Lie In The Sound
Chapter 13: Believe


I'm dreaming… I have to be…

But everything felt real. Her fingers were warm, not nearly as clammy as they'd been for the past week. I shook my head slowly, trying to wake myself up. When I opened my eyes once more, she was still there, smiling at me in exhaustion.

"Gippal…" she whispered, squeezing my fingers softly. "It's okay."

I stared into her eyes, searching. They'd always been bright, but in this light, the emerald shade appeared to be deeper. She looked tired, as if she'd been awake for days, rather than in a coma. I finally tightened my hand around her own, searching for comfort in her grip. "You're really awake…"

She tilted her head slowly and grinned at me, blinking her eyes tiredly. "I know." For a moment, the two of us were quiet, gazing at each other. Finally, she stroked her thumb over the palm of my hand. "You were crying…"

I nodded, with a small smile. "Yeah… I was…" And I began to cry again. I brought her fingers to my lips and kissed them as the tears streamed down my face. Her eyes were concerned as I moved out of my chair and sat next to her on the little hospital bed.

I watched as she brought her other arm up, slowly reaching to touch my cheek, her hand covered with the little needles and tubes that had been feeding medication into her bloodstream. Even that simple reminder of the last week, the pain I'd been feeling, the fear, made me break down in relief. She was awake, and everything would be okay. She trailed her thumb over my cheek, wiping away the tears. "It's okay, Gippal…" she whispered, holding my hand tightly.

"I'm sorry," I said, shaking a little from the tears.

"No, don't. It's okay to cry." She ran her fingers through my hair, and I leaned forward, resting my forehead against hers. Her emerald eyes smiled at me, as she finger combed my hair comfortingly.

I nodded and took a moment before helping her to sit up, hugging her tightly. She hugged back, though her movements were weak and limited. Rikku leaned on me, and I rested my head on her shoulder, crying softly. She continued to comfort me, until my tears finally began to slow.

"How long have I been out?" she whispered, wincing as she slowly pulled away from our embrace. Slowly, gently, I propped her up on the pillows. She reached for my hand when she was comfortable, and I took it.

"A week and a half, now." My own voice was shaky, soft and broken. I wiped at my eyes as her own widened in disbelief.

"That long?" I nodded. She closed her eyes and raised an eyebrow, coughing softly. "I thought it was only a day or two…"

I shook my head and reached for her, brushing my fingers over her cheek. "I was really scared that you weren't going to wake up, Rikku… we all were."

She looked at me with her tired eyes. "I heard you, asking me to wake up. I didn't really know what was going on, but… I remember hearing stuff. Brother is here, isn't he?" I nodded again. She smiled a bit. "I thought so…"

She breathed deeply for a few minutes, her eyes closed. She continually squeezed my hand, and I happily squeezed back, in a daze.

"Gippal?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's the baby?" Rikku looked up at me, her eyes questioning.

I grinned widely. "Want to hold her?" Rikku's eyes brightened, and she smiled, a tired little smile, but the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen.

"It's a girl?" she asked, looking around the dark room.

I nodded and stood up, reluctantly letting go of her hand. "A perfect, beautiful girl, I might add." I walked over to the corner where the baby's crib was placed, and I looked in. The baby was awake, and she cooed softly as I reached down to pick her up. I smiled. "Hey there, angel… someone special wants to hold you." I picked up the little pink blanket and wrapped it around her before returning to Rikku's side.

Rikku was staring at her with tears in her eyes. As I sat, she opened her arms. "Gippal… she's…" Rikku looked almost as if she was in shock. I smiled down at the baby as I passed her over.

"Watch her head… there ya go." Rikku began to cry, as she looked down at the little bundle in her arms. "Finally, Mama…" I smiled at Rikku and smoothed my little girl's hair, happier than I'd been in a long while.

The baby blinked her big eyes at her mother, and Rikku reached down, smiling as her little fingers wrapped around one of her own. "She's so tiny." I watched, smiling to myself as Rikku bounced the baby softly. "Hi, baby… I'm your Mama… I'm sorry it took me so long to wake up, sweetie… oh, you're perfect." Rikku looked up at me with a smile. I smiled back.

