A/N: Sorry for the long delay in updates. For those who are following, I thank you for your continued patience. This story will be seen through to the end, which is quickly approaching. About seven chapters left, including the epilogue. Tick-tock... Enjoy the ride.

Chapter 13: The Gift

Rin's Waffle House was packed for breakfast as it'd been every morning at the crack of dawn. Locals and tourists alike descended on the Lucan hot spot every day without fail, cramming in line for a chance to sit inside its sunshine-gold walls, in a black, cushioned booth, and eat the famous waffle's everyone in Spira had been talking about for months.

Since Rin owed Rikku for falsely accusing her of the machina mishap a year ago, the bubbly thief collected that morning by obtaining exclusive entry, for herself and Yuna, through the back-way to a secluded table inside the popular establishment. And Yuna couldn't be more thankful for the distraction, especially after her latest chilling encounter the other night.

Waffles and drake bacon wafted through the air, accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee, making Yuna hungrier by the second, and a tad disappointed that she'd have to refrain from consuming what had been her favorite morning beverage for years now. Tidus wasn't much of a coffee drinker, which had initially made the transition to a caffeine-free diet bearable. But now, she was in the position to be tempted. And ordering decaf would almost certainly reveal her condition to her intuitive cousin.

A young, Al Bhed waitress, sporting a black and gold uniform, greeted them at their table with a warm smile then handed each of them a sleek, plastic menu. "Can I start you off with something to drink? Or do you two need a few minutes to decide?"

"What's to decide!?" Rikku chirped. "Coffee! Lots of it! Just bring the pot. We'll finish it in—"

"Actually," Yuna quickly interjected, "I think I'll have a glass of orange juice. And maybe…a cup of honey-bush milk tea as well."

Silence came from the pleather booth across from her. Rikku looked completely shell-shocked, eyes fixed on the ex-summoner with her mouth slightly agape.

The waitress whipped out a pen and pad from her apron pocket, jotted the order down then looked at Rikku expectantly. "Do you still want that pot of coffee for yourself?"

"Uhh…" Rikku's eyes stayed glued on Yuna for a few more moments before she blinked and smiled up at the waitress. "You know what—yeah bring the whole pot. Something tells me I'm gonna need it!"

"Comin' right up." The waitress then turned to leave, and left Yuna alone with her cousin with virtually no time to prepare for the interrogation that would surely follow.

"Umm…" Rikku leaned in at the table, brows knit together in suspicion. "What was that!?"

"What was what?" Feigning ignorance, Yuna casually shrugged, knowing full-well her answer would only serve as a stall tactic.

"You've been drinking coffee every morning since the beginning of The Calm. What're you pregnant or something?"

Judging from her cousin's snort of a laugh, she wasn't serious about the question. But since Yuna didn't respond with her usual light form of scolding, or deny it for that matter, the hyper blonde's eyes grew wide in assumption.

Uh-oh… So much for waiting for the right time. At this rate she should've just ordered the decaf.

When Rikku inhaled a sharp breath, Yuna shot across the table and clamped a hand over her cousin's mouth, just in time to stifle the gleeful shriek now vibrating against her palm. "Shhh… Please… I can't have all of Spira learning of this. Not right now." Once the muffled shrieks went silent, Yuna slowly removed her hand then eased back into her seat, hoping her cousin would honor her wishes.

"Sooo…" Grinning from ear-to-ear, Rikku cautiously glanced around then leaned in when the coast seemed clear to whisper with excitement, "I'm gonna be an aunty!?"

"Rikku!" Yuna admonished in a harsh whisper. "We can't talk about this here!"

"Heeeyyy…" Rikku pouted. "You can't just lay this on me and expect me to forget about it." The blonde thief suddenly perked-up. "Hey I know! We'll just stay away from keywords! Oh c'mon, Yunie pleeease!?"

There'd be no way to peacefully eat breakfast otherwise. Her cousin was as relentless as cat chasing a rodent. "Okay fine, but please try to be discreet. I'm begging you."

After bouncing in her seat like a little girl who'd just discovered a mountain of candy, Rikku raised a brow in question. "Why all the secrecy anyway?"

"It's what Tidus and I want…for now, because of what happened at the party and everything that's occurred since."

"Ahh okaayy. I'm guessing this is one of the main reasons for planning a whirlwind wedding?"

"Mm," Yuna hummed with a nod, unwilling to elaborate on the matter.

"Um…" Squirming in her seat, Rikku pursed her lips to the side and frowned as though she were struggling to find words. "How far…into it are you?"

"About nine weeks." Yuna couldn't help smiling at the thought, and the overwhelming joy she'd felt when she'd seen the life Tidus and her had created on the sonogram. "We have a sphere recording of it, you know."

Rikku's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Really!?"

"Mhm. It's at home in the dining cabinet. It was given to us by the doc—" Yuna caught herself as a random couple passed by their table, pausing until they were out of earshot before continuing. "It was given to us when I was released back in Bevelle."

"Oooo, I wanna see it!" Rikku exclaimed, pawing the air like a playful kitten.

A joyful laugh bubbled out of Yuna. "Once we're finished breakfast we can head back to my place and I'll show it to you."

"I can't wait!"

Just then, the waitress returned with their drinks and pulled her pen and pad out of her apron. "Are you ladies ready to order or do you need a few more minutes?"

"Hmm…" Rikku glanced down at the menu, eyes widening in delight at something she'd found appealing. "Chocolate Banana Waffle Dream!? Oh yeah! That's singing my name!"

That actually sounded really good.

"And for you, Lady Yuna?"

"I think I'll have the same. But with a side of drake bacon and…maybe some home fries as well." Feeling bashful at her rather large order, Yuna slunk back against the booth, while the waitress visibly bit back a smirk.

