A/N: Sound of Music songs are good. I'm listening to some right now. Mua. Um. Well, it's been a while. I'm on this new roleplaying site, and I was busy with school. This story is slowly, but surely coming to an end. I'll miss it. Very much. More Gippal and Rikku fluffiness on the way! I hope. Maybe there was too much last chapter.

Winky, winky.

S.S Liki

(Yes, I am so uncreative I took an existing boat's name. Shut up.)

"Rikku. Rikku, wake up."

Rikku awoke to an annoying voice in her ear, and being shaken quite roughly.

"Noo." She mumbled, shielding her face with her arms. Where was she? She was lying on something wooden and hard.

"Rikku. Rikku." The voice was now thoroughly annoyed, but Rikku could care less. She felt so comfortable and lethargic…

Something sharp and hard kicked at her leg (which had been hanging lazily over whatever she was laying on).

"OUCHIE!" She screamed, jumping up and hugging her stinging leg close to her chin. She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes tight, hoping the pain would go away. She bit on her thumb-hard. She hoped it would take away the pain in her leg.

"Stupid sayhea…" She muttered to herself, squinting her eyes open to see just who this meanie was.

"GIPPAL!" She cried, standing up. Then she staggered. She had been lying on the bench, she realized. Still.

"Whoa, Cid's Girl!" Gippal said, chuckling as he caught her arm. "Still a bit too tired for walking, hmm?" He gave her a winning smile, and Rikku forced herself not to swoon.

"What in the name of all that is holy did you kick me for! It's rude and stupid to kick girls." Rikku stated, sticking her tongue out at him.

"But I thought since I was your boyfriend I got a 'Get Out of Rikku's Wrath Free Card'?" Gippal asked with an innocent shrug. Rikku just glared daggers at him until he looked away.

"I win! I win!" She cried, dancing around him and swatting his shoulders playfully. Gippal just smirked and placed a hand on his hip. "Oh really?" He asked dryly. Rikku stopped dancing.

"Really." She replied stubbornly. Rikku didn't like that glint in his eye…

In one swift movement he had Rikku in his arms and over the edge of the slowly moving boat. Rikku realized then it was nighttime. The moon was shining down on the boat and casting moonlit shadows over their figures, making the dark ocean seem softly peaceful.

But Rikku didn't have time to notice their surroundings, or realize it was only she and Gippal left on the deck. She screamed. "GIPPAL GET ME DOWN FROM HERE THIS SECOND!"

Gippal only chuckled at her expression, which she was sure was stricken with fright. Well no duh. She did not want to be dropped into the water! She knew Gippal wouldn't do that, but still…

"I don't think I will." He said, grinning at her. Rikku tried to grab for his hair to rip at, but he dodged her arms. "I'm in control here, Cid's Girl."

"Do NOT call me Cid's Girl!" Rikku fumed. "I don't know HOW I can possibly stand you—"

Suddenly she dropped. No, not into the water, but a few inches lower. She screamed at the suddenness.

"What'd you do that for!" She asked, glaring at him. He grinned once more. It was really annoying now.

"Because you were mean to me."

"Mean! What! I was only standing up for my name, you sayhea—"

She dropped a few inches lower, and she screamed again. "Gippal! This isn't fair! You're gonna kill me, I just know it, and then you'll feel guilty and I'll haunt you forever and forever! Just please, please get me back on deck!" She didn't dare close her eyes. Gippal would just find her fear all the more amusing. She tried to stay strong and only occasionally closed her eyes for a brief second.

"Weeeellll…" Gippal muttered as if it were the hardest decision of his life, "you are getting too heavy for my arms, Cid's Girl."

"Are you weak?" Rikku asked, grinning despite the situation. She tried to ignore the waves splashing against the side of the boat, the spray tickling her skin as if the waves were about to come a bit higher each time…slowly, but surely…and swallow her up…

"No." Gippal's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as he heaved her back on deck, "you're just fat."

He gave her a smirk and then ran across the deck as fast he could, leaving Rikku dumbstruck for a few seconds.

"I'M GONNA GET YOU GIPPAL! I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!" She ran after him, skidding on the deck as she toppled down the stairs to the cabins. She landed face first into the back of Gippal's feet. "Ouchie…" She moaned, continuing to lay on the ground and not bothering to stand up. Gippal turned around.

"Hey there Rikku." He grabbed for her hand and pulled her up by the arm. She couldn't help but smile at him. He chose the best moments to be a gentleman.

"Are we gonna sleep?" Rikku asked, realizing she wasn't tired at all. "That's what you woke me up for, right? 'Cause it's nighttime now…"

"No. I woke you up because we're almost at the Moonflow."

