Disclaimer: FFX, FFX-2 – neither of them belong to me, I’m just a poor, starving fan : )

A/N: Well here we are - the final chapter of Our Story. This turned out to be a lot longer than I'd expected, and it also wins the award for being the most edited/re-written chapter I've ever done (which partly explains why it's taken so long for me to post it). I'm just about happy with how it turned out and I hope it's a fitting end to the story.

Huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed/read this story over the years. It's been an epic journey and it's really because of your reminders that I've finally reached the end :) So enjoy the last chapter and maybe I'll see you for the third part of this series, some time in the future!

Our Story

Epilogue: Rikku & Gippal

I chewed on my bottom lip.

It was a bad habit; one I’d picked up as a child and never quite shaken, despite my dad’s best efforts. A way of helping me to concentrate, I’d always complained. It didn’t do anyone any harm, so why was he making such a fuss?

Besides, Rikku thought it was cute. She’d told me so, a couple of weeks ago. And in this, her opinion mattered a hell of a lot more than my dead dad’s.

A spray of oil shot up into the air and splattered across my cheek. “Cred!” (Shit!)

Dropping the machina I’d been tinkering with, I scrubbed at my face with a dirty old rag. Further inspection revealed I just managed to smear the oil more effectively across my cheek, but at least my skin wasn’t burning anymore.

I eyed the machina darkly and was about to give in to the urge to pitch it across the room in a full childish tantrum, when a voice interrupted me.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

I looked up. Rikku was picking her way carefully across the workshop, pausing every now and then to move something out of her way. It took me a few moments to realise why; she was wearing a floor-length dress in a deep shade of green and a pair of dangerously high-heeled shoes. The dress left one shoulder bare and the slit up the side showed a generous amount of tanned leg. With her hair piled up on top of her hair in some kind of elaborate mass of knots and feathers and pins, she looked amazing.

I allowed myself a good minute or so just to admire her. “You know, as much as I appreciate you going to all this effort, you can just dress normally when you decide to drop by.”

“You wish,” she retorted, giving up on moving things and pulling the bottom of her dress up instead. Since this revealed a whole new expanse of her legs, I didn’t really mind.

She came to a halt a halt a few feet away from me and let her dress fall back to the floor. Something about the frown on her face and the way she folded her arms across her chest made me think she wasn’t just here to say “hello”.

Her next words confirmed that theory. “What are you doing?”

Since it was fairly obvious what I was actually doing, I guessed that she meant in a more general sense. As in, why-aren’t-you-doing-what-I-think-you-should-be-doing. Since I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be doing … I settled on the tried and tested method of saying nothing at all.

Rikku’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

Totally and utterly. Now if you’ll just remind me exactly what I’ve forgotten …

“No,” I lied easily. “I’m just … takin’ my time.”

“Taking your – Gippal, we need to leave in a few minutes and you’re not even ready!”

I wondered if she knew how attractive I was finding her right now, all fired up with her hands on her hips and - oh Spira – that dress. Another look at her expression told me it was probably not the best time to say something.

So I settled on something vague and, hopefully, non-incriminating. “I just need to get cleaned up. How long’s that gonna take?”

She fixed me with the death-glare that had reduced old Yevon and Vegnagun to tears. “You are not making me late for my own cousin’s wedding.”

Of course – ! The big “re-schedule” was today. Yuna And Tidus Get Married – Mark Two. With hopefully a lot less kidnapping and general mayhem than last time, and a lot more alcohol and getting friendly with a certain bridesmaid. Yeah … no way I was going to admit to Rikku that I forgotten about that. Not after she’d been harping on about it non-stop for the last three months.

I fixed her with my best smile. “Rikku, just chill, okay? I’ll go and get ready now.”

“Chill? Chill?”

