DISCLAIMER:  I do not own FFX, FFX-2 or any of the characters and locations affiliated with it.  I do, however, own the story "Silver Wings" and all references to dialogue not originated by Square-Enix.

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post this story or "Silver Wings" anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it.  Email akksgurl@yahoo.com with any requests.

Author's Notes:  Sorry this update took a little longer then most.  My job has been killing me lately! And when I tried to upload on Saturday night the website wasn't working.  Oh well, it's here now  :)  Anyway, Gippal gets out of jail in this chapter, but it isn't through the courts dropping the charges.  He also gains one more supporter who ends up believing he didn't kill Baralai. 

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SILVER WINGS 2: 1000 CONFESSIONS

by akksgurl

Chapter Eleven: Jailbreak

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Rikku stared out at the crystal blue waters of the Oasis and sighed.  She hadn't been able to pull herself from her depression for days and rarely moved from her spot except to shower and eat. 

Baralai had been murdered by Gippal.

One of her best friends had been murdered by the man she loved.

Good gracious, her life sucked.

As she stretched her long limbs on the sand, Rikku let herself fall backward and stare at the sun as it slowly made its way across the sky.  She couldn't stop herself from wondering 'what if'.  What if she had just told Gippal how she felt about him?  What if they hadn't split up from Baralai?  What if…

She groaned and stretched.  The bottom line was that Baralai was a talented fighter.  He had been difficult to beat when the female trio had fought him during his possession.  He would have been able to defend himself from a full on assault which led to only one logical conclusion.  Baralai had been caught off guard. 

However, though Rikku knew this, try as she might she could not get herself to believe completely that Gippal had snuck up behind Baralai and wrapped the belt around his neck.  Although all evidence pointed to him, Rikku knew Gippal just like he had said she did.  Gippal might have killed Baralai in anger, but never in a preconceived plan.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Rikku turned her head and smiled up at Paine who was walking over the final sand dune to take a seat next to Rikku.  The Al Bhed had to stifle a laugh at the fact that her friend was still wearing black leather in the desert.  She nodded, "You thought right."

"We saw Gippal today."

Rikku frowned.  She didn't want to think about Gippal in that horrible place and about the part – the huge part – she played in having him sent there. 

"I don't think he did it, Rikku"

Her eyes connected with the crimson spheres of her friends and she asked, shocked, "Why?  You went there this morning so sure that he had done it.  What happened?"

Paine shrugged and dusted some sand off of her boot, "Well, he pointed out how stupid it would be for him to use his own belt to kill Baralai.  Plus, by not wiping the prints off he would have just been asking to be arrested."

"I suppose you're right," Rikku admitted, "but who killed Baralai if Gippal didn't?"

Paine gave Rikku a half-grin, "That's where Gippal and I disagree.  The person he immediately suspected, I don't think could have done it.  However, his theory on how the killer might have gotten in, then out, makes sense."

"Who did he think it was?"

"Tidus."

Rikku practically flew to her feet, throwing her hands onto her hips, "What?!  Now he's going to accuse innocent people!!"

Paine stood and put a calming hand on Rikku's shoulder, "I told him he was nuts." She said, "But his theory on the killer's escape might have merit."

Rikku sighed and sat again.  She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear Gippal's theory.  Just knowing that he thought Tidus was capable of hurting someone made her furious.  She had known Tidus for almost a year during Yuna's pilgrimage and he had never – would never – hurt another living soul unless provoked.  However, curiosity got the better of her, "What's his idea?"

"Did you notice the window open when we found Baralai?" Paine asked.

Rikku thought for a moment.  She had felt a slight breeze coming from the direction of the windows and at quick glance it had looked like one was open a little which she thought was strange since Brother insisted those windows be kept shut.  She had made a move to shut it when Yuna had found Baralai and everyone had gotten distracted. 

"Yes." She replied.

Paine nodded, "When Gippal mentioned it, I immediately realized where he was going with it." She used her hand to draw a small picture in the sand, "Now, suppose that the killer killed Baralai with Gippal's belt intent on framing him.  That is why the prints were there."

"But what about the killer's prints?"

"That's what made him think of Tidus." Paine revealed, "The killer had to have been wearing gloves…"

"And Tidus wears them…" Rikku finished before she shook her head and rolled her eyes, "So he thinks that nobody else could have gotten their hands on gloves?"

Paine laughed, "That's Gippal for you.  He's a little slow."

The girls laughed hard at that one for several minutes before Rikku calmed, "Finish the explanation."

"Well, he was thinking that after the killer offed Baralai, he opened the window and slid down the side into the sand.  That's also where he goes back into his Tidus thought, because Tidus would have then been able to get back in the front and make it look like he was just coming back."

