(This is the edited version of this chapter! Curse of a perfectionist, I'm telling you!)

FINALLY this site is up and running again...it's about damn time. I was getting quite impatient....and it interrupted my 'new chapter every day so my fic could be up completely in 11 days'flow that I had goin!!! Anyway, in this chapter, most of your questions will be solved...only most of them though. (This is my second favorite chapter in the fic by the way) Tee hee....I can't believe that there are only two more chapters in this fic...sniff sniff....okay, anyway....I hope you're enjoying this so far, and i hope you enjoy this chapter! (I think i say that with every single chapter that I update, but oh well) It's another rather long chapter, but oh well. I hope it keeps you entertained....

9. "What Is It?"

Rikku's keen instinct gave her the ability to grab the attacker's arm in midair so it wouldn't strike her. It took her a second to have a good view through the tiny peep holes of the dressphere to look into the attacker's eyes. Or, shall I say, eye!?

"Gippal?" Rikku squeaked out when she realized that it was him. "Is that you?"

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded as the big cat figure let out a giggle and dropped his hand. Gippal slightly flinched as the cat reached up and took off its head, revealing a blob of blonde hair. "Rikku?"

"Hiya!" She exclaimed as she brushed her hair out of her face. "Hold on a sec!"

"Uh, okay," he said, realizing that he didn't have a choice, as he watched her fiddle around with something that was attached to her hip. She was then engulfed by a bright light and lifted a few inches off the ground, causing Gippal to take a few steps backward in surprise. After a couple seconds, she was gently placed on the ground again, in the hot bikini outfit that she used to wear. "It is you!"

"Of course it is!" She said cheerfully as pointed to her garment grid. "This lets me change outfits and stuff. I've told you about my garment grids and dresspheres before, I know I have."

"Yeah, you have, but I've never actually seen how they work." He bent over and checked it out, looking at the mechanics of it. "Huh, that's pretty cool."

"It's fun to play with again, that's for sure," she said as she patted it. The awkward silence between them caused Rikku to start shuffling her feet. "So uh, what are you doing out at this time at night?"

"Me? Oh, I was uh, just out for walk under the stars. We don't have nights like this in Bikanel, that's for sure." He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to act nonchalant about the situation. "What about you?"

"Oh, Paine and I were just out and about trying to capture myself," she replied in the same nonchalant tone, only she told the truth. "Which reminds me, we have to follow Paine back to the hotel because that's where she's leading me."

"Where she's leading you? I don't understand," he said as she shushed him by placing a finger over his lips.

"Shh! We don't get to speak, we only follow." Gippal squinted at her as she flashed him a playful smile. "Paine's orders."

Gippal let out a chuckle as he followed Rikku into an alleyway. Paine nodded at the real Rikku, and she turned to Gippal and started to quickly search him.

"Uh, Rikku," he warned as she started to feel up his legs. "This is verging on naughty touching here, you know. If you really wanted to feel me up, you didn't have to drag me into a—hello!" Rikku started to unbuckle his belt, causing Gippal to fidget nervously. "What are you doing!?"

"I need something to tie her up with," Rikku replied innocently, enjoying the look of surprise on his face. "Oh come on, it's for the girl who has my face."

"It's just a little out of the ordinary right now," he started. "I mean, you and me in a dark alleyway and you taking off my belt? Sounds like something you would've been up for about a month ago."

"Hmm, I'm surprised I've never had that thought before. However, I do like to watch you squirm," she giggled as she walked over to where Paine was holding down the Rikku Clone. "Here Paine, this should work."

"Why, hi, Gippal," Paine said calmly as she tied the Rikku Clone's hands behind her back.

"H..Hi, Paine," Gippal stuttered as he watched Paine and the real Rikku lift the Rikku Clone to her feet. Oh no…they found out about her…He thought as he swallowed hard and looked at his masterpiece. Although she had her hands tied behind her back, she wasn't aware of what was going on. She still had the bright smile on her face and the cheery persona.

"Is that my Gippal's voice?" Rikku Clone cooed as she frantically looked around. She squealed and became so excited that she started to bounce on her toes. "Is that my Gippaly-Wippaly's sexy voice?"

"Well, would you look at that, Rikku," Paine said to the real Rikku. "It looks like Leblanc taught your clone something!"

"A-ha…a-ha…" Gippal replied sarcastically as he walked up to the Rikku Clone. The switch on the back of her head should—Before he was able to reach her, the real Rikku stepped in front of him.

