A/N: WOW. Thank you so much for the reviews! You're all so very nice people! LOL. It's encouraged me to try my best to send out at least 1 chapter each week, either on a Monday and/or Thursday.

NOTE: As you'll soon see, the story is divided into two parts: The Morning After which is told in Gippal's POV and The Night Before which is told in Rikku's POV. They are each set in their own respective time frames so they don't cross over one another simultaneously. Basically, Gippal's POV is the present time and Rikku's POV is the past.

Nefertieh: Just wanted to tell you a sincere thank you. Your words have touched me all this/last week.
And gargantuan special thanks to Canada Eh for her lending me some of her FFX/X2 knowledge.

Three Stupid Words
Chapter 2: Night Before: Rikku

I feel proud, sick, and anxious all at the same time.

Two days ago, I randomly stumbled upon a strange looking machina in the Central Expanse that had been partly uncovered from last week's sandstorm. Even though only what looked like a wing of the machina was exposed, I knew immediately that this was surely a colossal discovery of a new line of ancient machina weaponry vehicles!

Okay… fine. I kind of thought it was a weird desert plant at first and that it was going to eat me. But that's not my fault! The material the wing is made out of is surprisingly soft and delicate looking, definitely not the usual metal. And so it freaked me out a bit. And besides, it was green.

Doesn't matter now anyway. I've managed to get the entire island – or at least the diggers, Nhadala, and Pops – excited about this new discovery and I feel pretty darn proud!

However, there's just one tiny little rain cloud over my lovely streak of joy. Since the machina is seemingly too delicate and predictably huge to be safely transported to the Machine Faction headquarters in Djose, Mr. Mighty Gippal himself is coming down tomorrow to inspect it. I feel sick just thinking about it.

After the whole Venagun episode a year ago, I've hardly spoken much less seen him. I don't know if he's changed his looks; if he's dyed his hair or grew a mustache. I don't know if his personality has changed; if he's become more mature and compassionate of others. I don't even know if he still remembers me! Maybe I'm not even 'Cid's Girl' anymore. Maybe I'm just 'The Girl'.

For all I know, he could be a compassionate, mustached man who has completely forgotten I exist.

But I doubt that though. At least the first part. Okay, wait, all of that. I'm willing to bet he's still as cocky as ever, cleanly shaven, and still remembers me as the kidish little daughter of Cid… who broke his heart all those years ago… At least, I think I broke it. Either I didn't or he's really good at concealing his emotions.

I know he's not so happy revisiting that part of our past. He doesn't mind oh so casually mentioning it once in a while since every time he brings it up, he makes it sound like he was the one who broke up with me: 'Oh yes… Me and Cid's Girl… We sure made quite the couple… (CHUCKLE CHUCKLE)' And then he gives this look to the audience as if he's saying, 'But she was a terrible kisser so I dumped her for someone else.'

And he knows it angers me, and I can't help but wonder does he continue to bring it up just to make me feel guilty for leaving him or to make me upset that he seemly never took our relationship as something real, genuine, and long lasting.

I left him three years ago because he had his Crimson Squad and I had to go with Pops. And even though he assured me that we could still make it work, I knew that it couldn't possibly be true. Things would be really tense between us if the long-distance relationship didn't work. It was just better, with Sin still causing havoc across Spira and everything, that we just ended it right there and then. Because at least we'd never accuse one another for not trying hard enough to keep in touch, for betraying the other's feelings, or taking interest in somebody else. That would just hurt too much for us to ever have a second chance at continuing our relationship after the chaos in Spira died down. I was scared of destroying what great a connection we already had. I believed it was better to break it off for a while, and try and pick it up again when the world became more stable.

Of course, that dense blockhead of an Al Bhed didn't understand and immediately grew furious. He said that I wanted things to end between us simply because I had a plan to go after other men while on my voyages with Pops, and that I wanted to have other relationships with other people without feeling guilty and bound down. Then we broke into a huge fight. A catastrophic explosion of fiery words and strings of unheard of curses erupted between us and neither of us wanted to see the other again.

And so we left.

I really didn't expect things between us to end so badly, especially since I had planned on avoiding it all by breaking up with him. After that day, every time we met again, it would be as if that argument never happened. It would be as if it our relationship ended smooth and easy and that he was the one to initiate it.

