Disclaimer: I did not create nor do I own Final Fantasy X-2, its characters, plots, locations, etc. It all belongs to Square-Enix and company, and I'm not making any money off of this.
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Epilogue
A Little Girl
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Gippal's chin slipped precariously further from where it rested on the heel of his hand as he absently listened to the telesphere conference taking place in his office. Nhadala was still droning on about last week's shipping reports and figures, and it had been at least twenty minutes since anyone had bothered to interrupt her. Gippal suspected this was because everyone else was sleeping.
"Dagnabbit, Nhadala," Cid's voice finally interjected, and Gippal shook his head experimentally to wake himself from his stupor. "Are you going to rattle off those numbers 'til Kingdom come, or are you going to tell me if I'm making any gil or not?"
Gippal grinned at the telesphere from which Cid's gruff voice emerged, and he could practically feel Nhadala's indignation seeping through it.
"Well, Sir," Nhadala's voice pricked up huffily. "I think we can safely assume that as long as Lorenzon's crew in the Eastern Expanse keeps up this pace, we'll be significantly above figures from last year…"
"Good!" Cid's voice concluded. "Gippal, that sound good to you?"
"Yes Sir," Gippal confirmed as he scribbled notes onto some official documents that had become his doodling pad during the voice conference. "The new head of the Eastern Expanse is keeping us plenty stocked with Special Assembly Z's. We should have that new irrigation prototype set up along Mushroom Rock by next week."
"Excellent!" Cid said enthusiastically. "Michael, how is the shoopuff situation down south?"
"Migration patterns have been in keeping with the report I sent you last month," Michael's voice answered proudly from another sphere. "Everything is running smoothly on this end."
"That's what I like to hear!" Gippal could just imagine the Al Bhed leader taking a congratulatory puff of his cigar on the other end of the spherewave. "I'll be checking in with you all within the week. Keep up the good work, people!"
Gippal smiled as he joined the chorus of "Yes, Sir!" before the telespheres disconnected and went silent. Gippal stood up and stretched after sitting for what felt like an eternity in his desk chair. Before he could escape his office with the intention of hunting down some lunch, Cid's telesphere began to glow again, emitting a merry ringing tone, which was a feature Shinra had installed to this latest batch of communication technology. Knowing he couldn't avoid a call from his boss, Gippal regretfully settled back into his chair and tapped the sphere twice to accept the call.
"Gippal my boy! I forgot to ask you to send that inventory count sheet along with the mail pack this week," Cid said good naturedly. "I know you were paying about as much as attention to the conference call as I was, so it just slipped my mind."
"Yeah, along with everything else," Gippal managed to reply as he stifled a yawn. "Why do you let her drone on like that?"
"Ah, it makes her happy," Cid said casually. Gippal had begun to suspect that Cid and Nhadala ought to get together; they'd be the perfect business couple. "Besides, I'd rather have someone in charge of this madhouse, or else it'd all come down around our ears," Cid explained. Gippal only smiled.
"Yep, I'm sure that's all she's good for," Gippal replied nonchalantly, and he thought he could hear the older man clear his throat meaningfully.
"Ah, well, anyway, how are things down there in Djose? Repairs still going strong?"
Gippal sighed. "I'd say most of the Grand Bevelle Legions's cannon fodder has been cleared out, but we're still scraping soot off the walls from the fire. We decided to take advantage of all the new construction and add some residential space for the growing community."
"I bet it's been about a year since the incident, ain't it?" Cid added thoughtfully. Gippal's guts began to squirm as he wondered which of the many "incidents" of the past year Cid was referring to. He quickly sought another train of conversation.
"Well, I'll get those tracking sheets prepared for you and send them along with the mail pack this afternoon," Gippal said, hoping to tie up the conversation.
"Wait a minute, Gippal," Cid's voice had suddenly taken on that fatherly, "I'm the leader and I know what's good for you" tone. "That's not what I meant. How are things down there, you know, with you and everything?" Gippal knew that Cid had always viewed him as almost a second son, and yet the two never really managed to talk effortlessly about events of the past year. There was an awkward pause.
"Oh, you know, same old stuff." Gippal began to doodle again on his improvised drawing paper before a distraction arrived in the form of another quivering telesphere. "Oops, that'll be Yuna," Gippal said hastily, dropping his pen decisively. "Talk to you next week Cid," and he tapped Cid's sphere to close before he could hear an objection. He then quickly tapped Yuna's anxious telesphere to hear her breathlessly launch into her report.
"Gippal, it's me. I'm still in Bevelle but I'll be coming down your road tomorrow. I have good news!"
"Sweet Ixion, Yuna. Don't you have a baby and a half you're supposed to be taking care of?" Gippal could practically feel Yuna's warm beaming smile radiate through the sphere waves as she replied.
"If you're referring to my husband and my adorable baby girl, then you may rest assured that they're coming along with me. No need to chastise me about my family, Gippal!" She said teasingly.
Gippal leaned back in his chair with a smirk. "I only meant that you've been traipsing about the continent for the past eight weeks, practically giving birth in a chocobo saddle while trying to slap together this new 'government…' By the way, if you're not very careful, I'm afraid the murmurings around here are going to come true."
