Author's Notes: Yee! A new chapter! Thank you to those who reviewed and gave your opinion, I appreciate it greatly. Lets me know that there's still people out there that enjoy my work . This story is going to be coming to an end soon, maybe in about 4 chapters. But do not fear - I was thinking about writing a sequel, but I haven't decided yet. I've changed the genre of this story from angst to humour, why? Because people keep telling me it's funny, heh heh. Now to answer Anubis-Shinigami's question, what's with the title? Uhm...definition of hullabaloo: great uproar or excitement. It's also a synonym for celebration, etc. It just seemed to fit the story at first (seeing as this was SUPPOSED to be a one-shot fic). Anyways, now to continue with the cliff hanger that I oh-so-pleasantly left for ya guys. =;]

Disclamer: I do not own FFX-2 or any of it's characters. I do however, own this story. DO NOT distribute without my permission.

Hullabaloo

Ch.6: Cid's Wrath

Rikku tossed and turned in her bed restlessly. She had been unable to sleep all night, the thought of Brother ratting her out to Cid plaguing her mind all night. What if he told him? What would she do? Gippal would be a dead man for sure, Cid would make sure of that.

Unfortunately for her, she had been unable to find Brother after running after him in Besaid the night before. He had run off and kept out of sight. For all she knew, he could have sent a message to her father. What was she going to do? She certainly had no clue.

The petite Al Bhed turned over in her small bed onboard the Celsius, still unable to get to sleep. Yuna and Paine had long gotten up and returned to the small village upon the island they were stationed upon.

Finally giving up on trying to get some shut-eye, Rikku pulled off her covers and sat up slowly. Rubbing her eyes to adjust them to the light, she set her bare feet upon the cool floor. Her eyes rested upon the doorway to the hallway, and her eyes shot open to image of Cid dragging a certain blonde Al Bhed down the hallway.

"Agh!" A hand was seen gripping the frame of the doorway. A pleading face appeared in the doorway, "Help!"

"Oh no you don't, boy!" Cid grasped the back of Gippal's shirt and continued to drag him down the hallway by his ear.

Rikuk shot up from her bed as the two men continued down the hallway almost as fast as they appeared, the occasional grunt or yelp echoing off the steel walls. "Gippal!" Rikku's worst fears had come true: Brother had told Cid.

Rikku grabbed a yellow silk robe and threw it on over chocobo PJ's, making a mad dash for the stairs. Her footsteps thundered as she ran down the flight of stairs, and she came to an abrupt halt as she nearly ran into her brother in the doorway. He was walking down the hallway at a leisurely pace, arms crossed across his chest, a triumphant smirk on his face. "BROTHER!" she screamed angrily.

Brother's strutting down the hall stopped, and just as he turned to look at his furious sister, a fist connected with the side of his cheek. He stumbled back in shock, the smirk that once dominated his face replaced with one of astonishment. He stared to open his mouth to speak, but Rikku beat him to it.

"How COULD you?! Brother! I don't believe this! E RYDA OUI!" With that said, Rikku ran off down the hallway, tears threatening to pour over her eyelids and down her cheeks.

As Rikku reached the cockpit of the great airship, she could shouts of anger and confusion directed solely at one person: Gippal.

The great doors slid open for her, and she stepped into the flight control room carefully. Upon seeing her father looming over a terrified looking Gippal, she ran over and pulled on the back of her fathers jacket, attempting to pull him away.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't - Eh?" Cid stepped back away from Gippal, surprise sketched across his face at the appearance of his daughter nearly in tears. "Rikku?!"
"Please, Vydran! Gippal didn't do anything wrong!" she pleaded, grasping onto the fabric of Cid's jacket for dear life.

"Yeah!" chipped in Gippal, deciding to speak up if only for a moment.

"Eh! WHAT'D I TELL YOU KID!" Cid tore away from Rikku's gaze and clutched the front of Gippal's shirt, bringing him up off the ground slightly.

"No! CID!" yelled Rikku, stepping between the two men, in her fury using her father's name.

Cid set down the stunned Al Bhed down and looked at his daughter. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't chop his balls off! He touched my 'lil girl! He'll just hurt you again! He's nothin' but a good-for-nothing, bag o' scum that -"

"Palyica E muja res!" shouted Rikku, fists clenched at her sides, eyes shut tightly to hold back her tears.

Silence enveloped the room.

The mouths of Buddy, Brother and Shinra, who had been standing by silently afraid to whisper a word, dropped open.

"...What?" said Gippal quietly, breaking the awkward silence.

"I...Gippal. I think my feelings for you are growing. Even if what had happened, hadn't, I think they still would be," she replied barely above a whisper, "I miss what we had before Yunie's pilgrimage, I'm just too proud to admit it."

Gippal closed the distance of a few steps between them and tilted her chin up to him, gazing into her emerald green eyes. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips, not caring whether or not her father would castrate him. In his eyes, it didn't matter anymore. All he needed was Rikku. And by the looks of it, all she needed was him. Gippal couldn't ask for anything more.

"HEY! What in the name of the Farplane are ya doin' boy!" protested Cid venomously.

Rikku broke away from the gentle kiss, a blush enveloping her cheeks as she glared at her father. "Vydran! You need to get over the fact that I'm not your little girl any more! I'm almost 18! It's quite obvious that I can take care of myself. I have helped saved the world twice, after all!

"And so what if I'm falling for Gippal! He is not in any way a good-for-nothing bag of scum! Sure he's cocky but that's one of the things I'm starting to love about him! You should be happy for me, that I have someone that cares for me. And might I add, what happened two years ago before Yunie's pilgrimage was a mutual decision! I had to help Yuna, and he had to help the Al Bhed! You need to understand this, Papa! GET USED TO IT!"

Rikku huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back against Gippal who had moved behind her, his hands on her shoulders for support.

Hearing Rikku's spiel, a slight smirk tugged at the corner of Gippal's mouth, and grew into a full-blown arrogant smirk as a jumble of different emotions crossed Cid's face.

Cid finally gave in and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I guess...if it's going to make ya happy, eh? There ain't much I can do then."

"But Father!" protested Brother from the side, a bruise forming around the eye that Rikku had so eagerly clocked.

"Shut 'yer trap, boy! This has nothin' to do wit' ya!" Cid turned from his son back to the couple before him. Pointing a threatening finger at Gippal he said in a low voice, "If you ever hurt her, I swear by the Gods themselves..."

"Don't worry Cid," replied Gippal bluntly. Geese, was that man ever untrusting!

With that said, Cid turned on his heel and left the cockpit of the airship, the doors shutting behind him with a hiss.

Gippal let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and turned to Rikku, who was looking up at him intently. "Well, thanks for getting me out of that..."

"You're very welcome, Gippal!"

"...Cid's girl."

"Ooo Gippal!" complained Rikku, stomping her foot lightly and folding her arms across her chest.

Gippal took another step closer to her and wrapped his arms aorund her lithe form, engulfing her in a huge hug. "Thanks, babe."

"E RYDA OUI!" - I HATE YOU!

"Vydran" - Father

"Palyica E muja res!" - Because I love him!

Hope you liked! Please r/r and let me know what you thought! I apologize for the shortness and mass content of dialogue =:/