"Y'know…" Rikku piped-up. "I'm starting to have a craving for chocobo eggs." Humor swirling richly in her eyes, she tossed Yuna a wink then looked up at the waitress with a smug grin. "And since Rin is footing the bill for all this, you can add a side of those to my order. And maybe some drake bacon too."

The waitress' expression turned stoic as she jotted down the extra items, probably trying not to jeopardize a sizable gratuity from a celebrity table. She then gave Yuna an apologetic smile before collecting the menus and retreating in the direction of the kitchen.

"Thank you," Yuna whispered, grateful for her cousin's expert deflection. Her appetite had begun to increase lately. Something she hadn't expected to happen for a few more weeks.

"Hey, no biggie!" Rikku poured the coffee into her mug then proceeded to add sugar and cream before giving it a stir with the spoon provided. "What are cousin's for?"

"Are you really going to try and eat all that?"

"Hell no! But I'm sure your hubby wouldn't mind having it when he returns from practice later."

Of course not! What man would turn down bacon and eggs? Her fiancé may not have been keen on leftovers, but Yuna had a hunch he'd be too tired and sore later to snub a meal that only needed to be reheated.

"So…" Taking a sip of her coffee, Rikku's assessing gaze slid over her cousin with a spark of curiosity. "You excited about…y'know?"

"I am! And yet…" A flutter inside Yuna's chest made her pause to consider what that'd meant. She then met her cousin's gaze and exhaled sharply. "I'm really nervous to be honest," she admitted for the first time, going for her glass of juice and chugging almost half the contents before setting it down to take a breath.

The astonishment on Rikku's face mirrored how the ex-summoner felt about admitting such a thing to her cousin. She hadn't even really admitted it to herself until now.

"Yunie…" Rikku's tone changed into something much more serious, demanding her full attention. "You have a beautiful home. A great guy who you'll be married to soon. And you both have solid careers. What's to worry about?"

Sometimes Rikku just didn't get it. "This is a life that would solely depend on us for… everything. It's…kind of scary when you think about it. What if we mess up?"

"Are you kidding!?" Rikku snorted another laugh. "If Wakka can manage, you guys are golden! Besides, you'll have plenty of people who'll be willing to lend a hand. Like me and Gippal!"

"Yes but…" Shaking her head, Yuna released a long sigh, and with it some of her reservations. "Maybe you're right. I guess it's just the fear of the unknown. I know Tidus is worried about turning out like his father and—"

"He won't!" Rikku interjected, reaching across the table to give the ex-summoner's hand a supportive squeeze. "You guys will be fine! Trust me!" Gasping as though she'd just made a startling discovery, Rikku withdrew her hand and straightened her posture. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! Guess what I finally did?"

"What?"

"I told Pop about Gippal and I moving in together."

Pretending to be surprised, Yuna raised a brow of intrigue. "And how'd that go?"

"Actually, a lot better than I expected. He seemed really happy about something when he arrived, but he wouldn't spill. Oh well," she expressed with a shrug, "I'm just grateful he didn't lose his mind and rip Gippal's throat out like I thought he would."

Asking Cid to walk her down the aisle must've had a profound effect on him. Regardless, she was happy it worked in Rikku's favor.

The waitress returned just then with their orders and laid the spread of breakfast goodies out in front of them before trotting off.

"Oooo… This looks sooo yuummy!" The bubbly blonde licked her lips, grabbed the utensils then dug into the pile of waffles on her plate smothered in bananas, chocolate sauce, and a generous helping of whipped cream on top.

Mouth practically salivating as well, Yuna mimicked her cousin and started off with having a few bites of the sweet, crispy waffles. And they were to die for. Tidus could make a mean waffle, but this was next level.

After some idle chit-chat about the wedding and sending out the invitations, their plates had become rather empty—save for Rikku's order of bacon and eggs.

"Omigosh... I'm stuffed." The chipper blonde slumped back against the booth and held a hand against her tummy.

"Drinking a whole pot of coffee will do that to you," Yuna indicated with a giggle.

"Yeah, I know. Now, I gotta pee!"

Something the ex-summoner could definitely resonate with as of late. She was actually surprised she didn't have to use the ladies room at the moment. These new changes in her bodily functions were taking some getting used to. She was just thankful her morning sickness phase had begun to subside over the past couple days.

"I'll be right back." The hyper blonde slid out of the booth and hurried in the direction of the restrooms.

Yuna sat sipping on her milk tea, trying to think if there was anyone she might've forgotten to add on the guest list when a man burst through the doors of the restaurant and announced some rather disturbing news to a table of patrons, who she assumed were his buddies. "Hey! Did you hear!? The Aurochs' new captain just got injured during practice! Looks like the Goers are gonna win again this year!"

Her heart froze. Tidus! Trying not to panic, Yuna abandoned her milk tea and quickly slid out of the booth, bumping into the waitress when she stood. "Sorry! I-I'm so…so sorry!"

"Are you alright?"

"I—I have to go! Please tell my cousin I'm sorry, but I—"

"Yunie what's wrong!?" Rikku returned to the table, brows drawn together with worry.

"It's Tidus... Something happened during practice. I have to get to the stadium!"

"Hey, you're not going alone!" Reaching into her utility pouch, Rikku pulled out some gil, and tossed the gratuity onto the table then nodded in the ex-summoner's direction. "Let's go!"

Horrible thoughts raced through Yuna's mind as she tore down the bustling streets of Luca to the stadium. Her pulse hammered against her chest. She couldn't shake this awful feeling that Tidus was in grave danger. Maybe it was her paranoia. Maybe it wasn't. All she knew was that she had to hurry.

"Yunie, wait up!" Rikku called, chasing the ex-summoner down the street.

But there was no time to slow down. Faster, faster, faster… The words repeated inside her head like a mantra, urging her feet to pick up the pace.

Guards standing watch outside the stadium's back doors must've recognized her from how quickly they stepped aside, allowing her to pass as she barreled toward the entrance with no intention of slowing down. Yuna burst through the glass doors, green and gray ornate walls were nothing short of a blur as she rounded the corner to where the locker rooms were located.

