Chapter 5: Gifts from the Future

I'm not sure how long I'd cried for, but eventually my body had succumbed to exhaustion and I'd drifted into a restless slumber filled with visions of a life I may have lost forever. The man who'd sacrificed everything for me—I'd let him down. Between my careless mistakes and selfishness, I may have destroyed any chance of us having a future together. All because I hadn't been able to control my emotions.

During my pilgrimage, I'd been able to keep my feelings subdued in order to accomplish my ultimate goal. I could've abandoned it and ran away with Tidus like he'd suggested at the spring. And I'd wanted to. But I hadn't. I continued onto Zanarkand in pursuit of the final summoning, knowing what that would entail.

My duty to Spira took precedence over everything else, including my love for Tidus. But now, after bringing the Eternal Calm, my focus had shifted to the one man who meant more to me than anyone else. I had a new lease on life. And I wanted to share that life with him. I couldn't imagine one without Tidus in it.

And yet, everything I'd done since arriving in Dream Zanarkand had the potential to obliterate that life. That poignant need to be near him at all times had overshadowed my judgment. I'd failed to temper my emotions with logic. Now, I was unsure if even the fayth could fix the mess I'd made.

Then something finally dawned on me. If I was in Dream Zanarkand then…wouldn't the fayth already be aware of my presence? It was their dream after all. But Tidus had already begun to break away from it. In fact, I was certain he'd already transformed into the separate consciousness they'd mentioned. Two, unfettered souls living in a dream of the fayth. They had to know something, didn't they? I didn't know what to think anymore. I was so…confused.

The jingling of keys suddenly tweaked my ear followed by the clunk of them sliding into the lock.

Surprised Tidus had returned already, I bolted up from my fetal position on the sofa, swiped the magazine lying on the coffee-table, and opened it up, using the glossy pages as a shield to hide behind.

It was still dark outside from what I'd managed to spot through the window, so I wasn't sure how much time had passed. But if I had to guess, it had to be somewhere around the middle of the night approaching the early morning hours. I, honestly, hadn't expected him to return until the sun was up at the very least. And I didn't want to think about what'd transpired between him and that girl during the time he'd been gone.

The door opened with a soft creak, and the triple beep of the alarm resetting, then clunked closed a moment later. Clopping footsteps followed, padding down the steps into the living room and came to a stop over by the window.

"You're still up?" His voice was icy and tired, filling me with a deep sense of dread.

"I…couldn't sleep."

"Mmm…" he paused for a moment as though he were contemplating whether or not to further engage in a conversation with me. "Reading usually relaxes me enough so I can. Might work out better if you weren't reading the magazine upside down."

My heart leapt into my throat, and I cringed, finally realizing the pictures and text were completely inverted. Since he'd already caught my blunder, I calmly set the magazine onto the coffee-table, but refused to meet his gaze, afraid of what I may find festering in it.

An uncomfortable silence settled around us—heavy and thick with tension. I kept my gaze steadily trained on the magazine I'd set down, anxiously waiting for Tidus to leave the room and give me the privacy I needed to deal with the torment that was crushing my heart.

But he didn't budge. Instead, he inhaled deeply then finally spoke in a calm, direct manner, "Nothing happened, Yuna. I thought you should know that."

For a moment, I felt an immense sense of relief. But, nevertheless, I had to stand my ground. The situation hadn't changed.

"It's…really none of my business."

"Is that why you've been crying?"

My pulse quickened. "I… I haven't been—"

"Don't try to deny it," he interrupted, tone firm and sure, "your eyes are all red and puffy. You've been crying."

"Because I miss my fiancé!" I fired back with an icy glare. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

"You're right, I don't," he quietly admitted, inching his way over to me. "But I do know you're lying to yourself. I thought about it on my way over to the hotel. It's why you tried to push me away. You have feelings for me, Yuna. You wouldn't have returned my kiss otherwise."

And he was right. Another careless mistake of mine—fueled by my unrestrained emotions. I had to continue denying it though.

"I'm far from home. And I'm confused about a lot of things. That kiss…it didn't mean what you think it did."

Stopping near the coffee-table, Tidus narrowed his eyes in skepticism. "You're lying, just like you did when you told Allie that bogus story about why you're staying here."

I was a little surprised by how well he knew me already. Tidus had mentioned in the past how I was easy to read at times. And I had my doubts. But from how confident this younger version of him was in his assessment, I suppose he'd been right all along.

Burying my face into my hands, I sucked in a shaky breath, wondering how I could convince him otherwise, or if I even had the strength to do so anymore.

