Chapter Thirty Seven

"You're worried."

He almost wanted to laugh. "You're damn right I'm worried." Cid shook his head, "This was never supposed to be this way." He had been saying that for the past two weeks now. Everything turn he took where things were looking up, life just came round the corner just as fast having those things being knocked out of his hands with the collision. "Milan is not simple, not even Paine. They know I have a part in something." He sat himself down in his home office desk. Braska was looming near the doorway, not quite wanting to sit and commit himself to an hours long conversation with Cid about what he planned and what happened instead, especially not when he knew his daughter was pregnant, especially when he had a case to prepare.

"I've spoken to Paine this morning."

Cid looked up. "She's still alive? The way Milan stormed out of here I would have thought anything."

Braska shook his head with a tight smile. "That wasn't right."

"Well for one it's the damn truth, it was only a matter of time before she and I spoke about it anyway. I mean really, a gun? You'd better hope for your defenses sake she did get rid of it. The police won't even need prints at that point." He knew Paine didn't do it, but boy did she have a knack for making herself look guilty.

"There are certain things we still need to discuss."

"You and Paine?" He nodded. "Well you need to soon, with the order of a court appearance gone through this morning, I'm not going to lie I'm a little nervous…"

Braska found himself unbuttoning his bottomed suit blazer and sitting. "They aren't saying much."

"Which makes me nervous." He leaned forward at his desk. "You know as well as I know that they like Paine for it."

"I know."

"She was the last person to see him."

"Impossible."

He said it in a way that suggested he knew something Cid didn't. The father of two leaned forward some more, the thrill of practicing law always came with a new discovery. "Well then?"

Braska pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and rested it on the table to make sitting more comfortable. "Auron had a teen scope out the area, a Seymour Guado. I'm still trying to find him."

"Has Paine said anything about him in her statement?"

"No."

Cid reeled back and sighed. "This kid wants to be in jail. She had to have talked to him, you know that B."

"I do, she did mention a kid on his bike, and that's all I need."

"So what? Are you scouring all of New Luca for a kid on a bike?"

Braska shook his head. "She was at work when I called, but we have planned to meet when she gets off at three." He checked his watch. "Soon then."

"Three?" He was under the impression that Paine worked longer than Rikku sometimes. Braska nodded. "Anyway how am I looking? I bought the boat you know, Machina knows I can't drive one, but I bought it."

"Maybe the girls would like it. Yuna has her sailing license you know." One of the many camps she had been sent to while he traveled for work.

Cid chuckled. "I believe mine would rather throw me over board."

"Will you tell her?"

"If she asks again I will…" He thought of something then. "She's married now so she would not have to take the stand. She would not have to lie."

"And Juliann?"

Cid huffed. "I told her a week ago, she's been making excuses to be away since. We have dinner scheduled tonight at La Mina, come."

Braska shook his head as he stood. "For once I'm helping Yunalesca with some work thing. She hasn't quite told me what yet."

Cid stood as well. "You may end up as a pin cushion be careful." He joked.

Braska laughed good naturedly but Cid could tell he didn't mind that outcome if it were to be true anyway. "Have you heard from Paul at all?" He asked as he walked his brother in law out of the home office and into the hall leading to the door. "I hear he is home finally, back at work."

"No I haven't, That is good to hear though, maybe we can have lunch with him at the club."

Cid nodded. "As fathers."

Braska stuck out his hand and shook Cid's warmly. "As fathers. I'll see you."

"Let me know how it all goes then."

##

"Mm." She agreed. "I can tell." Lucil took another bite of Rikku's sandwich as they shared her own office for lunch that day. It was a busy morning at the firm. A meeting and two spontaneous conference calls later and they both decided an early lunch would do them wonders. Rikku guiltily snuck downstairs and grabbed a flat bread from her usual guy just because she couldn't bring herself to eat the sandwich bread that Paine had packed. Everything else though turned out to be just what she wanted. She was eating a lot more than usual she noticed, which both made her happy that the baby was alive and hungry too, and also made her a nervous because this was in fact really happening to them. She had shown Lucil the ultrasound photo last week and they had been talking about it ever since. "Yuna would love to be in charge of something like that." Lucil noted as she grabbed a couple potato chips from her own lunch bag.

"Yunie would for sure, Paine on the other hand. I think she'd make a dentist appointment the day of the shower." She paused. "It's a big deal for us Al Bhed you know? Babies?"

Lucil nodded. "No one else knows yet then?"

"No… we're nervous about getting our hopes up."

She nodded. "You know what you do right? To feel Paine out, get her comfortable talking about it?"

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable talking about it…" She admitted.

"Right well this is what you do, you go with her to a store like Monty's—"

"Or Home Goods?"

"Mhm." She grabbed another handful of chips. "Then you just say that you want to look, just to look at the baby isle…toys walkers, cribs…that sort of thing… and you talk about what you like and don't like right?"

Rikku shook her head. "My wife? You've met her right?"

"Well Junior she has to take part in it too, no matter her personality." She thought on it then chuckled as she reached for a water bottle. "Paine? Knowing her she'd probably worse than a man."

Rikku laughed. "She's just worried."

Lucil gave herself a second to chew her food. "Ooh! Ok so Common or Al Bhed first? Studies have shown that learning two languages at a time can be confusing. Beneficial in the end, but they naturally like one better."

"Well Al Bhed…"Rikku said without question. "Paine knows that."

'Does she?"

