Chapter III:

The Plan Revealed

Gippal grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to the kitchen table and sat me down. He sat across from me, that same thoughtful look still in his eye. "You said Baralai acted like he didn't love you anymore, right?"

"Yeah," I said, crossing my arms and trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

"Well, why don't we put him to the test?" He asked, a silly grin appearing on his lips as he sat back.

I frowned. "Like revenge?" I asked, not liking where this was going. "Do you want me to cheat on him or something?"

"No, nothing like that. Just a little test to see if he really does love you. I have a really good idea that is just crazy enough to work," he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the tabletop.

"What is it?" I asked, wishing he would get to the point already. He had definitely piqued my interest.

"Well, I have a friend in Kilika that is a professional make-up artist. He can make you and Jordan look like you were killed somehow."

"And?" I asked, leaning back.

"Well, I could ask him to dress you and Jordan up to make it look like both of you were murdered in your sleep. Then we could take some pictures of you and go to Bevelle to tell him personally."

"One thing," I said, leaning forward again. "How will I know what his reaction will be?"

"I'm glad you asked!" He said, getting up from the table and disappearing from the room for a few moments. He came back carrying a small wooden box. He opened it and took out a diamond stud earring.

"An earring?" I asked, confused.

"You bet. Except these have little microphones in them," he said, pointing to it. "When Rikku and I go to Bevelle, she'll be wearing these and anyone who's standing within twenty yards of her will come through crystal clear on the monitor I have hooked up to the microphone's transponder. So when we go to Bevelle to bring him the bad news, you can be listening to every single thing he says."

I smiled. "I like it. When can we do it?"

"When I go back to work with Tidus tomorrow, we'll stop by his place before we start for the day and ask him. After we talk to him, we'll call you and give you the heads up. Sound good?" He asked, looking at Rikku and me.

"Yeah, I think it's a great idea," I said, getting up.

"Great, I'll ask him if he can come down here to do it. This is gonna be funny as hell," he said, putting the box with the earrings down on the kitchen counter and placing his hands behind his head. He stood like that for a few moments before letting his arms fall away from his head and looking at me solemnly. "I'm sorry, Paine. I never even thought that Lai had it in him to do something like this. I really hope that my plan helps you two, I really do. I don't want to see you guys split up."

I nodded at Gippal's words, feeling fresh tears come to my eyes. I was getting ready to utter my thanks when I heard Jordan start to cry from his place in the guestroom. Gippal flashed a smile at me and patted my shoulder before I went to comfort my son. I picked him up out of the bassinet and rocked him in my arms. He started to calm down once he saw me but that didn't last very long. He was probably hungry so I sat down and fed him for a while. Afterwards, I held him against my chest and lightly patted him on the back to help his food settle. I also took a few minutes to let a couple silent tears fall from my eyes. Once Jordan was content and my eyes were dry I left the guestroom and ventured back out into the living room.

Rikku was sitting at the dining room table drinking some coffee and Gippal was nowhere to be found. Rylee was sitting on the floor playing with some of her stuffed animals. Rikku looked at me and signaled for me to come sit down with her. I sat down heavily in the chair and set Jordan on my lap so he was facing my chest.

"So," Rikku began, twirling her cup around in her hands. "do you really think that Gippal's idea will work?"

"I don't know. It's not exactly what I would do but I want the best for Jordan," I replied, looking down at my son. "And I want him to be happy whether or not...Baralai and I are together."

"Don't worry," Rikku said, leaning forward and patting me on the arm. "I'm sure this will work. I know what you two were like when you first got married. You couldn't keep your hands off each other. I believe that he still loves you. He just needs to realize what he's doing is wrong."

I smiled. "Thanks, Rikku."

"No problem!" She said, sitting back. She smiled as she watched Jordan play with the studs on my leather top. "Paine, I can't get over how cute he is! You're so lucky!"

"Why?" I asked, as Jordan grabbed onto my fingers with his small hands. "You have a beautiful daughter."

"Yeah, I know," she said, looking over at Rylee as she sat on the living room floor. "But I've always wanted a little boy," she sighed, staring at Jordan.

"Well, maybe you and Gippal will get one someday," I said, bending down and letting Jordan pat my face with his hands.

"I hope so. No more babies for a while though. I'd like to spend more alone time with Rylee before I give her a sibling," Rikku said, getting up from the table. She put her cup in the sink then leaned against the counter top. "Well, I'm getting hungry. What do you want for dinner?" She asked, walking over to the cupboard and rummaging through it.

"Anything's fine," I said, rising from the table and setting Jordan on my hip.

"Okay," Rikku said, rummaging through the cupboard. She pulled out a box a few moments later. "Macaroni and cheese?"

