Chapter Twenty Five
A Week Before
Warmth was what woke her.
The sensitivity of her last sleep state caused her to be pulled to reality. Spiraled green eyes open gently. A part of Rikku wondered if this had all been a dream, she often woke like this; reassured by the firm arm around her midsection, the gentle press of Paine's body behind her, the remnants of a dream she couldn't quite recall on the tip of her tongue.
There was usually a wall though in front of her. It's absence could only mean she wasn't in her apartment.
It wasn't a dream
The shadows on the walls weren't yet gone, but there was a brightness that bounced off of her cousin's glass aeon figures near the TV mantel. Yuna didn't own a television, but she had the prettiest marble TV entertainment system mantel. It was = filled with pictures and elegant knick knacks her father would bring back for her on his trips. You hardly missed the bulky electronic in the center. From her line of vision Rikku could make out the portrait of her aunt Senya that she had drawn for Yuna a long time ago as a birthday gift. It was so crazy how much the two looked alike; Yuna allowed herself to tear up when she gave it to her before locking her in a tight embrace.
How long ago had that been?
Rikku counted the years before she was interrupted.
"Morning."
Rikku felt the arm around her body relax its hold. She turned to look over her shoulder at Paine. Her eyes were puffy as if she had been awake all night, the rest of her features were quieted as if she could have just come back from a deep thought, and it troubled her to remember. Rikku turned back around and backed herself more into the comfort, Paine's arm tightened around her again. "Kuut Sunhehk Pypo." She whispered as she closed her eyes. She had already seen too much.
Paine rested her chin on Rikku's shoulder and took a moment to gather her thoughts. She needed to tell Rikku what happened, but she wanted to enjoy the moment they were having much more. "Ruf tet oui cmaab?" She whispered.
Rikku smiled. "Mega hudrehkhacc."
"Hm." Paine nodded mentally. "Ec dryd y kuut drehk?" Rikku looked over her shoulder at her, her green eyes danced briefly as they often did when she was amused.
"I love it when you speak Al Bhed..." She purred.
Paine could only smile softly in return. "I know."
Rikku shimmied around until she was facing her wife and they were chest to chest. For a moment the warmness of their bodies was the only thing they could think of. Each felt so safe with the other, so at ease, sometimes in those brief moments they wondered how they could disagree at all. Rikku reached out a hand to move some of Paine's shorter hair out of her face. "cilr aoac." She murmured to herself.
Paine sighed heavily with obvious content and then closed her eyes moment before opening them again. "I miss the way things used to be." She admitted quietly. She'd give anything to be bored. Rikku made a little noise that Paine knew meant she agreed. "I rather sleep with you in a box on the side of the road, than have to sleep knowing you're somewhere else…." She sighed again, this time a little agitated at the moment she knew she would soon have to break. "It's like you rest my soul, Rikku."
Rikku rubbed at the arm that was around her midsection, her gaze never moving from her lover's face. She had known Paine well enough to know that something was weighing heavy on her tongue. "Cu nacd, pypo." She didn't want to hear it, she knew she didn't.
Paine nodded and then looked away from Rikku for the first time since the blonde turned to face her. "But I can't." She looked back at her. "Rikku you need to know something….but I'm afraid it will make things worse for us."
Rikku swallowed carefully and examined Paine's features a fifth time. "We're strong."
Paine nodded. "I wonder how strong sometimes…"
Rikku moved to lay on her back now, the ceiling had suddenly become so interesting, but Paine's eyes burned holes in the side of her head. "Whatever it is." She started carefully before glancing over at Paine. "We will be okay." She reached for Paine's left hand before bringing it to her lips. "Okay?"
Paine nodded and let her hand fall onto Rikku's stomach once the blonde let it go. She pulled the blanket they were sharing a little higher over them from their waists and hugged at Rikku with it before resting her head on the pillow again. For about ten minutes they laid there snuggled up and quiet. Rikku knew Paine just wanted a little more time to not have to be the bringer of whatever news she had. She put her left arm around Paine's back and made meaningless brush strokes of her hand as if she was painting. Finally though, when she had settled into the comfort, Paine spoke.
"I woke up a little after we fell asleep…got some water but I…I saw the same kid on the bike you were talking about which was strange because you know I circled all these blocks and didn't see anyone…"
Rikku finally pulled her arm away and looked at Paine who was looking right back at her.
"I left the apartment."
"Paine—"
"I know, before you say anything I know it was stupid but I just felt strange about the whole thing…and." She swallowed. "I saw Auron."
"Are you sure it was him?"
Paine nodded. "Yeah…we spoke."
Flashback.
Pane had pulled her leather jacket on before leaving the apartment. She quietly walked the block before Yuna's balcony and spotted the kid on the bike texting, he was half Guado, probably lived somewhere around Salam, the predominantly Guado neighborhood in the Art district where Yuna lived. Paine watched him in the shadows a moment. He would glance up at Yuna's balcony every now and then before looking back to his cell phone. Finally Paine was tired of this entire hide and seek bullshit and stepped under a street lamp about forty feet away from him.
"Hey!" She called.
He looked up alertly and stuffed his cell phone into his pocket. "What you want lady?"
Paine stalked closer to him carefully; he looked sketchy in his torn jeans and baggy shirt. She knew his kind, they were punks that carried weapons, she had to be cautious. "I wanna know what the fuck you are looking up at." She announced a new edge to her tone now that she was close enough to give him a once over. Her heart was already racing with adrenaline.
He reached for the handle bars of his bike. "Fuck off."
"Nah see I'm not going to. That's my cousin's apartment. You've been here all night." She boldly placed a hand on the cool metal apex of the handle bars to stop him from riding off. "I wanna know why."
The Guado teenager sneered. "You're in my way." He took one foot off the floor as if readying to push off. "Move lady."
Paine pushed the bike and the kid stumbled backward on it a bit before visibly shaking with anger. Paine walked the small distance and pushed at the bike again, this time causing the boy to hop off and dig in his pocket for something. Seeing this Paine quickly knocked his feet from under him and twisted his arm behind his back before his face could hit the pavement. She kept a knee on his lower back to stop him from eventually hurting himself. She had to keep his arm straight as not to break it. "Who the fuck are you!"