Letty stood in the hallway, speaking with what looked like a trainer and paused when he spotted her running straight for the locker room. "Yuna!" The bald, burly islander swiftly moved to block the path and caught her by the shoulders, preventing her from going inside. "I tried to call ya earlier."

"Is he, alright!? Let me go! I need to see him!"

"There you are!" Rikku cried from behind, finally catching up. "What's going on!?"

"What happened, Letty?" His grim expression made Yuna's stomach knot with dread. "Tell me!"

"He's been poisoned."

"Oh whew!" Rikku breathed a sigh of relief. "You really had us worried there! Venom tackles are easily cured by an antidote or an esuna spell. Dontcha have healing mages on stand-by for something like that?"

"We do," the coach agreed. "But this wasn't a venom tackle."

Seems like Yuna's intuition had been bang-on, elevating her anxiety to the point where the air suddenly felt thin and suffocating. "What do you…" she breathed, "what do you mean?"

"At first I thought he was just workin' out the kinks of being away from trainin' for a while. But as the drills continued, he got worse and eventually doubled over. When the medic checked him out, they'd said it was a type of poisonin'. No one used a venom tackle on him though. And the healing mages are…not havin' any luck riddin' whatever this poison is from his body."

Those last few words served as a barrage of bullets being shot into her chest, stealing the remaining oxygen from her lungs, and making her gasp for air. "No…" Yuna shook her head in disbelief, eyes pooling with tears. This wasn't happening. There had to be something she could do. She refused to believe otherwise. "No!" Shrugging out of Letty's grasp, Yuna bolted over to the locker room and crashed through the doors in a desperate flurry.

On the examination table off to the side, lay her fiancé, shirtless, and surrounded by a team of healing mages. He was hooked up to a medical machina, monitoring his vitals. And from what she could see on the screen of the device, they didn't look so good. Yuna had lost him once. She couldn't bear losing him again.

"Please…let me help!" Hurrying over to her fiancé's side, Yuna carefully wedged herself between two of the mages busy casting healing spells. Her breath caught in her throat. The blond blitzer's tanned complexion was replaced by a ghastly ashen color, eyes closed, obviously unconscious. Yuna squeezed his hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're not leaving me again, do you hear me!? I'll find a way to save you."

"Yeowch…" Rikku appeared across the table from her, between two other healing mages, wearing a fretful expression that only served to deepen Yuna's despair. "Whaddaya think caused this?"

"I don't know. He made breakfast for himself this morning before he left. So he wouldn't have consumed anything outside. He rarely ever does."

"Do you think Letty is telling you everything?"

"He has no reason to withhold information." Sucking back tears, Yuna released a trembling breath, and momentarily shut her eyes. "Nothing makes sense."

Rikku laid her hands on the blitzer's bare chest and bit her bottom lip in concentration. A bright light poured out of her palms and into Tidus' body. "C'mon Yunie, we can do this!"

Those encouraging words renewed the ex-summoner's sense of hope. Mimicking the blonde thief's actions, Yuna joined in, casting her most potent healing spells into her beloved, determined to rid him of this unknown poison. Warmth flowed through her veins and out of her hands. The feeling grew more intense with each passing moment, elevating in temperature from a soothing heat into a raging inferno. Breaths now labored, her body began to shake and perspire. She didn't care though. Tidus needed her. And she had to have been the most prolific white mage in Spira.

"Yunie!" her cousin's desperate voice rang through the air. "Yunie stop!" A pair of hands suddenly gripped her by the shoulders and yanked her back.

"No!" Yuna cried.

"You can't help him if you kill yourself!" Rikku hollered, trying to talk some sense into the ex-summoner. "Too much too quickly! You know better than that!"

Breathless, Yuna glanced over at her fiancé, lying helpless on the table and chocked back a sob. "I can't lose him."

At that moment the healing mages stopped casting, stepped back, and slumped to the floor in exhaustion.

Yuna's heart leapt into her throat. They were giving up. "No!" she shouted. "What're doing!? You can't stop!"

"Yunie they're drained…"

One of the healing mages staggered to his feet and bowed apologetically. "We're sorry, Lady Yuna. But we need to rest and stock up on ethers. We've been doing this non-stop for over an hour now."

The remaining mages wobbled to their feet, parroting the same narrative before collectively retreating from the room, leaving Yuna feeling angry and abandoned. "Why is everyone giving up on him!?"

"We're not giving up," Rikku calmly explained. "But we should give it few minutes before trying again. We're no good to him if we exhaust all our energy."

It was strange having Rikku be the voice of reason. She was so animated and cheerful all the time that most people pegged her for a ditz or just plain…well, crazy. Yuna had become guilty of that thought pattern as well. But now, looking back, her cousin had been quite wise for someone her age and had many innovative ideas that'd come to fruition, proving she wasn't so crazy after all. And as much as she hated to admit it, Rikku was the one thinking clearly at the moment, not her.

Returning to her beloved's side, Yuna gripped his hand again, fingers brushing against cool metal foreign to that specific wrist. She caught the anomaly this time and gazed down to inspect the object. Lo and behold, on Tidus' left wrist was the mysterious bracelet he'd received the other day from a so-called fan. The jealousy boiling in her blood quickly reduced to a simmer when she realized what this could mean. "Rikku! Come quickly!"

"What is it!?" The chipper blonde's braids danced around her face as she came to a screeching halt beside her cousin, swirly green eyes blinking and awaiting instructions.

"Can a poisoned object do this to someone?"

"Umm…I'm not sure." Rikku rubbed a finger over her lips in thought. "Come to think of it, no. Tidus' condition is pretty intense. No object would be saturated with enough poison to do this externally. The amount of poison in his body suggests a continuous flow. Even a poisoned dagger being thrust into him wouldn't cause this kind of damage."