I was quiet as Rikku counted all ten little fingers and all ten little toes, as she laughed at the big baby yawn, as she fingered the white blonde fuzz that covered our daughter's head. I knew what she was feeling… I'd done the same thing, that first day. Her eyes were a little sad when she next looked up at me. "What did you decide to name her?" she asked, transfixed with the little one.

I ran my fingers through her hair and looked into her eyes. "I didn't."

She was confused for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted to wait for you. She's got a lot of nicknames, but I didn't actually name her, yet. I… I didn't know what names you'd been thinking about, and Yuna said she didn't know either." Rikku's eyes softened as she stared at me, before she glanced back down at the baby.

Her voice was quiet. "Thank you…" I nodded and waited patiently. "I… I wasn't really sure, for a girl. I liked a few, but looking at her… none of them really fit."

We were both quiet as we watched our child yawn and slowly but surely drift off into a deep baby sleep. Finally, I made a suggestion, unsure of how she would react. "How about Telan?"

Rikku blinked for a few moments. "That was my mom's name…" she said, her voice hushed.

"I know… it's pretty. But, if you don't like it, we won't use it."

She shook her head. "No… no, I like it." She was quiet for a moment, before she nodded softly. "Yeah… I like it."

"Are you sure?" I smiled at her comfortingly as she nodded with a tiny smile. "Telan it is, then."

She smiled up at me brightly, as I ran my fingers through her hair. Even though she was still pale, her hair dull, her whole manner weak and subdued… I thought she'd never looked more beautiful. I leaned toward her, tentatively brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face. She gave me a small half grin, before I leaned in and hesitantly kissed her, slow and gentle. She kissed back softly, and in that moment, as I sat there with the woman I'd always loved and our child, everything was perfect once more.


Tidus groaned as he heard the CommSphere go off down the hall. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of bed and hurriedly walked into the kitchen, hoping that the ruckus hadn't woken any of the others. In the back of his mind, he had a sick feeling. Something's wrong…

As he pressed the answer button, he held his breath. Gippal's tired face looked back at him. His stomach flip-flopped. "Gippal…"

Gippal grinned, running a hand through his hair. With a little laugh he shook his head. "She's awake."

Tidus' stomach settled. "What do you mean?"

"She woke up, a little while ago." Gippal was grinning widely, more happy than Tidus had ever seen him. "I would have called sooner, but she wanted to hold Telan, and I got a little emotional…"

"Who's Telan?" Tidus was confused for a moment, before he grinned. Gippal rolled his eyes. "Oh, the baby… Thank heavens she woke up, you would have never given that little girl a name…" Tidus laughed, a wave of relief breaking over him.

"Could you let everyone know? They're both sleeping now, but… if you all want to come down, I can wake her up. The doctor said it would be okay if she had visitors. They're taking her to be checked out in the morning…"

Tidus nodded. "Yeah, I'll wake everyone. I don't know if everyone wants to come down right now, but I'll be there, and I'm sure Cid and Brother will want to come… Yuna, too." Gippal nodded and thanked him, breaking the connection. Once the CommSphere went empty, Tidus sighed with relief and leaned heavily against the counter. He stayed that way for a long moment before he rushed off to wake the others.


Yuna heard a commotion as the door to her room opened and closed softly. She pulled her blankets over her head, trying to shut out the noise.

Someone nudged her arm softly. She ignored them. "Yuna… wake up."

With a frustrated sigh, Yuna opened a bright green eye and stared at Tidus. "What do you want?"

Tidus smiled. Yuna was slightly angered at that. How could he smile when everything was so wrong? But then he spoke, quiet but excited. "Rikku's awake."

Yuna blinked a few times before pulling the blankets away from her face. "What?"

"Rikku's awake. Gippal just called ten minutes ago. I had to go and wake Cid and Brother… I probably should have waited to tell Brother until I'd told everyone else… he's jumping around and yelling downstairs, he'll wake everyone up anyway…" He was smiling. Both were awkwardly silent for a moment. Then, Yuna grinned and gave him a wild hug.

"Are we going to go? Now? Oh, thank the Fayth…" Tidus laughed at her reaction and hugged her back.

"Yeah, we can go now… want to go and wake Paine? I'm a little too afraid of that sword of hers…"

Yuna jumped out of bed and left the room in a hurry. Tidus shook his head and set off own the hall towards Lulu and Wakka's room.


