A/N: Yay! It's going pretty well...it's ending pretty soon. Nooo...all well. It's been fun. n.n

It was final. Pop was going to help with the Machine Faction! I was happy to see Gippal wasn't that sad to see Kalla go—though that strong support of money must have been quite a loss.

I hope Pop remembers to stick to his promises.

As we walked around the temple, Gippal showing my Dad the ropes and everything. But every moment I was looking over my shoulder for Yuna and Paine, praying they didn't come.

"Hmm...I have to say it's pretty good." Cid admitted, spitting tobacco out of his mouth.

"Eww! Pop, I told you to stop doing that!" Cid shrugged helplessly, and Rikku just pouted, crossing her arms. This caused Gippal to smirk.

"So, have anything else to show me?" Cid growled, glancing at all the Al Bhed in the temple, tinkering with nearby machina.

Gippal nodded, a huge smile growing on his face. "One of the latest things I've developed!" Rikku raised an eyebrow. He had already shown Cid his monster machine...(which, by the way, even though he didn't show it, Rikku knew it caused Cid jealousy). What else could he show him?

Gippal led the way outside, all the while making Rikku more curious. But for some reason, she didn't feel like talking to Gippal—she was afraid her dad might shoot Gippal for talking to her.

Gippal led them to the right corner outside of the temple, towards that machina Rikku had been tinkering with. Her curiosity soon became a queasy feeling in her stomach.

"This" Gippal began, sweeping the machina with his hand, "is my latest, greatest, transferring messages device, WHICH, may I remind you, is what I called you on, Cid."

Cid's eyebrow raised. "Really? It had clear sound...swear you was right next to me." Gippal grinned even wider.

"True, true, all true. BUT, this is different then just ANY transferring device. This little baby you can take anywhere."

"But it's too big!" Cid cried, scoffing. "Impossible." Gippal shook his head and waggled his finger.

"Not true." He looked around the back, and dramatically pressed a small yellow button. "Watch it automatically come to life and change itself so it becomes smaller, easily an earpierce!"

Cid grinned. "This I have to see."

"You bet, my pride and joy!"

Rikku groaned as the machina stood there silently. She had just ruined Gippal's 'pride and joy'.

Cid grinned wickedly. "Earpierce, eh?" Gippal frowned slightly, gazing at the machine.

"I swear, it just worked this morning—"Rikku felt like dying with guilt.

He bent down. "This'll take only a few minutes." He bent in and started to tinker with wires and bolts. After 10 minutes Cid coughed as a hint. Rikku elbowed him.

"Ssh!" She scolded. Cid just kept silent.

After a few more minutes Gippal stood back up, his face creased with worry. Rikku knew why. He had wanted to show Cid that the Machine Faction was something worthy of donating to. But now that this little mix-up had happened, it might go down the drain.

'Little? It was HUGE! All because of ME!' Her thoughts scolded. Rikku needed to do something, before Gippal looked like a complete idiot in front of her very judgmental father.

"Er—Gippal?" Rikku asked cautiously, causing Cid to glance at her. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Gippal nodded, clearly confused. The two walked off to the side, out of the hearing of Cid.

"Look, Rikku, I don't know why you want to talk to me NOW, but it's not the best timing you've ever had—"

"Gippal! The faulty machine had nothing to do with you!" Rikku hissed, interrupting him. Gippal glared at her accusingly.

"What?"

"Gippal—it's because of me. I saw it just sitting out here when I came out here for some air this morning, and I thought it was junk, so I kind of tinkered around with it. I'm SO sorry!" Her bottom lip started to quiver, and she bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from crying.

The look Gippal gave her was enough to break that. It was angry, sad, and hurt. "Rikku, I wanted to show Cid that the Machine Faction was dependable and worthy enough to help out! Now he'll think it's just a bunch of Al Bhed fooling around with good machina and not knowing what we're doing!"

Rikku sniffed. "I said I was sorry! I can try to reverse some of the stuff I did..." She blinked rapidly to stop the guilty tears from falling. "Just please don't hate me!"

Gippal sighed. "It's not the most perfect time to pour out all your thoughts and feelings to me right now!" Rikku could tell he was angry, and she didn't blame him. "Augh, Rikku, just—how come..." He shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm trusting you NOW to go tell Cid what YOU did and to go try to fix the mess, okay?"

Rikku nodded. "Aye, aye!"

LATER ON...

Rikku sighed as she laid the wrench down. Finally. After she had told Cid what had happened, he had gotten angry at her moreso than Gippal, which was weird. He sent her to work straight away, muttering how she was wrecking the dreams of a perfectly good foundation. Though it hurt Rikku to be yelled out by the two most important guys in her life, at least she knew Cid didn't hate Gippal.

So after an hour or so of working on the machina, she put two oily fingers in her mouth and blew a shrill whistle. "I'm done!" She called out, rather weakly. Gippal and Cid walked over from their lazy standing position on the bridge.

