Narrative P.O.V.
Paine woke up the next day completely disorientated. Not because she was in a cell, but because she wasn't. And she wasn't forced awake either- not prodded or poked. It was a soft and gentle awakening in a place that was nothing like the cold and damp of the cell.
It was home- her apartment in Bevelle.
And she was awoken by a very slight pressure against her lips and the sound of the door closing.
Paine tested her arms and legs silently and found a bandage just beneath her shoulder on her right arm, which was aching dully. Satisfied that nothing else was wrong with her, she stood slowly and walked out into the living room where she found Baralai, tapping something into his SphereChat.
When he didn't look up, she sat down beside him on the couch and watched his shocked reaction as he noticed she was awake.
"Paine! Hi!"
"Thank you, Baralai," said Paine, nodding deeply.
Baralai blushed a little, "Nooj helped me get in, while the others waited on the Celsius as back up- we didn't want to make a scene by forcing our way in… but the Bevelle Council started fire and chased them away so we're stuck here- I reckon people are on the lookout for us, too."
Paine just nodded again.
"We'll lay low for a while and then get out of here," said Baralai, but it soon became apparent that he was just trying to fill the space with his explanation- there was no meaning behind it.
"Were you hurt too?" asked Paine, touching her bandage gingerly.
"Not badly," said Baralai, though she noticed that he wasn't wearing his robes, but the trousers and black top he usually wore under it.
She searched him over and found a tear in the shirt, surrounded by a bloodstain that was only just noticeable against the dark fabric. She touched it gingerly and glared up at him.
"It's fine," said Baralai. "Just a scratch. It was you I was worried about- you wouldn't wake up."
"I was sleeping," said Paine, half irritated and half defensive.
"I know. I'm just glad you're alright… I swear, when we get you out of here I'm going to march up to Mr Rottwood and murder him where he stands!"
"What? You think I'm stupid enough to let you do that? Go up against his guards alone and it'll be your own life lost."
"I can't forgive him for what he did to you."
"And you won't have to," said Paine, sternly. "You can have your revenge- just wait for everyone else, okay? I don't want to see you dead any time soon."
"They took you to get at me," Baralai growled.
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be," said Paine, then she smiled.
"What?"
"What?"
"What what?"
"What what what?"
"Eh?"
"What what what eh?"
"Just… urgh… why are you smiling?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"Because because."
"Because because why?"
"Do we really need to run through this again?"
"No, okay, I'm sorry."
Paine was silent, breathing a little faster, she met his eyes- willing him to confirm what Nooj had said…
"Paine…?"
"Yes?"
"I… the reason they took you… is because they somehow knew how much you mean to me," said Baralai.
"Hmm?"
"I love you. I've always loved you… and the way things are now… I think you might be in further danger. I want to see Rottwood alone- let me speak to him."
"I hate to break it to you, 'Lai, but I don't think you and Mr Rottwood are exactly on speaking terms," said Paine, almost jovially. "Besides, you said you loved me- where you go, I'll follow."
Baralai looked surprised.
"I Love You, Baralai." Paine said slowly, "but if you think I'm going to be some trophy that'll gather dust on a shelf while you go off and be heroic, you've got another think coming!"
Baralai stood up and looked down at her, seeming frustrated, "why won't you let me protect you?!"
"Because I don't want to be protected!" Paine exclaimed, standing and not quite matching his height without her stiletto heels. "I'm a warrior- we're both warriors. For Fayth's sake, I want to fight! This is my battle too!"
"I just want you to be safe."
"I will be safe," Paine promised, her voice softening a little. "You'll be with me." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned her back on him, blushing a little, "I'm going to change into something less conspicuous. You should too- we're leaving right now."
"There are guards at all the exits," said Baralai.
"They'll be watching for the Gullwing's Paine and Baralai, the Praetor of New Yevon, so we'll just be someone else, okay? We disguise ourselves, slip past the guards into Macalania Woods and walk to Gagazet- the Ronso will take us in and we'll call the Celsius from there. No worries, right?"
"I have no other shirts- how can I explain our bandages and the blood on my top?"
An evil sparkle appeared in Paine's eyes, "you know what? I have just the thing."
-
"I can't believe you dressed me up like a Cait Sith," Baralai moaned as he walked out into the street half an hour later.
The woman who walked alongside him had long straight silver hair that fell to reach the small of her back and wore a peony summer dress, edged with purple lace. It belonged to Yuna and had most likely been left –or abandoned- during one of Rikku's insisted slumber parties at Paine's apartment. She wore long deep purple boots and as much make-up as she could find in her apartment, the majority of it having been forgotten and left there by the thoughtless blonde Al Bhed.
"Shut up, kitty-boy," snapped Paine, "do you expect me to own any male clothes for you to change into?"
"What? You never had a guy stay over and leave something behind?"
Paine withdrew the hand she was leading him with and bonked him over the head, "you're sick," she informed him.
"Nope," said Baralai. "I'm very, very relieved."
Paine rolled her eyes and took his hand again, pulling him to the side a little as he almost walked straight into an old woman with a cane.
"How much further 'till the forest?"
"Almost there- we're walking down the highbridge."
"Why aren't we taking the lift?"