I smiled as the small group entered the hall. Yuna was struggling to stay quiet in her excitement, and she gave me a small hug. Then, she slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her. Tidus grinned and clapped me on the back before taking a seat near the door. Cid gave me a tight hug, and I tentatively hugged the older man back. When he pulled away, he had happy tears in his eyes. He nodded to me before slipping into the room after Yuna. Brother and I stood awkwardly in the center of the hallway. Finally, he held out a hand, and I shook it warmly. It seemed that we'd reached an understanding. He took a seat next to Tidus, and I sat across from them, smiling tiredly.

"They still sleeping?" Tidus asked, looking toward the door.

I shrugged. "Yuna's probably woken her up by now."

Tidus nodded, and we remained silent for a few minutes. Tidus began to fish around in his pocket. He pulled out three cigars, and I laughed. "I found yours, and I took it for safe-keeping. Wakka's is back at the house… Cid has one, too, I think." He handed a little wrapped package to Brother. "For you."

Brother grinned and shook his head. "Thank you." Tidus nodded and stood, pointing at the clock.

"It's almost dawn… let's go for a little walk."

I poked my head into the room and let Yuna and Cid know that we were leaving. Rikku was still fast asleep, curled up with the baby in her arms. I smiled at the sight, before closing the door behind me. We left the hospital and walked down the streets in silence.

Just as the rays of the sun began to poke up over the horizon, I looked out over the ocean, grinning as the waves rolled up onto the sandy stretch of beach. Brother pulled a lighter out of his pocket and the three of us lit our cigars in an almost ceremonious fashion. We watched the sun rise in silence, each of us rejoicing that this day had dawned a happy one, without tragedy in sight.


The doctor smiled at me as I rubbed at my eyes, yawning. Yuna and my father had been in the room when I woke. Gippal had gone off with Tidus and Brother just before sunrise, and would be back anytime. Yuna had taken Telan for a walk down the hall while the doctor looked me over. My father had stayed. Now, he looked towards the doctor impatiently. "Well?" he demanded.

The doctor grinned toward him. "Well, Cid… I think everything will be fine from here on out. I want to keep her and the baby for a few more days, just to monitor Rikku's improvement, but she's healed up nicely and… she beat the odds." He grinned at me and patted me on the shoulder. "I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up, Miss Rikku. You had everyone on pins and needles."

I grinned guiltily. I groaned as I pushed myself up to a sitting position. "Uh… could I walk around a little bit? I'm really sore… I feel like I need to stretch."

The doctor smiled. "Don't push it." Then he nodded and left the room, leaving Cid and I to stare at each other.

We were quiet for a long while, before I yawned and leaned back on my pillows. I pulled my blankets up higher and looked at Cid with a sigh. "What exactly was wrong with me?"

He sighed and reached for my hand, silent for a few minutes. But then, he began to talk, quietly, more gently than I'd heard him speak in a long time. "I can't really answer completely, but I know the gist of it. You had the baby, and the stress of the labor and all the other factors caused a tear-" he motioned and flushed, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling "- well, you know where the tear was, I suppose, and you started bleeding internally. From what the doctors have been saying, your body went into shock, which sent you into a coma…"

He shook his head and held her hand tightly. "Rikku, I have never been so scared in my life. I thought I was going to lose you the same way I lost your mother… I couldn't stand to see you like that, still and lifeless. It was almost like watching her waste away, again, Rikku…" A few tears trailed down his cheeks, and I squeezed his hand as he buried his face in my blankets.

"Daddy…" He stared up at me, shocked at first. When he smiled, I smiled back. "I'm okay now… you don't have to worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you, Rikku. You're my baby girl…" I looked toward the open window and out into the bright waters of the bay.

"What do you think of your granddaughter?" I asked with a small smile, looking back toward my father. He grinned and shook his head, sitting back.

"She's beautiful. Got a happy nature, too, barely ever cries. She's on the small side, but she'll catch up, sooner or later." He sighed and sat back in the chair, following my gaze. "Have you thought about a name yet?"

"We decided on one this morning, actually. Gippal suggested the name, and I thought it fit quite nicely." He looked at me curiously as I gazed in his direction. "Her name is Telan."

Cid glanced at the opposite wall, quiet before clearing his throat. "Gippal suggested that, did he?"

I nodded. "He's more observant than he looks, to remember a name that I've only ever mentioned once or twice to him." I shook my head and reached for my water glass on the bedside table, taking a slow sip. "He said it was pretty."