##

Simone's husband was a tall pale man with brown curls greying. He seemed to not fit the curvy older woman Paine remembered from her college days. His name was Dellio, and he had a build like an old trainer retired; formed but unused and soft. He wore slacks at the gym, which said all Paine needed to hear about how active he was in the process. It was around one thirty in the afternoon and he had called her into his office to see how she was getting used to everything. Paine wasn't sure how much Simone had told him about her situation and his clear blue eyes gave nothing away. She liked it here she had said, appreciated the opportunity. He nodded and then pulled out a few sheets of paper for her to bring back tomorrow, general availability, some numbers from her certificates as a personal trainer, emergency contact. It was going as routine as anything until he stacked everything up and placed it a side with a carefulness that meant there was more he had to say.

"Simone had nothing but wonderful things to say about you." He began. Paine nodded. "She said with time, a short bit, we could rely on you to act as a leader with us. You know we have the location at NLU, but we also own a few other franchises around the city."

"I've seen a few of them."

"She's also told me that's you've been in some trouble before." Paine shifted. "You understand that we need you present correct?"

Paine nodded. Of course he would know about her past. The job at NLU was only gifted through scholarship and review. Paine needed a job to not be sent back to court, it was a part of the deal. "Of course."

His serious demeanor changed back to the casual one as he smiled. "Perfect. If that's just it you can leave for the day, check out with Sam, he's going to be taking you through the class course guide tomorrow, I suspect you'd want to start teaching am I right?" She agreed that he was. They finished up and stood to shake hands before Paine hesitated.

"Mr.—"

"Call me Dellio, please."

"Dellio." She tried it out. "It's still real early out but um, as you know I'm married." He had noticed the wedding band and remembered Simone saying something about it. "Well, my wife is pregnant, so I mean, it probably might never happen but if I have to leave for the—"

"Congratulations!"

Paine blinked. "What?"

"Of course, of course." He smiled as he ushered her out of the room. "You'd just have to shoot me a text. I'll find someone. How far along is she?" They were now in the gym back offices hallway; a clean but dingy corridor with push baskets of clean and dirty towels in corners and two vending machines.

"Uh, Seven weeks."

"You know Simone and I have four."

"Yevon." Paine said without being able to stop herself.

Dellio laughed, "Exactly. They all are in school now though, the oldest at NLU, Biology major—"

##

"You want to take my car?" Rikku asked that evening as they prepared to go to Home Goods.

Paine was checking her pockets at the door. "No, I mean we only need the two shelves and they come in the boxes, it can fit in my car."

"You have the smallest trunk, it's not an impress the ladies at Home Goods kind of trip Pypo. It's a going with your wife to get shelves kind of trip." She was wrapping her orange and red scarf around her neck. Paine was standing in her leather jacket already having been ready for Yevon knew how long

She shrugged. "Alright, we'll take your car."

"Okay." Rikku began to pick up her purse. "Oh I forgot about—"

"What could you have possibly forgotten? You've been getting ready for half an hour."

Rikku gave her a look as she rested her bag down and clicked away in her brown leather boots with the heel. She came back a second later with her wallet and made a show of putting it in her bag. "I just got home from work y'know. All I had time to do was pee, and you…" She went on about Paine had having time for a nap. A nap!

They stepped out into the blustery evening. It was wet and cold, but the snow was leaving from the muggy banks on the corner and the little concrete front yard they had was actually starting to become visible. Paine locked their home and smiled a little as they walked down the steps to the small iron gate. "Sometimes I'm surprised we have a house still…" She commented as she got into the front driver's seat of Rikku's white car.

Rikku began to buckle up. She looked at Paine and then looked at their home. "It's not a dorm or a an apartment or Pop's house, and!" She raised a gloved purple finger. "We are on our way to buy shelves for it." She clapped her hands. "Isn't it exciting!"

Paine was adjusting her mirrors. She glanced at Rikku with a little amused smile. "Riveting darling." Rikku shook her head in amused way and began to settle herself in her seat as Paine continued to fix the mirrors and turn the defogger on. "You want heat?" She buckled her seat belt now satisfied with her changes.

"No."

"It's cold as shit."

"Fine then turn the heat on."

"Are you too hot though?" She began to reverse out of their parallel parking spot.

Rikku chuckled. "Oui Paine just put the heat on if you're cold."

Paine took a second to respond as she got the car on the main road. "Well y'know I'm sorry for being concerned about you and…" She paused "Cletus."

"We are not naming our kid Cletus!" She looked scandalized, a mixer of horror and great amusement.

Paine laughed a little. "Damn, I always thought it was a cool name."

"Really Paine? Really?" Paine shrugged. "Cletus Kerrigan."

"Okay Okay." It still sounded cool in her head. Rikku clearly wasn't a fan.

Rikku laughed a little. "Pypo." She rested a hand on her right thigh and Paine grabbed her hand and held them there. The lightness of the moment died down with equal sighs. Rikku suddenly grew worrisome. She began to play with Paine's fingers in a manner that distracted her from her thoughts.

'What's up Princess?" Paine asked after squeezing her hand gently.

"Paine I know you went to see Uncle B today." Paine nodded. "Do I want to know? You haven't said anything and well…I want you to be around to name our baby with me."

Paine stole a quick glance from the road to look at her wife. "Hey what the hell?" She said softly. "Of course I'm going to be there. Rikku wild chocobo couldn't stop me."

That made Rikku smile though it didn't reach her eyes. "I know but what if you can't?"

She sighed. "I got off work a little early today, and before you ask me no I didn't make new friends, I don't want new friends." Rikku rolled her eyes. "Anyway I went to see Braska to tell him that I wasn't pleading guilty."

"What did he say?"

"He said what he said last time; that I should think about it, really consider it. But that's not what we want, and I worked too hard to have my file cleaned up to be bullshitted into something that I didn't do."