His feet padded closer to stop directly in front of me. Gently prying my fingers away from my face, Tidus carefully perched himself on the edge of the coffee-table and peered into my eyes with loving concern.

"I know you're scared. And so am I. I've never felt this way about anyone before. And—"

"Stop…" I pleaded, throat tightening at his words. "I can't do this."

But he didn't relent.

"I broke it off with Allie, tonight. I apologized for making it seem like our fling had turned into something else. And I told her that I couldn't feel for her what she felt for me because…" he paused, drawing in a deep breath of courage then finally confessed, "because I've fallen for someone else."

Wet lines slid down my cheeks, and I looked away, feeling myself about to break.

"I'm in love with you, Yuna."

"Don't say that." I sniffled, wiping the tears from my eyes. "You can't… We can't…"

"Would it really be that bad—having a life here with me? We have a lot of fun together. I can be myself when I'm with you. We get each other…well, for the most part. And the chemistry we have—it's off the charts. I know you feel the same, Yuna. I wouldn't say it if I wasn't sure."

All in one week. He'd fallen in love with me in one, short week. I suppose the absence of a perilous journey had helped to hasten things along. Besides the four days he'd spent at practice for a few hours at a time, we'd been practically joined at the hip. Now, it'd all made sense. All that time alone, together, was more than ample for him to fall in love.

"I have a life already," I reminded him, "back in Luca with my fiancé."

A sympathetic smile touched his lips. "It's been a whole week. And that device of yours hasn't made so much as a peep in that time. What if…"

"Don't!" I snapped, afraid of what he was about to say actually coming to fruition. "It's just taking longer than I hoped for them to fix things."

"I don't think he's looking for you, Yuna."

"He is!" I refuted with a shout. "He'd never give up on me!"

"I know if you were my girl, I'd have found a way to—"

"Stop…" I hissed, bounding to my feet. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Yeah, actually I do."

Unable to hear anymore, I turned to leave, desperate to hide inside the bedroom I'd been staying in. But I'd only managed to take two steps before everything around me began to spin.

I shut my eyes, staggered back a few steps then lost my balance completely. Instead of hitting the floor like I'd anticipated, a familiar pair of arms caught my fall and held me securely in place.

"Whoa—you okay!?"

"I'm fine. Let me go."

"You almost blacked-out!"

Opening my eyes, I met his concerned gaze with an indignant frown. "I'm under a lot of stress, in case you've forgotten."

"You've been feeling sick and dizzy all day. And you probably think I haven't noticed, but you've kinda been that way all week as well."

"It's just stress," I insisted, squirming out of his grasp.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"All I need is some rest."

"Yuna…"

"I'm going to bed." This time I'd managed to get a little further before the dizziness struck, tilting the room on an axis, and sending me stumbling once again.

Tidus rushed to my aid, once more, and swept me up into his arms.

"Put me down!"

"You need to see a doctor!" he fired back, eyes stern and unwavering. "I'm calling one over as soon as we getcha into bed."

Arguing with Tidus in that state was a losing battle. When his mind was made up there was no chance of changing it. And perhaps seeing a doctor wasn't such a bad idea, considering how these dizzy spells seemed to be growing in frequency.

With a resigned sigh, I looped my arms around his neck as he carried me down the steps to the lower level and over into the master bedroom where he carefully laid me onto the mattress.

"But…this is your bed."

"Yeah, and it's bigger and more comfortable than the one you've been sleeping on." He propped an extra pillow underneath my head then switched on the table-lamp and set something into his ear that resembled a comlink. "Starcom, call Doctor Gale."

"Isn't it a little late for a doctor to make a house call?"

"Not in Zanarkand. They have after-hours ones who make a killing during this time."

"I see…"

Tidus then held a finger up to his lips, urging my silence and began to speak, "Oh, hey, Doc, it's… Yeah, no, I'm fine. Look, there's…" he paused momentarily to throw a tender glance my way, "there's someone very special to me who needs medical attention, right now. She's been having dizzy spells all week and almost keeled over twice, tonight… Yeah, like in the past few minutes… Nauseous? A couple times this week that I know of… Right now?" He then looked at me in question and asked in a soft, loving tone, "You feeling queasy at all?"

"Maybe just a little."

"Yeah, a little. No, she knows where she is and everything. Nah, no drugs or anything like that. Yeah, I'm sure. She's twenty. No, I got her lying in bed here at home. Okay, thanks. See ya soon."