I gave her a lazy salute and slipped out of the workshop before her voice could rise any higher. Spira, what is it about weddings that turned girls into such monsters? Rikku had been like this for weeks now; snappish, on-edge, determined that absolutely every little detail would be absolutely perfect. And it wasn’t even her own wedding – I shoved that unsettling thought aside as soon as it sprang into my head. It was way too soon to be thinking about things like that. Way too soon.

When I ducked into my room I saw that my clothes were already laid out on the bed – by Rikku of course. She’d presented the outfit to me a couple of days ago, complete with a bright don’t-argue-with-me-if-you-value-your-life smile. Apparently it matched both my eyes and her dress, and would, I quote, “bring out the highlights in my hair”. To be honest, I couldn’t give a stuff about highlights; what worried me more was what the clothes represented. I mean, when had we got to the stage of our relationship where she chose what I was going to wear?

Shrugging into the shirt and trousers, I made a bee-line for the bathroom and set about making myself presentable. It didn’t take long, but I still lingered in front of the mirror, pushing my hair back and forth and generally just playing for time.

“Gippal!”

“Just making sure all my highlights are in place!”

I heard a huff of annoyance and sure enough, when I swung back out into the main room, I saw that Rikku had followed me from the workshop. She looked less than impressed.

“Now you’re just wasting time on purpose,” she accused.

I help up my hands. “Hey, I had oil on my face and I’ve only got one eye. It takes me longer to get ready than normal non-oiled, two-eyed folk.”

I love being able to play that old disability card. It even managed to wrong-foot Rikku, and she’s sharper than most. The best she could manage was a withering look, which slowly faded to something more appreciative when her eyes drifted downwards and she took in my appearance.

I struck a particularly obnoxious pose. Rikku’s eyes flew back up to my face and I could see she was torn between the urge to punch me and the urge to laugh. Either good humour – or the fact that she was wearing an expensive dress – won out and she ducked her head to hide a smile.

“Glad you approve.”

“Well I did pick them out for you, didn’t I?”

Touché. God I loved sparring with this girl.

“Can we finally go now? I’d like to get there before they start exchanging vows.”

Boy, Rikku was really developing that sarcastic gene. I was going to have to watch out for that in the future. And it wasn’t like we were actually going to be late, by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, we were gonna be two hours early if she kept all this up. But I knew better than to open my mouth and point that out and besides, she could pretty much tell me do anything in that dress and I’d happily oblige.

So I gave my hair one more ruffle, which made Rikku promptly rise up on her tiptoes and flatten it down again, and then offered her my arm with my best gallant manner.

“My Lady?”

Rikku ruined the effect by erupting into a peal of giggles and shoved me out of the room in front of her.

The wedding was beautiful, the bride was radiant and the party on the beach afterwards went a long way to healing some of the wounds that the last six months had left.

I kept having to pinch myself. Yunie was married! Actually I’m-going-spend-my-whole-life-with-one-person married. And to Tidus of all people! The guy who wasn’t supposed to even exist anymore; who’d crossed time and reality to be with her. It was … well it was kind overwhelming, if I’m honest.

You know, if you thought about it, I was actually solely responsible for bringing them together. After all, I was the one who’d burst into the ruins of Baaj Temple and saved his ass from that ugly, spiky monster. If it weren’t for me, he’d have been monster-bait. Or he’d have frozen to death. Or possibly starved. Whatever – I was officially the founder of Yuna and Tidus’ relationship.

So seeing them so happy – so together – it made me giddy. It was like a sign that everything was going to be okay. Life was back on track and I was allowed to start enjoying it again.

The sand shifted beside me as Gippal dropped down onto it. I glanced across at him, but with the sun sinking into the ocean behind us, it was difficult to make him out against the darkening sky. I felt his touch though, as he reached out and wound his fingers through mine. It was the kind of unconscious gesture of affection that I’d grown used to recently, but it still brought a smile to my face. I stretched out my legs and leaned into his shoulder, content to just enjoy being with him.

“What are you thinkin’ about?”

His question broke the comfortable silence and I stirred. “Hmm?”

