And Baby Makes Three
Chapter Six - Bedside Manor
By: Digi-Esca Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own FFX....Gosh that gets annoying after a while, eh?
**********************************************************************
'How the hell did I get beat up so badly?' Tidus thought, wincing as the hot water soaked into his fresh wounds.
One in particular was a nasty scrape down his back, caused by Bickson. The red-haired demon had punched
Tidus in just the right spot to disorient him, taking the moment to pick him up by the shoulders and drag his
bare back along the rough brick wall. It had been the extreme pain that had snapped him out of his state, causing
him to yell and retaliate as best he could with a bruised and bloodied back.
The two Luca players proved to be more of a challenge than the Abes had thought, and Graav, obviously having
had boxing lessons at some point in his life, had reeled back and delivered a powerful uppercut to Lucian's jaw.
The poor kid never even saw it coming, and was knocked out seconds later.
The others thought it was still okay, it being 4 against 2, but Bickson managed to use Graav as a distraction while
he went after Tidus.
In the end, however, they had beaten them, sending them limping back to their coaches with warnings of,
"You tell anyone, you're dead!!!"
Bickson had bravely given him the finger just before he rounded the corner, and Tidus would have gone after him
again if only for that, had it not been for the blood pouring from a cut on his eyebrow, preventing the use of his left eye.
He merely returned the gesture, before turning to help his team pick up Lucian and carry him to a car.
He and Wakka took the front seats of Wakka's quad-cab truck, piling the other three in the back. They went through
the never sleeping city, dropping off the players before making their own way home. Wakka had dropped him off,
and he'd staggered in as if drunk.
Tidus couldn't help but smirk as he recalled Yuna's look. It changed from anger, to shock, then to concern as she
took in his current state. She hadn't questioned him, however, which he was thankful for.
An hour later, Tidus had finished cleaning out his wounds, and the bath water was an eerie shade of red. It wasn't
exactly the conditions he enjoyed bathing in, so he pulled the plug and got out, drying himself off slowly. He tried his
hardest not to disturb any of the wounds, but his efforts were in vain. It had been almost two hours, and Yuna's small
cure spell had worn off, and Tidus fell to his knees from the pain.
He reached up to grab the bath robe, pulling it around his shaking frame and slipping it on. It was then that he
remembered that Yuna had asked him to call her when he was finished. He opened his mouth and sucked in a
deep breath, preparing to yell. He stopped suddenly, running a hand through his wet hair as he let out the pent
up breath, remembering that he and Yuna were not the only ones in the house.
Kieran was probably in bed, and he didn't have the energy to yell out loud enough anyway....
So, every step an effort, the blonde blitzer pulled himself to his feet, exited the bathroom and slowly made his way
upstairs. Was Yuna in bed, too? Would she be mad if he woke her? Several questions swam through his head as
he reached the second floor, but they disappeared as his ears picked up a soft, soothing voice floating out from
Kieran's bedroom.
"And the knight saved the princess, and they lived happily ever after. The end," Yuna said quietly, glancing down
at Kieran's sleeping form. She smiled warmly, kissing his forehead and standing up. She turned off the light and
made to exit the room. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Tidus leaning against the doorframe.
She ushered him out of the doorway, closing it quietly behind her as she, too, left. She went into her bedroom, and
he followed when she waved her hand for him to come inside. He sat on the bed and waited for her to speak.
"I thought I told you to call me?" She questioned, kneeling in front of him and examining the small wounds on his face.
"I didn't want to wake him."
Yuna nodded, closing her eyes in concentration as she had done earlier. Her eyes stayed closed longer this time,
however, and the white light in her hands grew larger than before. She released it, watching as it soaked right into
Tidus' skin and disappeared.
The pain completely vanished this time, and Tidus' eyes closed in relief.
"You can sleep in here for tonight, I don't want you to move right now." Yuna said, walking over to her bed and
pulling open the sheets.