Plucking the device out of his ear, he set it onto the nightstand and sat next to me on the edge of the mattress. "She's on her way. Doc lives just across the bridge from the marina, so it shouldn't take her long. You need some water or anything?"

"No, I'm fine, for now."

"Look, uh…" Tidus rubbed the back of his neck, seeming riddled with guilt. "I'm sorry for upsetting you like that. I probably shouldn't have said what I did. Y'know, about no one searching you and all."

Those were an interesting choice of words. By no one, I assumed he meant my fiancé. A man he didn't know, but already chose to dislike. I wonder if he would feel the same way if he knew that man was him?

"I'm not sorry for loving you though." He then went for my hand and brought it up to his lips to leave a gentle kiss on the back of it, pausing briefly, to inspect the gleaming diamond on my finger with a breath of a laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing…" Setting my hand down, he heaved a tired sigh then nervously scratched his head. "It's just…the ring—it looks like something I'd pick out."

Well…that's because he had.

"I gotta admit—that guy has good taste…especially in women." He tossed me a weak smile then peered into my eyes in question. "You never did mention his name."

My stomach clenched, knowing I'd have to give him one. So, I uttered the first one that came to mind that wasn't his. "Shuyin."

"Shuyin, huh?" he echoed with a smirk. "Call me biased but I think Tidus and Yuna sound way better than Yuna and Shuyin."

It certainly did. Thankfully, Shuyin's name hadn't come up in any of my limited stories of my past, or else I would've been in a world of trouble trying to explain that one.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, lowering my gaze.

"For what?"

"Allowing you to fall for me."

"That's not something you can control, Yuna."

"I know but…"

"Hey, let's not worry about this, right now," he advised, reaching out to gently stroke the side of my face. "We need to focus on you getting better, okay?"

"Mm…"

"Just close your eyes and relax. The doctor will be here soon."

I did as Tidus had suggested and allowed myself to get lost in the soothing caress of his fingers threading through my hair. Each negative thought that threatened to invade my mind was swept away with each brush of his hand. And the chaotic noise inside my head had finally quieted enough to where I was on the verge of falling asleep, only to be jostled by the faint chime of the doorbell a few minutes later.

"That's her. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Mm…"

When Tidus left the room, I adjusted myself on the bed and blew out a long-winded breath. Whatever was wrong with me had to be stress related. Something a good anxiety potion would ease.

I was still a little surprised at how well Tidus had been able to see through my façade though. Granted, it wasn't at first. But after he gave it some thought on the way over to that hotel, he'd managed to come to that accurate conclusion. And I suppose I never expected this younger version of him to do so, which is why I'd chose such harsh tactics.

Oddly enough, I was relieved he had. Staying there with him would've probably been awkward for the both of us otherwise, and no longer a viable option for me.

The voices outside the room grew closer by the second.

"She seems okay, right now. But those dizzy spells were something else."

"Don't worry, she's in good hands, Tidus. What'd you say her name was, again?"

"Yuna."

Just then, a middle-aged woman entered the room with sleek, auburn tresses brushing against the white, lab-coat she was sporting, while carrying a briefcase in hand. Her warm, freckled face greeted me with a friendly smile as Tidus stood near the dresser, quietly observing.

"Hello Yuna, I'm Doctor Gale. I heard you're not feeling so well."

"I'm feeling a little better now, actually."

"But you weren't earlier, correct?" Setting her briefcase onto the bed near my feet, she took a seat on the edge beside me, awaiting my answer.

"I've been having some dizzy spells and bouts of nausea."

"Have you been under a lot of stress?"

"Yes."

"Work related?" she inquired further, turning to flip open the briefcase, rummaging through the contents inside.

"No…personal."

"Any heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or severe headaches?"

"Oh, uh…no."

"Okay, I'm gonna start with running some routine blood-work and see if that gives us some insight on what may be causing you to feel this way."

The doctor pulled out something that looked like a solid, metal sphere then hit a button on the side, resulting in the strange-looking orb to float up into the air, unfurl into a miniature medical lab, and project a holographic computer screen out from the top.

"I'm gonna need to take a small blood sample from you," she mentioned, grabbing a rubber band to tie just above my elbow. "Okay, hold out your arm and make a fist. Don't squeeze it too tight though." She then sanitized the desired area on the inside of my arm with an alcohol swab, plucked a needle out the tray attached to a pick-line and proceeded to carefully insert it into one of my veins.

The sharp sting thankfully only lasted a brief moment followed by more instructions.