The teenager wriggled like a fish out of water. "You crazy bitch—Ow!"
"Who are you?" She asked again this time quieter, this was a nice neighborhood after all.
"Seymour!"
"Shut up!"
"You just asked-!"
"What the fuck do you want with Yuna?"
"Who the hell is Yuna!?"
"I said shut up!"
"Look lady you— either want me to-ow! Speak or not!"
Paine leaned down closer to his head of spikey blue hair. "I want you to answer quietly. Seymour."
He glared at her, his eyes a hatefully mix and his nostrils flared with every breath. "Then get your fucking knee out my spine." He gritted.
Paine pulled her knee off him and let go of his arm too. "Run, I dare you."
The Guado teen took a ragged breath as he sat up from the dusty pavement. He took a second to manage his breaths before looking up at Paine and then looking down the block. He could run yes, but something told him this woman was an athlete and would chase him down in a heartbeat and do that karate shit again. Seymour Guado was never one to back down though; he enjoyed pursuits of the mind, and hated losing. Even if he wasn't exactly supposed to be talking to this woman, he knew the only way to get out of it and continue his life on peacefully was to cut the cord with Him right now and make this woman consider him an ally. There was no way he wanted to be caught in the middle of all this. The teen outstretched a hand for help and Paine let it stay there in the air for a long moment before reaching for it and helping the teen up. "Thanks."
She glanced at his pockets. "Just answer my questions."
Seymour nodded and motioned to a nearby alley. Paine motioned for him to lead the way, if this was a trap she'd be damned if she was the one getting caught. She knew how kids like this thought; she was one of them all those years back. The teenager leant his bike against the brick wall at the beginning of a long alley before turning toward Paine, who had her back to the street. "Riding my bike down this block earlier and some guy in a car stopped me—"
Paine crossed her arms. "What guy. What car?"
Seymour narrowed his eyes. "Some car, I don't remember it was silver, and the guy was old."
"How old?"
"Listen lady all I'm giving you is what I got." He waved a hand dismissively. "This shit aint worth it."
She doubted that. "Fine, keep going."
"Name's Mr. Guardian or something."
"Gaurrd."
"Yeah sure, whatever." Paine was having a hard time holding herself back from knocking some sense into this kid. Was she this much of a little punk when she was sixteen? "Anyway he says he'd give me a grand, five now five later if I just watch the balcony and tell him what's going on."
She nodded. "What was going on?"
"Some leggy blonde was on the balcony, that's it. She your cousin?"
"No." Paine put her hands in her pockets a moment. "Where is he now?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know you had to get your other five right?" Did this kid think she was born yesterday?
Seymour sucked his teeth. "Look I think we should work together."
She uncrossed her arms. "I think it's past your bedtime."
"Listen I want the rest of my money and you wanna talk to this guy right? I'll lead you to him."
Paine was ready to object to the plan when she heard footsteps coming from behind the teenager. The back ally was cold, dark, and damp. A few crates sat on one side and the other was saved for a latter to a second level shop in case of fire, and the area smelt like frosted rain water. She had surveyed the area quickly when the boy led her here, but the alley must have been longer than she thought, that or the boy had brought her here as a trap. She glanced at the boy who strangely seemed just as alert, he hadn't expected someone here either.
"That won't be necessary." Then, like some bad black and white thriller from forty years earlier Auron stepped out of the darkness slowly with his hands at his sides. He was wearing a deep red winter trench coat and thick souled boots that wheezed with each heavy step. Paine wanted to roll her eyes at the dark sunglasses that hid his amber eyes but decided she wanted to get Seymour out of all this before it got worse. Yeah he was a little shit, but he was just a kid. "Paine." His voice was as soft as snow. "Nice to see you." It made her shiver.
Pane glanced at Seymour and motioned with her chin toward the opening of the alley. "Get outta here." The teen looked like he was going to protest but the look she gave him told him he should consider himself five hundred dollars better off than this afternoon. The two lost acquaintances watched the boy wheel his bike away and waited a moment longer after that. Paine looked back over to Auron Guarrd, the man who inadvertently given her a chance at love, yet all in the same time was working hard to take all of that away. "Four and a half years." She said slowly. She could kill him with the hate than rushed her just then. It was a rush she hadn't felt in a very long time. In her mind's eye Rikku pressed to the wall with his thick hand around her neck flashed, and that hate began to so easily bubble within her reducing to syrup that replaced her blood itself.
Auron saw her anger begin to surface and scuffed in an amused manner. "One thousand seven hundred and nineteen days."
"My picture must really be marked up."
He hesitated abut shook it off. "You knew him, Barthello, he knew you too."
"Yeah."
"He isn't very fond of you though."
"Most aren't."
"Not Rikku Milan though, your bride." He smiled at the response just saying he name won him. "But then Paine, you and I know she is found of a lot of people. Or hadn't she shared that on your wedding night?"
Paine channeled all this discipline Judo had taught her to stop her from taking a step forward. He wanted her to fight him here in this alley, no one knew where she was, and he wanted it that way. Paine took a moment but then shrugged and let that comment roll off her shoulders. If they were to count past lovers and had it matter Paine would be the one in question not Rikku. Auron wanted her to doubt the blonde though, Paine knew it was the only thing that could weaken them, and so did he. She looked him squarely in the eyes and lowered her voice. "Leave us alone."
Auron's scuffed features pulled into a taunting closed mouth smile. "I'm only getting started, Ms. Kerrigan."
End FlashBack.
Rikku was sitting up on the couch now ever alert with the blanket they had been sharing resting over her shoulders, her fingers of her left hand prodding her lips in worried thought. "Then what?"
"Then he just walked away…"
Rikku sighed and rubbed at her temple. "He just walked away?" Paine nodded. "He violated the restraining order. He—" Rikku very suddenly got up from the couch.
"He did, maybe we can….Where are you going?" Her wife had already made it to the hall bathroom and pulled open the door. Some commotion in Al Bhed was heard and Paine wanted to laugh at Rikku just bargaining in on Yuna, but the sound of her dry heaving wiped every trace of amusement off of her face. Paine jumped to her feet and went over to the door. Yuna was in there, so she was pretty sure she didn't have to barge in but that didn't stop her from nervously shifting her weight and placing her hand on the door knob a couple of times. She could hear Yuna's scratchy morning voice asking if she were okay in Al bhed. The toilet flushed and some water was heard. "Ri?" Paine called as if to remind her that she was still outside.