"Why's that?" Tidus asked, his voice hoarse.
"Because I used a Curaga spell on you this time, and if you sleep right away before it's effects disappear, it will start
to heal your wounds as you sleep."
"You mean, if you keep casting this on me, and I keep sleeping, my wounds will just....?"
"Heal up and go away. As a bonus, you'll be in virtually no pain with the spells in effect." Yuna finished, helping him
over to the side of the bed so he could lay down. He slipped underneath the covers, and closed his eyes, revelling in
the feeling of being taken care of. A memory surfaced, unbidden, to the forefront of his tired mind....
********
Flashback
********
"Now Tidus, you have to stay in bed."
"But Mom-"
"No buts, mister," Jalene reprimended warmly, tucking the sick six-year-old back into bed.
"But I have to go over to Wakka's house today!" Tidus argued, sucking in a breath quickly as he finished. Just as he
was about to continue his argument, a coughing fit racked his small frame, cutting off his voice. His mother almost
immediately produced cough medicine, and made her son choke back the cherry flavored syrup.
It wasn't that bad, but of course, Tidus hacked and sputtered as if was liquid asphalt he was swallowing. Jalene just
smiled, planting a kiss on his forehead as he finally lay down.
"Get some rest so the medicine can help."
"What's the difference if I'm sleepin or awake?" Tidus questioned tiredly, his eyelids beginning to droop.
"Because if you sleep before the medicine wears off, your cold will just POOF and go away," She explained, gesturing with
her hands throughout the tale.
"Oh....okay...." Tidus replied sleepily, the slight codine in the medicine taking effect.
"Goodnight, Tidus."
"G'night Mommy..........."
********
End Flashback
********
Tidus shook his head, trying to force the memory out of his mind for good this time.
That had been the last time he'd seen his mother. He woke up the next morning, Jecht seated on the side of his bed
with tears in his usually cold eyes.
His mother had gone to the store to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, and an unknown driver had come tearing
around the corner, skidded on the ice and crashed into her car. She was killed on impact.
"Tidus? Tidus is something wrong?" Yuna asked, placing her hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
"No. I'm fine. Thank you, Yuna." Tidus replied, closing his eyes and bidding away the memories.
"Alright, if you're sure. Goodnight Tidus." She said quietly, her voice sounding eerily like his mother's had that night.
"G'night...." He muttered, noticing the light turn off even through his closed lids.
"You were wrong Yuna...." He whispered to himself after she left the room, "The pain won't ever go away........"
He knew there was no cure anywhere that could take away the familiar ache in his soul.
He winced as he plucked a tiny piece of gravel from a scrape on his bicep, wishing that Lulu's spell had lasted longer.
'I didn't even know what hit me....' Wakka thought, resting his forehead against the cool, ceramic tile wall. He thought
about the fight as the hot water beat down onto his back, washing away the dried blood. There wasn't much on the
Besaidian native, however. What Graav had done to him rarely drew blood. Instead, almost all of the skin on his back and
chest was no longer tanned and bronzed, but was a disturbing shade of deep purplish-black.
After the Luca players had knocked out Lucian and Jarvis, it was three against two. Thinking they could take them, Wakka
called out to Leathen, telling him to get the two unconscious Abes out of the way. He did so reluctantly, and only at
the insistance of both his friends.
It was then that Bickson got the best of Tidus, dragging his bare back against the brick wall. Wakka had charged over
to try and help his friend, but was stopped in his tracks by Graav. The blonde player was his height and about his weight,
so it was a fairly even match for the first few seconds.
Then, Graav landed a solid right hook to Wakka's cheek, angering him even more. Adrenaline began to take over and
he wasn't thinking rationally, simply lashing out at the Luca defenseman. But Graav was quicker, and kept avoiding
Wakka's lunges, causing him to slam into walls and metal dumpsters before he could stop himself.
