Dear Readers: Yet another update! WOW! I am doing really good today. For some reason the creative juices are flowing once again. Which is great for you readers. I realize that in the last chapter things went a little quick, but that's how the writing went. Anyway! Send me your reviews! Tell me how I am doing!

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

Homecoming

Baralai could hardly wait. He was less than a day away from Besaid, but night was falling fast. He wanted so bad to see Paine and to tell the truth he wanted to have his arms around her. Well...if she would let him, but after a month of being away from her, he almost didn't care if she wanted him to or not. Although he would love to continue and get to Besaid tonight, he didn't want to risk the town thinking him a raider. The last thing he needed was people he knew wanting to kill him when people he didn't were trying hard. In the last two weeks there had been three more times he got ambushed. Each time he got away, but they are getting closer to where Paine was.

As he leaned against a tree, he thought about the problem he now faced. The men that wanted Paine were attacking him. He was basically leading them to her. For the first time in two weeks, he kind of regretted coming home. He longed to see Paine and make sure she was alright. But for some reason, the thought of bring harm to her front door scared him. He didn't want to see her kidnapped again. This time would be his fault. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he couldn't go back to Besaid during the day. That decided, he stood up and made his way to Besaid.

Paine was awake once again. She hadn't been able to sleep for almost a month. When Baralai didn't come home after a few days, she began to worry. The changes her heart had made upset her at first, since she didn't want to feel the way she did. She was just getting use to the fact she was worried about him. Standing in front of her back window, she saw something move in the dark. A shadow of a man! Paine ducked and made her way to the front door. Maybe I can get out of here before they get me again. This time I am not going quietly. Just as she pulled the door open, a man stood in front of it, looking down at her. Her first reaction was to scream and run, but after a few seconds she recognized the man standing there. Baralai? BARALAI! She jumped up from her crouch and launched herself into his arms. He started to laugh at her, but buried his head in her hair, bringing his arms around her.

She pulled away enough to give him a really dirty look. "Don't ever do that to me again!" Before he could say anything she burst into tears and ran upstairs. Baralai stood staring after her. He couldn't decide whether he should put himself into her sanctuary. Before any of this happened, she didn't like anyone in her home. So she wouldn't welcome anyone in. He couldn't help wonder if that had changed. Right now he could care less though, so he walked in. Shutting the door behind him, he made his way through the down stairs turning off the lights. He locked everything up tight and went upstairs. Glancing out a window he estimated the time to be around eleven o'clock.

Reaching the top of the stairs he heard her sobs before he saw her. Every step he took towards her made him excited. Before he lost himself in his want, he turned off the lights. Paine jumped up, forgetting her tears and asked, "Why are you turning out all of the lights Baralai?" It had been a quiet question that didn't receive an answer. He just walked up to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Paine..." He looked down in her eyes. "I want you more than ever. I can't hide it Paine, nor do I want to any more. I am going to kiss you!" He leaned down and took her mouth. Softly at first then harder and more demanding. To Baralai's surprise she didn't resist. Her arms went around his neck with a soft moan. She began to melt into him. Pulling back a little, he said quietly, "I can't stay Paine! I want so much to stay here and take you like I should, but they are following me and I have to stay away."

Paine couldn't believe what she was hearing. Baralai had decided to be a hero and wanted to stay away from her. "NO!" She said it strongly but quietly. "Stay with me Baralai. Don't leave me again!" She pulled away and began hugging herself. It had took all her strength to pull away from the warmth of his embrace. She wanted so much to give all her trust to him, but she was so afraid of letting herself love someone and then lose them. Having some really strange feelings made her cranky and she was getting there quickly.

"Paine...I have to. I can't lead them here. I risked coming here just so I could see your face before leaving her for good." He watched as she turned away. Her shoulders started to shake and he knew that tears were streaming down her face. He couldn't stop them even if he tried. "Well...maybe not for good, but at least until I get everything taken care of."

"Are you crazy Baralai?" She said it so quietly, so he braced himself for what came next. "It's not just your fight. In fact..." She turned towards him with anger in her eyes "...it's not even your fight Baralai. Sure, I appreciate all you have done for me, but dammit Baralai, you can't fix everything. I can't understand why you feel you have to. After everything that has happened and all you have said to me, you expect the feelings you created to just go away when you leave. I don't think so. And another thing Baralai..." She had walked close to him and put her finger on his chest. "I am a big girl who can think for herself. And even though I may not be able to fight off two big idiots, I can deal with just about anything else."

"Just when I started feeling for you, you want to leave. Well...Baralai, that hurts. I am finally opening myself to the possiblity of a relationship with you and you want to go and do something stupid. Well...let me tell you something. If you walk out that door and leave me, you will never see me again. Do you hear me?" She looked up at him. The look on her face told him to tread lightly with his answer.

"Umm...a relationship?" He had barely been able to follow what she said with her talking so fast. The one thing he knew was that her getting angry and telling him exactly how she felt turned him on. "Paine...I don't want to be responsible if you get kidnapped again."

She rolled her eyes and stepped back. Her hands made it to her hips as she asked, "What makes you think that it will happen again? And why would you lead them here?" Tears streamed down her face as she thought of him leaving her again. "Tell me Baralai!"

He knew he had to tell her what had been going on, but he was worried she would get more upset. Unfortunately, he had talked himself into believing she wouldn't ask and that she would just believe him. "Paine...it doesn't matter. I just can't stay!" He sank to the bed as his legs gave out from under him. It was so stressful. First he was worried about Paine's life and now he had to worry about his own, plus leading them back to her. If that wasn't bad enough, he had to put his lust for her out of his mind or she would end up on the bed with her legs spread.

"Yes it does matter Baralai! Tell me please!" She sank to her knees in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "Baralai...if you love me, you won't leave. I am not sure if I can show the same feelings right now, but maybe someday." She leaned forward, kissing him gently on his mouth. "Now tell me!"

She tastes so good! Baralai couldn't help think as he opened up and told her everything that had happened in the last month. It felt so good to have someone to talk to after a month of having no one around. It seemed as if everything was going good for once. "So you see why I can't stay here Paine." His hands cupped her face as he bent and gave her a kiss before standing up. "Speaking of which, I should really head out."

Paine couldn't believe her ears. He really believed that he had to leave to keep her safe. "I hate to break this to you Baralai, but you can't keep me safe by leaving me. If what you said was true, then they will find me soon anyway! How exactly are you suppose to protect me if you aren't even here? Huh? Answer that Baralai." She was getting upset again. Lately the tears were coming way to easily. She almost hated herself for it. It was showing she had a weakness and he happened to be standing in front of her.

"You are right Paine!" It hit him like a brick. Of course she was right. If he left he couldn't protect her here. What had he been thinking? "Alright Paine! I will stay to protect you, but I am sleeping on the couch." He turned to walk down stairs, but was stopped with her hand on his arm. He turned back and looked into her eyes.

CLIFFHANGER! Will Baralai stay upstairs or will he leave her to cry herself to sleep?