A/N: Omg… I am so sorry this one took so long to get up. I have just been so busy it isn't even funny.

Responses to Reviewers

The Jack of Spades - Yep! I did my research alright! And yes, Yuna will make another appearance. But not yet, I have a way I'm gonna do that, so just stay tuned!

Princess of Mirrors - lmfao, keep guessin'! Your ideas are very interesting, and if I didn't already use them, maybe I will shortly. If you don't mind I mean. And I'm glad you're into it, no problems there!

Thursday, August 9th, 2003

3:25 pm

Zanarkand District Library

Rikku sat in silence in the medical section of the Zanarkand District Library, leafing through one of many books she'd found on mental illnesses and disease. She'd been there since 9am, when the library opened, just to do some extra research before attempting to approach Tidus directly about the subject. She wasn't finding anything useful, though.

She sighed, closing the book entitled 'A State of Mind' and reaching out for the next one.

It looks like I'll just have to go with the upfront methodology then…

All of a sudden, a hand stopped her from picking up the book, and she looked up into the face of Mitch Langry.

She sighed again, but it was out of pure frustration and displeasure. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and pulled a chair from a nearby table over next to her. "Thought maybe you could use a little help."

"I don't," she growled. "I'm finding exactly what I need, thanks."

He held his hands up in defense. "Fine, geez. Next time I consider helping you out, I'll think twice."

She rubbed her skull with her hands. "Oh my God… fine. Here." She handed him a book. "Look through this one."

He opened it and began reading through it, as she took another book and did the same. After approximately ten minutes of reading in silence, Mitch shut the book, making sure to keep his finger between the pages he had been reading. "Is that all we're gonna do? Sit here and play school?"

She was getting aggravated already. "We're researching."

He rolled his eyes. "Call it what you want. But if you ask me, sitting here reading isn't gonna get the case solved."

"I didn't ask you," she told him, keeping her eyes glued to the page of the book, even though she wasn't reading it anymore. "And I'm not trying to solve a case. I'm trying to figure out why he did this."

"Fine then. Sitting here reading isn't gonna help you figure out why he did it. That better?"

She kept her face emotionless, but eventually broke down and smiled a little. "You are unbelievable. Why are you so desperate to help me?"

He averted his gaze. "No reason. Just call it enthusiasm for my job."

She nodded. "Alright then, doesn't make any difference to me." She paused, then closed her book as well. "So what should we do then?"

"Well, the whole background thing is out, there's nothing."

Suddenly, Rikku got an idea. "How about a background check on someone else?"

Mitch's brow furrowed between his eyes. "Who else is there?"

"His dad," she said. "His name is… Jecht."

He shrugged as they headed for the library doors. "Sure, we could give it a shot. Dig up some dirt on the old man."

She giggled quietly. "Right."

Thursday, August 9th, 2003

4:32 pm

Private Investigator's office; Besaid

Rikku and Mitch entered the private investigator's office. If it had been located any further south, it would've crossed over into Bevelle.

"How can I help you?" the woman at the front desk asked. She had long black hair that was tied up into a Japanese style bun. She wore a long black dress that matched the color of her raven hair. Her name plate read 'Lulu.'

"We'd like to speak to the PI, please," Rikku said.

"Do you have an appointment?" Lulu asked.

Rikku gave a worried glance towards Mitch, but he didn't appear fazed. "I was here the other day. This is regarding Tidus's case."

Lulu's expression changed. She motioned over to the hallway to the left of the front lobby. "Down that hall. Second door on your right."

Mitch nodded. "Thank you very much ma'am."

Rikku followed Mitch in the direction Lulu had told them. "That's right," she whispered. "I forgot you were here before."

She noticed the stern look on his face, which was very different from the giddy expression he'd worn just a few moments ago. He said nothing as they knocked on the door and entered.

"You back again, Mitch?" the man at the desk inside the room asked. He had a heavy Jamaican accent, which Rikku found extremely odd for a private investigator.

Mitch nodded. "Unfortunately, Wakka."

Wakka? Weird name…

"What can I do for you?" Wakka asked, motioning for them to sit down, then doing the same himself.

"I need a background check on Tidus's father. Name's Jecht," Mitch told him.

Rikku couldn't get over how quickly Mitch had made the transition from being ridiculously annoying to taking control of a serious situation with ease.

"Alrighty…" Wakka turned his chair to the computer and typed furiously for what seemed like forever. "Here it is. I'll make a printout for you to take it back with ya."

The printer whirred and three pages came sliding out. Wakka took them and handed them over to Mitch. It was still warm when he took it.

Rikku immediately snatched it out of his hand and looked it over, her eyes shifting back and forth as she read along the page.

"That's weird… It says here that Jecht disappeared over eight years ago. No one knows what happened to him. Police investigated for a year and a half before giving up and presuming him dead."

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

She nodded, keeping her eyes locked on the paper.

"There were withdrawals of large sums of money over a period of 3 years. Hundreds of dollars. One of the withdrawals was close to $900."

"What was it for?"

Rikku searched the page. "…It doesn't say."

"That's definitely strange," Mitch commented.

"Tell me about it."

Rikku continued to read along the three pages. Jecht had been a star football player on the Zanarkand Abes for most of his life. He was married to a woman named Marissa, had only one son, which was Tidus, and seemed to live the perfect life. He had a clean slate as well. The only thing that was odd, and the only thing that bothered both Rikku and Mitch alike, was the fact that there were records of large amounts of money being taken out of the bank, but no record of it being spent.

There was something very strange going on. And somehow, Tidus's father was involved.