"You have."

"So that was it, it took all of fifteen minutes. He said he understood, that he was going to let me know what the police come with, he says they've been real quiet 'cause they don't have shit on me. Right now I'm still just a witness, so I'm not being charged with anything. A hearing date is gonna be set soon, so all I have to do is go in and answer questions."

"When are you two going to practice?"

"Sometime early next week. He wanted to do it this weekend but we have Blitz starting and the dinner at Lulu and Wakka's—"

"And telling them."

Paine hesitated. "You still wanna do that huh?"

"They're our family Paine they deserve to know."

"Yeah, I guess." She grew quiet a moment as she drove. "I just don't want people to hover over us y'know? I told my boss today, Simone's husband, Dellio, nice guy but fuck he would not stop about it. How far along is she? Do you have preschools in mind? Hospitals, pediatricians, his kids were too old for play dates but he did know a good baby sitter. It kept me there for an extra thirty minutes for nothing."

Rikku knew how Paine hated small talk, especially small talk about what she considered to be private, but something had to be said about her telling him. "You told your boss but you can't tell Wakka or Lulu? Or your mother? Or Mrs. Tilly?"

"If something were to happen to you while I was working babe I would have to leave."

"Paine it's not hard."

Paine sighed as she tried to dismiss the conversation entirely. "It's all hard." She admitted. "All this shit we gotta deal with. We don't see Dr. Raymond till next week. So we tell everyone and then something happens and then we take it back? You can't take shit like that back."

Rikku finally let go of her hand to adjust herself in her seat. "Pypo she said it was okay, we were okay."

"For now."

"We can't just not say anything until I give birth." She knew she was being irrational, Paine knew it but at the same time she couldn't help want to protect their little thing as long as possible. She didn't want strangers touching Rikku's belly, she didn't want people assuming she was the cool aunt, and she knew it was crazy to think but she just really wanted to be sure, to be certain that she and Rikku wouldn't get their hearts broken by the whole thing.

##

"Is it?" Rikku asked as she stood back in the cluttered aisle as her wife bent with a yellow measuring tape. "Because I really like this color, don't you like this color?"

"Yeah." Paine said as she made sure it would fit in the hall without disturbing the path. Their home though suited for a party was still not yet complete by any means. There were the little touches here and there like book shelves, the basement still needed to be cleared of the sea of boxes down there, their room needed a second dresser and then the other room.. Was it too soon to start planning a nursery? Despite everything Rikku had laid in bed while Paine slept thinking about colors and designs and whom should do what and what would go where, and was it chocobo knights or Guardian Princesses themed and was it yellow or green. She thought this as she watched Paine stand upright pull the display shelf off the small platform it was on and place it in the middle of the aisle. Rikku watched on in an endearing way as she shook it to test its sturdiness, and then ran her hands along the edges. Were they too sharp? She wondered aloud.

"No I don't think so, and I think anyway we can get molds to cover them, make them round?"

Paine didn't seem impressed. "Yeah…you sure about this color…I can stain it y'know.?"

"To match what?"

"Well the kitchen."

"No no, this is for the hall Pai, remember?"

Paine looked at it in a new way. "I'm saying that the piano isn't this exact shade though…I could stain it a shade…" She moved the shelf about as if to test the sturdiness again.

"The piano's not in the hall. I like this color a lot, it's like sand…." Paine continued to look at it. "Paine we're buying it…." No response. "Put it in the cart…." Paine tilted it to look behind it. "Paine!"

"Alright alright." She continued to inspect it though. "I just don't want to buy another one in a year you know what I mean? I'm pretty damn sure I can just go buy some wood and—"

Rikku began to pick up a flat box of all the planks and the parts. "Last time I checked you weren't a carpenter."

"Let me get it," Paine pushed her way to take the box from her wife and lift it to put it in the empty cart they had.

"It wasn't that heavy." She took hold of the handle bar to push the cart forward. Paine came over and took control of that too.

"I don't care."

Rikku laughed. "Paine I'm not even big yet, how are you going to be then huh? Are you going to carry me everywhere?" They continued down the aisle of shelves, big ones, tiny ones, ones that were so impractical it made Rikku want to buy them anyway.

"Well you'd be pretty fat at that point." Rikku playfully hit her arm. "I'd get a wheelchair."

"Stop no you won't. Machina."

They went about looking for the second shelf, and after a display of the same thousand sturdiness tests by her wife Rikku was sure both units could last a bombing. About a half hour later of getting a few smaller things for the home like a porch mat and another oil lamp for the front door Rikku had to use the restroom. They were in the kitchen appliance aisle looking at a bagel cutter when it struck, like clockwork. Rikku paused mid-sentence as she felt the bit of pressure at her abdomen. Noticing her shift a bit and look around Paine put two and two together rather quickly.

"You want me to get in line?"

"No, come with me there might be a line and I'm not done looking around."

Paine didn't know what else they needed to look for, but a half hour ago for her own sake she just stopped wondering why. Her job was to measure the shelves and push the cart and that's what she was doing. They made their way around a few crowded areas, the influx of after supper shoppers had already arrived. They were the worst, just strolling and looking, not a care in the world with their stomachs so full. It didn't help at all that this Home Goods was connected to the mall. They finally made it to the far end of the department store where the restrooms were. Rikku hopped on the small line and was out in two minutes. When she was finished the blonde noticed that an alternative route to the registers winded right through the baby supply section. Remembering what Lucil said at lunch and Paine's comments earlier she decided not to mask her intent at all. With an open palm she motioned to the seemingly brighter, pastel colored section of the store.

"Pypo you want to just look?"