"Okay, relax your fist."

Taping the needle in place, she attached a vial onto the end of the pick and opened the line, allowing my blood to flow freely into the glass tube.

Tidus cringed and looked away, which didn't come as much of a surprise. He'd always been a little squeamish of blood. Of course, that'd eased near the end of the pilgrimage, considering how much of it he'd had been exposed to by then.

"Alright, that should do it," the doctor announced, capping the vial and closing the pick, before carefully pulling the needle out then placing a bandage over my puncture wound.

"Are the results immediate with this…um…?"

"Mobile lab?" she answered, untying the rubber band from around my arm.

"Mm…"

"For the most part." Carefully setting the vial into a metal tube at the side, she swiped her finger across the holographic screen and my blood sample zipped into the main part of the device to be analyzed. "And they're quite accurate. So, we should definitely get some answers for you."

"So, uh…" Tidus shifted nervously in front of the dresser. "In your professional opinion, do you think this all could be due to…stress?"

"Stress can certainly have this effect on someone," she answered, craning her neck to address him. "But we have to rule out other things first. That's why I'm running these tests."

"Right…"

The doctor shifted her attention back to me and smiled. "You must be very special to him. I've never seen him this worried before."

Just then, the screen beeped and displayed a list of medical data that I assumed were my results.

"Alright, let's see what's going on here…" Doctor Gale swiped a finger up the holographic screen and silently studied the data for a few moments, before breaking out into a wide grin. "Well, I have some good news for you, Yuna." She then turned to address me in a professional manner. "Your blood-work looks great. Turns out your symptoms are normal and related to something else going on inside your body. You're expecting. Congratulations!"

My stomach did a flip just as Tidus' face slackened, lips slightly parting open in shock.

"She's…pregnant?"

"Sure is."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I cupped a hand over my mouth, stunned to learn the wonderful news, but terrified of what that meant. I was carrying Tidus' child. A child conceived in Spira, three years in the future. If things weren't complicated enough before, they certainly were now.

"You weren't expecting this, were you?"

I slowly shook my head, allowing my hand to fall limp at my side. "No, but…" Sucking back a sniffle, I wiped the tears from my face and released a joyful chuckle. "I'm happy about it! And…a little scared, too."

"That's perfectly normal. But I am worried about this stress you've been under. That's not good for you or the baby. And it's probably what's exacerbating your symptoms."

Something else had finally occurred to me as well. My unusual emotional state—it'd been due to pregnancy hormones. No wonder I'd been such an emotional wreck and hadn't been thinking clearly.

"I've been so distracted that I hadn't even realized I was late. This explains so much."

"Well, I'm gonna run a diagnostic test with the sample you provided. That way we can determine how far along you are. I don't suspect you're too far in, but we need to be sure."

While the doctor returned her attention to the holographic screen to punch some commands into the digital keypad, I took the opportunity to dare a glance at Tidus, who seemed rather unsettled by the news.

His troubled gaze then fastened onto mine, stilling my heart. I could only imagine what he was going through. In his eyes I was not only engaged to someone else now, but carrying their child. And worse of all, he was madly in love with me.

"Okay, Yuna, it's just as I suspected. Looks like you're a little over three weeks in. So, the timing of your morning sickness and dizzy spells are consistent with that data. I'm gonna send a script over to the potion store for some prenatal vitamins that you can pick up sometime in the afternoon.

"Take a teaspoon a day of each one and try to get some rest. I don't like prescribing anxiety potions in a situation like yours, unless it's absolutely necessary. So, if you find your dizzy spells worsening then I want you to call me, right away, and I'll send over a script to the potion store.

"Tidus knows my starcom line, so he can give it to you. And I'll be in touch to give you a name and address of a daytime doctor who'll be overseeing you through this. Now, I just need your starcom information, so I can reach you."

"You can reach her here," Tidus broke in, saving me from trying to explain why I didn't have one. "She's staying with me."

"Okay, that'll make things easier then."

The holographic screen suddenly beeped and an image of Tidus appeared along with several lines of information.

"Oh..." Doctor Gale peered over at the screen with a baffled expression. "Not sure why this ran a paternity scan. I hadn't ordered one."

Paternity scan!? Oh, no…

"What the…?" The color drained from Tidus' face as he stood in absolute shock with his mouth slightly agape.

"Don't worry, blitz ace. It's not like I hadn't already suspected," she admitted with an amused grin. "You know I'm bound by doctor-patient confidentiality. So, you'll still have time before all those fangirls' hearts are crushed to learn Zanarkand's most eligible bachelor is no longer up for grabs."

