Hey! Had a bit of writer's block, so I'm sorry for the late update!

Disclaimer: Do Not own FFX or FFX2

Chapter 13

Lulu was in trouble.

She let out a sigh as she stared up at her ceiling, clutching a stuffed Moomba to her chest. Why did she do it? Why? Had she honestly believed that she could handle being around Wakka for so long? How could she honestly have been that stupid to believe that she could handle being around him like that, when she was just starting to like him? Yevon, she knew Wakka had a crush on her for the longest of time, so maybe she thought that it could just be one of those short things. But now…

Yuna was speaking to everyone again, and Rikku and Paine had stopped their scheming. Their little charade will continue for another month or two to add realism, then that would lead to a 'break up', and come January, everything will be back to normal.

She let out a small groan. She didn't want things to go back to normal! She wanted things to just be the way they are right now!

But that was the problem… Wakka and her… they just wouldn't last. Sure, they would have fun, but come graduation, or spring even, they would brake up, because guys like Wakka never ended up with the girl they liked all through high school. He would leave her, and she'll be left with nothing but memories and an aching heart every time she watched him play on the sphere.

Lulu pushed the Moomba away from her suddenly, turning around and burying her face in her pillow. Why couldn't she be more like Paine or Rikku? They've been hurt, but you would never know it from looking at them. Sure, they still had wounds they nursed from time to time, but they never let it bother them. They faced the world, or rather made the world face them, with confidence. She could never do that. Chappu's death nearly sent her to the edge, what would happen when she watched Wakka walk away?

Rikku paused on the doorstep, contemplating her next move as she remembered what she was here for.

The night before, Yunie had burst into her room, a smile on her face as she threw her arms around her in a hug, saying that she was sorry that she had been so mad, and that she had forgiven her. Yunie then had proceeded into telling her everything that Gippal, of all people, had told her about her little 'disagreements' with Tidus, and how she was sorry that she jumped to such conclusions.

She didn't hear half the things Yunie had said after hearing that Gippal was the one who had set her cousin straight. She just smiled and nodded at her in a state of shock.

Gippal was the one who got Yunie to forgive her. Gippal, the ball-and-chain, ladies man, self obsessed business freak who was constantly trying to get into her pants so she'd be forced to settle down with him (after Pop just so 'happened' to find out), was the reason why Yunie was talking to her again!

Unreal, she knew, but she was in the most drama-rific years of her life.

However, Gippal's favors did not come for free, and that was why she was standing on his doorstep, fishing the spare key out of the flower pot (technically, this wasn't B&E, if he wasn't smart enough to change the hiding place, then it was his fault). She didn't need to worry about his parents, they always worked late. She would prefer to have done this on more neutral territory, but there were enough rumours about them dating again already.

The lock turned with a click and she let herself in, closing the door quietly behind her. Gippal would be in his room at this time, he would always be working on homework or some extra credit assignment like the geek he is before grabbing dinner and heading over to some friend's house (and no, she was not stalking him, Gippal was just that predictable, that's all).

She crept up the stairs, making sure she stayed out of sight until the last possible second. No need to give him any ideas. Finally, she stood in his doorway, staring at his back while he typed something up on his laptop. She hesitated a moment, then lifted her hand, giving the door three solid raps.

Surprised Gippal glanced back before his eye turned back to the screen. Then he did a double take, almost falling out of his chair. "R-Rikku?"

She gave him a smile, the type of charming one she always gave when she wanted something and was going to get it at no matter what anyone would say. Then her face turned serious. "We need to talk. Now."

I hate my life. I hate my life. Oh Yevon, what did I fuking do to deserve this?

It was becoming a personal mantra for Paine, as she repeated it over and over in her head in her own little private corner in Hell where profit was made from her misery.

Paine could not see how this could get any worse. It was day two of training Baralai, who seemed to stay glued to her side (much to her extreme annoyance), Rara sat practically everyone in her section (must resist urge to maim), at least four snot nosed preteens looked up her skirt while searching for the napkin they 'dropped' (resist urge to kick in the face) six old perverts ogled her butt and one nearly pinched it (hating life now), Jade, Ali, and Hana were on a permanent smoke break (must not kill), she couldn't take a break because they were just so busy (must not lose cool), and Miranda and her never ending supply of stress balls had the day off (will someone kill me please!).

However, because she is Paine, and Yevon or somebody up there just hates Paine, her day got worse.

How, you might ask, could her day possibly get any worse? She already had to put up with Baralai following her like a puppy and a very busy shift, so what made her day worse?

It was simple really.

The Boss was in.

Oh bloody frigin' hooray. Chelso himself decided that he would just 'come in' for a 'quick peak', to make sure that the new guy was doing a good job.

