A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They always give me a burst of inspiration to write, but unfortunately, I've um. Been easily distracted and lazy and sad lately, and you can tell this chapter suffers because of it. Luckily, cupcakegirl beta'ed for me, but I really don't think I followed her suggestions right (winces). And I'll admit, I'm just tired of looking this chapter over. Hopefully, it won't be a painful experience for you guys to read this, and I sincerely apologize and accept all criticism if it is.

To Recap: Rikku, still upset about Gippal's comment, finally decides she has had enough and wants to leave. But on her way out, she stumbles upon his stack of envelopes and discovers that the Faction is in debt. Gippal wakes up in the middle of the night to find her sleeping next to him, and wonders if it's fair that he constantly makes assumptions about her based on her appearance.

Djose Days
Ch. 9: Levelled Lives

Rikku

I wake up first, finding myself buried underneath his weight, the scratchy feel of his unshaven jaw against my skin, his strong limbs perfectly caging me in, and I certainly don't feel cold anymore. Instead, there's a small smile on my lips, and I slowly wriggle out of his grasp, holding his head slightly as I move so it doesn't just suddenly drop on the ground.

When I'm finally able to sit up, I look back down at him, and I can't help but run my fingers through his puffy blonde bed-hair. It makes me giggle a bit because even in his sleep he looks like a jackass, that sort of snarl on his face and the way that he snores.

Suddenly I don't hate him as much as before. And I don't want to start a new life in Kilika anymore. I feel bad for him, and pity him for trying to put up such a strong front when really, it's only me around here that he's got to impress.

I understand now why I don't see many workers here, if any. That the crewmen I met last week are probably all he's able to keep. And I suddenly feel guilty for trying to steal from him earlier, the wallet and the pocket money. Because he's no better than me now; we're just two bankrupted Al Bhed. And that thought gives me a sort of confidence. That I can speak to him more boldly now. Now that we're on the same level.

I sigh and glance lazily around the room, piles of metal scraps here and there, lightning jumping up and down the stone walls as if in a losing battle to shock the temple back to life. And everything around here looks dead and broken. Given up and ready to be sold to the next world famous Al Bhed business man. But perhaps I can do something about it…

He stirs a little in his sleep and I smile. Suddenly wanting to crawl up against him and hide underneath his arms. Wanting to thank him for being in debt because I have a purpose now. And I can help him, and Pops will watch me bring a fallen faction back on its feet in supreme glory.

But I haven't decided yet if I will tell Gippal that I know about him and his situation. It'll be quite a blow to his ego. And besides, it'll be much more amusing to see to what lengths he'll go to try and keep up his front.

I eventually stand up, a tingly thrill bursting inside of me as a million thoughts fill my head of my future here at the temple. I'll clean up and suit up and work really hard today. Work really hard and he'll notice. He'll notice and maybe he'll thank me.

- - - - -

Gippal

After my days in the squad, I usually don't wake up because of explosions anymore. But today I do, and it's a bit more startling than I remember. The whole temple shaking as if a slight earthquake, and I scramble to my feet, immediately falling to my knees when my mind swerves from the sudden rush of blood and my side stings.

I stop for a moment to regain my composure, pulling up my shirt a bit and see a dark bruise around the place where I had fallen on Nooj yesterday. Groaning, I steadily stand up and walk in the direction I figure to be the source of the explosion, clutching my side.

I find none other than Rikku, covered in grease and grime from head to toe, her hair fried like a mad scientist underneath her helmet, and she's coughing in the midst of the smoke. Her uniform showing signs of burns, overalls nearly falling apart, but there's a look of determination in her eyes. The way she gets right back up and jumps straight into the large machine, eagerly throwing pieces out and screwing new ones into place.

She doesn't notice me, and I don't try to make myself noticed either. If she thinks she can fix that piece of junk without anybody's help, then fine. If she thinks she's a better mechanic than me, then whatever. It's always a competition with her no matter what we do, and I'm tired of getting into arguments with her about it.