"Uh... Sorry Doc, but that's gotta be a glitch or something. You see, I'm…not the father."

"Well, I'll have to respectfully disagree with you. The paternity scans have a ninety-nine-point-nine percent accuracy rating."

"I'm tellin' ya, it's wrong."

Giving my hand a supportive squeeze, Doctor Gale offered me a sympathetic smile along with some advice set in a hushed tone. "Sometimes it takes a while for it to sink in. I've seen it all before, especially with star athletes at the top of their game. He'll come around. In the meantime, you need to avoid unwanted stress. So, I'm gonna give you my information." She reached into the pocket of her lab-coat and pulled out a small laminated card then handed it over to me. "Call me anytime, Yuna, okay?"

"O-okay."

After the doctor keyed in some information on the screen, the hologram faded out and the miniature lab folded back up into a metal sphere then dropped into her hand.

"I'm sorry you're having a hard time with this," she addressed Tidus while packing the sphere into her briefcase. "You two obviously need to have a conversation. But I'm gonna warn you—any significant stress can be fatal to the baby. I'm sure you don't want that. Yuna needs your love, support and understanding, right now. So, I'm gonna urge you to consider that before making any rash decisions."

Tidus' brow dipped low in offense. "I'd never put her or the baby in danger."

"Good." Briefcase in hand, Doctor Gale stood and threw him a tight smile. "If any issues arise, give me a call. I'll see myself out."

Arms folded and gaze lowered, Tidus waited by the dresser until the door to the houseboat shut closed, before coming over to perch himself on the edge of the bed next to me.

"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent accurate." He scoffed, and shook his head in disgust. "I guess someone else ended up having a glitch, too, at one point." Lips kinked to the side in frustration, Tidus released a heavy, troubled breath and took my hand in his. "I'm sorry, Yuna. That probably didn't help matters."

I wasn't sure how to respond. The lies I'd spun were already winding around my throat and threatening to suffocate me. Maybe… Maybe I'd been approaching this all wrong.

"I can see you're happy about the news."

Fighting back tears, I gave a sure nod and looked away, hoping it would make things easier if I wasn't able to see the pain and envy in his eyes.

"I, uh… I guess this complicates things even more, huh?"

Again, I chose to remain silent as my emotions threatened to bubble over.

"This doesn't change how I feel about you, y'know? I still love you, Yuna. And I want you to know…that even though the baby is not mine, it's still a part of you and…that's good enough for me."

I could feel myself crumbling under the weight of his words; the final thread of my resolve about to come undone.

Swallowing hard, Tidus kissed the back of my hand and began to speak in a soft, unwavering tone, "I know you don't wanna hear this right now but… This kid's gonna need a father. And if you stay here with me, I'll be more than willing to fill that role."

This amazing man loved me enough to father a child that he thought was someone else's—and at the age of seventeen no less. I truly didn't deserve him.

The thread finally snapped, reducing me into a fit of heaving sobs.

"Yuna…" Scooting closer, Tidus pulled me into his arms and rubbed a soothing hand down my back. "Shh… Hey, it's okay. Doc said you can't get upset, remember? It's gonna be, okay. I promise."

"No, it won't!" I croaked. "I've… I've ruined everything!"

"C'mon now, you didn't ruin anything, okay?"

My sobs grew more intense as I quaked in his loving embrace. "You don't understand! It's all… It's all a lie! I'm so sorry..."

"What're you talking about?"

"I… I shouldn't have come here." Burying my face further into his chest, I desperately clung to his dress-shirt, soaking the silky material in a week's worth of anguish. "Everything we fought for… I'm such a fool!"

"Yuna, you're not making any sense. You need to calm down."

"I can't do this anymore. I… I can't lie anymore! Auron!" I cried in desperation. "We need to find Auron!"

His body tensed. "How… How do you know about him?" Drawing back to look me in the eye, he furrowed his brow, seeming both stunned and confused. "I never mentioned his name before. What's going on, Yuna? What aren't you telling me?"

I'd already made such a mess of things that confessing everything at that point, probably wouldn't make much of a difference. If anything, maybe it would help.

Sucking back a long sniffle, I wiped the tears from my eyes and confessed in a raw voice, "Doctor Gale was right. That wasn't a glitch in the system."

His frown deepened with confusion. "That doesn't make any sense. We've never…"

"The night I came here—I lied to you…and every day since. I know how I got here. I knew it then and I know it now…well, sort of."

