VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE!

This actually isn't a new chapter, you've read it before. I forgot a chapter, soI suggest you go back and reread any chapter title that doesn't seem familiar to you. It's got a few important things that you missed. I'M SO SORRY! I didn't know I did that... appologies... well, the REAL next chapter should be coming up in a day or two!

I'll Be There For You – Chapter 8

The Real You


Baralai set Paine down gently on her bed in the Cabin of the Celsius. Gippal came over to heal her, but she pushed him away.

"All of you are dead on your feet, get some rest. Besides, it's just sprained or something. Get Barkeep, he can fix it."

As if on cue, Barkeep and Darling came up the stairs. Barkeep came directly over to Paine and set to work on her ankle. While her husband worked, Darling looked to Baralai.

"Are you all rights sirs?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm fine." He replied, and everyone else assured her that they were all right as well.

Barkeep stood up, and looked to the group. "She twisted her ankles, yesh? She shoulds be betters after some rwest."

"Thanks Barkeep." Rikku said tiredly, sitting down on a nearby couch. Baralai nodded his agreement, and sat down on the edge of Paine's bed.

Paine squinted, and tried to sit up. "Blythe… there's something on the back of your shirt…" she said, reaching out to touch the stain.

"Huh?" He responded, turning to look at her.

She touched the redish stain, and immediately pulled her hand back in shock. "Blythe!" she cried, struggling to get his shirt off. "You're bleeding!"

"Wh- OUCH!" He cried out, wincing at when Paine tore off his shirt and gingerly touched his wound. The gash ran from his right shoulder down to the middle of his back.

"Barkeep!" Paine cried, "Help please!"

Barkeep was over in an instant, and told Baralai to lie down next to Paine. He cleaned the wound, used a potion, and bound the wound tightly in bands of white cloth.

"Now, yoush needs to stays lieings down, yesh?" Barkeep ordered, even though his speech made everything he said like he was asking a question. He turned to face the group. "Are yoush all sures that you're all rights?"

"We're fine Barkeep." Gippal said, inclining his head to the Hypello.

"If anyone needs healing, I'll get it!" Rikku added.

Barkeep bobbed his head in response. "Yesh Miss Rikku!" With their jobs done, him and Darling went back down to the lower level of the Cabin, and behind the bar.

"Here, didn't you have a limp Amon?" Rikku asked, turning to him.

He chuckled, and limped over to the couch that she was on. "It's fine. It'll go away by morning."

"Oh, like I'm going to believe that. Get over on the bed!" She ordered him, grabbing him by the arm and dragging over her bed. She forced him to sit down. Baralai and Paine couldn't help but snicker, and Gippal shot them a death look. He was hoping for them to stop, but his glare only made them snigger harder. He rolled his eyes, and focused his attention back on the woman in front of him. Rikku had just spherechanged back into the White Mage, and was kneeling in front of him.

"It was your right that was hurting?" She asked him. When he nodded, she placed her hands on his knee. Focusing her energy, she let the white magic flow from her hands and heal his limp. When she was done, she removed her hands and tried to stand up. Rikku gasped when the room went reeling.

"Rikku!" Gippal cried. He caught her before she fell. She had gone back into her Theif dressphere, so Gippal was highly aware of the warm, bare skin under his hands. His face flushed, but he went on as if nothing was bothering him. "Yna oui ymm nekrd?" ((Are you all right?))

"Oayr, ed zicd dygac y mud uid uv oui..." Rikku said and then paused. "Fyed... frana tet oui maynh Al Bhed?" ((Yeah, it just takes a lot out of you... wait... where did you learn Al Bhed?))

Gippal smiled, and helped her down onto the bed. "Bltyhe taught me."

He snorted. "And you have no idea how long it took me."

Gippal glared at his friend. "It wasn't THAT bad!"

"Speak for yourself." Baralai muttered.

The girls laughed, and Gippal shook his head in exasperation. "Well, you better get some sleep Rikku. Spira knows you need it."

Rikku smiled tiredly up at him, and crawled over and climbed under the covers. "I'll get some sleep if you stay off that leg for a few hours."

"Yes ma'am." Gippal replied with a smile.

Rikku smiled back at him, and decided to test his Al Bhed. "Cu... mea tufh yht kad cusa cmaab!" ((So... lie down and get some sleep!))

Gippal grinned, and dropped his gentleman act just long enough to make her blush. "Fedr oui? E ghuf oui mega sa, pid tuh'd oui drehg dryd oui'na nicrehk drehkc zicd y ped, payidevim?" ((With you? I know you like me, but don't you think that you're rushing things just a bit, beautiful?))