"We're not authorised to use the lift," said Paine, rolling her eyes. "Not unless you want to tell the attendant that you're the Praetor of New Yevon, though I doubt they'd let us on anyway." She paused for a moment before whispering, "shut up now, I'll talk to the guard."
"Halt!"
Paine stopped obediently.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Miyha and this is my friend, Fern- we're travelling to promote Tobli's next show."
"Have you got a pass key?" asked the guard.
"A pass key?"
"Nobody leaves the city nowadays without a pass key, young lady."
"We're selling tickets," said Paine, her brows furrowing a little, "if we can't leave the city how do you expect us to fill our quota and get paid?"
"That's not my problem," said the guard, "you can apply to Mr Rottwood of the Bevelle Council for a pass key."
Paine was about to protest but Baralai nodded, squeezing her hand, "fine," he said, making his voice a little deeper, "we will."
The guard, who had had a hand on the hilt of his sword, relaxed a little, "good, he's in his offi-"
"Paine! Now!"
Paine drew a pair of guns out of her black shoulder bag and fired mercilessly, while Baralai sphere-changed out of the ridiculous costume and the two of them ran out into Macalania forest.
"Stop! I order you to stop!" someone yelled behind them, but they just kept running and eventually the voices faded.
"They'll send people after us," Baralai panted, an hours or so later as they rested in the cover of the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, just before Gagazet.
"We'll be gone by the time they think to search here," said Paine, collapsing against a wall and closing her arms.
On his knees now, Baralai looked up at her and laughed, "it's a good thing the Gullwings cleared the tourists out of here or we'd be in trouble."
Paine laughed too, "I think we're fugitives."
"Do you mind?"
"That Bevelle hates me? They always did- no skin off my back. What about you? That place is your life."
Baralai just shook his head, "no- you are."
Paine smiled a little and let a hand fall to touch his cheek, "thank you."
"For what?"
"Everything… just… everything."
Baralai stood, "are we ready to keep moving."
Still smiling, Paine nodded, "yeah- Gagazet is only ten minutes or so away- we'll be fine."
Baralai peered outside, "no ones around- let's go now, before the search shows up."
"We'll have to try our best to keep sheltered- they may be searching from the sky," said Paine, her voice dropping a little as she forced herself to focus on the task at hand.
"Right," said Baralai, and the two of them left at a run…
A run that lasted about two minutes before slowing to an exhausted trail.
"We're in serious need of a proper rest," said Baralai.
"We can rest at Gagazet," said Paine sternly, "or better yet- on the Celsius. Until then, we just have to keep going."
Sighing, Baralai nodded and they walked the rest of the way in silence.
Paine breathed in deeply as they reached the mountain, where Kimahri was standing with his back to them and Yuna was sitting a little ways off, tapping into her SphereChat furiously. Other than that, there were only a few scattered Ronso and Yuna's new husband, who, looking up, was the first to noticed them.
"Hey! You're back!" he said, nudging Yuna, who stumbled to her feet, letting the SphereChat crash to the ground, and made a sound somewhere between a gasp, a squeal and a scream.
"Paine!"
"Happy days," said Paine, "we're being tailed- call the Celsius."
The smart thing, of course, would have been to have called them and warned them beforehand, but it was too late now.
"Right away," said Yuna, nodding quickly.
Tidus picked up her SphereChat console, "I'll do it; you can go and fuss over your friends."
Yuna smiled gratefully and rushed over to Paine and Baralai, "Paine you look so pretty! Wait, what's with the bandage?"
"It was a disguise," said Paine, rolling her eyes and pointedly ignoring the latter part of Yuna's question.
"Where's Baralai's disguise?" asked Yuna, "surely people recognised the Praetor of New Yevon?"
Baralai held up the Mascot dressphere humourlessly and Yuna laughed.
"You made him wear that?! Oh, how I pity you, Baralai! What was he, Paine?"
"A Cait Sith," said Paine with a grim smile.
Yuna laughed again, "I'm so glad to see you're both well!"
"Baralai was wounded across his stomach," said Paine, ignoring his protests, "check it out for me."
"Where are you going?" asked Yuna curiously as she began to walk off.
"To collapse in the snow over there," said Paine, pointing vaguely.
"Tired?" said Yuna sympathetically.
"Extremely."
"I called Rikku," said Tidus, coming over, "the Celsius will be here in ten minutes."
"Elder Kimahri!" came the gruff voice of a Ronso, running to join them.
"What is it, Ayde?"
"There are soldiers coming up the mountain!"
Kimahri turned swiftly to the other Ronso, "keep bad men off Mountain at all costs- Lian and Ayde take Yuna and friends high up Mountain and hide."
"Hide! Elder, Lian and Ayde strong! Not hide! Fight!" Lian protested.
"Lian and Ayde still only cubs- protect Yuna and friends for Elder Kimahri. Go now!"
"Yes, Elder!"
"We won't hide either!" said Paine determinedly.
"Paine," said Yuna sternly, "you were just about ready to collapse a moment ago- you can't fight like that!"
"Our opponents will be tired also," said Paine.
"Soldiers come on big machina- not walk," said Ayde.
Paine groaned but allowed Lian and Ayde to lead her away.