Yuna opened the door with a towel wrapped around her body. She flashed a smile at Paine and hurried off to her room. Paine took a step into the bathroom and frowned when she saw her wife leaning against the sink rubbing at her cheeks. "Ri?" She asked again, this time softer.
"I must have eaten something…my tummy hasn't been feeling right." She looked over at Paine. "Lyh oui buin sa cusa cuty, Pai?"
She nodded and hurried off into the kitchen. Rikku took her time gathering herself. That had been really weird. She had lied just a little to her wife. She hadn't been feeling bad; it just, came about and now was gone. Rikku wondered if it had to do with the stress of learning that Auron was inches away from her wife. That coupled with all of her other responsibilities made Rikku's mental thoughts uneasy, her grandmother always used to say that what one thought would become so, meaning she'd get sick with worry, quite literally. The blonde splashed some more water on her cheeks and sighed at her reflection, a sad little lump formed in her throat. She missed her knyhtsy now more than she had in a little while. Milana would know what to do, what to say. A helpless sort of fog filled her mind then. The idea of Auron out of prison was one thing, but then knowing, truly knowing was something else.
Paine was in the kitchen texting someone on her phone when Rikku returned. "Does wifey number two know you slept over?" She tried to joke to smooth over what just happened…what was happening.
Paine looked up and tried to study Rikku's features. She was joking? Now? She asked if she were alright with her eyes and Rikku looked away. Paine stepped away from the counter. "Isn't this the exact thing we are trying to work on?"
Rikku looked guilty. "He was right here…"
"I was fine, he tried to scare me but… he didn't do anything."
"That is the problem Paine." Rikku shook her head and stared at her wife for a moment. "He did not do anything." He tone grew agitated. "You don't know Auron."
"Right and you do?"
"Yes!" She shook her head and slouched forward. "He wants me to feel trapped and paranoid and I know you aren't telling me everything he said out of respect to me, this is his game."
Paine took a step closer to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. It was clear Rikku was freaking out. "Alright okay, hold on."
The blonde groaned softly and ran both hands up her face and into the beginnings of her honey blonde hair. "I'm sorry."
"No, don't be sorry, I get that I just dropped a lot on you…" Rikku groaned again. "Baby are you okay?" She asked in a completely different tone. Rikku all of a sudden looked sick.
Rikku turned to look at her, her expression helpless. "Paine what are we going to do?"
Paine nodded once and rubbed at her shoulder. "We don't let him run our lives, we go to the police, then we go to work, and we stay in contact, then we go to dinner and tell the family…." Rikku looked away while shaking her head then. "This was our plan, don't you remember?"
Rikku back at her, a steady gaze that made her look older fixed onto her features. "He isn't out to talk…"
"Neither am I."
"Last night you did, you entertained him. He's sick pypo."
Paine hated when people used that phrase. It was what they told Gippal when he was younger while they tried to explain his mother to him. It was what they told her when she started using, and then after that too. It was what Paul used as leverage to gain acceptance into her life. It was what Doctor Raymond said was wrong with Rikku's eggs, they were sensitive, abnormal, sick. Auron was not sick, he no longer wished to control his life, but he was not sick.
"He's not sick Rikku." Paine said clearly, darkness came to her eyes then. "His ego is bruised, and for the first time in his privileged life he can't have what he wants." She let her hand slide off Rikku's shoulder. "He's not fucking sick."
Just then Yuna emerged from her room with Kimahri trotting a few steps ahead of her to greet Paine and Rikku with happy little nips at their dangling hands. "Good morning." She paused when she noticed the tension in the air. Rikku sat up quickly and reached for her cup of soda water before looking over at Paine who turned from her with a frustrated air about her.
Rikku looked over her shoulder at Yuna. "Morning Yunz…uh sorry about..."
Yuna shook her head as she let her long braid fall from its nightly coil. "Let's not mention it."
"Morning Yuna." Paine said as Kimahri moved from Rikku to her. "Good job last night pal." She murmured before looking up and seeing Yuna and Rikku do that weird I've known you all my life communicating thing with their eyes. Yuna and Rikku seemed to finish the conversation and now looked over at her expectantly.
"Paine saw Auron."
Yuna glanced between them, "What? When?"
"Last night." Paine finished. She wiped the small bit of doggy slobber off her hand and onto her shirt. "I left again; just to do another check y'know…" Yuna nodded and waited for her to say more but Paine didn't know how to. She was only a few feet away from that creep and all she did was let him walk away. Yeah she had made a promise, but right that second she realized just what it would feel like to keep it in full. She couldn't do anything, "We should really tell the police…"
"I am still trying to understand." Yuna looked between her cousin and Paine. "He was here?"
"In an alley, he bribed that kid to watch the balcony. That's why Kimahri was barking."
"Yevon…" Yuna looked back at Rikku. "How did he—"
"He's got people." Paine concluded. "People that think he should have never gone to jail."
"Does this mean he broke the restraining order?" Yuna looked to Rikku who was gathering herself up still. "Yna oui ugyo?"
Rikku exhaled. "Yes."
"Rikks I—"
"Paine I'm fine!"
Paine raised a brow sharply at the outburst and then put her hands up in surrender before turning and going to make herself coffee.
Yuna stared at her cousin with great interest. "You don't seem fine Rikku, we're just concerned.." She whispered so Paine wouldn't hear over the coffee grinder that she was noisily putting together.
Rikku sighed and looked back to her empty glass. "I should have went to seen him, in prison."
"That would have only made things worse."
"Worse than what Yunie? Ra'c duu lmuca."
Yuna nodded sympathetically and rubbed at Rikku's back. "All of this? Will be over before you know it."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"No." Rikku scuffed with a small smile. Yuna smiled a little too but then grew serious. "We feel the frustration with you. Don't push us away. That is the last thing I know you want to do."
"Dra Sydneynlr."
Yuna rolled her eyes. "Please don't call me that."
"It's your birthright."