I head back out to the main room and gather up the comforter, throwing it on a nearby bench to wash later. I then head upstairs to my room for a quick shower, wondering if I'll hear her explosions even under the spray of water.

- - - - -

Rikku

I glance at the clock on the wall, realizing with a start that it's almost 4 in the afternoon, and I've been working on this thing on my own for nearly seven hours now without anything to eat. I pause for a moment to feel my stomach, listening for a grumble or strange noise. Waiting for hunger pains to arise but nothing happens. I guess I've grown used to not eating much.

But I feel a bit woozy, that I'll admit, but not that woozy that I need a break. I still have tons of energy left, and it's hard to stop working on a project when you know you're so close to being finished.

In truth, I hadn't even known what I was doing when I first started. The machina looked like it was an ancient war machina, and quite a powerful one at that. And yet, somehow I've managed to turn it into a walking transport vehicle. I say 'walking' because it doesn't ride smoothly like a normal hover would, and instead uses its arms and legs to 'walk' to its destination, giving it the advantage of being able to scale large heights. The only problem with it is that it occasionally stops working, and I can only hope it won't take another seven hours to figure out why.

- - - - -

Gippal

I take out about 4000 gil from my safe, the money from Rikku's sale yesterday, and put it in my pants' pocket. I plan to buy some new tools, and perhaps ask around if anybody needs an immediate hover check-up or repair. The thought of going into town and leaving Rikku behind doesn't bother me. She hasn't even tried to look for me all morning and I doubt a few hours will change anything.

I decide that I should probably do a bit of grocery shopping while I'm in town. Perhaps this time, we'll try beef-flavoured noodle soup. The crew's getting tired of the vegetarian one. And maybe I'll stop by Tye's and pay him for last month's order at the least.

I pull on my gloves and make a slow fist to stretch out the fabric. Smoothing down my clothes and checking my hair. It's been a while since I've gone into town on my hover, and it feels sort of nice to leave the temple – even if it's just for a little while.

- - - - -

Rikku

My tongue is all the way out to the side of my mouth now, and my teeth biting down on it as I peer with one eye to precisely melt the assembly into place. I pull back with an enormous sigh of relief and rush of pride when it's complete, and I step away to take in the beauty of it all.

I take off my helmet and shake some air into my hair. My head moist and gross with sweat and grime. I take off the rubber gloves and lay them next to my helmet on the ground, unbuckling a strap of the overalls to help cool at least a part of my body.

I wonder if I should inform Gippal of the machina's total restoration, done independently and wonderfully well by me. But I'm unsure of his reaction, and I'm not going to make the same mistake of assuming he'll praise me.

I head to the washroom and dip my head into the sink, rinsing my hair with the water from the facet, actually appreciating the fact that it's icy cold. But when I flip my head back up, I suddenly fall back against the wall, the room spinning and I feel as if I'm going to throw up. I don't though, but I feel like it. And it's not a very pleasant sensation especially when I know I've got nothing in my stomach to throw up.

After blinking the dizziness out of my mind a few times, I return to the sink and clean my face, wiping it with tissues and grimacing when I notice how black the tissue becomes. I finally leave the bathroom and decide that I should probably say something to Gippal; I haven't spoken to him all morning and I think – oh, just maybe! – he'll be impressed with what I've done. I know I would, if I were him, and in charge of a totally broke faction.

When I reach the main room, I'm startled to see two Al Bhed men standing in the center, amused by the crazy, convulsing machina in front of them, spontaneously dying and reviving it self every few seconds.

I quickly comb my fingers through my hair and smooth it down around my neck. This is my chance I think, and I might as well try to sell the walking hover machina I just fixed. I'm sure Gippal'd rather see money than new and improved machina anyway.

I clear my throat and lean my head to the side cutely. "Hey, would you two fine gentlemen be interested in a new hover?"