Dagger. Immediately, Yuna's mind went to the dreaded weapon that Yevon used to kill her and her unborn child with in her vision. "What about something magic-infused—like an enchanted weapon?"

"Yeah that might. Why?"

"Help me get this off him!" Yuna fumbled with the bracelet, desperately tugging at it while trying to find the clasp.

"Uhh…okay. Where exactly did he get this from?" her cousin asked, aiding the ex-summoner in her task.

"It was a…gift." The word rolled off Yuna's tongue with extreme bitterness. She knew there was something odd about him receiving it the other day. Not all of what she'd been feeling was jealousy. This was definitely not from any fan of his.

"Hang on, I think I got it." The clasp actually snapped and the bracelet fell to the floor with an echoing clink. "Woohoo! It sure pays to have deft hands!" Rikku cheered, wiggling her fingers for effect.

Yuna affectionately ran the back of her hand down her fiancé's pale cheek, hoping to witness a change, but she knew better. If that bracelet had been the source, the poison sill had to be expelled from his system. "Rikku, you focus on casting esuna and I'll concentrate on healing spells."

"Nuh-uh!" The blonde thief refused with an ardent shake of her head. "We either reverse the roles or not at all!"

She really didn't need her cousin's stubbornness right now. "I'm sorry, but we both know I'm the better healer."

"No argument there! But you're still drained from going overboard earlier. I can handle this!"

"Unless you have your white mage dressphere on you, I'll have to insist on being the one to cast the healing magic."

Rikku's determined expression crumpled into one of offence. "I don't need no stinkin' dressphere! Didya forget who backed you up with healing on your pilgrimage!? You depleted your energy earlier!" The blonde thief shook a stern finger in Yuna's direction. "Think of what that'll do to your body!" she scolded, leaning in to add in a whisper, "and to what's inside!"

Her cousin had her there. Through her sense of panic, Yuna had forgotten the kind of toll casting spells could take on the body.

Just then the medical machina beeped, drawing their attention.

Yuna's chest tightened to where it felt as though it would cave in. Her fiancé's vitals had begun to drop. They had to act now.

"Trust me, Yunie," Rikku insisted, rushing to the opposite side of the table. "Have I ever let you down? Like really, really let you down?"

Mulling that over wasn't her top priority at the moment. Her cousin would never intentionally disappoint her—that much was certain. But this time, she was entrusting Rikku with the life of her fiancé; the father of her unborn child. Placing her hands flat onto her beloved's chest, she steadied her breaths, and met Rikku's desperate gaze with her own. "I'm counting on you." Yuna then gave a determined nod. "I'm ready."

With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, the bubbly blonde rubbed her hands together then set them into position on Tidus' chest. "Okay," she breathed. "Umm… On my call or your call?"

Was she for real? "Now, Rikku! Do it now!"

"Okay, okay! I'm doin', I'm doin'!"

When the white light of healing magic poured out of Rikku's palms and seeped into Tidus' body, Yuna closed her eyes and concentrated on casting the esuna spell. There was something very strange about this poison though. It didn't act like any she'd encountered before. Removing it from his system was proving to be more of a challenge than she'd previously thought.

Warmth sailed through her blood then ignited into a scorching fire. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. She was overheating again. Resolve firm, she grunted and pushed harder to try and break apart the odd substance. After a few short minutes, her efforts were finally rewarded. The poisonous compound dissolved into fragments and began to fade.

Tidus' stomach muscle's clenched underneath her fingers. Confident she'd completed her task—and feeling quite faint—Yuna opened her eyes, gasping for air. And not long after she'd done so, her beloved's eyelids shot open as well. "Tidus…?"

Those beautiful cerulean depths were clearly distressed. Then, his stomach muscles contracted again.

A triumphant smile etched across Rikku's lips as she finished casting. "Yeah!" she cheered, wobbling and pumping a weak fist into the air. "Told ya we could do it!"

But the blonde thief's victory celebration was cut short when Tidus rolled onto his side to lurch forward and hurl in her direction.

"Gawh—ah!" she shrieked, leaping back from the vile projectile, not quick enough though to avoid it from splattering against the front of her very revealing thief outfit. "Ughhh… Really!? I save your life and this is what I get!?"

Breathing heavily, Tidus wiped his mouth with the back of his hand—a slow grin sweeping his face. "Karma."

"Whaaat!?"

"The party," Tidus reminded her, looking way too amused for someone who'd just been brought back from the brink of death.

"I didn't vomit on you! It was Paine! And it was an accident. What was I supposed to do? Throw up on Gip—" The words died on Rikku's lips as she gave him a knowing look, finally understanding the method of his madness. "Ugh…" she groaned, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Good thing I'm in a room that has showers around the corner. I'll be right back."

Yuna helped her man to sit into an upright position then aided him in ripping off the diodes stuck to his skin that were linking him to the monitor. Once he was unhooked from the medial machina, Yuna threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, breathing in his musky scent and never wanting to let go. "I was so afraid… Afraid I'd lose you all over again."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," he quipped, wrapping her in his warmth and pressing a kiss into her hair, bringing a smile to her lips. "I'm not going anywhere—promise."

Drawing back, Yuna rubbed a soothing hand down his back, relieved to see the color return to his cheeks. "Are you, okay? Do you need anything?"

"I could use some water."

"Right 'ere!" a voice came from over by the locker room doors.

Glancing over her shoulder, Yuna spotted Letty as he strode over with a water bottle in hand.

"Here." The coach handed the bottle over to Tidus to which he accepted with a weak smile before twisting off the cap and taking a couple sips.

"How long have you been standing there?" Yuna inquired, concerned how this ordeal would affect her man's blitz career.

"Long enough to know an attempt had been made on my star player's life. Is there somethin' you two wanna tell me?"

"It's... It's my fault really," Yuna admitted, lowering her gaze.

Tidus objected with a wave of his hand. "No, Yuna, don't…"

"But it is!" she insisted, turning to Letty. "Please don't punish him for this."

