Disclaimer: I did not create nor do I own Final Fantasy X-2 (other than a copy of the game, which I bought at Best Buy), its characters, plots, locations, etc. It all belongs to SquareEnix and company, and obviously I'm not making any money off of this. In other words, I'm a day dreamer with no originality to speak of!

A/N: For the sake of the "little girl" argument and the overall theme of this story, it is implied that Gippal is older than Rikku in this fic, though it doesn't have any direct impact on the story. The story begins nearly three months after the end of "Perfect Ending," FFX-2. -P

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Chapter 1

A Little Girl

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"How dare you?!" Brother screeched, reverting to his native language. "E'MM GEMM OUI!" Brother leapt up onto the refreshment table and jumped to tackle Gippal, who side stepped at the last moment. This left an exposed and stunned Rikku in Brother's war path.

"Wha..." Rikku managed to gasp right before being plowed over by Brother. "Eeek!" Brother and sister lay in a tangle of limbs and curses while Gippal doubled over laughing. Rikku pushed her brother off of her and stood up in a huff.

"Think that's funny, do you?" she spat at Gippal. Her face was now as red as Brother's, who was still recuperating on the ground. "Maybe I should throw someone off a table onto you and see how you like it!"

"Now, Rikku..." Gippal began in a placating tone.

"Don't you 'now' me like that, Gippal! You're not my father!"

"Thank Ixion for that..." Gippal muttered, throwing a glance over his shoulder. He was undoubtedly looking for the real object of Rikku's parentage, Cid, who also happened to be the leader of the Al Bhed and Gippal's boss. He saw that Rikku's brusque father was currently across the outdoor dance floor, laughing bawdily with his niece and her new husband.

"Did you three forget that we're in the middle of a wedding reception and not a bar room brawl?" a cool voice interjected. Rikku and Gippal turned to see Paine approaching, looking awkwardly elegant in her bride's maid dress. "What's the problem this time?"

"Look at what he is doing!" Brother moaned, pointing to his previously white suit (now rose-stained) as if he were a wounded soldier. "He is knocking my drink over!"

Paine's spared glance held little pity for Brother, though she turned to glare at Gippal, who only straightened his own suit and sighed. "I can't help it if Brother can't keep his hands to himself," Gippal grinned again while Brother sputtered in protest on the ground. "Sorry man, but I just don't swing that way."

"Whhhy yoouuu!" Brother leapt up again, fists already flailing. Paine only rolled her eyes before grabbing the hyperactive Al Bhed by the ear and leading him away from the table. Gippal chuckled to himself as Brother whimpered, but Rikku wasn't about to let him go so easily. Suddenly aware of the danger he was in as she advanced upon him, Gippal held up his hands in defeat.

"Okay okay," he said tiredly, as if bored with his own apology. "I'm sorry I sacrificed you to your brother in an attempt to save my own skin. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?" He smiled charmingly at her while she only glared. "Well great then!" he stood up straight and clapped his hands together, smiling triumphantly as he ignored her obvious displeasure. "Now come here and sit down for a minute. It's a great view." He steered her toward the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean before he pushed her bottom to the ground- not too gently, either- and sat beside her.

"Owwwww..." Rikku moaned as she rubbed her backside. "You're such a bully, Gippal!"

"And you're such a baby!" he blithely replied.

They were quiet for a few moments, Rikku wincing and rubbing her bottom while Gippal stared out at the ocean. The wind was blowing over them and muffling the sound of the music behind them. Finally, Gippal spoke, still staring contemplatively at the water. "You know, all that water really gives me the creeps."

Rikku stopped in mid-rub and just stared at him. "Then why are you sitting here ogling at it?"

"Most of my work is based in the desert, you know? So I guess the sight of large bodies of water makes me a little nervous."

Rikku blinked. "But didn't you grow up in Luca?"

"Don't change the subject!" Gippal crossed his arms huffily but gave her a lop-sided grin. "How did you know that, anyway?"

Rikku shrugged. "My old man probably told me some time."

