ba ba da ba! Another two parter! I know you all love them (not) so that's why I made another.

With a twitching eye, Rikku managed to open her office door. She groaned as she closed it, but when she looked inside, she stood up straight with wide eyes again. "Drea!" she said, almost falling over. "I said help him, not make yourself comfortable."

The two winced with shock. Adedrea took a seat in Vech's lap, his arms around her torso as she actually did some work. Almost instantly they stood and separated, looking a little guilty.

Adedrea laughed. "Oh, Rikku, you're back," she said, rubbing her upper arm. "I'm sorry."

Rikku sighed. The entire reason she asked Adedrea to help Vech was because she knew they liked each other. She didn't know they actually were…together. She didn't blame the girl; Vech wasn't exactly hard to look at. He actually was someone usually romantically pursued, since he liked his hair a little longer than most. It wasn't long like hers, but a rugged kind of way, that wasn't a buzz-cut. He also had nice eyes and was relatively nice. What girl in her right mind wouldn't like him?

She rubbed her temple with a groan, shoulders practically drooping to the ground. "No, it's fine. It's better than what I just came back from."

The two looked at each other with confusion as she went over and took out some files. "I really have a lot of work to do," she muttered.

"Came back from?" Adedrea questioned as she followed her into the back office.

Rikku turned in the door, looking to her substitute assistant. "Vech, I don't suggest going back to your room," she advised. "Tonight, or tomorrow for that matter."

He blinked. "Why?"

"Let's just say her brother has a…guest," she said, pointing to Adedrea.

Her old friend was taken aback. "A guest?" she asked, as Rikku went into the office more, leaving Vech all to himself. Adedrea strayed, turning behind her and lifting her finger to the man standing behind her. "One moment, girl thing."

Vech shook his head. "Go ahead. I don't wanna know," he said, putting his hands up in defense, before going back to the desk.

Adedrea followed her boss inside and closed the door. "Who was it?" she asked, coming over to her. "Anyone I know?"

Rikku stopped halfway into her signature and looked up. Her expression said it all. Adedrea sighed. "Elhana?"

She nodded. "Yup," she replied. "Afraid so."

Her head swayed from side to side. "He has been giving her those looks," she said, recalling why it seemed logical. "She wasn't in her room last night either."

Rikku laughed under her breath. "You can guess why they didn't turn up," she muttered, taking a sip out of her lukewarm coffee. She grimaced. This was why she loved Elhana to be there.

Adedrea seemed a little confused. "How to you think?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. I just meant that they were…busy."

Her eyes widened. "Oh…" she said. She looked up to the ceiling again and bit her lip. "That would explain it."

But then Rikku smiled and looked up. "If they don't get married, you have my permission to hit him."

"Gladly."

With a groan, Rikku closed the front door to her apartment, leaning against it from exhaustion. She threw her bag down at her feet and dropped her keys as well. Gippal, who had been sitting on the floor behind the coffee table, looked over. "You're home late," he stated bluntly.

He was on the floor, but there was a reason. There were two or three beers open around him and he was watching something on the sphere player. Most of his clothes had been discarded, as all he wore was pants and a tank top. He sat up against the couch, looking a little tired, if he ever did.

She gave him a sarcastic smile. "Unlike some, I was actually working," she stated, coming over and taking a bottle from his hands.

He made a face. "I was drinking that," he replied as she took a sip from it. She didn't even look at him as she was walking away.

"I know," she said, going over to the kitchen. She removed the jacket she was wearing and threw it over a couch. "Why is it so hot in here?" she asked as she opened the fridge.

He shrugged, not looking at her. "No clue. I think the AC is acting up or something. I can't seem to get a draft, even if I did open the windows."

She groaned again. "Wonderful," she muttered, bending over to see what was there to drink. "Man, don't you have anything harder than this?"

He gave her a look, eyebrow raised. "The princess wants a harder drink?" he asked. "Is she sure she can handle it?"

Rikku turned and frowned. "I'm the Al Bhed princess, remember?" she asked. "And you know all Al Bhed can hold their liquor."

He shrugged again. "Maybe."

She lifted up a six-pack of beer. "You want to bet on that?" she asked.

Gippal sat up with a grin. "Is that a challenge?" he asked. He nodded to the cabinets. "There's heavier stuff under the sink."

She laughed. "You know I never back down from a challenge."

"Well, why won't it work then?" an eleven year old Gippal asked, arms crossed. His eyes were furrowed with frustration and he gave the thing in front of him a glare. "I've done everything."

Rikku gave him a look. "Can't you do anything right?" she asked. "You can't have done everything. It would be working otherwise."

He threw his hands in the air before kicking the machina in front of him. "Why do I bother asking you?" he asked, storming away.

She sighed, and went over to the thing. Rikku looked inside and made a face. "No wonder it's not working," she said. Gippal stopped in his tracks on the other side of the work area. "This wire's ripped!" she said.

He turned around. "It is?"

She nodded proudly. "Come over here and help me with this already," she said, almost angrily. "I'm not doing this all by myself."

"You are wasted," Gippal stated with seriousness.

Rikku hiccupped again and swayed from where she sat. The black in her eyes had thickened and she just stared out into space without any emotion. Long ago, the sphere player had turned off itself from lack of use and there were a number of cans and bottles all over the floor, coffee table and other pieces of furniture.

She looked at him for a while before answering. "No I'm not," she said, blinking out the stupor."I'm perfectly—hic—fine!" she squeaked.

Rikku swayed more to the side and practically fell over, but managed to catch herself with her hands. Then he pushed off the ground, getting back up to where she had first been. It was like nothing had happened.