"Sure," I said, shrugging a shoulder.

"Okay, I'll start some," she said, grabbing another box. "Why don't you go and see what Rylee's doing? Maybe she'll want to play with Jordan."

I nodded and walked into the living room. Rylee was still sitting on the floor playing with her stuffed animals. I walked around her and sat down on the couch, content to watch her play. She looked up at me after a few minutes and gazed at Jordan with her intelligent Al Bhed eyes. She smiled at him then grabbed a plush chocobo and came over to me.

She stared at Jordan for a few seconds more, almost like she was having a silent conversation with him before handing him the toy chocobo. At first, he didn't know what to think of it. He had different toys in his room back home. He looked up at me, asking me with his eyes what he should do. Rylee handed me the plushy instead and I held it in front of his face, shaking it from side to side. He stared at it with wide eyes before slowly reaching his small arms towards it and hugging it to his chest. He laughed at it then looked over at Rylee. She patted him on the head a few times before returning to the floor.

I sighed, feeling extremely insignificant. If Gippal's plan didn't work and Baralai continues to beat me then I would have no choice but to turn him in to the authorities. I would more than likely be fighting a losing battle but I would be damned if I let Jordan witness his father hitting me. I gave him a quick kiss on the forehead then set him on the floor next to Rylee to let him play with the plush chocobo before walking back into the kitchen.

Rikku looked back at me before reaching up into the cupboard to grab some bowls.

"Wow, done already?" I asked, taking the bowl she handed to me.

"Yep," she said, turning off the fire to the stove. "I've turned making mac and cheese into an art form. Rylee!" She called. A few seconds later, Rylee came into the kitchen and ran over to her mother who scooped her up off the floor.

"What, Mama?" She asked, playing with one of Rikku's many braids.

"Want some macaroni and cheese?"

"Yeah!" She said, her eyes glittering.

"Okay, take your bowl and go sit down with Aunty Paine," she said, turning back to the stove.

Rylee grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the table. "Sit next to me, Aunty Paine!" She exclaimed, hopping up onto a chair and setting her bowl down in front of her.

"Okay, hold on," I said, putting my bowl next to hers. "I have to get Jordan."

I picked Jordan up off the floor where he was still playing with Rylee's stuffed animals then walked back into the dining room. He protested loudly and I gave in, allowing him to bring the plush chocobo with him. Rikku brought the pot of macaroni over and set it on a hot pad in the middle of the table before sitting down herself. She handed me a spoon then began serving Rylee. I helped myself to a good portion and chewed thoughtfully, watching Rikku and her daughter interact. Jordan was still hanging on tightly to the plush chocobo and purposefully dropped it on the floor a few times then looked at me and pointed to it, wanting me to pick it up for him.

Once we were all finished eating Rikku and I sat down together on the couch while Rylee and Jordan played on the floor and tried to watch a little TV. The news reports were still full of my pictures with Baralai giving his 'I'm sorry' speech. Rikku could tell I was getting tired of it so she popped in a movie, which happened to one of Rylee's princess movies, but I enjoyed it much more than a depressing news broadcast.

Gippal came back in about half way through the movie and all three of us talked quietly until it was over. Jordan had fallen asleep on the floor so I gently picked him up and laid him down for the night. Rikku did the same for Rylee a few minutes later. Once both children were safely tucked into bed Gippal chose that moment to ask a few specifics about mine and Baralai's situation.

"Did he ever tell you why he hit you?" He asked, settling down on the couch and wrapping an arm around Rikku. I sat across from them in the arm chair.

I shook my head slowly, every time he hit me replaying over and over in my head. "No. He would beat me, pass out and act like nothing happened the next morning."

"He never hit Jordan did he?" Rikku asked, fear for my son in her voice.

"No, he never did. If he would have ever laid a hand on Jordan I probably would have killed him."

"Why did you never fight back?" Gippal asked, a confused look on his face.

I opened my mouth to speak but found myself at a loss for words. Why did I let him? I asked myself. Why did it take me so long to finally put my foot down? "I don't know, Gippal. I seriously don't know."

Around ten o'clock I said goodnight then went to grab some bedclothes out of my suitcase. I was rummaging around when I found a large black shirt that Baralai had given me after we were married. I raised it to my face and inhaled the scent of his cologne that was embedded into the threads. I had always loved the smell of his cologne. I sighed and put it on the bed then grabbed a pair of shorts and got undressed.

I lay down under the covers and snuggled into the sheets. After a few moments of hesitation, I lifted the shirt up to my nose and smelled the shirt again, reminiscing about happier times. A few more tears welled up from behind my eyes. I tried to stop them but my body wouldn't listen to me. I cried into the comforter until I was too exhausted to do anything else but sleep.