A/N: Yes, I know I took forever with this one. I haven't had much time to work on it because of school and graduation stuff. May 20th was my last day-Whooo! (dances) and I graduate on the 7th. I'm excited and hopefully I can have more time to write before I start working a lot more hours for the summer. (sigh)

I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

oooooo

I awoke the next morning to Yuna shaking me. Yawning, I rolled over and squinted at her, not exactly thrilled to find I had a pretty decent sized headache. She just smiled at me.

"Rikku, we have to get ready now. We're an hour behind."

"Hmm?" I closed my eyes and groaned. "How come?"

"Well, I think it has something to do with a certain someone who changed the alarm," Yuna glared over at Paine and chucked one of my pillows at her face. Paine just mumbled something and rolled over, going off the edge and hitting the floor with a thud. Yuna giggled and Paine said a few choice obscenities before her head appeared from behind the bed. "Paine... you changed the alarm, didn't you?"

"Maybe." She was giving Yuna "the glare," and I almost shuddered. Paine could look like a real scary bitch sometimes. "I didn't see why we needed to get up two hours before we had to be there."

"Well, I don't want to be late."

"What? You need two hours to do your hair or something?"

"Yes."

I sighed. "Yunie, they're just going to redo your hair tonight before the actual event. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, stop being such a girl." Paine stuck her tongue out at Yuna, who threw her hairbrush at her.

We spent the next hour trying to get everyone dressed and fed, fifteen minutes of which was wasted trying to get Rei to decide what she wanted to wear and eat. When we finally got out of there we were twenty minutes late and I thought that Yuna was going to have a panic attack or something. She acted like she had never been late for anything in her life. Well, come to think of it, she probably hadn't.

We got to the office to find a bunch of men sitting in the lobby waiting for Yuna. A younger man smiled and shook her hand. "Welcome, Lady Yuna. We have to talk to you one last time before the show, if that is okay."

"Of course. When is the final rehearsal?"

"It's at noon. The dancers will be there as well as the band. You should probably bring the others who are in the ceremony so we can go over their cues as well." The man looked over at me and smiled. "Now if you will follow us, we will lead you to the conference room."

Yuna turned around and gave us a wave before leaving with the men. I looked over at Paine and giggled. "She has dancers?"

"Guess so."

I sighed. "Didn't this concert thing used to be a lot simpler? I mean, when it was just the three of us, we'd do maybe one quick rehearsal and then let Yunie just do her thing."

"Yeah, but she has dancers this time. And a real band."

"Hey, we're her dancers, remember?"

Paine glared at me. "I never danced."

"Oh yes you did."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

Paine sighed. "You can think whatever you want, but I did not dance."

Rei tugged on my hand. "Paine dance!"

"See? Rei even said you danced."

"What? She wasn't even there."

"Two against one."

"Her vote doesn't count, stupid."

"Hey, no name calling in front of the little one."

"You're her mother... I'm sure she's heard worse."

We pretty much wandered around aimlessly for the next hour or so, not quite sure what to do with ourselves. Home isn't exactly the entertainment capitol of Spira. I hoped to catch a glimpse of Gippal working, but to my disappointment I didn't see him. He must have been doing things inside or something. Rei entertained herself for a while playing with a few insects. It seemed like forever before Yuna finally emerged outside.

"Hey guys. Sorry it took so long, those guys talk way too much. I thought I'd never get out of there."

"It's okay. So, what's on the schedule now?"

"Hang out for a while 'til noon. Oh, and I saw Gippal inside. He told me to tell you that he's sorry he's so busy and he loves you and he promises he'll make it up tonight."

Paine just rolled her eyes and grinned devilishly. "Make it up how?"

"Paine!" I smacked her arm. "Not like that, you pervert!"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

I just glared at her. "So, Yunie, what's up with these dancers?"

"Oh, well, it wasn't my choice to have them, but they're pretty good. They'll be nice to have, even though I can't really dance much myself," she put her hand on her stomach and laughed.

"You know, when I was little I wanted to be a dancer. It would be so much fun to do that for a living."

Paine chuckled. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you're not one. In case you haven't noticed, you aren't the world's most graceful person. Hey... what do you do for a living, anyway?"

I stuck my tongue out at her. "I fix machina sometimes. It's not an everyday job, but it helps with the money."

"Sure."

We talked for a while longer and noon eventually came. Yuna led us to the stage where a few people were still making last minute adjustments to lights and things. There was a group of about five girls on the stage walking around and stretching and they smiled at us when we approached. Yuna introduced all of us and we quickly went through our cues. Yuna would do her thing, then she would introduce Gippal and he would come up and talk and introduce Rei and I. If all went well and we didn't have an angry mob on our hands, we would then answer some questions before the end of the event. Afterwards, Brother would be waiting with an airship to take us to Luca, and Cid was going to watch Rei for the night.

