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.

Warning: Sexual Content…I repeat Sexual Content. Lemons and Limes are my kind of fruit, and if you ain't cool with that turn around now. Don't forget a little good old American action…ok…violence is the real word for it.

To Heal the Wounded

Gippal's hand stroked Rikku's cheek softly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly and slammed another Mega Potion onto the ground. Both of them left the surge of strength. "Gippal…I'll be fine…Shoot him between the eyes for me…"

The blonde man kissed her briefly and delicately, jumping up and sliding in next to Wakka. He fired with them until the silver haired man walked down the stairs slowly sinking into the ground as he stepped. "Going down…" Sorin said with a large smirk across his evil face. As he sunk they fired harder, draining his hit points but not nearly enough to cause major damage.

Wakka frowned and threw his world champion at the floor with an exclamation. "The bastards not gonna get away with this."

Lulu frowned looking at the floor. "Where do you think he went…"

Baralai sighed sadly. "He's unsent. He went back from where he came. The Via Infinito, that's the only thing under here.

Paine sheathed her sword. "Then we go after him."

Yuna sighed, her exhaustion seeping into her voice. "It could take forever to fight him there…He could be hiding anywhere…"a loud clang rang through the room as Yuna's clips fell to the marble floor, her guns clicking with new ammo loading into the chamber. She aimed up the stairs where the platinum haired man had been, but she didn't fire, knowing that she would only be wasting ammo. "Baralai, is there anyway to find out where he went?"

Baralai shrugged his shoulders. "Search…it would go faster if we split up."

Tidus nodded. "Yuna and I, Wakka and Lulu…Paine and Baralai, Gippal…you should get Rikku back to the Celsius."

"no" Yuna said with a soft interruption We can't ask Lulu and Wakka to do this. It could be a very difficult fight, it is very dangerous…they have to think of Vidina…"

"Everything will be fine Yuna…" Lulu said with a soothing and motherly voice.

"You don't know that…" Wakka said softly. "You go home, take care of Vidina he needs you… please just go."

Lulu frowned deeply. "Fine" she didn't look one bit happy about being forced out of this fight. "But he needs you too. So don't you dare get hurt."

Tidus smiled at her grumbling. "You be a good momma!"

Gippal swept Rikku into his arms easily and she blushed, pushing back a little wince. "Does it hurt?" He asked in a whisper.

She nodded and shrugged her shoulder. "Just a little…"

"Come on you two…lets get you back on the ship…" Lulu spoke with a little spite and a lot of command in her voice, leading the two back toward the save sphere.

Back on the Celsius Lulu, and Gippal felt solid metal under there feet. Brother saw his sister in Gippal's arms, but more importantly spotted the blood that covered the blonde girls arm.

"What did you do to her?" Brother immediately asked with a harsh glare at the one eyed man.

Lulu rolled her eyes. "He carried her back here to get help, Sorin ran her threw with an arrow." She walked down the stairs meeting Brother and putting her long hand on his chest. Her strength was surprising to him as she stopped the taller boy. "You need to steer. I'm going back to Besaide, and he is going to take Rikku to the Cabin so she can rest and she can heal. You understand?" Brother nodded, still not looking at the black haired girl. "Now get moving…"

Gippal walked out of the bridge before Brother could strike up a conversation, Rikku seemed to be asleep as she leaned against him. Gippal was cautious to roll his feet, listening to the slow and steady breathing from the blonde. He gently set her down in the softest bed he could find. Barkeep sauntered up the stairs with an armful of goodies. He set the materials down next to the bed and went back down again. "Thank you Barkeep!" Gippal called after him, but he didn't hear the response.

Gippal was a littler nervous as he began undressing the blonde. He was being very delicate, partially embarrassed to be caught drooling over her while she is sleeping. He took a cloth and dipped it into a bowl of water, softly stroking her arm with it, cleaning off the blood. He checked over his shoulder before slowly lifting the separation in her clothes and gently began to wipe the dried blood away. He felt a sudden snag over the wound, his cloth sticking to something. Gippal's pulse raced. He didn't want to wake her up with a sudden shock of pain so he very delicately tried to remove the cloth from the unidentified object, of course, as soon as he thought he was free he pulled the fabric back.

