Chapter II:

The Beginning of the End?

Rikku set up a bassinet for Jordan in the guest room then went to wake Rylee up from her nap. She laughed as she recounted a story of Rylee when she was a new born. She said that Rylee would sleep so much during the day that she wouldn't sleep at all during the night. Jordan had been like that at first too. It's all a matter of being patient and waiting until he settled into his own routine.

While Rikku was tending to her daughter I put Jordan inside the bassinet and watched him as he slept. I brushed a few stray strands of downy white hair away from his face then walked back into the living room. Rikku had set Rylee on the floor with a few toys and disappeared to another area of the house. Rylee saw me and looked at me inquisitively.

"Momma," she said, pointing in the direction of the kitchen like she knew I was looking for her.

I ruffled the small girl's hair before making my way into the kitchen and found Rikku standing at the counter making a bowl of oatmeal for Rylee. She was currently stirring up the concoction before taking a small bite to make sure it wasn't too hot. Immediately I walked back out of the kitchen to get everything I needed to make Jordan a bottle for when he woke up. Rikku looked back at me as I walked back into the kitchen and sent me a calm smile. As I stood next to the sink mixing Jordan's bottle Rikku collected Rylee and put her into her high chair so she could eat. The small two year old sat happily eating her food while Rikku and I looked on in comfortable silence. Rikku looked over at me and was getting ready to say something when the phone began ringing. She pushed away from the counter and walked over to the right side of the kitchen where the phone was hanging on the wall, ready to pick it up.

"Rikku, no!" I said, rushing over and clamping my hand over the phone.

"Why?" She asked, looking at me with a confused expression in her green eyes.

"If it's Baralai tell him I'm not here. Please, Rikku!" I begged her. "If you tell him where I am, there's no telling what he'll do. I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"Okay, okay," she said, picking the phone up and putting it to her ear. "Hello? Oh, hi, Baralai. How are you? And how's Paine?"

I smiled. I knew she wouldn't let me down.

"What?" Rikku asked. "She's gone? What do you mean?" She paused and listened. "So when you woke up, she was gone? Gee, Baralai, I'm sorry." She paused again and frowned. "Me? No, I don't have a clue where she is. Sure, I'll call you if I hear from her. No problem. Bye."

She set the phone down on the receiver and shot me a concerned look. "Paine, he sounded really worried."

"I don't think he's worried at all. He's probably glad I'm gone," I said, leaning up against the wall and folding my arms across my stomach. I couldn't help the scowl that crawled onto my face.

"How could you say that?" Rikku exclaimed, astonished. "Baralai loves you, Paine."

"If he does, he's got a funny way of showing it," I said, my words almost inaudible. "He acts as if he doesn't even love me anymore. He hasn't kissed me since Jordan was born. The only time he actually acts like he loves me is when he's talking in front of a crowd or appearing on TV. Any other time he treats me like I'm not really there."

Rikku stood, defeated, in front of me. Her mouth was turned down, her eyes moist with her arms lying limp at her sides. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Paine. I didn't think it was that bad."

I nodded. "It's okay, Rikku."

She stepped gingerly toward me and wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug. I hugged her back, grateful for the young Al Bhed's concern. I never imagined that she would be the one trying to help me with relationship problems. I never even envisioned myself being in a relationship let alone being married so I was in unfamiliar territory. I appreciated the fact that my friends were so willing to be here for me. If I didn't have them I wasn't sure where I would have gone. Rikku pulled away a second later then got back to feeding her daughter.

I walked over to the TV and flipped it on. The afternoon news was playing and I could only guess what it would be about. I couldn't help but wish that Baralai hadn't gone to the media, but I knew that was just wishful thinking. I knew for a fact that as soon as he had composed himself and taken something for the headache he was sure to have he would go running straight to the media. It was pathetic that I knew something like that. Rikku sat down on the couch next to me with a content Rylee on her lap. A few moments later a male news reporter showed up on the screen and I almost started laughing when a picture of me showed up in the top right corner with bold white letters below saying 'MISSING'.

"Praetor Baralai's wife, Paine, was discovered missing from their home earlier today. The Praetor said that her and their infant son, Jordan, were gone when he awoke this morning. There are currently no leads on where she is or if she's been kidnapped. On the other hand, the Praetor believes that Paine left on her own accord. He discovered their chocobo was gone as well. All the Praetor's neighbors reported not noticing anything out of the ordinary. Now here's Taila with Praetor Baralai," he said, staring into the camera.

