Many Apologies for the short chapter length, but this scene and the next didn't flow very well together. So I cut it here instead. That said, enjoy!

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Dirty Deeds

Chapter Five: Sheer Terror

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If the workers wondered why Gippal was lying in the middle of the walkway when they came in the next morning, they didn't ask.

They had all learned long ago that their leader was, put mildly, not normal.

Sure, he was good at leading. A fair employer and, contrary to popular belief, a hard worker. But there was something about the man that just wasn't right.

So, knowing this, they merely stepped over or around him to get inside. Good leader he might've been. Early riser? Not a chance in hell.

It wasn't until they reached their workshop that they realized just how off their leader truly was.

Because smack in the middle of a pile of half assembled machina, was a cot with a man on it.

One man squinted slightly at the still sleeping man that was currently occupying his workspace, "Is that Dachi?"

Another man answered, "Looks like him to me. There aren't too many Al Bhed with a tan that deep."

The first man nodded, obviously even more puzzled now. What in Spira's name was one of the Gullwings doing here?

Surely he could've found a better place to sleep than this?

It wasn't until five minutes later, when a bouncing blonde Al Bhed girl waltzed her way into the room that they figured it all out.

"Rikku!" Four or five of the workers called out in unison, which of course, just make Rikku bounce around even more merrily.

The first man walked up to her then, his smile bright. "Rikku! It's been ages!"

She nodded, "It has, Odoc. How've you been?"

"I've been well!" He exclaimed merrily, "Thinking of retiring soon." The men in the room all shared a merry laugh. Odoc was 62 years old, and had been a mechanic for his entire life. He would probably die with a wrench in his hand. Every soul in the room knew that he had no intention of retiring.

He merely shot them all a withering glare, "Now tell me, how is your family?"

"You know Pops, he never changes and he never sits still. And Anikki, well.. Anikki is Anikki." She answered, truthfully.

Odoc smiled again and clapped her lightly on the back, "Tell me, do you have any idea why there is a member of your crew asleep in the middle of our machina?"

She shook her head and gave a small laugh, "I'm assuming this is where Gippal put him." At their looks of confusion, she continued, "Dachi and I have been dating for a little while now. I guess Gippal didn't want us too close together."

Several of the men nodded that they understood. A couple sent questioning looks to one another. One or two even shot the still sleeping Dachi a murderous glare.

"Walk with me a moment, Rikku." Odoc's eyes landed firmly on her, and she knew she had some explaining to do.

She nodded in agreement before gesturing to another worker. "Don't be afraid to wake Dachi and tell him to get out of your way. Lazy bum should be up by now anyway." She didn't wait for a reply as she walked to the doorway where the older Al Bhed male stood waiting.

Once they were down the hallway, and suitably out of earshot, Odoc turned to look at her, his green eyes questioning, "Have you lost your mind?"

She merely blinked. Whatever she had been expecting, a questioning of her sanity definitely wasn't part of it.

"Because if you've gone insane, I could completely see why you would bring another man here. If you haven't, then I have to know what in the hell were you thinking?"

"I can't wait forever." She replied simply.

Odoc clucked his tongue at her, "I know he's hard-headed. But that boy loves you more than I ever even knew was possible."

Rikku looked slightly taken-aback, "How could you possibly know that?"

"He's my son, Rikku. There isn't much that he can keep from me."

She remained silent, so he continued on, "And you're like a daughter to me. There isn't much you can keep from me either."

She glanced up at him then, her gaze full of guilt, "I've been using Dachi to make Gippal jealous." She began before dropping her gaze back down to the carpet, "I didn't know what else to do, Odoc. Everytime I come here he's got another girl hanging off of him. Just once I wanted to see how he would react if the tables were turned."

Odoc nodded, "I understand. But using an innocent man to make another man jealous isn't exactly a fair thing to do.."

"Oh no, no no.. It's nothing like that. Dachi and I worked out an arrangement. I could never just use someone like that."

The man looked relieved, to say the least, "Tell me then, is this plan of yours working?"

"I don't know. I thought it was, and then last night.. Last night he just seemed more concerned with whether or not Dachi and I were.. you know."

