A/N: I'm ba-aaack! I am SO SORRY guys! My computer went completely nuts on me, and we had to get a new hard drive. It was complete and utter suckage. lol Anyway, here's a nice loooong chappie to hopefully kind of make up for my being gone so long! I've got a bunch more written on this and I'll get it posted as soon as I can get it typed! Oh, just so you all know, the big block of italics in the middle of this chappie is a flashback -- I think it's pretty easy to tell, but I didn't want to have anyone confused. XD Also, this story is in a very very dark place right now. You guys just need to have a little faith in me, that it will all work out the way it is supposed to. But this story was never meant to be 100 percent happy and sunshine-y. There's a lot of angst and anger and bad shit going on with it. But I hope you guys enjoy it so far! Rhianna XD

Chapter Eight
Come Home Soon

Part One
The wedding was small, and it was held in Seymour's cloistered home. Only members of his household were in attendance, and the ceremony was quick. Seymour almost cackled aloud at the simplicity of it all.

How easy it had all been. A few simple words, the slide of a gold band onto a dainty Al Bhed finger, and it was done. Seymour was certain that he had done the impossible, the very thing he had been trying to do for two years now.

Auron LaGuard was going to make a mistake now – he just knew it. As soon as Tromell sent the announcement and wedding photograph into the Bevelle Daily Sun, every single person connected to his lovely little bride would falter.

"They'll be sitting ducks," Seymour told Tromell later that evening, after the "festivities" were done with.

Rikku had retired early, claiming that she was tired. In all honesty, she didn't know what was wrong with her. But when his cold hand had touched hers during the ceremony, she had had a sudden flash in her mind. Of dark hair and bronze skin and a smug, but sweet, smile – of warm, strong hands that had reached out to her before. But she didn't know why or how this image had come to her.

She fell asleep quickly that night, and hoped that Seymour wouldn't expect anything from her. Surely, after the ordeal she had been through – amnesia and all – he wouldn't.

The face haunted her dreams. Who are you? Where are you?

But of course she received no answer from the strangely familiar vision. Just a sad, longing smile, and an outstretched hand.

Rikku – come home.

Part Two
"Oh, my Gods," Yuna gasped, dropping her Styrofoam cup of coffee to the ground as she stopped at the nurses' station to receive her charts for the day. Several weeks had passed since Rikku's disappearance, and at Tidus and Auron's urging, she had finally returned to work.

"We have to get back to some semblance of normalcy," Auron had told her firmly, but not unkindly, a few nights prior, after they had spoken to Clasko.

The obviously shaken man had gone to the Bevelle Police Department, claiming to have seen Rikku – and to know where she was.

Lulu, Wakka, and Auron had listened the man, extremely interested in what he had to say. First, he had handed the emerald bracelet to Auron. "She was wearing this," Clasko told the detective.

Auron's face had gone pale, and he had taken the bracelet from Clasko. "What else?"

Clasko took a deep breath. "You see, I have always wanted to raise chocobos. But, I – I didn't have any money. About a year ago, I met this man who said that he could loan me enough for my ranch. It seemed like a – a great opportunity, and he seemed trustworthy."

Lulu narrowed her red-brown eyes at the diminutive, stammering man. "But he wasn't?" she prodded.

Clasko looked down, face red. "Not at all. It turns out, he was quite the manipulator. I knew he was going to come for his money soon, and I didn't have it. My chocobo ranch hadn't been doing so well. Seems not everybody sees the birds for what beautiful creatures they are, like me."

"Ahem," Lulu said, drumming her nails on the desk impatiently. "The point, please?"

Clasko reddened again. "Yes, ma'am. Anyway – I didn't have the money. I – I was desperate, because I know what this man is capable of. So I came into Bevelle. My plan was to kidnap the mayor's daughter. I thought I could get enough ransom for her to pay him back. But when I got to Bevelle – I felt – so guilty, that I panicked. And I nabbed the first girl I came across."

Auron had felt rage bubbling up inside him since the moment this little man had started speaking, and now, he was at the breaking point. He thundered to his feet. "You took Rikku!" he exploded.

Clasko looked at the imposing man, frightened almost to the point of paralysis. "I did. But once I got her to the ranch, I realized what a mistake I'd made, because I didn't know who she was, so how was I going to get ransom for her?"

