Yay!! Finally back from vacation and finally done with chapter 3!!! Thank you ALL who have replied to my chapters so far it means a LOT! Well...enjoy chapter three!!

Krissy-Chan

Chapter 3

Rikku looked up at Gippal. "Well? Where's my gift?" she asked, her hands still around his neck.

Gippal took in a deep breath and then pulled her waist towards him. She gasped silently as he pulled her against him, pressing his lips gently against hers.

Rikku turned a pale pink and then looked up at Gippal, her eyes wide in alarm. "What about my gift?" she whispered quietly.

"Merry Christmas."

Rikku didn't know what to do in a circumstance like this. She was pleased and it made her somewhat...frenzied. She smiled a bit. She couldn't just say 'Oh thanks for the gift.' Rikku gathered her bravery and threw her arms around his neck. Gippal was stunned at the start but soon returned the embrace.

Then Rikku pulled back and he just gazed at her. She bit her bottom lip and then smiled faintly, turning to saunter away. At that time, Gippal's hand took hold of her wrist making her whirl back around to fix her eyes on him.

"Thanks for the dance. It was cool." He enlightened her.

"Yeah. It was." Rikku agreed, walking in the direction of the chairs, in hope not a soul saw them.

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"Did you have fun sitting and watching us?" Paine snorted at Rikku.

Rikku crossed her arms. "No." she lied.

Okay, great! They didn't see us! Wahooo!!! Rikku thought in liberation. As long as Gippal doesn't say anything, I'll be good!

Rikku twiddled her thumbs as she waited for the next song. Which was, thankfully, a swift song, which made Rikku bound up and heave Yuna back onto the dance floor once more.

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"We had a great time, Gippal. Thank you so much for inviting us." Yuna said, as Tidus wrapped his hand around her waist.

"Any time." He said putting up a hand in departure.

Rikku watched him disappear as she suddenly cried at full volume. "GIPPAL!!" she hollered, not caring who heard.

Gippal stopped swiftly and turned around.

"Thanks for the gift!" she squealed.

Gippal grinned and put up his hand. "No problem!" he shouted back at her.

Rikku placed her hands on her cheeks, to hide any color appearing on them, as the others watched from a distance.

Rikku calmly walked back into the group and smiled at the bewildered lot. "Let's go." She said winking.

The others shrugged their shoulders in uncertainty as they followed the Al Bhed into the airship's cargo hold.

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"So, what's this gift?" Yuna said elevating one eyebrow.

Rikku laughed nervously and then smiled unconvincingly. "Um...hehehe..."

"C'mon! You can show us!" Yuna pleaded.

Rikku waved her hands at the two girls. "No! No, I can't, really!" Rikku said openly.

"Where is it?" Paine asked her.

Rikku touched her fingertips to her lips and then shook her head. "It's something you can only see once." She defended.

"Disappearing ink?" Yuna suggested.

The room broke into giggles. That dim-witted remark sounded like something that would come from Rikku.

All of a sudden, Paine halted the giggles. "Something you can only see...once? Is that right?" Paine said raising her eyebrows.

"Umm...I...uh...err...yeah?" Rikku stammered.

Paine nodded. "Okay. Too hard of a obscurity for me to figure out." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"Count me out, too," Yuna settled, scratching her head. "Unless you come out and tell us I guess we'll never know..." Yuna said sniffling, hoping to make Rikku feel guilty.

"You're ABSOLUTLEY right!" Rikku giggled, slamming her fist in her palm.

Paine sighed loudly and then they all departed for bed.

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Rikku let her hair down and brushed it bit by bit. Next she changed into her pink cotton bottoms and a white tank top for bed. Rikku yawned and then flipped the light switch off, causing the cabin lights to go out.

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"Rikku!" a warm hand shook Rikku from her catnap.

"Hmm?" Rikku rolled over to see Yuna smiling. "Five minutes." She groaned, pulling the blankets over her head.

In that case, Yuna stripped the blankets from the cabin bed, making Rikku shiver a little.

"C'mon Rikku! I have to show you something!" she begged, her hands folded beneath her chin, giving the 'puppy dog eyes'.

Rikku sat up and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever." She sighed noisily.

Yuna grabbed her hand, nearly making her stumble onto the floor, and heaved her into the elevator.

"Hey!" Rikku whined, rubbing the back of her head, which she hit on the elevator door. "What's the big idea?" she said placing her hands on her hips.

"You'll see." Yuna said in good spirits.

Rikku shrugged her shoulders in bewilderment.

Then Yuna pulled her onto the bridge and then down into the cargo hold and onto a hard surface. Rikku shielded her eyes from the brightness of the snow and then grinned.

"Macalania!" she squealed, eyes gleaming.

It looked so amazing there. The snowfall made the land sparkle and glitter while the spring was frosty but not quite frozen over yet.

Rikku beamed and then twirled around in ecstasy. "Wheee!! Who wants to help me build a snowman?" Rikku cried.

