Dear Readers:

There might be spoilers in this story if you have not played and beat Final Fantasy X-2. Please do not get mad at me for it. I did warn you! Also please be patient with me for this story. I am currently updating the whole story except for the last four chapters. It was written two years apart and I am trying my best to get everything up and running. I would like everyone's opinion on whether the second version is better. So please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, nor will I ever.

New Beginnings

Paine was once again depressed. It had only been three months since they beat Vegnagun to save Spira and it felt like forever. Each of her friends had someone to lean on. Yuna had Tidus. Lulu had Wakka. Rikku had Gippal. She couldn't go anywhere lately without seeing them falling all over each other in love. It wasn't as if she had wanted to be in love. A man was too much trouble for her. She was completely happy going every where alone and having all the time in the world to be with herself. It had only taken a small amount of persuation on Yuna and Rikku's part to talk Paine into moving to Besaid Island. The only reason she agreed was to get them off her back. It wasn't such a bad place to live. She had all her friends here within walking distance. Well...it wasn't as if they had time for her. Not that it mattered. Though...now that she really thought about it, she was a bit lonely.

Baralai stood watching as Paine made her way through town. The sun shone in her hair and across her face taking his breath away. She was the one for him, he knew. No one could tell him differently. The only problem he faced was trying to convince her that they belonged together. For right now though, he would settle for just being friends with her. They could always work up to more later. As she walked, he noticed a look of pain slide across her face. His heart ached to take the suffering from her. He wanted to give her everything she wanted and everything she deserved. "Hopefully soon Paine! I will show you how to love!"

Gippal had called a meeting. It wasn't hard to get away for any of them since the girls had decided to have a little girls' night. For months they had been planning a getaway. Unfortunately, they only had time when the sudden things like this happened. Rikku tended to get too suspicious when they wanted time to hang out. WOMEN!

"Do you think they know?" Gippal said as he slide his arm around Baralai's shoulders. "I haven't said a thing. I can't wait to see Rikku's face when I tell her what we planned. She will be SO happy!"

Baralai couldn't help but roll his eyes when he thought about Rikku and Gippal's relationship. They were all over each other anywhere they went. It was almost sickening, but only because he wanted the same thing with Paine. He couldn't help it. He fell in love with her a long time ago. "I am sure they don't know."

"Well...a romantic two week vacation in the Moonflow will be the perfect thing. I sure hope the girls appreciate everything we are doing for them." Gippal was almost bouncing with happiness. "I think I might propose to Rikku while we are there. I can't live without her."

"Really? Congrats man!" Baralai wished that he would have someone to spend that time with. Unfortunately, he felt that Paine was going to be upset with him trying to show her how he felt. It wasn't as if he could help it. "Let's get this over with!"

The night had been hell for him. Each of the guys had been super happy with what ideas they had for the two weeks. As he walked towards the beach, he ran into Tidus and Yuna. "So Yuna, did Tidus talk with you yet?" Baralai questioned, hoping that Tidus didn't forget to tell her. It would sound so much better coming from him.

"Talked to me? About what?" She looked towards Tidus, who was looking towards the Temple. "Tidus hasn't told me anything. What was he suppose to tell me?"

Shaking his head, Baralai grumpled. "I guess I am suppose to do everything." Rolling his eyes, he looked towards Tidus. "The guys got together and decided to take everyone to the Moonflow for a vacation. Well...if none of you have a problem with that." He left out the romantic part, since he didn't have anyone special. Well...he had someone special but she didn't know it yet. Yuna looked at him quietly. It was as if she knew what he was thinking. As they stood there talking about the vacation, Baralai noticed Paine walking towards the beach. "Guys...excuse me. I am going to talk to Paine."

Before they could say anything, Baralai ran after Paine catching up with her half-way to the beach. "Hey Paine! Where are you going?" He knew that she was headed to the beach, but he didn't realize he asked that before it came out. Ever since they all moved to Besaid, she had been keeping to herself. In a way he could understand with all the lovey-dovey stuff going on. Truthfully, he was just worried about her.

Paine couldn't believe her luck. She had gotten up early so she could avoid other people. Unfortunately she didn't get up early enough. Now Baralai stood in front of her. "I was going to the beach until you interrupted me!" Before she realized it, he had said he was going to join her and had took her arm, steering her towards the beach. "Why do you insist on interfering with my life Baralai?" Anger pulsed through her body. She just wanted to be alone.

"I don't really think of it as interfering. In all truth I see it as involving myself in a life I want to be in. I don't understand why you try to push me away Paine. I don't bite." Baralai looked at her as they walked. Being this close to her was making him happy, whether she was snapping or not. "Tell me something! Why do you push me away?"

Paine was so annoyed. I just want to be alone! "Who said I push you away! It's not you Baralai. It's me. I just want my space." She didn't want to seem as if she cared about his feelings, but she couldn't be too cruel. "Wait! Why am I explaining myself to you?" She jerked her arm away from his. "I don't have to. You aren't my husband!"

"WHOA! Paine...it's alright. It was just a question. There is no need to get upset." He looked away from her face. He could tell there was a lot of pain in her eyes. It hurt to see her in pain. "Let's just take it a little at a time Paine. I am not going to force you to like me." He decided not to take her arm again. Walking a little ways apart, they continued to the beach.

The beach was beautiful. It was at low tide and the sun was about an hour from sunset. It had a way of speaking to his soul and his heart. The way the sun bounced off the waves sent the rays up into what it seemed like a spiral of light. The clearness and blueness of the ocean soothed every sense on his body. Baralai now knew why she liked to come out here. It was almost as beautiful as she was. He wanted to tell her, but knew that she would just shrug him off as before. "So, are you wearing a bathing suit underneath those clothes?" He winked at her, hoping with every part of his body that she was wearing one. Thinking about her like that made his body ache to be with her.