Paine hesitated when she noticed what her wife was talking about. I mean they'd have to look eventually, they'd have to get blankets and toys and a crib and.. Paine nodded unsurely as she looked to her side at Rikku. "If you want to."

"Just a walkthrough."

"Okay." She said more surely. "We might as well see how much everything costs."

"Right."

They remained stationary for a moment before Rikku took the first few steps. Paine soon followed.

The aisle they seemed to enter first was of cute little miscellaneous things. Multi colored binkies, bonnets, little booties. All the things that were not cute in their actual size, however when shrunk down to just nothing they were the cutest things on Spira. Rikku stopped and pointed out a few things that caught her eye.

"Pypo look, ooh, a little baby poncho for when it rains."

Paine looked at the packaging suspiciously. The baby on it seemed all too happy to be out in the rain with a silly green poncho on. "Why do we have the kid out in the rain in the first place?"

Rikku played with the packaging a moment as she tried to think of the answer. She simply settled on. "Because Pai."

"Just because?"

"Right." Rikku nodded and hooked the baby sized poncho back on its hook. "You never know with spring coming and all…"

"You do realize that you'd have it in the fall right?"

She hadn't actually. Rikku turned and looked at her wife. "You counted it?"

Paine nodded slowly. "Yeah…you didn't?"

"Well I guess….with all this stuff going on.." She grew quiet. Her features shifted to a muted sadness or worry, Paine couldn't tell which. What happened in fall? The fighter tried to wrack her brain for something

"What?"

Rikku shook her head as to shake whatever had just come up away. "Nothing." She turned back to the wall of cute little additions. It only hit Paine an hour later as she waited at the stoplight before their quiet little street in Little Besaid that Rikku and Yuna always went away to see their grandmother in the fall. This year they wouldn't. With a small clearing of the throat she glanced over at her wife. Her actual wife! Sometimes it still felt crazy to think of their relationship like that but here they were, driving to their own home, with bookshelves. Rikku was lying back in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, not quite sleeping but merely resting.

"You know we can still go in the Fall to Solae…." Paine said suddenly. She noticed her words did little to disturb Rikku's trance. "Rikks?"

"I'll be as big as a bowl of soup by then Pypo." She dismissed as if Paine was asking her what she thought the weather would be like in a week.

"Yeah…but after?" She tried. "Maybe take little Cletus with us?"

"We're not naming it Cletus."

Paine smiled a little at how annoyed she sounded then. "Little…Grober."

Rikku opened an eye and smiled at her wife tiredly. "You don't need to say anything Muja."

Paine nodded to herself. "I know, but I know you still hurt." Rikku only closed her eyes.

The week went on like that until finally the excitement of Friday was upon them. There was so much to do and to pick up and get ready for. It would be a weekend of togetherness for Wakka's dinner before the blitz season started on Sunday. There was the Bayla family dinner for Kirill's departure after Sunday, they still had some things to fix and organize at home but they were going to sleep over Wakka and Lulu's that night, Yuna was going to bring Rikku to some shoe outlet on Saturday, Sunday was the big blitz game to start the season, and Monday was another appointment with Dr. Raymond. The eight week appointment. It had been two months already. As Rikku climbed the stairs from arriving form work she couldn't believe it. Two whole months.

"Paine I'm….home."

Paine was passed out on their bed clad in her jeans and a black bra. She had been working a lot of hours at the gym since she was new and wanted to grasp everything. What that meant was she was home at weird times in the day when they didn't need her, like now. Rikku checked the clock and nodded, as much as she liked to see her lady resting they really had to get ready to head over to Lulu and Wakka's. She was able to leave work at four in the afternoon which helped with all the things she wanted to get done around the house in between.

"Paine."

Paine opened her eyes sleepily. "I'm up." She mumbled.

Rikku rested a hand on her jeaned thigh as she looked down at her. "How long have you been sleeping?"

Paine looked to be about to answer when she looked at Rikku's hand on her thigh, she was just rubbing he area in a non-sexual yet comforting manner but with the dream Paine just had Rikku could have been doing the dishes and it would have been sexy. "You rubbin' my thigh like that makes me forget." She said cheekily as she sat up.

Rikku pulled her hand away. "Stop it." She was smiling though. She watched Paine run a hand through her hair. "Since lunch?" Paine nodded. "Well we have to get ready you know…so get up."

"We don't have to be there till nine, it's a late dinner. Wakka said he needs to eat later due to the time of the game on Sunday."

"Well you still have things to do here."

"Like?"

Rikku put her hand on her hip. "Like the basement."

Paine sighed as she began to get up. "You mean unpack all of your shoes."

"Yes, precisely."

"Fuck your shoes." She said without malice.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, and the shelf down there too Pai…" She reminded as Paine began to leave the room. Rikku went after her. "And the heater down there needs to be turned lower, and you need to give me your work clothes so I can wash them not leave them in a pile in the bathroom, and the—"

"Stop following me!"

Rikku chuckled. "Grumpy!" She called to her wife who ad began taking the stairs two at a time just to get away from her. Paine stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her. "Don't strain yourself." She reminded. Paine threw her hands up and the blonde laughed. She had offered to do all of these things but Paine insisted she didn't in her condition. It was annoying at the time, but throwing it back in Paine's face like this was oddly satisfying.

