She sits in a lean-to, fumbling with a screwdriver, trying not to think about how she should be in Djose right now. Trying not to think about last night, but she can't help it. She's not even sure that she knows why the argument happened... Was it because… she lied? Because she told him not to propose because he felt like he had to? Because they were in Bikanel? But she doesn't know, no matter how hard she thinks, no matter how many times she replays last night's events over in her head. She doesn't like the trip back and forth from her empty tent, because she's embarrassed, not so much from his actions as from people's reactions. And suddenly everyone seems to know she's pregnant and are offering sympathetic glances that only succeed in making her feel pathetic.

Before Cid could take off to Djose to pound Gippal into the ground, Rikku made sure that he knew at least one of the reasons behind his outburst. He'd been a little angry that Gippal hadn't proposed, but not as mad as she was expecting. And that only makes her feel more pathetic, for making issues larger than they were.

And so, she hides in her lean-to, fixing what she can without really fixing anything.

"So, you're still awake."

He looks up momentarily from the papers he hasn't been reading and meets Aulyne's gaze. The innocent expression on her face and yet the accusatory tone of her voice immediately makes him feel guilty all over again for last night. He didn't mean to yell at her, but he just wasn't in the mood for conversation. Wasn't in the mood to answer her questions of "Where's the shipment?" or "Has Nhadala sent the files?" or more particularity, "Where's Rikku?" Definitely wasn't in the mood for that one. But he shouldn't have yelled at her – he shouldn't have left Rikku behind, shouldn't have said what he said about Khaled. And he shouldn't have yelled at Aulyne. Should've never slapped Cid in the face or dropped Rikku on the ground—

"Hey," Aulyne says, leaning in front of his desk and raising her eyebrow. "They'll be here any moment."

He half wishes she's referring to Rikku, but he doubts they'll be talking for at least a couple of days after what he did. Acting like he was intoxicated and going wildly mad on her over a simple discussion of marriage. He should've just left it alone. Should've just shut up when she said she was going to tell her father the truth. But Rikku has a way of saying things that always end up offensive to him. Making him feel like he's not good enough for her and her family. Making him feel like it's his fault for everything that happens because she's always apologizing when the blame clearly isn't entirely on her. Things like You have every right to be pissed at me… and I just don't want him to get mad at you because of me…

He doesn't like being defended for, especially by his own girlfriend. Especially against her father. He doesn't want to be the one to break up a family, not when he hasn't really had one of his own. Not when he has a child on the way – and he doesn't want that child growing up in a feuding family. All because of him.

Maybe the thought of marriage just kind of, sort of... scared him a little.

"Hey," Aulyne says again, crossing her arms. "Are you even listening to me, or would you rather I yell?"

He shoots her a sharp glare before getting up and walking toward the calendar on the wall. He knows he deserves the comment, but it's not helping him feel any better, that's for sure. "Who's 'they'?"

"The two mechanics from Mi'hen – their hover broke down a week ago… remember? The THF4 model? You promised them you were goin' to look at it."

He frowns as his finger traces along the calendar's square boxes and lands on the day's date – an empty square. "Are you sure?"

He hears her sigh and start toward the door. "I'll check the repair schedule again, if you want."

"Wait." And he's silent as she stops and turns around, a look of annoyance on her face. A look that he's personally familiar with, and he feels a little hypocritical for doing exactly what he accuses Rikku of doing all the time. "I don't doubt you," he mumbles.

Her frown disappears slightly, and he even sees a tug of a smile on the edge of her lips as she nods and glances downward before meeting his gaze again. "They should be arriving within the hour. Do you want me to fix you anything?"

He grins sheepishly, running a hand through his messy hair. He didn't sleep at all last night, and he knows he must not be looking like a big shot faction leader right about now. "I should probably get cleaned up first."

She shrugs, opening the door and returning his smile. "I'll make you something anyway."

"Rikku?"

She looks up, and smiles weakly at her brother's silhouette in the entrance to her hideaway. Gives him a grateful look when he hands her a full canteen and half a sandwich.

"Workers... they are talking. Telling that Vydran told them you are having a baby."

"...'saying', not 'telling'."

"Saying." He nods at the correction and glances outside before sitting next to her in the sand. "It is true?"

She stares at the little sand piles as she takes a bite out of the sandwich. "Yeah... I'm... I'm sorry you didn't hear it from me first. I was gonna tell you today. Before Gippal and I left."

He doesn't mind. There's a tiny smile on his face, and she can't help grinning back at him. "I'm going to be Uncle? Not just Brother... Uncle, too?" She nods. "I am happy, now. Very happy."

