A/N: I'm not satisfied with this chapter by any means – but Biv's probably going to have a stroke if I don't update soon. So yes. Here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything you recognize. I do, however, own the white mage nurse, who will have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story. Maybe.

ARARARAR

He's sitting at home on this balmy Friday night, reading Macbeth under the light of a softly glowing yellow lamp, some sort of classical music playing quietly in the background, as though afraid to distract the famed general from his reading. Not that he could claim to be particularly absorbed in the play, or Shakespeare for that matter. He was simply out of things to read, yet again, and Macbeth was something that, because he just didn't care about it, could always come back to and try to finish again.

The door knob rattles loudly, disturbing the tranquility of the scene, and then there's a flurry of fists against his door. "Auron? Auron!" Tidus' voice. Damn it. He shuts the book with a quiet snap, replaces it on the shelf, removes his reading glasses, and switches off the stereo, before opening the door.

Before him is Tidus, normally easy going expression twisted with, what, fear? Anxiety? He's holding his new girlfriend, the prostitute from the club under one arm, and she's white, trembling. He didn't need to be a medic to diagnose a panic attack. "Come in." He growls, enforcing his statement by tugging the two teens inside, slamming and locking the door behind them. He gently steers the girl into his recently vacated armchair, and with a scowl sends Tidus scurrying to reheat the lukewarm water on the stove for tea. With a deft movement, a wool blanket embroidered with a likeness of Shiva is settled around the girl's shoulders and Auron goes to relieve his adopted son of the culinary duties.

Tidus barely has time to settle himself on the arm of Yuna's chair before Auron appears, balancing three cups of tea on a rather plebian wooden tray. He sets it on the coffee table, and hands Yuna a brew of mint and hibiscus tea, flavored with honey. Tidus takes his own mug of black tea with extra sugar, and Auron settles back on the opposing love seat, sipping his plain green tea.

"What's the emergency?"

Tidus blinks, hit with the full force of his foster father's power. Even half awake, salt and pepper hair falling around his shoulders, dressed in sweatpants and a tee shirt, the older man looks ready to do just about anything. "It's Yuna's cousin, Auron. She's in the hospital."

Yuna catches Auron's look, eyes steady despite the red puffiness from lack of sleep and crying. "Please, General. I'm sorry if I'm being too forward, but, please. Can you put my cousin up for a night, two at the most, until she's better?"

Auron raises an eyebrow. "That's a heavy request, Miss-"

"Please call me Yuna, Auron." She fishes something out from under her tight fitting shirt. She undoes the chain and passes a slender gold band over to him.

Auron would have had to be a blind man to not recognize Braska's wedding ring immediately. "Anything for my god daughter." He replies dryly, passing the ring back and standing, removing the half empty teacups and carrying them to the kitchen. He returns and tugs his long red coat on, snagging his keys off their hook, and walking out of the apartment, Tidus and Yuna trailing after him like ducklings.

The ER was better than many that Auron had seen before. Not that said very much. To be more concise: there were no rusty bloodstains on the rug of the waiting room, no live cockroaches being kept as pets by the secretaries, and no rats gnawing on those waiting. Not that there are many people waiting – only a middle aged woman reading an issue of Parents magazine in the corner.

He steps aside and allows Yuna to approach the nurse on duty. "We're here to see Rikku Cidison, please."

The nurse looks up from where she's hunched over a six month old Cosmo Girl. "Yuna Sarren?" At Yuna's nod, she favors the younger woman with a strained smile, one that quite clearly announced: My shift was over fifteen minutes ago so don't take it personally if I act like a raving bitch towards you, mkay? "She asked to see you when you arrived, but didn't mention anyone else. If you gentlemen will have a seat." The Cosmo hits the desk, and the woman's all business, escorting Yuna out of the waiting room, leaving an anxious Tidus and calm Auron behind.

The pretty brunette returns about five minutes later, skin paler, and bags beneath her eyes a little more pronounced. "She's stable." She replies quietly, sitting down beside Tidus and resting her head on his shoulder. "Minor concussion, two cracked ribs, and multiple abrasions, but she'll live."

Auron raises an eyebrow, but the Cosmo reading nurse walks up, cutting off whatever the older man had been about to say. "Miss Sarren, your cousin's free to go home now. Our white mage has set the ribs, and gotten a start on healing the cuts, and the concussion. However, don't let her move around too much, wake her up every hour, and try to keep her away from the … stairs." She hands over a clipboard which Yuna signs in neat tight penmanship, before marching off to whatever was next on her itinerary.