An alarmed expression crossed his face. "What're you saying?"

"I'm not from this world, Tidus. Or this time, for that matter."

His lips parted, but nothing came out.

"I know it sounds crazy. I wouldn't believe me either. It's just…I didn't ask for any of this!" Feeling as though I'd fall apart again, I inhaled deeply and let out a trembling breath. "It was Shinra's stupid invention. We all gathered at the Machine Faction Headquarters for him to unveil it to us. We were shocked to learn what it was. A time machine, he said. I knew it would be dangerous. And sure enough, it came to life on its own. Rikku had to blow it up using her alchemist dressphere, but it wasn't destroyed like we'd all thought.

"I was foolish enough to get near it and curious of the module Shinra had dropped to the floor. I felt bad for him. He looked so…broken. Then came the zaps and all the shouts." I choked back a sob and forced myself to continue. "The last thing I saw was the look of horror on your face as you ran toward me. Then the next thing I knew, I was standing here on the docks, no longer in Spira."

"Spira?" he echoed, eyes empty and staring right through me in what seemed like a catatonic state.

"Yes, Spira. And Luca is one of the largest cities there."

"…And Auron?"

"He's…" Even though I was coming clean with everything, I still had to be careful what I revealed. I didn't want Tidus learning that he was a dream. "I met Auron on my pilgrimage. He became one of my guardians. In Spira, a guardian is someone, or several people in my case, who a summoner entrusts to aid them on their journey to defeat something called Sin—a monstrous entity that swallowed cities whole and brought an endless spiral of death to that world for over a thousand years.

"Auron knew your father because…they'd journeyed together with my father on his pilgrimage ten year prior to mine."

The life finally returned to Tidus' eyes. "My old man!? He's…alive?"

"Was. He died in battle at the end of one of those journeys." But I wasn't about to tell him how. "He… He really loved you, Tidus."

The inner turmoil marring his face had me second guessing my decision. "You're saying my old man didn't drown? That he travelled to this…Spira!?"

"Yes, the same way you did, unwillingly of course. Our worlds are linked in a way that's…hard to explain."

"Well try because I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around all this."

"I'm sorry. I can't..."

His brow dipped low once again. "Why not? I mean, you just told me that I'm gonna get sucked into another world where my old man was killed fighting some monster. I think I got the right to know more, don't you?"

He certainly did. But it couldn't be anything linked to his existence and what happened to him after we defeated Sin.

"Sin is the link. When your father went to train off the coast, it must've emerged in the water and brought him to Spira."

"And me?"

"You… You were in the middle of a game for the Jecht Memorial Cup when Sin attacked Zanarkand."

"Attacked!?"

I gave a solemn nod to confirm.

"And what? I get sucked into Spira during the assault?"

"Yes. Auron is with you when it happens."

Tidus released a curt laugh. "Of course he is." Then suddenly his brow shot up as though he'd just realized something important. "Wait—the Jecht Memorial Cup is four weeks out!"

"Which is why I need to return home before then."

A grave look crossed his face. "What happens if you don't?"

"I'll either die here or…get sucked into Spira along with you."

"Well, at least if you hitch a ride on that thing, you'll live."

"I'm not so sure that would turn out any better. I… I heard this theory once. That if time travel was possible, and someone went back and met a past or future version of themselves, it would cause something called a paradox. And all past and future versions would be obliterated. The person would cease to exist in all timelines."

Hunching forward, Tidus buried his face into his hands and let out a long, frustrated groan. "Arghh! This all sounds crazy! I dunno what to believe."

"Do you really think I made all this up?"

Tidus raked his fingers down his face and met my worried gaze. "I'm kinda hoping you did."

"I'm sorry… This past week…none of it should've happened. We… We weren't supposed to meet until you came to Spira."

Face softening, Tidus released a sharp puff of air then rubbed his chin in thought. "And you're saying we fell in love there?"

A thoughtful smile tugged on my lips. "Mhm. You became one of my guardians. And sometime during the pilgrimage, we fell in love. When you learned a summoner's fate was death, you set out to find a way to save me. And you did. We defeated Sin without the final summoning, ushering in what we call the Eternal Calm. We broke the cycle of death and ended a thousand-year-old death cult for good."

Tidus issued an incredulous laugh. "Wow, uh… Somehow, I find it hard to believe I helped to save a whole world."

