Thanks for the reviews! Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. In response to one question from charmedstar, the reason why Yuna was crying at Lake Macalania (in the game) was that she was feeling despair because she wanted to go and spend her life with Tidus, but she knew that she could not bring herself to abandon the pilgrimage. At least, that's my interpretation of it. Maybe you could download that scene off the Internet and watch if for yourself to come up with your own conclusion? My friend did that, and now she watches it all the time, ha ha. Anyway, I apologize once again for the delay in updating. Well, here's chapter 18!

00000000000000000000000000000

YUNA

My eyes are closed as I stand in the shower stall, head bowed and at peace. I feel every water drop make its way down my body, soaking through my hair and moistening my eyelashes. Slowly the room fills with wonderfully humid steam, bathing me in warmth. Rikku's bathroom is extremely small and cramped, but it has a soft yellow light that seems to radiate calm.

In the midst of my mellow state, part of me is still buzzing from the events of the last twenty-four hours. From my argument with father, giving away my Porsche, arriving at the house to find the rest of the gang gathered here as well, discovering my blood tie with Rikku, and now the excitement of a live concert to look forward to. It is hard to believe how much has changed in such a short period of time. When I go back home, what will I say to my father? What will he say to me? Will anything between us be different, or will it all go back to the way things were before? I sincerely hope not.

I still cannot believe Tidus nearly kissed me. Did he do it for a joke, because of the tongue-in-cheek remark I made about his sexual orientation? Was he just trying to tease me in return? Or was he actually serious? It is hard to forget the hazy look in his eyes, the relaxed look of anticipation in his features . . .

My state of relaxation is quickly fading as my questions multiply. In vain I try to clear my head, wanting to relish the womb-like comfort of the shower, but it seems that I am doomed to continuously interrogate myself. Reluctantly, I finish rinsing the conditioner out of my hair and step out of the stall. Quickly I towel dry my hair and let it fall messily back into place, still damp but free of roaming drops.

It is then that I realize I forgot to bring a change of clothes with me, and I had already thrown my pyjamas down the laundry chute located next to the sink.

I sigh and reach for one of the fluffy white towels hanging behind the door. It is just my luck that it barely covers me, leaving my legs almost entirely exposed, and my chest does not feel any more secure. Hoping that the rest of the gang has already gone home and that I won't run into Brother, I cautiously step outside into the hallway. I shudder at the sudden absence of warmth from the tropical climate of the bathroom and blink in the bright light coming in from the open doorway. Even the tall shadow standing in the threshold does little to block the sunlight.

My eyes fall to Tidus, who has suddenly turned around to stare at me with what almost looks like panic. His expression is so nervous that I nearly forget just how underdressed I am in front of him, and the blush never makes it to my face. The rest of the gang is standing in the kitchen entrance, crowded together and staring at me worriedly. It is almost as if they are afraid to approach the scene, whatever it is. What on Spira is everyone so edgy about? Who is that person in the doorway? It is hard to see more than just the silhouette.

"What's going on?" I ask, reaching up to shield my eyes as I take a few steps forward.

"Yuna, we need to talk."

The familiar voice stops me dead in my tracks. I feel my heart leap into my throat.

"Au-Auron?" I stammer weakly, fighting the urge to back up and run for cover. "What are you . . . how did you . . . ?"

"I suggest you get dressed, and then I will answer your questions," my bodyguard replies coldly, closing the door behind him in what would seem to be an awfully presumptuous manner. Only, Auron is one of those people that can get away with doing a lot of things without seeming to be disrespectful or rude. Either that, or people never have the nerves to stand up to him and complain about it.

Now that there is no light in my face, I can see just how stony his visage is, partially masked by his dark sunglasses. I feel a spark of anger, and manage to regain my composure.

"I'm not going home," I tell him firmly. "Not until I'm ready. You can tell Braska that I-"

"He didn't send me, Yuna, and for Yevon's sake, call him 'Father'," Auron snaps, obviously having no patience today (with reason, I suppose). "Things are bad enough without this little attitude of yours. He doesn't have any idea where you are, and I came here on my own. Now move your ass and get dressed. I'll be waiting up here."

I open and close my mouth, wishing I could say something sharp and cutting in return. But his words sober me, and I know I have no other choice but to obey. Still wondering how he managed to find me, I clench my jaws in frustration and walk towards the basement door with as much regal grace as I can muster, leaving wet footprints on the floorboards along the way. I cannot help but wonder if those are Tidus' eyes I feel on my body, watching me retreat downstairs.

