A/N: OH MY GOD! FINALLY! Another chapter? What’s it been now? 5 months? Sweet merciful crap! I’m so slack and there is no excuse for it. Just please don’t hurt me. I tried to make this chappy fairly long to make up for my slackness. If there are even any readers still out there, please review… Im going to try and write more often now as I think I have found my muse.

Vira glanced at Gippal, a little confused by his question. They had both had a little too much to drink and Gippal was certainly less a few inhibitions. Vira couldn’t be sure of the motive behind his question. Not wanting to seem dumbstruck by him, Vira voiced her puzzlement.

“I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that, Gip… But I think I need another drink.” Vira stood up and walked to the bar and ordered another. After she paid, she turned to go and sit back at the table but as turned she almost tripped over Gippal who was now standing behind her.

“What the…” Vira cursed as she nursed her nearly spilt drink.

“Lets talk somewhere quieter.” He took one of her hands and led her towards her cabin. Before she was even able to take a sip of her drink, she was in Gippal’s room watching him as he walked and stood by the porthole. He sighed and turned around to face Vira.

There was a silence in the room and only the sloshing sound of the waves against the hull of the boat could be heard. Gippal opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He sighed again and leaned against the wall. He slowly slid down it until he was sitting, with his knees up against his chest. He ran his fingers through his hair and then sat with his head in his hands. Vira wasn’t sure what to do so, on a whim; she sculled her drink and walked towards him. She squatted down in front of him smiled slightly. Placing her glass to the side, she rested her elbows on her knees. Reaching over, she took hold of both his hands in hers.

At this Gippal looked up at her and she saw that his eye was moist and he tried to blink it away. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth again to speak. However before he had the chance, Vira raised her finger and placed it over his lips to silence his voice. Although Gippal put on a disappointed face, inside he was relieved. He didn’t really know what he had been going to say and he wasn’t entirely sure that he would have been able to say it without his voice trembling.

They stayed that way for a moment, Vira with her finger on Gippal’s trembling lips and him with his hands in her other hand, until, like always, Vira spoke first.

“Everything is going to be ok, Gippal. I promise.” She whispered. He slowly shook his head and withdrew his hand from hers. With his free hand, he took her finger away and held her hand like it was the last thing he would ever hold. He looked down at it and squeezed it gently. He looked back up at spoke in a voice that frightened Vira. It was so quiet and weak… It was so frightened.

“Don’t promise things you don’t even believe yourself.” He closed his eyes and a single tear traced its way slowly down his tanned cheek and came to rest on his chin.

“You know, this morning you said something to me that I think you might need to tell yourself…” She paused as Gippal looked up at her, “You have every right to be happy.” He smiled and Vira smiled back. “And you should smile more often!” She playfully scolded. “We have both done a lot of changing lately. That’s not easy for a person to cope with. Things get easier the more people there are to share the burden. As soon as we tell Lu, Wakka, Nooj and LeBlanc what’s going on, It will be a little easier, right?” Vira asked, not sure whether she was trying to convince Gippal or herself. “Right?” She asked again, standing and pulling him to a standing position as well. Gippal stood and thought for a moment. He knew she was right, but she didn’t know the real reason he was upset. Sure the impending doom of a weak-minded praetor controlled by his psychopath, adulterous wife was enough to send any sane man over the edge, but for Gippal there was so much more than that…To Gippal, Baralai was… Well, more important to Gippal was what Baralai was to Vira…

He put on a brave face which he was sure Vira would see right though. He nodded and smiled again at her.

“That’s better.” She could see that he still wasn’t convinced but at least he was trying. “Well we had better hit the hay. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” Vira turned to walk out.

“Stay.” Gippal said simply as he gently grabbed Vira’s arm. Before Vira could answer, Gippal spoke again. “Please?” He needed her tonight. Not in a sexual way, but just to know that someone was there. Someone to be there like Rikku should have been.

“Gippal, are you sure that’s such a good idea? I mean we are all a little confused these days…” But Gippal cut her off.

“Please?” He whispered again. Vira sighed. She knew he needed someone, someone to be close to. She just wasn’t sure that she was the right person for the job. But she also knew that since Rikku’s death, there wasn’t anyone else.

She sighed again and nodded. “I’ll just go get my night clothes.”

He followed her exit with his eyes and when she closed the door and he was alone, he cursed to himself. He couldn’t believe he had just behaved like that in front of Vira. He was normally so composed. So confident. But everything had changed. He wasn’t the man he used to be. No one was the same anymore. It was partly the reason he had never given up on Baralai.

Gippal was torn from his thoughts when the door to his cabin opened again.

“That was quick.” Gippal noticed as Vira entered that she had not only gone to get her clothes, she had changed as well. “Rikku always took half an hour to get ready for bed.” Gippal said with a sad smile. Although this made Vira slightly uncomfortable, she remembered what she and Rikku had spoken about. Walking over to the bed and slowly getting under the covers she looked over at him and replied.