Rikku took a moderately long shower, she had been on site today and had the worst hard hat hair she needed to get rid of, plus the warm water colliding with her aching muscles was what she needed to clear her head from work and transition to the weekend with her family. More importantly, telling at the minimum Wakka and Lulu about her pregnancy. Once dinner plans were solidified with her father and her brother she knew she wouldn't have the time to have them in the room together for a while, Kirill was traveling for blitz every other four days and Cid was well, busy she supposed. She hadn't told Paine yet that this was what she wanted to do. She actually didn't want to bring up her father with her wife for obvious reasons, but they'd all be sitting down together at the port eating seafood tomorrow night, maybe it was best they just knock out the whole thing in one weekend, then go to the opening ceremony and blitz game on Sunday and relax.

After the shower she dried her hair and wrapped it with a towel while she changed into a cute grey camisole and dark pants with no pockets and curled cuffs. She'd put on her moss green shall tonight and call it a day. It was only Lulu and Wakka's after all. She'd pack some pajamas and something to wear the next day, their toiletries, Paine's clothes she apparently laid out, the hair gel and comb, all of it was sitting in a neat pile on the sink. The little overnight bag was placed on the stair landing once filled before she went back to their room to tidy it up some. She was reaching over the bed to fold back the sheet when it came; a sharp knife like pain to the gut, Rikku loudly sucked in air and winced. Her blood rushed to her face as she tried to calm herself down. What was that? She sat on the bed for a second and closed her eyes before it came again, this time she actually cried out in pain.

Paine took one look at the basement and all its glory and said fuck it, she'd do it tomorrow. She did however feel bad about leaving her laundry on the ground, so she slipped into the small laundry room near the kitchen and gathered the empty basket there before trotting up the stairs. She gathered all the bath towels and hand towels along with her clothes and Rikku's work clothes that were neatly hung up and dumped them into the basket. "I hope you fucking know that I'm not doing the basement." She announced as she continued to gather things from the bathroom to put it into the hamper. "I'll do it tomorrow.." She added when she got no response to her banter. "I mean when we come back." Now she was just talking to herself. There was so much to be done. Then this business about telling Wakka and Lulu tonight, she just didn't know, maybe she wasn't being confident in them, she knew it was making Rikku second guess how she felt about everything, truth be told Paine was actually really nervous excited about the baby. As if one had an important function to go to where all their friends would be, but she didn't have a way of getting there, and no one had informed her of the dress code. Nervous excited like that. She'd never been one to dwell to heavily on how things happened but how they were, now she couldn't get over all the what ifs. The heartbeat changed everything, Rikku had been right. Did she become a parent just then? No she didn't feel that, but something important shifted that day, something changed. She shook her head at herself. Or maybe she was just really really nervous. It was so easy to fuck kids up…look at all the brats on the news all the time… Paine picked up a hand towel that was different from the rest. Its material looked expensive. It looked to be from the things Rikku took from her Grandmother's house. She had started to notice the little things popping up here and there. A scarf, an old cookbook, no wonder Rikku's return bag was heavier. "Hey Rikks does this fancy towel get washed!?" She called as she rested it aside. In their years of dating she had made the mistake of washing something that needed to be dry cleaned one too many times. "Looks expensive…" Paine paused and looked toward the bedroom. "Ri?" Paine paused again and paid attention to a sound, though dull and muffled she knew it was her wife's. She dropped her basket and bolted into the bedroom where she found Rikku laying on the bed in near fetal position, eyes brimmed with tears clutching her stomach.

##

"What do you mean nothing's wrong with her?" She demanded.

Dr. Raymond tried to calm her down with her tone, it was something doctors, especially ones that helped deliver babies had hidden in their arsenal. "Paine, I understand that you are upset, no one wants to see—"

Paine shook her head. "Of course no one wants to see their wife like that, but you're standing here telling me that nothing is wrong with her when she's still in there—" She motioned to the door behind Dr. Raymond. "So you're saying she's just making it up, but you won't let her go?" She was two seconds from just barging through those doors on her own and letting security deal with her later. They had been here for an hour already; Rikku somewhere in the deep catacombs of the hospital emergency ward and Paine pulling out her hair in the waiting room.

"Please try and calm down. She's going to be fine Paine, the baby will be fine, what Rikku experienced was Braxton Hicks contractions, which is what I have been trying to tell you, they're sporadic uterine contractions that start about 6 weeks into the pregnancy." Irene sighed when Paine made no effort to show that she understood.. "We just want to know why she is feeling them now, usually they don't become known until the midterm."

"And I can't be in there to hold her hand, nothing, I'm supposed to just stand out here and wait?"

"Unfortunately yes, because we did not know what was wrong initially we rushed her into a secure sector of the hospital in case we had to deliver—"

"Deliver an eight week old baby?"

"It's standard that she be put in the delivery ward after six weeks. The fetus isn't quite on its own yet but it's growing rapidly. By standard we place mothers there because of the testing rotation, there are tests that Rikku has already had, and placing her in the seven weeker and below ward would only make her wait longer."

"Fine, just—"

"It will only be another moment…" She sighed. "I know you're worried sick about this pregnancy Paine but when the doctors are finished she's going to need you."

Paine watched as she walked away after that, slightly dumbfounded and still a little angry she plopped herself down on the nearest chair and watched the single double doors intensely for about another half hour more. She wasn't stupid, of course she knew her wife needed her, of course, that's why she was so upset about the whole thing, When Dr. Raymond reemerged she was leading Rikku out with a small prescription bag in her hands. Paine scrambled to her feet and approached them. "Are you alright?" Paine asked quickly. If she so much as had a scratch on her pretty head all hell was breaking loose.

Rikku came over to her and took her hand. "Yes, Pypo I'm fine."

"It may not be the answer you want but it seems they came for no reason at all. That's how these things work sometimes Paine. I've explained to Rikku here that if it becomes that painful again she can take one of these." She shook the baggy. "It was ease it."