"Good." She shakes her head and leans against his shoulder. "Do you remember last night?"

"I remember crazy Gippal."

"Okay, well... I told Dad that we were getting married. But we weren't. He never asked and he wasn't planning on it, I don't think, but I tried to make Dad happy and I lied." She glances up to make sure he's following. When he nods, she looks back at the little sand dunes within the lean-to, protected from the weather for the moment. "And I told Gippal I lied... and then I told him I didn't want him to propose because he was forced to. He got mad... I don't even know what happened, but we both got mad. And I tried to leave, but... well, you saw the rest." She tries, too hard, she thinks, not to go to pieces. But when Brother hugs her tightly, she can't help more tears from spilling down her cheeks. "I don't even know what it was about!"

Brother just shook his head, not looking at her. "He had lots to drink at happy poker, Rikku. Maybe that's why you fight. Fought."

"No, no, he was okay! I know him, he wasn't drunk."

"Maybe he hide it well?" He stands, shrugging.

"If you're pregnant, don't you think you should be eating something?"

Rikku glances up at Buddy and then puts her eyes back on her plate, pushing the mashed potatoes around with her fork. "Probably."

"So why do you keep staring at it like it's scrap metal?"

"Maybe I'm just not hungry, did you think of that one?" And she feels bad for biting his head off. It isn't his fault he's the third person to ask her the same question. Not his fault her father went all protective on her and made her get out of the work tents, and took her access card for excursions into the Expanses away.

He sits next to her and shakes his head. "Has… he called yet?"

"No."

"Have you?"

"No."

"Well, if you're not going to call-"

"He left me, why should I call?!"

"-then just give it time. And eat your dinner like a good little girl." He shoves her lightly, and a little smile comes to her face despite how much she resists it.

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Buddy. Haven't been for a long time."

He shakes his head with a grin, standing and pushing away from the table. "You're always gonna be a little girl. And normally I would say you're always a hungry little girl, but you seem to have lost your appetite." He walks out of the tent, and she looks back down at her plate, taking a bite of her potatoes.

"You're doing it again."

Gippal looks up from the counter, giving Aulyne a you-can't-read-my-mind-don't-dare-try look. "Doing what?"

She turns off the stove, giving the pot a final stir. Her back is toward him. "Being all sad."

He lets out a sigh of amusement, leaning his elbow on the counter and pushing the application forms aside. "I'm quite fine, if you must know."

She shakes her head, reaching for a bowl from the dish rack. "You've been doing it for three days now."

He stands up, walking toward her to get a spoon from the drawer. "Didn't know you paid so much attention to me."

She shrugs, pouring a few spoonfuls of soup into his bowl. "You're too obvious about it. Waiting by the CommSphere all night, distracted from work, stuff like that." She turns to him, holding out the bowl and giving him a small smile. "Maybe you should take more notice of the obvious things around you." She points toward the oven. "…I made that butter coated bread you like so much."

She leaves shortly after when he doesn't say anything but a humble thanks.

Rikku sits on the couch in Buddy's apartment, Brother sitting next to her, Buddy in the armchair across. And the Commsphere's in her hand. And it's connecting to Djose. She's not sure she wants to talk to him, but it's been five days, and she needs to figure out what's going on.

She waits until it connects, and before anything appears on the screen, she tosses it into Brother's lap.

"Rikku!" he whispers, shocked.

"Just... just tell him I need something. I don't know. Whatever. And see what he does. Tell him I need my damn sleeping pills, for reasons he doesn't need to know, for all I care!"

"What's that mean?!"

"Nothing, nothing..."

Brother hands the Commsphere to Buddy. "You talk. He like you."

A signal comes through and Gippal glances at the sender. Buddy. Confused, he presses the button to pick up, leaning back in his chair until he sees his childhood friend's face appear on the screen. "Yeah?" he says, in a somewhat low voice because Aulyne had just fallen asleep on the couch near him.

"Rikku wants her... uh... pills? The sleeping ones?" He glances toward Rikku, who nods dispiritedly across from him. "And her hairdryer." She gives him a curious glance, but he just keeps going. "She also mentioned some novel she was reading? She has nothing to do but paperwork out here, anymore, Cid took away all her access cards."

She buries her face in her hands, because there isn't a novel. But she listens intently... just to see if Gippal paid enough attention when she was home, two long weeks ago, to know that.