The coach's chiseled face scrunched up in confusion. "Why would I punish him? You two are obviously in some kind of trouble." Lettty's gaze flickered over to the star blitzer, his steely-gray eyes carefully studying the young man. "Look, Tidus if ya need me to hire a security detail for ya—"

"That's not gonna help," he calmly interrupted. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"Not sure I buy that." The big, burly islander scratched around his goatee then crossed his arms over his chest. "If your girl and her cousin hadn't shown up when they did, you'd be a dead man. I have a team out there that wants to know what's goin' on with their captain. Reporters, beatin' down the stadium doors spinnin' wild tales and what have you. And I'm not sure what to say right now. This is my first season coachin' the Aurochs. What would you do in my position?"

Tidus' took a long pull from the bottle, lips twisting downward once he was finished. "So, you're letting me go then?"

An awkward moment of silence followed, until Letty released a heavy sigh. "After today, you'll be assigned a security team that'll rotate in shifts. That way they'll always be someone outside the door of your home and wherever you go."

"That's ridiculous! No way!" Tidus scoffed, sweeping a finger between him and Yuna. "We saved Spira, remember? I don't need to be babysat! I was a guardian!"

"A guardian who almost died from that!" Letty argued, pointing over to the bracelet lying on the floor. "You want a position on this team as captain?" His fierce expression challenged Tidus' resentful gaze. "Then you better get used to havin' a security detail from now 'til the end of the season." The coach turned and began to leave only to stop short of the doors. "Oh, one more thing," he called over his shoulder. "Keep in shape and make sure you're ready next week for the season opener."

Tidus' eyes widened in surprise. "You don't want me at practice, anymore!?"

"I wantcha to take care of yourself and get your shit together before the season starts. I'll be in touch. Expect to meet your first babysitter, as ya call it, in the mornin'." Letty then pushed open the doors and exited the room.

Raking a hand down his face, Tidus released an aggravated groan. "Aw man, when did he become such a jackass?"

"Maybe having some back-up around isn't such a bad idea after all," Yuna suggested.

"Oh, c'mon," he fussed. "Not you, too!"

"Hey, what'd I miss?" Rikku returned, soaking wet from the showers, but at least she was clean and no longer reeking of Tidus' stomach contents.

"Letty is putting a security detail on Tidus," Yuna answered.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea!"

Outnumbered, Tidus grumbled to himself then chugged the rest of his water. Any doubt about whether he was still irritated by them agreeing with Letty's solution was cast aside when he viciously crumpled the plastic bottle afterward and chucked into the wastebasket off to the side.

"Oh stop being such a big baby!" Rikku chided, planting her hands firmly onto her hips. "You really had us worried, y'know? What would Yunie have done if she'd lost you? She'd have to raise—"

"Rikku!" Yuna warned.

But it was too late. Tidus had already caught what her hot-blooded cousin was about to say from the way he was leering up at the ex-summoner. "You can't keep a secret very well, can you?"

"Yes, I can!" Rikku protested out of turn, only proving his point as she attempted to dry off with a clean towel she'd just found on a bench.

"Ohhh, Reekuu," Yuna whined, hiding her face in one of her hands.

"What!?"

"At least now I know it runs in the family." Hopping off the table, Tidus gazed down at the deadly bracelet and made a move to reach for it, that is, until Yuna pushed a hand against his chest halting his efforts.

"Don't even think about it!" she snapped. "What possessed you to wear that today? You knew how I felt about it!"

Tidus huffed and folded his arms over his chest. "You were jealous. That's not a good enough reason for me to snub a gift. A lot of times fans attend practice. I thought I'd wear it to show my appreciation to the fan who'd sent it to me, y'know? Since it's the fans who ultimately pay for our meals!"

"Can you guys pick another time to have a lover's spat!?" Rikku groused, now scurrying around the locker room in search for something. "We kinda have a shiny piece of killer jewelry on the floor that needs to be contained!" Stopping in front of a locker, the bubbly blonde jimmied it open with a wrench from her utility pouch, face brightening at whatever she'd found inside. "Ah, this is perfect!" Returning with a jar in hand, Rikku crouched down and carefully scooped the bracelet into the glass container then screwed the lid on tightly.

Curious, Yuna tilted her head to the side. Looks like her cousin had a plan. "What're you going to do with it?"

"Take it to Djose for testing! Gippal has all sorts of gadgets back at the Machine Faction that can determine what kind of poison—or whatever it is—that's running through this thing."

"I need to know who sent it," Yuna stressed.

"I'm sure whatever we find will eventually lead to that," Rikku assured. "You guys up for a trip? I can have Brother here with the Celsius in thirty minutes. He's helping the locals in Kilika clean up after the recent tropical storm."

Tidus' brow shot up in surprise, clearly impressed. "Wow, that's real thoughtful of him."

"He's not a complete buffoon, y'know."

"Well, I'm game for whatever." Snatching his yellow hoodie off the bench, Tidus slipped it on then went to grab his black harness that'd been lying beside it. "But the ball's in Yuna's court."

As if she really had to think about it. "Call Brother!" Yuna demanded. "I want to know who, or what tried to kill my fiancé."

"Roger!" Pulling a walkie-talkie out of her utility pouch, the blonde thief held it up to her lips, and prepared to radio-in for the famous, red airship.

After a short trip on the Celsius, the trio arrived at their destination just across the bridge from the Machine Faction Headquarters. The top of the stone structure that had once been the Djose temple, crackled with bolts of electricity. During Yuna's pilgrimage, the fayth, Ixion had been the source of that energy, but now, it was from all the Machine Faction's inventions and experiments happening inside.

"Did you tell Gippal we were coming?" Tidus asked the perky blonde, skipping ahead of them up to the doors with the glass jar in hand.

"No, why would I?"

