FDB- I'm beginning to think that I'm getting ideas for this story left and right. Don't know. Bored… Reviewers.

Lord batman- Tidus had a single digit IQ once?

Anbu713- I'm not on a buzz. 'Ever write a fanfic? Ever write a fanfic…on weed?' Heheh…Half Baked is an awesome movie. 'Abba Zabba, you my only friend.'

Cor Strike FX- I take it you know what a 'social finger' is. For those that don't know, here's a definition.

Social Finger- The finger you often show off when surrounded by people you don't like. AKA- Bird, Middle, One-Finger Salute, Flip Off.

By my figuring, we're down to the last five chapters. Not that long until the end. I'm gonna miss dumping my mental porto-potty on the unsuspecting public. At least until the sequel. But even if I get done, I still have to wait until Shadoobie finishes 'Black Phoenix' before we can start on the sequel. This chapter will contain my attempt at a citrus. Not sure how well it will go, but I hope it goes well.

WARNING! The following chapter has been rated M for sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter 13- And I held your hand.

No idea when I woke up, but I remember I was staring at a metal ceiling. I widened my eyes and recognized it as the interior of Cid's airship. I sat up and a light pain run through my right arm. I noticed that it was bandaged up where the dagger hit me. The dagger Yunalesca had thrown at me. Why did she throw it at me? Maybe it was because I had scored the last hit. Given her a taste of the Wind Scar close up and personal. That was it.

But what had happened? I remember flashes of something. I remember Auron in pink, and Sin was laughing at me. Was I drugged? I really don't know. But when I looked at my arm, I noticed something else. I lifted the sheets to make sure, and my eyes went wide.

I was completely naked.

I frantically scanned the room for my pants. As long as I had those, I would be able to escape this un-embarrassed. I couldn't find them anywhere, but I did find Rikku, curled up in a chair next to the bed, her shoes leaning against the wall. It looked like she had been there all night, watching over me. She cared about me. I knew that much. And when all of this was over, I'd be able to spend my life with her. I had decided not to leave Spira when this was all over. I wanted to be with Rikku. I didn't want to leave her. I love her.

"Rikku," I called out softly, half of me not wanting to rouse her from her peaceful slumber. "Rikku, wake up."

I saw her eyes flutter before she lifted her head and looked of the source of the voice she heard. Her eyes went wide and she jumped on the bed and threw her arms around me.

"Jamie!" she shouted. "Jamie! Thank God you're alive. We thought we'd lost you."

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"The dagger Yunalesca threw at you… Auron said it was covered in a very rare poison. It causes the victim to hallucinate, and then fall into a very deep sleep. Auron saw you pass out and carried you out of the dome in Zanarkand. It was almost too late. You came to, but only long enough to give Sin the finger." She laughed a little right here. I guess from where she was at the time, it would seem kinda funny. "Luckily, Daddy had just the right stuff for me to whip up an antidote. But Auron said we were cutting it pretty close. He said you would be lucky to survive. Oh…Jamie." She threw her arms around me again, as if to determine if I was real or not.

I held her for a minute before releasing her and looking into her eyes. Those beautiful swirls pulling me into her soul.

"Thanks, Rikku. But there's still something on my mind. A question that you didn't answer. Why am I naked?"

"Oh…about that. See…this may be the last time we're alone together. I want us to cherish it. So, I figured undressing you would make things go faster."

This woman is so damn kinky. Blood already rushing to my…uh…manly place, we brought our lips together. I ran my hands through her hair, pulling them out of their braids, allowing the golden rivers to flow around her face, and mingle with my own long brown locks. Our lips still pressing together, I reached down and undid the clasp on her shorts, sliding them down her long legs. I tossed them aside and slid a hand up her leg, sending goose bumps rippling across her perfect skin. I felt her legs wrap around mine, her bare feet tickling them. We were so caught up in each other that it took me a few minutes to think of something.

I frantically pulled away from her and asked, "What if someone walks in on us?"

