Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Final Fantasy x-2.

A/N: Hello everyone out there. Thank you guys so very much for the reviews! It is a great start to the day, as it's very early in the morning right now. There were some reviews concerning Rikku's age, so I'll just say that she is a year and a bit younger than Gippal.

Chapter Two

Oh, she is the antidote to desire

"Here we are, sir." Said Grunyon, slowly descending the airship towards the sandy land. "Bikanel Island."

As Gippal's airship finally touched ground, he walked out onto the sand and looked around. He would have said that it was a beautiful, wild, clean little island, but he was tired, irritable, slightly dirty, and so depressed that he could barely bring himself to be civil to anyone. "I don't damn believe this!"

Grunyon studied his master's profile silently, feeling right sorry for him, to be sure. He looked at the Oasis a few feet away from them. "You could bathe in the Oasis, sir. The water looks nice."

Gippal unconsciously scratched his ribs. "I think I will. After all, I want to be sweet-smelling for my future wife."

"I brought soap, sir."

"I need to shave as well. Might as well have me as presentable as possible for my execution."

The day was warm, the sun bright. The water did look inviting, and he was tired of his own stench.

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xFlashbackx

All through dinner the previous evening, Rielle had carried on about her new set of clothing. Even Sister was looking a bit smug, patting her lovely blond hair and speaking of the lotion she was using for her already perfect complexion.

Dinner had continued. Rielle chattered and preened, Sister altered her vague look to one of wistful satisfaction. As for Rikku, she'd kept her mouth shut, tightly shut, and stared back and forth between her sisters. Finally she set down her fork.

"You really want to marry this man, this stranger? You want to leave Home and Bikanel Island?" she'd asked finally.

Rielle tossed her head, but she grinned impishly at her sister. "Yes," she said. "Bikanel Island is turning out to be quite boring for me. I shall marry him, Rikku, and yes, I will leave Home."

"I shouldn't make all your plans now," said Cid.

"I think perhaps this Gippal will like a more mature lady." Said Sister. "One who exercise a bit more control over her tongue."

"But Dad said that Gippal preferred ladies with wit and charm." Said Rielle. "And beauty, of course. Am I not blessed with all those things, Sister?"

Talk about being humble.

"I should allow others to make that observation before I did." Cid said, taking another bite of his dinner.

Rielle ignored this mild stricture and said in great seriousness to her sisters. "I will marry him, but you don't have to worry Sister, or you, Rikku. I will find husbands for both of you, rich ones. There are so many rich Sprians, isn't that right, Dad?"

"A good deal more then are in Bikanel Island." Said Cid, his eyes going towards Rikku. She looked upset and he was sorry for it. As for himself, he was torn. If Gippal chose her, he would lose the child who was the closest to him. He supposed that he wanted Gippal to choose Rikku. He wanted the best for her, and he knew that in turn, she would care for her sisters.

I don't know what to do. Losing her or providing for her?

"I think, Rielle." Sister said, her voice becoming a bit more strident. "That you shouldn't be so quick to announce your victory, just as Father said."

"Victory?" Rikku repeated blankly. "We don't know this man! He could be awful, mean and insignificant. He could be anything!"

"Rikku!" said Cid, pinning his daughter with a fierce look. "That's enough."

Rikku immediately lowered her eyes. She shouldn't have said anything, but her stupid, quick tongue…

xEnd Flashbackx

Rikku knelt beside the Oasis and bathed her arm. She admitted now that she had been avoiding the lot of them. She laughed a bit, thinking that she was more conceited then Rielle. All her plotting—she was in the way of believing that Gippal would pick her! Yevon, she could probably appear a goddess and he wouldn't want her.

Rikku suddenly became aware that the birds had grown loud and nervous. She looked up, studying her surroundings. Was it a fidget perhaps? No, it wasn't. Her eyes widened at the sight of a man—naked as a statue, but without the requisite fig leaf—climbing up some rocks that extended out over the Oasis. Dear Yevon, he was going to dive in! She should tell him that the water, despite its inviting look, was cold enough to freeze off his…she swallowed at that thought.