Gippal cast her a sly smile. "Tch, your dad talks about you all the time," he groaned. "And I only see that man about three, maybe four times out of the whole year, but you're still his favorite subject. I probably know more about 'Little Rikku' than any self-respecting Al Bhed man should have to."

"Heey, there you go, being mean again!" she whined, feigning a pout.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm only kidding, geeze..." Gippal stretched out and rolled onto one side, his arm propping his head up.

Rikku leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes, smiling as the sun warmed her body. After a few moments she cracked an eye, catching Gippal looking at her. He responded with a wink before he stood up and stretched. Smiling down at her, he offered her a hand.

"So what do you think of the romantic view, Honey?" he asked in a sweet voice. "Maybe we could take a pleasure cruise down in the sand together..."

"Ugh! Gippal!" Rikku grimaced as she took his hand and he hoisted her to her feet. "You're such a perv!"

"Woah, what kind of naughty ideas are floating around in that head of yours, Kku-ri?" Gippal flashed her a devious smile. "I was only suggesting..."

"...Suggesting that you're a perv!" she finished with a smile. She couldn't help but smile at him, seeing that grin on his face. She turned on her heel and started to head back to the party, but Gippal suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. Rikku stopped and turned around to face him. He was looking at her intently, and didn't let go of her hand.

"Hey, Rikku..." he began with a little less confidence than usual. "I was, um, wondering if..." Rikku eyed him quizzically as he let his hand slip from hers and ran it through his hair. Maybe it was only the rosy light from the setting sun, but she could almost swear she saw a blush on Gippal's face. "Well, would you...?"

"What is it, Gippy?" she asked. "Cat got your tongue? Oh wait, I know!" She grinned now, as if catching on to a joke. "You were just gonna ask me out on a date, weren't you?" Gippal's head snapped up and he stared at her curiously. Rikku laughed and danced around behind him, laying her hands on his shoulders and peeking around from behind him.

"Ooh," she went on. "You were going to confess your undying love for me! Sorry," she sang in her best Leblanc impression. "But I don't date crusty old men like you!" Rikku watched as Gippal's stunned expression morphed between varying degrees of anger and indignation, and suddenly Rikku wasn't sure if they were joking anymore. After several more seconds that lasted an eternity, Gippal came back to life. He closed his eye and smiled, shaking his head. Relief washed over Rikku as she saw the Gippal she knew so well turn his back to her and laugh out loud.

"Ha ha ha!" he burst out loudly. "Date you, Rikku? Undying love, huh?" He turned around and eyed her with his patented appraising sneer that he usually reserved for Brother when the two of them were arguing.

"Sure, I'd love to..." he said in a soft voice as he walked up to her until he nearly stood over her. Rikku could feel his warm breath on her face as she looked up at him, but the face she was looking into now was more of a cruel smirk than the happy smile of before. Rikku attempted a smile as weak as her knees as he stared down at her. Was this part of the game still? Or was he really mad at her?

"But don't you think..." he breathed, "that you're a little... immature?"

Rikku's eyes widened as he laughed– a cold and cruel sound– and stepped around her.

"A little girl like you?" he continued ruthlessly as he walked a little ways behind her. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but let's face it: I'm a little bit out of your league."

Rikku spun around to face him, her anger quickly replacing her shock. She was speechless as she watched him standing in that casual, cocky pose with one hand, turned away from her and facing the direction of the on-going party in the distance.

Finally, Rikku found her voice. "Ooooh! You!" Rikku's face turned red and she shook her fist at him. "You're the least mature person I know! Why do you think I would be interested in you?!" Rikku continued on, so angry that she could hardly spit out the words. When he turned to face her, he looked straight at her with a piercing coldness foreign to the usual good-natured warmth she often found in his face. She began to feel a growing dread that she had definitely gone a little too far this time.

"...I think I'm going to go find myself in some more civilized, gentler company," he said with a smirk. He gave a flourishing bow, and then with his voice brimming with arrogance he said, "Adieu, my dearest, but you must excuse me: there are plenty of real women around here with a decent rack to speak of that require my immediate, mature attention."

