Author's note: I own diddly squat... and that is all.

Okay, so I was too excited to put this chapter up to wait for reviews to post, so I'll awnser them all in my next chapter. I've been doing good in the updating department, but this next one might be a little tardy...

Consequently, I have discovered the cure for writer's cramp and carpral tunnel syndrome alike - Writer's Block. :) I'm getting there though.

As always, enjoy and R&R please!

Unexpected Places

"Aaaahhhhhh – Owie!" I exclaimed as my head hit the sideboard of the bed frame.

"Oooohhhh – I bet that hurt, huh?"

I knew that voice too well. I slid the rest of my upper body out from under the bed and twisted around to look into my friend's eyes.

"Whadaya want, Buddy? I'm busy."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard what Brother said to you, and I know you know this, but, I mean, sheesh, Rikku, he's a moron. He don't know no better than to act like one, you know?"

I got up off the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. I could always talk to Buddy. He was like the intelligent brother I never had.

"I dunno what it was… something just… snapped, I guess. It really hurt. I don't know why, but - "

"It hurt," he said, cutting me off, "because no one wants to be thought of as alone. Not by anyone, especially themselves. It hurts when people point that kinda stuff out to you."

"But I'm not any of those things he said I am!" I whined.

"Maybe not, but maybe you're not as much of an objective judge as you think."

"Look, I… okay, so maybe I'm a little jealous of how Brother can get by with being so damned ignorant sometimes, but that's hardly justification to say what he said! You know it's not true!"

"Do I? Everyone needs to feel like they need someone sometimes" he said perceptively.

I didn't like where this was going. "You don't understand, Buddy! I don't want anyone around. That's what I don't understand. I'm just…"

"…Bored?" he offered. I was pleased he had gotten the hint.

"Yes!"

"…Kinda bummed the action's all over?"

"Yes!"

"… a little confused maybe?"

"Well, yeah."

"…Lonely?"

"Ye—Hey, you jerk! You're trying to trick me into saying that I'm lonely! Well, you're not going to! You can't make me say it", I said, although without as much conviction as I would've liked to have shown.

He then gave me this look that suggested he just received confirmation of his suspicions. "Then why didn't you just deny it?"

It took a moment for what he said to sink in. I hadn't said, "No, I'm not lonely"? Not even a simple "Of course not"? Why didn't I say that? I opened my mouth to tell him, but I just… just…

Stared.

I stared at him.

That's all I could do. I wanted to scream out that I wasn't lonely, that I was happy and Brother was just a jerk…. But I couldn't. Instead, I did the only thing I could do:

I ran.

I ran hard and I ran fast. I ran all the way down the stairs of the towers. I ran in between angry couples. I ran thorough workshops full of dangerous machina. I ran by a row of offices.

I only stopped running when I hit a wall.

"Owie…", I mumbled. My pride more than anything else was hurt. This kind of thing did nothing for my reputation of clumsiness.

"Hey darlin', you are alright?" A bald man stuck his head out of a big office.

"Yeah, Pop, I'm alright."

"Okay just makin' sure."

I nodded to show I had heard him, and he popped back into his office while I sat on the floor catching my breath. After a few seconds, though, I figured it would be a good idea to get on my feet – just in case.

It turned out to be a good thing, too, because as soon as I got back onto my feet, here came Buddy waving at me like he was trying to land an airship.

"Hey Rikku, come on, wait – You need to talk about it!"

"Since when did you become an expert on love!" I asked as he drew within arm's length of me.

"Love?" he asked, puzzled.

I was in shock. I couldn't believe that word came out of my mouth. As he stared at me, mouth agape, I felt my face heat up and tears well up in my eyes.

"Rikku… don't run," he said with his hands out, as if I were a dangerous escape lunatic.

But…

"Rikku!" I heard him yelling in the distance as I tore through the machina workshop I had just been trying so hard to escape.

I looked around for something to slow Buddy down with.

"Brother," I said out of breathe when the tattooed gargantuan came into view, "Buddy has a new machina for you from Shinra, but you can't have it until you find it in one of his pockets!"

"Really!" he squealed.

"Really", I answered, looking around until I spotted Buddy in the doorway searching for me. "Look, there he is!"

I ran off as Brother's eyes lit up and felt a sudden pang of sympathy mixed with guilt for Buddy, who would, no doubt, spend untold hours trying to convince Brother there was nothing to find – after, of course, he convinced Brother to get off of him. But, hey, he should've left me alone!

I continued running until I finally hit a pair of metal doors that led outside. It was late afternoon and the sunset in Bikanel was absolutely breathtaking.

I was so happy to finally be alone (not to mention completely exhausted form the running) I put my hands on my knees and bent over.

Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me, and without sparing a glance, I took the first step of what would have been a sprint in the opposite direction, but, just as the very cool breeze of the early evening hit my face, a very solid arm encircled my tummy and jerked me backwards, causing a squeal of fright and anger to escape my lips.

"Hold it a second. You never run from noises… What's the matter, Rikku?"

As I turned to look at the person who had accosted me, a strong, captivating scent overtook me: it was the smell of oregano and suntanned skin that had haunted me for years.

I knew who it was without opening my eyes.

"Gippal, where the heck'd you come from?"

A mischievous smile played on his face as he lifted his free arm and pointed somewhere beyond the horizon. "Out…there…" he said in a mock-mysterious manner. "… Working." He finished in a serious tone of voice, but the same smile was on his lips.

I, in turn rolled my eyes, and said, "I meant how'd you get behind me like that?"

He opened his mouth to answer my question, but stopped short of speaking. He, instead, raised one eyebrow and asked me, "First tell me why you're running away from home like a sandworm just surfaced form the toilet?"

I resisted the temptation to laugh and just shook my head at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked seriously.

"Nothing's wrong Gippal, but I need to get away from Buddy… now. So, uhh, could you maybe let me go?"

Gippal smiled at me in a way that gave me goose bumps.

"Whatda I get out of it?"

At this I shot him a dirty look and he raised one eyebrow with this expectant look on his face. I knew he wouldn't let me go until I said something or kneeled him – however, I already had one guy chasing me to talk, and I didn't need another trying to murder me.

"A cookie?" I replied hopefully.

At this point in time, I became uncomfortably aware of how close we were to each other and mentally patted myself on the back for not having worn my bikini top today.

Gippal looked at me very seriously then. I fidgeted with a strand of my hair, trying not to look into his face.

His arm tightened around me as he leaned forward, touching his nose to mine.

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

Then… I was too shocked to move.

So, whadaya think so far? Doncha just HATE to be kept waiting like that?

Well, Gippal's finally here, as I promised, although I was considering waiting until the next chappy to bring him in.

R&R, praise and criticism are always welcome! britt