A/N: Here the last one guys. Sorry if it's not what you wanted/expected. Most importantly, I'm terribly sorry this series was so short.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters.

Gippal sighed heavily as he watched Gina from his spot on the bed. She was sitting at a table in the corner of the room of her bungalow. They had agreed to take a break from the fiend business for a while with the excuse of both needing a little R&R and also to find a new crew member. Of course, news had spread all across Spira about the loss of the machina genius and it seemed like every person who'd ever so much as heard or her was mourning her. People were taking great care to leave the Cyjeuin crew alone for a few weeks and handle their own fiend problems. The really major ones were gracefully handled by the Gullwings.

Now, after a few weeks rest, Gina had decided that it was time to go back to work. Somehow, Gippal had convinced her to wait just another few days and the woman hadn't stopped tinkering since. People from the Village brought her things to fix or look at and she always took longer fixing them then normal, taking her time or just fooling around with it until something else came to her, then she'd finish the job and start on another one. Buy doing this, she made sure she always had something to do. Gippal supposed this was a good idea but entirely defeated the purpose of R&R. In any case, they were due to go back to work in two or three days and Gippal was anything but excited. He'd enjoyed spending time with her on Besaid, just the two of them most times, everything peaceful and quiet and relaxing. It was perfect. But soon it would end. Ah well, nothing good lasts forever -- then again, perhaps they could stay on Besaid while they waited for calls instead of always being in the air. Hmm, now there's an idea.

Finally having enough, Gippal removed his hands from behind his head and got up, walking over to the woman he'd been watching. When he'd reached her, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Come for a walk with me." He whispered softly in her ear. Gina's hands didn't stop their current task, nor did she look at him.

"I can't, I have to finish this."

Gippal reached out a hand and placed it over both of hers, ceasing their movement.

"You know they only bring this junk to you to keep you busy. No one's gonna care if you actually sat down for a minute and thought about just you."

Gina's shoulders slumped and she hung her head.

"Maybe I don't want some me time." She said softly. "Maybe I don't want to think. You said it yourself Gippal, I need something to keep me busy."

Gippal moved in front of Gina and tilted his head to look into her face.

"You're going on a walk with me." He said in a playful tone. "You really think you won't be kept busy?"

Gina looked up at Gippal but her expression didn't change, it still held a deep, uncharacteristic frown. Gippal took her hands in his and pressed feathery kisses to the tops of her fingers.

"Come on Gin..." He said softly, caressing the backs of her fingers delicately with his thumbs. "It's your birthday."

Gina starred at him. He was using the nick he'd dubbed her with, he must really want this. So? It was her birthday, big deal. It was, and had always been, just another day of the year. Besides her friends had already thrown her a "party" earlier that day and now it was all over and done with, time to move on. But just as she was preparing to say no, something in Gippal's eyes, some unspoken, pleading glimmer stopped her thoughts in their tracks and spun them around. With a resounding sigh, Gina finally smiled at the blonde.

"Alright, I'll go."

Gippal smiled wide and leaned in to give her a chaste kiss.

"Good. C'mon, let's go."

Grabbing a basket off the floor, Gippal ignored Gina's questioning look and called to QC. He took Gina's hand and headed for the door, holding it for the massive feline before leading Gina through it with them and finally away to only Gippal knows where.

Gippal lead Gina down on the beach. She smiled as she looked up at the bright, full moon in the sky. It was a perfect, clear, night with stars dotting the sky like pyre flies on a pond. The blonde lead her down the beach, seemingly heading for a particular spot. When the two finally stopped, they sat down right in front of the ocean, and right in view of the very spot Gina had sat with Kena so many months ago. Gina's throat constricted with emotion as she starred at the bright, white obelisk, under which held Kena's severed hand, forever marking the placement of the greatest creation ever made. People had begged Gina to make another machina like her, or give them the plans at the very least. But Gina refused. Kena was one of a kind and always would be; to be otherwise would be an insult to her memory.