Tidus gave a curt laugh. "I dunno. Maybe he'd like a heads-up or something. What if he's busy?"

"Pfft…" With a roll of her eyes, Rikku grabbed the handle and began to pull open the door. "He's never too busy for me! Besides, this is like super-duper important!"

A sudden heaviness filled Yuna's chest. She stopped to look up at the electric bolts zapping around the stone building, remembering the immaculate, lightning unicorn that had so gallantly fought at her side. It'd been about three years since she had to banish her aeons, but the ache in Yuna's heart remained fresh. Shuyin's possession of them had opened old wounds from her pilgrimage—wounds which never fully healed. Having to fight them a second time, less than a year ago, had been almost unbearable. And up until now, no one but Lulu seemed to be aware of how deep those scars ran.

"Hey, you okay?" Her fiancé brushed a hand against her cheek, snapping her back to reality, and making her flinch in the process.

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go."

"It still haunts you, doesn't it?"

He was right, but she didn't want to have this conversation right now. The building in front of them was no longer a temple anyway. It was, and had been, the Machine Faction Headquarters for the past two years. And they were there to get information on that blasted bracelet, which had almost claimed his life. "I'm fine, really. Let's go."

"No, you're not. You forget I know you too well now."

Man was he persistent. It actually irritated her that he somehow knew her better than she knew herself at times. And this was one of those instances. Yes, missing her aeons was part of why she was feeling so melancholy being there. But it was the sharp twinge of betrayal she was trying to suppress that was beginning to overwhelm her emotions. "What do you want me to say, Tidus?"

"What's bothering you," he answered, tersely.

Finally relenting, she released a long-winded sigh and kept her gaze steady on the stone building in front. "For so long I trusted the fayth. They were my companions who fought by my side. And now…I feel like they betrayed me—betrayed all of us. If what Lulu and I discovered is true… If what you experienced in another realm was real...then everything we knew was a lie. And they helped to facilitate that lie. Why...?"

His strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, head resting against the side of hers. "Maybe they had a good reason."

"Do you really believe that?" The words oozed from her lips like the venom out of an ochu.

"To be honest, I dunno what to believe anymore. But I do know that we don't have all the facts yet. So, let's see what happens. I have a feeling everything will turn out alright."

"Hey!" Rikku stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, holding the door open with her boot. "You two coming or what!?"

"Nah, we haven't tried that in public yet," Tidus teased, his quip eliciting a giggle out of Yuna as he untangled his arms from around her waist.

The perky blonde slowly shook her head, lips quirked to the side in mild amusement. "You need help, you know that?" She then turned and disappeared back inside the building.

Following her cousin and fiancé into the once familiar stone walls, Yuna was in awe of just how much they'd changed over the past few months. The circumference of the room was lined with all sorts of new and interesting machina that included pods and robotics. A winding, metal staircase had been constructed to the right of the room and an elevator to the left, leading up to a new level of the building that'd never existed on her previous visit. Hums and snaps of energy resonated in the air, accompanied by the buzz of people chatting while they worked on their latest inventions.

"I didn't expect to see you here, today," Gippal called as he made his way down the stairs. "And I see you brought company."

"Surprise!" Rikku tried to sound chipper, but it fell flat, lacking her usual pep as though the gravity of the situation had just struck her.

"Uh-oh… That sounds like you've gotten yourself into some kinda trouble." The Machine Faction leader stood, arms crossed at the base of the steps, his unpatched eye flitting to each of them before settling on his girlfriend in a scrutinizing manner. "What's goin' on?"

"Someone tried to kill Tidus," Yuna jumped in, to which the one-eyed, Al Bhed's arms dropped to his sides in shock. "And they would've succeeded if Rikku and I hadn't arrived when we did and discovered the source of his illness."

"Which is this mysterious piece of jewelry!" Rikku added, all but shoving the glass jar containing the bracelet into Gippal's face. "We think it's enchanted with a type of poison."

The blond, spiky-haired Al Bhed took the jar, opened the lid, and peered inside. "Looks like an ordinary silver bracelet to me," he concluded, giving the container a shake. "If something's magically infused, it normally gives off an energy field, resultin' in a bit of a glow."

"What if this is no ordinary enchantment?" Tidus proposed.

"Well, I guess we'll find out then." Flagging down one of the workers off to the side, Gippal handed the jar over to them, and motioned with his head toward the back room. "I need this tested for any and all anomalies."

"You got it, boss!"

When the Al Bhed worker hurried off, Gippal joined Tidus at his side and clapped a hand against the back of the blitzter's shoulder. "You look pretty good for an almost-dead-guy. You and the future misses seem to like temptin' fate with the grim reaper. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were competin' for an award on who can resurrect the most in a lifetime."

Tidus flashed his famous grin. "Well in that case, I'm still the reigning champ."

"Hey, this is no laughing matter!" Rikku chided. "You could've really died, y'know? And Yunie kinda already… Well…yeah."

Of course Rikku avoided finishing her thoughts on that one. Very typical of her though—not thinking before she spoke.

"C'mon lighten up, babe," Gippal pleaded with a chuckle. "You need to have a sense of humor in all this. Otherwise it just gets too dark."

Suddenly, Rikku's face brightened. "Oh! I know some good news we can talk about!"

"Lemme guess—the weddin'?" Gippal offered.

"Even better!" The hyper blonde looked primed to burst from how she was trembling with excitement. "Can I tell him?" she begged her cousin, clasping her hands together. "Pleeeaase…."

A sarcastic laugh rumbled out of Tidus. He then met Yuna's concerned gaze and rubbed the back of his neck as he always did in a tense situation. "We might wanna start thinking about what we're gonna say to the press tomorrow."

"Heeeyyyy!" Rikku protested. "I just wanna tell Gippal! I don't wanna keep secrets from him, especially now that we're shacked-up."

That was an eloquent way of putting it. Yuna couldn't help but snicker at that remark.