According to plan, Rikku went red. "Zicd kad cusa cmaab Amon!" ((Just get some sleep Amon!))

"Yes ma'am." Gippal replied in a sort of put out voice. Baralai and Paine laughed, and Rikku went even redder. He smiled as he took of his wet coat, and his boots. He slid underneath the covers next to her. He lowered his voice to a quiet whisper. "Lusa ujan rana yht cmaab. Oui'na hud faynehk y mud, yht E tuh'd fyhd oui du vnaawa." ((Come over here and sleep. You're not wearing a lot, and I don't want you to freeze.))

Rikku grinned lazily, and scooted closer. She hesitantly laid her head down on his chest, and he smiled to himself. He began to play with her hair in attempts to show her that he didn't mind in her choice of sleeping position. Soon, the both of them were fast asleep.


Baralai was still lying on his stomach when he lifted his head to look at the now silent couple on the other bed. What he saw made him refrain himself from awing at how cute it was. He snickered to himself, which woke Paine up.

She cracked open an eye. "What's so funny?" she whispered groggily. Baralai continued to snigger, but pointed to the opposite bed. Paine glared at him for waking her up, but lifted her head to see what he was pointing at. When she looked, she was snigger along with him.

"Oh… that's priceless. Should we capture the moment?" Paine asked, getting up and hobbling over to her bag at the edge of the bed. She rummaged through it for a while, then pulled out the camera.

Baralai muffled a yawn. "It's your memories to record. Personally, it's not everyday that I find two of my friends cuddled up next to eachother. Record away."

She smiled, and turned the camera on. "How do they manage to look so cute?"

Gippal was lying on his back, with Rikku's head on his chest. One arm was around her waist, while the other was resting at the base of her neck. One of Rikku's hands was on Gippal's chest, just bellow her head, while the other one was held to her chest.

"Because they make an adorably cute couple?" Baralai suggested.

Paine looked at him. "You really think so?"

He rolled his eyes. "Uh, Paine, Rikku is lying on top of him. Yeah, I would say that there is some attraction there… some serious attraction. I know for a fact that Amon is completely head over heels for her."

"Well, I'm glad she founds someone like him." Paine whispered, and turned off the camera after getting a few shots of the sleeping duo. She set it down on the nightstand with a sigh, and climbed back on the bed.

Baralai leaned over to look at her face. "Are you okay Paine?"

She shrugged. "I guess…" she replied, looking away from his gaze. When Baralai made a move to get up, she hurriedly pushed him back down. "You know that you're not supposed to move Blythe. She told him gently.

"I know… I just hate to see you upset like that." He said, lowering his eyes.

"I wasn't sad, just thinking."

"About what?"

"If I'll ever get lucky like her." Paine sighed, "Lucky to get a guy that cares for me like Amon cares for her."

"Do… do you ever think that you've found him?" Baralai asked quietly, sitting up. Paine didn't try to push him back down this time.

"I… I don't know." She answered honestly. "I like to think that I have, but I just really don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I'm pretty sure that I have, I just don't want to get in too deep… I guess I'm scared…"

Baralai's heart tore when he heard her explanation. He wanted to scream at her that he wasn't who she thought he was, to not get involved with him until she knew the truth. But, he knew if he spoke, it would just break her heart anyway. Even if the truth hurt, Baralai couldn't live his lie that he had been living for the past few months.

"Paine… right now you see a man before you that doesn't really exist." He began slowly, not looking at Paine. "I've got secrets that will change how you think about me, how much you trust me, how you see me. I… I know that you'll see the real me at some point, and that you probably won't like what you see. I just ask that no matter what you see, my true face, that you won't run away without giving me a chance."

Paine wanted to make a joke something along the lines of, 'Aw, Blythe, you can't be that ugly.' But, she knew that wasn't what he was referring to. She looked at him from behind… he looked like a god. White bandages stood out against his tan skin, and his pale blonde hair stood out too, a little disheveled from the fighting. Since his shirt was bloody, his entire top half was showing. Muscled arms were out for show, and his hands rested in his lap. She snapped out of her reverie, and ventured a question.

"Why would you need a second chance?"

"Because what I'm hiding is huge… really huge. The man you see isn't the real me."

Paine pondered his words before responding. "You're afraid of what I'll see."

