Celsius Rikku's room the next morning

Rikku awoke feeling refreshed leaving the events to the past night behind her as she jumped out of bed and dressed in her thieves outfit and walked into the cabin and sat down to breakfast. It was a combination of eggs toast and biscuits with gravy one of Brothers favorite dishes. Rikku wolfed down the meal and had 3 cups of coffee along with it. She pushed her plate away and stood up with a groan from over eating then proceeded to walk back to her room and hop into the shower.

'Nothing like a hot shower after a good breakfast.' She thought. 'Might as well enjoy the hot water now before the day gets hot then it's gonna be cold showers.'

She finished her shower and walked into her room with only a towel around her chest that went to her knees and a smaller one around her hair.

'It's already getting hot.' She thought as she loosened the towel around her chest and let it fall to the floor as she sat on her bed.

She picked up the remote for the CD player and turned the radio on just in time to catch the beginning of Real Emotion by Yuna. Her foot twitched to the beat as the song played and she sang to herself. The song ended and the DJ's voice came on the air.

"That song was by special request from one of the Gullwings going out to someone special in her life. She wants that person to know that no matter what happens they will always be special to her." The DJ said in her joyful voice.

Rikku sat up in her bed and grabbed her towel and quickly put it around her as is she expected to see Paine looking at her.

'God talk about obsession.' She thought. 'If this keeps up one of us will have to leave the team.'

Rikku sighed and got dressed and walked to the bridge and found Brother and Buddy listing to the same radio station she was.

"Hey Rikku do you have any idea who the DJ was talking about?" Buddy asked knowing Rikku was listening because she always listens to the morning show.

"No I don't." Rikku said.

"Hey Brother are you sending love songs out to Yuna again?" Buddy asked.

"Not this time." Brother answered in his native language.

"Anyway." Rikku interrupted. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Well we have been picking up some sphere waves from south east of Bevelle somewhere in the Macalania woods." Buddy said. "Could be something useful."

"So are we gonna go?" Rikku asked.

"As soon as we pick up Paine we'll be heading right for it." Buddy said.

Rikku felt her stomach drop at the mention of Paine's name.

"Can't I handle it on my own?" Rikku asked.

"You know the rules." Brother said. "No solo missions."

Rikku sighed as she flopped down in her seat as the ship made its way to the Thunder Plains. She was still sulking when the door opened behind her and Paine walked in.

" Hey guys." She said. "Hi Rikku."

"Hi." Rikku said coldly.

"Whoa is it just me or did it just get cold in here?" Buddy asked.

"It's you." Rikku and Paine said.

"Ooook." Buddy said. "Well anyway the target is somewhere in the Macalania Woods. The signal is strong so it's probably an old sphere."

"Let's get this over with." Rikku said.

Paine gave a sigh and sat at the spear seat on the bridge. She glanced from time to time at Rikku and always saw her back.

'She's really mad at me.' She thought.

"Ok its mission time Gullwings." Brother said and Rikku and Paine got ready to land.

They were dropped just inside the Woods and instantly picked up the sphere waves.

"It's this way." Rikku said and walked off with Paine right behind her.

"Rikku listen." Paine said.

"I don't want to talk about it." Rikku said.

"Well I do." Paine said stepping in front of Rikku.

"I did what I did last night because I thought it was the right thing to do." Paine said.

"Well it wasn't." Rikku snapped.

"Please don't snap at me like that I don't deserve it." Paine said.

"Like I deserved to have my feelings played with like the way you did." Rikku asked.

Paine wavered like she was just punched in the stomach and lowered her head.

"You think I was playing with your feelings?" She asked. "I put that letter under your pillow so I could tell you how I felt about you in the most romantic place I could think of."

"Ummm you two should turn your communicators off before you start a conversation like this." Buddy said.

His only response was 2 clicks as Rikku and Paine turned them off. Rikku folded her arms and looked at Paine with a half angry look.

"Listen." Paine said.

"No you listen." Rikku interrupted. "I don't care how you feel you shouldn't have kissed me like that." She snapped.

Paine stood still as if she was frozen in time as Rikku lit into her.

"You tricked me into going to the Moon Flow so you could seduce me didn't you?" She asked. "DIDN'T YOU!!"

"No." Paine as tears filled her eyes. "I asked you to come so I could."

"Fuck me?" Rikku asked.

"Rikku please listen to me." Paine sobbed. "I love you."

"You don't trick someone you love." Rikku snapped.

"God damn it Rikku I didn't try to trick you!" Pain yelled as she burst into tears and fell to her knees.

Rikku shook her head and stepped around her.

"This is your last mission with the Gullwings." She said.

Paine stayed on her knees for several minutes before getting her composure back and running after Rikku.

"Rikku. RIKKU!" Paine yelled. "I'm gonna finish this now."

Rikku's hand dropped to her weapon as she turned to face Paine.

"If you come near me I'll kill you." Rikku said coldly.

"I'd rather die than have you mad at me for trying to tell you how I felt." Pain said.

"You didn't tell me." Rikku snapped. "You pulled me into you and…and kissed me."

"I had too." Paine said.

"Why?" Rikku demanded. "It wasn't enough for you just to crush my hopes that there was a guy out there that liked me but you had to embarrass me as well?"

"You're not hearing a thing I'm saying are you?" Paine asked with a sigh.

"I've heard enough." Rikku said and stormed off.

Paine ran in front of her and raised her hand and slapped Rikku as hard as she could.

"Wake up little girl." Paine snapped. "You're not the only one that has feelings. I laid my heart on the line and you crushed it."

Rikku said nothing she just looked at Paine with tears in her eyes.

"There is no reason you should be acting like this." Paine continued. "You should be happy that someone loves you. God knows I don't have anyone that loves me."

Paine put her hand on her shoulder and ripped off a small wing patch and threw it on the ground.

"I hate you." Rikku hissed.

"Fuck you." Pain hissed back and raised her hand again to slap Rikku again.

As her hand was flying she was tackled from behind and thrown to the ground. She rolled and got back to her feet pulling her sword ready to kill whatever had just hit her. Rikku was standing with her hands at her side as Brother healed her tightly from behind and Buddy was facing Paine ready to tackle her again if need be.

"Look's like we got here just in time." Brother said.

"Let me go." Rikku hissed. "I'll kill her."

"That's exactly why I'm not gonna let you go." Brother said.

Paine sheathed her sword and faced them with an awkward smile.

"I'm out of here." She said.

She started walking away but soon fell to the ground as a sleep spell hit her. The others looked around to see what had cast the spell but were soon overcome by the spell as well. Paine tried to fight the spell but she was loosing. The last thing se saw before she passed out was a large tentacle pick Rikku up and disappear into the trees.

(Well I'd have to say that Rikku and Pain had it out in this chapter. I hope it was as good of a fight as I think it was.)