After we all knew what we were doing Yuna went up on stage and all of the dancers got in position. Yuna made sure that we were ready before she started to sing. It was a slow and powerful song that I had never heard before but I found myself captivated by it. Yuna was always a beautiful singer.

After she was done we all ran up and gave her hugs and told her how awesome it was. She just blushed and said that it was nothing. Typical Yuna.

We were so busy talking to her that I didn't even notice Gippal coming over until he ran up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I squeaked in surprise and he just laughed and twirled me once before putting me down and giving me a quick kiss.

"Hey, stranger. Haven't seen you in a while." I poked him in the chest and he gave me a look of mock hurt.

"It's not my fault I've been so busy. Blame Yuna, she's the one who agreed to this whole thing."

"I heard that." Yuna sent a menacing glare over at Gippal and he smirked.

"Ready for tonight?" He asked me while enveloping me in a hug.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

"Remember, you guys have to be here by seven so we can get all your girly stuff done. You gettin' your hair done too, Paine?" He grinned devilishly. "Am I going to see you in a dress?"

Paine made a loud snort noise. "What do you think?"

Gippal sighed. "I guess that means no. Well, I have to get going, but I'll see you when you get here, okay?" He threw Rei up in the air and kissed her before setting her back down.

"Okay." I kissed him before he left and I heard Paine make several gagging noises. I made a mental note to throw my shoe or something at her later when she wasn't looking.

We spent the rest of the afternoon mainly in the hotel room doing "girly stuff." I did a not-so-great job painting my nails, but Yuna helped me fix them up. She found it hard to believe that I could not remember the last time I had painted my nails or used any real makeup. Yuna even painted Rei's for her so she wouldn't feel left out.

"Just don't put any makeup on her, no matter how much she pleads with you", I warned Yuna, "Gippal will have a fit if you do."

She just laughed and shook her head.

oooooo

The time came for us to leave and we gathered everything together. We made sure we had the dresses and that Rei had all of the stuff she would need for tonight before we left. The air was surprisingly cool but the sky was still as bright as ever. We made our way to the office and a short woman greeted us before leading us to the hairstylists. They took our dresses and they sat us all down in these cushiony chairs (except for Paine, of course). A girl that looked like she was seventeen or so asked me how I wanted my hair done. I just shrugged and told her to do whatever she wanted with it. She smiled mischievously and for a moment I grew a little scared at what she was planning.

She got to work right away, pinning my hair up in all sorts of weird directions. I heard Rei giggle in the chair next to mine when she looked over at me. She was getting her hair curled and the woman looked like she was having a hard time doing it because Rei kept fidgeting.

Eventually my hair started to resemble something somewhat normal and she began to curl it as well. When it was done I saw she had tied it up into some sort of intricate design thing at the back of my head and there were strategically placed curls falling around my face. She had put some glittery stuff in it but I had to admit it did look pretty. Yuna's was a lot like mine but I thought the style suited her better. Rei's hair had been all curled up and there were a few flowers pinned in it. She looked absolutely adorable.

The same women did makeup for Yunie and me and by the time they were done I could hardly recognize myself. I, Rikku, actually looked somewhat like a girl.

We helped each other get our dresses on and I thought that Yuna looked absolutely gorgeous, even though she was eight months pregnant. Her black dress suited her perfectly and she just had this glow about her that could take your breath away. She made nice comments about my blue dress and said something about me having to dress up more often, to which I just laughed. Rei looked incredibly cute in her little pink dress, and I was helping her put on her shoes when a woman came in and told us that we had five minutes 'til showtime.

I quickly strapped on my shoes and silently cursed myself for picking ones with itty-bitty heels. They were a lot harder to maneuver in than I thought. I sort of wobbled out of the dressing room and we made our way near the stage. It was growing dark outside but the stage was lit up nicely in many colors. There was a large screen behind it and I knew that they were going to translate everything we said into Al Bhed on it so those who could speak nothing else would know what was going on. I peered at the crowd and gasped. There had to be thousands of people there.

No stress, right?

Yuna found my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She could tell I was absolutely petrified, even though I didn't have to perform or anything. Of course, Yuna herself seemed to be as calm as ever.

"Don't worry, Rikku, you'll be fine. They won't hate you."

I swore that Yuna could read minds sometimes. "Yeah... I hope not."

The crowd suddenly broke out in loud cheers and I saw someone walk up to the stage. It was Gippal, and he was looking pretty handsome in his new clothes. He hushed the crowd and grabbed the microphone.