"Huh." Tidus stares after the retreating nurse, almond eyes narrowed. "So that's that, then? They just accept whatever story's told to them?"

Yuna nods, rubbing her eyelids with her fingertips. "They know just as well as you do what goes on around here. How can they not, they're locals after all." She smiles dryly. "As long as they write down what they're told, their hands are clean legally."

Auron shakes his head, the teenagers may have well been speaking a different dialect, for all that he could comprehend them. A blond girl in a wheel chair is being pushed towards them, waving energetically, even at two in the morning. At Yuna's happy expression, he assumes that this would be the battered cousin and stands, tucking his hands into coat sleeves and waiting. He quietly watches as Yuna dashes across to her cousin, dragging a dozy Tidus behind her.

"Yunnie!" The blond tries to jump up, but is restrained by a very capable looking white mage, who clamps her down to her wheel chair with hands the size of tennis rackets. "Does this mean I finally can leave?"

Yuna smiles, missing the weary grin that the white mage shoots at Tidus. "Yep! Come on, old lady." She smiles gratefully at the mage and takes over possession of the wheel chair, pushing it out to Auron's car, said owner of car following the trio.

"Shit!" Rikku hops out of her wheel chair at the sight of the very pretty black car. She grunts, ribs and head forcefully telling her that moving was a BAD idea right now. As though used to such antics, Tidus and Yuna step forward as one, snagging the younger girl around the waist and pulling her into an upright position.

With a lot of careful maneuvering, Rikku grumbling, and Tidus being clipped in the eye with an elbow, the trio manages to settle them in themselves in the backseat. Auron slips in and begins the long drive back to his apartment.

ARARARAR

When Auron cuts the engine, Tidus and Yuna scamper ahead to get the doors, not so discreetly leaving the older man to carry the 'invalid' up. He's getting to old for this shit. He silently grumbles for a few moments, before pulling the door open, and catching the girl who had been sleeping against the window. She doesn't stir, and he adjusts his grip on her, cradling her in his arms. There's a soft thud as he kicks the car door shut and walks into the lobby, blond girl held as though she weighed as much as a kitten.

He glares at the elevator waiting for him, as though it had personally offended him. Why exactly had he agreed to this in the first place? Apparently he was a bleeding heart. He shakes his head in disgust, adjusting his grip on the tiny Al Bhed as she snuggles closer to him. This… this had disaster written all over it.

Tidus offers him a guilty grin as he pulls the apartment door open, revealing a thoroughly embarrassed Yuna, balancing a tray of steaming mugs. "Th-thank you." Auron tries to harden his heart against his god daughter, but damn it, Braska had that same smile, one that was so sincere, so encompassing, that even his small nose had smiled. He shakes his head and offers a grunt of thanks, setting Rikku down on the couch.

The seventeen year old stirs at the sudden cold of suede against bare skin. She had been warm, safe. She blinks, opening her eyes and sitting up very slowly, propping herself against the arm of the couch. She hurts, but she'll live, and accepts a mug of cocoa from Yuna with a grateful smile.

Auron raises an eyebrow at Yuna. He didn't know he had cocoa powder in this place. "Will you be bringing her stuff over tomorrow?"

Yuna nods, setting the tray down and helping herself to a mug of something cinnamony. "Yes. Thank you again, Auron."

Rikku looks up, raising an eyebrow at her cousin. "My stuff, Yunnie?"

Yuna nods, with a radiant smile. "General Auron is willing to let you stay here until your ribs heal." I wish you could stay here forever. It's pointless to wish for something like that. Rikku wouldn't leave her or Lulu behind, despite the fact that the two elder girls were far more adapt at the line of work. Rikku could earn more money, and they all knew it.

Rikku drops her eyes and stares at the swirl of pinks and reds in her mug. Live here? Her cousin, her 'adopted' mother, they would be worked even harder than they already were. She couldn't go on a sabbatical, not even for two days. "Yuna!"

Yuna smirks at her cousin, and grabs her boyfriend's arm, "Tidus! You promised that I could watch you practice tomorrow! Let's go so you have something good to show me! ThankyousomuchAuronloveyouRikkubye!" She forcibly drags the blond out, shutting the door firmly behind her.