"So why didn't you let her go, huh?" Wakka said sharply.

"I – I told you! I was panicked. I didn't want her to run back and tell everyone. I didn't want to go to jail and leave my poor birds all alone!" The man sounded seriously distraught.

"So what happened?" Lulu asked, trying to remain calm. Someone had to. The two men were about to completely blow up at this bird farmer.

"He came to collect," Clasko said softly. "And when I didn't have the money, he threatened to kill my chocobos!"

Auron took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Continue," he forced out.

"Well, things were getting – getting pretty bad," Clasko said. "And then his assistant found something in your Rikku's jacket."

"Found what?" Wakka asked.

"I – I don't really know. But when he read it, all he said was 'Bingo'."

Auron's chest tightened. He knew without a doubt what the maniac had found. My note!

"He said my debt would be absolved if I handed over the girl," Clasko said in a barely audible voice.

"And you DID?" This time, it was Yuna's voice that broke in. Yuna and Tidus had arrived just a few minutes earlier, and had been standing in the doorway, listening. "You just – just let her go? Oh, Gods!"

Auron closed his eyes and counted to ten before he asked the next question. "Clasko, what is this man's name?"

Clasko looked up at the detective and took a steadying breath. "Seymour Guado."

The five of them had sat around after thanking Clasko for his help and granting him immunity – even though Auron dearly wanted to see him rot in a cell for handing Rikku over to that lunatic. There was nothing he could do now, though.

"So Seymour definitely has her now," Tidus mused.

"And we have no idea where Seymour is," Wakka added.

Lulu was massaging her temples. "The last time we made a sweep of the Omega Ruins, it was completely empty. So I'm sure that he's moved on from there. He must know that we found out about it. But he could be anywhere now."

"Enough!" Auron stated firmly, slamming his fist down onto his desk.

Yuna nodded and took a long breath. "Right. Right. This doesn't do us any good now. The best detectives in Spira are working on this case, and we just have to have faith that they can find her and get her home to us."

"That's right," Tidus nodded.

Auron looked at Yuna firmly. "You should practice what you preach," he told her. "You can't mope around your apartment any more. You need to get back to work. Have faith, like you just said. Sitting at home, doing nothing, won't get her back here any faster."

Yuna bit her lip to keep from crying and nodded. She knew Auron was speaking the truth. Beside her, Tidus squeezed her hand. "Tomorrow, right, Yuna? You'll go to work tomorrow?"

Yuna smiled sadly. "Yes. I'll go tomorrow."

And she had gone back to work the next day, and she had been working with her patients while her cousin married the vilest creature in Spira.

It was on Tuesday, three days later, when Yuna went to work, that she caught a glimpse of the Daily Sun on the nurses' station desk. The nurses liked to read the "Lifestyle" section, which talked about all the weddings and engagements around Spira, and that was the page the paper was open to when Yuna walked by.

"Oh, my Gods!" she gasped, her coffee cup dropping to the ground. "Rikku? No, Rikku, no!"

She sank to the ground, head in her hands, and wept. "Yuna?" One of the nurses knelt down beside Yuna. "Are you okay?"

Yuna smiled at the kind face of the young nurse, Shelinda. "I – I'm fine. Excuse me for a moment." She stood up and headed to the Doctor's Lounge, where she immediately reached in her bag for her cell phone.

"Uh, those aren't allowed in here," a condescending voice behind her said.

Yuna turned to see one of her old med school rivals – Dona Angelica – standing behind her, hands on her hips.

Yuna closed her eyes briefly and prayed for strength. Dona, Yuna had decided a long time ago, was one of those trials that good people sometimes often had to deal with. "I know that, Dona. I'm going to take it outside," she said calmly. "If you'll excuse me, I'm kind of having a family emergency."

Yuna pushed past Dona toward the door, but Dona grabbed her arm. "Wait," Dona said, her voice a little kinder. "Is it about your cousin?"

Yuna looked down, trying to fight the tears that were threatening. "He's evil, Dona. And he took her. And I don't know what he did to her to make her marry him, but I'm going to find out. And I'm going to fix it."

Dona only nodded, and she released Yuna's arm. "Yuna," she said.