"But Gippal was in the ship!"

Paine shook her head, "No, he said he was coming up the engine room entrance."

"There's an engine room entrance?" Rikku asked, scrunching her nose in confusion.

At Paine's nod, the Al Bhed grew quiet and thoughtful.  This theory made just as much sense as the thought that Gippal would have murdered his best friend over her.  Actually, this theory made a lot more sense.  Gippal would have been an idiot to use his own belt and then just leave the prints on it.  Gippal was an idiot, but not that much of an idiot.  However, the one thought that continued to plague her was Gippal's alibi.  He hadn't given one.  She voiced this now, "What about Gippal's alibi?  Where was he before the engine room?"

"That part is what's weird." Paine said, reaching into her pocket, "He told me that this was his alibi and that you'd know what it was." And she firmly planted a bright red rock in Rikku's hand.

Rikku stared at the rock for a moment, utterly confused, until a memory flew back into her mind from a faraway place.  She was 14, Gippal was 16.  It was the party before he joined the Crimson Squad.  The two of them had walked 10 miles west of Home to a bridge that jutted out from a sand dune.  It had been there for years and no one knew if water used to be there or not.  Nobody really cared, anyway.  Under the bridge was a group of bright, red stones unlike anything ever seen on Spira.  Rikku loved them and Gippal told her he would bring her one day when she least expected it.

Gippal had been at the bridge – 10 miles from the Celsius.  She quickly figured times and distances in her head and realized that, unless Gippal possessed the ability to travel at the speed of light, there was no way he could have done 20 miles round trip in time to kill Baralai and escape again without being caught.  More than likely, when he was coming up from the engine room he was actually just returning to the ship.

Climbing to her feet she said to Paine, "Do not tell anyone about this conversation."

"Where are you going?"

Rikku broke into a run, shouting the lie over her shoulder, "The Moonflow!"

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Drumming his fingers on the cement floor had become Gippal's favorite pastime since his incarceration had started.  There wasn't much else the imprisoned Al Bhed could do to pass the time. 

Cid had finally taken pity on him and allowed Gippal to shave the thick stubble that had been forming on his angular jaw and Gippal was most grateful for that, however he had wished he could have done that before Nooj, LeBlanc, Paine, and Yuna had seen looking like a homeless dog.

A shadow on the wall caught Gippal's attention, followed immediately after by Rikku's tiptoeing figure with her finger firmly planted on her mouth indicating silence.  Gippal shot her a confused look as she dangled the key to his cell in front of him, "I swiped it from the sleeping guard outside," she whispered, "Be really quiet."

His cell opened silently and he wanted desperately to ask Rikku what she was doing but he simply followed her silently as she replaced the keys back in the guard's lap and snuck him out the back door and into the fresh air of dusk on Bikanel. 

"Now I need to get you to Guadosalam." She said with a grin, "I talked to LeBlanc and she said you could stay at Chateau LeBlanc for the time being.  Nobody would look for you there."

"Rikku…" Gippal said, staring into her eyes.

She shook her head and waved her hands in front of his face to ward off any of his questions, "I spoke to Paine.  Enough said."

Their journey to Guadosalam on a stolen boat was a silent one.  Neither knew what to say to the other.  Words just didn't seem enough to express their feelings so they sat silently as the moonlight bathed their bodies and the water lapped gently at the side of the boat.  It was almost dawn by the time they landed at the shores of the Moonflow and quickly made their way to the entrance of Guadosalam.

It had been a long time since Gippal had been to Guadosalam and was excited to be given the opportunity to have free run of it.  However, from the look on Rikku's face, he could tell she just wanted to leave.  He was aware that this house used to belong to Lord Seymour Guado and just that name brought shivers down the spine of his companion.  However, like the tough woman she was, Rikku marched up to the doors and entered the mansion first. 

"This is it." She said as she motioned around the green tinted entranceway.  With a smile, she turned to face him, "Home sweet home, at least for now."

Gippal looked into her bright eyes with a serious expression, "Why are you doing this for me?  You're father will flip when he finds out."

"Pop doesn't believe you did it either," she replied, "He'd probably thank me."

"I don't know about that." Said Gippal with a smile that quickly faded in shock as Rikku lifted herself on her toes and kissed him gently.  He let his hands wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him and relishing in the fact that she was the one initiating this melding of the lips.  However, reality brought him back to his senses.  He was a condemned man who had just escaped from jail.  She was an accomplice in a jailbreak. 

This was no time to be getting romantic. 

Gently pushing her away he tried to ignore the look of disappointment that was visible on her face, "What?"

"This isn't the time." He replied.