My father nodded and stood. "It is a pretty name. A good name." He kissed me on the forehead and walked toward the door with a small grin on his face.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, angel?"

I sighed and shrugged. "E muja oui…"

He nodded and opened the door. "E muja oui, duu, Rikku."


Gippal smiled at me as he watched me poke at my breakfast. "This stuff is absolutely disgusting, Gippal, how have you been living off this for a week and a half?"

He shook his head and looked out the window. "I only ate a few meals here, and to tell the truth, I don't even remember them. I only really ate when Lulu forced me to come to the house. I wasn't hungry a lot of the time…" I gave him a small shrug and guiltily went back to eating my hospital food.

The door to my room opened and the two of us looked up. Yuna peeked in, and smiled widely. Gippal caught my gaze and stood, walking over to the crib to pick up Telan. "I'm gonna take her for a little walk, okay?" I nodded and smiled gratefully as he exited the room.

Yuna sat next to me on the bed and gave me a hug. "I knew you'd pull through. I was just scared, you know? All of us were."

I nodded and set my fork down. Sitting back with a groan, I looked at Yuna with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

She smiled and leaned back with me. "It's alright… you're okay now, that's all that matters."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. "Yunie… thanks… for telling him. For bringing him here."

I felt Yuna shift next to me. "He changed, Rikku. The minute he saw that little girl, he changed."

I smiled and leaned my head onto her shoulder. Her words concerned me, a little. "What do you mean?"

Yuna shook her head, and I winced. "Sorry!" I chuckled as she stilled. "I mean… he grew up. He brought me to see her, that first day, and he let me feed her… he was so excited, Rikku."

I was quiet as I thought. "That's why I didn't want to tell him about her." I sighed heavily and opened my eyes, looking at my cousin's expression. She nodded in understanding and the two of us sat there in companionable silence.

Finally, when she sat up, I tugged on her shirt. "Yunie, could you sneak some food in for me? This hospital food is horrible!"

She looked at me and began to giggle helplessly. "You're back, Rikku… you're back…"

"And I'm serious, this hospital food is really, really bad."


Tears were streaming down Lulu's face as I held her hand tightly, crying a little myself. "Don't ever think that this was your fault, Lu! You were doing a great job, and you got me here as soon as possible when you realized something was wrong."

"I thought you were going to die, Rikku… I couldn't lose someone else." She shook her head, her long black hair falling over her shoulder. "I've lost so many people that I care about. I couldn't stand to lose you, too. I kept thinking I'd done something wrong, I hadn't gotten you proper care soon enough…"

"Stop, Lulu." I reached across the railing and hugged my friend tightly. "You did everything you could do, and you didn't lose it. I'm awake now, I didn't die…"

"But I feel so guilty. This was all my fault! I should have been keeping you healthy, I should have known that this would happen!"

I laughed at her quietly, trying to soothe the older woman that I had come to think of as a big sister. It frightened me to see her, the strongest of us all, in tears. "Now, Lulu, that doesn't make any sense. You may be an amazing mage, but you can't tell the future any more than a dandelion can stop the wind blowing! There is no way that you could have known this would happen."

"You were losing your appetite, you were much more emotional than usual… your body was giving all the warning signs of labor, and I didn't pay attention because it was too early for you to be having them." The woman was frustrated, and I knew what happened when Lulu got frustrated.

"It's only human not to see things when they're right in front of your face, Lu." I tugged lightly on one of her braids, grinning reassuringly. "I'm okay. I'm fine. Telan is fine. Don't blame yourself for anything, because we are okay, and there is no reason for you to feel like you were responsible."

She looked out the window for a few seconds before she nodded and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "…okay."

I shook my head and leaned back on my pillows.

Lulu took a moment to get control of her emotions before she patted my hand awkwardly. "Wakka wants to see you… I'll go and get him." I nodded and closed my eyes as she left the room, taking advantage of the break between visitors. The flow of doctors and nurses, friends and family had been nonstop all morning.

The door opened and I smiled, opening my eyes. Wakka stood near the door, and he grinned at me as he closed it behind him. "You feelin' okay, Rikku?"

"Actually… no. But it's better to be able to feel horrible than not to feel anything, isn't it?" He nodded and took the seat next to me.