Gippal walked over, giving her a solemn grin. "Let's see if this thing'll work now." With a flourish he pressed the hidden yellow button in the back. There were a few seconds of silence, and Rikku hung her head. She hadn't fixed her. Cred.

But then a small whirring sound started from deep down in the robot, and then it grew louder, clinking and clunking around. She dared to look up and watched in amazement as its rather large size started to shrink, bending and twisting so all of it fit perfectly into place. After a minute or so of confusing placement, the machine was done transforming. Gippal leaned down to pick up the small ear pierce and whistled.

"Wow. Works even better than before." He winked at Rikku. "Must have been that female touch." Rikku smirked.

"Well duh."

From behind them Cid roared with laughter and clasped Gippal on the shoulder. "AMAZIN'!" He cried, fingering the small ear pierce.

"Gee, thanks. Took me ages-"Gippal started with a large, proud grin. Rikku felt her chest swell with happiness for Gippal.

"Naw, naw. Not the ear pierce! Though that IS amazin'." He grinned. "You two kinds would make a fiiiine couple someday!"

Rikku blushed a deep crimson, heat burning in her face. "Pop!" She cried, shoving him in the shoulder. "Don't!"

He just laughed, and Gippal gave a shaky smile.

Was this the fatherly blessing the two had been waiting for?

AGAIN, LATER ON...

Rikku sighed with relief as Cid's airship flew off into the blue sky. "Torture." She muttered. Gippal just let out a low whistle.

"I sensed some small tension between you two." Rikku gave him a quick glare and grew stiff.

"Of course not. Don't be so stupid." Gippal just tousled at her hair.

"Hey!" Rikku cried, clutching at her beads. Gippal just smiled.

"Wait!" Rikku cried, as he turned to go back in. He stopped and gave her a curious look.

"Yea?"

"Er—I'm sorry." Rikku said again. Gippal just shrugged. "Works better now than it ever did." Rikku just smiled.

"And-er-Yuna and Paine, you met them, should be coming back...today." Rikku admitted a little sadly. She watched Gippal stiffen. "Today? So soon?" Rikku nodded sadly.

Gippal came closer, and Rikku saw a sad look in his eye. Oh no, not again.

"But that's too soon! I barely got to know you again..." Gippal began, looking away down the path so he wouldn't have to look at Rikku directly. It would make him too sad.

"I don't want to leave you!" Rikku cried, running up and hugging him, her arms tightly clasped around his neck. "I'll miss you, and everything will get ruined again!" She let out a small sob. Yevon, she was turning into one big cry baby around Gippal lately. He would probably laugh his eye patch off at her.

But he didn't. He just hugged her back and buried his face in her hair. "Can't you stay here forever?" He asked in a slightly muffled voice. Rikku shook her head sadly.

"No...I promised Yuna I would help her with this mission to find Tidus again."

Gippal sighed and just wrapped his arms around her waist tighter. "When today?" Rikku shrugged helplessly.

"I don't—"But she couldn't finish. Through this whole embrace tears had been pouring down her face, and just now a small hiccup had escaped. She didn't want to be separated from him again. She had just gotten him back from Kalla and their years apart, and now she would drift away from him again, and next time they met they would be complete strangers-they practically were already.

'That's a lie.' The voice in her head said. 'You know him just like you used to. He's not a jerk anymore like he was in Luca.' Oh, how badly Rikku wanted to agree with it.

Gippal broke away from her and looked down so he could look into her large, round sad green eyes, which almost matched his emotions exactly. "Rikku, I don't want to lose you again."

"I don't want to lose you either." Rikku agreed. "But I have to go with Yuna. An Al Bhed promise is an Al Bhed promise..." She sighed and traced the yellow strap on his armor with her finger sadly.

"You won't do what you did last time, right?"

Gippal shook his head fervently. "Of course not. I realize more than ever now, that you're the one I want to be with forever. Rikku—I love you."

Rikku nearly burst with emotion for Gippal. "I love you too." She sobbed. Gippal couldn't help but chuckle which sent a glare from Rikku.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, well, we're supposed to happy when we say those kinds of things, and instead we're crying our eyes out. Well, eye out, in my case." This caused Rikku to giggle.

Gippal wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. "Don't worry Rikku. We won't be able to send letters or anything, but when you're done with your mission, you come straight back to me, you hear?" Rikku nodded and hugged him again.

"Of course."

"And remember to watch the stars every night." He added. Rikku nodded.

"I have been. You?"

"Even when I was with Kalla, Goose." Rikku sighed happily. She remembered when he used to call her that.

"Gipp-" Rikku began, when a horde of footsteps interrupted her. The two broke apart, though very unwillingly.

"Rikku!" The voice cried. And even though it was full of happiness, it brought dread to Rikku.

A/N: Oooh...a drag on, useless chapter! Full of sick puppy love of Rikku and Gippal! Woohoo! Sorry it took so long to post, was at my friends house than we went house shopping.

I'm sorry if it's dragging on uselessly, but it's almost over.

Aw, that makes me sad.

Toodles!