vaan followed her up to their apartment and waited until she unlocked it. They dumped their bags by the door and looked at each other for a long moment. Vaan was sure Penelo was thinking about the airship, but she didn't mention it. All she did was tug on her clothes and say, "I'm going to take a shower."

She shut herself in the bathroom, and Vaan dropped onto the couch. An airship…I don't have to use it now. I can wait until Penelo's-

Until Penelo's what? Is she ever going to want to come with you anywhere again? After what happened to her? All you do is put her in danger. All you do is drag her around in a profession where this happens. Where people kill and maim and rape. Can you really take her back out into that, knowing it could happen again?

I don't have to be a sky pirate. I can just fly.

Other people aren't going to care whether you call yourself a pirate or not. Once you take to the sky, there's a whole new set of rules. Not every pirate follows the same rules. What's more important to you? Flying, or Penelo?

The longing and the guilt fought a fierce battle within him, and he groaned, his head falling back onto the couch. He stared at the ceiling, wanting to hit himself because he was even asking himself that question. Flying was…flying was amazing. It meant freedom and hope, it meant he could do anything, be anything that he wanted. It meant he wasn't just a street orphan and thief from Rabanastre.

But it was not more important than Penelo. In fact, without Penelo, he had a feeling flying wouldn't be nearly what it was. The thought of leaving without her physically hurt. He couldn't imagine never flying again, but he didn't even want to imagine flying without Penelo ever again.