She frowned, "This is a perfect time.  Nobody knows where we are.  We're alone.  What more do you want?"

Gippal stood firm to his decision.  She was upset and running on adrenaline.   He didn't want to take advantage of her only to have her hate him in the morning and he voiced this to her. 

"So you don't want me?"

"Not tonight," Gippal said, kissing her hand softly, "If you still want me when this is over, then it'll be a different story."

"Fine!" shrieked Rikku in a display of angry frustration that Gippal didn't expect.  Storming toward the door, she flung it open with all her strength and said, "I've got to get back before people start suspecting me.  I told Paine I was at the Moonflow, so…"

"Rikku," Gippal interrupted, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Rikku, I love you."

She looked at him with absolutely no readable expression on her face and Gippal didn't know what to make of it until she let out a loud laugh.  Shaking her head and trying to catch her breath, Rikku said, "Gippal, you don't have to tell me that just to get in my pants.  You already have a free pass."

"Rikku, I wasn't…"

"Don't worry about it." Interrupted Rikku, stopping Gippal before he could tell her that he wasn't lying, "I've gotta go.  Stay out of sight.  I'll be by occasionally to bring food and check on you.  LeBlanc said there should be plenty of food to last you a month at least."

With one last glance over her shoulder, she was gone and Gippal whispered into the night, "I love you, Rikku."

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Yuna broke to the surface of consciousness and sat up quickly.  She had never passed out before and she wasn't sure why she had suddenly done so.  Tidus' handsome face was staring at her and she relaxed against his chest, "What happened to me?" she asked.

"You passed out." He replied, kissing her ear gently.

"But I never pass out." She frowned and ran a hand across her stomach thoughtfully, "You don't think I'm pregnant, do you?"

"Absolutely not." Came Tidus' reply.  His certainty brought with it a feeing Yuna hadn't expected to feel.  Skepticism.  There was something in his positive response that made her wonder just how much he knew about her fainting spell. 

Quickly pushing that feeling away, she climbed to her feet, "What did you want to do today?  You said something about doing something alone."

He smiled at her, "We can do whatever you want to do."

She walked over to the mirror and ran a brush through her tangled knots, "I really wish we had something to celebrate." She sighed, "But with everything going on with Gippal, I don't think we'll be able to celebrate for quite a while."

"There's always something to celebrate," Tidus replied, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, "Even when things suck the most."

"Like what?"

"Anniversaries, birthdays, births, holidays…"

Yuna smiled and turned to kiss his nose, "Speaking of birthdays…" she said as she twisted completely around and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I've known you all this time and yet you never told me when you're birthday is."

She thought she caught a glimpse of a frown but it was quickly gone and she thought she just imagined it.  Tidus thought for a moment before letting out a small grin, "It's today.  I had completely forgotten."

Yuna practically squealed with glee, "You're 20 today!"

"1020…" Tidus whispered under his breath before quickly correcting himself and subtracting 1000 from the age.  Yuna didn't say anything about his slip up.  She knew how confusing it must be to be only 20 and yet born over 1000 years before.

She smiled at him, "Let's go out and celebrate!"  Excitedly, she twisted out of his arms and focused back on fixing her hair.  Tidus had wandered back to the bed to put his shoes on and she smiled.  Reaching down to replace the brush, something shiny caught her attention.  It was in a darkened corner next to the table, almost as if it had fallen off.  She reached down to grasp it and her breath caught.  It was a diamond ring. 

"What are you looking at?" Tidus asked.

Yuna spun around with the ring in her hand, "What's this?"

The quickness that Tidus ripped the ring from her finger and muttered, "Nothing" told Yuna that the ring wasn't nothing. 

It was a diamond ring and Tidus had bought it.  Was that his 'errand' on the day that Baralai was killed?  Did he buy her an engagement ring?  If so, why was it on the floor?  Did it fall?  Yuna had so many questions but she didn't want to pressure Tidus about them and spoil any surprise he might be working on for her.  Accepting his answer with a smile, she acted like she had already forgotten about the ring as they made their way to the door, but in reality the ring was the only thing on her mind.  She needed to tell the girls about it. 

Was he going to propose?!

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NOTE:  The sequel fairy paid me another visit this morning and brought to life a silly little idea that I had been playing around with ever since I noticed the similarities between FF8's Esthar and FFX's Zanarkand.  Basically, I'm thinking of making a Silver Wings 3 (hopefully the last in the series, but with me you never know…lol) in which I combine characters from FF8 and FFX,X-2 into one story tentatively called "Silver Wings 3: Back Into My Arms".   I don't want to give too much of the plot away since it would ruin the ending I'm thinking about for Silver Wings 2, but if anyone is interested in another sequel, let me know.