Chapter 21:
The silence hung heavy like early morning fog in the Kilika forest as the five stared Cid down in disbelief from the words he'd just uttered.
I'm going to give him exactly what he wants.
"You can't be serious, Vydran (father)" Rikku insisted, her eyes bulged out at him as if to ask where his brains were. "You're just gonna give up like that?"
Cid shrugged coolly. "Yep." Was his blunt reply.
"But Uncle Cid!" Yuna interjected, her finger raised upward to the ceiling in protest. "You're going to lose everything then!"
"What does it matter when lives are at stake, Yuna?" Cid asked, shaking his head as he stared down toward the old, tiled floor. "You all shouldn't even be involved in this, but yet you are. If I try to fight him on this you can bet your sweet behind that he's got other things in store for ya, and they aren't gonna be pretty." He approached his niece and pressed a comforting hand to her smocked shoulder. "This is my fight, and I'm gonna handle things the way I want to, period." He glared at Rikku to emphasize his statement. "Don't you go interferin', just get yer damn wedding planned already before this young man here" Cid pointed to Baralai next to her, "Realizes what kind of family he's marryin' himself into and leaves."
"I assure you sir, I'm not going anywhere despite the family she has." Baralai wrapped his arm around Rikku protectively, drawing her closer to his side. "It pleases both Rikku and I to have your blessing and participation. It is what she…" he paused, mentally scratching that last word "…I mean, we want more than anything." Baralai gazed lovingly at his fiancée who had begun to tear up almost instantly. Reaching into his pants pocket, he pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Come on now, Rikku" he smiled. "What are you crying for?"
"Oh I don't know." She sniffled, blowing her nose into the handkerchief. "It's only what I've wanted since we got engaged, that's all."
"Then you're gonna let me handle things from here, Rikku, like a good daughter?" Cid placed his hands to his hips and tilted his head as he looked at her, hoping she'd leave things alone. He didn't actually think she would go for it, but as luck would have it the moment kind of broke down her defenses and she just shook her head in agreement. "All right! Now patch him up already. I've got some business I need to attend to. O'aka" He turned his attention to the short stocky salesman. "I'm gonna need your help with some things and I was hoping you'd come with me now. You free?"
O'aka sat up from his chair and hurried over to Cid not wanting to anger him. He'd seen Cid in action before, and was not about to displease the six foot, bald headed man. "Of course, Cid sir!" he saluted, unsure of how to act around him. "Whatever ye wants." He then headed over to Isaaru for a moment who was sitting in another chair by the door. "You gonna be all right, Isaaru sir? I won't leave ye if you don't want me to."
Isaaru smiled at O'aka and patted his back. "You go. I promise I will be fine. Call me if you like later in the day and I'll tell you how everything went. Cid needs your assistance now. Do whatever he instructs, understand?" He extended his hand and O'aka grabbed it in both of his.
"You got it, sir!" was his choked up response. "Whatever it takes. Now ya be sure n' take care of yerself." Not to keep Cid waiting further, but really because he didn't want Isaaru or the others to see him upset he abruptly let go of Isaaru's hand and left the room. Cid gave his daughter and niece a hug, and shook Baralai's hand before leaving himself.
"I'll be in touch with you both" He said, and approached Isaaru, shaking his hand last. "You get better, and if you need anything, tell them to charge it to my office and we'll take care of it, you hear?"
Isaaru nodded and Cid left the room, leaving Yuna, Isaaru, Rikku and Baralai alone. Yuna followed the two out of the room but quickly came back in with a wheelchair, pointing at its seat to Isaaru.
"You! In this chair now! We've got some tickle bugs to vanquish!" She said triumphantly with a fist to the air, and before he could even get out of his current seat Yuna was in front of him, helping him into the wheeled contraption. Once securely strapped in she headed for the exit and spun her head backward towards her cousin and Baralai. "This'll take most of the day, so I think you two should go out and do something together for a while. He'll be fine with me!"
"You know," Baralai agreed, looking once at Yuna then back to Rikku. "She's right. We haven't done anything just the two of us in quite a while. We'll leave it up to you, Yuna. Good luck, Isaaru!" He waved as the two left the room, and Rikku shouted her goodbyes as well.
"So…" The Al-Bhed said suggestively, turning her attention to the praetor while pulling him into her. "What did ya have in mind for us, huh?" Baralai held her face in his hands, bringing it closer to his, and kissed her gently on the lips. Pulling away slowly from Rikku and burying his face into her neck, she giggled with delight while he left a trail of kisses right up to her earlobe.
"I know of this very quaint little 'Bed and Breakfast'-type place tucked away in a corner of Luca." He murmured into her ear, nibbling on it before meeting her eyes with his once again. "That is, unless you want to go play miniature golf instead…" He smiled as she punched him playfully in the arm in protest.
"I don't think so, bucko!" She replied with dreamy eyes, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand. "How fast can we get there from here?"
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Rin stood angrily before his desk at the Mi'hen Travel Agency with his comm. Sphere clutched in his hand. For the past two days he had been trying and failing to get in touch with both Isaaru and O'aka, and he did not appreciate being ignored. He dialed Isaaru's number once again and it rang several times before he got the same old message. Rin calmly clicked off the sphere and instantly chucked it across the room where it shattered against a frame on the far wall of his office.
"They mock me!" He screamed, his voice received by no one. "It's like they just dropped off the face of Spira or something! Oh they will pay for this most certainly." Rin insisted, opening up one of the desk drawers in front of him, revealing three bottles of Oli-Thistle. He picked one of them up and eyed its contents intently. "In more ways than one this will be the last dose of Oli-Thistle that damn praetor will ever get from me." He'd begun to laugh maniacally but he abruptly stopped when he was startled by a figure standing in the entryway to his office.
"Whatever you're thinkin' of doing, you ain't." Cid declared, making his way toward Rin, but not before closing and locking the door behind him. His arms were folded firmly, and when he reached him, his body towered over the Al-Bhed's like a Coeurl about to feast on a Chocobo's carcass. "You and I got some talkin' to do, and you're gonna listen to every word I've got to say!"