"But everyone's still asleep…"

"It's five o'clock in the morning."

Rikku's jaw dropped. "Did you sleep as long as me?"

Gippal nodded. "We must have been really tired out. Well, at least we're energized now." He grabbed her arm and dragged her back up to the deck. It was a nice humid night out tonight, so Rikku wasn't cold in the least. She could tell Gippal was restless though. It was sort of obvious because of him running to the cabins for no particular reason, and then running back for another reason she didn't know.

"What's wrong?" She asked, flopping down on the wooden deck so she could look up at the sky. The sun was just starting to rise now—she could see the orange pink hint of color in the sky.

"Nothing." Gippal replied shortly. She could feel the vibration of his heavy combat boots clomping across the deck. She closed her eyes lazily and enjoyed the warm weather.

"Rikku, I have an important question for you."

Rikku opened one eye to see Gippal sitting cross-legged on the deck beside her. Rikku slowly did the same until she faced him. "What is it?"

It looked like Gippal had a speech all written up inside of his head. Rikku's heart fell. She hated speeches—or lectures. They just took too long and wasted time she could be using for partying or laughing or something much more useful then speeches or lectures.

"Do you…do you really understand the situation we're in?"

Rikku only eyed him suspiciously. She realized that sentence had been an effort for him. But why?

"Of course I do." She said without smiling for once. "What, you don't think I'm responsible enough?"

He shook his head slowly. "No…"

Rikku wasn't convinced. "Yes you do." She said pointedly, crossing her arms across her chest in a defiant sort of way. Gippal glanced up at her, and Rikku recognized that hint of annoyance sparking in his eye.

"Okay. I do. Fair enough?"

Rikku's jaw dropped. He wasn't actually supposed to agree. That's against the code of boyfriends or—or something. But he continued on in a rush, as if this had been bothering him for quite some time.

"You don't seem to realize just what we're getting into. You don't seem to be worried that a crazy man who's supposed to be dead is coming after you, and you don't even know why. You don't seem at all worried that we're headed for the Moonflow, the very place we want to be from the least. You don't seem like you understand at any second we could die. Anyone could be a spy for Saleed. He said…" He paused, and even though Rikku was fuming at what he had said, she knew he was getting a little frightened of something.

"He said that he had given the bandits sight. Sight they could never have without him. I think that means he's watching us. Somehow. Someone's watching us for him…"

Before Rikku let him continue, which would have led to an important discovery, she interrupted.

"How can you say I don't seem to realize anything? I've been in danger before Gippal! I fought Sin. I beat Vegnagun. My cousin almost died, and I was constantly trying to save her. I'm the one who had to see my best friend die. I risked my life so many times for the people I care about. And you have the nerve to say I don't know how to handle this!" Rikku stood up suddenly, feeling ashamed and like a little kid again.

"You always do this, Gippal! Just because you're one measly year older, you always act like I don't 'understand'! Like I'm some little kid who can't take care of herself! You act like I'm—I'm—" Rikku paused, trying to find the right word.

"You think I'm dumb!"

Gippal was standing up now too, an anger that matched Rikku's in his eye. "I'm trying to help you Rikku!" He cried, both hands firmly at his sides, "I'm trying to make you see the danger you're in! I'm just saying you're not taking it seriously enough!" He started to pace back and forth, running his hand through his hair. "For God's Sake Rikku, a man wants to KILL you! I don't know how you can't be serious about this!"

"HEY! You were goofing off with me back there too!"

"Yea, but I'M the one who's been stuck with all the bloody worryin' this whole damn trip!" Gippal shouted back, eye wide and furious. "You've been dancing around, laughing and giggling, and I'm the one who's been watching everyone and everything suspiciously. You couldn't even take care of yourself for one millisecond! It's just—so stressful on me." He had now stopped pacing and was looking at Rikku expectantly.

"I thought you wanted to protect me." Rikku replied stubbornly, as well as a bit sadly.

"I do, that's what I'm trying to do! Look, I made a mistake before, and I'm just trying to help you now! Just always be on your toes! Don't think I'm going to be able to take care of everything! I'm not going to be able to. I'm not always going to be here to be able to." He walked over and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Expect the unexpected Rikku. That's all I'm saying. This is a life or death situation. I don't want you to die."

The two looked at each for a long time, until Rikku pulled away and started to walk away from Gippal.

"Rikku?" She heard him call. She didn't answer.