0000000000000000000000

I emerge a few minutes later, fully dressed and with my damp hair brushed neatly away from my face. I am wearing simple fitted jeans and a white v-neck long-sleeved shirt, accompanied by a gold chain necklace. I almost feel as though I should be garbed completely in black to go along with the sombre situation.

Everyone is gathered in the living room. Even Cid and Brother have come down to see what's going on. When I walk into the room, Cid and Auron are talking in hushed tones, each with serious expressions. Brother and Rikku are speaking together in Al Bhed, looking as though they are arguing about something. Tidus is standing with his back against the wall near the doorway, arms crossed and head lowered in thought. Gippal and Paine are sitting next to each other on the loveseat with Lulu on the armrest, and Wakka is sitting on the floor by Lulu's feet. They look just as confused and worried as I am, except for Paine and Lulu, who are greatly adept at concealing their emotions.

"All right," I say at the entrance, drawing everyone's attention. "Let's talk."

Auron nods and gestures for me to sit in one of the chairs, once more in the manner-that-would-be-presumptuous-but-really-wasn't. I do not move to oblige his offer.

"I'll stand," I tell him, feeling oddly in control. He shrugs.

"So be it," he says indifferently. I notice that both Rikku and Gippal have concurrently lit up cigarettes, much to Cid's unvoiced but obvious annoyance.

Auron raises an eyebrow at me. "Well?" he prompts. "You have questions, do you not? Ask away."

"How did you know where to find me?" I ask immediately. He moves to sit down in the chair he previously offered me.

"I saw Rikku at 8-Ball's that day you were late coming home from school. I thought she looked somewhat familiar, so I asked Rin who she was," he begins. Auron and Rin knew each other from long ago, as Rin was the one who had supplied my father and his guardians with much of their provisions for the pilgrimage to defeat Sin. "He told me her name, and I knew it from somewhere else, but I couldn't really place it. And then I remembered Cid and your mother. Everything just kind of fell into place after that. Plus, I saw some guy driving your Porsche not too long ago, so I figured you had to be somewhere in this area."

I stare at him numbly. "So . . . you knew that I had an uncle? You knew I had a family here, all this time, and you never told me?"

"Your father swore me to secrecy. He said . . . that he did not want his daughter associating with Al Bhed, and that you were never to know about your roots." Auron throws Cid and his children a slightly apologetic look.

"I can't believe Father would do this to me . . ."

"I'm sure he has his reasons."

"That's not an excuse!" I snap, startled at the venom in my voice. "He had no right to keep this from me! H-he was cruel enough to me already, why did he have to lie about the one thing that could have made me happy? A-all this time I thought I was alone. I thought there was no one else!"

I don't know why I am getting so angry. As Auron said, I'm sure Father had his reasons, but even that thought does nothing to comfort me. It just hurts, knowing that both he and Auron never lifted a finger to tell me that I had relatives elsewhere.

"Why did you come here, Auron? Were you going to try and convince me to come home? Try and talk some sense into me?" I demand, both inwardly appalled and amazed at how scathing my voice sounds. I have never spoken to my guardian this way before. "Because I've already told you that I am not going back until I'm ready. I need time away from that house. I need time to get to know my family."

I glance at Rikku, who smiles softly back in encouragement. Abruptly I am very grateful for the gang's presence. I can feel Tidus' strength behind me, offering me support with his calm silence. I can almost see his face, watching Auron with cool assessment, his eyes becoming steely and unreadable.

Auron looks weary all of a sudden. He rubs his forehead and stares off absently.

"No," he says quietly. "I came here to tell you how sorry Braska is. He hasn't said a word to Bel or me since you disappeared last night. Even though he isn't showing it, he is distraught over your absence, Yuna. You have no idea how much he loves you, do you?"

I swallow. Of course I know he loves me. He has to because I'm his daughter, and I love him because he is my father. Our relationship has never meant anything else.

"I-I'm his child," I reply, my voice sounding much smaller than before. "He has no choice but to love me."

"I would be the first person to tell you that Braska has never been very good at communicating," Auron tells me with a hefty sigh. "But in spite of the way he shows his emotions, he cares about you a great deal. It's just unfair to you that he can't express it without fretting over you constantly."

I fidget uncomfortably. Behind me, I hear Tidus move and I glance up over my shoulder to see him addressing his friends.

"Uh, gang," he says softly, "we should go. Let's come by later, okay?"

Paine, Lulu, Wakka, and Gippal stand up. Rikku moves to stand next to Cid and Brother, who are still surveying the scene with solemn faces. For a second I consider pleading Tidus to stay. I don't want to lose his presence. I want him near me so that I don't have to face this alone. And then I realize that he is doing me a favour. Obviously he recognizes that this is a private discussion, and he feels that he and the gang should not witness it.