Seeing the woman's face and gaze, Gippal smiled and slipped an arm around Gina's shoulders.

"I didn't mean to hurt you by bringing you here." He said softly. "I just wanted her to be able to see us... and I thought you'd feel a little better if you were close to her."

Gina looked at him and gave him a small smile. With a kiss to the cheek she gave one last look at the monument before looking back at the blonde again.

"I do, and I appreciate it. Thank you."

Gippal nodded, then turned away from her for a moment before turning back with two glasses and a bottle of fine champagne. Gina laughed as she accepted a glass.

"Wow. You guys sure made up for all my un-celebrated birthdays today."

Gippal grinned as he filled Gina's glass.

"That's the idea." He said with a laugh.

When the two had full glasses, Gippal raised his for a toast.

"To the Al Bhed." He said proudly. "To us and all our genius, and to the greatest creation there ever was and ever will be!"

Gina smiled proudly and raised her own glass to clink with Gippal's.

"To my friends and family, and the greatest crew I ever had."

Gippal's smile widened, soon hidden by his glass. When both had lowered their glasses again, Gippal smiled warmly at Gina.

"I really proud of you Gin." He said softly. "Ever since I've met you you've only ever shown real, true Al Bhed strength. No matter if you were born one or not, you're one of us... Pure Al Bhed."

Gina swallowed as she gave Gippal a warm smile.

"Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me, love." Gina leaned in to give him a chaste kiss, then took another sip from her glass before speaking again.

"But why are you proud of me?"

Gippal smiled warmly at her.

"Because you've shown more bravery then most Al Bhed or anyone else I've ever met. When... After the Thunder Plains, you were pretty torn up the first day or so, but no one can blame you for that; but ever since that first day or two, you handled yourself really well. And for that, I'm proud."

Gina smiled half-heartedly.

"Thank you Gippal. Like I said before, you're the only one who makes me feel the way you do, but you're also the only one I can really be my all around too. No hiding, no pretending or sheltering and covering my thoughts and emotions. Everything around you has always been real. And that's more then I can say about anyone else in my life."

Gippal smiled wide at Gina and the Al Bhed woman smiled back. Suddenly the blonde laid his glass down in the sand and stood up, walking away. Gina watched him go in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back." He called over his shoulder, disappearing through some trees.

Gina watched the place he'd disappeared to for a while until finally the blonde reappeared. She smiled fondly as he walked back to her, carrying a huge box he could barely get his arms around. Sitting back down beside her, Gippal placed the colorfully wrapped box down in front of her.

"Rikku wrapped it." He said absently, noting the odd look on her face when she looked at the colorful, flowery paper.

Gina laughed and starred at the box.

"I wasn't really sure what to get you cause you either have everything I could think of or you definitely wouldn't like it or need it."

Gippal rubbed the back of his head absently.

"Anyway, took me a while but I think I finally found something you don't have."

Gina continued to stare at the box, and when she didn't move for a long time, Gippal reached over and gave it a pat.

"It's not gonna open itself." He said playfully. "I'm good, but I'm not that good."

Gina laughed and finally reached out to unwrap the present. Opening the box, Gina saw nothing but paper. Looking at in it confusion, she took the paper out only to find more. Again she removed the paper but still saw more. Laughing heavily she got up on her knees so she could reach further down into the massive box and began removing paper by the hand fulls.

"Am I looking for something Gippal, or is your gift to me a pile of paper?"

Gippal grinned and leaned his hands back in the sand.

"You can keep the paper if you want, but there's something else in there."

Gina laughed again as she continued to dig.

"And I thought digging for stuff on Bikanel was tough. By the time I find-"

Gina suddenly froze and the smile dropped from her face. Gippal knew now that she'd found his gift.

Gina reached into the box, her whole upper half disappearing momentarily while she reached deep down. Finally emerging she starred at the tiny object in her hand.