They look up, pausing slightly before nodding and smiling, and that's when I know I've got them wrapped around my finger.

- - - - -

Gippal

By evening, I've finished all my errands: I've paid Tye for the two assemblies I bought from him the other month, went elsewhere to buy a used chainsaw that is still in fairly good condition, and got a new box of beef-flavoured cup-of-noodles from the local supermarket.

I end up having just about 40 gil left over, and then 240 gil when I run into a man and his broken hover. I'm tempted to spend the money on a decent dinner at a modest restaurant, but then feel stupid because I could've just had a free one from Rikku the other day. And instead, I dumped it in the trash without a second thought.

I'm about to leave, the streetlights starting to come on and shops pulling out their 'Closed' signs, when I pass by a small boutique and my gaze stops on a blonde, frizzle haired mannequin. I smile a bit because it reminds me of a certain explosion this morning – the mad scientist hair and all. Except, instead of a crisply burnt pair of overalls, the mannequin is wearing a smooth, knee-length summer dress. A sky-blue one, with small, white flower patterns on the side, and spaghetti straps that hang the front of the dress just low enough to reveal a hint of cleavage. It's sexy and sweet at the same time, and I decide to park my hover for a bit to look inside.

The wind-chimes ring when I enter, the shopkeeper looking up from her spot behind the counter and raising her eyebrow upon seeing me. I suddenly feel uncomfortable, noticing the few women in the store and I'm the only male. So I turn away and pretend that I'd stepped into the wrong shop and was actually looking for a manly, gritty, hardware store, when the shopkeeper calls out, "Can I help you with anything?"

She's pretty – not fantastically drop dead gorgeous or anything, but she's pretty. And that makes me stay a little while longer, my eye looking back to the window at the blue summer dress. I point to it. "How much can you give me for that?"

She smiles politely. "500 gil."

I shake my head instantly, blurting out, "That's too much."

"Not really," she replies, stepping out and walking toward me. "It came all the way from Besaid, and there's a necklace that goes with it." She smiles again when she's beside me, her hand on my arm and running down lightly. "But since you're cute, I guess I can give it to you for 450 gil."

I don't have 450 gil, and I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay even 10 gil for an item that'll be of no use to me or the Faction. "How about 90 gil?"

She laughs wholeheartedly, placing a hand to her chest and forcing out an amused smile, as the rest of the shop turns to look at us. "I think that's a bit ridiculous, sir." Then, she adds in a low hiss, "That's over 80 percent off."

I smile back instead, as charmingly as I can, touching her hand gently. "It's for my mother, you see. She's sick – almost dead, really. And as her dying wish, she asked me to buy her this dress. Besides-" I run my thumb along the edges of her face. "I'm sure I'm not costing you your business; a pretty face like yours must attract men like me into the shop everyday."

She bites her lip, glancing down, flushed. "I'm sorry, for your mother and all. But the lowest price I can give you for that dress is 400. Really, I – I can't go a gil lower than that."

I pull her close to my ear, brushing my mouth just past her cheeks and whisper, "How about, 240 gil – that way, I'll still have enough to take you out to dinner, yeah?"

Her eyes grow wide with excitement but she tones it down quickly, shaking her head shyly. "I-I can't… I'm sorry. But-" She glances down with flushed cheeks. "-I'll um, take you up on that dinner offer though. I – I can even pay too if you want."

I step back, releasing her. Scoffing a little and turning around to head out the door, mumbling, "Forget it." Because I feel cheap, stooping down and doing exactly what Rikku does to get something I want – and I don't even want it. It's just a stupid dress anyway.

When I'm out the door, I head back to my hover and warm up the engine. But while I wait, my gaze eventually falls back on the blue dress in the window and suddenly I feel an overwhelming sense of… frustration. It's a stupid dress and an ugly dress, and I don't even know why I want it. For an annoying brat and her annoying habits, and blue looks terrible on her anyway.