He finally got his bearings, controlling his emotions long enough to catch Graav off guard, delivering an uppercut to
the man's jaw. He was stunned enough to stumble about, giving Wakka a minute to catch his breath and wipe the blood
from the corner of his mouth.
Then, they charged at each other again, landing punches and sometime even kicks to each other's chest and back.
The two soon fled, and Wakka had to lean sideways against the wall so as not to put himself in anymore pain.
The bruises that covered his skin hurt like hell, and he was almost positive he wouldn't sleep tonight as a result
of all of the pain.
Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, Wakka reached out and grabbed the robe, pulling it on slowly.
Ten minutes later saw him mostly dried, and reaching the top of the stairs, where Lulu was waiting, leaning against
one of the walls. She looked up when he entered the hallway, walking over to him right away.
"Where's Jade?" He asked quietly.
"Sleeping. You need to follow suit. Come on," She beckoned, wrapping her left arm around his right one, and
leading him towards the bedroom. Any other day and Wakka would have shaken her off with a sarcastic remark
and headed off to bed on his own. But today, he simply hadn't the energy to fight her.
Besides, she was doing a damn good job of avoiding touching his bruises, a courtesy even the most careful of
nurses would overlook.
"Lay down in here, and I'll go get Jade."
"What? Why?" Wakka questioned.
"She wanted me to wake her up when you got cleaned up."
"But why me?" He asked, his usual attitude showing through.
"She feels safe with you." Lulu answered simply, walking out of the room.
Wakka rolled his eyes and climbed into the bed. Deep down, though, he felt the tiniest throb of warmth at the thought
of someone so vulnerable looking to him for protection, even after only several days.
Lulu returned moments later, the tiny girl in her arms, still half-asleep. She perked up noticibly at the sight of Wakka,
and crawled across the covers to his side as soon as she was put down.
The mage watched as Wakka opened up the covers, allowing her little body to slip underneath. She cuddled up to his
side gently, as Lulu had told her.
"Why?" She had questioned.
"Because Daddy's sore, and he needs lots of rest, okay?" She had replied. Jade had agreed, and was showing she had
actually understood Lulu's words.
"Goodnight Daddy," Jade whispered, already slipping back into sleep.
"G'night," Wakka replied in his heavy accent, slipping a sore arm around her.
Lulu simply turned to exit the room.
"Lu," Came the quiet call from the bed. For the first time, she didn't think of the nickname as repulsive.
"Thank you," Wakka said, smiling slightly.
"No problem.....But don't think you're off the hook, mister. You've got some answers to give me in the morning."
Lulu replied with a smile, slowly turning and exting the room, switching the light off on the way.
Wakka sighed quietly, relaxing back into the pillows and letting sleep claim him with a smile on his face.....
"Have you heard?" Auron asked, coming up behind Jecht.
"Yeah. What could have happened?" Jecht questioned, staring down at his feet as he paced.
He'd gotten a call from Leathen's sister, who'd 'welcomed' him home around 12:30. He'd entered their home, bruised
and beaten with wounds that were obviously not from the game. Jecht had told her the truth, that he had no idea how
or what had happened to him, but he had a nagging suspicion that the player wasn't the only one.
"I don't know, but it looks like we've got some phone calls to make," Auron replied, leaning against a wall.
"Not now, though. We should wait 'til morning," Jecht said, stopping in his pacing to sink down onto his couch.
'He's got some explaining to do.....' Jecht thought, somehow knowing inside that Tidus had something to do with all this.
"I'm sure he had nothing to do with it, Jecht," Auron said, reading his best friends' mind.
"I know he does, Auron. I just know he does......"
**************************************************************************
Well, here's another short little piece to keep ya'll entertained! Thank you so much for all your support,
you have no idea how much I appreciate it! Wow, 106 reviews! You guys must really like me, lol!
Keep the reviews coming and I'll keep the chappies on the way!
