Chapter 10: Love Untold

It was pretty late when Rikku made it to her father's factory in Bikanel. At this time, all the workers had gone home to their families. The building was dark; her father's office light was the only one she could see through the smog-crusted windowpanes. Upon reaching the main entrance, Rikku pulled on the handle and opened the heavy door, leaning her body back to help her with it. Sitting at a makeshift steel framed desk, Cid was looking over documents- a cigar hanging loosely from his lower lip. Hearing the door creak open and closed, he glanced up curiously and smiled at the sight before him. Cid stood up and folded his arms to his chest. Rikku cupped her hands behind her and lowered her head as she returned the smile.

"Um…Hiya pops!" Rikku said awkwardly, kicking the painted floor with her boots. She figured that Cid was probably annoyed with the fact that Rikku hadn't come to see him in a long time. Unfolding his arms and leaning back against the steel surface of his desk, he spoke.

"What? Doesn't a father deserve to see his children more than once every six months?" he snorted, averting his gaze from Rikku's eyes. He never had much luck with emotions; he just assumed it was understood how he felt. The awkwardness was always masked with sarcasm. Rikku was used to it though; he'd been like that for as long as she could remember. He was different when her mother was still alive though- more open and loving. Cid shut down after that; he was afraid to show his emotions to his kids for fear of losing them too. Anyway, Rikku could handle him with no problem.

"I'm sorry pops, it's just that I've been busy." She reasoned, throwing her arms down to emphasize. "You know I have that job and all. But…there is something, or rather, someone that has been keeping me occupied too." Her voice trailed off with the last sentence and Cid raised his head- his curiosity was piqued.

"And who would be so important that you couldn't come to see me? What? Did they point a gun to your head or somethin'?" Cid then got up and walked toward his seat, sinking into the soft leather. He gestured to a chair in the far corner but Rikku kindly declined.

"He's really great!" Rikku replied hopefully. "He's the Pra…" Just as she was about to continue on, Cid's comm.sphere rang. Pointing at Rikku to hold that thought for a second he picked it up and greeted the person on the other end.

"Yeah…what do you mean, the papers haven't been signed yet? Just where in Spira is that bastard praetor anyway?" Cid was very angry and he looked to Rikku, rolling his eyes. "We need that money or they can kiss their precious organization goodbye! Well, I don't care that the little wussy went on a holiday! I have a business to run- one that keeps his fading New Yevon afloat." Changing his tone, he sighed heavily and said his goodbyes. "I have to go, my daughter decided to visit her old man for once in her life and you're wasting my time here. Call me later." He hung up the phone and put a hand to his baldhead.

"So what's goin' on?" Rikku queried nervously. When she'd heard the words 'praetor' and 'holiday' she knew it had to be Baralai he was referring to. This certainly wasn't a good thing, and it made Rikku even more reluctant to tell him. She was obviously lost in thought because she glanced up to notice Cid burning into her with impatient eyes.

"Are you gonna tell me the fella's name or not?" He commanded, pounding on the desk annoyed. "It's late and I wanna get home. I have too much shit to deal with tomorrow if I don't get that paper signed." Waiting for an answer, he leaned into the desk with his elbows and eyed her intently.

Rikku gulped, and laughed nervously. "Um…you know what? It was nobody!" she lied, hiding her left hand from Cid's view so he wouldn't see the ring. "Yeah. We broke up! He had me so preoccupied; I totally forgot to come see you. I'm sorry, he was just so…dreamy." As she scanned his face, she hoped he'd bought her lame excuse and offered up another uncomfortable smile.

Cid gave her a look that suggested she was lying, and she began to get all hot in the face as she panicked. Then, all those doubts went out the window when he finally said something she didn't expect.

"Bah! You're better off. You shouldn't let some dumb jerk control you. It wouldn't have worked out in the long run anyway." For a moment he was that once sympathetic soul and Rikku was surprised. "You should be getting home. Thieves occupy the Mi'hen this time of night and they won't be kind to a young lady."

Rolling her eyes and heading for the door, she smiled. "Oh come on, Pops, I helped to save Spira twice, and besides- no thief is going to rob me, I'm a thief too, duh!" Rikku walked out and once she was out of his sight, she exhaled in relief and headed back toward the Mi'hen. She decided now was not the time to tell her pops, at least until this whole fiasco with the papers Baralai apparently neglected to sign were in fact, filled out and placed on Cid's desk.

As she headed home, Rikku picked up her portable Comm. Sphere. She then dialed Baralai's number at the temple. He was still there finishing up a few things before returning home himself. After a couple of rings, Rikku heard his soft voice at the other end. She began to explain to him her situation with Cid in hopes he'd understand.

"Yeah Baralai" she began, her voice a little shaky. "I didn't tell him about you yet. Well…I'm getting to that. It seems he needs some sort of papers signed and you were the one to sign them. He wasn't nice in his attitude toward you so I didn't tell him." Taking a sigh, she listened as he spoke to her on the other end. The wind whipped through her hair as she walked toward their home in Kilika. "Oh I will, don't you worry about that. I just want him to be happy when I tell him that's all. I'll see you at home, love you- bye." And with that, she put the sphere in her pocket and continued on her way.

Meanwhile, at the temple, Baralai was just about to leave when a figure darkened his doorway.

"Baralai, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Chapter title taken from the song by Paul Westerberg

Since this opportunity to tell her father was a bust, will there ever be another? Yikes! Ok, if anyone has no clue where this story is going, don't look at me for I haven't any idea myself. Well, I have just a smidge of an idea but it hasn't fully come out yet. When it comes out of hiding I shall so graciously let you know…or maybe I won't. I haven't quite decided yet. I'm only kidding.