"So, how'd you find out?" Gippal arched a brow in his girl's direction.

The stunned expression on Rikku's face immediately soured. "Wait—you know!?"

"I saw the sonogram photo on the fireplace mantle when I was over there doin' some work. Figured they'd tell us when they're ready." Turning to face the expecting couple, Gippal's smile broadened. "I guess since the cat's-outta-the-bag, I can congratulate you guys now."

"Uh...thanks." From the way Tidus lowered his gaze it was obvious he wasn't pleased about the news spreading. "I don't mean for that to sound ungrateful. It's just…we wanted to keep this from going public for a while longer. Yuna's been under a lot of stress."

"Say no more." Gippal jerked his chin over at Rikku. "Since this little firecracker and I are 'shacked-up' as she put it, I can guarantee she won't go blabbin' about this to anyone."

Rikku drew back in shock then shot him an angry glower. "Just hang on a minute there, mister! Who do you think you are? You don't control me!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, babe," he assured with a laugh. "But if you get the itch to gossip just know that there's a sphere in my possession you wouldn't want gettin' out."

The blonde thief's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a bright pink. "You wouldn't dare! You're in it as well, y'know!"

"And?" Shrugging with indifference, Gippal then tossed a devilish grin her way. "I'm not all that worried. I think we look pretty good in those positions."

"Whoa, hey!" Tidus' brow shot up in surprise. "Using a homemade sex sphere to blackmail your girl—isn't that a bit much? Not to mention, a one-way ticket to the doghouse?"

Even Yuna was stunned at the level Gippal was willing to sink to for them. It didn't make it right, however. "Not that we don't appreciate the…gesture, but I'm with Tidus, this is just wrong."

The Al Bhed couple traded confused glances then erupted with laughter.

"Wow! You guys really do have minds that live in the gutter, huh?" Rikku noted, holding her stomach from laughing at their bold assumption.

Clearing his throat from laughing so much, Gippal visibly fought to keep a straight face after from how the corners of his lips kept twitching. "The sphere I was talkin' about was of when Rikku and I were kids, tryin' to mount a chocobo for the first time."

"Yeah," Rikku agreed. "Everyone who saw it back then busted a gut laughing. I've never been so embarrassed! But mister tough-guy here never let things like that bother him."

Now it was Yuna's turn to have her cheeks light up in an embarrassing blush.

Thankfully the awkward moment was interrupted by one of Gippal's employees, calling out from a room near the back. "Hey boss! You got an urgent call here from Bevelle! Said they're friends of yours!"

Yuna immediately tensed. "It's Paine and Baralai!"

"Yeah, I loaned them some surveillance equipment last week. Haven't heard from them since."

"They must've finally captured something on sphere," Tidus mentioned—a hint of hope in his tone.

"Well," Gippal motioned with a hand for them to follow, "only one way to find out."

The group of friends hurried into the small room that served as Gippal's office. Aside from the well-kept sofa against the wall, the room was a chaotic mess. Schematics of machina inventions lined the walls and the metal desk in the middle of the room was littered with paperwork, sphere's, and some weird gadgets Yuna had never seen before.

Gippal took a seat in the big, leather chair behind the desk and swiveled it around to face the commsphere located on a separate table behind, that appeared to be hooked up to some round, metal device.

"How do you work like this?" Tidus asked, giving the room the once-over before joining Rikku and Yuna in front of the desk.

"One man's chaos is another man's refuge." The Machine Faction leader tossed a smirk over his shoulder. "I focus better when things are in disarray. Not sure why. So, are we ready to take this call?"

"Just hit the button already," Rikku complained.

"Wait 'til ya see this." After flipping a switch at the side of the strange contraption, the image of Paine and Baralai on the commsphere shone out of the metal device in an enlarged holographic projection, resulting in the three friends standing by the desk to stare up at it in awe.

"Whoa cool!" Tidus exclaimed.

"What I tell ya!" Gippal boasted, before hitting the button on the commsphere to resume the call. "Hey you two! Got quite the audience here for ya."

The tension on Paine's pale face seemed to ease slightly at the sight of the ex-summoner and her fiancé waving. "We're glad you guys are there."

"We've actually been trying to reach you all day," Baralai clarified. "We finally caught something on one of the spheres last night."

"Well, what is it?" Tidus impatiently prodded.

"Someone's living in Quill's room," Paine answered. "It's not a spirit. It's a real person as far as we can tell."

Finally! Some actual progress. "Are you able to identify them?"

"Well…" Baralai quirked his mouth, indicating the answer wouldn't quite be what Yuna had hoped. "After several days of nothing but damaged spheres, we consider ourselves lucky to have obtained anything at all."

Judging from Tidus' furrowed brow, he wasn't at all impressed by how the praetor was circling the answer. "So what kinda footage do you guys have then?"

"We weren't able to capture a face," Paine confessed with regret. "The person made it almost impossible by wearing a black, hooded cloak. We're certain from their height and build though that they're an adult male. But that's really about it."

The image of Yevon standing in that mysterious throne room, wearing the exact same outfit, polluted Yuna's mind and made her shudder inside. There'd been too many coincidences regarding this whole mess to the point where they were mathematically impossible. She really didn't like where this was headed.

"Do you think it's Quill? Is he still alive!?" Rikku asked, bouncing from foot-to-foot in anticipation of the answer.

"It's difficult to determine with the limited footage we have," Baralai explained, gaze shifting to Yuna. "But from what I remember of Quill, he seemed taller than what we captured of this guy. So, I don't believe it's him. We made a copy of the sphere, however, and sent it out to you today. That way you and Tidus can review it for yourselves."

Upon hearing Baralai's analysis, Yuna was a bit relieved. Not because Quill was ruled out—even though she knew in her gut he was dead—but he was slightly shorter than Yevon in her vision. If the person they captured on sphere was shorter than Quill, then it might not be Yevon after all. But then the question remained—who was living in Quill's room? And why did they have a shrine built of her?

