AN: Okay I'm back. Sorry this chapter took so long. I've been very slack and kinda busy with school stuff. I've actually had this chapter written for a while but hadn't got around to typing it. Anyway, I know none of you really want to listen to my excuses, you want to read the story so …

Thanks to all my reviewers.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me

Chapter 3: Running away

"Will you marry me?" Noah asked hoping that the reason why Rikku hadn't answered was just that she hadn't heard him. Rikku looked at him in shock and tried to stop her panicky heart racing so that she could form the negative response that she wanted. Noah was obviously feeling uncomfortable at this point and started to babble to fill in the awkward silence.

"I know that you're going to be busy and taking on the leadership of the Al Bhed people but I want you to know that I'll support you fully in this. I want what's best for our people and I'm sure you feel the same way." He smiled and stroked her hand but Rikku felt repulsed. Those two faced lying PYCDYNTC. Her Pops had to be in on this as well. That was what the whole, "you have to start thinking about your people" thing was for. Now how could she say no to Noah. It would be doing the right thing by her people, he was wealthy, handsome and was good at speeches and public appearances. He was all the things that a girl should look for in a man. But he wasn't Gippal. That and it seemed he was a manipulative gold digger, or maybe that was just Rikku twisting the situation in her imagination.

Rikku glanced around the room for a way out. She started when she saw Gippal sitting across from her. When had he gotten there? But she threw him a pleading look and he stood and left the restaurant. Hopefully he knew what he was doing. Rikku looked back at Noah and realised that she needed to say something.

"I . . . don't know what to say. It's all so sudden." She said smiling and Noah seemed to relax, as if he knew the answer was going to be a yes. 'Hurry up Gippal' Rikku thought as she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. As if on cue her phone began to ring. She shook her head and smiled apologetically at Noah who sighed and nodded.

"Hello" Rikku answered the phone. She knew who was going to be on the other end and was promptly reassured by the familiar "Hey Cid's Girl."

"Oh hi Yunie, what's up?" Rikku said and she could almost hear Gippal scowling at the need to pretend.

"Whatever Cid's Girl you know you want me." He said and she knew he was smirking somewhere across the street.

"An Emergency? Alright I'll be there straight away." Rikku said and hung up the phone. She turned her attention back to Noah who was scowling. "I'm so sorry. I've got to go. Maybe we can continue this some other time. Cya round."

Noah opened his mouth to say something but Rikku was already gone, almost running from the restaurant and across the street where Gippal was waiting.

"Hey Ri." He said and they hurried away from the restaurant. "So what's up?"

"Noah asked me to marry him." Rikku said quietly and Gippal wrapped an arm around her possessively and let out what may have been a growl. "I panicked. I don't want to marry him Gip. But Pops made it perfectly clear that I had to do what was in the best interest of the Al Bhed and Noah would be good for the future."

"Why didn't you say yes then?" Gippal asked bitterly. Rikku turned to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Cos I'm completely in love with you is all." She said and moved to continue walking but Gippal had other plans. He pulled her close to him and kissed her. His mouth pressed hard against hers. It wasn't a soft kiss, it was hard and desperate. Rikku kissed him back, at that moment not caring who saw them. But eventually they returned to their senses. They couldn't do this. Not here. Rikku broke away first.

"Come on. Let's get back to Djose." She said.

"Won't Yuna and the rest of the Gullwings wonder where you are?" Gippal asked. He'd remembered the need for secrecy once more and he was scowling.

"Stuff them. They can think I went and stayed with Noah. I'll deal with them when I have to." She said and ran up the rest of the steps to the Mihen high road.

The Mihen Highroad was deserted at this time of night, but the stars were out and there was a full moon. Rikku leant against Gippal as they walked. There was almost something magical about this moment.

"So what are we going to do?" Gippal asked Rikku finally and Rikku smiled wrapping her arm tightly around his waist.

"I don't know. I don't want to marry him, hell I don't even want to become leader. But pops made it pretty clear that he wanted me to be Leader after him. Well it's not as if there's much choice. No one wants Brother to be leader. But I'm only 18 for Spira's sake. I don't want or need that responsibility. I want time to sort out my own wants and needs before I have to start thinking about an entire race. Its not as if we're in constant danger anymore thanks to Yunie. Pops isn't likely to be killed in a raid by Sin anymore and there are no other world threats hanging over our heads, to my knowledge anyway. Why is he hurrying things through, forcing me to do things I don't want to do?"

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do." Gippal muttered and kissed her neck. She laughed and hugged him tightly. They had almost reached Mushroom Rock Road. Gippal laughed and swung Rikku around in the air.

"Agh Gippal put me down." She screamed, but she was laughing. Gippal slowly brought her back down and wrapped his arms around her. He tilted her head and kissed her, lightly.