“I’m not Rikku.”

She watched as he turned the light off and waited what seemed to be an infinity in the dark before she felt the bed beside her move as Gippal climbed in and lifted the covers over himself. Vira could feel his warm breath on her face so she figured he was facing her. She then felt his hand gently touch her head as his fingers found their way in the dark to her face. Tenderly, he traced his way down her forehead, over the bridge of her nose, down to the tip of her nose, and then finally his fingers came to rest on her lips.

“No.” He whispered as he moved his fingers from her face, tracing his way down the side of her neck, down her arm and finally to her hand. He wrapped his fingers in hers. “No,” He repeated, “You are definitely not Rikku.”

Vira woke to the sounds of men shouting, the gulls crying and a myriad of other sounds that told her they had arrived at Besaid. She was lying on her side and as she opened her eyes and adjusted them to the light, she realized that she had slept in much longer than she had intended to. Just as she tried to get up she felt something squirm behind her. She suddenly remembered that she was in Gippal’s room and had spent another night in his bed. He was curled up beside her with his arm over her side. They were neatly cuddled together both facing the same way.

Vira slowly and carefully rolled over and looked at Gippal’s face. To her surprise he was already awake and smiling at her.

“How long have you been awake for?” She asked with a crokey, morning voice.

“About 10 minutes” He answered with an even broader smile.

“10 minutes!” Vira sat up and looked down at the smiling man. “Why on Spira didn’t you wake me up?”

“I like the sound of your snoring…”Gippal mused and laughed as Vira threw an icy yet somewhat amused glare at him

“I do not snore.” She stated matter-of-factly at Gippal as he got up and began dressing.

“No. You don’t.” He agreed. “So are you going to stay in bed all day, princess? Or are we going to go to Lulu and Wakka’s place with you in your PJ’s?” Gippal smiled at her as she swore.

“Shit. Ok, I’ll meet you on deck” Vira leapt out of bed and quickly walked over to the door, opened it, and just before she went out, turned around again and spoke. “You sure are in a better mood today.” She smiled.

“I had a good dream last night.” He answered as he grabbed his boots and she gave him a puzzled look. “I’ll tell you about it later. Now go and get dressed.” He was fully dressed now except for his shoes. He made his way past her in the doorway and gave her a gentle shove towards her door. “I’ll see you in a few.” He made his way down the corridor and out of Vira’s sight.

“Grr” Vira grumbled as she made her way into her own room and began getting changed. “That man is insufferable!” She spoke to herself but found that she was smiling at the thought of him. She was so confused. She kept going over things in her head.

Things that had happened.

Things that could happen.

Things that didn’t happen.

What about Baralai? What about all the shit that was going on around her? People dying, entire classes getting almost wiped from existence. And she was worried about whether she liked Gippal or not? Shaking her head she stood and started to walk towards the upper deck.

“I’m too old for this shit.” She sighed as she walked into the sunshine on the upper deck and saw Gippal standing there grinning a her whilst posing in his most common hand on hip, leaning to one side pose. Behind him she could see the pier that stretched from the beach and beyond that the cliffs and the forest that contrasted beautifully with the yellow sand of the beach. She noted the small gap in the cliffs where the path that lead to the village was and saw a couple of people coming out of it, making their way to the dock to greet people that were getting off the ship. She thought she could recognize Wakka and Lulu, but why on Spira they would be coming to greet them she didn’t know. As far as Vira was aware, Lulu and Wakka didn’t even know they were coming.

She then noticed that walking with Wakka and Lulu was LeBlanc and Nooj. By this time they were waiting at the start of the dock and Vira and Gippal were just about to leave the ship. Vira stopped just in front of Wedge and thanked him. Giving her a nod and saying he would see her soon, they went their separate ways yet both on the same mission.

Vira looked at Gippal to see if he was confused at the group’s presence at their arrival, but instead he was beaming from ear to ear and just waved at them. When they were all together, and everyone had said hello, they began walking back to the village. They walked in twos, with Gippal and Nooj talking, Vira walked with Lulu and LeBlanc walked with Wakka. Vira thought that pair was a bit odd and voiced her confusion to Lulu. Lulu smiled a rare smile and in a humorous tone, she replied,

“LeBlanc thinks Wakka leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to being a husband and a father. She has taken it upon herself to ‘educate’ him. Although I love Wakka just the way his is, it’s adorable the way he listens like a little school boy to her instructions, and its hilarious to watch the fruition of the lessons.” She laughed as she remembered something he had done but didn’t share it. Vira was kind of glad.

They reached the village, which had grown considerably in size since Vira had last been there and went to Lulu’s hut. The hut, as it turned out, had also grown. They had extended out into the forest and there were now several rooms. They went into the lounge room and all sat down.

“Right” Said Lulu seriously. “Tell us the real reason you’re here.”

AN: Please review? Please?... Maybe?