"That won't hurt Cletus?"

Dr. Raymond furrowed a brow and then smiled softly at the waiting look on Paine's face. "No. It's herbal." She watched as the two hugged closely. "I however still would like to see you two on Monday."

They returned home and got ready for the night quietly.

"I'm fine." Rikku finally decided she needed to announce for the millionth time as they pooled into the living room to put their shoes on.

Paine simply shook her head. "I'm gonna really need you to stop scaring the shit out of me like that." She sat down on the couch with her sneakers at her feet ready to be tied. "I was an asshole to your doctor too."

"To Dr. Raymond?" Paine nodded as she worked to her socks on. 'Paine she left her family dinner to be there…"

"I didn't say I felt good about it." She mumbled.

Rikku sat down beside her. "I know you worry after it. Please try and relax though, put it in the back of your head?' Paine looked to her side at her and Rikku sighed again. "I know how it sounds, I'm sorry. I just don't like seeing you give yourself greys. He or she isn't even born yet!"

"Is that why you didn't call me when it happened?" She asked seriously. Rikku didn't know why she tried to just bare through it. Maybe that was a part of it, but there was also something in her as well. "I'm gonna fucking worry." She said clearly as they looked at one another. "That's my kid too." She bent to tie one shoe and then stopped, ran her hands along her jeans and looked back at Rikku. "More than anything Ri, I'm worried about you….it's not worth it if—" She didn't say anything else, she didn't need to.

Rikku put her arm around her wife's back and leaned against her. "E's hud kuehk yhofrana." She whispered into Paine's ear before resting her chin on her shoulder. "Okay? I'm sorry." She leaned forward and pressed a small kiss on the side of Paine's mouth. "Today didn't help." She kissed her again this time on the lips, Paine leaned into it and kissed her back just as gently. Rikku pulled away slowly and ran a hand up and down her wife's back. "That was a nice kiss." She smiled. Paine shrugged but smiled right back at her. "I love you." Rikku said seriously after a moment of just looking at her.

"I love you too."

Rikku smiled again as her hand resumed its caress. "Can I have one more of those kisses before we leave?" Paine looked to be thinking it over before lunging forward and knocking the blonde back onto the couch as she placed firm one on her lips. "Paine!"

"I'm not done." She growled playfully as she brought her kisses down to her neck and then her cleavage.

##

Lulu only smiled at her son's excitement. "Vidina please, let them put there things down." The little boy was jumping around his aunts as soon as they walked through the door. He let them know about his latest tooth, the episode of Chocobo Knights they had apparently missed, and Wakka burping, all of it communicated at the speed of a racehorse jumping free from the starting gates.

"I can help!"

"Yes yes." She turned him around gently by his little shoulders and pushed him towards the kitchen. "Help Padrina. What have I said hm? When travelers come by, you let them rest." The four tear old pouted.

"But Momma Aunty Pai and Aunty Wikku lives here." He motion to the carpet.

"Vidina Mateo." She stood to her height and watched as he cast a longing glance at his aunts before hurrying off into the kitchen to finish help Tidus. Lulu sighed and looked to her sister and Rikku. "He took a nap."

Rikku laughed and rested a hand on Paine's arm. "So did she."

"Ah, how lucky of them." Lulu teased. She was looking rather comfortable in a long black maxi dressed that showed off her curves in as modest of a way you could when you looked like Lulu D'Autry. The lack of anything on her feet somehow gave her a maternal air about her thought. The house was a pleasantly warm contrast from the chill outside and smelt of stew, heavy spices, and the faintest touch of yeast.. Wakka and Tidus could be heard laughing together in the kitchen and for some reason Kimahri had greeted Paine and Rikku at the door with Vidina, apparently Yuna had been by earlier in the day with him. There was always a sense of homecoming whenever they arrived here. Rikku hoped to create that for their home. "You and Paine can have the guest room down here on this floor. Yuna will take the one upstairs and Tidus has the couch." She announced as she walked with them into the hall.

"Ooh you sure you don't to give Yunie down here? Y'know so she and Teedus can talk?"

"I haven't even considered it, would you two mind?"

Paine hiked their small overnight bag on her shoulder and darted up the stairs without saying anything. Lulu seemed amused by that.

"I suppose she thinks we're meddling." She said after glancing up the stairs.

Rikku waved her off as she leaned back against the stairs banister to mirror Lulu's casual posture. "It's my great plan that got them here in the first place, and whether Paine likes to admit it or not she helped."

"Yuna is very quiet about it this time around."

"Do you think they are back together?" Lulu shook her head quickly. "Well anyhow, at least they can be in the same room together again."

"Progress." For a moment after the two said nothing, Lulu seemed to be merely studying the blonde. It was unnerving to say the least. She had her wife's intense eyes, her nose, yet Paine had her mother's thinner mouth, while Lulu's lips pursed together in thought like this made them look completely different. "You seem tired."

"It's that obvious?" Rikku joked. "I'm pooped."

"How is work?"

How was work? Rikku could remember telling Paine something about their latest project in the car on the way here. Other than that she wasn't sure. It was hard to focus on work when she wasn't there to be honest. "Oh building this, sketching that. We have a new contractor with some Bluth family business. Their so indecisive, it's driving everyone crazy."

Lulu nodded. "I know how that might feel." She paused a moment more before pushing herself off of the banister. "Well then, I believe Wakka opened a bottle of wine? Yuna won't be too disappointed you think if we have a sip before she gets here?"

