A/N: Yeehaw. Grande. Err-yea—again, I don't know what I'm writing, I just flow with it. Read it and weep.

I know-I know. It seems pathetic to fight for a guy. And, truthfully, it is. I mean, I didn't expect ME of all people to fight for a man-but Gippal seemed to be more than just 'some guy'. He was the most important 'guy' that had ever been in my life—and I wanted him back in it.

And so, knowing that he would put his precious little machina before me and not break up with Kalla so he would get the funds, there was only one thing I could do—somehow trick Kalla into dumping Gippal herself, but still keep her father giving him funds.

Hmm. That's tricky.

Rikku sipped at the coffee before spitting it out all over the ground. "What IS this, ground up nails?!"
Kalla sniffed. "It's the finest coffee imported to me personally from the shores of Moonflow.

"Well excuse me." Rikku muttered darkly, pushing the cup away. "I've lost my appetite for breakfast."

"What? Impossible." Gippal said as he swung his leg around the bench across from Rikku, and beside—Kalla. "I've seen your appetite-it's huge!"

Rikku just shrugged and stared darkly at the table. 'I don't know...I want him back but I want HIM to come to me, not me having to get Kalla to hate him...I want it to be his choice to come to me...somehow...'

"Hello? Yoohoo?" A sing-song voice called out to Rikku. "Wakey-wakey!" Rikku looked up blearily to see Gippal waving his hand in front of her face. But he retracted it quickly as he saw her face.
"Were you just—crying?"

Rikku was horrified. Had she been crying? Her eyes did feel slightly puffy...

"No." She said raspily. "It's the dust here-bad allergies."
Gippal gave her an odd look. "You grew up in the desert-"

And this was the only time Rikku was ever thankful for Kalla interrupting them.

"Gippy, do you want to do something today?"
"Sorry Kalla, I can't. I have a lot to do today at the Temple—getting some new recruits and all..."
"So those things are more important then me?"
There was silence. "This job is everything to me, Kalla!"
"It sure is." Rikku hissed quietly. The two of them looked at her for a second, but moments later were back in an argument.

"Aww...look at you two." Rikku said, grinning and putting her elbows on the table. "Bickering like a real couple."

For once Kalla smiled. "You think?"
"Oh sure!" Rikku cried, now setting her feet up on the table and closing her interlocked fingers behind her head. "You know, considering you two do it all the time, I wouldn't be surprised if you got married in a number of days—"
"Was that some kind of rude comment about our relationship?!" Kalla hissed. Rikku glanced over at Gippal quickly to see him shake his head discreetly.

"And what are YOU doing?" Kalla asked, rounding on him. Gippal's head-shaking instantly became a 'let's look at my shoelace' kinda thing.

"Nothing." He mumbled. Kalla rolled her eyes.

"No, it wasn't a jibe or anything to cause a ruckus and all that caully-waddle. I just thought you oughtta know I think you two make the perfect couple." Rikku said casually.

Kalla gave her a suspicious glare. "...and?"

Rikku was silent for a few moments. How did this reverse psychology thing go again? "And-er-"She shut her mouth again and just put on a wide grin. "I'll be watching you two, I'll bet you that."
With a wave of her hand she bounced off, not realizing she was shaking with nerves. "This isn't working—this isn't working..." She mumbled, grabbing her head as she stood outside the doors. "No, no, no! And Yunie and Paine will be back tomorrow sometime!" She bit at her nails nervously.

"I need Gippal to realize how much he misses me." Rikku sighed, letting her hands drop.

But at that moment Kalla stormed out of the temple, and, with amazing strength for such a wimp, pinned Rikku against the temple walls.

"You're up to something." She hissed, inches away from Rikku's face. "What?"

After a few seconds of concentrated silence, Rikku ripped Kalla away from her.

"Yevon woman, back off, alright? That was a little too close for comfort." She rubbed at her now red arms.

"Tell me what you're up to!" Kalla said again, this time with a slightly confused look. "I mean, first you were saying me and Gippal weren't good together, and now you're saying we're perfect—"
Rikku shrugged. "I change with the weather."

Kalla stamped her foot angrily. "The weathers been the same for the past two days!!"
"No...it seemed to have risen exactly—3.4 degrees this morning." Rikku said, sticking her finger in the air.

"No jokes, Al Bhed 'Princess'. Are you trying to take Gippal from me, or WHAT?"

"Me?" Rikku said with mock amusement. "Never!" She was silent for a few moments. "But—"She gestured Kalla closer, who willingly obeyed.

"But what?"

"Well-er-Gippal and I—we had a 'thing'." Rikku finally admitted, nodding sadly.

"W-WHAT?"
"Oh, don't worry, we're all over and done with...trust me!" Rikku waved her hands. "Personally, he will never stop to bother me. No offense, or anything."
Kalla nodded slowly.

"When he left the Crimson Squad,"
"You're-You're not supposed to know about it!" Kalla sputtered. Rikku shrugged.
"He told me in a letter."
"Oh...he DID, did he?"
"That's right. Anyway, when he left, we slowly drifted apart, and, yadda yadda, I helped save Spira, ho hum, did it again, Yeehaw. Anyway, my point is—"Rikku leaned in closer. "Gippal...wanted me to tell you..." Rikku glanced nervously at the ground, kicking at it with her shoe sole. Should she try it? Should she really?

"What he wanted me to tell you was-"

Suddenly a large horn blasted through the surrounding area, signaling work time again. Al Bhed started to drift back into the temple, and Rikku and Kalla started to slowly separate in the crowd.

"I'll tell you—after!" Rikku cried as she was swept inside. And, personally, she didn't mind one bit.

Rikku sighed as she rolled out from underneath Gippal's monster machina.

"Done!" She cried with a happy smile and a wrench in her hand. Gippal looked up from a large chart he seemed to be making. He gave her a faint, stressed smile.

"Good job."

"What's wrong?" Rikku asked curiously. Gippal rubbed at his forehead.

"Nothing—really. Haven't been getting much sleep, and-well-Kalla's father is seriously ill."
Rikku was silent. "And?"
"AND if he DIES, which he's CLOSE to, I'll have no funding! No funding means NO machine faction!" Gippal threw his pen angrily at the ground, where it smashed into a million little pieces. Rikku, hating it when Gippal was mad, quickly bent down to pick up the pieces.

"I'm-I'm sorry." She muttered. He waved a hand at her

"It's not your fault, I'm just—"He looked around the room, searching for the right word.

"Stressed?" Rikku put in meekly.

"There you go."
"Well, I'm sure you can get funding another way..."
"You know how much this costs?" Gippal cried, standing up. "Too much for any other humane person to help with!"
"Well maybe if you weren't so OBSESSED with your job this wouldn't be so hard to take!" Rikku cried, standing up. "Don't yell at ME, I'm not the one dying!"

Gippal sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry..."

And suddenly, as Gippal was trapped in his own little depressed warp, Rikku realized, even though everything was going in a downwards spiral for Gippal—everything was going peachy for her. Just peachy.

A/N: Short, boring, space-filler chapter. I have a bit of an idea for what's going to happen, but I don't really know how to end this idea...so the next chapter might not be up for a while! Okay! I'm out!