"And what might those 'murmurings' be, my dear, well-established Machinae Supremacy Co. vice president?"
"That you're going to be the new head governess of this new regime you're putting in place. Very crafty of you, to set up a new government and end up at the head of it."
"Oh come on now, Gippal!" Yuna said exasperatedly yet pleased. "Someone had to start making up for the broken law and order that Yevon left behind. Ever since we overthrew the Order, people have been looking for guidance…"
"And as always, they turn to you!" Gippal finished with a smile. "I don't think you'll ever get another moment's rest now that you have to play mommy for the whole world."
"I don't mind helping out where I can," the ex-High Summoner added thoughtfully. "And yes, you predicted my good news. I've been in conferences with Nooj, Baralai, and the rest of the new committee. We're drawing up a constitution next week."
"Funny how things work out like that," Gippal agreed with Yuna's enthusiasm. "And how is our favorite ex-assassin working out?"
"Well, I don't think public service agreed with Anje at first, but as long as she's allowed to travel, I don't think she minds being an 'official' envoy now. She really was a lawyer, you know."
"Oh really," Gippal said flatly, now attempting to balance his pen on his forefinger. "And here I thought she was just a bloodthirsty mercenary. Oh wait, that's the same thing…"
"Gippal!" Yuna cried admonishingly, though not without a giggle. "Really, you could have a little more sympathy. Things turned out mostly right in the end."
Gippal and Yuna were both silent for a moment, perhaps both reminiscing of that confusing time almost a year ago. Somehow this was the second awkward conversation he had gotten into today alluding to the disasters of one year ago.
"So Gippal…" Yuna ventured, but Gippal was already prepared to interrupt her.
"So you'll be down here after signing the new constitution, then?" he asked casually, tapping his pen impatiently. He kept glancing toward his door, willing it to open and present his lunch to him.
"Yeah," Yuna sighed, apparently giving up the argument before it started. "I guess I'll see you all then."
"Lovely. Ciao, babe," and Gippal impatiently tapped the sphere to end the call. Finally alone in his office, Gippal sighed heavily and rested his forehead on his desk. Cid, Yuna, and everyone else kept reminding him of how much wreckage the past year had left behind, and they all wanted him to just let it go. A government overthrown, homes destroyed, friends lost…
Gippal raised his head slightly when he thought he heard motion behind his office door.
And yet, he thought as the door behind him began to open, and there was muffled swearing behind the door as a thump sounded like an elbow hitting the door jamb. Some things turned out okay. Some things turned out…
Gippal smiled a little as he raised his head and swiveled around in his chair to find his lunch being delivered with a scowling face.
Some things turned out a little better than okay.
"Would it have killed you open the door? I'm carrying your lunch with both hands, you know!"
Gippal's smile spread to a wide grin as he lifted the tray from his visitor's hands. "You didn't have to bring this, you know. I thought you were taking a nap." He set the tray on his desk and pulled his wife closer. She was still scowling and rubbing her elbow.
"Oh come on, Kku-Ri…" He tried to rub his nose against hers but she poutily looked the other way.
"You have no concern for my delicate condition…" Rikku sniffed.
"I have every concern for our condition, and if she's anything like you, she'll be anything but delicate."
"Gippal!" Rikku huffed while rubbing her very swollen belly. "What makes you think it's a girl?"
"Nothing in particular, but I just hope it's a little girl." Gippal placed his hand on her belly over Rikku's hands. "You know, so people will call her 'Gippal's little girl'…." Rikku began to warm up and smiled at her husband.
"Well she's already got your grumpy attitude! She kicked me so hard I couldn't take a nap!" Rikku scrunched up her nose, fishing for pity. Gippal only smiled at her.
"Ixion knows you'll always be a little girl…"
"Hey! I think pregnancy has qualified me for maturity!"
"Apparently it's got nothing to do with it…"
Rikku punched his arm but grinned happily, and Gippal wrapped his arms around her. "I was just thinking," he murmured against her neck. "Things turned out okay, didn't they?" Rikku sighed.
"Things turned out better than okay, worry-wart. The Order is gone, Yunnie's in charge, and…" Gippal cut her off.
"And you're okay," he finished. He pulled back to look at his wife seriously. "I love you, Rikku. I will never let anything hurt you again." Rikku just rolled her eyes.
"If only I could get you be so mushy in front of Paine. She'd roll on the floor laughing."
"That's just what I need," Gippal groaned. "Paine to show up and keep lecturing me about fatherhood…" Rikku stood on her tip-toes and gave him a little kiss. "You're going to be great," she said.
"Well, that's a relief." Gippal's stomach suddenly rumbled. "I'm starved, woman. What'd you bring me to eat?"
"Geez Gippal, all you ever think about is your stomach!"
"Funny story coming from you, Miss 'I Want Pineapples At Three In The Morning.'"
"You're so self-centered!"
"And you're such a baby!"
"Good to know some things never change, I guess…" Rikku sighed contentedly as she took a bite out of Gippal's sandwich, and they happily bickered as they ate their lunch.
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A/N: Wooooooooooo……. Finally finished this thing. This was the first draft that I just finished, after so many years. I could add things if you want. Hope you liked it. Please review!