But I realize after a while that maybe my problem isn't why I want to get the dress. Instead, maybe it's because even if I did want to get it, I can't afford it anyway.

- - - - -

Rikku

My fingers are trembling as I put the money down on his nightstand, my stomach really twisting into a knot now and I have to bend over as I walk. Luckily it started hurting after I'd demonstrated to the men how the walking hover worked, and had managed to convince them to buy it for a hefty 9999 gil (I promised them a full year guarantee and personalized repairs done by myself if it breaks down).

I don't know why it started hurting – one moment I was all giddy and excited as I counted the money, and the next I was gripping onto the staircase to stop myself from collapsing in pain. My headache returned as well – not that it ever left, but it has increased within the last half hour to the point where I don't even want to turn my head to the side because it'll make me dizzy.

Suddenly, my hand clamps over my mouth as I feel an upsurge of something headed up my throat and I impulsively swallow it down with a grimace. Not liking the feeling at all. Spotting his personal bathroom off to the side of his room, I walk toward it. Maybe I'll just splash some cool water on my face and wake myself up from my headache. And then go downstairs to the kitchen to grab something to eat so I can calm my stomach down before going once more around the temple to look for him. I had already tried the last couple of minutes but he was no where in sight, so I decided to leave the money in his room for the time being, where he's sure to see it and wonder about it and think about me.

But two seconds later, I'm gripping onto the sides of his toilet, violently hurling out mouthful after mouthful of stomach acid and bits of yesterday's meal. Down on my knees and my knuckles turning white as each heave leaves my head sinking lower and lower, and my feeling of independence goes down with it. That I can't take care of myself, and I can't do things on my own. That I'm always gonna need somebody to watch over me and tell me what to do. And as I try to get my father's all-knowing glare out of my head, I silently beg that Gippal doesn't find me like this.

- - - - -

Gippal

The ride home isn't as thrilling as the ride into town. Going back to the temple and knowing that I'll probably shower and then sleep because my crew's not coming back until Friday, and I'm getting tired of fixing things that just end up being a waste of time anyway.

I start to wonder how my life would be different if I sell the Faction and take my money and go to Kilika – instead of Luca – with Ma and Pa and… I don't know, fish or something for the rest of my life. I can catch the fish and Ma can make 10 different meals with it and Pa can complain about it being too salty or undercooked. It'd be like a family thing, and at least I'll never regret not spending enough time with them. And who knows, maybe I'll get back in touch with Selyna there. And we can start our own fishing company and make loads of cash and –

Selyna's a vegetarian. Right. Forget that idea. Maybe we'll grow vegetables instead, Selyna and me. We can buy a plot of land with the money I get from Tye and plant seeds and grow cabbages. Then, we'll sell the cabbage. Perhaps, even make cabbage soup or cabbage pie and sell that as well. And I'll build us a house right in the middle of it all where our kids can grow up and we'll home-school them so it's like, a family thing and –

I feel stupid, thinking about such things. Things that I never cared about or gave a second thought to when I was in my early years as the Machine Faction leader and just having fun with it. Never thought about settling down with a family and wife and kids, and it's just weird. Just weird to be suddenly thinking about it now. But when you've lived nearly a year in debt and watching your Faction slowly crumble under your command, it helps to think about something else you can have. Something new you can hold on to, take care of, and not screw up.

- - - - -

Rikku

I wipe my mouth one last time before throwing the paper towel into the garbage, feeling much less nauseous but much more tired. As if my seven hours of working has finally caught up to me all at once, and I feel like collapsing into a bed right now.

I slowly walk out of the bathroom, turning off the light and wander through the darkness for a bit before reaching the hallway and heading back downstairs to my room. I decide I'll take a shower first at least, try that new shampoo I bought with the apple smell before hitting the bed.