She just smiled seductively and leaned over to my ear. "Don't worry, Jamie. I told the others not to disturb us. I locked the door and told them I'd get them if you woke up. So, as far as they know, you're still unconscious. Besides, I think they went to Bevelle. So relax. Nothing will go wrong."

Reassured, and not nearly as nervous as last time, I pulled her back on top of me and soon we were lost in each other yet again. We broke our embrace only so I could slip her shirt over her head. She was wearing a different color bra than the one she wore back at the Calm Lands, but it came undone pretty much the same way. Before pulling the knot in the back, I ran a finger under the thin strap that held it to her body. Apparently, she liked this, because she started giggling, and complaining that I was tickling her. So, what if I was? It made her happy, and as long as she was happy, I was happy.

She pressed her hands against my bare chest, sending waves of heat across my body. Left hand still under her bra strap, I ran the other hand up and down her back, caressing her smooth flesh, feeling her quiver in my arms. Gradually, I worked my left hand around behind her and slowly pulled the small knot keeping the small garment on her lithe frame. It fell loose from her body, and I tossed it aside, landing right next to her shorts. She moved her hands to my shoulders, so now her bare breasts were pressed against my chest.

She caught me off guard by grabbing my wrist and moving my hand to stroke her firm buttocks…or ass if you prefer. I'll use buttocks for those of you who think 'ass' is vulgar. The smooth satin off her panties were a mere illusion to the flawlessness of the real thing that lay underneath. I slid my hand up and down her buttocks before slipping it under the elastic, giving some attention to the real thing. She moaned when she felt the unexpected contact, but our lips never parted.

Then she caught me off guard again. She slipped her tongue into my mouth just as she did back at the Calm Lands. But this time I was no where near as nervous. I put my vacant hand between us and caressed her right breast, my thumb flicking the aroused nipple. I pulled my lips away from hers to leave a trail of kisses down her neck. She was mumbling and muttering something, but her breathing was so staggered I could barely make it out, though I could have sworn I heard my name and the word 'yes'. It didn't matter. I didn't have to understand her to know she wanted to move on.

I slipped my other hand into her panties and pulled them down her legs, tossing them aside. Because the sheet on the bed was still covering me from the waist down, and now resembled a circus tent, I pulled it off of me and flipped over on top of Rikku. Her hair was fanned out behind her, framing her face in a golden glow. I ran my hands down her sides and rejoined our lips as she moved her hands from my shoulders, down my chest, leaving ripples of pleasure in their wake, and went to my waist, just as mine were on hers. We pulled back and looked each other in the eye. We both wanted what was about to come, the imminent bliss of our love.

We both moaned from the initial contact, but as things progressed, we settled into comfort. We moved our bodies together, the rhythm of our feverish passion taking us over, controlling us. We bathed in the heat of our lovemaking, savoring every wave of pleasure that rocked our intertwined bodies. Our hearts were beating in time with every sensual movement we made. It got to where the only sound we heard was our hearts beating and our heavy breathing. We were lost in each others arms, fueled by desire and ecstasy, covering each other in kisses, hands exploring every inch of our partner.

We could both feel it building: the climax. I felt like a time bomb with only a few more seconds to go, and I'm sure Rikku felt the same. Our bodies were racked with suspense, both of them suppressing our orgasms so that we may continue on in the throws of passion. But our bodies could not fight off the climax forever. I ran my lips up her neck, stopping only to nibble on her earlobe. This seemed to break the dam for her. She cried out and began rocking her body faster and faster, pulling me into her harder and harder.

Now, I felt my dam begin to crack. I didn't fight her, but moved with her. The rhythm of our love could not be broken. The pressure was building in both of our bodies and we wouldn't be able to hold it back for much longer. She suddenly arched her back and cried out. I half feared being found out, but I was sure Rikku had thought of this. The exact moment she arched her back, I had been trailing kisses across her jaw line, but the last one landed right on the aroused nipple of her left breast. She cried out my name, and I could not help but cry out hers.

