Three days later

Yuna was sat at Wakka and Lulu's kitchen table, a cold glass of water resting in her hands. She was gazing down at the surface of the water, having taken not one sip. A tear rolled down her face and landed in her glass. It made a sound and caused the surface to ripple. Other tears came and then her hands started to tremble so she set the glass of water onto the table.

The pain of not knowing was worse than having to send him – that final act of love. What had happened to him? Had the serpents dragged his body into the sea? Had someone sick and twisted collected his body for some macabre cause? Was he undead and wondering aimlessly, unable to accept his fate or… was he alive?

Was he alive?

That hurt Yuna more than anything. If Tidus was alive, why hadn't he come back to her? She needed him. She looked down at her bump and covered it with her hands as if to protect her baby. The child needed a father.

"Tidus," she said to thin air. "If you're alive, please come back. Please. We need you. We love you. Please."

"Yuna?"

She jumped and put her hand to her mouth. She turned around and saw Lulu standing behind her.

"Oh," said Yuna timidly. "I thought you were out. I don't make a habit of talking to myself…"

"You're upset," Lulu replied, sitting next to her. She placed her glass of coconut juice onto the table. "You can talk to yourself as often as you like. Anything to make the pain a little easier to bear."

"Thank you for letting me stay here," Yuna said to her. "I really appreciate it."

"It is the least that Wakka and I can do. We didn't want you ambling around in that house all alone."

"I've got my baby," Yuna replied, smiling for what seemed like the first time in ages.

"That's very true, Yuna, but…"

"But the conversations can be quite one-sided," she finished, expecting that Lulu was about to say the same thing.

"Exactly. I enjoy your company, Yuna. It's nice to have a woman to talk to. Wakka and his Blitzball addiction…" She shook her head.

"Tidus was the same way. I mean… is. Lulu, we have to find out what happened. Whether he is still alive. We have to."

"I know, Yuna, I know," replied Lulu reassuringly. "But where do we begin?"

"We should wait for Wakka to return from Besaid. Then we'll make plans."

"Alright," Yuna said.

Making the most of their time together, the two women talked about Yuna's pilgrimage, about old friends and old enemies and whether they thought the baby was a boy or a girl.

"I think it's a girl," said Lulu.

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"I'm just good at guessing these things. I was right about Rikku's baby, wasn't I? I can't believe Mori will be a year old soon. She's grown so much already. And Letty and his girlfriend had a boy and I predicted that too. So it's definitely a girl," she said with a wink.

"I think so too. But Tidus thinks it's going to be a boy. I remember him saying that he'll be a star Blitzball player. 'That's my boy!' he said. He was so excited. It feels like a girl, but maybe that's just because I've always wanted a daughter."

"Well, it's your baby. Sometimes, you can just feel it, can't you? Whether it's a boy, or a girl. Twins, even…"

Lulu gripped the sides of her glass nervously and for just a few seconds Yuna could see something in her eyes; an overwhelming sadness.

"Lulu?" Yuna asked, patting her on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She thought she knew already but paused first. She didn't want to come off as being too abrupt.

"You and Wakka… were you pregnant?"

"Seven months ago, I lost our twins. I knew all along I was carrying girls. I could just sense it. I even had their names picked out; Hope and Morale. I had to give birth to their bodies five months prematurely. They had died while they were inside me."

"Oh my goodness," gasped Yuna. "Why didn't you tell me? Did Tidus know?"

"No, he didn't. And neither does Wakka. You mustn't tell him."

"Surely he has a right to know, though?"

"Yes, that is true. However, you know Wakka just as well as I. He's… vulnerable. I, on the other hand, am strong. These shoulders have a huge burden placed upon them, and they always will, for that is how I choose to live."

Yuna bowed her head respectively.

"I understand. I'm glad you at least told me, though. I'm your best friend and I'll always be here for you." She finished with a smile. Lulu smiled back, the sadness dissipating from her dark brown eyes.

"And I'll be here for you too. We'll find him, you know."

"I know. My baby wants to see its father and I am going to make it happen."

"That's the spirit, Yuna. That's the spirit!"

They raised their glasses and chinked them together, some of Yuna's water spilling over the edge.