Odoc gave a hearty laugh, "He's hopeless. Utterly and completely hopeless."

"Tell me about it."

"Well then, allow me to lend you my assistance, as your future father in law."

Rikku's eyes widened, "You aren't going to tell him?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No! I just thought.."

"You remind me so much of my Reina. I think, if she were still with us, that she would've wanted me to help you. She loved you very much, Rikku. She always thought that you were the perfect match for our son."

The girl didn't even bother trying to blink back her tears, "I miss her too, Odoc. She was always so nice to me."

He chuckled a bit, "Funny, because I don't think she was ever nice to me." His face took on a far away look for a moment, before he blinked it away, "But I wouldn't have changed her for all the Gil in the world."

She groaned and placed her head in her hand, "Is it so wrong of me to wish for something like that?"

"Something like what, kid?"

Rikku and Odoc's heads snapped around toward the voice, "Gippal!" They both exclaimed in unison.

Gippal quirked an eyebrow at them, "That's me."

"How long have you been there?" His father questioned. Gippal's eyebrow shot up even further that it had previously been.

"About ten seconds? Maybe fifteen." He answered, confusion escalating even more when he saw Rikku give a sigh of relief.

"Ah, well then, I guess I'll be going." Gippal noted with a grimace that she addressed only his dad. As a matter of fact, she never even looked at him as she walked past.

So lost in thought was he that he didn't even realize he had been staring after her until his father spoke up, "She loves you, you know."

The younger man snorted, "What makes you think I care?"

"You're still staring."

"Yeah well, she's got a nice ass." It might've been crude, but at that moment, it was the best he could come up with.

"She does," Odoc agreed, laughing off the irritated frown Gippal shot at him. "What? I'm merely stating a fact."

"Right. No offense, old man. But I don't think she'd give you the time of day."

"Probably not. But judging from the fact that she just walked back into my workshop, where her boyfriend is currently sleeping, I'd say that she's not exactly giving you any either."

Gippal wasn't sure whether he should laugh or be offended at the statement.

He chose to do neither.

"I honestly don't know why you're so scared of her." Odoc added after a moment. He noticed with a small grin that Gippal's eye still hadn't left the door the girl in question had disappeared through.

"She's sheer terror in a five foot two inch package, Dad."

Odoc honestly couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "That's not all she's got wrapped up in that package."

Gippal crinkled his nose a bit, "Dad, seriously. You're old. Stop with the innuendo."

"Funny, it never seemed to bother you before which girls I hit on."

"It doesn't bother me now. It's just creepy, that's all."

"Fine, fine. I think I'll just go pop my head in and see what kind of china they want for their wedding. Oooooh, or maybe I can offer to make their first child's cradle!"

Gippal visibly blanched. "Wedding? First child? Where the hell are you getting your information at, old man?"

"Well, I just assumed, I suppose. Usually when two people fall in love it's safe to assume that marriage and children aren't far behind."

"You just said, not even two minutes ago, that she loved me!"

Odoc couldn't contain the chuckle that slipped out, "She does. But you know that as well as I do."

"You clearly weren't around to see me make an ass of myself yesterday."

"Son, you make an ass of yourself everyday."

Gippal snorted again, but didn't even bother trying to deny it, "Do you think she's sleeping with him?"

"It's none of my business," He returned Gippal's glare with one of his own, "And honestly, it's none of yours either."

The younger man opened his mouth to respond, but was quickly silenced by a wave of his father's hand, "If you intend to make it your business, however, then I suggest you do so quickly. She's eighteen years old, Gippal. She's got her entire life ahead of her. And if you don't do something about it soon, she's going to move on and spend that life without you."

"What makes you think she hasn't moved on already?"

"I don't think she was wearing that skirt to impress me, boy."

Gippal was silent a moment, as if letting the information sink in. He gave his father a small smile before casting one final glance toward the doorway she had disappeared into, "And damn, what a skirt it is."

His father merely nodded in agreement.

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Huge thanks to everyone who's stuck around this far. You guys are all awesome. Cookies for everyone

Chante