“You’re quiet. You’re never quiet.” I could hear the teasing edge to his voice. “So I figure you must be thinking about somethin’ important.”

“Not really. I’m just happy, you know? For Yuna.” My mind drifted to the baby – or lack thereof – and my smile tightened slightly. “She’s been through so much. I can’t believe they finally did it, that we’re all here.”

“And no one’s tryin’ to kill us.”

“That too.”

“Sure makes a change.” Gippal blew out a breath. “Guess we have the big guns to thank for that.”

It took me a few moments to work out what he meant. Since Lreav’s death, life as an Al Bhed had been … well, unsettling was probably the best word for it. While there was certainly plenty of anti-Al Bhed resentment still bubbling under the surface, Spira hadn’t erupted into an all out war and under the careful guidance of Nooj, Baralai and Yuna, things had begun to settle down again. It wasn’t quite like it had been before Lreav, but neither was it was bad as before Sin and Yevon had been dethroned, so I guess that was something.

“Oh I don’t know …” I nudged him with my shoulder. “I think a certain Al Bhed might have had something to do with that too.”

Gippal pulled a face and I laughed. There had been one amusing development to come out of all the mayhem Lreav had created: Gippal’s world standing had been given a big boost. Apparently people had appreciated the painful honesty of his speech and over the last several months, the Machine Faction had grown in prominence and Gippal had become something of a poster boy for the Al Bhed. All of which had brought plenty of fame and public interest, but it had also forced Gippal to take on more and more responsibility – something that had filled both him and some of the other stalwarts of Al Bhed society with horror. He moaned about it of course, but sometimes when he didn’t think I was looking, I could tell that he was actually beginning to enjoy the extra work. Not that he’d ever admit that to my face.

“Yeah, I keep meanin’ to pin Yuna and the others down and find out whose bright idea that was.”

I pressed a brief kiss to his cheek. “Just face it – the people love you.” I emphasised the word, managing to drag it out for a whole five syllables.

He looked down at me, expression shifting from good-natured humour into something … something difficult to read. There was a sudden tension in his body too; his fingers tightened around mine.

“What?” I asked. “What is it?”

There was a breath when I thought he was going to tell me, but then he just shook his head and tucked a strand of hair back behind my ear. “Nothin’.”

“Oh that was convincing,” I observed sarcastically, giving him another nudge. “Come on, what’s up?”

“Alright, jeez, stop bruisin’ me.” He was quiet for a moment. “There’s somethin’ I wanna tell you. Somethin’ I need to tell you.”

Well that sounded … intriguing. Also ominous. Ominously intriguing, with just a splash of excitement - I was instantly hooked. I shifted around on the sand so that I was facing him and tugged on our clasped hands. “Well go on then.”

“I can’t just – come out with it. I need to … ” Words seem to fail him – I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen that before. He grimaced and shook his head. “Ah just forget it.”

I felt giddy, excited, like a little kid. “No, no, no! You can’t say you’ve got a secret and then not tell me, that’s like – that’s like some kind of cruel and unusual torture!”

He smiled despite himself. “Rikku –”

“I know … I’ll guess!”

“… No.”

“Oh c’mon …” I wheedled, “let me guess.”

“I’m not gonna –”

“Is it … um, you’ve decided to run for President of Spira?”

“Spira doesn’t have a president.”

“Spira doesn’t have a president yet.”

“I’m not runnin’ for President,” he said tolerantly. “Now will you just –”

“Machina then – something to do with machina … okay, you’ve developed a machina system that will … that will allow you to predict the outcome of Blitzball games!”

“Why would I want to –” Gippal pulled himself up short. “This has nothin’ to do with Blitzball.”

“So not sports then … Ooh how about a communication device? That means you can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world!”

“You mean like the CommSphere network?”

“Ah, good point.”

He sighed. “Rikku, this isn’t about some stupid machina invention.”

“Then what’s it about?”

There it was again – that pause. Determined not to let him slip away, I continued with my assault.