Rikku gasped at this parting comment as he puckered his lips at her and made a kissing sound before he haughtily strode off, leaving her to deflate in his wake. Rikku was speechless for a few more moments as she watched him strut up to a trio of giggling Besaid women. She watched as he immediately cozied up to them, throwing his arm around a mature-looking brunette and started telling her a marvelously funny joke that had them all tittering together like a flock of demented flamingos.

Filled with revulsion, Rikku finally re-claimed control of her body and shook her head, trying to shake away the sight of his smirking face and his "mature" harem of brainless, bloated...

"Damn him!" She swore to herself. "How dare he even... the nerve! 'A decent rack!' I'll show him a ...decent rack..." She glanced down at her chest despite herself and felt how the plunging neckline of her bride's maid dress sagged a little from lack of support. Her face burned red again and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's not my fault Yuna had to pick this dress!" She argued angrily to herself. "It's not my fault the darn thing is such a dependent, saggy, stupid..."

She hear the brunette's high-pitched squawking laughter again as Gippal cracked another joke. Rikku's head snapped up in annoyance and she watched as he picked up a brunette curl and twisted it slowly around his finger, whispering something into her ear as she blushed and giggled like a little school girl.

Then the dark brown eyes flashed directly toward Rikku's wide, green-swirled Al Bhed eyes, and the woman tittered again, her hand over her mouth as she quickly looked away. Rikku felt the blood rise to her cheeks again as Gippal turned slightly and winked at her before he turned around and led the brunette to the punch table. Rikku felt hot tears begin to well up at the corners of her eyes, and she quickly turned away from the crowd to hide her embarrassment.

What just happened? she wondered to herself as she sank to the ground where she and Gippal last sat, over looking the ocean as friends not five minutes ago. She was just playing the game that they had always played with each other, poking fun like usual... And suddenly it had turned ugly. Had she really pressed a nerve that hard?

"Gippal..." Rikku whispered to herself. She tilted her head up at the sky, trying to keep the tears from leaking down her face. She sat like that for a while, focusing on clearing the lump in her throat, when she heard footsteps behind her. Quickly, she touched her face to make sure it was dry, and then sprang up and forced the happiest, craziest smile she could muster.

"Rikku, are you... alright?" Yuna asked, tentatively.

"Oh yeah, you betcha Yunie!" Rikku said, hoping she sounded like her usual bouncy self. Yuna looked at her cousin with suspicion written all over her face, and Rikku knew she had to react fast to avoid any more questions. She laced her arm in Yuna's and thought up a quick topic-change.

"I think I just had too much cake," she said in her best whine as she rubbed her tummy. "I about harfed it all up though, so I think I'm good to go!"

"O, okay, then..." Yuna said with an uncertain smile. "Tidus wants to get a sphere of all of us. Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" Rikku said, maybe a little too enthusiastically. "Let's go! I love getting my picture taken!"

Yuna led her over to where Ormi and Logos were directing people for the pictures. Rikku held on to Yuna's hand as Tidus held the other, and the sphere started filming the wedding party. There was a great clambering from the crowd for spheres of the High Summoner and her remaining guardians, so Yuna, Rikku, Tidus, Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri stood in front together, smiling at the crowd, or in Kimahri's case, baring fangs.

Rikku's attention started to wander, and her gaze fell on the edge of the crowd near the refreshment table, where she saw Gippal standing alone. He was staring at her coldly, and Rikku's smile wilted. Yuna looked over at her friend and frowned slightly at the sadness in Rikku's eyes. She followed her gaze to where Gippal stood, taking a swig of a cocktail. He finished his drink and then turned and strode off toward the harbor without a second glance.

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"E'MM GEMM OUI!"("I'll kill you!")

A/N: Don't worry, I won't be using much more Al Bhed language in-text. I think it can be assumed that when two Al Bhed are together, they will speak their native tongue though it will be written in plain English. -P