"I love you Gippal," Rikku whispered in his ears as she broke away from the kiss.

"Really?" Gippal asked in disbelief. Rikku nodded and he grinned. Rikku soon found herself being spun around again, before being pulled into a tight hug.

"I love you to Ri, more than anything." Gippal said and Rikku tightened her grip around him. She felt so safe and everything in the world seemed perfect. She smiled up at Gippal.

"Even more than your machine faction?" She teased. He smiled and kissed her lightly. She pouted when he drew away quickly and he laughed.

"Even more than the Faction." He promised. They walked on in silence along the moonlit road. Surprisingly there were no fiend encounters. Almost as if all the fiends had gone on holiday. The two Al Bheds were to distracted to notice anything anyway, so it was a good thing that there were no fiends that night as there may not have been a continuation of this story. Finally they reached Djose temple, the thunder lighting up the sky.

"So . . . What do we do now?" Gippal asked as he sat down on his bed. Rikku sighed and leaned against him.

"I don't know, Gip I really don't. Sometimes I wish that everything else would just disappear and then we could stay together. I'm spending half my time being dragged around Spira by Yunie and the rest of the time going on dates arranged for me with guys I barely know. There's no time to do what I want, and that's to spend time with you." Rikku pouted and Gippal smirked. She was adorable when she was pouting.

"Yeah life sucks sometimes." Gippal said and sighed. "I've been thinking about what you said last night, you know. And I was wondering, if we really could run away to somewhere, go somewhere no one would expect and no one knows about, would you? Would you leave all you have and come with me?" Even though it was dark and Gippal's face was in shadow, Rikku could feel his eye gazing intensely into her own.

"Yes." She whispered after a moments hesitation. "I'd come with you."

"Then lets do it." Gippal said, his face beaming.

"What? How?" Rikku looked at him in confusion and then laughed. "Come off it Gip. We're two of the most recognised people in Spira, especially with your eye patch. Where are we going to go?"

"Bevelle." He stated simply. "The eye patch can be removed and if we wear goggles and dress more traditionally" Here he paused and looked Rikku up and down. "Then no one would know that we weren't just another pair of Al bheds. Especially since recently more and more Al Bheds have been moving to Bevelle to try and eradicate the old belief system."

"Yeah but why Bevelle?" Rikku asked, turning the plan over and over inside her head. If they were careful, it could work.

"Because no one would expect it. Besides I already have a house there which no one knows about." Rikku raised a questioning eye brow. "What! Someone age ago asked me if I wanted it and I thought it might come in useful as a holiday house, except as leader Machine Faction I never got a holiday. So it's just sat there. We could go live there if you want."

"You mean it? Of course I'll come." Rikku sqealed and laughed as Gippal planted butterfly kisses down her neck.

"Do you need anything from the Celsius?"

Rikku shook her head and changed into her alchemist dress sphere, pulling the goggles over her eyes. "I can get a new wardrobe later." She said and Gippal nodded. Both of them had stored away quite a large sum of money.

"I need to get some stuff together." He stood up, pulling a suitcase out from under the bed. He started to throw clothes into it at random.

"Hey Gip. You need to take off your eye patch." Rikku muttered. Gippal paused and squirmed uncomfortably. He'd gotten so used to having the thing on, he didn't know if he could take it off. And what would Rikku think. Would it repulse her? He didn't want to take it off. But Rikku was already there, undoing the clasp that held the eye patch in place. As she pulled it off, Gippal closed his eyes so that she wouldn't see. There was silence in the room. Gippal slowly opened his eyes to find Rikku staring at him.

Rikku couldn't help it. His normal green eye was the same as before, but his other eye,l wasn't even the same colour. It was bright blue instead and there was a scar running through the middle of it. It actually made him look more handsome, but it also looked slightly painful.

"I know you love me Cid's girl, but can you please stop staring at my eye? It's making it difficult to pack.

"Not Cid's girl anymore." Rikku commented with a teasing smile. She did however look away from his eye.

"Yep you're my girl now, and don't you forget it." Gippal said before launching a sneak tickle attack. Rikku screamed and tried to push him off in between convulsions of giggles. Gippal continued only for a moment before he rolled off her.

"Sayhea" Rikku said in mock anger. Gippal just laughed and went back to his packing. Finally he closed the suitcase with a sigh of relief. You wouldn't think that running away needed so much packing. People in movies make it look so easy.

"We good to go?" Rikku asked.

"Yep all good." Gippal asked giving his room one more glance. "You still want to do this?"

"You bet!" Rikku was excited and bouncy once more. "Let's go!"

AN: There you have it, kinda short I know. The next chapter won't be up for at least the next couple of weeks, cos I've actually got to study for exams, but it should be up sometime in my holidays.

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