Paine opened her crimson eyes slowly the next morning and groaned her whole left side hurt and the sunlight only made things worse by hurting her eyes so she slowly closed them again. Yuna hear Paine groan and opened her eyes. "Paine?" A heavy sigh escaped her lips when she saw her lovers eyes were shut. "Why did I expect you to have your eyes open? Oh Paine I love you so much." Yuna sighed and laid her head back down on Paine's chest.
"I love you too Yuna." Paine's voice was rhaspy as she spoke.
Yuna's eyes opened wide and she rested herself on her left elbow. The smile on her lips slowly fadeing when she saw her lovers crimson eyes still closed. Yuna started to lay down when she felt Paine's arms wrap around her. "Paine!" Yuna threw herself on to Paine and burried her face in her neck and cried. Paine smiled a bit and rubbed Yuna's back as she cried.
Synde, Rikku and Raven heard Yuna yell and went running into Paine's cabin. Rikku was the first one in and stopped seeing the site before. Rikku turned and face the other two. "Its all good Paine's awake."
Synde put her hand on Raven's shoulder and smiled softly. "I told you she would be ok hun. Go to her, she still has one shoulder open."
Raven nodded and walked slowly to her daughters bed. She stood there for a moment and saw the love between her daughter and the high summoner. "should we leave you two alone for awhile?"
Yuna stopped crying and looked up at Raven and smiled sofly standing up. "No Raven we'll leave you two alone. I know you two haven't been on the best of terms so we'll leave you two alone. Come meet us at the bar we'll have some breakfast." Yuna kissed Paine softly and walked over to her cousin and smiled before hugging her mother tightly. "Thank you so much."
Synde smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Thats what mothers are for right." Synde looked at Raven and nodded. "Make peace with her." At that Rikku, Yuna, and Synde left the room.
Raven looked at Paine and sat at the end of the bed and spoke softly. "I know saying I'm sorry won't make things right but I'm kind of hopeing it will help."
Paine groaned as she sat up and looked at her mother, a soft expression on her face, and spoke softly. "It does a little Raven." Paine sighed a bit and furrowed her brow in pain. "What do you say we go get something to eat huh?"
Raven smiled. "Yea that sounds good." The two girls stood and Raven quickly put her arm around Paine's waist to help hold her up. Paine looked at her mother and smiled softly and put her arm over Raven's shoulder and the two walked into the main cabin.
Rikku was kissing on Gipples neck when Paine and Raven walked in. A wide smile crossed Rikku's lips. "Paine!" Rikku went running towards them and fell on her butt whan she ran into Yuna. Yuna coughed a bit from the impact of Rikku's face into her chest. "Yunie?.!" Rikku sat there rubbing her butt a slight pink huge to her cheeks from haveing ran her face into her cousins cleaveage.
Yuna sighed and shook her head. "Rikku look at her Raven is holding her up. A Rikku pounce is the last thing she needs. By all means walk over there and hug just no pouncing ok?" Yuna extended her hand to her cousin to help her up.
Rikku took Yuna's hand and stood. "You're right I never noticed Raven was holding her up." Rikku smiled and walked over to Paine and hugged her.
Paine smiled a bit and hugged Rikku back. "Do me a favor wait till I recover from this before you give me a heartattack ok?"
Rikku giggled. "You bet. I'm sorry though I didn't see Raven holding you up."
Paine nodded. "Don't sweat it Rikku." Paine smiled softly when Yuna walked over. "Thank you for running interferance Yuna."
Yuna giggled. "Not a problem. You owe me though."
Paine nodded. "Whatever you say Yuna." Paine let go of Raven and walked towards the bar. "I seriously need some coffee." Paine sat down on one of the benches at the bar and Barkeep poured her a cup of coffee. Paine offered him a nod and a soft smile. "Thanks."
Yuna sat down next to Paine and set her hand on Paine's left thigh and smiled at her softly. "So how do you feel?"
Paine chuckled. "Like a Shoopuff run me over."
Rikku and Yuna both laughed. "That bad huh babe."
Paine nodded. "Yes that bad. It hurt less being shot."