Gippal gave her a look. Not exactly one for drinking too much, he had only had a few. He was used to it, since he went through a few of them over the days. The only thing Rikku digested was coffee and salads most of the time. (That was all she ate the previous night, and all he ever saw her eat.) And since she did challenge him, she had it in her to drink more than he before she even started.

Still, he knew she'd get this way. When drunk, she'd deny it and then start acting like a child. She'd either do that or start a rave somewhere. Every time she'd wake up and forget the entire thing. Sometimes she was even happy, telling jokes and funny stories.

She'd been doing that for a while, well up until her last shot. As he looked at the clock, he knew he had to get her to go to sleep before she passed out somewhere unsafe. They both did have work the next morning. And he didn't want her to do anything stupid either, which might have her ending up hurt, dead, or even worse.

He stood firm. "You are going to bed," he said, meaning it. He got to his feet and stepped over her, since she was closet to the bedroom door. "You have to sleep."

She pouted. "But I'm not tired," she whined, her voice lower as she yawned. She leaned over on her hands, looking up to him like she was about to craw. "I don't want to go to bed…"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, his other hand on his hip. "Okay, stay up, but don't go anywhere," he advised, turning on his heel.

But before he could, she grabbed his ankle and made him trip. He felt himself fall, and there was a large 'thunk' as he landed. He had managed to end up on his side, bracing himself for most of the impact. Groaning he rolled over to find her at his feet. "What was that for?" he asked, almost angrily as he held his arm.

"Wait." He paused. For a reason, he knew he'd heard that word before. And it wasn't just the word, the way she said it too. "Don't go." She looked up at him, her face flushed and eyes free from emotion. "I don't want to be alone."

Without a warning or explanation, Rikku started to crawl over his form. He stiffened, seeing her moving slowly and carefully as she made her way up his form. She stopped at his mid section, sitting in his lap. She simply one of her legs to each side of him sat up, her hands resting on his chest to support herself.

He couldn't move, could hardly breathe. Millions of thoughts raced through his head and his heartbeat sped up so fast, he heard it in his chest. His hair stood on end as she leaned over slightly, her form moving against his saucily. She didn't even try to, but heat was rushing to places he didn't want at that time.

Gippal swallowed almost fearfully. He crawled back in an attempt to escape. "Rikku, what are you—?"

He never got to finish, as she leaned over further to look him straight in the eye. The look he gave her was so completely different from anything he'd seen before. She looked a little tired, but there was shame, curiousness, will and even longing in the gaze she looked at him with. Her mouth was slightly parted, not even open. And her cheeks were flushed with a bit of pink. It was hot, heated. It was almost …sexy.

"Can I see your scar?" she whispered sensually. Her lips were only centimeters from his.

He looked her up and down, not knowing what to do. Again, he swallowed, but then nodded. Up until then, he had his arms splayed out beside him, to hold his head up slightly. He sat up completely, but she didn't back up. There was nothing else he could think of to do.

Her hands were very delicate as she reached up slowly and briskly touched the eye patch. He didn't flinch as she lifted it from his face and removed it from his head. She almost tossed it aside and then looked back to his injured eye. Her thumb carefully smoothed over the dull, whitened and wrinkled skin that was denied sun. She fingered the simple, clean cut that started from the upper right, to the lower left of his eye.

She opened it for him, seeing the milky layer of white that encased it. There was also the sight of bruising in the eye, showing that he could see out of it. Still, he looked at her, his pupil able to move like normal.

"What can you see out of it?" she asked, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Images," he replied simply. "Shapes and colors. It isn't clear and I can only see part of what's in front of me. I just don't like it when people look at me funny for it."

She looked down, and then slowly up to him. "I never did," she said, honesty in her gaze. But then tears started to well up in her eyes and she sniffled a sob. "I'm sorry."

He held her by the waist up until then, but then she suddenly flung herself at him with a hug, her face in his neck. He wasn't sure on what to do. "What are you sorry for?" he asked, almost flabbergasted.

"I gave you that scar," she said, looking beyond his shoulder. "It's all my fault."

He almost laughed. "That accident wasn't your fault at all."

"Yes it was," she replied. "Don't you remember?"

"Gippal," a twelve-year-old Rikku said, her nose wrinkled with suspicion. "Are you sure that it will work this time."

Her friend rolled his eyes and growled. "Yes," he said. His expression was annoyed and frustrated. He was covered in dirt and there were bags under his eyes. He had worked long and hard on the piece in front of him, and it was seen.

"Why do you always question me?" he asked, brow wrinkled with anger.

"Well excuse me for being concerned," she said, frowning at him as well. He was really starting to get on her nerves. Her fists clenched as she held them to the side. "I'm just tired of fixing all your failed experiments!"

He growled. "Who asked you anyway!" he asked, practically storming away with anger.

As Rikku watched him go, she looked at the machina in front of her. The thing infuriated her. She kicked it with so much force, it fell over and then she turned around, crossing her arms over her chest as she sulked. "It's not like I wanted to do it anyway."

While grumbling, she had the slightest clue that the machina behind her flinched. The guard-bot moved ever so slightly, but managed to get to its feet. With a blink, she looked over her shoulder. She was going to smile, seeing as though it worked, but then she backed away with fear in her eyes.

"RIKKU!"

Almost everyone in the shop stopped when they heard the loudest blood curtailing scream ring throughout the walls. People ran, dropping everything as they went to find the source.

Their small princess was kneeling over a familiar form. Gippal was screaming in pain, a hand over his eye. It was drenched in blood, which was dripping down his arm and everywhere as Rikku was trying to stop the bleeding with a rag. There were scratches and bruises over them both, but Gippal was the worst.

Rikku was crying her eyes out, sobbing and hugging him, as he'd slip out of her arms, and cried, "E gemmat res! Ed'c ymm so vyimd! E'ja gemmat res!" (I killed him. It's all my fault. I've killed him.)