He was lovely, tall, and muscular, his legs long and well-formed. Her eyes resolutely avoided the bush of thick hair at his groin and his male endowments. He was nicely tanned; his hair was as golden as her own. His chest was covered with tufts of equally blonde hair.

Rikku felt an odd warmth in her belly and rocked back on her heels. She saw him dive cleanly into the Oasis, which had gotten much deeper over the years. He broke the surface quickly, and she heard him howl. However, instead of wading quickly out, he caught a bar of soap tossed to him by another man standing at the Oasis's edge.

He has more guts that I do…

She watched him vigorously lather his chest, then his thick golden hair. She shivered when he ducked under the water to rinse himself.

She felt Goosebumps rise on her arms in sympathy for him. He must be very dirty to stand that icy water.

She gulped when the hand holding the soap dipped under the water.

Who was he? Why would he…

And then she knew. He turned his back at that moment and waded toward shore, she looked at the long, clean back, the sculpted buttocks. She heard him say something and saw a short, plump man standing on the shore, holding a towel. She heard him laugh, a rich, deep sound filled with amusement at himself.

Gippal, son of Chandos had finally come. Her only thought as she sped back Home was at least he wasn't as ugly as any Mushussu's.

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Gippal and Grunyon arrived at Cid's home an hour later. For the first time since he'd come out of that unpleasant Oasis, Gippal felt warm.

That kind of shock could kill a man!

A tall man who had that indefinable aura of authority about him appeared through the front doors. He was dressed roughly, in well-worn work clothes, his black boots dusty. They stared at each other a moment, then the man called out in a rough Al Bhed accent. "Gippal?"

Ah…Cid.

He managed to plant a smile on his face. "Yes." He said, and strode forward. Cid extended his hand and Gippal clasped it.

"That your man?"

"Yes."

"You, sir, and your man come with me."

Gippal followed Cid through the doors into an entrance hall that was in fact an old great hall. There were ancient machina pieces lying about, and completed ones fastened to the walls between huge flambeaux.

Gippal followed him silently across the huge expanse of hall toward another set of double doors. He flung them open and said grandly: "Gippal, the son of Chandos."

Gippal was aware of two sets of feminine eyes all trained on his person. He was first introduced to Sister and thought: She's lovely.

As for Sister, she felt a moment of alarm. He was a slightly large man, his jaw, her artists' eye noted, was stubborn.

Not an easy man, but handsome.

"My lord." Sister said, giving him her slender hand, whiter now from all the lotion. Gippal, dutifully kissed the hand.

Gippal received a giggle when introduced to Rielle, a little minx whose coloring was as lively as the gleam in her green eyes. "Sir Gippal." she said in a lilting voice. "I—we—have awaited your coming with great interest. I wish to hear all about your work at Djose." She'd eavesdropped on that certain piece of information just half an hour ago.

"I will tell you all that I can." said Gippal, grinning unwillingly at this charming confection of budding womanhood.

"And here is Rikku." Said Cid, turning to greet his middle daughter, who had just slipped into the room. His eyes widened and he felt himself choke. He heard a snort from Rielle, and felt for a moment an insane urge to laugh.

Gippal's thought didn't show on his face as he turned to study the third daughter. But he was thinking as he took the tanned, somewhat roughened hand, that at least two of the three daughters were worthy of a second look. But then he mentally slapped himself, knowing that looks weren't always everything.

"Pleasure to meet you…Rikku." He said shortly.

Rikku merely nodded, saying nothing. Nor did she raise her head to look at him.

How is that apparition possible?

He watched her move away from him. Her hair was scraped tightly back into a fierce bun at the nape of her neck. Her eyes looked like little raisins behind the distorting glass of her ugly spectacles. And the sweater that she'd chosen to wear this evening was the color of sickening puce, it was dowry and shapeless.

The moment he released her hand, Rikku walked toward a chair she'd carefully placed in the corner earlier that morning. She sat down, picked up the stitchery, only to find her eyes following Gippal. He was speaking to her father, and Rielle and Sister were looking at him as if a grand maester had just come to their Island.