Gippal frowns slightly, finding it offensive that his own girlfriend won't even look at him. Will instead order someone else to do the talking for her. To fetch her things. He presses his hand against the side of his head, staring back at Buddy dully with a tone to match. "Can't she get sleeping pills out there? The hairdryer is ours. And Rikku doesn't read."

"I guess she could get them here... She probably didn't think about it." Buddy keeps his gaze level at the Commsphere. She's relieved that Gippal noticed she doesn't read. "She said she needed some clothes, too. She only had a week's worth, and the laundry doesn't come back from the central camp 'til the end of the week." She sighs, though it's true enough. She's tired of walking to the Oasis to wash her things.

Gippal scoffs. "You're telling me they don't sell clothes in Bikanel either?"

Rikku immediately narrows her eyes, anger flooding her mind as she clenches and unclenches her fist. Brother puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Is it really that hard to mail some clothes to your girlfriend?" Buddy asks, shocking Rikku with how up front he is. Normally, Buddy is very laid back.

Gippal doesn't like the idea of mailing away Rikku's things – keeping her comfortable in Bikanel. "She might as well come here herself. And get whatever else she wants."

Rikku shakes her head and pulls Brother's hand from her shoulder so he can't restrain her. She crosses to Buddy's chair and stares down into the sphere, her eyes flashing. "I doubt you'll pull your head out of your ass anytime soon, but that's what I really want." She bites her lip as soon as she says it, because that's not what she wanted to say. Just what she was thinking.

Gippal glares at her, hesitating briefly. It's the first time he's seen her in days. "How about getting your ass back here?"

"You left me here! Is that supposed to translate into you wanting me to come back? Because it doesn't!"

He presses his hand hard against the desk. "It's been nearly a week! Transport airships come and gone from there to here!" He pauses momentarily when he hears Aulyne stirring. He lowers his voice. "Clearly, you'd rather be in Bikanel."

Rikku shakes her head. "Is that what this is about? Me coming to Bikanel these last months? Last week was supposed to be the last time! But you left me here, so you can't say I'd rather be here."

"…G-Gip-pal?"

He glances at Aulyne who's woken up now, and shoots her an uneasy look before turning back to the sphere. "It's not like you followed afterwards, kiddo," Gippal says in a low whisper. "Hey, at least you don't have to defend me from your pops if I'm all the way out here, yeah?"

Rikku wants to tell him that she didn't have to defend him. Wants to make sure that he will never call her 'kiddo' again. But she heard the voice. "Who's with you?"

Aulyne rolls her eyes and falls back down on the pillow, propping her legs up on the headrest of the couch. Gippal hesitates briefly. "Aulyne," he says firmly. Being careful as he chooses his words. "...She just brought dinner."

He hears Aulyne snort.

Rikku shakes her head, because she hears it, too. Her expression falls, and she moves her eyes away from his face in the Commsphere, taking it from Buddy's hands as she walks out of the living room. "Just dinner, huh?" She settles on the guest bed, where she's been sleeping for the past two days. "Guess, what, kiddo-" and she thinks her sarcastic tones just don't sound right, that that word doesn't hold much significance coming from her mouth. "-I'm doing that doubting thing you hate. I bet you're glad you're with her. Someone who's not me. I bet you're having the time of your life." And she drops the sphere, moving out of the view path, though she doesn't disconnect.

That hurts him. Makes him quiet to hear her outright say those words. Doubt. Because throughout their relationship, he has been very careful not to make her think so. Very careful not to give her any reason to doubt. He doesn't know why he had to lie to her.

Aulyne peeks at Gippal from the couch, a small frown on her face and he immediately turns away. He's feeling guilty now.

Buddy suddenly enters the screen, and Gippal watches as he walks in the direction Rikku had left to. He hears Buddy ask her if everything's alright, knowing Buddy's going to turn to the sphere next.

Standing up from his seat, Gippal heads toward the door. Out of his office. Angry, frustrated, sad. He should've figured. He's just not good at maintaining a serious relationship. He's a terrible boyfriend – and they had considered him becoming a husband! Maybe he should just ship the rest of her things to her like she'd asked. Before she thinks he's a terrible friend too.

Rikku hates that she's taking comfort in her friend's arms and not her boyfriend's. That Gippal went quiet and she's too far away to see the sphere. Hates that it's Buddy asking her if she's okay.

"I just wanna go home," Rikku says softly. "I want this whole thing to go away... and I don't want him to be with her," she says, her voice breaking a little as she holds her emotions in.

Aulyne thinks she doesn't want Rikku being with him either as she curiously stares at the screen from her position. Gippal's already left the room, and she doesn't know if he wanted to disconnect or maybe forgot to.