Rikku soon was very aware that he had not been successful. In fact a shard of the arrow's shaft had lodged itself in her abdomen and prevented any potion from fully healing her. The wood became tangled in the cloth and ripped from the wound when Gippal pulled it back. The blonde girl screamed and automatically slapped the boy who had sent electrical pain up her spine. She took a good look at him, a hard glare, and one hand on her wound. "I don't know what you did but you deserved it."

Gippal rubed his face. "Man…that hurt…"

"Not as much as this is about too."

Gippal's eyes went wide with sudden surprise. Cid was surely angry at him without seeing him with a slightly disrobed and injured daughter. He didn't turn around but his shoulders tightened when he saw Rikku's concerned face. Cid's hand landed on Gippal's arm and hauled him up form the chair. "Get away from her."

Gippal frowned deeply. "She's a big girl, she can make her own decisions."

"Your getting off my ship." Cid said sternly, his tight hand still digging into Gippal's arm.

The one eyed blonde was out of options, he wasn't going to leave, or move, but he couldn't defend himself with Rikku there. She sounded very surprised. "DAD! What are you doing?"

Cid ignored her and stared right at Gippal. "You keep your hands off her. She slaped you. She doesn't want anything to do with her." But before Gippal could correct him he had Cid's fist in his stomach. His one green eye glanced at Rikku. She sat up in bed, a wince and confusion plastered over her face.

"Stop! Dad Stop it!" She yelled, struggling to get up.

Gippal felt Cid's hand tighten and his arm twist in pain, but Gippal kept his face as flat as possible. He wouldn't scream. The pilot took a swing and his fist connected hard with Gippal's jaw. Gippal just glared at Cid, feeling a warm trail of blood begin at the corner of his mouth. The older man pushed the younger to move toward leaving, but the one eyed man would not budge. "I love your daughter." He meet Cid's eyes. "That isn't going to change."

Rikku struggled up onto her feet and screamed, her voice slicing through the masculine tension of the room. "STOP!" She looked at her father with disgust. "I love him, and you have no right to touch him."

Cid's grip loosened and Gippal pulled back to steady Rikku. His hands were gentle, his face concerned, not paying attention to the finger sized bruises forming on his arm.

"I told him to stay away from you…" Cid growled.

"You told him what?" Rikku stumbled and shook her head. "Go away."

"Rikk-" Cid's voice was softer, an attempt to calm the girl.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" She screamed. No one moved for a long moment. Finally Cid walked away, stepping slowly as he looked back at his daughter.

After he had left Rikku broke the awkward silence with a soft touch to Gippal's face. "I'm so sorry…I had no idea."

Gippal closed his eyes at the gentle touch. "It's fine, I can handle it." He could see her sudden hesitation, "No I've never hit him back...and I don't plan to."

She leaned on him. "What are we gonna do about him…?"

"I don't know." Gippal answered honestly, "for now, we are going to heal you." Gippal picked up the washcloth and felt a strong poke, he dug out the jagged chunk of wood. "This is what woke you up. Came from your wound. We should be able to use a potion now."

Rikku nodded and the man handed her a small bottle, an X-potion. She smiled and drank the drink leaning against the taller man. She felt the hot sting of her body healing itself. She felt the flesh close, and pull back together. She felt a little stronger as she looked up at Gippal. "I …need a nap."

Gippal laughed, "alright, lets get you back to bed."

"Your gonna stay with me right?"

"right" He said with a smile.

"I gotta protect you from my big bad daddy." She said with a smirk as he lowered her into bed. Gippal climbed in with her and buried his face into the back of her neck.

"Yeah…I'm sooo scared" said the one eyed man, voice dripping with sarcasm.