"Being here for you, as an older kin, is my birthright. Now let's just take this one moment at a time hm?" Rikku nodded slowly. "I will call my father; make sure Paine doesn't break my cappuccino maker."
Rikku nodded and watched as Kimahri followed her off into her room. She looked back into the kitchen at her wife's slender frame. Reaching for her empty glass the shorter of the two stood and quietly made her way to place the cup in the sink and stand beside Paine who was still deep in concentration of getting just the right size grind on the whole beans Yuna had in her cupboards. Rikku hesitated before reaching her right hand out and rubbing softly at Paine's lower back. "Vunkeja sa?" She whispered.
Pane stopped what she was doing and looked down at her side. She waited a moment but then nodded once. "It's okay to get angry sometimes. None of this is fair…"
Rikku grabbed gently at the shirt material on Pane's back. "I know."
Paine put the grinder down and extended her left arm around Rikku's back now, then wrapped her right around her pulling her into a little hug. Rikku loved that Paine knew that's all she wanted. She sighed softly and then pinched her eyes closed when she felt the familiar heat of tears swell within her. She looked up at Paine who was lost in her own thoughts. "You're not sick." She whispered.
Paine blinked quickly as if just waking up and looked down at Rikku. She didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing and waited for Rikku to say something more, when the blonde didn't Paine nodded once. "No… neither are you."
##
"How are you?"
"How is she?"
Joyce smiled tiredly. "I asked you first."
He sighed. "Better…got some sleep..." He suddenly felt guilty. "Has she slept?"
"You have only been gone for eight hours."
It was too long in his book. He held up the small bunch of flowers. "I brought her these."
"They're beautiful."
"Right…" he paused a moment. "Listen I have a question for you Joyce." It was the first time he had said her name.
"Yes?"
"Why does everyone here call me Mr. O Neg?" The older woman's hearty chuckle took him off guard. It had been so long since he had heard a laugh that sincere.
"Go and visit your fiancé." She pushed at his shoulder gently. "I will tell you some other time."
He offered her a faint smile. These people had become so a part of his daily routine. He knew it was a false comfort, but a comfort one in the same.
##
"I can't call out, we need to eat." Rikku said as she began to gather her things in the car. "Plus what would I do all day? Wait by the phone?"
Paine watched her wife from the driver's seat of her car. "I know." She didn't want Rikku to work, but Rikku wanted to work so what could she do? They had just come from the local police office to file a breach in the restraining order. Given the magnitude of the case, the officer they spoke with seemed to make it a priority to find Auron, which for once was a nice change in comparison to all the other police officers they had dealt with before. Written statements were taken from Paine. She mentioned the kid on the bike, but didn't add that he actually led her to Auron. Paine saw this as protecting the kid from getting into any more trouble she was sure he was due. They left the station, called Yuna to check in, and now they were here in front of Leonardi Inc. Rikku was getting ready to go inside and work for the rest of the day before family dinner, but Paine honestly didn't want to see her go.
"I know…"
Rikku put a water bottle in her bag and then looked over at Paine. "They're looking for him."
"Does it suck that I don't even trust the cops?"
"No… but I think I do…do you remember that guys face?"
"Officer Collins." Paine nodded, his business card sat in her wallet. "Yeah…" She ran her hand through her hair. "And I know he isn't stupid to show up right away and shit but I'm still worried…"
"I know…"
Paine sighed. "I guess we still have to tell everyone at dinner that he showed up."
"Call Keira, invite her."
Paine seemed surprised. She hadn't even thought of her mother in the last day. "I don't know if that's a good idea." She still hadn't told her the full truth about how she and Rikku met.
"She's family no?"
"She is but…" Paine shook her head. "I'll tell her later."
"Paine you said that two weeks ago."
"I know but what do you want me to do? We don't exactly talk about this kinda stuff."
"Well maybe you should start." She sighed when she got no answer. She would always be the more stubborn of the two of them Rikku knew this. "Seven o'clock."
Paine nodded. "I'll be there babe."
"On time."
"Okay."
"It's really important cause…I guess…" She took her hand off the door. "I guess I don't want them questioning why we didn't come together."
Paine looked down at her lap for a moment before nodding. Oh yeah. "Yuna's going to pick you up?"
"Yes."
She nodded again realizing how important keeping their things between them was to Rikku. She also understood why, for something like this to work, and for them to get back on the same page they didn't need everyone's opinion, especially Cid or Kirill's. It was internal and with all this commotion going on Paine knew that it would only hurt their progress. "I'll be there."
"Alright." Rikku hesitated. "Keep your phone on."
"I will."
The blonde leaned over and pressed a kiss onto Paine's cheek. "I'll see you this afternoon."
##
Irene shuffled through the papers once again, a new bit of anxiousness in her movements. "This isn't correct." She finally stated after looking up at her colleague Farlo. "Did we run through the estrogen levels from before?"
He nodded. "I assure you my validation was correct." He nudged his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger. "I checked more than three times."
She raised an eyebrow at his specific diction. "More than three?"
"Seven to be exact, doctor."
Irene Raymond nodded thoughtfully as she examined the file once again. "I am not questioned your technique Farlo but there is just no way." She flipped through a couple more files. A thick migraine fogged her thoughts. Was this even possible?
##
"Before you say anything—" Baralai began with his hands up in defense after Paine barged into his mid-level executive sized office. Gippal had shot out of his seat and was now standing at Baralai's side. They had called a meeting to get to the bottom of exactly what happened yesterday and Paine was the last to arrive. It was around five in the afternoon and work had just let out.
"Before I say anything?" Paine glanced behind her to make sure the door was closed.
"Yeah..." Gippal jumped in taking a step forward. "You look scary right now…We're just as—"
Her tone was steady. "He was at Rikku's office, then at Yuna's apartment; you wanna tell me how in the fuck I wasn't aware of this shit?" Her messenger bag that she had been carrying was rested onto the ground.
Baralai put his hands down. He had rolled up his white button down shirt sleeves when Gippal arrived, and now the cuffs were beginning to bother him. Paine was so angry she couldn't even convey anger. It made him nervous. "We can't get a hold of the PI."