The temple is quiet and I now think that Gippal's left a while ago, and just didn't bother telling me. Or maybe he did tell me, but I hadn't heard because I was working on the machina. In either case, he's not here now. Which is a good thing, because I don't want him seeing me all pale and sickly. I don't want him seeing me all weak and useless.

- - - - -

Gippal

The temple doors are open when I step in, as they always are, and I unload everything off the hover, carrying it inside. I take the box of noodles into the kitchen and the chainsaw into one of the workrooms, listening but not hearing any hammers or drills. Instead, the soft sound of falling water assures me Rikku's in the bathroom.

I make my way upstairs because a shower seems like a good idea now too, and there'll probably be no more customers coming by for the rest of the night anyway.

I reach my bedroom and feel along the wall for the light switch, turning it on and lazily walking over to my drawer to grab my things. But as I head toward the bathroom, my eye catches sight of a stack – a stack – of money sitting innocently on my nightstand.

I numb.

I have to blink a few times and glance away, very slowly bringing back my gaze to see if it's still, actually, truly, realistically, there. And it is. A stack of money in my bedroom. A stack that was not there before but is now, and the only way I can think that it got there is… Rikku. She must've sold something.

I suddenly feel angered at that thought, angered that she hadn't consulted with me first because it's my Faction after all and I'm the one in charge. And I feel like going downstairs and checking if there's a butt-naked male customer in her bedroom, and then kicking his sorry ass out of the temple because the Machine Faction doesn't do business like that.

But then, there's the money. And I roughly count around 10000 gil. That means in two days, she's made me nearly 15000 gil. 15000. That's more than my Faction has seen in the past month. And if she keeps this up, I can pay off my debts in a matter of weeks. I can go to the conference without worrying about people shoving cameras into my face, speculating of my Faction's finances. I can be debt-free and not have to live in a hut on a farm in Kilika. Thanks to this one-woman show.

I sigh, sitting on the edge of my bed and weighing the stack in my hand. Thinking about the last time she surprised me with a crazy sale like this, and how I responded. Realizing for the first time now, that as much as I hate to admit it, I'm lucky to have her on my side.

- - - - -

Rikku

I pull my T-shirt over my head, frowning when I look in the mirror and my face still seems tired and sickly, even after my shower. But at least I feel a little bit better now. Although, quite cold, and I'm forced to rub my hands up and down my arms, trying to restore some warmth as I step out of the bathroom.

I start toward the kitchen, deciding that no matter whether or not I'm going to end up vomiting it out later, I should get something solid into my stomach. Whether that be something junky or stale or tasteless.

I hear footsteps in front of me and I look up, jumping slightly when I see Gippal's figure coming out of the shadows and walking toward me, and I guess he must've just gotten back – and ooh did he see the money yet? And ooh – please don't yell at me. Please be happy.

He walks past me and I stare after him, watching as he makes his way to my room and opens the door, peeking inside. After a moment, he closes it and turns to look at me, a sort of conflicting expression on his face, as if he's struggling to smile. And it sort of scares me a little.

We hadn't seen each other all morning, and last night we were just fighting. And I don't know what to say because if he's seen the money and he's happy then we're not fighting anymore? And if he's seen the money and he's going to insult me again then we're SO gonna have a talk about who's better than who exactly around here. And if he hasn't seen the money and still thinks I'm furious with him then –

All thoughts stop when I'm suddenly thrown into the air, and he's spinning me around and around, laughing wildly into my navel and I bend over, ticklish. His arms tightly and securely holding me, my legs wrapped around his torso to steady myself until he suddenly drops me, and my feet are back on the ground, my mind beginning to get woozy again.

But he doesn't realize, and he simply grins at me before chuckling lightly, making me laugh slightly too. And my breathing's a bit quick because all of this is making me desperately hopeful, because does this mean what I think it means?

"Thanks, Kid," he says, staring at me briefly, making me redden a little under his gaze, before he leans his head to the side and presses his mouth against mine. His hands firmly resting on my waist, grounding me so I don't trip.

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