I catch his eye and smile at him, grateful for his intuition. He grins back understandingly and gently touches the side of my cheek in a gesture of affection. The motion startles me, but I feel the warmth of his finger lingering on my skin, and I find myself relaxing because of it. I watch him and the others walk into the front hall, but only when the rest of us hear the door close to we continue.

"Yuna," Auron says, pretending that he didn't see that little exchange. "I came here because Braska is being a coward right now. He's scared to be around you at the moment, the way you are scared of him. I just want you to know that he's sorry. He may never admit it, but he wants to be a good father and he has always tried to do the right thing for you."

I look down at my hands nestled in my lap. "I know," I murmur. "And . . . well, I am sorry for the way I spoke to him. That was very improper of me. I shouldn't have raised my voice to him and stormed off."

"He knew he had it coming," Auron tells me with a barely visible half-smirk. "Believe me, he knew. I think he needed a big slap in the face to see how far he pushed you."

Suddenly he stands up and stretches. Nodding at Cid and his family, he strides across the living room and helps me to my feet. I slip arms around him and lean my face into his chest, taking in his familiar leather scent that has always been more comforting than Braska's dusty cologne and brandy smell. Auron wraps me up in a big bear hug and kisses the side of my head before releasing me.

"Come home soon, kiddo," he says fondly, and then brushes by me into the front hall. The door closes, swiftly following his departure. I stand still for a moment, still wallowing in his lingering presence. It is a pale memory of home that does not involve tears and tantrums.

000000000000000000000

At six o'clock, that same evening, I am standing at the stovetop, stirring a pot of chilli while Rikku and her family sit at the table. Since it was, lamentably, Rikku's night to cook, Cid and Brother had desperately begged me to take her place, much to her chagrin. So, I hesitantly accepted. Chilli is the only thing I know how to make properly, as Auron was the one who taught me. Belgemine always became so frustrated with me and stopped bothering to show me how to make anything, so the task of instructing me in the culinary arts fell to my bodyguard. Chilli is also the only thing he knows how to make with moderate skill, which leads me to wonder just how he manages to keep himself in such good shape with so little diversity.

"Yuna, if it weren't for you, we'd be killing our intestines with that god-awful substance from this morning," my uncle tells me, clutching his fork and spoon eagerly. Brother is gazing at me with doe-eyes, and Rikku is leaning back in her chair with disgruntled expression, obviously not appreciating the situation. I smile at Cid's comment.

"Don't get too used to it!" I warn him. "Chilli is all I can do, I'm afraid."

"At this point, Yuna, we eat anything! Anything!" Brother insists, his eyes shifting to the pot with anticipation. I can practically see saliva foaming at his lips. Rikku 'humphs' and mutters something in Al Bhed under her breath.

By the time dinner is ready, Cid and Brother are straining in their seats to catch a whiff of the chilli. Impatiently they wait for me to shovel a few ladles full into their bowls, and I watch with amazement as they attack it. It is as if neither of them has eaten anything in ages, although not for lack of supplies.

"Hungry, Rikku?" I ask, trying to sound apologetic. It is hard not to be distracted by the devouring sounds coming from across the table.

She fixes me with a haughty stare, and then shrugs smoothly. I take that as a yes.

"Yuna, why didn't you come around here sooner? This is the best thing I've had since . . . since . . . I don't know when!" Cid proclaims. If he is aware of all the ground beef and tomato sauce leaking out the corners of his mouth, he does not appear to care.

I smile and duck my head, embarrassed by the praise. Through my peripheral vision, I see Rikku take a tentative bite. Soon, her inhibitions seem forgotten, and she tucks into the chilli with a will.

"Glad you all like it," I comment softly, picking up my fork as well. Brother is whispering something in Al Bhed, and from the reverent look on his face, I am guessing they are some kind of gratified prayers.

0000000000000000000

After dinner, Rikku and Brother are forced to wash dishes, as I am the one who made the meal. But, taking pity on them (I'm afraid I made quite a mess of the kitchen), I step in and help finish off the last of the after-supper chores. In spite of what most of the public thinks, I am not a spoiled, helpless princess who has never done a chore in her life. Because Belgemine is the only maid my father ever intends to hire, he saw fit for me to take care of myself and clean up my own catastrophes. Thus, I grew up with a healthy knowledge of home maintenance, and with Bel's assistance, I became quite adept at cleaning a room properly. I see no reason why my family should waste money hiring someone to pick up after ourselves when we, as human beings with two hands and strong backs, are perfectly capable of doing it on our own.

Not long after I join in, we manage to finish and set the kitchen into order. Rikku and I head downstairs (Brother wanted to join us, but Rikku chased him away with a string of violent curses in their native language) to the basement to relax.