Til Next Time,
Digi-Esca Girl
laurie_22@hotmail.com
Chapter Six - Bedside Manor
By: Digi-Esca Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own FFX....Gosh that gets annoying after a while, eh?
**********************************************************************
'How the hell did I get beat up so badly?' Tidus thought, wincing as the hot water soaked into his fresh wounds.
One in particular was a nasty scrape down his back, caused by Bickson. The red-haired demon had punched
Tidus in just the right spot to disorient him, taking the moment to pick him up by the shoulders and drag his
bare back along the rough brick wall. It had been the extreme pain that had snapped him out of his state, causing
him to yell and retaliate as best he could with a bruised and bloodied back.
The two Luca players proved to be more of a challenge than the Abes had thought, and Graav, obviously having
had boxing lessons at some point in his life, had reeled back and delivered a powerful uppercut to Lucian's jaw.
The poor kid never even saw it coming, and was knocked out seconds later.
The others thought it was still okay, it being 4 against 2, but Bickson managed to use Graav as a distraction while
he went after Tidus.
In the end, however, they had beaten them, sending them limping back to their coaches with warnings of,
"You tell anyone, you're dead!!!"
Bickson had bravely given him the finger just before he rounded the corner, and Tidus would have gone after him
again if only for that, had it not been for the blood pouring from a cut on his eyebrow, preventing the use of his left eye.
He merely returned the gesture, before turning to help his team pick up Lucian and carry him to a car.
He and Wakka took the front seats of Wakka's quad-cab truck, piling the other three in the back. They went through
the never sleeping city, dropping off the players before making their own way home. Wakka had dropped him off,
and he'd staggered in as if drunk.
Tidus couldn't help but smirk as he recalled Yuna's look. It changed from anger, to shock, then to concern as she
took in his current state. She hadn't questioned him, however, which he was thankful for.
An hour later, Tidus had finished cleaning out his wounds, and the bath water was an eerie shade of red. It wasn't
exactly the conditions he enjoyed bathing in, so he pulled the plug and got out, drying himself off slowly. He tried his
hardest not to disturb any of the wounds, but his efforts were in vain. It had been almost two hours, and Yuna's small
cure spell had worn off, and Tidus fell to his knees from the pain.
He reached up to grab the bath robe, pulling it around his shaking frame and slipping it on. It was then that he
remembered that Yuna had asked him to call her when he was finished. He opened his mouth and sucked in a
deep breath, preparing to yell. He stopped suddenly, running a hand through his wet hair as he let out the pent
up breath, remembering that he and Yuna were not the only ones in the house.
Kieran was probably in bed, and he didn't have the energy to yell out loud enough anyway....
So, every step an effort, the blonde blitzer pulled himself to his feet, exited the bathroom and slowly made his way
upstairs. Was Yuna in bed, too? Would she be mad if he woke her? Several questions swam through his head as
he reached the second floor, but they disappeared as his ears picked up a soft, soothing voice floating out from
Kieran's bedroom.
"And the knight saved the princess, and they lived happily ever after. The end," Yuna said quietly, glancing down
at Kieran's sleeping form. She smiled warmly, kissing his forehead and standing up. She turned off the light and
made to exit the room. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Tidus leaning against the doorframe.
She ushered him out of the doorway, closing it quietly behind her as she, too, left. She went into her bedroom, and
he followed when she waved her hand for him to come inside. He sat on the bed and waited for her to speak.
"I thought I told you to call me?" She questioned, kneeling in front of him and examining the small wounds on his face.
"I didn't want to wake him."
Yuna nodded, closing her eyes in concentration as she had done earlier. Her eyes stayed closed longer this time,
however, and the white light in her hands grew larger than before. She released it, watching as it soaked right into
Tidus' skin and disappeared.
The pain completely vanished this time, and Tidus' eyes closed in relief.
"You can sleep in here for tonight, I don't want you to move right now." Yuna said, walking over to her bed and
pulling open the sheets.