"Lu said it felt like she'd been attacked by those crazy birds out in Sanubia a week or so after she had Vidina." Wakka smiled and looked out towards the blitzball stadium.

"I feel kind of like Sin just crushed me…" He winced in sympathy. "Are the Aurochs winning the tournament?"

He grinned and looked back at me, crossing his arms. "Third place, right now. Didn't think you'd remember the tournament."

I nodded and shrugged, looking out at the stadium myself. "I'd like to go and watch the final game, but I doubt any of you will let me."

He shook his head. "No way. You had us all too scared. You're going back to the Faction house when they let you out, and you are resting." He laughed. "That's what Lulu, Cid, and Yuna said, anyway. I was thinking you'd rather be heading off to Djose or Besaid or wherever you're going." I sighed and brought a hand to my forehead, rubbing softly.

"Yeah, well… once I know where I'm going, I'll make sure that Telan and I get there…"

Wakka watched me for a moment, but then he nodded and didn't push me. I'd always liked that about Wakka… he didn't push into things. Not that much, anyways. He was quiet as I yawned. Then he patted my hand softly.

"I knew you'd wake up sooner or later. I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later, though." He smiled and I grinned back.

A tired cry rang out through the room, and I looked over at Telan's crib with a grin. "Could you, uh… get her for me?" He nodded, and I watched as he tenderly picked up my daughter and patted her back, calming her quickly.

"She likes the Hymn. I told Gippal sometime last week, and… I caught him singing to her the other day." I laughed and took my little bundle of joy from Wakka, bouncing her softly. She blinked at me with her big blue-green swirls and whined. I shook my head and kissed her on the cheek, holding her steadily.

"I'll have to remember that…"

The door opened and Lulu peeked in, Vidina in her arms. "Whhheeoooohhh…" I laughed at the little boy as Lulu entered the room.

"Hey little man… I bet you've been keeping everyone busy, haven't you? Sorry I left you without a partner in crime for so long, buddy…" Lulu and Wakka chuckled as Vidina reached for me. Very carefully, Lulu set him on my lap, and I turned Telan to face him.

He pointed and touched her hand, and she looked at him with a funny expression on her face, her eyes wide. Vidina looked at me and smiled his happy toddler smile. "Bay….bayybee…"

Lulu's eyes widened in shock for a moment as Wakka and I laughed. I took his little hand and squeezed it playfully. "That's right, Vidina, baby. She's cute, hm?"

"Oooooohhh…" he responded, staring at Telan again. I grinned at Wakka and Lulu happily, and they laughed as their son chattered away to little Telan.


Later that afternoon, I returned to the hospital after a long day of shopping with Yuna for all the things we'd need at the Faction house. The doctors had suggested that once Rikku was released, she stayed in town for a few days, just in case of an emergency. We'd purchased the simple necessities; a small white bassinet, blankets, bottles, some extra clothes. Once we'd finished with our purchases, I'd gone back to the house and set up a cot in my little bedroom. I was going to let Rikku have the bed when she was released. Cid and I put the bassinet up and moved a little rocker from the living room into the bedroom. Yuna had sent me off to the hospital as she put the finishing touches on the set up.

I entered the room quietly, bottle in hand, smiling at the sight of a sleeping Rikku and a wide awake Telan. After taking a few quiet strides, I picked the baby up and curled up with her in the armchair. The mid-afternoon sun was streaming down through the window pane, creating a pattern on the floor. Telan began to suck on the bottle, and I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the back of the chair. I sighed in relief as I felt her tiny fingers close around my thumb, as her little feet kicked against my leg.

I listened as Rikku stirred in her sleep, thankful for every rustle of the sheets, for every deep sigh or cough. Today had been both wonderful and emotional for me, but exhausting all the same. With a heavy sigh of my own, I reached behind my head for the blanket I'd come to know and love over the past week and wrapped it snugly around me and my daughter. I let her finish her lunch, and then burped her, talking quietly to her so as not to disturb Rikku's rest. Once she'd nodded off, I curled up with her in the chair, sleeping along with them. All of us needed it, in my opinion.


I blinked lazily in the afternoon glow, my eyes on my beautiful baby girl and her father as they slept. Her pretty little lips opened as she yawned one of her incredibly big, incredibly cute baby yawns. I reached over and ran my finger lightly over the back of her tiny hand. She truly was perfect, more so than I could have ever imagined.