Rikku flops down on her bed and smiles at me. "I'm so glad we're cousins, Yunie. I had no idea I had any non-Al Bhed relatives out in the world."

I smile wryly at her. "Well, I'm half-Al Bhed, aren't I? That counts for something. And I'm glad we're cousins too. It's nice to know I have a family I can rely on."

My eyes roam the darkness of the room, once again only lit by candles. They come to rest upon the far wall, which is completely covered by pictures and posters. I get up from the edge of the bed and move to examine them as Rikku turns her music on. Not surprisingly, she chose the band Lotus Venom to break the silence.

I come to stand at the picture wall and smile immediately. Every single photograph is a group picture of the gang at various places, doing various things. To my amusement, I even catch sight of a picture of young Tidus and Wakka, obviously both drunk, in the middle of a passionate kiss. They are clutching individual beer bottles in one hand each.

And then I notice someone unfamiliar. There is another young man joining the gang, who looks remarkably like Wakka. He has the same bright orange hair and wide smile, but his expression is kind and gentle. In the first photo I see of him, he has his arm around Lulu's waist, and their heads are leaning together. Lulu, to my surprise, is grinning enough to show teeth; a sight I have never seen before. In another picture of him (I come to realize that there are many), he is sitting cross-legged on a floor with his back against a couch, reading a book. I can see several pairs of legs on the couch behind him, and Lulu is leaning down to kiss his cheek, and because of this, there is a bashful grin on the young man's face.

"Rikku," I call over my shoulder. "Who is this guy?"

She gets up and comes to examine the picture I am pointing out, and I am amazed to see her features soften dramatically. A small smile touches her lips.

"Chappu," she says quietly, in a voice I have never heard her use. "He was Wakka's brother. He used to be 'in charge' of the gang, a while back. He died last year. Shot to death."

I am shocked, but I feel my heart sink slightly with sympathy. I rest my hand on Rikku's shoulder. "I had no idea there had been someone else," I say, turning back to look at the photos of him. "I'm so sorry."

"He was such a great guy," Rikku murmurs, reaching up to touch his picture. "Wakka and Lulu . . . I don't think they will really get over him. None of us will. Chappu was one of a kind."

"He was close with Lulu?"

"They were in love," she replies simply. "Lulu will never feel the same way for someone else the way she felt for him. I swear they were going to get married, as soon as they were legally old enough. Chappu would have made her so happy. He did make her happy. She's never been the same since he died. I . . . don't think any of us really have been."

I wince slightly. "He sounded wonderful. I wish I could have met him . . ."

"You would have loved Chappu, Yunie," Rikku assures me, managing a weak smile. "He was a lot like you. Gentle, smart, sweet . . . no wonder Tidus likes you so much. You probably remind him a lot of Chappu."

I give a start and turn to stare at her. "What?"

Rikku gives me a look, and I see her begin to return to her normal self. "Well, he and Tidus were so close, practically like brothers. It's never been easy for Tidus to take over Chappu's place in the gang, but with you around . . . he seems to be a little bit more sure of himself. And don't think I'm the only one who believes so. You could ask Lulu and Wakka the same thing and they wouldn't tell you any different," she says with a bright smile. "And I'm glad too. If it weren't for you, I don't think Tidus would ever really believe in himself. He doesn't know it, but we all love him to death. He needs someone like you to keep him stable. He needs another Chappu. But luckily for him, he sees Chappu in a gorgeous girl!"

I open and close my mouth, stammering at this news, when we both hear a loud commotion upstairs, like a door banging open and closing. We exchange quick worried glances and then bolt upstairs.

"What's going on up here?" Rikku demands, bursting into the hallway. Paine, Lulu, Wakka, and Gippal are hurrying towards us from the front door, each with worried faces. I feel my blood turn cold. Something is terribly wrong.

"Rikku, Yuna," Gippal pants, his face incredibly pale. "Tidus is going to jail. The cops are dragging him to the station right now."

000000000000000000000

EDIT: Okay, okay! I won't delete STLO like I said I would, just because I owe you guys for being such nice reviewers. (grumble) Because someone asked me, here's my reason for wanting to take it down: It's badly written, in my opinion, and I am embarrassed for having produced it. I know a lot of people seem to like it, but that doesn't change the fact that I cringe every time I go back and read over it. In time I may have the same feelings towards this story, or Children of Light, for all I know. I am pleased with the fact that my first fanfic did so well, but I am tired of having it clutter up my account when I could fill its place with something better. (shrug) But I'm sorry to have alarmed some of you. You win! It stays put.

Thanks for reviewing!