News flash Chocobo Butt: you just barged in and nearly ran over a small child, and that quick peak ended three hours ago! And all he was doing was sitting around, not really doing much but taking up space.

But whatever. The problem was that she actually had to be nice to Baralai for as long as the boss was around; other wise Chelso would accuse her of harassing the 'new kid', and would dock pay, put her on probation, suspend her, yaddy yaddy yadda, or worse; fire her.

Paine hated just about everything about her job. She hated the uniform, she hated the customers, most coworkers, her boss, the location, the food, the pay, the tips, even the service they provided!

But this was the only place that would be desperate enough to hire her.

Paine knew more than anything that she had flaws. She was too violent and didn't get along with others. It was a miracle that she landed this crummy job, and if she screwed up, well, even Chelso wasn't that desperate.

All she had to do was keep her mouth shut and head down. Work her ass off, smile and take this shit, or she would never get out of here.

Paine's eyes flickered over to Baralai, and kindly told him that he needed to clear the booth faster, and showed him how.

He stared at her in shock.

The only thing left to do was to make sure that Baralai did not screw this up for her.

"Cid's Girl, I don't know-"

"Don't play games with me! I know how you operate." Rikku snarled. "You're a business man; nothing with you ever comes for free. Now spill; what did you exchange for your information?"

"I already told you." Gippal stood up. "Nothing. Yuna asked for some help and I gave it to her."

"Chocobo shit! There is no reason why you would do something like that!"

"Look Rikku! She is my friend, she was in trouble, and I helped her out of it. End of story." He paused. "I know you don't like me but Fayth, I'm not the villain you make me out to be."

Her resolve faltered in that one moment. Was it possible that he had done it out of the goodness of his heart? She nearly relaxed, but caught herself just in time. This was just like a scene in one of those movies she loved so much. You know, when the heroine is facing off with the male lead that she can't stand, and realizes that she got him all wrong, that he wasn't all that bad. In fact, he was downright good.

She squealed in her head, a love song playing in the background of her mind. Maybe, if she did this right, she could have Gippal again, yet still retain the freedom that is her Rikku-ness.

She could have it all.

All she had to do was deliver that line.

"Honestly, you make it sound like that I can't ever be nice."

The scene came crashing down to a screeching halt as she was forced rudely back into reality. Then she remembered a few things.

Those movies she loved were 100% total fiction.

Gippal wanted to chain her Rikku-ness to a 10 foot birth around him.

Only Dona-esque clones could even hope to have it all.

Happy endings existed only in fairy tales.

Anger and hurt swarmed up around her. "Because Gippal," She replied coolly. "You can't ever be 'nice'."

With those words said, she fled.

So far, so good. Cid had let Seymour in, Rikku hadn't done anything rash, and Brother (even if he had taken up residence on a chair just outside the kitchen, glaring at Seymour) was behaving. The experiments were going without a hitch, the notes were accurate, and they were just completing the last one. Seymour had been kind and courteous to Cid, polite to Rikku, took Brother's antics with stride, and was proving to be very quick and concise.

So why did Brother keep growling like that?

Yuna pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Right now she had to concentrate on the task at hand.

Not that Seymour was helping her concentrate. He always made sure just to stand close enough to her to make her feel funny, and every so often his fingers would brush against hers.

While it was entirely inappropriate at the moment, the attention did feel nice. Even though Cid claimed that Shuyin had been her 'bodyguard' and kept them all away, she never had a guy that really liked her in that way. Sure, she had lots of guy friends at St. Lesca, but ever time she found a guy she liked, the answer would always be the same; Sorry Yuna, I like you a lot, but not like that.

She knew that she was pretty, but really, what good was that if you were always the friend (look at Tidus, for example, she thought he liked her, but then he went all buddy-buddy on her)? Lenne, on the other hand, always complained of wanting to be the friend. Guys always preferred Lenne over her. That was the way things were. She never minded it though; as long as she had Lenne and Shuyin, it didn't matter.

But really, was it so wrong that she was glad that she was being treated like a girl rather then a friend?

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Yuna's eyes widened as she realized that she had zoned off. "Um… nothing!" Her eyes focused intently on the heating beaker.

Seymour smirked. "Nothing?" His fingers traced the curve of her hip ever so gently. "Are you sure?"

Her cheeks reddened, and she ducked her head in the vain hope that he would miss it.

There was a soft scrape on the floor, and she snuck a glance up at Seymour. The widened smirk told her he saw, and she looked away, crimson in colour.

A finger caught her shin, turning her face back towards him. "Well?"

A million thoughts ran through her head in a split second, as she tried to think what she should do. What would her friends say to do?!

Rikku would dance back, and make the guy want more.

Paine would kick the guy in the balls.

Lulu would turn her head away.

