Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I don't own Final Fantasy X-2, I don't own my house, I don't own my car, I don't own my pants.

Iron Resolve

Paine stared out the window of Celius, looking down at the hot burning dessert below. She felt her locked posture as strong as it has ever been, but harder to keep it that way. Nightmares. They plagued her, and they weren't normal nightmares of fiends or Nooj shooting her. It was something different. She knew she missed Baralai. Missed when they used to laugh together as friends. But more then that now she seemed to miss his warm arms. He held her once, to keep her warm. Whenever she tried to be cold, that warmth melted her heart. She wanted to see him. He's Busy She told herself. She knew it wasn't true. I'm Busy That didn't work either.

"So where are we headed after this" Paine asked the lounging Al-Bhed.

He just shrugged and looked a little bitter. Cid had joined them since the battle with Vegnagun and taken over most of the command decisions. He sent Rikku and Gippal down to help with a large dig in Bikanel Dessert. Brother and Buddy stayed on board to plan out the next assignment, although it was obvious he wasn't very interested in it.

Paine walked up the metal staircase and took the elevator to the Deck. Cid loved to hang out there, it was irresistible to him with all the open breeze, hot sun, and of course, splendid Machina. "Where are we headed pops"

Cid turned to glance over at the steely natured girl ascending the staircase. "We got sphere waves coming from Bevelle, but they ain't to interested in visitors. Shinra's been running diagnostics on the hidden caves around Spira and there are some faint waves blocked by ground cover. We're gonna keep searching under ground."

"I see" Paine said flatly, she fell quite, and the older man instinctively knew something was a miss.

"Talk to me Kiddo." Cid remarked in a fatherly tone without even turning his head around.

"I'm tired of waiting for him to come to me. Tired of waiting for his call…I just want to punch him in the face and demand he love me or leave me." She griped her fists tight in anger.

Cid nodded. "But our friendly Prater has stopped seeing lowly people like me and you."

Her brow furrowed and her crimson eyes flashed deep red. "I even sent him a sphere, he didn't respond. I feel like such a fool." Paine's arm slashed out in sudden anger, as if to smack Baralai in the stomach if he were sitting next to her.

He put one hand to his chin and rubbed it while thinking. "Do you love him."

"In a 'I really want to hurt him' way…Yes" Paine's confession reveled the slightest twinge of emotion that made Cid believe her.

"Then go find him. Rikku and Brother's mother chased after me. I was too stupid to think I was good enough for her. Of course I wasn't but she was willing to give me a shot. You have to grab love. Take it when you can get it." Cid looked down into the sand at his daughter and Gippal, teasing one another now.

Paine followed his gaze. She looked at the blondes playful exchange. Gippal always seemed to tag along for some reason or another. Always finding an excuse to stay near Rikku. Cid seemed to like the young man and didn't seem to worry about them being so close. It was obvious to Paine that Gippal had fallen for Cid's daughter. Even when they were together over two years ago he had talked about an Al-Bhed "princess" that he could never really get. It didn't take long to figure out who Gippal ment, but it was frustrating seeing them dance around one another all the time. Paine didn't want to hide, she just wanted action. "Someone should tell them that"

"That's between me and Gippal." Cid snapped at her, a little more forcefully then he had meant to. The apology was unspoken. "We'll drop you off at Bevelle, but your taking some Dress Spheres, and Shinra has a tracking sphere he'd like you to carry. While you there we'll test the range of his device."

Paine nodded in agreement. "I'll take the Warrior sphere and a Trainer." I may need Flurry to be my eyes in the sky.

Paine walked down the stairs toward Shinra's computer station. "Hey kid." Paine said in her deadpan voice. "Hook me up will you"

Shinra raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going?" He twisted a lock in the glowing blue and red cabinet. As he entered a combination with a flick of his wrist he twisted three spheres and the door slid open, three rows rolling out in order, like risers as they displayed in velvet lining the Gullwings many Dress Spheres. She reached down and snatched the two spheres and a third, the berserker, just in case.

"WE are not going anywhere, I am going to Bevelle." She fingered the gaping hole in the velvet before her head jerked up and at the small boy. "Where is Full Throttle." Her voice was hard and cold, eyes melting into him.

He stuttered before pressing some buttons. "I was…j..just testing it for my new Comm Sphere…"

Paine swiped the sphere as it raised from the control panel with a growl. "Don't you ever touch my sphere again."

Shinra was shaking under her glare when Brother jumped into the conversation. "Hey hey! Paine try new Comm Sphere yes?"

She stood up, still glaring at the smart ass Al-Bhed. "Yes."

"Great!" Shinra laughed nervously, while he handed her another small sphere the size of a Dress Sphere. "It's just like a Comm Sphere only smaller and should have a longer range but that is what we'll be testing."

"I get it. I have to get ready. Let me know when they're done playing in the sand." Paine snapped walking quickly and tall out of the Bridge.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" Buddy asked without even turning around in his seat.

Shinra shook his head looking over the back of his chair. "I don't know…"