by PrettyGothGirl
All Disclaimers Apply
Summary: Cid has contrived a way for Rikku and Gippal to spend some quality time together. Part Eleven: Cid evaluates how
his self imposed mission is going and gives them a new job.
A/N: As of this moment, this is the last chapter I have written. I don't know what that means for this week. :-/ Anyways,
it's theoreticalpixie's birthday. Happy Birthday! And Happy New Years everyone else. I hope you're all having a good time.
Cid gave them a week before he called them back to the Fahrenheit. He needed it to cool down. He watched them carefully. It was more an evaluation to see how his 'project' was going and to decide whether or not he should continue.
He wouldn't continue if it were obvious that the two hated each other. He wasn't a cruel man. He wanted what was best for his little girl and for his people. He smiled. Gippal what was best for his girl and them as the next two leaders was what, he felt, was best for his people. If they did show positive signs of working together or at least on the same plateau as when he gave them the assignment. He'd give them another one, wait and watch.
"Well done, well done." He rumbled. He wasn't exactly happy about the means. He had to admit that they had done well though. He and Gippal had had words. It hadn't helped that Gippal had been more amused than angry back. "Not a whisper that you had a thing to do with it." Cid stroked his chin and nodded. "Good job."
Rikku slid down into her seat and flushed. She glanced at Gippal and shifted in her seat. Gippal leaned back in his chair and looked at Rikku. His eyebrow rose at her flush and she shook her head rapidly. "Thank you, sir." Gippal grinned. "It was a team effort."
Cid nodded.
Suddenly Gippal yelped. He sat up straight and glared at Rikku. "What was that for?"
She shifted away from him and then almost immediately shifted back, closer. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You kicked me. I've already been kicked by you once this week."
"It's not like it hurt!" She turned her head away.
"Actually it was four times, and it did hurt by the fourth time you did it!" Gippal reached down and rubbed his ankle. "What did I do to deserve a fifth bruise?"
Cid wanted to sigh and put his head in his hands. It appeared that nothing had changed. This might take longer than he thought.
"Nothing." She crossed her arms.
"Then why did you kick me?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Yet." She amended. She sat up.
Cid coughed to cover laughter.
Gippal glared at him and turned his attention to Rikku. "Kicking is not preventative medicine." He leaned closer to her.
Rikku's eyes dropped to his lips. She licked her top lip and looked back at him. "Says who?"
Cid perked up. Wait. Maybe something had changed after all.
"Me."
"You. Since when did I listen to you?"
"Maybe if you listened to me more often…" Gippal trailed off.
Rikku sputtered but she didn't pull away from Gippal. Her lips pressed together and she raked Gippal over with her eyes. "Your mouth isn't always the one talking." She said. Gippal's jaw dropped. Rikku smirked. "So, exactly what am I supposed to be listening to?"
Gippal's mouth opened and closed.
Cid wanted to howl in laughter, in triumph. This, this was new, a definite change. He'd always known they were attracted to each other. He hadn't known how deep it went. Cid redid the math in his head and increased the chance of success by several percent.
Gippal raked her over as well, lingering a little too long at certain places. "Well, your mouth doesn't always do the talking either. Where should I be listening?"
"At least I don't think with something other than my brain on a regular basis." She hissed.
"My brain does plenty of thinking."
"Yeah and so does-"
"Rikku!" Cid barked. While it was entertaining, it was starting to hit the line. Rikku's mouth snapped shut and she flushed.
"Sorry Pops."
He rubbed his temples. "Sometimes I forget how thorough your salvage ship education was." He muttered. Damn it. He didn't know how to raise a girl. Rikku sank back into her chair and reddened further. He waved a hand and sighed. "Not yer fault. Shoulda known better, put you on a ship with more women." He shook his head rapidly. Now wasn't the time for regrets. "You turned out fine, so no harm done." She smiled weakly at him. Gippal glared at him. Cid sighed. "Oh don't mind yer old man."
"You're not that old Pops." Rikku defended staunchly, even though he knew she called him a grouchy old man on a regular basis. She meant it affectionately though. Cid wanted to bite through his tongue at times. He hoped Gippal never came to him for serious advice about girls. He knew as little as the boy did, especially about his own daughter.
Cid reached over and grabbed a new sphere. "This is yer next assignment." He turned he red sphere around and around in his hands. "It's a bit harder than the last guy, not as many clues." He said. Rikku groaned. Gippal cracked his knuckles. Cid shoved the sphere across the table. "So, ya might have to do more digging."
"Anything you can tell us that you couldn't commit to a sphere?" Gippal picked it up and made a show of examining it, though he didn't play it yet.
Cid shook his head. "Same deal as last time, it runs twice."
Rikku sighed. "And then explodes or dies. Sure thing, Pops."
"I don't expect you to catch this one as quickly. In fact, I don't even want you to." He said. Both looked up and stared at him with expressions of bafflement on their faces. Cid tapped the edge of the table. "This is all about quiet, and all about pacing. You don't other targets put on alert that someone is looking for them. Get a string of arrests too quick word will get out and then the rest will go further underground." He paused. "We aren't just talking about individuals, we're talking about organizations."
Rikku bit her lip and nodded. "The bandits."
Gippal exhaled in a large whuff.
"Exactly. The bandits. Yevon and the Youth League may not be willing to do anything concrete about them, but we can."
"It's an Al Bhed leading them. Isn't it?" Gippal rolled the sphere back and forth.
Rikku hissed and put a hand on top of his to still his movement and then snatched the sphere away.
Cid ignored it and nodded. "I think so."
"Anything from Rikku's kidnappers?" Gippal asked. It was a more than reasonable question.
"They got their mouths shut tighter than a rusty lugnut." Cid stretched. "So be careful, take care of yourselves and most important, don't get caught or heck, even noticed." Cid stood.
"We won't, Pops."
"That's my girl." Cid grinned, walked around the table and pressed a kiss to Rikku's forehead.
Rikku turned pink but she smiled. Cid patted her head and left them there. Besides, if they worked slow. They'd be able to spend more time together and that is exactly what they needed.
Or so he felt.
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