How come Gippal always had to be right? Rikku's argument was feeble compared to his. He had been right. She was acting like a little kid. Was it finally time for her to grow up? Rikku always liked being the happy, active, hyper one everyone saw as cute. But she hated being seen as a child. Was that a confused, messed up sort of view on herself? Of course. This was a serious situation and she hadn't even thought it over once. She was leaving all the thinking, all the planning and worrying to Gippal. He cared about her so much he was trying to protect her. Just in a different way. He wanted Rikku to be ready. Always ready. He had said he wouldn't always be there…

But he would, wouldn't he?

Rikku needed time to think. Gippal had said too much for her to take in all in one moment. He had been right, of course, but…but Rikku hated being wrong. She hated having to go over every little detail, trying to figure it out…

But she was going to do just that. Rikku was going to give Gippal a break and change her attitude: she was going to be responsible. She was going to figure this out. What he wanted, how they were being watched, and how to talk to Gippal and let him know she understood.

She had never been good with words. Or mysteries. She stood at the opposite end of the boat as Gippal, and she was glad that he wouldn't come nosing in on her. He wasn't like that. He was just as stubborn as she. Rikku just hoped he hadn't taken it personally and that Rikku hated him. She was just annoyed that he always had to be right: and that she always had to be wrong. She grabbed a crate and sat down on it promptly, focusing her gaze on the sea.

Time to click her brain into gear. No more messing around. This was the real thing, and she was going to help as much as she could.

………

Gippal rested his hands on the side of the boat, watching the waves as they slowly mesmerized him. Then it hit him: he wasn't scared of boats anymore. He grinned shakily, until the conversation he had just had with Rikku clouded over this and ruined everything.

He had to say he was proud of himself. Gippal had told Rikku exactly what he had been thinking this whole trip—that she had stuck him with all the worrying while she just acted like nothing was wrong. That was the thing. Acting. Of course something was bloody wrong, it was pretty obvious.

But then she had walked away. He couldn't tell if it was from anger, hurt, or some other emotion he wasn't aware of. He just hoped she didn't hate him. But he was still glad he had told her what he thought. It was quite a load off of his shoulders.

He decided to leave Rikku alone and go talk to the boat driver and ask him what time they'd be there. He had already that morning when he had woken up, and even though the man freaked him out, he desperately wanted to know when they'd be there. Why? So he could try to get away.

That's right. Get away. Run away, more or less. He couldn't take it. He didn't want to have to protect Rikku for the rest of her life. He didn't always want to be on the lookout for danger, or for death. He had wanted to tell Rikku this: he had wanted to tell her he would never be able to protect her. Everyone thought Gippal, the Machine Faction Leader, was a brave soul who had gone to save his best friend Baralai. True, but that was about as far as his bravery went. He was a chicken at heart, and Rikku would soon know it. He told her as much as he could: he wouldn't always be around. Rikku would have to take care of herself.

If I run away, things will be worse though. He had constantly fought with himself that whole morning.

Saleed will have no trouble getting to her. Rikku's strong, but against him and a million other bandits…well, even if I were there it wouldn't make any difference. I might as well leave. Which was what I was planning to do. But should I? Rikku will hate me: I love her too much for her to hate me. Maybe I shouldn't. I don't know. I just don't want to face my past.

I don't want to go through what I had to before. If I fail to help Rikku, I might just kill myself. But running away won't help. I don't know. I'll probably stay. But Rikku could take care of herself. We need to split up. I'm sure Saleed is tracking Rikku through me. I'm sure of it. I don't know how, but I am. We just need to split up. If we do, Rikku will be safe. I'm going to tell her this. I will, I promise. She needs to know that if she wants to be safe, we have to be apart. I mean, there's no chance of us destroying Saleed, is there? I don't know. But we need to be apart.

For Rikku's safety. For the girl I love so much.

………

"Thinking is boring." Rikku muttered to herself, winding a strand of flyaway hair around her index finger. She stifled a yawn as her eyes caught glimpse of something dark projecting out of the water miles off.

Moonflow. She thought, and she knew she was right. She needed to think harder.

"Okay, let's see…Gippal said that Saleed was tracking us…somehow. I can't really think of anything, but—no! I will! I have to! Okay, okay, let's start over. Saleed want to kill me, for some unknown inexplicable reason. Maybe I should try to figure that out first. But I don't have anything he'd want! No. Back onto topic. Okay, so Gippal said he had given the people who helped him special sight or, or something. I doubt that means eyes on the back of their heads or something.