That sounded like exactly what she needed. Rikku began to say something but then stopped herself. "You know actually I have a little headache right here." She pointed to her left temple. "I think I should hold off on som—"

Lulu shook her head. "Nonsense. It will help, how in Spira do think I handle all of this noise?" She motioned to the staircase. "I'll bring you and Paine a glass up while you unwind. There are towels too. She added as an afterthought while she walked toward the rowdy kitchen. Rikku watched her go and sighed before pulling herself upstairs. She found Paine sitting at the foot of the full size bed looking at her cellphone. Paine glanced behind her when Rikku threw herself onto the bed causing it to jump lightly.

"Gip sent me this video of a monkey baking cookies it's–"

"Lulu knows."

Paine looked away from her phone. "Knows what?"

Rikku's face was mashed into the fluffy Besadian quilted duvet. She raised a hand and then let it fall as if to say she didn't know. "That I'm sick or that I'm pregnant, or that we're getting a divorce, or I don't know something major." She closed her eyes into the cool fabric. She was suddenly reminded at how tired she was.

Paine turned at her hip and looked down at her. "Oh yeah? Well good, then we don't have to tell her."

Rikku sat up. "Of course we have to tell her Paine, she's your sister." She took Paine's phone away to look at the short clip of a monkey baking cookies. "It's so cute!" She replayed it twice more before Paine's phone pinged signaling she had a new text message. "Pypo you have a text from…." She looked up at her wife. "Who's Julia?"

Paine chuckled and took the phone from her hands. "An instructor at the gym, she's taking my shift Monday so we can go to the doctor."

"Is she hot?"

"Why? you want me to ask her to join us?"

Rikku laughed and lad back down. "Oh you'd love that."

"She's as old as Keira." She sent the reply text and rested her phone down.

"You never said if she was hot or not." Paine shrugged. "How do you have so many woman friends?"

Paine shook her head. "You're my only woman friend, and I'm married to you."

"Yuna?"

"She's my cousin in law."

"Elma?"

"Okay so you, Elma and Yuna are my only woman friends."

"Amy?" Paine rolled her eyes. "I still need to find her and let her know I put a ring on it." Rikku shook her fist for good measure and Paine laughed.

'Yeah, okay." She stood from the bed. "We should—" Just then the door knocked lightly Paine walked the small distance to open it revealing Lulu and two glasses of red wine.

"Hello Paine."

Paine let her in and left the room door open. "Hey."

"I hope I'm not interrupting." She said as she noticed Rikku sitting up from a lying position on the bed.

"No, Rikks was just telling me how she was going to fight someone for me."

Rikku took a glass of wine from Lulu. "How do you deal with all those fan girls all over Wakka all season?"

Lulu smiled knowingly. "I don't think you'd like to know." She handed another glass to Paine.

"Ooh Lulu, we'll talk later." Rikku brought the glass to her lips then paused when she felt Paine's eyes on her. She pulled the glass away in acute shock. "Um…is this a Pinot Noir Lulu?" She made a show of swirling the crimson contents around. "They're my favorite but I have a cold see and I'm driving tonight…"

Lulu looked a little confused. "Haven't you brought an overnight bag?" She motioned to the duffle bag on the ground near Rikku's feet, and wasn't it a headache not a cold?

'Oh…yes…mhm well that's right but sometimes Paine likes to drive in the car see to fall asleep and she can't drive herself…"

Lulu nodded. "Right well, I'll have Wakka make you some tea then, for your cold."

She handed the glass back to Lulu. "That would be amazing, thank you."

"Come down in ten, Yuna is on her way."

"Will do."

Lulu turned to regard Paine, opened her mouth and then closed it before leaving. They waited until they heard her steps on the stairs before Rikku face planted herself into the pillows again

"Hey so you do know that you just made no fucking sense right?"

"Go away." She moaned from the pillow. Paine chuckled, rested a hand on her back for a moment and then left the room. Rikku rolled onto her back and sighed at the ceiling. It was going to be an interesting evening. Without meaning to Rikku closed her eyes only to open them again the insistent vibration on the bed beside her. It was Paine's cell phone, the one she was forgotten. With a smile she answered it her most Paine like voice.

"Kerrigan."

"Rikku?"

"Yunie?"

"Where is your phone? I've been trying to call it."

"Oh." The blonde looked around the bed and then spotted her purse on the ground beside their overnight bag. "It was in my purse are you close?"

"I can't find parking."

"What do you mean you can't find parking?" She got out of the bed and made her way downstairs with her cousin on the phone. She found Wakka and Tidus in the living room adjusting the huge flat screen tv Wakka had hidden somewhere else in the house regularly. It was his blitzball tv, and Lulu found it gaudy and unrealistic.

"Hey Rikku." Tidus smiled when he saw her come down the stairs. "Check this thing out-oh." He smiled apologetically when he realized that she was on the phone.

"It's Yunie, she can't find parking."

Wakka was in the middle of setting up the tv for the blitz past season recap on Sports Central. "Eh, they're havin' some party next door. Is that her on duh phone?" He put the wires down.

"Here's Wakka." Rikku gave him the phone and watched as he tried to give her parking directions. "Well I'll move my car ya? I'll meet you outside." He finally said after a moment.

"Lu!" He called after he hung up. Vdina came running into the living room.

"Daddy Momma said dats yelling is impowites." He grabbed his father's hand with his two little ones and dragged him into the kitchen. "Momma!" He yelled. Rikku and Tidus laughed and then stopped when they realized they were both laughing.

"So." Rikku put her hands on her hips.

"It's so crazy seeing him as a dad." Tidus sat back down on the couch and rolled up his dark blue button down shirt sleeves so he could focus back on the wiring of cable box he moved to his lap.

"Are you reading a manual?" She teased as she sat beside him.