Once again, the door quietly opened, light streaming from the hall and into the room. To tell the truth, I was getting a little tired of all the people coming in and out. I gazed over at the entrance, and grinned at my brother as he walked in, quieter than I'd ever seen him.

He carefully pulled a chair over to the other side of my bed, and I rolled over to face him, admittedly with much effort. He smiled at me warmly. "I've wanted to talk to you all day, I just… didn't have the chance."

I nodded, giving him a half grin. "There's been a lot of people in and out."

He nodded. "I wanted to give them all time, you know. You responded to me while you were sleeping, not to them. They needed more comfort than I did."

I grinned and reached for Brother's hand, gripping it softly. "I remember you talking to me," I told him, quietly. I didn't want to wake the other two.

He nodded, and reached out to touch my hair. "I was hoping you'd know I was here… you were scaring me, Rikku. Reminded me of Mama."

I looked downward, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Brother… I… it was my fault."

"Don't say that, Rikku. It wasn't something that could be helped, just like you getting sick wasn't something that could be helped. Don't blame yourself, alright? I don't."

I nodded and closed my eyes. "Thanks, Brother…" I took a few deep breathes before I looked into his eyes, eyes that were the same deep emerald as my own. "We gave her Mama's name."

He glanced at the baby with a grin. "Telan?" He considered it for a moment before nodding his approval. "It suits her."

I regarded him for a moment, quiet. He looked down at me in concern. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Are… are you still disappointed in me? For… how did you put it… 'sleeping with worthless Gippal, of all people'?" He groaned and shook his head, burying his face in his hands.

"I was never really disappointed in you, sister, just surprised." He looked over at the chair. "Besides… he's very good with her. He loves her very much, and… he barely left you, while you were asleep. He cares about you very much, Rikku, and that is all he needs to win my approval. Gippal is a good man."

I nodded hesitantly. "Brother… I don't know what to do." I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, waiting for his response.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right. Just rest, now." He kissed my forehead and ruffled my hair, giving my hand a final squeeze before he walked over to Gippal.

I grinned as he shook him awake, gently, taking care not to wake Telan. Gippal blinked at him groggily, looking slightly irritated at having been woken.

"Lulu said to bring you with me to dinner. Rikku and the baby need some alone time, and you need to eat and rest. She won't take no for an answer." I grinned along with Brother as Gippal nodded and slowly moved out of the chair.

I stretched my arms out for Telan, and Gippal handed her over tenderly. I rested her little blonde head on my shoulder and looked up at him. "Go, get some rest. Eat some food. Make Yuna bring me some of it later, I refuse whatever they made for the dinner special."

He grinned at me and hesitantly kissed my cheek. "I'll come back tonight, okay?" he asked, his voice raspy and tired.

I shook my head. "No, Gippal, take a night off. Sleep. I'll be okay with her for one night on my own." He looked to Brother for reassurance, and Brother only nodded, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

He relented and kissed Telan's forehead softly. "I'll be back in the morning, then." I nodded and the two men shuffled out of the room, chatting quietly in Al Bhed.

I sighed and tucked my blanket around the baby, staring at her in wonder, glad that I finally had time to spend alone with my daughter.


Brother and I sat down at the dinner table to plates that were heaped full of food. The others were already digging in, and Vidina was back to his food throwing. We were quiet for a time… but when flying mashed potatoes hit Cid in the head, all of us were silent.

The gruff man started laughing and flung the potatoes back at the toddler, who squealed in delight. All of us began to chatter loudly and pass the dishes around, smiling and eating together for the first time in days. Paine complained about not being able to see Rikku, and about all of the little pink stuffed animals that Yuna had purchased for Telan's crib. I threw a handful of mashed potatoes at her head, and for once, Paine broke into hearty laughter, clutching at her side as the potatoes sat in her hair.

All around the table, we took a collective sigh of relief. It felt good to finally relax.


Long chapter! Happy chapter! Anyway, thank you all so much for the reviews, I was so happy to get them. If you have any criticism, feel free to let it out! There's only going to be two to three more chapters of this fic, so I'll have the next one out as soon as possible, and once I'm done… I know what I'm doing for the sequel, so never fear! Thanks to FairyIce for Beta/editing! You're amazing!

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