"Augh, I just don't know!" Rikku buried her face in her hands, breathing in the scent of her lilac skin cream. She couldn't believe her hands still smelled like that. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, mind whirring and clicking. Rikku knew she hadn't thought this much or this hard for a long time. Someone was watching them. Who had seemed suspicious? That creepy boat driver, but she had only seen him once. Definitely not the spirits, they worked for themselves…Wynter?

Rikku's eyes snapped open. Wynter…she completely forgot about her. Rikku suddenly felt guilt growing steadily larger in the pit of her stomach. She said she would help Wynter against her dad. She had had a friend for a few days, and Rikku knew Wynter probably thought Rikku would be around for longer. Rikku now felt absolutely terrible for abandoning Djose, and she really had no idea why.

Wynter…maybe when they got to the Moonflow Rikku could sneak back to Djose and talk to Wynter? That would work. But…but Wynter hadn't been with her at the very beginning, nor with her and Gippal later on. It was pretty obvious Sunny, Liam, and Bilak were most likely working for him…

This thought caused tears to well up in Rikku's eyes. Her best friends had gone bad. But she had known this the moment Sunny had tried to-tried to kiss her. The thought still spooked Rikku, and she slapped her hands together to try and think of something else.

And then it clicked. It was so obvious, so bizarre…but it fit. It all fit. Rikku suddenly let out a horrified gasp, followed by a squeal of excitement. She had found out who was following them. She had found out who was working for Saleed.

"WE WILL BE REACHING THE MOONFLOW IN TEN MINUTES. PLEASE GET YOUR ITEMS TOGETHER AND HEAD TO THE MAIN DECK."

A voice rang throughout the air, but Rikku was too excited to listen. People were now milling about the boat, talking and laughing. Little children were laughing and chasing each other, or pointing excitedly towards the Moonflow. Rikku's eyes searched the crowds, but Gippal was nowhere in sight.

"Where could he be?" She murmured, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.

"Lookin' for me?" A hand clapped her shoulder and Rikku jumped a little but then turned around, feeling a huge grin take over her face. She jumped up and hugged Gippal, taking him completely by surprise.

"Oh Gippal you were right! I was being a little kid and irresponsible, so I decided to start working harder, and I figured something out! Oh Gippal it's so important, I've GOT to tell you—"

"Not now Princess."

Rikku's heart fell. Gippal's expression was serious. Too serious for her. "Let's sit down." He said, taking her arm gently and setting her on a crate. She only watched him, confusion and paranoia taking over her mind.

"What is it?" She asked, afraid Gippal would start yelling at her again. "I'm gonna take it seriously now, Gippal! You don't need to worry anymore, really…"

Gippal just smiled sadly. "That's good."

Rikku stopped. "Huh?"

"Rikku, there's something I need to tell you."

"…Okaaay…"

"I-I-" He closed his eye briefly, opened it again, and then took Rikku's hands in his. They were both sitting on crates, and Rikku was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Rikku…I can't stay with you."

Rikku's eyes grew wide and her stomach immediately turned to lead. "W-What?" She asked, biting the insides of her cheeks so she wouldn't cry. She pulled her hands away and stared at him. "You're breaking up with me? Again!" She asked incredulously.

Gippal shook his head ferverently. "No. I mean, I can't stay with you. When we get to the Moonflow, we-we have to separate."

Rikku shook her head slowly. "No." She whispered, looking at the ground. "You can't leave."

"Yes I can. And I will."

"WHY!" Rikku finally cried, jumping up. "Are you too scared? Too scared that if you stay and fail to save me or some chivalrous act like that you'll feel terrible for the rest of your life and the memory will haunt you forever and EVER!"

Gippal stared at her. "That's part of it."

Rikku fumed. "I can't believe you. After EVERYTHING, you're just going to let me DIE!"

"You said you were responsible now!"

"That doesn't mean you can abandon me at the first sign of trouble!"

"There's been trouble this whole bloody trip, the moment you ask your 'friends' to take us on their boat!" Gippal roared back equally loud. "And you wouldn't understand! I'm leaving to SAVE you!"

"SAVE ME!" Rikku cried back, knowing the tears were going to spill at any second. "How can you be saving me if you're leaving me for dead!"

"Because Saleed is getting to YOU because he's tracking through ME!" Gippal cried back. This caused Rikku to fall silent.

"What?" She whispered.

Gippal now looked slightly calmer. "We have to separate so you won't die. As long as you're not with me, you won't get hurt."

"You don't know that." Rikku said stubbornly.

"Yes I do."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Look." Gippal started. "I'll head onto Bevelle to go to that meeting with Baralai. You-you go somewhere. Anywhere."

"I thought Bevelle would be safe for me too!" Rikku shouted.