"We're sorry we don't have more to offer you guys," Paine apologized. "But every sphere except this one has been destroyed. And I think it should be noted as to how."

"Whaddaya mean?" Tidus asked, cautiously.

Paine pressed her lips together tightly then leaned in closer to the commsphere as though she were about to tell them a secret. "All the spheres were burned from the inside out. No spell we know of can do that."

"One of the reasons we contacted you," Baralai gestured to Gippal, "was to inquire if any machina was capable of doing what had been done to those spheres?"

Leaning back in his seat, the Machine Faction leader rubbed his chin in thought then slowly shook his head. "No machina I know of can do anythin' like that except…" he paused, posture tensing. "Except for maybe something like Vegnagun."

Definitely not what Yuna had wanted to hear.

"We scrapped that hunk of metal over six months ago!" Rikku reminded them, swinging her fists in the air for emphasis. "And it was way too big to be used on something so small."

"She's right," Paine agreed. "This isn't the same."

A knock on the office door cut through the sudden silence.

"Come in!" Gippal called.

The door swung open and the worker Gippal had tasked with testing the bracelet stood in the doorway, looking rather anxious from how he kept clenching and unclenching his fists. "Hey boss, I got the results you wanted."

"And? Have you determined the kind of poison it's infused with?"

"That ain't no poison that's flowin' through that thing."

Gippal frowned in confusion. "Then what is it?"

"It has the characteristics of a spell. Actually, it's a type of magic—a very complex type. But it's… Well, quite frankly, it's of an unknown origin."

The dots were beginning to connect. Whoever was in that room in Bevelle had been responsible for attempting to murder her fiancé. Even more concerning was that they appeared to not be from Spira. Quill may have indeed opened a portal, resulting in something dangerous and vengeful crossing the veil.

"Thanks Rienert." Gippal waved, dismissing the worker who then ducked out, closing the door behind.

"You'll have to be the one to kill him." That's what her reflection had said the other night. Her reflection. Yuna still couldn't grasp what'd happened in the bathroom. It hadn't been Quill. She was sure of it. Which meant there had to be another spirit involved. But why? Just who the hell was in Quill's room? And why did they want Tidus dead?

"Whaddaya wanna do, Yunie?" Her cousin's voice pierced through her thoughts, hardening her resolve.

"Call Brother and tell him we're leaving for Bevelle as soon as possible."

"Umm…are you sure that's such a good idea? Isn't jumping into battles without thinking more of Tidus' thing?" The blond blitzer shot Rikku a playful glower that made her wince. "Sorry. No offence."

"None taken," he assured. "But I have to agree with you. I don't think we should rush into anything." He then trailed his fingers affectionately down Yuna's arm. "Especially in your condition."

Nothing enraged Yuna more than everyone treating her as though she were made of glass. The longer they waited, the more desperate this mysterious stranger would become. Two spirits were now warning her about this person. It was no ordinary guy in that temple. She could sense as much. "I'm not waiting around to see what happens next. We both almost died at the hands of that monster! Yevon. Not Yevon. I don't care anymore! I want this to end! I can't take much more!"

The worried look in Tidus' eyes made Yuna feel a pang of guilt. He was afraid for her life and their unborn child's. She knew that. And it was written all over his face. Then, with a conceding nod, he pulled her close, gaze steady, quiet, never leaving hers. "You're right. This needs to end. I didn't wanna admit it before, but I know it will only get worse. I just don't want you on the frontline of this battle. Promise me that at least."

She really couldn't do that. Tidus, however, wouldn't agree to this otherwise. So Yuna succumbed to fibbing once again. "Mm," she hummed with a nod, gut twisting with guilt from lying to the man she loved.

"So, when do we leave?" Gippal asked, gently swiveling his chair from side-to-side.

Rikku arched a brow, looking a tad surprised by her man offering his aid. "You're coming with us?"

"Strength in numbers, babe. Besides, I'm not lettin' you have all the fun. I got a special weapon I've been dyin' to try out. And we're all kinda family now, right? Doesn't that mean we stick together, no matter what?"

A wide grin etched across Tidus' face. "You bet!"

There was nothing quite like a crisis to bring people together. Yuna's chest swelled with love and pride. Maybe once they eradicated this threat they could finally gather to celebrate, instead of always gathering to put an end to some evil force, hell-bent on the destruction of their world and everyone in it.

Swiveling his chair back to face the hologram of their friends, Gippal apologized for the interruption then proceeded to ask, "So, where'd you guys wanna meet, since we're all-in for this confrontation—the temple?"

Paine and Baralai exchanged worried glances before the female warrior spoke, "No, it's become way too volatile. The energy there is unlike anything we've ever experienced. Even we don't stay there anymore. Plus, it's not safe with whoever that is squatting in Quill's room."

"Meet us here at the Clement Inn," Baralai suggested. "It's located in the south-eastern district. There's a sizable meeting room and plenty of vacancies. That way you guys can easily spend the night, which I strongly recommend. If we're going to do this, we need to plan carefully first."

"Think we can all agree on that." Gippal cast a quick glance over at the entourage standing behind him then returned to the holographic image of the couple to give a thumbs-up.

"We'll see you guys soon." Paine waved. "Safe travels."

The hologram then disappeared and the commsphere went dark.

Nervously scratching the back of his head, Tidus gave Yuna a worried look then shifted his gaze over to Rikku. "If we're gonna stay the night and confront whoever's living in the temple, we need to make a stop in Luca first. There's some things Yuna and I need to take with us."

"Gotcha!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rising from his seat, Gippal opened a drawer to retrieve a small, odd-shaped gun and motioned for the door. "Let's ride."

A smile tugged at Yuna's lips. It was a wonderful feeling to have an extended family ready to follow her through any kind of peril; to march as one into the eye of the storm, willing to face whatever lurked inside. She just hoped they all make it out in one piece.