And he knows it angers me, making me feel as if what we had was nothing serious. As if it was just another one of his flings. It hurts. And he knows it hurts. And yet he still does it. He still brings it up just to torture me. To get back at me for breaking his heart. And I damn hope that I did. Because every time I think of him I want to grab a jackhammer and split his dense skull. Because what did he go do? What did he go get after all these years?

A girlfriend. A real girlfriend. Syrisina.

She's the daughter of Michen, a wealthy old man who was one of the prime donators that helped to fund the reconstruction of Home. They live in the inner core of the city, at the top floor of one of the grandest buildings. Syrisina met Gippal a month ago when her father was discussing some business with him; at least that's how the story goes. Apparently she and Gippal locked eyes instantly and fell in love that very moment and have been ever since.

Syrisina is gorgeous. She is tall, thin, well spoken, has great fashion sense, and an intellectual speaker. She is sweet, charming, down to earth, outgoing, and caring. She's mature. That's her reputation. So it's of great bafflement as to why she would want to be with someone like Gippal.

My theory is that he hypnotized her, that nincompoop. I bet he did what he always does to girls. That big, fat, flirt. One look at his stupid eight pack and one line from his persuasive mouth will have any girl lost in a trance, trembling to her feet and void of any common sense whatsoever.

Of course I'm slightly, itty-bittily, remotely bothered by the darling couple considering I'm the single ex-girlfriend and all. It just wasn't right. I broke up with him. I should be the one to move on and shove it in his face first, not the other way around. It goes against all laws of nature.

So when I heard that I would be meeting with him tomorrow, though I dreaded it terribly, at the same time, I was anxious. Anxious to see him again. Because even though I am angry at him, I can't deny that I miss him. That I miss us being together. That even though he's got a stable, one month relationship now, I'm anxious to see him again. To show him that I'm not bothered by his love life at all. That I've become, dare I say it, a truly independent woman. TADA!

So why am I thinking about this? I am completely untouched by the likes of nincompoops. UmmmHum-ana-hum-ana… I breathe out slowly. I am at one with nature. Ahh… Yes. The night sky is a blanket of darkness wrapping the whole island warmly, tucking it in for bedtime. A bright moon hangs in the sky with its starry counterparts dotting the black canvas like nightlights to aid those too frightened to sleep.

A light breeze sweeps past me, embracing my bare legs and arms with a whisper of comfort before journeying once again through the streets of New Home. Turning back to my door, I push the key in and open it with ease. Relaxing my shoulders, I walk into my flat and the close the door on the night sky.

My throat feels raspy from being out in the hot sun the whole day. We've been preparing all the equipment for transporting the new machina when Mr.You-know-who arrives tomorrow. Kicking off my boots, I go into my kitchen and blindly reach for a bottle of strawberry-fruit juice from the fridge. I clamber through the darkness of my living room over to my ancient stereo and flick on the switch to play my favourite mourning song.

I'm lying alone with my head on the phone
Thinking of you till it hurts
I know you hurt too, but what else can we do?
Tormented and torn apart

I am still untouched by nincompoops. I just happen to like this song. It goes well with artificial strawberry juice. I crack open the lid and take a gulp full as I head toward my bedroom for some new clothes for a shower.

I wish I could carry your smile in my heart
For times when my life seems so low
It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring
When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know

I nearly choke when I realize what I'm actually drinking. Beer. What in the Spira was a bottle of beer doing in my fridge? And what happened to my strawberries! Brother must have done it, that meanie. I give him a key to my home as a symbol of sibling trust and he goes and robs me off my fruit juice only to use my fridge as storage for his alcoholic beverages.

But then I thoughtfully decide that beer seems more like an appropriate mourning drink and so carelessly take in another mouthful. Then, the music begins its dramatic climb to the chorus and I know instantly that my part has come. I hold out the bottle as a microphone and sing wholeheartedly into the air, pretending I'm the almighty Yunie, body jumping to the words:

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you?
I can't be too late to say that –

Snicker.

I look down in alarm to see the outline of a figure leaning against the foot of my bed. He's smirking, beer bottle in hand. "Now that's a sexy dance, Cid's Girl."

– I was so wrong…

Song: Air Supply's All Out of Love

A/N: I really want an action scene in this story; it's been horribily itching me this whole time. But battle technicalities are so difficult to understand/research. If there's anyone out there willing and able to help, please email me. Thank you.

Thanks for reading. Please Review.