A/N: Hey all! It's been awhile...I'm sorry! I've been busy! As always, thanks for the reviews! On with the chapter!

Disclaimer: Do not own anything...

Chapter 16: Diner

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"So, where to now?" Rikku asked. The group was once again walking the busy streets of Bevelle. ONly instead of shopping, they had been sight seeing.

"How about getting some food?" Tidus suggested.

"Sounds good to me. I'm getting hungry."

"You're always hungry, Wakka," Lulu sighed.

Yuna spotted a nice looking diner on the corner and pointed it out to the group. "We could go get some lunch in there."

"Alrighty," Tidus agreed, leading the way to the eatery.

Once they were inside they diner, the gang picked out a large table over by a window. They all sat down and picked up their menus. Within seconds, a waitres was standing by the table.

"Hi. I'm Mindy, and I'll be your server today. Can get you folks anything to drink?" the young server asked cheerfully. She jotted down their drink orders and added, "Do you know what you want, or do you need a few more minutes to look over the menu?"

"A few more minutes, please," Yuna replied for the group.

"All right. I'l be back in a few minutes, " Mindy said happily, walking over to another table.

"They've got good stuff," Rikku announced, breaking the silence that had settled over the group.

"Yes," Lulu agreed, folding the menu. "I think I'll just have a grilled chocobo salad."

"That sounds good. I think I'll have that as well," Yuna decided.

"I'm gonna have a chocobo burger with fries," Wakka declared. He couldn't fathom just eating a salad. How would that fill anyone up?

"I think I will, too." Tidus folded his menu and asked, "What about you two?"

Auron and Rikku skimmed over the menus and also decided on the chocobo burger with fries. As everybody was stacking their menus, Mindy returned to the table.

"Here you are," she said, sitting down their drinks. "Do you all know what you want?" She wrote down each order and shoved her pen behind her ear. "Okay. I'll have that right out," she told the group, turning towards the kitchen.

"So, what do you think of the hotel room?" Yuna asked, attempting to strike up a conversation.

"It's nice," Rikku replied. "It'd be even better if it had another bedroom, though."

"Yes," Auron agreed. "A couch is not the best bed in the world."

"Especially when people take up the whole thing," Rikku added. She had been sleeping on the opposite end because the hotel matience thought they were housing turkeys instead of people. It would get hot in there, and touching people when you were already dying off heat didn't help. And in having to sleep on the opposite end of the couch, she had found out very quickly that Auron was a bed hog.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you hog the bed," Rikku answered, waving her straw at him accusingly.

"Is that why you kick me?"

"I kick you? I didn't know I kicked you."

"And you'll talk once in a while."

"I do?" Rikku asked, mortified. What else did she do while she slept? "I don't snore, do I?"

Auron chuckled. "No. And you very seldom talk." He hadn't meant to embarrass Rikku, he just figured that if they were going to talk about bad sleeping habits, he'd share some as well.

"Well, I'm sorry that I kick you," Rikku said, taking a drink of her cold pop. Maybe that would help cool down her cheeks, which she was sure had to be red.

"And I'm sorry I take up the couch," Auron replied, taking her hand lightly in his. The whole group already knew about his and Rikku's relationship anyways. There was no use in trying to hide it.

"The food's here," Tidus announced, rather disappointed to have the conversation end. He found it amusing.

"We've not seen Lily, Kiki, or Amy lately," Lulu said, changing the subject.

"Thankfully," sighed Rikku. "If I never see them again it'll be too soon."

Yuna laughed and agreed wholeheartedly. Then her face blanched. "Look who just walked in."

"Great," Rikku moaned. "Never came early."

"I know Yevon isn't real, but if he was, I'd swear he was punishing us," Lulu declared.

Lily, Kiki, and Amy came strolling into the diner and took a seat by the door.

"They say by the exit," Wakka whispered. "How are we gonna get out now?"

"I dunno. Maybe we could sneak out through the kitchen," Tidus whispered back.

"Let's just eat our food like nothing is out of the ordinary," Auron suggested, also in a whisper.

"Stop whispering," Lulu scolded. "Let's just eat quickly and leave while their ordering their food."

The gang quickly scarfed down their food, earning a couple of disgusted glances from other dining patrons.

"Okay, now let's just wait until they order thier food," Tidus said.

"What are they doing?" Wakka questioned, referring to the odd women a few tables over.

"I think they're coming over here," Lulu answered, lowering her head. She tried to remember the vanishing spell she had been taught years ago, but she remembered it too late. The three woman were already upon them.

"It is you guys!" Kiki greeted happily. "I thought it was!"

"Uh..hi," Tidus replied quickly, looking around for a quick exit. He spotted one not three feet from them. Why hadn't they seen that before? "Um, we're done eating, and we really need to get going. It was nice seeing you again." He swiftly stood from his chair.

"Hey, we just wanted to let you know there are no hard feelings for leaving us that motel in Guadosalam," Kiki said, stopping Tidus with an outstretched hand on his shoulder.

"Really?" Tidus asked, shocked.

"Yes. I mean, Fifi probably gave you all quite a scare. I mean she isn't a normal pet," Amy replied. After seeing the hesitant looks on the group's faces, she added, "Try finding a hotel that will accept her."

Tidus gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah...We're really sorry about leaving you like that, but if you'll excuse us..."

"All right. But before you go, how about dinner tonight?" Kiki invited.

"Huh?" the whole group echoed.

"Dinner. You know, to show that there are no hard feelings between us."

"We still owe you for the ride to Guadosalam," Amy added. Sure they had also left them there, but that was in the past. This was the present.

"Uh-"

"I guess that would be all right," Yuna replied, stepping into the conversation. She couldn't let Tidus be the only who talked.

"Great! We'll meet you here tonight right here at this diner. Is seven o'clock all right?"

"Yes. Seven is fine."

"Make sure you all come," Lily said, her gaze lingering on Auron. It was the first words she had said, and Rikku felt like using one of her grenades.

"What is wrong with the two of you?" Rikku demanded once the group was back outside and away from the diner.

"I panicked! What was I suppose to do? No one else was saying anything!" Tidus defended himself.

"It's just dinner, Rikku. Then we'll never have to see them again," Yuna said, coming to Tidus' aid.

"Yuna's right. It's just a couple of hours, ya?"

"A couple of hours will feel like an eternity," Lulu sighed. "I told you not to pick them up."

"We cannot change the past. As much as I do not want to go to this dinner, it seems as though we have no choice. And as Yuna said, it is only dinner," Auron told the group.

"If we make it through dinner," muttered Rikku.

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Replies to my reviewers...

LadyInRed: Heh! Yep, mushiness. And yes, the weirdo's followed them. Well, I don't know if we can call it that, since they were on their way to Bevelle as well, but they are there.

Ignes Fatui: It wasn't really fast, but it was an up-date!

Shaunamitchell: Acting like me is great! Okay...maybe not great but it's not bad. Hehe. I'm not sure what I'll do to your 'favorite' people...still thinking.

Xmaster: You can jump though the computer? Freaky... I'm not gonna have anything happen between Auron and Lily. At least, I don;t think so.

Guan: Didn't he, though?

Mandyfanforevr: I probably will! Wacko's...why didn't I ever call them that? Ha!

Soul: Well, I do put a little bit about the other couples in my chapters. And it plainly says 'AuronRikku' in my pairings.

A/N: Chapter sixteen! I know it was short, but I'm tired. (Even though it's only nine) I have some new ideas, so hopefully the next chapter will be up quicker that this one. Don't forget to review! Thanks to everyone who has! Next chapter should be up soon!