"Okay, Gippal," she said as she put her hands on her hips. "I think you need to explain some things to me."

"Looks like." He inhaled as he looked down at his feet. "Let's get back to the hotel first and then I'll explain everything. I swear."

"I suppose I can give you that much time to muster up the entire story," she said as she pinched his cheek and started to lead the way back to the hotel.

The walk back was silent, but Rikku didn't expect Gippal to talkative, and she never expected Paine to talk much as it was. She would look back over her shoulder every once and a while to see him look down at the ground; it was evident that he was embarrassed that Rikku found out what he did.

I didn't think she was going to find out…He thought to himself as he kicked a stray stone as he walked. It was just a stupid experiment…A very good replica though if my version of Rikku could fool her closest friends… He wasn't sure how he would explain what she was to Rikku. I'm the leader of the Machine Faction…I'm sure that's the only explanation that she's going to need…I hope…Maybe?

When they arrived at the hotel, Rikku stopped in her tracks upon reaching the doors. "Uh oh," she said when a predicament popped into her head. Before she could continue, Gippal ran straight into her, banging heads with her. "Hey!"

"Oof! Warn me when you stop next time, Rik," Gippal complained as he rubbed his head. "It's hard to pay attention to what you're doing when I'm looking down."

"That'll teach ya to look up while you're walking, you big oaf!" She threw back as she walked over to her clone. "Okay, here's the problem. I think the hotel staff will get into a tizzy if we walk in with someone tied up."

"Gee, I can't imagine why," Paine stated as she looked at the Rikku Clone, who gave her a beaming smile. "She's really starting to bother me; she's way too happy."

"Am I always that happy?" Rikku investigated at the Rikku Clone carefully as she cocked her head one way then the other. "Yeeesh, I hope not."

"Why don't you distract the hotel staff, Rikku?" Gippal said as Rikku looked at her clone then back at Gippal. "No, not the clone you, the you you."

"Now I know why you guys dated," Paine mumbled as she listened to their dialogue.

"How?" Rikku asked as she threw her hands up in the air. "I'm not usually distract-o girl, I'm usually break and enter girl."

"You're wearing an extremely skimpy outfit, Rikku." Rikku looked down at her outfit as Paine pointed it out.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" She questioned. She couldn't help but sound slightly defensive for she liked her thief dressphere a lot.

"Nothing from where I'm standing," Gippal muttered quietly as he let his eye trail up and down her body. "But she's right. It's very distracting to a staff of mostly men. Have your top 'accidentally' untie or something."

"No! A Spira of no!" She exclaimed, completely appalled as she wrapped her arms around her chest as if she were already exposed. "I at least have some of my morals."

"Then ask them a question, drop something, and then seductively bend over." Paine suggested as she shook her head. "Whatever, you think of something."

"O…kay…" Rikku said nervously as she smoothed her skirt and her hair. "I guess I'll try out my theatrical skills."

"Don't break anything like you did in the production of An Al Bhed Carol, Miss Graceful," Gippal teased, laughing at the memory.

"I did not do that on purpose!" She vehemently replied as she remembered the catastrophe. On opening night of the show, Rikku entered the stage too quickly, ran into one of the tables, and knocked over a few knickknacks, causing them to topple over and break. "You just had to make the situation a million times worse by starting to laugh on stage. Then you proceeded to point and say, 'good going, Rikku!' I was humiliated."

"We were, what, 6 years old at the time?" He asked as she slightly pouted.

"I was five. You're older than me, remember?" She playfully stuck her tongue out at him and she stormed into the hotel lobby.

"Hmm, and how old is she now? Five and a half?"

"Wow, Paine," Gippal said in response of Paine's comment. "You're on a roll with the smartass remarks today."

"Well, I haven't been able to pick on her blondeness, perkiness, immaturity, or her personality in general since Yuna and Tidus' wedding," she blatantly stated. "I have to catch up somehow. Besides, she knows it's all in fun."

"It's what proves that you love her," Gippal said as Paine rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess." She started to look in the window to see the reaction from the staff of the hotel. "How's our seductress doing?"

"I think she's doing pretty well, not like I would expect anything less from Rikku when it comes to the seduction department," he admitted as Paine groaned in revulsion. "What?"

"Never…ever tell me what happens between you and Rikku behind closed doors," she replied. "Anyway, are we clear to go through?"

"I still think we should walk behind her so they can't see that her hands are bound," he shrugged as he looked at his adoring version of Rikku. "I don't know why you insisted on tying her up anyway. She found me and she'll listen to my orders."