"Yes." He nodded. "Listen I know what you're going to say, that's you're Al Bhed, and you can have this fixed in two licks of a lollypop, but I'm not."

"That's extremely racist of you Teedus."

His face dropped. "I…I didn't mean it—"

"And that's exactly what I was going to say so take it easy." She elbowed him lightly and they smiled. Rikku wanted him to feel welcome again with them. She knew he felt like an outsider now, but he was still Tidus. She had decided for Yuna's sake she'd give him a second shot. Plus she did miss having someone to goof about with like this. Now a days both Yuna and Paine were worrying themselves into the ground. Tidus was always so… pleasantly aloof.

In the kitchen Paine somehow got the task of slicing both the bread and the roast that were meant to go into the stew. Rikku had talked her into wearing a sweater, but in the heat of the kitchen she decided to take it off and work in her simple white v-neck under shirt. Vidina was bouncing his way between the sisters passing along items he thought would go best in the stew Lulu was stirring or on the roasted tenderloin of beef Paine was cutting. Paine was filling Lulu in on Vidina's trip to the Grand Sphere Theatre, she promised to email her the picture of him and Rikku on stage pretending to sing to an audience once she got a hold of Rikku's laptop.

"I'll have to call her, and thank her." Lulu reminded herself as she took the bottle of honey from Vidina. "Thank you love, this will go perfectly."

"Vid." Paine called. The little boy ran over. "Here." His eye went wide at the little make shift sandwich she had made him out of a slice that was a little too thick to put into the stew and two slices of the fresh bread. It was tiny, but in his hands the little snack looked enormous. "Shh."

"He'll ruin his appetite." Lulu said without even having to turn her back to see what was going on. The little boy ran out of the kitchen before anymore could be said about it. It made Lulu chuckle. "He's too young to be that smart."

Paine agreed. "At least he won't be getting into trouble like Gip or I did."

"Yes well, at least. Not everyone can turn themselves around." She put the huge pot on simmer and reached for her wine. She noticed Paine's semi untouched glass beside her. "We have beer as well you know, that is unless you're also sick." The way that she said it made Paine realize that she didn't believe a word of Rikku's story earlier.

"I'll finish it with food." Paine averted.

"Hm." Lulu watched her a moment. "Yuna told me you were interested in working with us again." She changed the subject.

Paine finished the last slice of beef just as Vidina came wondering in with sticky fingers and lips. She handed him another piece of the meat before biting into her own sample. "I can only wonder where Yuna heard that."

"Aunty Pai is real good." He nodded as he chewed.

She leaned against the counter and picked up her wine. "Yeah?"

"Mhm, where does woast come froms?"

"Cows."

He looked surprised and quickly turned from his aunt to his mother. "Momma cows do a lot!"

Lulu chuckled. "They work very hard yes."

"Woasts, buhher, milk…" He was counting them off on his greasy fingers. "Ice cweam!" A happy bark from Kimahri in the living room distracted him. "Mawdwina told me to watch Kimnari Momma." He explained as a way of excusing himself to see what all the ruckus was about. Paine watched him go and membered when he couldn't walk or talk even, remembered how he was even a good baby back then. Would there baby be that way?

"Paine?"

Paine blinked. "Huh yeah?"

"…I asked if you could pass the roast there."

She nodded. "Yeah." She turned quickly and reached for the cutting board with the meat on it. "Rikks says I got fat anyway, you guys don't need me." She tilted the cutting board to the open stew pot and Lulu used a spatula to drop it in carefully.

"On the contrary, we could actually." She closed the pot and turned the stove even lower, Now they just had to wait for everyone to be seated. Food was done.

"I'm sure you know my situation, I can't just miss work." Especially now.

"Well we'd pay you Paine, we aren't in college doing this for free anymore either." She wiped off her hands.

Paine nodded. "How much would I get? Per walk I guess, is that how you do it?"

"A fitting, a rehearsal and a walk, right now…" She shrugged slightly before picking up her wine glass again. "five fifty to start."

Paine nodded. That was a lot of money for a few hours a day of bullshit. That was almost half that really nice crib she saw Rikku looking at. That was two, maybe three weeks grocery for them alone right now. Doctor's visits… Paine mind crunched numbers as they went into the hall to meet Wakka, Yuna, Vidina, and Kimahri.

"—That's crazy ya." Wakka nodded as he crossed his arms. "What kind of thing are they throwin'?"

Yuna laughed. "A blitzball party."

"Dey already startin' that? Don't they know I gotta get my sleep?" He joked.

"I don't think they know you're their neighbor."

"Eh, they probably always see Lu…" He kept very early and late hours when training and when in off season because he was training then still.

Yuna ran an affectionate hand over Vidina's hair to flatten it. He was sporting a simple comb back part today with the cutest cow lick. "Well I've brought you all a little something." She motioned to the sack under her other arm. "Candies from Besaid, one of my father's clients brought them in."

"Aye you didn't have to ya?" Wakka always liked Yuna, It turned out that they grew up only a village away from one another on Besaid. Having someone that knew where he was coming from in such a big city like Luca was rare.

"I was wondering if you were just dumping Kimahri here for the weekend." Lulu smiled at her best friend.

Yuna laughed. "Lulu." They kissed on the cheek. "Paine." She hugged her briefly before looking around. "It smells lovely in here."

"Is da cows Madwina, dey workin'." Vidina nodded.

"Oh?" Yuna looked around the small hall at the adults. Wakka only shrugged, Lulu and Paine exchanged looks. "Where is my cousin?"

"I forgot her tea Lu." Wakka shared apologetically as the group filed into the next room. Lulu only smiled and patted his arm.