"But you did," I insisted. "And after some time we were finally able to have a life together. You proposed just before we moved to Luca. And now…" My voice strained with emotion once again as hot tears returned to my eyes. "Now, I may have destroyed everything. All we'd accomplished. The life we'd just started… All because I saw you there, outside with that girl.

"I didn't know where else to go. I wasn't thinking clearly. And everything after… I've already changed things. Just by us meeting that night. There might not be anything to return home to. Maybe that's why…" I hiccupped as the tears flowed freely. "That's why I'm not being transported back. Because you're not there anymore…and neither is Spira!"

"Hey, c'mere," Gathering me into his arms, Tidus held me close and kissed the top of my head. "If any of that were true then you wouldn't be pregnant, right now."

And he had a point. The baby wouldn't exist if Tidus had ceased to before it'd been conceived, which meant we still had time to fix things. The future hadn't been lost. Not yet.

"So…you believe me, then?"

"It's a wild story," he paused to release a long, drawn out breath. "But not one I think you could make up that quick."

"I'm so sorry…"

"So, this whole time…I was your fiancé?"

"Yes…"

"I guess that explains a few things," he remarked with a soft chuckle. "Who's Shuyin then? An ex-boyfriend?"

I couldn't help but breathe a laugh at his horrible guess. "Shuyin is…someone who's been dead for a thousand years."

"I'll take that as a hard no then."

We both chuckled then drew back to gaze into each other's eyes.

"You're…really mine," he uttered the words in disbelief, tracing a thoughtful finger across my jawline. "This is all just so…surreal to me. I feel like I'm dreaming."

"I… I tried so hard. Tried to resist but… I fell in love with you all over again."

The corners of his lips twitched into a satisfied smile. "Guess we're meant to be together." Then, his expression sobered into something much more serious. "And if that's the case, we'll find a way to fix things."

"I hope you're right."

"You mentioned Auron earlier. You think he can help somehow?"

"Not directly," I clarified. "But he may know someone who can."

Taking a moment to contemplate my words, he thinned his lips then set his jaw resolutely, seeming to have devised a plan. "He'll be at my game tomorrow night. He doesn't usually stick around if we win. So, I'm gonna try and throw the match. It'll piss him off to where he'll feel the need to give me a lecture after."

"Tidus…"

"This is more important than a stupid game," he indicated, gaze briefly falling to my stomach in concern. "We have a kid to think about."

Those fatherly instincts had kicked in awfully quick. Then again, Tidus had always wanted a family. I just hoped the fayth would be able to undo this mess, so we could secure the one we'd started in the future.

"You must have so many questions…"

"Yeah, a ton actually but… I'm still trying to process all this."

"I'm sorry…for putting you in this position."

"I, uh… I guess I can see this from your perspective. Ending up in a strange world and seeing the one person you care most about. You didn't feel like you had anywhere else to turn, so it makes sense."

"But I should've thought things through. And I didn't…"

Tidus tossed me a doubtful look. "Where would you have gone, Yuna?"

"I… I don't know. I suppose I could've found somewhere else to stay."

"Like where?" he challenged.

"Maybe an inn or—"

"With what gil?" he reasoned. "Somehow I doubt whatever form of payment you use in Spira would work here. Unless you had a stash of coins hidden in a magical sphere."

He was right. But it still didn't make me feel any better. "I suppose you're right but…"

"The way I see it—you didn't have much of a choice. And telling me all this the night you showed up probably wouldn't have gone over well."

"I suppose you would've thought I was crazy."

"Mmm… That and an opportunist of sorts."

"And you…don't feel that way now?"

His lips pulled into a warm smile. "Not after getting to know you. If you were out for gil and fame you wouldn't have resisted so much. Besides, you're not the type. You're way too sweet and caring for that. It's one of the many reasons I fell in love with you."

An irrepressible grin formed on my lips. "I still can't believe it only took a week."

"Yeah of us living together," he softly chuckled. "That's like a month or more of dates. And we get to see how the other person really is, there's no hiding who we are."

Again, he was right. "I suppose…" Peering into his loving eyes, I bit down on my lower lip and mentioned the one thing he probably didn't want to discuss, "You know I have to return to Spira, right?"

And from the way his expression fell, I'd been correct.

"Yeah…I know." Then, he gazed up at me in question. "Do you think Auron would be able to help with that?"

"I'm not certain. But right now, he's the only option I have. I need to focus on fixing everything else first though."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

Obviously nothing he'd want to hear. But I owed him the truth. "Somehow…you need to forget all this—everything that's happened. You need to forget…me."

His brows knit in distress. "But I don't want to."

