Disclaimer - I don't own FFX-2

---

As soon as the trio entered through Djose Temple's halls, every head snapped in the group's direction. That was typical enough, but their lingering gape was not. All of the workers seemed to be staring at them. To be more precise, they were staring particularly at Rikku's apparel.

"Well, that was about the best play I've been to in awhile!" Leije guffawed vociferously. "And Rikku, I can't believe Tobli let you have a part! On such short notice, too. Might wanna go change out of that costume, though; looks like you're getting some stares."

Immediately the workers went back to their various tasks, embarrassed that they had made a big deal out of nothing.

"Thanks..." Rikku muttered, relieved that she wasn't going to be forced to explain her entire situation to the entire working class at Djose Temple.

"No proble-"

"Are you two ready? We don't have all day," Gippal cut in, leading the way down the corridors.

"Actually, we do have all day. Or whatever's left of it..." Rikku muttered, mainly to herself and Leije.

---

"You want me to clean what?" Rikku gaped at what Gippal called their 'kitchen'.

"You heard me."

The kitchen was grand, or it would could be, if it was in working condition. In fact, it appeared like the Machine Faction must have lived entirely off of fast food.

The beautifully tiled floors were stained with boot tracks, dirt, and Yevon knows what else. Even without analysation, bread crumbs and chip remainings hid in the corners. Cupboards were open, dishes spilled out from the sink, and the dishwasher was open. Which, by the way, Gippal had informed her, was broken. The counters were stained with what looked like some form of cheese sauce and dried raspberry jelly.

Gippal cleared his throat. "Dinner's at eight,"

"W-what?" She stuttered, but he had already left. Rikku looked around her. Cook first, clean later. She had about an hour left to cook.

"This is going to be a long, long, loo-oong job..."

---

One Week Later

---

Rikku had managed to scrub down the floor, get all of the shit off of the counters, clean out the fridge and do some serious shopping. At least the Machine Faction wasn't stingy with their cash. She had about five hours until the next meal; she had told Gippal that she'd do breakfast and supper, but lunch - no way. Too much cooking for her to take in one day. They want lunch; they can get their asses in there and make it themselves.

Now she had nothing to do, really. But she had a long ways to go, so what's better than sitting in here and pretend she's doing something, so her hours fly by a tad bit faster?

After about a half hour of sitting and daydreaming, a familiar voice rang through her head.

Gippal leaned against the door, foot tapping slightly against the tile floor. "Rikku, you actually have to be cooking something to have community service count, not loitering around in the kitchen for three hundred hours straight," He went and shook his head, 'tsk, tsk, tsk'-ing all the while.

"I just was taking a quick break, that's all! Just a one minute thing!"

"Uh-huh. One, if you want a break you can take it outside of the kitchen and two, I've been sitting here the past fifteen minutes while you've been out in Rikku-land."

"Well, I'm the one counting the hours, you know," she replied smugly.

"Is that right, Cid's girl? You and I both know that's Leije's job. Something that schmuck can actually do right: Count,"

---

Dinner, Eight o'clock

---

"Uh, Rikku, what are these?" Gippal nudged the piece of food on his plate, next to the bowl of spaghetti, smiling his dazzling smile. A pretty looking Al Bhed worker next to him nearly swooned.

"Pierogies." Rikku answered, not looking at him. She was worried that she hadn't made enough for everyone, there were so many workers! And Gippal had specifically designated today as some kind of banquet. Everyone was in the dining room - or hall, as you might call it - instead of the cafeteria.

Gippal tried the Pierogies. "Oooh, Raviolis. Why didn't you say so before, Ri?"

When Rikku ignored him, he turned to the other girl. "Say, I bet you're a pretty good cook too, huh?"

"W-why, yes... I am, at least my siblings always said I made the best chicken dumplings," the woman glowed with pride.

"I love chicken dumplings," he placed an arm around the woman's shoulders, causing her to shiver. Rikku's jaw slightly twitched. "When Rikku's done serving her community service, how'd you like to be our new cook, Amelia?"

"Really? Me?"

"Of course! No one would be better for the job than you," he smiled at her.