"What? Sometimes I think men are pigs! And now you just confirmed it!" Laughing she sank to the sand before saying "And for your information Baralai, I do have a bathing suit underneath my clothes, but I dont know if I want a man like you drooling all over my body!"

When she said that she was wearing a bathing suit, his head went barreling towards the ache that was consuming him at an alarming speed. If I don't think about something else, it's going to obvious that I need her. "Would you like to just sit here and talk for a while?" He hoped that she couldn't notice how much he was stumbling through what he had to say. He couldn't help it! She did that to him, even when she was mean to him.

"I would have preferred that I come here alone, but now that you are here there's not much I can do about that! Why did you come here? Just to bug me? Just to annoy me to no end?" Paine knew she asked that meanly, but she didn't want him to think that she kind of needed someone to talk to. Every second she was around him she noticed something else she liked about him, things that kept going on her good list when they should be going on her bad list. The way he tilted his head slightly to the left as he talked. The way he showed his teeth when he smiled. The sparks in his eyes when he looked at her. They all sent chills down her whole body, but she still didn't know what they meant. So many feelings have flooded her entire being and she was having trouble deciphering them.

"Well! I am sorry you feel that way, but I am tired of seeing you alone! And since we are on the subject, why are you always alone?" Baralai was truly worried about her. She turned to look at the ocean. He saw so many emotions play across her beautiful face. Why won't you open up? What's going on? I will try to fix it if you would just tell me!

"I like to be alone!" She lied. How could she tell him that she longed to be around people, that she longed to be in someone's arms? She was so insecure in her feelings, because she didn't know what they meant. It seemed like no one knew who she was, that they didn't know what she felt and what she had been through. "I like to be able to come home to quiet. I like to come home to an empty house. All that makes me happy!" She jumped up and was shouting now and although she tried really hard to keep them back, the tears started to roll down her cheeks. "I learned to live with the quiet and learned to live without love!" She put her hands to her face and sank back down to the blanket. Sitting there, she allowed herself to cry for the first time in 15 years. All the pain she felt and all the hurt she had dealt with her whole life started coming out in those tears.

Baralai didn't know what to do. He wanted to hold her and tell her that it was going to be alright, to tell her to let it all out. It was painful to just sit by and be quiet, but he knew that he couldn't interfere. He had to allow her to accept him and allow him in her life. He had to let her get it all out. It seemed like forever but fifteen minutes later she looked up at him and in her eyes he noticed a new emotion. An emotion that he thought would allow her to live again and to get over the hurt and pain of the past, to allow her to have a real future. Hopefully a future with him in it!

She was embarrassed. This was the first time she had anything to be embarrassed about. Did I actually cry? It was too soon for it to sink in completely. When she looked up at Baralai she saw that he held no prejudice towards her. She only saw that he accepted what happened and that he was worried for her, which touched her in ways she didn't even know. She didn't need to wonder why he hadn't held her, because she knew he needed to be accepted by her, that she had to allow him in. Right now, she knew she couldn't let that happen. Everything in her heart and mind was still too fresh with hurt to allow the chance to be hurt again. At least not now.

"Baralai, I know you just saw something no one else in Spira has or ever will, but please understand that now is not a good time for me to allow another person in my life." Paine's heart hurt just from saying it. When she looked up into his eyes she saw that he understood.

"Paine I only ask that you allow me in your life as a friend and not an enemy. I care about you whether you like it or not. And right now I will take what I can get. We can work on the rest later." He hoped she said yes with all his being. He had to be apart of this woman's life some way or somehow.

Paine was thinking hard. If I let him in my life as a friend, I still have a chance of being hurt. What if I realize I want him in my life as more than a friend? If I allow him in my life even as a friend, will I be able to turn away if I realize that I do want him as more than a friend? "Yes Baralai! I will allow you to be my friend!" It felt good for her to say that! For some reason her pain was eased a little and for the first time in three months she was some what happy.

He thought he had died. One step closer to being with her completely. "Did you say yes?" He couldn't believe it. He had to ask again!

"Yes I said yes! Are you hard of hearing?"

"No, not hard of hearing, just making sure you said what I thought you said!" He jumped up and danced around the beach. When he stopped and looked at her he had the biggest smile on his face. He knew the moment that he looked at her that it was going to be a long and tough road, but he was able and willing to wait it out.
Paine saw the smile in his eyes as well as on his face and although she fought it she smiled to. It feels good to smile! Her heart fluttered a little. She smiled all the more. This time he sat down closer to her. She could feel his heat radiating off his body.

"So Paine! What kinds of books do you like reading?" He asked her hoping it would keep her from locking up her senses. He was closer to her now than he was a little while ago.

"Kinds of books? Hmm...that's a tough one. I like to read all sorts of books. I mostly like to read Fantasy books. You know about dragons and unicorns, sorcerers and witches, faeries and trolls." It felt good to have a real conversation with someone, even if it was with a guy.

"Oh really? Have you read A Knight's Quest?"

"Yes! I love that book! Wait! Have you read it?"

"Why do you think I asked that? It's one of my favorite books. It's filled with honor and courage, fear and hate, love and compassion. I have to buy a new copy. Mine is kind of worn out." He couldn't believe that she loved his favorite book. It was as if it was made in heaven.

She watched his face as he talked about the book and knew that he has read the book. He talked about it with such passion. It was amazing how two people that are so different can be so alike.