"I know…"

"Can't we try something different?"

My heart ached for him. This was clearly tearing him up inside. "Like what?"

"Maybe if you told me everything—gave me a play-by-play on what to expect. I can make sure nothing changes in the future. It'll be like following a script."

"No Tidus." I adamantly shook my head. "That won't work."

"You don't know that," he protested. "It's worth a shot."

"It's a risk I'm not willing to take. Too much is at stake."

"What if Auron can't help? It might be our only option then."

And that was a scenario I didn't want to think about. "He'll find a way. I know he will."

"But what if he can't?" he persisted. "We need to have a Plan B."

As much as I didn't want to consider the alternatives, I had to start doing so. And one of them was being stuck in Zanarkand when Sin attacked. I couldn't return to Spira that way—it would be a fate worse than death and could ultimately lead to Spira's destruction if I ceased to exist.

I may have played a huge part in saving Spira twice, but Tidus was the key to defeating Sin and Yu Yevon. No matter what, he had to make it to Spira and preferably without any knowledge of us meeting in Zanarkand. I, on the other hand, may have to face a similar fate to what Tidus had endured. Only I wouldn't fade away. I'd die, alone and pregnant with his child in a dream of the fayth. And my stomach coiled at the thought.

As long as I existed up until that day Shinra unveiled his invention, Spira would be spared and Tidus would live. Everything after…well, I'm sure he'd find a way to move on.

"Yuna…?"

The mere thought of Tidus endlessly trying to find a way to bring me back had my throat tightening once again. He'd never give up. I knew better than that. He'd never move on.

"Yuna…?"

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to accept if it weren't for this child of ours. I was now carrying an innocent life inside me—a life created out of love, and one I wanted so very much. If I didn't make it home, Tidus would never know he was a father.

"Yuna!"

Shaken from my macabre thoughts, I released a quivering breath and began to massage my throbbing temples. "I'm sorry. I just can't do this right now."

"No, I'm sorry," he apologized, sliding a finger under my chin to tilt my head up and meet his worried gaze. "This must be so hard on you."

He had no idea. "I don't want to think about this anymore, tonight…please."

"Okay… C'mon, let's try to get some sleep. It's been a long day. You need your rest."

Fluffing the pillows, Tidus helped to ease me back onto them then switched off the lamp. "Didya want under the covers?"

"No, I'm comfortable like this."

He switched the lamp back on, seeming unconvinced. "Not in those sandals, you're not."

Moving to the bottom of the mattress, Tidus began to carefully untie the straps laced up on my calves then slipped the sandals off one at a time, discarding them to the floor.

"There… That's gotta feel better, huh?"

"Mm…"

He then went to turn off the lamp once again and climbed onto the mattress, spooning against me while he held me securely in his arms. "You're…okay with this, right?"

"Mhmm…" I purred.

An affectionate chuckle bubbled out of him. "Alright then… G'nite Yuna."

After all I'd put him through, he deserved to hear the one thing I'd denied him this whole time.

"Tidus…?"

"Yeah…?"

"I love you."

With a contented sigh, he gave me a tender squeeze and whispered, "I love you, too, Yuna. So damn much."

My heart swelled only to tear in half a moment later. He wasn't going to accept what I had to do if we couldn't find another way. He hadn't accepted my fate as a summoner in Spira. How could I expect him to be any different now?

"Yuna…?"

"Hmm…?"

"I… I won't let you die here. I found a way to save you in the future, so I'll find a way to save you now."

I swear this man could read my thoughts. "Tidus…"

"Don't say it can't be done. And if Auron really knows someone or something that can help fix things as you say, I'm…okay with that, too. Besides, it won't hurt if I can't remember, right? And it'll ensure us having a future together. So, I'll have you again, eventually."

This man was amazing—a dream come true in every sense. And I didn't have the heart to douse his hopes.

"We'll figure this all out. I know we will. I promise. You and this baby are a gift—a glimpse into the future. One I want so badly. I won't let you down, Yuna."

"I… I know you won't."

"There's gotta be a way to getcha home. And we'll find it. You have my word."

I wanted to believe him—wanted to believe his words held the power to make it possible. If it were up to him, he'd make it happen. But that wasn't the case. My best hope laid in the fayth finding a solution to all I'd done and Shinra fixing that cursed machina in time. Neither of which I was certain of anymore. And yet, it was all I had left to cling to.

If I could change one thing, I would've never agreed to set foot in the former temple known as Djose that day. Then all of this would've been avoided.

Damn you Shinra…