"I know you already have lots of those," Gippal said with a smile, noting the absence of absolutely everything the woman usually wore -- save her clothes of course. "But you don't have one quite like this."

Gina starred at the object in her had for a long time, then reached up to feel the earrings in her ears, moving down to her choker and finally looking down at her hips and thighs. She wasn't wearing any of her tools, weapons, pouches, accessories -- save the earrings and choker --or belts. How was she to know she didn't have one like this already.

"What does it do?" She asked, still a little shocked.

Gippal smiled warmly and sat up straight, reaching out to take the ring from her hand and slip it on her finger.

"Absolutely nothing." He replied.

Gina looked down at the ring now on her finger, noting the intricate designs and sparkling green gem -- the exact shade of her eyes -- sparkling in the middle, surrounded on the sides by a line of three tiny white diamonds leading away form it. In short, the ring was absolutely gorgeous. But then, what was the point of it if it had no use?

As if answering her unasked question Gippal placed a gentle kiss to the tops of her fingers.

"It doesn't need to be able to do anything." He said softly. "It's supposed to represent something more then anything any of your tools or accessories of other stuff could ever compare too."

Still looking greatly confused, Gippal's smile for Gina widened. He turned so he was fully facing her and took both her hands in his as he starred into her face.

"Gina, you said I made you feel more then any other person ever did, that I was right, you did need human affection, and you couldn't explain it. Well I can; you love me Gina, and I love you too. Marry me."

Gina's eyes widened and her mouth hung agape. She starred at Gippal wordlessly for a long time and Gippal thought he would die from the anticipation. It was everything he could do to keep his hands from shaking.

"Say something Gin." He said softly, his voice quaking nervously.

Finally Gina's expression changed, but instead of making him feel better, Gippal felt worse. Her eyes looked sad and her face was filled with sympathy. The blonde felt his heart break, knowing now that he'd been right, it had been too soon, and he wanted nothing more than to run as terror and pain washed over him. But, being the person he was, the Al Bhed could do no such thing, so he stayed rooted in place as he awaited Gina's painful rejection.

"Marriage is forever..." Gina said softly. "I'll be with you forever..."

A deep frown creased Gippal's face as his heart broke all over again. It was so much worse to actually hear the words.

"I-I can't expect you to spend forever with me."

Gippal blinked at Gina for a long time, then, when her words had finally sunk in, he burst into laughter.

Gina starred at him with wide eyes, unable to think for the life of her what was wrong with the man.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She demanded in shock.

When he'd finally calmed down a bit, Gippal looked back at Gina with an eye-sparkling grin.

"I thought you were gonna say no!" He exclaimed through his laughter.

His grin fading to a happy smile, Gippal placed a hand on Gina's face and gently caressed her jaw line.

"Don't get used to this, cause you should know by now that I'm not a sappy guy.... well except lately, but that's different."

Leaning in close to her face, Gippal whispered, sending shivers down Gina's spine from his breath across her cheek.

"If I'm spending it with you, forever isn't long enough."

Gina starred at Gippal for a long time. Fearing he'd said something wrong again, Gippal's insides began to knot, but before he could say anything else, Gina jumped him, knocking him backwards and causing him to land on the ground with a loud 'Oomph'.

Once over his shock, Gippal smiled through the kiss being forced on him and wrapped his arms around the woman tightly as he returned the firey kiss. After a long time, the blonde finally forced himself to pull away.

"You didn't give me an answer." He said softly, slightly out of breath. Gina smiled down at him.

"I didn't know you needed a better one." She replied, also slightly breathless. With a cheesy grin, Gina spoke again.

"Sorry it's not long enough for you, but forever is all I can give you."

Vowing to himself never to be so corny, sappy or cheesy again -- and knowing somehow that Gina's thoughts were running the same track -- Gippal returned the grin and held Gina tighter.

"I'll take what I can get." He said playfully.

He then placed his hand behind Gina's head and gently pulled her down, smiling against her lips, for another firey, celebratory kiss.