"I'm not fucking surprised." Paine folded her arms. "Auron paid off that kid, you think he realized someone was following him and paid him off too? Or wha? Are you two just some fucking idiots and picked the first fly by night dick with a camera you could find?"
Lai quickly jabbed a finger in Gippal's direction. "Gip found him."
"Hey! You approved."
Paine put her hand up calmly. "Just-just stop okay?" She crossed her arms to her chest and sat on the arm of one of the two chairs in front of Baralai's desk. "I swear to Yevon I'm doing my best to keep calm about this because you guys are my boys…but I am officially done with the bullshit." She looked over at Baralai and then Gippal. "I need you both to understand me now, We are not dealing with some thug who makes mistakes… everything this fucker does is calculated. He has had a little over four fucking years to figure out what he wants, and what he wants is Rikku." She motioned to herself. "My wife." The two nodded. "You can understand that that isn't going to happen." They nodded again. "I love you guys… but I can't afford to not know anymore."
Gippal crossed his arms, a small smile wrinkled his mouth. "Sure sounds like Dr. P has a plan."
"You're damn right I do."
##
6:30PM
"Are you nervous at all to tell them?" Yuna asked as she pulled into the drive of her uncle's home in The Heights. The snow that had once blanketed the entire drive was now shoveled aside neatly leaving room for the two cars that were already parked there. Rikku sat in the passenger seat with her thoughts keeping her quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened at work today, but every phone that rang or door that closed somewhere down her hall had spooked her. She wasn't focused, Lucil probed but Rikku always pretended to seem busy. She knew it was a poor excuse but she really didn't want to spend the only time of her day not talking about Auron, talking about him. Yuna had been great the whole car ride. She had even bought her a smoothie from Jambi Juice.
"No…uncle B knows already right?"
The older cousin nodded. "Yes I spoke to him this morning. He sounded upset…I think he left the meeting he was in to go down to the station." She turned her ignition off and pulled the key's out. "He isn't here yet." She noticed her father's car wasn't among the two vehicles in front of them.
"I want to tell them with Paine here y'know…we're a team, this effects both of us." Rikku checked the time.
"Okay sounds good." She reached for the door. "And Kirill?"
Rikku sighed as she reached for the door. "I'll talk to him." She didn't like being at odds with her older brother. She really wanted to go back to the normal supportive nature of their relationship, but ever since Milana passing he had withdrawn. Maybe now was a good time for them to go somewhere alone to talk.
Their boots crunched in the small patch of snow that had been left unmoved for some reason as they walked up the path. Rikku regarded her front stoop with a sudden thoughtfulness. She had stood there as a sophomore in college waiting to see if she could hear commotion in the house, listening to see if Auron had taken a ride with Juliann that day back to their place to grade papers. Yuna noticed her cousins sudden pause and looked back at her before ringing the doorbell.
"Hey." She called softly. She had never seen Rikku so bothered in her life as she had these past few weeks. Even when this whole thing began nearly five years ago the blonde's features were still fresh, as if she might have had hope. Now at twenty five she reminded Yuna of her aunt Tahla's pensive looks she would give Yuna when Senya was ever mentioned.
Rikku looked at her cousin and smiled softly. "We've lived here a while huh?"
Yuna smiled too, for her sake alone. "Some time now." She pressed the doorbell with her index finger again and then stuffed it back into her teal winter coat pocket. "Is that what you thought of just now?"
Rikku nodded quickly and huddled herself close to Yuna so their arms were touching as a breeze passed them. She was cold now; she just wanted to be indoors.
Juliann soon emerged from the house in a cowl neck sweater and her thick rimmed glasses. "You're late." She jested.
Yuna smiled. "I believe Uncle Cid told us come late." She looked over at Rikku. "Just to spite you, right Rikku?"
Rikku nodded. "So yeah, get over it."
The trio smiled at one another before Leblanc stepped aside and let them remove their layers. The home was filled with the scents of a beef stew bubbling and clove. Leblanc waited while the two women took off their coats and then halted them from advancing deeper into the home where the sound of Cidney Bayla and his son fussing over the dining table could clearly be heard.
"I know that you will tell them otherwise, but how are you?"
Rikku got what she meant. "Tired…we um...Have something to talk about."
"Where is Paine?" Juliann had just noticed she wasn't with them.
Yuna nodded. "She's coming." She glanced at Rikku who nodded in agreement.
Juliann nodded and placed her hands on her hips. "And of this news?"
"Well…"Rikku debated what she should say, eventually she decided to just tell Leblanc, Dragon Lady proved to be a good buffer between her and her father when things got a little too intense, and having her mind sharp was when the social worker turned lawyer worked best.
"Paine saw Auron, he was near Yuna's apartment last night."
Leblanc's features grew worried, and then she bit her lip gently. "I was afraid of that."
It had suddenly then occurred to Rikku that Juliann and Auron had been co-workers and friends at NLU. If she had been involved in any way with putting him away, which she was, then he would be out for her as well. She was suddenly grateful that during the time when her father was off doing whatever it was he was doing, that Kirill stayed here.
"What do you mean?" Yuna stepped forward to ask.
Leblanc opened her mouth to say something when Kirill and Cid found their way into the hall. Cid sent his wife a questioning look. Why were they all huddled here? Should he be concerned? Leblanc cleared her throat after Kirill greeted them with a kisses on the cheek. "The girls and I were just talking about Yuna and Lulu's big order."
Kirill was wearing a simple white under shirt that showed off his large arms and tattoos. His mohawlk was tame and free of product allowing his childhood curls to be expressed. He looked tired, but so did Cid, who was wearing grey slack and a dark blue polo.
"We're very proud of you." He looked to his daughter. "And you."
Rikku shrugged her shoulders. "What's for dinner?"
"Beef stew." Brother finally spoke up. "It's cold out there; I don't know how you guys live here."
Everyone chuckled appropriately at the country mouse in the city, then it fell silent, and a strange uneasiness fell upon them.
"Where is your wife?" Cid asked teasingly. The title was still rather new to everyone.
Rikku checked her phone for the time. "She had a few things to take care of but she is on her way." Or at least she should be.
Her father nodded and then motioned to the rest of the house. "Dinner won't be done till around 7:30. Please, why are we all huddled in the entryway?" He moved to head back into the kitchen before glancing at his wife again, who understood and followed him.