Gipple shook his head. "Sorry girls no time to recover got a sphear to claim in Mushroom Rock, the good old Den of Woe."
Paine sighed. "Its gonna be a long day."
The girls got off the airship and headed towards the Den of Woe. Paine dreaded each and every step she took towards it. Raven noted the look on her daughters face. "Are you sure your up for this?"
Paine looked over at her mother and nodded. "Yea, there's just not alot of happy memories involving the Den of Woe."
Raven nodded. "I see."
The five girls finally reached the Den of Woe and Paine stopped dead and took a deep breath and sighed heavily. I hate this place. I hurt Yuna last time we were here. "Here we go again."
Yuna looked at Paine and frowned seeing the look on her face. "Paine..." Yuna walked over to her and placed a hand on her cheek. "I want you to forget about what happened here the last time."
"I don't know if I can Yuna. The scar on your left arm will always remind me of what happened here."
"What scar?"
"The one under your leather arm band."
Yuna frowned. "I didn't know you knew of that. It doesn't matter thats in the past, lets just go get that sphear."
The five of them walked into the cave and quickly made their way to the back of it. Yuna grabbed the sphear and when they neared the exit the guardian appeard and attacked them hard and quick. Raven used her dark magick to keep it at bay while Synde used her white magick to heal everyone. Paine growled and lunged forward driving her sword deep into the beasts chest. Everyone's eyes got wide watching Paine lunge at the beast. The only one to ever see Paine loose it like that was Raven. Yuna watched Paine pull her sword the beasts chest, still breathing heavy, and slowly turned her head towards them. "Can we get out of here?"
Yuna nodded. "Great idea Paine lets get the hell out of here."
Paine shook of the feeling of the Den a few times and once the group exited and closed the door Paine droped to her knees and sat on her heals and leaned back and looked towards the sky and took a few deep breaths. almost happened again
Yuna stopped and took a breath of the fresh air then turned to face the group and saw Paine on her knees and quickly ran to her. "Paine are you ok?" Paine remained quiet and simply nodded her head. "Are you sure babe?"
Paine looked at Yuna with eyes glazed over by tears that would never fall. "I'm sure."
Yuna looked deep into the eyes of her lover and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so sorry Paine. I know there's alot of unhappy memories for you here."
Raven walked over and placed a hand on her daughters shoulder. "Its been a long time since I've seen you lose it like that."
Paine looked at her mother and sighed. "Yea..."
"Let's just go huh Yunie? This place creeps me out."
Yuna nodded. "Rikku's right lets go."
The girls boarded the airship and Yuna tossed Gippal the sphere. "Never send us to the Den of Woe again or you'll eat my gun got it."
Gippal's eyes got wide. "What happened?"
Rikku shook her head. "It wasn't pretty babe ok so lets leave it at that."
Gippal nodded. "Is everyone ok at least?"
Rikku nodded. "Physically yea we're fine, mentally on the other hand..." The young blonde trailed off and watched Yuna, Paine, Raven and Synde all walk off the bridge.
Raven pulled Yuna off to the side and spoke to her softly. "Did she tell you about her father?" Yuna nodded. "Well the last time I saw her lunge like that was at her father."
Yuna's eyes got wide. "She was a part of the Crimson Squad and in that cave the whole squad turned on each other and killed everyone, Paine's squad was the only one to survive. When they got to the point where they were gonna go their seperate ways a member of the group pulled out his gun and shot them. Paine took the bullet in her chest right below her left breast, Gipple took his in the leg, and I'm not sure where Berilie took his. When I saw her lunge at the feind I was relieved that it was directed at him and not one of us."
Raven nodded. "I never knew that."
Paine sat at the bar and sipped her drink still feeling uneasy about what happend, she spoke softly to Rikku who was sitting next to her rubbing her back softly. "I knew this would a long day. I alomst let it happen again. I felt the Den and focused on the feind, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let it happen again."
"Don't be so hard on yourself Paine Yunie doesn't hold it against you she knows it was the influence of the Den."
Yuna walked over and kissed Paine's cheek softly. "She right you know please don't beat yourself up anylonger. I love you and always will no matter what you do."
Paine looked back at Yuna and smiled softly. "Thanks Yuna."