A few seconds later, the screen switched to a young woman who was standing next to Baralai, who looked rather forlorn. I sneered at the sight of him, but my heart also ached. I still couldn't believe that he had done what he did. How could he come on TV and act like he's the victim? I snapped back to attention as the female reporter began speaking. "Thanks, Evan. I'm here with Baralai, Praetor of Bevelle." She turned to Baralai. "Tell me, Praetor, how long have you and Paine been married?"

"Over a year," he said, his voice low and solemn.

"And you also have a child together?"

"Yes, we do. A seven month old son named Jordan."

"Do you have any idea what may have happened to them?" She asked, pointing the microphone back in his direction.

"No," he said, shaking his head and looking down. "She seemed perfectly happy." I suddenly felt the urge to chuck something at the television screen.

"Do you think she's out there somewhere listening to this right now?"

"Well, if she is…" he began, looking up at camera. "Paine, if you're listening, I'm sorry. Please, come home. You never realize how much you need someone until they're gone and, well, I need you right now. Please, Paine, come back to me."

The reporter looked back toward the camera. "Touching words indeed. Hopefully where ever she is, she heard it and will come home."

I scoffed and grabbed the controller, turning the TV off. How dare he come out and say that! He just acted like we were still on our honeymoon! I kind of wish we were. If only so that I can relive it.

"What was that about?" Rikku asked, putting Rylee down to finish her bottle by herself.

"He was putting on a show," I said, setting the TV controller down on the table. "I could see it in his eyes. He doesn't want me to come back so we can make up and pretend that everything is alright. He wants me to come back so he can get the pleasure of beating me some more. He's just trying to suck up so I'll come running back."

I got up and walked toward the kitchen and looked at the clock. It was almost six thirty. I looked over at my blonde comrade.

"Hey, Rikku, when's Gippal getting back?"

"Probably any minute now," she said, getting up and walking over to Rylee.

"What does he do?" I asked, walking over to the wall and admiring their pictures.

"Both him and Tidus work in Kilika. They help load and unload shipments coming from Luca. Their ship usually docks here between six thirty and seven."

I nodded and examined the pictures hanging on the walls. There were a few of Rikku and Gippal on their wedding day and some of Rylee when she was a tiny infant. I smiled and remembered how happy Baralai and I had been on our wedding day. A small part of me wished that I could live that day over and over. Up until then I had never been so happy. I never thought my life would have turned out like this. Rikku volunteered to video tape all of the ceremony including the reception just to prove that I was not always grumpy. She was only a week or two away from her due date at the time and I remember laughing whenever I saw her waddle by with the video camera. Even though her back and her feet must have hurt like hell she was having the time of her life. I smiled as I stared at Rikku and Gippal's wedding photo and silently wondered if Baralai and I would ever be that happy again.

I looked over as Gippal walked through the door. He greeted Rikku and wrapped her into a passionate kiss before walking over to Rylee and picking her up. She squealed with joy as she wrapped her tiny arms around her father's neck. Gippal turned around and spotted me, the smile melting off his face.

"Paine?" He said, confusion seeping into his voice as he handed Rylee back to Rikku. "What are you doing here? And where's Baralai?"

I heaved an enormous sigh and turned to face my old Crimson Squad comrade. "Let's just say that Baralai and I aren't agreeing right now." I knew that he wouldn't take that as an acceptable answer, but you can't blame me for trying right?

Gippal's jaw dropped. This was something he hadn't been expecting and it was showing. He walked towards me and tightly gripped both my shoulders in his hands, leveling me with the most intense one-eyed stare I had ever encountered. "What happened?"

"Ever heard of the term 'cruel and unusual punishment'?" I inquired, leaving it at that.

Gippal's arms went limp as his hands fell from my shoulders and back to his sides. He stared at me with an unbelieving look in his green eye. "What was he doing to you?" He asked, a small hint of menace in his voice.

"Being domestically violent," I said, saying it the gentle way.

"In other words, he's been beating you," Gippal said, crossing his arms.

I nodded my head, beginning to accept the truth that my marriage would probably never be like Gippal and Rikku's.

Gippal lifted his right hand to his face and rubbed his temples. "How long?" He asked, still trying to process that the timid, quite young man he knew back in the days of the Crimson Squad could be capable of doing such a thing.

"Well, it began about one month after Jordan was born. So he's been beating me for four months. I thought his love for me would last forever, but I'm not so sure now."

Gippal looked away from me and began pacing in front of the door, staring down at the tile floor like he was trying to burn a hole through it. He had a faraway look in his eyes and could practically see the gears in his head turning. He stopped suddenly and looked at me with wide eyes. "I have an idea."