"Orders? What did you have her created for?" Paine asked as a flood of images suddenly washed through her mind. "Gippal, no! Oh, Yevon! Please forward your monthly checks to Baralai because he's going to need them to pay my therapy bills!"

"Don't even think like that, that's just wrong!" He said when he realized what she was thinking. "It was nothing like that. Seriously! I just…wanted Rikku to adore me."

"I do adore you," the Rikku Clone stated in a perky tone. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"The real Rikku adores you too, Gippal." Gippal scoffed, untied Rikku Clone's bonds, and put his belt back on as Paine spoke. "You don't have to listen to me, but you know that—"

"Let's just go," he interrupted as he gave the Rikku Clone a slight push toward the door. When they walked inside, they saw Rikku literally lying on the counter flirting with all the guys on the staff. Gippal glared at one of the men who were standing at her feet, looking up her short skirt. Rikku didn't seem to notice it and Gippal didn't want to make a scene, so he gritted his teeth and continued to walk toward the lift.

"Oh, isn't that interesting?" She spoke in a low seductive tone of voice as she added in a hair flip and a giggle. "Well, what does this button do?" How much longer to I have to put up with this? She thought to herself as she forced another giggle. She heard the lift start to move, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Well boys, I guess I should be going. My—tee hee—boyfriend is upstairs waiting for me."

"B-Boyfriend?" One of the bellboys cried as Rikku hopped off the counter.

"Yep, sorry," she innocently raised her shoulders as she smiled at all of them. What they don't know won't hurt them…She thought as she blew them all kisses as she hopped on the lift.

She hopped off the lift and ran toward Gippal's room, feeling rather violated. Guys are so needy! I mean, is that all they care about? Girls in scantily clad outfits with their cleavage falling out all the time? She crossed her arms and rubbed her hands up and down as she heard a voice call out as she was by Tidus and Yuna's room.

"Rikku, we're in here," she heard Paine say. Hmm…Yuna and Tidus must've stopped them because they want the juicy gossip too!

She walked into the living room to see Yuna and Tidus bending over the clone, about an inch and a half away from its face. The clone just looked at them with the same smile on her face and blinked every so often.

"Astonishing," Yuna muttered as she examined it.

"I prefer to use the word 'horrifying,' but whatever you say," Paine said as she sat down on the couch.

"It's like looking at Rikku, but something inside tells me it's not," Yuna continued as she stood up straight.

"Maybe the fact that you know it's not me, Yunie," Rikku said as she walked over to them. She gave her cousin a hug and continued to look at the mirror image of herself. "So now, the big question, Gippal. What is it?"

"Basically, she's a Rikku looking machina," he explained as he rapped on her chest. It made a hollow steel sound, proving his point.

"Huh, my very own Rikkubot." Rikku was clearly amused as she tapped the Rikkubot's face, releasing a confused look on its face. "Weird."

"Her skin felt so real," Paine said as she looked down at her own fingers. "How did you manage that one?"

"Nehl helped me out. He had this theory that eventually Bevelle would make an entire army out of machina and he tried to get a step ahead of them. Well, since we are the Machine Faction, we're capable of making the people because we have enough spare parts and everything, but that's about it. So Nehl decided to challenge himself by inventing the formula for skin and hair." He shook his head in embarrassment and sat down. "He…He wanted to try to make a person to see if the skin truly felt real in mass quantities and not just a small sample. Just as an experiment, nothing more than that. He brought this idea up to me several weeks ago, but the night that Rikku broke up with me, I felt that I should…make…her."

"Why me?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes. "I mean, it's flattering and all, but the creepiness factor shoots every cute thought out of the water."

"I wanted to, I guess you could say, program her to love me to replace you," he said quietly as he looked at the real Rikku.

"Gippal," Rikku exhaled and walked over to where he was sitting. "You knew that I loved you."

"I know, but you weren't mine anymore, and I wanted you to still be with me."

"Hey, guys…" Yuna said quietly as she sat down and clutched her stomach. Rikku and Gippal were too busy discussing their past relationship and Tidus and Paine were looking at the Rikkubot, so no one heard her.

"I wanted my independence," Rikku proceeded in saying as Gippal stood up.

"Why didn't you just tell me that you needed some space? I would've backed away," he replied as he brushed her cheek with his fingers.

"Don't," she said as she moved out of his reach. "If you would've backed away, I would've thought that you wanted to break up with me."