"I thought so too! Until I realized that he was getting to you through me. As long as you're with me, you're in danger."

"I've ALWAYS been in danger, Gippal! Even when I was little! But you were always there to save me, no matter what! And now you're just going to leave! That's stupid! That's—that's illogical!"

Gippal groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "I need to go to Bevelle for this meeting. Athilda will come, and you can go back to Djose, back to Luca, back to Bikanel, back to anywhere but where I am."

"I can't DO that!" Rikku cried, and Gippal looked up at her from where his gaze on the floor. "I can't just leave you Gippal! Look, I don't care if you put me in danger or not, I'm staying with you. I can't stand to just break apart like we did before. I'm not letting this stupid Saleed ruin everything we have."

"You don't know how powerful he is, Rikku!"

"WELL HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW POWERFUL LOVE IS EITHER!" Rikku cried, eyes wide. And then she gasped, letting herself blush. She buried her face in her hands, knowing Gippal would probably start laughing at her.

But he didn't. She didn't hear a thing. She snuck a peek through her fingers to see he was now pacing the dock. Great. He hadn't even answered. He sure knew how to make her look stupid…

"Did you mean that?" Gippal asked, finally stopping in front of her. Rikku continued to hide her face in her hands and only nodded numbly.

If he's leaving, I might as well let him know how I feel. She thought sadly.

But she was taken by surprise as Gippal swiped her in a big hug. His face was buried into her shoulder, and Rikku immediately felt safe. "We can't be apart, Gippal." She murmured. "I need you to-to protect me."

Okay, okay I don't, but I might as well give his ego a little boost. She thought grimly, knowing it would come to bite her in the butt later.

"Rikku…" Gippal stepped away from her. "You mean the world to me. And because you do, I have to save you. I have to protect you, by-by leaving you."

This sentence was greeted by silence. The boat hit land with gentle thump, but neither Rikku nor Gippal moved. They continued to stare at each other, and Rikku counted down the seconds until she would start crying.

Three…two…one…

And then they came. She hurriedly wiped them away. "Fine." She spat, turning around. "Leave. Do whatever you want. Go save these missing people, I don't care. After all, what does our relationship matter, right? You've already wrecked it once, another time won't matter." She knew she was being mean, but right now she hated Gippal. She hated him for leaving her.

"Rikku, I don't want you to be mad at me. I want you to understand."

"Oh, I understand all right. Go have your fun. Next week when you come back here I'll probably be nothing but a skeleton and Saleed will rule over Spira. But—oh, that's right, that could matter LESS to you!" Rikku turned around to look up at his face. "Sometimes you don't many any sense at all, Gippal!"

"YOU just don't understand!" Gippal cried, and Rikku saw pleading in his eye.

"Oy kids, time to leave the boat." A man in a suit was shoving at Gippal's arm, and he swatted him away with a growl.

"Hang on a minute, you little bugger." Gippal muttered at the man. The man rushed off and Gippal turned back to look at Rikku.

"Goodbye Gippal." Rikku whispered, turning around. "I'll stay on the boat. I'll go back to Luca."

Gippal hesitated, but a voice cut into the tense air. "Sir Gippal! Come along! We have a meeting to attend!"

Rikku's mouth dropped open. "You told her about your plan before ME! What, is Athilda your girlfriend now!"

Gippal just shook his head, frustrated. "Rikku…just don't hate me. I couldn't live if you hated me. You have to understand…this is to save you."

"Save me, my a—"

Athilda popped up beside Gippal, and Rikku glared daggers at her. "Come along, Sir Gippal."

Rikku and Gippal looked at each other for a long, hard moment. "Bye Rikku." He whispered.

She didn't answer. She only stared at him, eyes wide. He was actually leaving. He was actually dumb enough to believe that leaving would save her. What was wrong with his head? It wouldn't save her! Well, maybe it would, but why did he have to hurt her in the process?

He was breaking her heart all over again.

But before Rikku could say anything to Gippal, he was down the plank and walking swiftly across the mossy Moonflow towards Bevelle, Athilda trailing after him.

"Bye." She whispered sadly, feeling nothing but emptiness inside of her heart.

A/N: GASP. What a nasty turn of events. Stupid Gippal. He was a bit confused at first, but then he had to go and wreck it by actually leaving. Loser. Um, don't worry, something will happen. I hope. I think. Yes. Hopefully. Um, I hoped you liked it! Longest one I ever wrote I think. NINE PAGES in Times New Roman 10. And lots of thinking happening in it. And I still didn't tell you who Saleed's eyes are, though it's kind of obvious.

Or is it? Dun, dun, dun. Review please!