"Why's that?" Tidus asked, his voice hoarse.
"Because I used a Curaga spell on you this time, and if you sleep right away before it's effects disappear, it will start
to heal your wounds as you sleep."
"You mean, if you keep casting this on me, and I keep sleeping, my wounds will just....?"
"Heal up and go away. As a bonus, you'll be in virtually no pain with the spells in effect." Yuna finished, helping him
over to the side of the bed so he could lay down. He slipped underneath the covers, and closed his eyes, revelling in
the feeling of being taken care of. A memory surfaced, unbidden, to the forefront of his tired mind....
********
Flashback
********
"Now Tidus, you have to stay in bed."
"But Mom-"
"No buts, mister," Jalene reprimended warmly, tucking the sick six-year-old back into bed.
"But I have to go over to Wakka's house today!" Tidus argued, sucking in a breath quickly as he finished. Just as he
was about to continue his argument, a coughing fit racked his small frame, cutting off his voice. His mother almost
immediately produced cough medicine, and made her son choke back the cherry flavored syrup.
It wasn't that bad, but of course, Tidus hacked and sputtered as if was liquid asphalt he was swallowing. Jalene just
smiled, planting a kiss on his forehead as he finally lay down.
"Get some rest so the medicine can help."
"What's the difference if I'm sleepin or awake?" Tidus questioned tiredly, his eyelids beginning to droop.
"Because if you sleep before the medicine wears off, your cold will just POOF and go away," She explained, gesturing with
her hands throughout the tale.
"Oh....okay...." Tidus replied sleepily, the slight codine in the medicine taking effect.
"Goodnight, Tidus."
"G'night Mommy..........."
********
End Flashback
********
Tidus shook his head, trying to force the memory out of his mind for good this time.
That had been the last time he'd seen his mother. He woke up the next morning, Jecht seated on the side of his bed
with tears in his usually cold eyes.
His mother had gone to the store to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, and an unknown driver had come tearing
around the corner, skidded on the ice and crashed into her car. She was killed on impact.
"Tidus? Tidus is something wrong?" Yuna asked, placing her hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
"No. I'm fine. Thank you, Yuna." Tidus replied, closing his eyes and bidding away the memories.
"Alright, if you're sure. Goodnight Tidus." She said quietly, her voice sounding eerily like his mother's had that night.
"G'night...." He muttered, noticing the light turn off even through his closed lids.
"You were wrong Yuna...." He whispered to himself after she left the room, "The pain won't ever go away........"
He knew there was no cure anywhere that could take away the familiar ache in his soul.
He winced as he plucked a tiny piece of gravel from a scrape on his bicep, wishing that Lulu's spell had lasted longer.
'I didn't even know what hit me....' Wakka thought, resting his forehead against the cool, ceramic tile wall. He thought
about the fight as the hot water beat down onto his back, washing away the dried blood. There wasn't much on the
Besaidian native, however. What Graav had done to him rarely drew blood. Instead, almost all of the skin on his back and
chest was no longer tanned and bronzed, but was a disturbing shade of deep purplish-black.
After the Luca players had knocked out Lucian and Jarvis, it was three against two. Thinking they could take them, Wakka
called out to Leathen, telling him to get the two unconscious Abes out of the way. He did so reluctantly, and only at
the insistance of both his friends.
It was then that Bickson got the best of Tidus, dragging his bare back against the brick wall. Wakka had charged over
to try and help his friend, but was stopped in his tracks by Graav. The blonde player was his height and about his weight,
so it was a fairly even match for the first few seconds.
Then, Graav landed a solid right hook to Wakka's cheek, angering him even more. Adrenaline began to take over and
he wasn't thinking rationally, simply lashing out at the Luca defenseman. But Graav was quicker, and kept avoiding
Wakka's lunges, causing him to slam into walls and metal dumpsters before he could stop himself.