I felt the climax flash over both of our bodies. It was wonderful. I believe the proper term is Shangri-La: bliss. Both of our bodies went slack, limp. Well, it took that part of me longer to go limp, but…you get the idea. I removed my self from her body and rolled to the side. I pulled the sheet over us, looking into the eyes of my lover. Our breathing soon returned to normal, our hearts slowly returning to the normal pulse that kept us alive. Our bodies were drained; I barely had enough strength to kiss her on the forehead. She didn't look sleepy, but I sure as hell was. I mean, I had been knocked out because of some 1000 year old bitch. My eyes were beginning to get tired…

CLANG…CLANG CLANG Someone was knocking at the door.

Ah…the power of adrenaline. We both shot up in the bed, staring at the door. This was going to be hard to explain. After Rikku assured me she had a plan, she grabbed her clothes, shoved them under the bed, threw on a robe, and told me to look like I was still asleep. I did as she said, and by that time the little man down stairs had calmed down considerably. She quickly brushed her hair and opened the door. About a split second earlier and we would have been caught. I had just enough time to pull the sheet back over me and play dead.

"Hey, Rikku!" It was Yuna.

"Back already? Why are you back so early?" Rikku's nervousness was going to give us away if she didn't calm down.

"Things went faster than we expected. Are you alright, Rikku?" Yuna's becoming suspicious…

"Yep," Rikku said in a calmer voice. "Just fine. Jamie still hasn't woken up yet."

"Oh, okay. …Why are you all wet?"

Damn! Rikku was covered in sweat! …And…other things… But I saw Rikku: she was soaked. Looks like we've been caught with our pants down…literally.

"I…uh…took a shower! I was just sitting down to brush my hair when you knocked!" Nice recovery.

"Alright…well, tell us when he wakes up."

"Okie-dokie!"

"I'd hate to lose him. He's been a great guardian. He's really nice. I can understand why you like him, Rikku."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you hadn't told me you liked him back in Thunder Plains, I probably would have gone for him instead of Tidus." What? Me and Yuna?

"Say what?" Guess Rikku's thinking the same thing.

"I kinda liked him. I mean…Tidus is sweet and all…but he's…not all that bright. I mean I still like him…but he wasn't my first crush…"

So…Yuna used to like me? That's just plain weird. Not saying that I don't like Yuna, but…it's like country music. I'll listen to it sometimes, but it's just…not my thing. Ya know? I'll admit, I was attracted to Yuna from the start…probably because she reminded me of Stephanie…but then I met Rikku….and I heard Tidus talking to Lulu about Yuna back at Guadosalam. He said he liked her. And then there's the whole thing that happened in Macalania. But that's just weird, don't you think?

"Wow…I didn't know that."

"Yeah, well tell us when he…wakes up." I could tell Yuna was on to us by the way she said that last part.

I heard Yuna walking back down the hall, but then the footsteps stopped. I think Yuna turned back and said, "Oh, and Rikku…I know that's not water you're covered in."

I heard Rikku stuttering, trying to get an answer out, but none would come.

"Don't worry, Rikku. I won't tell the others. I know Uncle Cid would go nuts if he found out."

"Okay…uh…thanks, Yunie."

Rikku quickly shut the door and came back to the bed. She sat down and sighed. I guess we're both relieved that we didn't get caught. I sat up and put my arms around her shoulders, kissing her on the neck. She giggled lightly and turned her head to kiss me on the lips. We pulled back and just stared at each other. After awhile, Rikku stood up and said something about taking a real shower.

"Think the others will be suspicious?" I asked her.

"Not really. Yunie's really good at keeping secrets."

That was good to know. Luckily, there was a bathroom adjacent to the room we were in. She walked in to take hers first, leaving me to search for my clothes. After finding my pants, I waited for Rikku to get out of the shower so I could get mine. God knows I needed one. I didn't really want to walk out there stinking to high Heaven.

It was about 15 minutes later that Rikku walked out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel. She must have seen me gawking at her, because she flipped open the towel for a split second. I chuckled lightly as she walked over to a dresser and pulled out a new set of clothes. Odd thing was that they were exactly like the ones she wore before. Guess she likes that outfit. I stood to walk into the bathroom, but I could not resist as Rikku dropped the towel that was wrapped around her slender body.