Baralai nodded. "Before now, I wouldn't have considered myself lonely, not in the least bit. Now that I've spent a month with you, it finally hit me. I've been the happiest guy in Spira for the past weeks, and I don't want that to end. I guess you could say that you brightened it up a bit-"

"Hush." Paine said softly, pulling him back down. "I promise that I won't run away, I won't give up on you Blythe. Now, get some sleep, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied obediently.

The both of them laughed as quietly as they could.


Gippal woke up first, and looked down at the mass of golden hair resting on his chest. He smiled, and ran a hand through the silky strands, causing Rikku to stir. He squeezed her, and she looked up at him. She blinked a few times.

"Fryd?" ((What?)) She asked, covering a yawn.

He couldn't help but grin. "Ryja y kuut hyb payidevim?" ((Have a good nap beautiful?))

"Oac, yht oui niehat ed." ((Yes, and you ruined it.)) Rikku grumbled, burying her head into his chest. "Oui ghuf, oui'na y jano lusvundypma bemmuf. Fyns duu." ((You know, you're a very comfortable pillow. Warm too.))

Gippal chuckled. "Kuut du ghuf." ((Good to know.))

Rikku smiled, and turned her head to look up at the middle bed where Paine and Baralai were sleeping. "Uuur! Muug!" ((Oooh! Look!))she whispered, pointing over to them.

Gippal followed her gaze, and broke out in a grin. "Huf, dryd ec cusadrehk oui tuh'd caa ajanotyo." ((Now, that is something you don't see everyday.))

"Rararar, kiacc fryd? Drana'c y lysany uh dra hekrdcdyht…" ((Heheheh, guess what? There's a camera on the nightstand…)) Rikku snickered, leaning over Gippal to get it. This gave him a very pleasant view. He could see her small bikini top slip a bit-

He squeezed his eyes shut. 'Bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD!' he screamed to himself.

"Amon?"

His eyes snapped open, and he blushed when he saw Rikku staring at him. "Mad sa kiacc, oui'na kuehk du nalunt dras?" ((Let me guess, you're going to record them?))

"Ralg oac!" ((Heck yes!)) She snickered, climbing out of bed. She turned on the camera and began recording.

"Dryd cilgc. Ed'c lumt huf." ((That sucks. It's cold now.)) Gippal pouted, starring at her back.

She giggled. "Kad icat du ed oui pek pypo." ((Get used to it you big baby.))

"Dryd'c hud byndelimynmo hela..." ((That's not particularly nice...)) Gippal grumbled, getting up. She just laughed while Gippal looked down at the sleeping and temporarily harmless couple.

Baralai was lying on his left side, an arm around Paine's waist. Her back was against his chest, her body perfectly fitting into the circle of his arms. She moaned slightly, and turned her head over to burry it in Baralai's chest. He unconsciously squeezed her tighter and went right on sleeping.

"They look comfortable." Gippal deadpanned, causing Rikku to nearly bust out laughing.

"Are you kidding me? This is extremely out of character, for both of them!" She gasped out. When she got a hold of herself, she went on. "Before this, Paine would barely say a word, let alone smile or joke. Now, she does it everyday, and acts like it's not killing her for a change. It took Yunie and me forever to get her to open up, yet Blythe's done it in a matter of weeks. She's a whole new person thanks to him."

Gippal smiled. "I could say the same thing for Blythe. He totally loved the attention he got from the ladies on tours. But, since Paine came into the picture, he runs away from them now… literally. He loved to be the Class A heartthrob… but he doesn't seem to care about that anymore, just making Paine smile or laugh is enough for him. Paine's got that poor guy wrapped around her finger… even the real him."

Rikku looked up at him curiously, and turned the camera off. "What do you mean?" she asked, setting the camera back where she found it.

"Blythe and I have a few secrets I'm sure you know. But, we've got this really big one that no one knows. One that can easily ruin our friendship-"

"That's it?" Rikku whispered, looking at the floor. "We're… just friends?"

Gippal made her look up at him. She met a pair of very sad, crystal blue eyes. "I would love to call it something different… but I can't do that until you see who I really am."

Rikku rolled her eyes, jerking her chin away from his grasp. "What is it with you and Blythe? You always say that we don't know the real you! Do you realize how cryptic you guys are being?"

He sighed deeply. "I know."

"Can you just show me the real you or something? This secrecy is getting annoying…"

"I…" Gippal began, thinking fast. Rikku looked up at him with demanding eyes. How he wanted to tell her, but he swore to Alvis that he wouldn't break his cover. He smiled down at her. 'Screw Alvis,' he told myself, 'It's my cover to blow.'