He finally got his bearings, controlling his emotions long enough to catch Graav off guard, delivering an uppercut to
the man's jaw. He was stunned enough to stumble about, giving Wakka a minute to catch his breath and wipe the blood
from the corner of his mouth.
Then, they charged at each other again, landing punches and sometime even kicks to each other's chest and back.
The two soon fled, and Wakka had to lean sideways against the wall so as not to put himself in anymore pain.
The bruises that covered his skin hurt like hell, and he was almost positive he wouldn't sleep tonight as a result
of all of the pain.
Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, Wakka reached out and grabbed the robe, pulling it on slowly.
Ten minutes later saw him mostly dried, and reaching the top of the stairs, where Lulu was waiting, leaning against
one of the walls. She looked up when he entered the hallway, walking over to him right away.
"Where's Jade?" He asked quietly.
"Sleeping. You need to follow suit. Come on," She beckoned, wrapping her left arm around his right one, and
leading him towards the bedroom. Any other day and Wakka would have shaken her off with a sarcastic remark
and headed off to bed on his own. But today, he simply hadn't the energy to fight her.
Besides, she was doing a damn good job of avoiding touching his bruises, a courtesy even the most careful of
nurses would overlook.
"Lay down in here, and I'll go get Jade."
"What? Why?" Wakka questioned.
"She wanted me to wake her up when you got cleaned up."
"But why me?" He asked, his usual attitude showing through.
"She feels safe with you." Lulu answered simply, walking out of the room.
Wakka rolled his eyes and climbed into the bed. Deep down, though, he felt the tiniest throb of warmth at the thought
of someone so vulnerable looking to him for protection, even after only several days.
Lulu returned moments later, the tiny girl in her arms, still half-asleep. She perked up noticibly at the sight of Wakka,
and crawled across the covers to his side as soon as she was put down.
The mage watched as Wakka opened up the covers, allowing her little body to slip underneath. She cuddled up to his
side gently, as Lulu had told her.
"Why?" She had questioned.
"Because Daddy's sore, and he needs lots of rest, okay?" She had replied. Jade had agreed, and was showing she had
actually understood Lulu's words.
"Goodnight Daddy," Jade whispered, already slipping back into sleep.
"G'night," Wakka replied in his heavy accent, slipping a sore arm around her.
Lulu simply turned to exit the room.
"Lu," Came the quiet call from the bed. For the first time, she didn't think of the nickname as repulsive.
"Thank you," Wakka said, smiling slightly.
"No problem.....But don't think you're off the hook, mister. You've got some answers to give me in the morning."
Lulu replied with a smile, slowly turning and exting the room, switching the light off on the way.
Wakka sighed quietly, relaxing back into the pillows and letting sleep claim him with a smile on his face.....
"Have you heard?" Auron asked, coming up behind Jecht.
"Yeah. What could have happened?" Jecht questioned, staring down at his feet as he paced.
He'd gotten a call from Leathen's sister, who'd 'welcomed' him home around 12:30. He'd entered their home, bruised
and beaten with wounds that were obviously not from the game. Jecht had told her the truth, that he had no idea how
or what had happened to him, but he had a nagging suspicion that the player wasn't the only one.
"I don't know, but it looks like we've got some phone calls to make," Auron replied, leaning against a wall.
"Not now, though. We should wait 'til morning," Jecht said, stopping in his pacing to sink down onto his couch.
'He's got some explaining to do.....' Jecht thought, somehow knowing inside that Tidus had something to do with all this.
"I'm sure he had nothing to do with it, Jecht," Auron said, reading his best friends' mind.
"I know he does, Auron. I just know he does......"
**************************************************************************
Well, here's another short little piece to keep ya'll entertained! Thank you so much for all your support,
you have no idea how much I appreciate it! Wow, 106 reviews! You guys must really like me, lol!
Keep the reviews coming and I'll keep the chappies on the way!
Til Next Time,
Digi-Esca Girl
laurie_22@hotmail.com