"I'm going to use the restroom." Yuna didn't really have to, but Rikku and Kirill needed a moment to clear the air between them.
Kirill watched her go and then looked back to his sister. "Famm...E drehg drec sayhc cusadrehk."
Rikku tried not to laugh. "Drao fyhd ic du dymg."
"E fyhd du dymg."
"Sa duu, yna oui kuehk du ybumukewa?"
Her brother nodded but said nothing. Rikku motioned to the den and he followed her in. When they walked in the lights were dimmed but the TV was on the sports channel. They both sat down on the couch far enough away from one another so they could turn and be facing each other. Kirill waited for Rikku to say something but when she didn't he scratched at his blonde stubble. "You know I like Paine." He began in Common.
Rikku nodded. "Why have you been such a butt lately?" She held the words that were on her lips a moment seeing how they tasted before pushing herself to say what she was thinking. "Ec ed palyica uv Knyhtsy?" Their green eyes met but Kirill broke the stare and looked to his hands. He took a breath and looked back at his little sister, his eyes misty.
##
Paine shifted gears and sped up a little. Rikku was going to kill her. It was five minutes to seven and she was still in a different part of the city. She had to go home to the apartment to change and shower, pick up flowers for the house, and collect their mail that they hadn't been able to get yesterday, all of this and being held up at Baralai's office with the guys was putting her in her wife's bad graces very quickly.
At first she didn't notice anything different about the road in front or behind her, her mind was too busy, but soon flashing blue and red lights and a quiet whoop whoop was heard behind her. Paine glance din her rare view mirror. "Fuccckkk." She sighed and looked back to the road ahead of her to pull over.
This was the absolute last thing she needed right now.
She pulled her car to the side of the road when the area was clear and quickly checked her seat belt then the back seat of her car. The last time she got pulled over for speeding she had her Al Bhed Katana in the back seat, which had been rather difficult to explain. When she noticed she didn't have any of these things she glanced into the rare view mirror and groaned. The police officer was about fifty pounds overweight, had stocky shoulders, and had a thin little split of a mustache that looked more like soy sauce was left there after his recent meal and his partner sitting bored in the squad car was too preoccupied to let him know to wipe it off. The police officer was in a simple uniform of dark blue and walked over with a slow purpose that worried Paine a little. Once he reached the side of the car he motioned for her to lower the window. Paine did just that and looked up at him expectantly. It was cold, and if she didn't make this quick she would be even more late to dinner. "Yeah?"
His tone was slow "You know how fast you were going?"
"45."
"Yup."
They waited. That was the speed limit in this area. "So…"
"This your car?"
"Yeah."
"License and registration ma'am."
She squinted at him. "Is there a reason for this?"
He nodded.
"What is it?"
The police officer looked up into the city canopy and held his utility belt buckle as if he were trying to think so something. When he came up with what he wanted he looked back down at Paine. "We have a BOLO out for a car that matches this description, just checking it's not stolen ma'am."
A tiny flicker of panic rose up in Paine before she pushed it down. She and Gippal had taken this car nearly six years ago, and since then she had everything legally signed over to her name. There should be no issue. The judo fighter reached for her glove compartment for the registration and then grabbed her wallet out of the cup holder to hand over her licenses. The police officer tipped his hat and left with the documents back to his cruiser to run the numbers. Paine sighed heavily and sat back in her seat. She was exhausted, and work today had been rough with the month ending the financial quarter. Then on top of all that she had some crazy guy running around plotting, she was worried just about every second, and now she would be late to family dinner. As she pulled her hand away from her face the police officer and his partner in her rare view mirror caught her attention. They were both coming toward the car now, her license and registration nowhere in sight.
##
"The kid not coming?" Cid asked as he carefully waked the large crock pot of extra beef stew to the formal dining room. His daughter followed behind him with a bottle of sparkling water under her arm and her other arm filled with warm fluffy dinner rolls in a basket. Paine hadn't arrived yet and it was way passed 7:30. She was first upset, Paine knew tonight was important because for the first time as a family they would discuss what could be done. Then after a few minutes she grew worried. For that same exact reason was how she knew Paine would never come late on purpose. Especially since they were working on things. Where was she?
"I'll call her." Again.
Cid gracefully put the pot down in the center of the table and nodded. "She's gonna miss this stew, I think it's my best yet."
"I believe I made it Cidney." Juliann chattered in teasingly as she waltzed into the room with the ladle he had forgotten. "You, stood there and tried to add salt whenever I wasn't looking, that hardly constitutes as cooking."
Cid shrugged her off with amusement before turning to his daughter. "Is everything okay with you two?"
Rikku wondered how the hell he knew these things. Paine could simply be late for all he knew. Why go there automatically? "No..uh..no." He read her hesitation and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen where there was more to be brought out to the table. Kirill and Yuna had agreed to step out to the grocer in this cold to get tart shells for the open pasties they had ready for dessert. Leblanc stayed in the dining room to make sure everything was set, and to give them some time alone. Cid motioned to the breakfast nook and Rikku slid into the seat with a sigh. She had been here many times before with her father for serious talks, this one was one she didn't know how to begin though. Not without crying at least.
Cid turned to the counter and pulled aside a smaller glass candy container of jelly beans and grabbed a handful. "I'm sure this will be okay before dinner." He spoke as he came to sit across from Rikku and emptied his palm in the middle of the table before her.
Rikku smiled softly at the gesture. It was how he was always able to get her talk when she was younger, and it seemed it still worked to this day. "Pop." Rikku said as she examined the pink jelly between her fingers.
"Milan." Cid waited patiently.
"I will always love Paine, always." Cid nodded as he picked up an orange jelly for himself. "I'm so happy to be married to her, to bare her name, to be her family."
"But?"
"But this thing with Auron is making us crazy."
Cid nodded slowly. "If it were easy I would question your sanity."
Rikku sighed heavily and leaned her elbows on the table. Something struck her then. "You're so calm."
Cid scratched at his beard and nodded once. "You should be too."
"How can I? He…the other night…."
Cid raised a brow. "Something happened?"
"He approached Paine."