"But you wanted to break up with me, so why would it have mattered?" Gippal was truly confused and Rikku couldn't comprehend why they saw things on a different wavelength.

"You just don't understand me, I guess."

"Like you actually understand me?" He threw back, causing her to narrow her eyes at him. His voice rose as his emotions erupted. "Rikku, you broke up with me the day that I was going to propose to you!"

"Pr…Propose?" She said in such a small voice that it was barely audible. The look on her face softened as she looked down at her feet. Oh no…She thought as she absorbed what he said. The world was spinning around her, but she was standing in one spot, unsure of which way to turn.

"Tidus…" Yuna whispered as she clenched her teeth.

"I know, it's amazing, Yuna," Tidus murmured as he looked at Rikkubot's hand, inspecting the perfectly manicured fingernails.

"Why else do you think I was so upset?" Gippal asked Rikku as she choked back a sob. "Yeah, I still would've been hurt, but I wanted to marry you. Does that not mean anything to you? Anything at all?"

"M…Marry me?" She said as a tear cascaded down her cheek. Her legs felt like mush under her, so she backed and sat on the couch as he continued to speak to her; each word like a dagger through her heart.

"Usually that's what follows the proposal," he snapped as she brought her hand up to her necklace and started to play with it. She didn't know what else to say, her world was crumbling in front of her.

"I think it's time…" Yuna gasped as a sharp pain ripped through her.

"To leave the room and let Rikku and Gippal talk? Yeah, I agree." Tidus gently put the Rikkubot's hand on her lap, then turned to face Yuna. He gasped when he saw her doubled over in pain and ran to her side. "Yuna!"

"I think the baby is coming," she said as her breathing became more labored. "Now."

"But, it's early!" Tidus said as he held onto Yuna's hand. Gippal and Rikku stopped talking and turned toward Yuna, to see her on the brink of having the baby in that very room. Rikku wiped her tears away as she, Gippal, and Paine rushed over to Yuna's side. "The baby isn't due for another three weeks!"

"I don't think it'll listen to you if you tell it to stay there," Yuna exclaimed as another sharp pain swept through her.

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" Tidus cried as he felt his hand being crushed from Yuna's grip. "Gippal, you get the others and tell them that we're going to leave now. Rikku, there's a small suitcase packed for Yuna that I want you to grab. Paine, go downstairs and get us a cab. Yuna's right, this baby isn't going to stop."

"Gippal, where are you going?" Rikkubot asked as Gippal started to leave the room. Gippal rolled his eyes as he ran back into the room, moved Rikkubot's hair, and pulled something.

"I'll deal with you later." She instantly went limp and the Paine looked in wonder.

"Wait, that's all you had to do to get her to shut up?" She groaned in disappointment. "Why didn't I figure that out? Hey, does that work for the real Rikku too? Rikku, come here!"

"Paine!" Rikku whined as Gippal and Paine started to laugh.

"Guys! Now would be nice!" Tidus said as he tried to help Yuna stand up. "And Gippal, get the Rikku Clone outta here because it's going to give me nightmares."

"Hey!" The real Rikku protested when she heard Tidus' comment. "That's not a nice thing to say."

"You know what I meant, Rikku! Now let's get a move on!" The three of them nodded and dispersed to do their required duties.

There was absolute chaos in the second floor of the Luca Suites over the next ten minutes. Rikku wasn't sure which suitcase it was, so she had to keep asking Tidus if it was the correct one. She was right on her third try. Gippal first put the Rikkubot into his room to keep it out of everyone's sight. Then he had to run into everyone's rooms and let them know that Yuna was in labor, and everyone instantly went into panic zone. No one knew what to do first, but eventually Gippal just got them all downstairs. Paine called only one cab, not remembering that there were nine of them and they wouldn't all fit in one cab. Tidus and Yuna hopped in the first cab and the others decided that they would wait for others. Lulu had to laugh at the whole ordeal as she watched everyone panic.

"What's so funny?" Rikku asked, slightly panting from the insane amount of running around that she did in a short period of time.

"No, it's just that I wonder if this is how everyone else looked when I was in labor," Lulu said as she looked down at Vidina, who was sound asleep in her arms. "When you're the one actually in labor, you don't realize what everyone else is doing. It's a rather entertaining spectacle now that I'm looking at it from the panicking point of view, actually."

"Oh, the other cabs are here!" Baralai announced and they all hopped into a cab and headed for the hospital.