When Aulyne hears Rikku mention her again, she makes her way over to Gippal's desk, many emotions racing through her mind but no words to interpret them. She settles down in his chair, knocking on the glass of the sphere. "Hey!" she calls out. She's not exactly sure what she plans to say, and if Gippal will get mad at her for meddling in his business. But she's been a good little girl, respecting his and Rikku's relationship. And she's not going to let that go unappreciated.

Rikku stares at the Commsphere and suddenly feels ill. She steps toward it again, looking into the glass as she wipes at her eyes to make sure she's not crying again. "... hey."

Aulyne draws back, suddenly feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. She glances away as she talks, hoping Rikku doesn't think she's trying to be all friendly. Hopes Rikku doesn't think she really cares. "If you doubt him, then you must doubt me too."

"Sometimes," Rikku answers truthfully. She looks straight at the other girl, both trying to make her uncomfortable and trying to make her know that what she says is true. "But after you made me tea that night... not so much. I don't think you want to be with him badly enough to mess up a baby's life in the process." Her voice is dull again, but she's used to it.

Aulyne almost wishes she had put sandworm saliva into that cup of tea at that comment. The way Rikku makes her sound like a homewrecker. An immoral person. The way she immediately claims ownership over Gippal at the mentioning of the baby. And Aulyne realizes with a bit of frustration that her tolerant behaviour hasn't been noticed, let alone appreciated, by Rikku at all. "You know, we were together first," Aulyne says bitterly. "But he's with you now. So I don't know why you would doubt him. Why you would hurt him the way you did."

"I don't know either. I never wanted to hurt him, if you'll believe me." Rikku knows she's about to get upset because her voice is shaking, and she shouldn't be talking about this to Aulyne. "I've hardly had a reason to doubt him." She shakes her head. "I messed up. I'll admit it. But he could've hurt the baby, y'know? And I can't lose another one. Especially not his… Goodnight..." She disconnects the Commsphere and turns away, burying her face in her hands.

"'Another one'?" Buddy asks, quietly, rubbing her back comfortingly. His voice is curious.

She shakes her head. "I don't wanna talk about it."

He nods, and starts to move away, before she catches his arm. "Don't say anything to Brother or Vydran. Please."

He nods again and leaves the room. She curls up on the little guest bed, miserably thinking about how she's sleeping on a cot in a friend's house once again.

Aulyne stares at the fuzzy screen for a moment, Rikku's voice running around in her head and she can't get it out. The word baby sitting in her mind where it doesn't belong. It belongs to Rikku and Gippal, not her.

She glances around his office, leaning back in the chair as her eyes trace out the edges of his furniture. Of the mess on the floor. Of the scattered supplies on his desk. Of the lamp in the corner and the dusty plant above the cabinet. Of the couch she'd been sleeping on and her pillow nearly sliding off. None of these objects belong to her.

This place doesn't belong to her. It's a place to sleep and it's a place for work. A place to play mom. To play wife. To play the sexy mistress that never gets her chance. A place to play friend – maybe. But in the end, her role here is clear and simple as it had been decided in the beginning: to play worker.

She can feel her chin begin to tremble as her fingers curl inward to touch her palm. She's never felt so lonely before. Never felt so insignificant, and yet, such a bother. Such an annoyance. Such a homewrecker when she has tried her best to not do so.

She had even secretly promised to herself that she would help take care of the baby when the time came. Take it into town, buy it cute little baby shoes. And sneak it cookies and treats from the kitchen every once in a while.

She doesn't know why she'd even thought that were possible. Because Rikku and Gippal would be all over it. Their baby. All theirs. At best, Aulyne's just the cook.

Maybe at another time and place she'd belong here. Maybe if she'd gotten more serious with Gippal. Or if Rikku never came. Little bits and pieces of shoulda, woulda, couldas that she's been toying over in her mind for weeks, for months. And maybe this is the time to just leave it the fuck alone. Maybe she 'oughta just...

She sighs, pressing her palms against the leather chair as she thinks to herself. Where she would go, what she would do if she...

Her chin is trembling again and so she stands firmly, leaving the office. She walks around the temple, trying to look for him, eventually finding him in his bedroom, midway packing for Rikku but frozen still as he stares at the picture on the nightstand.

She knocks softly on the door to get his attention, slipping her hands shyly into her shorts' pocket afterwards as she rocks on her heels. But by the look on Gippal's face, she can tell he has been thinking the same thing as her.

Maybe Rikku will appreciate her this time.

Thanks so much for waiting! Let us know what you think!