Before she put anything on, I snuck up behind her and slid my right hand up her leg. She shivered and turned to face me, those eyes pulling me in again. My hand passed her waist as my other arm snaked around her hips. Our faces moved together slowly as my hand ran up her flat stomach, across her right breast, fingers flicking against the erect nipple, then to her face, forming to the contour of her jaw line. The moment my hand reached her face, we brought our lips together again, but only briefly.

"Jamie," Rikku whispered. "No offense, but you stink."

I just smiled and went to take my shower. I loved her so much. I was really going to enjoy living here in Spira with her. Maybe I could live with the Al Bhed. I mean, Cid already likes me, and I'll be close to Rikku. I don't know. Maybe I could settle somewhere south of the Highroad. I haven't been to any of the places down there. That would be nice.

I turned the water on as hot as I could handle and stepped under the stream, pulling the curtain at the same time. It was really relaxing. I guess this makes up for missing the hotspring in Gagazet. I loosened me up, washed all my worries away. I let the water soak through my hair, running my finger through it, scraping God knows what out of it. I pushed it back, letting the water run over my face. I almost didn't want to get out, but I knew Sin wasn't going to kill itself. It'd be cool if it did.

I stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist. I walked over to the mirror, wiping the mist away. I pulled my hair back, wondering what I would look like with a ponytail. It looked really weird on me. I decided to at least get my hair looking decent. I picked up a brush I could only guess belonged to Rikku and ran it through my hair. As I looked in the mirror, I saw someone's reflection in it. I couldn't tell who it was, the image was too distorted, but I had a pretty good idea who it was.

"Come on, Rikku," I said turning. "We don't have time to HOLY SHIT!" I shouted, jumping back slightly.

It was the fucking Fayth kid. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"I saw what you did with Rikku." Is this kid a pervert, too?

"Are you going to blackmail me, too?"

"Why do you continue your affection for her?" What? "The closer you two become, the harder it will be to let go of each other when you go home."

"Listen, you little prick. I'm staying. When we defeat Sin, I'm staying. So don't even bother showing up when we do."

"But…"

"Shut up, you little bastard!" I shouted, shooting him a death glare. "I'm staying! I will NOT leave Rikku! NEVER! I love her! And I have chosen not to leave her. I've finally found someone who makes me happy, someone that has finally filled the void left by Stephanie. I'm not letting you or Sin or anyone else tear me from her."

I was breathing hard from all the shouting, but even then he didn't get the picture. "Typical of a romantic: blinded by love." He sighed, then muttered, "I don't understand why you need to live…why you are so important…"

"What are you muttering about?"

"Nothing…nothing you need to worry about… The only advice I can give is that you shouldn't make your decision so soon. You have had good luck thus far…it has to run out soon."

What the hell did he mean by that? I was about to wring the answers out of his scrawny neck, but he vanished. He told me not to make my decision so soon. What does that mean? Does that mean he won't let me stay with Rikku? No. He brought me here to protect Yuna. My assistance may have only been required up to Macalania, but I'm going to the end. I'll help Yuna defeat Sin. Hey, the Fayth kid will be getting more for his money, so to speak. More bang for his buck. He wouldn't dare separate me from Rikku after what I do for Yuna.

I finished brushing my hair, pulled on my clothes and walked into the room, where Rikku was waiting, clothed and ready to go.

"Why'd you take so long?"

"Wanted to make sure I got all of the nasty crud out of my hair."

"I hear that. After running my hands through it, I wouldn't be surprised if there was something alive in there."

"Well, I did shake out a bird's nest…"

She giggled softly, making me laugh with her. I love making her laugh. Her laughter is like music, and I love making her produce the beautiful overture that is her voice…almost as much as I love her. Yeah, that was pretty corny, but it's the truth. And I'm sticking to it.

"Should we join the others?" she asked.

"Sure."

FDB- What'd you think? I hope I didn't botch up the citrus too bad. I think this was more lemony than the one Shadoobie wrote for me. Next up is the last fight with Sin. Only four more chapters after this.