Cid didn't say anything for a long moment; so long that Rikku was worried he might have not heard her and was waiting for her to say it again. Her father never met her questioning eyes, and just when Rikku was going to say something Cid spoke. "Where is Paine now?"
"She was at Baralai's with him and Gippal the last time we spoke…"
Cid nodded and the cloud that had appeared just now faded. He looked at his daughter again and studied her for a moment longer. If she knew, she would never speak to him again, he was certain of it, but there were things worth the risk, his family's safety being number one on that list. "You are worried something might have happened to her?"
Rikku nodded. "We wanted to talk as a family tonight about what happened, Uncle B is late too…"She now realized that.
"Your Uncle got caught up in something…" He hesitated. "He is helping me, I suppose it took longer than we thought but Milan listen, Paine is a smart woman."
"I know she is Pop, that's why I married her."
"The only reason?"
Rikku could think of a million others, some inappropriate to verbalize with her father, "No."
"What is really the matter?" He pressed.
Rikku stared at him for a moment wondering what he meant. "What?"
"Something more is there, I can tell."
"I don't know what to say Pop, Auron is out there." She began to get frustrated. "Pai is not here when she is supposed to be and I'm worried sick about her, Yunie and Tidus aren't together, Lulu and Paine's dad is sick, Keira has no clue the danger Paine is in. I'm a moody casserole of emotion because of this cdibet placebo, people are starving all over the place, property taxes went up, Brother thinks he's responsible for Knyhtsy and it's not warm yet. It should be warm already Pop." The blonde visibly shook with frustration and Cid waited for her to cool off before speaking again.
"What placebo?"
Rikku's eyes widened a little. That's right, he didn't know. Cid noticed the change too. "Nothing, I just…I'm really stressed out." She shook her head as she reminded herself that she needed to stay calm. "I don't get how she wouldn't call or anything, sometimes she just forgets to call, but not tonight, tonight she was going to be here."
"And you've tried calling her?"
"Yes, no answer."
Cid nodded and began to get to his feet. "I'll grab my coat then."
Just then Braska walked into the kitchen looking like a shabby old newspaper boy who had just completed his tenth route on a single speed bike in the middle of winter. They had been so caught up in their talk that they hadn't heard him key into the house. His coat was still on his shoulders and he was tracking melted snow into the room, he wore a look of fatigue but had an air of urgency about him. "Paine was arrested."
"Arrested?" Cid asked, Rikku just couldn't believe her ears. "For what?" He demanded rising completely from his seat now.
Braska shook his head as if he had walked in on six year old Yuna and five year old Rikku trying to bake a cake, batter had been everywhere and the two girls sat in the mist of the mess giggling and licking their fingers. He didn't know what to do with them, laugh and help them clean up, or punish them so they learned discipline. He just didn't know what to do with Paine sometimes. Defending her in court had been easy, this? Well she had just dug herself into a deeper hole. Braska braced the room for his speech by taking a tentative step forward. He regarded Rikku and Cid before opening his mouth again. "Resisting arrest, assaulting on an officer." Rikku mumbled something in Al Bhed under her breath.
Cid shook his head, he knew better. "Braska, what did she get arrested for?"
"I don't know the exact charge right now, but giving a black eye to the officer that tried to arrest her is not helping her, I can tell you that right now."
Present Day
Finally Rikku cracked and wiped at her eyes as quiet tears began to form despite her best efforts. Paine swallowed what she hoped was saliva but felt more like sand. The blonde chocked back a sob as she covered her mouth with her free hand and uttered something in Al Bhed.
"Pypo…?"
Paine's chest ached. "I didn't—"
She could see her now, she knew. "I know." Rikku hurried to say. This was their first time seeing one another since Paine had been arrested. They wouldn't let her see anyone because of the criminal investigation that was going on. The phone call last night was her anger, Rikku was angry, now looking at her wife, her bruised cheek, her flat hair; she didn't know how she let go of them, their trust. She wanted to gather Paine back up in her hands and kiss her, but she couldn't. The glass that separated them was thick and smudgy, it reminded her of the zoo, and that thought alone made her stomach sicker.
'Baby…"
Rikku shook her head as if she just needed a moment to compose herself. Paine watched helplessly from the other side of the glass as her wife let out a few sobs before wiping at her face quickly and inhaling the stale air of the visiting room. She continued to wipe at her eyes but this time looked back at Paine. "What do you need?"
Paine just shook her head. "I need you not to worry about this, I'm fixing it, Braska is coming to see me today with news…Rikku please I can't stand to see you like this." She felt like shit that her words only made it harder and not easier like she intended.
Rikku rallied to pull herself together, but the more she pulled the more unraveled she felt. "Paine they think you murdered Auron."
Paine didn't say anything at first. "I know what they think."
"Why? Why would they think that?"
Paine glanced behind her at the guard not even pretending to not be eavesdropping. Rikku followed her eyes and leaned forward a little in her seat. Paine turned back to her. "Why else? I was the last one to see him supposedly, we have history. I wanted him dead."
"Paine you can't talk like that in here." Rikku was quick to chide her. She could see in her wife's eyes that she had been done wrong, and that she was angry, but she needed to be careful. There was still much about this that was a mystery to them.
Paine exhaled as if to calm herself. It was hard though, with Rikku behind some glass crying every other second, with no answers as to how the hell this had come about; it was hard to stay calm. "I know. I'll speak to Braska today." Rikku nodded and wiped at her face again. "Where have you been sleeping?"
"The house."
"With your father?"
Rikku nodded and sniffled lightly. She leaned her right elbow onto the small area in front of her and sighed. "I know they all mean well but I'm tried. I think I will go back to the apartment tonight."
Paine frowned. "Alone?"
Rikku gave her a strange look then. "Whom else?"
"Until we get to the bottom of who Auron's killer is, I'd feel a lot better if you weren't al—"
Rikku put up her hand to cut her off. "I'd feel a lot better if you weren't in here at all."
"You're upset with me."
Rikku nodded and then shook her head. "I'm not mad…I'm just….surprised, and I'm hurt, and angry but at who? I still don't know. The police have been asking me all these questions; I don't even know how to answer them. I'm scared for you, for us, can you understand that?"