Cid tried to concentrate on what Gippal was saying, but it was hard. His eyes graced upon Rikku, sitting quieting in the corner, stitching. He wondered where the hell Rikku had found those immensely hideous glasses that perched on her nose. And her hair! Pulled back from her face so severely that it looked painful, and plaited into the ugliest bun Cid had ever seen. She'd stolen the old lace cap from one of her mother's trucks, he imagined, and the sweater and pants as well, an article of clothing that had seen better days twenty years ago.

Tea was served in the drawing room. Gippal sat back in his chair, holding his cup and saucer still.

He couldn't bring himself to look closely at any of the girls, save Rielle. It was impossible not to notice her. She was young, as pretty as any young lady and was staring at him with admiration and something akin to awe.

Stiff, formal conversation floated about him, and he responded with all the breeding with which he'd been blessed, but very little of the charm for which he was noted. Somehow, he couldn't find it in himself—an animal on the block, smiling at his butcher?

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Gippal asked, suddenly aware that he'd been addressed by Cid.

"I was just telling you that our Sister here is something of a painter."

"What is it you paint?" he asked.

"Mostly people, my lord." Said Sister.

"Ah…" said Gippal.

Rikku looked at him, but he was blurred by the wretched spectacles, she allowed them to slide down to the tip of her nose, and squinted. At that moment, his eyes slid towards her, and she saw him wince slightly at the sight.

Good, you damned meanie!

She squinted all the harder. She smiled to herself.

Gippal was thinking: Poor thing, surrounded all her life by beauty.

He had to admit to himself that Sister and Rielle weren't at all difficult to loot at. He felt sorry for Rikku.

"Tell us about Chandos." Said Cid. "Is he well?"

"No, sir." Said Gippal, a glimmer of pain in his eyes. "He is quite ill at the moment."

"Damn." Said Cid. His eyes settled on Gippal's face for a long moment, and he nodded silently, realizing why the young man was here. Chandos wanted his debt of honor paid before he died. But something was odd here, very strange. He rose and said: "I shall show Gippal to his room now."

Gippal rose with eagerness, and after nodding to each of the daughters, followed Cid from the drawing room.

Cid said without introduction as they climbed the stairs. "You're here to wed quickly?"

"Yes." Said Gippal. "My dad wishes to see my bride and heir before he dies. The wedding must take place as soon as possible."

"Ah." Said Cid. "I'm very sorry, Gippal. I've a great liking for your Pops."

Cid said nothing more for a moment. The message he'd seen via the CommSphere which had been five days before had said nothing about any illness and it merely stated that Chandos's son would be in Bikanel Island very soon. Yes, all of this was most unusual.

"So," Cid continued. "Since your father is ill, you are in something of a hurry?"

"I fear so." Said Gippal. He drew a deep breath. "I have no intention to insult you or your family, Cid, but I must be quick to make my choice. I have promised dad that he will see his daughter-in-law and child before he…" Gippal broke off, fear, concern, frustration clogging his throat. He felt Cid's hand gently touch his shoulder.

"It's all right, lad. You have something of a schedule, then?"

"Yes." Gippal said. "I've given myself three days to make my…oh Spira, sir, my selection! Then another four to prepare for the wedding and it's back to my dad."

"Your father is proud of you." Cid strode into the chamber, standing aside for Gippal.

He stared about him at the dark wood-paneled walls and the majestic bed that sat in isolated splendor in the middle of the room. There was but an old armoire against one wall and a winged chair in front of the fireplace. There was a red wool carpet on the floor, small and faded.

"This is Rikku's room." Cid said blandly, watching Gippal's reaction at this announcement.

Gippal turned to look at his host in some amazement, a look that was not lost on Cid. There was no evidence at all that a young lady spent her time here.

Of course, Rikku was such a piteous, homely little thing; she probably didn't want any mirrors or dressing tables about to remind her of her looks.

"I'll leave you and see that your man is sent up." Said Cid. "I'll call you an hour early when dinner is served." He nodded and left the room.

I am going to kill Rikku.

Cid had decided on that while he strode back downstairs.

I am going to make her to spend a year in the Thunder Plains, I am going to force her to fix a million machina in just on hour, and if she cannot then I will thrash her until she cannot sit! But…one never knew what to expect from Rikku. At least she was never boring, curse her!

TO BE CONTINUED…