I would just like to take the time to thank all of you have been able to review my story! Thank you guys so much...you have no idea how much this has meant to me! Moving on with story business...as I have mentioned before...and if not in this one then with my other on-going stories...I am going to try to stay ahead of the stories and get a chapter up once a week...hopefully I'll be able to stick with it. Should something come up, I'll you all know...which something shouldn't...at least not that I know of. Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and REVIEW once you're done! Enjoy and thanks again for those who have reviewed!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2 except for the ideas I get to write my stories. Thank you!

STS: story shifting

"…": speaking

'…': thoughts

FB..: flashback

Chapter 3 –

"Where were you yesterday after supper, Cid's girl?" Gippal asked as he saw Rikku taking a mid-morning break where the bridge was at.

"Aww, were you worried about me, Gippal?" Rikku asked teasingly as she stuck her tongue out at him and smirked.

"No," Gippal said as he put his elbows on the rail of the bridge and returned her smirk. "Just have to make sure that Cid's girl doesn't get into too much trouble that she can't handle it."

"I'll have you know that I was there and helped defeat Sin and Vegnagun and have been just about everywhere on Spira. I think 'Cid's girl' can take care of herself, Gippal," Rikku said as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Ah…so you are admitting that we can call you Cid's girl," Gippal replied as he chuckled at her angered face before using a serious tone.

"Really though, Rikku, where'd you go?" Gippal asked, still leaning against the rail with his elbows.

Surprised by his change of tone quickly and the use of her actual name, it took Rikku a while to realize what the question was and that she still hadn't answered it yet.

"N-Nowhere special really…just inside the temple and up to the chamber," Rikku replied as she looked up at his face and saw that he wasn't starring at her, but out at the small body of water that the bridge was over.

"Rikku, you need to stay way from there," Gippal said as he looked away from the water and down to her petite form. "Just because you got rid of the fiends doesn't mean that there still aren't some in there."

"Everything is fine and nothing happened while I was in there. Besides, Jumal was there with me and was nice enou-"

"I thought I told you to stay away from him," Gippal said as he fully turned around to look at her.

"Don't boss me around by telling me what to do and who it is to hang around with, cause you're one to talk," Rikku said as she poked him in the chest and started to walk away from him.

"I'm serious, Rikku, stay away from him," Gippal said as he got in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders to make her stop and look up at him.

"Give me one good reason as to why I should, Mr. All-high-and-mighty!" Rikku said as she started to struggle in his grip.

"Fine then, from now on you and I are going to be working together and you aren't going anywhere without me or one of my men going with you," Gippal said as he let her go and turned away from her, walking back towards the temple.

"Jerk! Why on Spira should I listen to a…a meanie like you, huh?" Rikku replied back as she picked up a small pebble and tossed it at him, hitting him on the back of his head.

"First of all, you don't know anything about what's been going on here for the last couple of weeks, so don't talk about things you know nothing about," Gippal said as he turned back around and walked back towards Rikku, who had lost her anger when she saw the look in his eyes. "And second of all…"

"And?"

"Cid would kill me if anything happened to you, big or small," Gippal replied as he put his hand behind his head and looked down at the ground before turning away from her and walking back towards the temple.

STS

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, Rikku," Yuna replied back through the comsphere.

"I haven't even been here for a whole week and the jerk is already bossing me around!" Rikku yelled back into the comsphere as she paced around the room she was given.

"Have you tried talking to him then?" Yuna asked her cousin patiently, knowing how Rikku could get when concerning a certain blonde haired Al-Bhed.

"Well…not really," Rikku said as she slowed her pace down before kneeling in front of the comsphere. "He kept telling me to stay away from one of the workers here, Jumal. I told him that I can take care of myself with everything that we've been through together and he still treats me like a nine year old running away screaming from a Sand Worm."

"The best advice I can give you Rikku is to just talk to him. Maybe then he'll be able to explain the situation to you," Yuna replied as she smiled softly to Rikku before moving out of view to be replaced by a young man with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Hey Rikku!"

"How are you doing in Besaid Island, Tidus?" Rikku asked as she smiled brightly for the person in the comsphere.

"Never boring with Wakka here…especially when Videl is up and running," Tidus replied back, smile still in place.

"Tell them I miss them and I can't wait to see them," Rikku said as her smile reached her eyes this time, envisioning Wakka chasing around a little Videl while Lulu stood to the side shaking her head at the display.

"Will do!" Tidus quipped back as he faded back from the screen to be replaced with Yuna again.

"You really should talk to him," Yuna said, getting straight back to the point.

"I know. Do you think Paine might know something?" Rikku asked, looking hopefully into the comsphere.

"If anything, you might lose some respect points," Yuna said as she laughed softly.

"Geez…thanks Yunie," Rikku replied back before she gave a small wave and smile into the comsphere and disconnected.

'Maybe Yunie's right…I should talk to Gippal. Besides, we're grown adults now and I have a right to know those around me since I'm going to be working with them from now on,' Rikku thought as she silently got up from her spot on the floor and walked towards the door, only to realize one thing she had forgotten to ask when she first arrived at Djose.

"Now…if I was the egotistical Gippal, where would I be?"