"I don't see why I can't. Follow me." He whispered, taking her by the hand, and leading her down to the engine room.


"Right… why are we down here again?" Rikku asked when they stepped off of the elevator.

Gippal turned back to the woman who managed to turn his world upside down in only a month. How he loved this woman… "Because no one is supposed to know what I'm about to show you."

"If no one is supposed to know… why are you letting me in on the secret?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked into her deep, jade green eyes. "I refuse to let you believe a lie. I want to show you the real me, so you love me for being me, and not some star." He whispered, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. He stepped away from her a few steps, and pulled off his sphere that was attached to a band on his wrist. Rikku's eyes widened when she saw it. She didn't even know it was there.

With a flash of light, Amon was gone. Rikku's hands flew to her mouth, completely thunderstruck.


Gippal didn't even look at her. He knew that Rikku would hate him until he died, probably even beyond that. To his great surprise, Rikku flung herself into his arms.

"You are SO dead!" she cried, her face buried in his shoulder.

He chuckled nervously as he hugged her back. "Am I going to be squeezed to death?"

Rikku laughed, and pulled away. "It was you! It was you the entire time!"

"Eh heh… yeah?"

"It's hysterical! I was talking to Blythe… whoa! Blythe is Baralai, huh?" Rikku exclaimed, and Gippal nodded. She giggled, then went on. "I talked to him in Djose about you… well, uh, Amon really. I liked the attention I was receiving, but I still had a crush on someone… heh, this is so messed up. I was hesitant to fall in love with Amon because I had a crush on you… but it was really you the whole time!"

Gippal starred down at her in amazement. "You… had a crush on me?"

Rikku blushed. "Eh heh… yeah, I did."

"You know, I'll be honest with you. I thought that I was going to be a dead man when I showed you, but here I am-"

"Oh, don't think you're all clear just yet buddy. This may have been funny, but you are in some serious trouble."

Gippal hung his head. "And there comes the catch." he said sadly.

She laughed, and hugged him tightly again. "You know, I really liked the gentleman you were for the past month. Baralai teach you?"

"Yeah…"

"He did an amazing job!" she giggled. "Anyway, do you think that you could let him out in a while? I really liked him, but I really like the real you too."

Gippal pulled away, and looked down at her with his one eye. "I'll be whoever you want me to be Rikku, I promise."

"Just… don't permanently lock the real you in a closet, 'kay? I like the laid back Gippal you know." She said, hugging him again.

He grinned down at her, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I can do both for you… seeing as I've been doing it for the past month. But… pardon me for doing a very ungentlemanly thing…"

"Just what do you have in mi-" she began, but was cut off seeing as Gippal made it impossible for her to finish her sentence. One of his arms remained around her waist, and the other drifted up her back to untie her bandana. Her hair fell, her beads clinking together as they settled in their new position. Her arms went around his neck, pulling him even closer. When they broke apart, both of them were a little short of breath.

Gippal smiled as he ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry… I just wanted to see you with your hair down…"

"It's okay." She said softly, and then switched her gaze to one of mock anger. "And don't you dare go back to gentleman mode yet!"

He laughed. "Oh, so you want to hide down here for a few minutes?"

"Yup! But don't you dare get cocky buster!"

Gippal leaned down. "I wouldn't dare…" he breathed before he kissed her again.


Paine opened her eyes and groaned. Man she was stiff!

"Good morning!" Baralai said cheerily. "I think it's morning… not really sure.

Paine giggled, and turned over, only to discover that Gippal and Rikku weren't in the Cabin.

Baralai followed her gaze and frowned. "Where do you think they went?"

"Who cares!" Paine cried, turning back over to bury her head in Baralai's chest. "They're gone! We'll have peace for ten minutes!"

He laughed. "True, but where do you really think they went?"

She snorted. "Probably off somewhere making out. Go back to sleep."


A/N: Okay! I got fluff going! YIPPEE! Sorry if I kept you guys waiting... and was this believable? I always obsess over that... anyway!

I would all love to give you your proper respects next to your names, but I'm on a SERIOUS time crunch right now, so I'll reply to your reviews when I get the chance!

Tara
anime-punkass-luvr
marajade963
xXpinknblackemotionsXx
Flame of Bevelle
Kitsu Kurasei
Taliz the Great

Disclaimer: Nothing yet... grr.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Please, read and review!

-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-