Lulu and Wakka were back on the airship feeding the baby Vidina, and Tidus and Yuna had just walked off, her resting on his shoulder, and Paine was talking with Baralai in the distance. Leblanc was sitting by herself, since Nooj was with Brother and Buddy, trying to learn more about the airship.

"Awww no fair! You all are party poopers!" Rikku shouted in disappointment.

"Face it, love, they are all with their lovers so they don't have time to play kiddie games with you. Maybe you need a man...Gippal perhaps?" Leblanc recommended.

Rikku wrinkled up her nose and then waved her hands at Leblanc. "No! No, no, no!! He's definitely not my type." Rikku defended. "Besides, he wouldn't like me." Rikku informed her.

Leblanc snickered. "How thick can you get, love?" she said shaking her head.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rikku asked, threateningly, hands on her hips.

"I mean...I saw that kiss. Don't you think he might have some feelings for you? Honestly, love, you are naive."

"W-what??? Y-you saw th-that?" Rikku stammered.

Leblanc nodded.

"Ok! You CAN'T tell ANYONE! Please? I am BEGGING you!" Rikku cried in humiliation.

"Okay, love, but we have to make a deal. I'll keep this our little secret...if you give me one of your old spheres of my Noojie Woojie." Leblanc said holding out her hand.

Rikku sighed. "All right." She said heading into the airship for the sphere, rolling her eyes as she left.

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"Surprise."

Rikku looked behind her right before she had entered the airship.

"Gippal?" she squealed, jumping backwards in alarm. "How'd you get here??" she said narrowing her eyes, as if she was studying him.

"Hover." He responded.

"Ooh," she scratched the back of her head. "Well, why here?" she questioned.

"I'm off duties for the holiday," he answered. "So since Baralai and Nooj are hangin with you all I thought if you don't mind I would tag along." Gippal said whacking her on the back, making her stumble forwards.

"Owwie..." she said rubbing her back as they walked.

Rikku retrieved the sphere and then her and Gippal strolled back to the place where Leblanc sat.

"Ooh, hello, loves! Why, Rikku and I were just talking about y-"she got cut off when Rikku handed her the sphere.

"Deal?" Rikku said through her teeth.

"Thank you. Now go run along while I amuse myself with the breathtaking footage of this sphere." She sighed, pleased.

"Uuugh you irk me!" Rikku said stomping her foot as she walked away.

"Irk?" Gippal repeated to himself, chuckling a bit.

Then he followed Rikku into the woods.

"What do ya want?" Rikku said avoiding eye contact with Gippal.

"What are you doing?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Walking. Breathing. And thinking. Now shoo." She ordered waving her hand at him.

Gippal trotted a bit to keep up with her. "Thinking?"

"Yep."

"About what?" he asked her.

"Stuff." She retorted, stopping in place.

"What kind of stuff. Good stuff or bad stuff?"

"Why do you wanna know so badly?" she asked spinning around to look at him.

She was thinking about what Leblanc said about his 'gift'. But she didn't want to tell him that.

Rikku shook her head. "Never mind. Just go away you...err...poopsicle."

Gippal raised his eyebrows. "Poopsicle? Now that's somethin I haven't been called before."

"Whatever. But it suits you well." Rikku said sticking out her tongue.

"Rikku? Why are you so...mad?"

"I'm not mad! Just...umm... irritated." She said shrugging her shoulders.

Gippal put his hands on her waist. "About what?" he asked.

Rikku then started to burst out in giggles. "G-Gippal stop it!!" she squealed batting at his hands. He started to tickle her.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!" she squealed at the top of her lungs.

Gippal laughed and chased after her, dodging trees as they went.

"Gippal, noooo!!!" she screamed, hiding behind a tree.

He chased after her, pushing twigs out of the way.

"Stay back, poopsicle!" she ordered, threatening him with a small stick.

Gippal grabbed her wrist and pulled her near him, tickling the back of her neck, making her squeal.

"H-HEY!!! STOP!!!" she cried out.

Gippal chased her into a clearing by a small spring where Baralai, Tidus, Paine, and Yuna were standing.

"Oh! Hi Gippal!" Yuna greeted.

"Hey Gippal." Baralai said.

"Hey man why don't you two join us?" Tidus said standing up and putting up his hand in greeting.

Rikku looked nervously from one person to the other. "Hiya?"

"Hey, Gippal, do you mind telling us about this 'gift'?" Paine asked, a smile creeping across her face.

"Eep! Gippal run!" Rikku squealed as she shoved him into the woods.

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Okies now you know what to do! Review pretty please! I give thanks and huggies to aaallll my reviewers so far and I LOVE YOU! ...anyways...I think this isn't one of my better chapters and hopefully I don't screw up my first story! Tell me what ya think, kay? Well I'll update pretty soon and I'm looking forward to writing the future chapters! Thankies! Krissy-Chan