Lenne would…

No, Lenne would never be in this situation. She would have just upright told the guy that he was treating her like a lady, smile, flip her hair and turn back to the task at hand, leaving the poor fool dazed.

So what was she suppose to do?!

Yuna cursed her lack of knowledge in this field. Then she brought her eyes up to meet his.

For one second, violet eyes bore into hers, and it seamed like he was moving closer.

Then something flew from the direction of the door, ramming into Seymour, sending him flying over the kitchen's island, breaking beakers and test tubes, sending chemicals flying before they crashed onto the floor.

"BROTHER!!!"

Ever since he found out that Paine was working here, Baralai noticed a pattern in her behaviour. The morning after she had worked, she would just storm around, taking her anger out on anyone who got in her way. By noon she would calm down to her normal self, usually after she made someone cry. If she was working after school, she would always be looking down, like she was about to march off to her death. He had always wondered why.

And now he knew.

After a gruelling, six hour sift with no break, he could finally understand why she would always be so upset. The other waitresses pushed their work onto her, the customers demanded to be waited on hand and foot, her tips non-existent, the guys in kitchen played octopus, and their boss was an idiot. To sum it up, she was treated with no respect; something that was big in her book.

So why was she still working there?

"Because," She told him as she waited for the bus. "I need the money."

"So get another job."

"No other place is desperate enough to hire me. I don't do well working with people."

"So you're waitressing?"

"My application was the first they got in six months, and two waitresses just quit. No one else has applied since." Her eyes hardened. "Are you done asking stupid questions? The bus is coming any minute soon, and I'd like to not be seen with you."

"Fine, but just explain this to me; you let them treat you like that, and you just smile?"

Paine whirled around to face him. "Look Baralai, I told you already; not everyone has access to Daddy's bank account. In the real world, people have to work to get what they want. Things aren't just handed to them on a silver platter."

"I work-"

"Baralai, everything has been given to you, free of charge." Paine cut in. "Your life has been nothing but a fairytale. Your annoying amusement in driving me insane is probably the only thing keeping you grounded." Her bus came into view. "That is why I take their crap; if I don't save enough to get off this island by the end of next summer, then that's it for me. I'll be clearing tables for the rest of my miserable life." It pulled up, and the doors opened. "And if you screw this up for me…" She gave him one last glare before climbing aboard. "Hurt Time."

Baralai stood there frozen as the bus doors closed and it pulled away from the curb. When it was out of sight, he finally did, sitting down on a bench and running a hand through his hair.

Then that's it? Clearing tables? Get off the island? Just what did she mean by all that?

Baralai knew that he had moved onto dangerous ground when he talked his way into getting a job there, and yes, he had expected her to be upset. But how was him being there going to screw up her life? All he was planning to do was make her work easier, so she wouldn't be so angry the next day.

He knew that what he had done was stupid. That's why he had to make it up to Paine.

If only she would let him.

"Hello?"

"Lu? Its Rikku, I need your voice of reason right now."

Lulu sat up. She did not like the way Rikku's voice was shaking. "Rikku, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Fayth Lu, I don't know what to do! Yunie's hurt, the kitchen got destroyed, Brother is in deep trouble! Everything is disaster-ific! And there are all these suits using big words and Pops is screaming his head off at them, saying that Seymour had it coming-"

A shiver ran down the Mage's spine. "Rikku, slow down, take a deep breath." She waited as Rikku drew in a breath and let it out. "Now, start at the beginning. What happened?"

"Seymour came over after supper to do that project with Yunie." Rikku began. "They were handling all these chemicals in the kitchen, and Brother wasn't liking him near her, so he sat down just outside the kitchen to keep an eye on them." She paused, sniffling. "I swear, I wouldn't have if it wasn't really important, but I had to duck out of the house to get something done. When I came back, Brother wasn't on the chair, so I thought Yunie shooed him away, but then there was this horrible crash that came from the kitchen, and when… when I got there Yunie was screaming trying to pull Brother off of Seymour." She hesitated, her voice lowing a little. "He was on top of him, just delivering hit after hit, screaming profanities in Al Bhed. Seymour wrestled one of his arms free and delivered a blow to his head, knocking him to the side…" She sobbed. "I couldn't do anything Lu I just stood there frozen…

"Rikku, what happened next?" She fought to keep the fear out of her voice.

"Yunie grabbed Brother's arm, trying to drag him off of Seymour, but he was still dazed, he most of thought she was Seymour, and next thing I know he grabbed one of the unbroken beakers on the counter, with some liquid in it, and just smashed it into her chest before kicking her across the kitchen." There was another sob as Lulu's eyes widened in shock. "He then realized that he hit Yuna, but instead of stopping, he turned back on Seymour, screaming that it was his fault that Yunie was hurt, and that he will pay for it."
"Rikku, tell me; what happened to Seymour?"