Yuna paused before opening the door. "Yes?"

"If you need help, let me know."

Yuna managed a small smile. "Thanks, Dona."

As soon as she was outside of the hospital, she dialed the PD's number. "LaGuard, please," she said to the woman who answered the phone.

"Detective LaGuard hasn't come to work yet," the woman said in a chipper voice.

Yuna sighed. "Okay, then, Magis or Capitan. Whoever's available." She wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Lulu Magis," Lulu's voice said a few moments later.

"Oh, Gods, Lulu!" Yuna cried. "Did you – did you see the paper today?"

On her end of the line, Lulu arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I don't really have time to read the paper right now, Yuna," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Lulu, listen to me! I know Wakka gets a paper every day – look in the 'Lifestyles' section," Yuna said.

At that moment, Wakka burst into Lulu's office. "Lu, get off the phone, ya? I got somethin' to show ya."

Lulu looked over at her partner, who strangely enough, had the very section of the paper that Yuna had just been talking about. "Lulu is that Wakka?" Yuna asked.

"Yes," Lulu said. She motioned for Wakka to hand her the paper.

Wakka flipped the page over to reveal a nearly full-page shot of Seymour Guado and Rikku – dressed in wedding finery. A quick scan of the caption below confirmed that the two had indeed, gotten married. On Saturday.

"Oh, my Gods," Lulu whispered.

"Lulu, what the hell did he do to her?" Yuna was frantic.

"Yuna, I don't know," Lulu said.

At that moment, Auron strode through Lulu's office door, a crazed look in his one good eye. "What the fuck is going on?" he roared.

"Yuna, I have to go. Auron just got here. I'll get back to you really soon, I promise."

"No! Lulu, wait!" Yuna cried. But it was too late. Lulu had already hung up. Yuna gently hit the back of her head against the side of the hospital and stared up at the sky. "What did you do to her, you monster?" she whispered.

Part Three
So far, so good. Seymour hadn't come to her as her husband yet, and it had been nearly six days. Rikku knew that she was supposed to love this man, but something in her mind just kept telling her how wrong it all seemed. She just needed some more time to sort this all out in her confused brain.

Every night, it seemed, she had the same dream. And the same man was there. He always had the same yearning look on his face, and his plea was always the same:

Rikku, come home soon.

Was he real, or just a figment of her convoluted mind? And if he was real, who was he? Did he love her? Did she love him?

On the fifth night of her marriage, her husband finally came to her – and not knowing any different, knowing only one thing for certain – that he was her husband -- she didn't deny him. But it was painful, and almost -- stomach-churning -- and the whole time, she felt detached, and empty, and she kept hearing the same thing in her mind, over and over and over again.

Not him. Not Seymour. Rikku! Come home.

It was over quickly, and afterwards, her "husband" rolled over and fell asleep. Rikku shoved the blankets off of her body and rose from the bed. She pulled on a pretty emerald green silk robe and padded down the hallway.

She didn't really know where she was going, because she hadn't really had a chance to explore her home since being back after the accident. She was hoping to maybe find something that would jog her memory.

In the ornately decorated and sweeping front entranceway, she opened a door and saw with some disappointment that it was only a closet. She began to close the door, when a brown leather jacket caught her eye. It was small – small enough to be hers.

Slowly, she pulled it out, hoping to trigger some sort of memory by holding it in her hands. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

Looking around surreptitiously, Rikku knelt and picked it up.

Rikku,

When I saw this, it reminded me of your eyes. I am always thinking of you.

-- A

"A?" Rikku murmured to herself. Are you the one calling to me? she wondered.

Without warning, tears sprung to her eyes. She hated this! She couldn't remember anything! There were many people and things – like her husband, this house – that should be at the forefront of her mind, and yet she couldn't remember anything!

The one memory that she did have was warm arms encircling her – but there was no face to go with that memory, and no name. She assumed it was Seymour, her husband. But, oh, how she wished for one fleeting memory to return to her.

"I just want to know where I belong," she whispered, burying her face in the soft leather of her jacket. "Is this place home? It must be, but it feels so wrong – so cold."

There was a tiny nagging at the back of her mind, and it was constantly there. "This isn't right," she said softly to herself. "But, then, what is?"