“How about this … you’re resigning from the Machine Faction because you want to fulfil a life-long ambition of owning a Chocobo Ranch?”

“Yeah because we both know my abidin’ love for the Chocobo.” He shot me an exasperated look. “How are you even comin’ up with this stuff anyway?”

I grinned. “I’ve had a lot of time on my hands recently.” Which was actually true; I didn’t have a place in the hierarchy of Spira like some people. Since turning back up at Djose Temple, I’d been pretty much pleasing myself. “Now come on, tell me!”

“I thought you wanted to guess.”

“Well maybe I’m running out of ideas. I don’t have that much free time, you know.” Which, as we both knew, was actually a lie. “Oh no, wait – one’s just come to me: you want us to take part in the next Kilika annual fishing contest, but you need some pointers on your pole technique!”

“… You’re not gonna stop are you?” He sounded resigned.

“Not until you tell me what’s on your mind.” I tipped my head to one side and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. “You know, if you want some fishing advice, my Pops would be a good person to talk to –”

“I don’t wanna talk to your dad. Ever. And this isn’t … it’s not about fishin’ or Chocobos, or machina - it’s just that I’m – ”

“Ooh, I know, I know - you’ve finally decided Nhadala’s the one for you and you’re gonna run off a live in a little sand hut on Bikanel Island!”

“I’m in love with you!”

I was so busy congratulating myself over the Nhadala quip, that I completely missed the significance of this statement. Probably one of the most defining moments of my life and all I could do was blink up at him and say stupidly, “What?”

“Oh man, you’re gonna make me say it again aren’t you?” He ran one hand through his hair in a quick, nervous movement. “Alright fine, then … I love you.”

And there it was. The words I’d been waiting so long to hear. The words that we’d argued about all those months ago on Djose Temple, when I’d spoken them easily and hadn’t been able to understand his reluctance. My heart starting trying to beat it’s way out of my chest and I almost asked him to repeat it again, just so I could hear the words one more time.

I’d imagined this moment of course. All fireworks and singing choirs and dramatic pronouncements. The reality completely eclipsed that. Even though it was just us, on the beach, in the firelight – oh Spira, it was absolutely perfect. All those niggly little doubts about us, about our relationship and his feelings for me, all my insecurities … I could finally tell them to shut the hell up because Gippal loved me!

I mean, I’d known of course. Or had a pretty clear idea anyway. It was in a word, a look, a touch. In the way he pushed my hair behind my ear, or brushed his lips across the back of my neck. How he smiled at me and laughed at my jokes and checked out my backside when he thought I wasn’t looking. Probably as clear as day to everyone around us, but that still didn’t silence that need, that longing I’d had to hear the actual words.

And know he’d said them …

There was a beat as I locked the memory of the moment away in my mind and then I grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and kissed him, hard. Caught by surprise, it took a moment for him to respond, but when he did it was hot and soft and oh-so-wonderful. Seriously, it was one of those life-defining kisses when the rest of the world just fades into obscurity and all that matters is what’s right in front of you. All I could feel were Gippal’s lips on mine and his fingers as they teased a trail down my spine; all I could think about was the fact that my boyfriend had finally admitted that he loved me.

When we drew back, we were both panting. My lips were tingling deliciously and I touched one hand to them, convinced they were actually trembling. I’d never felt like this before, so – so empowered. So beautiful. Like I was ten feet tall; could go anywhere; could do anything. It was intoxicating.

“Wow,” Gippal managed, struggling to catch his breath. “If I’da known that was gonna be your reaction, I’d’ve said it sooner.”

I shoved him backwards. He fell laughing, in a tangle of arms and sand, and then I pounced on him again, moving across until I was straddling his waist. “Say it again,” I ordered fiercely.

He met my eyes and said, without a hint of teasing, “I love you.”