Paine nodded she found Rikku's eyes. "You still have your ring on."
Rikku looked down to her left hand then back to Paine. "I'm still a married woman." She had noticed that they had taken Paine's away. She wondered if she could get it on the way out to keep it close.
Paine wanted so badly to smile, but there was sadness in Rikku's eyes that she couldn't ignore. "I'll fix it." She whispered. Rikku nodded, but it was halfhearted. Paine looked down at her hand a moment before looking up at her again. "You know that, I had nothing to do with this right?" She didn't know why but she needed Rikku to say it again.
Rikku nodded and touched the glass where Paine's cheek would have been. "I know you."
Paine nodded feeling just a tenth bit better. "I just need to speak with Braska to get all the details. They only questioned me once."
"They were at the apartment."
Paine looked up then. "Why?"
Rikku shrugged softly. "Yuna and I went back to get some more of my clothes. She's been staying with me." Paine nodded, that was good. "They showed up right when we were leaving and had a search warrant."
Paine grew a little angry at the thought of the strange officers turning over her apartment. "They didn't mess up the place did they?" Rikku shook her head no. "Good." They sat there again in a bit of silence; Paine could read the hesitation on Rikku's features. "What?" She asked gently. She wanted more than anything for Rikku to feel as if she could ask her things, this hesitation had long since been put to bed when they first started dating. Seeing it now, nearly five years later worried her.
"The police officers that arrested you…."
Paine felt a pang of anger rush her, she tried not to let it show. She didn't need Rikku wondering about yet another thing. "What about them?"
"Uncle Braska thinks you made things worse by fighting back."
She knew she had, but as they literally yanked her out of her car without answering why she cared little for the rules of wearing a judo black belt then. "I didn't provoke them if that's what you think."
Rikku shook her head. "You're all bruised up Paine."
She remembered the pain in her side they had brought back from Gippal and her rough housing, and then the hard palm pressing her face to the side of her car so that she would calm. It had knocked the wind out of her completely. Paine reached a hand up to her cheek.
"Yna oui rindehk?"
Paine removed her hand and shook her head. "The only thing that hurts right now is this stupid glass." She wrapped on the glass lightly with a healing knuckle. Paine sighed heavily into the receiver. "I'm so sorry Rikks." She felt her own eyes moisten a little but refused to be weak while behind these walls like that. Her tears belong nowhere near here. "You don't deserve this, not again."
Rikku's frown deepened. "You'll be home soon."
They both knew they had no way of knowing that.
Before either of them knew it, their hour was up. Rikku suddenly clenched the phone like it was her life line and Paine's eyes never left her wife's until she could no longer see her from behind the prisoner exit doors. She had promised to call tonight, Rikku felt the pit in her stomach grow as she finally hung up the phone and remained seated frozen there with thoughts and emotions rushing her like a spring. She didn't want to go back to her father's house, not without Paine. She didn't want to get into bed tonight alone, not without Paine. A sharp tug of sadness grabbed at her throat and Rikku did everything she could to swallow it. It was that exact dread of doing this alone that made her realize how strong she had to be.
"Where do I go to get my wife's belongings?" She asked the officer near the exit. She was three whole feet taller than Rikku with a long red braid coiled behind her.
"Who is your wife?"
"Paine Kerrigan."
The woman frowned. "Do you know her prisoner number?"
"No I…." Rikku shook her head no.
The taller prison guard saw the moisture build up in the Al Bhed woman's eyes and rolled her own good naturedly. This was probably her first time here. She threw a hand out to point in the direction of the hall Rikku had first came down. "Collections, they'll give you her number there."
"I don't want her number."
"Well how are you going to get her things?"
Rikku felt her face grow hot. She knew she had no option. "Right down there?"
The officer nodded. "Yes." The flashy wedding ring on Rikku's hand caught the guard's attention and after calculating her route Rikku saw her eyeing it. She pulled her hand close to her body and thanked the woman before walking away.
##
Gippal watched Rikku climb into his busted old pickup truck and swing hard to slam and effectively close the door. He had been counting the cars in the parking lot before she came. Thinking of his best friend locked up and feeling shitty was not what he wanted to think about. He did want to do everything he could to support her though, and from previous conversations Paine had made it very clear what she wanted looked after if anything were to happen to her. Rikku. "How is she?" He asked as he watched Rikku rifle through a sack she had brought with her. "That her things?" He hadn't started the car yet. He wasn't sure if Rikku were going to go back in, or if he were going to go in next. This happened way too fast for them to have a plan for this, and he wanted to speak to Paine, but judging by the little tears Rikku tried to wipe away before they were mature he knew that Paine would be emotionally drawn out. At that point talking was the last things she wanted to do.
Rikku finally found the small items bag in the large bag with Paine's clothes. She ripped it open quickly and a flurry of things fell onto her lap. Paine's keys, her zippo lights, her wallet, and finally her wedding band. Rikku picked it up and examined it carefully, remembering then how she knew it was the perfect one when she had seen it among the others. Gippal watched as she searched for a finger on her left hand thick enough to hold it. Rikku's hands were considerable smaller than Paine's, and when she grew frustrated at that fact Gippal quickly reached from around his neck where a simple black corded necklace had been. He ripped the Al Bhed charm off of it and grabbed at Paine's ring from Rikku's trembling hands. She almost killed him with her glare until she saw what he was doing. Once the ring was on the necklace he locked the gold clasp in the back and pulled it open so Rikku could put her head through. "ed'c y meddma pek." He chuckled at the sight of his corded necklace hanging loosely around Rikku's neck; it reminded him of when Elma would wear his shirts to sleep. Then he frowned and found her eyes. Paine was her Elma. "Dr. P didn't do this shit…" It was a whisper of reassurance.
Rikku's fingers were already playing with the ring around her neck. He may have been the biggest idiot she knew, but his heart was well in place, and she knew exactly then the connection he and Paine had had throughout their troubled youths. It was Gippal who pushed at her heart, Paine must have one day just gave in.
"Then who did?"
Gippal didn't reply, he couldn't think of someone, but he knew where to start.
AN: I'm horrible I know. I'm sorry this took so long! I hope you enjoyed the long update though. Review so I know you're still there :)
KathleenDee