"He had already received a beating by then… I-I think Brother had snapped one of his legs, cause he couldn't get up… but as soon as he saw Yuna and then Brother turn on him, he just let loose a thundaga spell on him, sending Brother into the cabinets." She took a breath. "But then Brother just reached in and grabbed on of the guns that Pops leaves around, in case something happened, and took aim…"

"Took aim..?" The colour drained from Lulu's face.

"I unfroze then and just launched myself at him, so the bullet missed, but it hit his shoulder though… then Pop came in carrying one of those big guns that he keeps out back, yelling that he came here us from the shed and what was going on, then he saw he struggling with Brother for the gun, saw Yunie just lying there and Seymour bleeding… next thing I know two of his guys have slammed Brother against the wall, and he's telling me to call the ambulance…"

"Where are you?" She jumped off her bed, racing for the door.

"The Central, but-"

She ran out of the house, just in time to see Paine walking up the driveway. "Paine and I will meet you there." She hung up, looking at her sister. "Get in!"

"Why?" Paine blinked but headed to the passenger side.

"There has been some trouble. Brother hit Seymour and Yuna. I'll tell you on the way."

"Yuna will be fine." The doctor was saying. "However, her ribs are bruised; they'll need to be kept taped up for two weeks. The cuts she sustained have been healed, she won't scar but the liquid in the beaker was a mild poison, we're currently treating her with antidotes, and she has suffered a whiplash effect, so we'll be keeping her overnight for observation." He flipped to the next sheet, giving the Guado a glance. "Seymour was not as lucky. His jaw was fractured and his leg broke cleanly; we are focussing curaga spells on those areas. Multiple brushings are also being treated curaga, and his back was torn up quite badly; however we can not do much there until we've clean all of the glass out, and we are treating him with antidote and various potions. We will be keeping him here for approximately three to seven days or until we're sure he's healed." He glanced at Pop. "Brother on the other hand, will not let us near him to treat his injuries, and we will be using the sleep spell to calm him down."

Tromell's eyes flashed. "Look what your boy did!"

"My boy? If Seymour didn't provoke him-"

"Lord Seymour would never stoop so low as to anger someone so much!" Tromell hissed. "It's bad enough that he attacked Seymour, but then his cousin as well? He is dangerous!"

"Dangerous? He got mad, that-"

"And then the gun? That's attempted murder right there! Who knows what he would have done to them if you didn't enter the room then?"

Pops fell silent, and Rikku's stomach knotted. This was truly disaster-ific!

"Wait until Bevelle hears about this! All the work that Lady Atona and Lord Braska had done to improve relations with the Al Bhed! Ruined! And that creature is the son of the Al Bhed leader! Your kind will be undone!"

"Don't bring my baby sister into this!" Pops growled. "And I don't think-"

"The Al Bhed Leader's son attacked the son of a Maester of Yevon and the Leader of the Guados, as well of harming the daughter of the most successful Humanitarian Spira has seen since Lady Yocun! He'll be lucky to come out alive."

"Now see here-"

"Um, sirs?" They looked over to see a nurse, fidgeting in her place at their glares. "We casted sleep on Brother, cast curaga and regen on him, and then we preformed a scan spell just to make sure there was nothing else wrong with him and… well..."

"Well what? Spit it out girl!" Pops barked.

"W-We found that he was under the influence of a berserk spell…"

Rikku perked up, maybe there was a chance to get out of this mess!

A wide grin spread across Pops face. "Are you sure it was a berserk spell?" Tromell demanded.

"Y-Yes."

"Do you two know if any of them know that spell?" The doctor asked.

"Brother can't cast to save his life, and Yuna only knows white magic." Pops said triumphantly.

"Well, it is true that Lord Seymour does know that spell, but I can hardly believe that he would-"

"I'll see him in Bevelle then!" Pops replied.

"What? How dare you!"

"He wants my boy out of the way so no one can stop him when I'm not around Yuna. Not going to happen!"

"The Berserk status is not an excuse; many murderers cast that spell on them when they kill. They claim it adds to the thrill." Tromell retorted, turning to leave. "This will not stand! Berserk or not, that boy is dangerous!" He called over his shoulder. "I'll see you in Bevelle!"

He disappeared from sight, and Lulu and Paine came running up. "What did we miss?" Paine asked, glancing at you.

"Not much, just that all of the Al Bhed/ Yevonite relations are going to worsen, that's all." Rikku replied.

Paine made a face at that. "Great."

"And what of the Brother, Seymour and Yuna."

"Possibly going to be shot." She said of Brother. "Getting exactly what he wanted." Of course Seymour was. Besides Tidus and them, Pops and Brother were the next major obstacle in getting into Yunie's pants. "And," Rikku paused, thinking of Yuna. "Is in very serious trouble."