The second kiss wasn’t quite as groundbreaking as the first, but it came pretty damn close. Somehow he removed the pins from my hair and it pooled around my shoulders in a cascade of golden curls. I pressed my body against his and wriggled my hips, making him groan into my mouth. I felt his hands sliding up under the silk of my dress, pushing the fabric aside, stroking my thighs and I shivered.

It was my turn to murmured “Wow” when we parted this time. After pressing my lips to his once more – reaffirming the connection – I rolled off him and onto the sand, where I gazed up at the darkening sky. Gippal’s arm curled around my shoulders and I nestled against his side, listening to the sound of his breathing.

The silence stretched out between us and I was grateful for that. There were so many thoughts buzzing around in my mind, fighting for dominance, that it was beginning to give me a headache. Thoughts about Gippal and what had just happened; thoughts about our future and what it meant; even thoughts about the past. About Lreav.

It’s taken a long time, but I’m finally able to think about him without the guilt and self-loathing overwhelming me. After my conversation with Gippal in Bevelle, things kinda shifted. I didn’t magically recover overnight or anything; it was a slow and painful process to reach a point where I was able to finally face what I’d done with clear eyes. Yes, I’d killed a man. And that was never going to change. But it had been that or be killed myself. I hadn’t taken any pleasure in it; it had been an act of necessity. It didn’t make me a bad person, and while I would never been convinced that it had been a good thing to do – like some people believed – I understood now that there hadn’t really been any other way for the story to end. To this day I wish it hadn’t been me, but I guess there are some decisions in life that you don’t get to make.

Elhandra leaving was another one of those decisions, but if I’m honest, I didn’t fight that hard to convince her to stay. Even before I approached her to thank her for saving my life, I knew that we were never destined to be friends. I could say that too much had happened – that between Gippal and Lreav we’d never really had a chance - but if I’m honest, I just don’t like her and I don’t think I ever will. I feel sorry for her; I can appreciate that she was a victim in this as much as anyone, but that’s as far as it goes.

So I wasn’t sorry when she threw my apology back in my face and promptly took herself off back to Bikanel Island. Relieved, would be closer to the mark – and not even for the reasons I’d expected. Yeah I didn’t like her and yeah, the fact that she fancied Gippal was irritating, but she was … she was also kind of the last reminder of it all. I couldn’t look at her without seeing Lreav, and being reminded of what I’d done. Having her not there … well maybe it was cowardly, but it just made my life easier. And I think, after everything, I’d kinda earned that privilege.

Gippal shifted beside me, drawing me out of the past and back into present. I pressed my cheek against his chest and waited for him to speak.

“Sorry it took me so long,” he said into the quiet. “The whole … well the whole thin’. I guess I could have saved us a lot of agro if I’d just come out with it earlier.”

I smiled into the darkness. “It’s okay.”

And to my surprise, it really was. I’d spent so long obsessing over his inability to share his feelings – I’d built it up into this giant, irrevocable chasm that needed to be crossed – but now that it came down to it … it just didn’t matter to me anymore. Maybe that was proof I was finally growing up – I don’t know. But it just seemed that there were more important things I could be worrying about, and there was no way in Spira I was going to ruin what had so far been a pretty perfect evening by picking a stupid fight. If the last several months had taught me anything it was to hold onto to what I had with both hands and just enjoy the moments that came my way. So that’s what I was going to now – enjoy the moment.

After all, there’d be plenty of time for arguing later - I was under no illusions about that. Life with Gippal wasn’t going to be easy; we were both pretty fond of our own opinions and had no qualms about voicing them, loudly. Not to mention that Gippal had a tendency to be arrogant and immature, while I was equally bad in the thoughtlessness and insecurity categories. But rather than sending me running for the hills, I found that knowledge strangely exciting. I was looking forward to the challenges that our relationship might bring and even the conflict that would inevitably accompany them. Was that another sign of maturity, or just my own longing for adventure?

And did it even matter?

No, I decided. It didn’t. What mattered was being here, at my cousin’s wedding. Being free to choose what happened next. Being alive, and for the first time in a long time – safe.

And most of all: just being together.