Leije leaned close to Rikku and murmured into her ear, "What a flirt...!" Just loud enough for half of the table to hear.

Gippal immediately ended the conversation with the other woman. In fact, he ignored all of the female workers for the rest of the night.

"Hey, Ri," Leije attempted to start up another conversation, the last one ending quite abruptly; with his help, of course.

"Hmmm?"

"It might just be me, but I get the feeling that Gippal doesn't particularly like me. Any idea why?" This sparked the attention of a few listeners, including Gippal, who was diligently twirling his spaghetti with a fork, pretending to be oblivious of the conversation.

"No. He's just an ass," With this comment, a few snorts across the table. (Gippal not being one of them, of course).

Gippal's eyes flickered toward her, betrayed and embarrassed; this was his dining room. "That's not a polite thing to say about your host," he hissed. "And I recall you being madly in love with this particular... ass," Gippal smirked at her shocked and embarrassed expression, much similar to his earlier one. "And you aren't the only one, I can assure you. Too bad that was a bit of a one-sided relationship, huh?"

Leije sat back and watched it all, content and faintly interested. Hey, if Gippal wanted to screw up any chance of a relationship without his help, that was fine with him! But it did disturb him that Rikku had once had feelings for Gippal. And she may still have had those feelings too, for he had seen that Gippal had hurt her with those words. The hurt in her face was quickly replaced with anger.

"Crid ib, Gippal! Oui keja ouincamv fyo duu silr lnated," she hissed right back at him. ("Shut up, Gippal! You give yourself way too much credit,"). Rikku had reverted back to her native language, one that she hadn't used in nearly two years, mainly for private issues or arguments. Although it could hardly help in Djose; the only non-Al Bhed man here was Leije.

"Just because I'm working here doesn't mean I have to bow to your every whim, you cocky, arrogant, self-absorbed-" She cut herself short when Gippal started laughing at her, grinning like an idiot, leaving Rikku utterly confused.

"Oui'na cu faent, Gippal...!" She slammed her silverware down and stormed off to the kitchen. ("You're so weird, Gippal...!")

"Remember, community service doesn't count unless you're doing something!" He yelled at her before the doors slammed shut.

---

"I hate whoever put me up to this. I hate Nooj, I hate Gippal, I hate everyone, this sucks," she chucked a plate across the kitchen, which shattered into a billion little pieces of glass. "Oh, in the name of Home! Out of all the plates, I happened to pick up the only glass one left..."

To her luck, Gippal opened the kitchen's double doors (Whew! Gotta love rich temples) about a minute or two after the plate had smashed and was lying on the ground. Rikku, of course, had been in no mood to pick it up. Why was she cooking, anyhow? Why was she washing plates? She didn't eat off plates in Macalania! She didn't do anything in Macalania Woods.

Well, except wreak havoc whenever someone stepped foot into the Woods. And amusing herself by dismembering the wood cutter's machina. And totaling the machina. And placing bets on which machina would explode first.

But besides that, she didn't do anything!

"What is this...?" Gippal's eyes widened slightly.

"A plate. Or what used to be a plate, anyway."

The Al Bhed man raised an eyebrow. "Looks like someone lost their temper," he simpered.

"I did did not lose my temper!" Rikkushrieked at him, unconsciously reaching for another plate. Why did he always have to check up on her, anyway?

"Riiiight. I'll be going now, then," Gippal veered back out through the double doors, leaving Rikku to scowl at his back.

'It's working,' Gippal thought to himself, as he strolled along the corridors of the temple. 'Yuna and the other's will thank me when she's back to her old spunky self. Growing up with her had some bonuses after all.

I can't even comprehend why she refuses to touch any piece of machina, unless it's to break it in some form or another. The old Cid's girl always wanted to help... Of course, she always would end up breaking it anyway... But I guess it's the thought that counts.' The Al Bhed chuckled out loud. 'It won't be much longer until she breaks down and fixes that damn dish washer. Which happened to conveniently break as soon as she arrived.'

Gippal would never admit that he couldn't imagine life without the old scrawny, smiling Rikku somewhere out in Spira. She didn't have to be with him. She didn't even have to like him. She just had to be there.