"I would like to welcome you all here tonight and thank you for coming. I know many of you traveled far to be here and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed." The crowd erupted in cheers again. "Many people have worked long and hard to make this concert an unforgettable experience. I would like to give them my thanks and thank the Lady Yuna for performing for us tonight." More cheers and applause. "It is with great pleasure and honor that I introduce to you tonight the Lady Yuna." The applause became thunderous as Gippal stepped off the stage and the lights started to dim. The musicians flew out on their hovers and circled around the stage. The music started and cheers went out as Yuna stepped out onto the stage, smiling brightly. The dancers walked out behind her and got into their positions, although you could hardly see them in the darkness. Yuna grabbed the microphone and looked up at the sky for a moment before glancing at the crowd again. Everyone became silent as the lights suddenly appeared on stage and Yuna began to sing.

The whole concert experience was a blur when I look back on it. I mainly remember Yuna's gorgeous voice holding me in a wonderful trance. I barely felt Gippal come around beside me and put his arm around my waist. All of us just got lost in the song and the music and the dancing and Yuna's voice just swirled together into a performance that I would never forget. She looked so beautiful and stunning up there, singing her heart out, and I knew that Tidus had never been more proud of her before as he watched her with us.

The song finally ended, and there was a silence among everyone. It took a moment for the crowd to erupt in deafening applause and cheers and I suddenly grew nervous, knowing what was to come. Gippal whispered words of comfort in my ear and told me that I looked beautiful, making me smile.

"Thank you, Spira, for coming tonight." Yuna's voice drifted through the night, and there was silence. "It was a pleasure for me to sing for you. I can do a few extra songs if you like but first Gippal has an announcement that he would like to make." She glanced over at us and smiled at me. I was so nervous I thought I was going to puke. Gippal gave my hand one last squeeze before walking up on the stage and taking the microphone.

"Well, as many of you know I am Gippal, and I am the leader of the Al Bhed's Machine Faction." He cleared his throat and shot me a smile before continuing. "I would like to introduce two people to you tonight... both of whom mean very much to me. I would like to first announce my engagement to Rikku, daughter of Cid of the Al Bhed and cousin of the Lady Yuna."

He motioned for me to come up and I walked up the stairs, shaking. The crowd applauded and I heard many cheers and a lot of applause. Many people knew who Cid was and as of the moment it looked like they were pretty accepting of us... for now. I held Gippal's hand tightly and gulped.

"I would also like to introduce someone else. I hope that you will be as welcoming of her as you were of Rikku." The applause died down, and I could tell people were a little confused. Oh Spira, here it comes... "I would also like to introduce the daughter of Rikku and I. Rei, come on up sweetie."

Silence.

Rei walked up to the stage, looking positively frightened. Yuna held her hand and led her to us. I picked her up and she looked around the crowd before burying her head into my shoulder and clutching me tightly. I thought she was going to cry, and with all of the horrible and confused looks we were all receiving I didn't blame her. I just closed my eyes and bit my lip, silently wishing for all of this to be over as soon as possible.

I didn't pay much attention to what Gippal said over the next few minutes. He basically explained in a nice way that we had recently gotten back together and when the wedding would take place. I opened my eyes once or twice but each time I did I was greeted by a large sea of glares. I knew the Al Bhed were mad at us because Gippal was making the whole Al Bhed race look bad, and it's not like we needed any more people thinking we were horrible people. Everyone else didn't seem too thrilled either. I guess they just didn't want to think that Gippal and Yuna's cousin would screw up like that.

After what seemed like an eternity Gippal took my hand and led me offstage. The crowd had broken into whispers and I didn't even try and hear what they were saying. I didn't want to know.

Yuna said a few things that I didn't catch before starting another song, causing the crowd to go silent again. I walked backstage and sat down in a chair with Rei in my lap. I bit my lip to hold back the tears that I knew were coming.

Gippal sat next to me and enveloped us both in a large hug.

"Don't cry, Rikku... it's going to be fine."

"What makes you so sure? They all hate us, can't you see that? I ruined your reputation, and Yuna's, and Cid's, and the Al Bhed's in general. I screwed up, Gippal... I'm so sorry." I buried my head into his shoulder much like Rei had done to me, like a scared child seeking comfort. He just rubbed circles on my back and sighed.

"It's okay, Rikku, you didn't screw up. Everyone will be fine soon. They will accept you, they just need to be given time."

We just sat there in silence for a while until Yuna got done with her song. She came backstage with us and we heard the crowd dispersing outside. She gave me a big hug and told me pretty much the same stuff as Gippal. Although I had a hard time believing them, they did make me feel a little better.

We met Cid outside and Gippal and I kissed Rei goodnight before she bounced off and jumped in Cid's arms. She waved to us as he walked away with her, although Cid said nothing to us. He was probably horribly ashamed of me.

Brother was waiting for us with the airship and we walked on. He didn't say anything or even look at me as I passed... he must have hated me too.

My mood picked up a little, however, when I was alone with Yuna and Paine again. We were trying to pick out clothes for each other to wear to the party, and Yuna found a cute little pink dress. I picked out a jean skirt and a blue top, and I exchanged my strappy shoes for some sandals. We met Tidus and Gippal out on the bridge and we all played a few games of sphere break before arriving in Luca.

Brother had a horrible time finding a place to park the airship and despite my mood I had to laugh at him. It was like old times, watching him sit in the pilot seat, cursing in Al Bhed and shaking his fist to seemingly no one as he tried desperately to conquer the problem. We eventually found somewhere, however, and we were soon stepping off the airship and entering the amazing city of Luca.

It was not the first time I had been there but as I stepped off I nearly forgot to breathe. The night sky was lit up in an amazing assortment of lights and I heard people cheer as Yuna walked out. A man ran out to us and he led us to the building where the party was at. The place was part of a hotel and it was decorated beautifully. There was a large group of people dancing amid a storm of brightly colored lights in the center with tables laid out next to the sides. We all sat down at a table and after the song was done someone went up onstage and announced our arrival. Yuna went up and said a few things before coming back to sit with us.

"You really were awesome tonight, Yunie," I told her and grinned. "Too bad I couldn't be one of your dancers."

Paine made a noise that strongly resembled a snort before taking a sip of her drink. I took the little umbrella out of mine and chucked it at her face, nearly missing her eye. Paine just shot me a glare before sending her umbrella in my direction. I ducked and it bounced off Tidus' arm as he happened to walk by.

Tidus just rolled his eyes and sat down next to Yuna after he gave her a quick kiss. A slow, romantic-y type song began to play and he helped Yuna out of her seat and they went out to dance. I sighed and took a sip of my drink. I would have asked Gippal if he wanted to dance, but, well, he isn't exactly Mr. Romantic. We just sat there and chatted with Paine for a while and the slow song ended, being replaced by a fast, upbeat techno song. Gippal grabbed my arm and whirled me around, dragging me to the dance floor.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Dancing. You said you liked to dance, right?"

"Well, um, yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm very good at it or anything."

"Well, you have to be better than I am."

"Do not."

"Rikku?" He looked at me, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What?"

"Just shut up and dance." He grabbed my hand and started twirling me around as I weakly protested. I glanced around and saw everyone else all clumped together, moving energetically. Quite a few women were dancing, well, not exactly kid-friendly, and I wondered if Gippal expected me to do the same. It's not like I could make my hips move like that... but I thought I'd give it a shot. You know, just mess with his head a little.

The look on Gippal's face was priceless as I moved over to him and started doing a horrible imitation of the other women. He must have thought I was pretty good at it, however, and I saw his eyes were drawn to my lower regions as I shook my booty with everything I had. He placed his hands on my hips and tried moving with me. Everything became a swirl of people and lights as I twirled around a few times. For some reason I giggled really loudly and Gippal bent over to whisper in my ear.

"You know, you're making me think dirty thoughts right now," he grinned against my cheek.

We pulled apart and I just looked at him and smiled. I felt a sudden wave of mischievousness come over me and I grabbed his arm and led him off the dance floor, giggling again. Gippal seemed confused but decided to play along with it. I passed Brother who was apparently horrifying some woman with his interpretation of dancing and it made me giggle harder. We eventually made it outside and the cool night air brushed past my skin, making me shiver. We made it to the airship and I entered a few numbers on a keypad, causing the door to open. We walked inside and I started giggling again.

"What is this all about?" Gippal couldn't help but laugh at me. I had to admit, I was acting really weird.

"Just come on." I led him to one of the spare bedrooms on the airship and Gippal was about to turn on a light when I stopped him. He glanced at me, confused.

"Rikku?"

"Gippal... I want you to make love to me." I slapped a hand over my mouth right after I said it, wondering where in the hell that came from.

He just grinned at me and bent down to give me a kiss that quickly turned very passionate. Before we knew what was happening, clothes were being strewn all over the floor in a desperate frenzy.

All of the tension, longing, everything that we had been feeling- we were letting it go. Even though it wasn't truly our first time, I felt like it was and that is how I'll always think of it. We weren't doing it because we were drunk or filled with teenage hormones- we were truly making love.

As I laid there that night, Gippal asleep and huddled next to my body, I felt like maybe, just maybe, things were going to be right again, that I could finally have some sort of normalcy to my life.

oooooo

Miles away, a small desert neighborhood awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of terrified shouts and screams. In that house, an older looking man lay motionless on the floor among the maroon liquid that was slowly seeping into the carpet. Next to him lay a small stuffed bear, a few dots of blood staining his expressionless, worn face.