Merry Christmas everyone! Christmas Eve tonight, and Christmas Day either tomorrow or Boxing Day, depends how it all falls.

This is a follow up of my story posted last year. First Christmas.

There's something about the smell of evergreen; it ushers in the Christmas feeling. The scent of pine cones intermingled with the natural scents of the home and the carefully chosen scents of the Advent candles that were left burning in a small wreath by the tree just added that final touch to tell any newcomer to the home that this would be how a perfect Christmas should smell.

This would be the first Christmas in the new Farron-Yun household, for it had only welcomed its humble - if that could be used to describe them - tenants less than three months back. It was the young Farron's idea that they all celebrate in the new home. The older Farron didn't agree right away, for Christmas Day was the first year anniversary with the Yun Huntress and she wanted to spend it alone with her. Christmas was Christmas though, there really wasn't much they could do. If they really wanted to be precise, the anniversary was the Eve of Christmas, deep in the blanket of the night, but the couple had decided on Christmas Day. So as long as the parties were held Christmas Eve, they had the following few days to themselves.

So it left them with this mess this year.

The two Farrons and the young - if she could be considered young - Dia were in the kitchen, making the last minute preparations. The bird was in the oven; all that was left were the small dishes. The three women were getting along and doing what they needed to do in an orderly fashion.

Out in the living room, Hope had brought over his preferred gaming console and had it hooked up to the television. Both he and Snow were playing some modern warfare game while Fang, already having done her share of the cooking and having been shooed out by Vanille, was sitting on the opposite couch, never really having a taste for video games. The two boys were going at it pretty hard; with Hope being the better player; it meant that he was leading their charges. Fang was getting chuckles out of it while making her own little commentary, most of which was pushing one of the players right to the edge.

"Yeh get cars in this?" Fang looked at Snow quickly. "Drive one of 'em fancy ones." she chuckled as Snow smirked. Lightning came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands off with a dishcloth as she watched the three enjoy themselves. Fang looked over to Lightning and held her hands out, like a four year old asking for their parents to pick them up. Lightning dropped her towel on the back of a chair and moved to sit on Fang's lap.

"That's fucking bullshit." Hope growled. "That was a fucking head shot, there was no fucking way he shouldn't have fucking died." Normally, everyone would be surprised at the silver haired boy's use of explicit words, however once there was a controller in his hand, he spoke like an untamed soldier or Lightning on one of her worst days.

"No Christmas spirit?" Fang asked Hope with a smirk, the boy just glared at her. The huntress had quickly learnt not to make jokes about Hope and his warfare games. Farron chuckled as Fang looked back at her with a soft smile. "Yeh think Hope would be pissed if I started narrating each and every move he and Snow made?" Fang whispered into her neck.

"Oh don't test him." Lightning whispered back as she traced Fang's cheekbone. "Do you wantto die on Christmas Eve?" Lightning sparkled with amusement as Fang pecked her quickly on the lips.

"Only in your arms." She winked knowing good and well she had won that one. Lightning rolled her eyes.

"Fuck it Snow!" Hope screamed at the TV. "Stop flash banging us!"

"That was affecting you too?" Snow shouted "I thought it was just me! I didn't mean to! I swear I didn't mean to!" Snow tried to defend himself. Vanille appeared from the kitchen, brushing remnants of flour off her clothes. Fang quickly looked at her, begging.

"Can you do something about his rage? I don't care what! Flash him! Yeah, do that! Anything to calm this boy down!" Fang begged her.

"Fang... when it's Hope and Hope's game there's no such thing as calming down. Now, let's pop the champagne before Sazh gets here and pulls out his soul-funk records again." Vanille disappeared to pop the cork. Fang had a hand in the middle of Lightning's back. She looked at the strawberry beauty. "Tell me something..." Fang started, her voice dropping real low as she drew idle patterns on the small of Lighting's back. "Is Noel-" Lightning stopped her.

"We are not discussing this here. Snow along with everyone else doesn't know anything and you are well aware of that. Right now it needs to stay that way, for Serah's sake." Lightning was very serious about this.

"I'm just sayin'...this could be a Christmas to remember...and not just because I stuffed the turkey either."

"Oh what! That did NOT just happen to me! Hope; that was all you man! That was so all you!" Snow stuck a finger in Hope's face. Lightning sighed.

"I'm looking at a stuffed turkey." she said dully, shifting her eyes to the blonde on the couch.

Vanille soon returned from the kitchen with a popped bottle of champagne. She took the liberty of handing out the champagne flutes. Thankfully they weren't real glass as the way she clanged them together they would have broken for sure had they been real. "For you." She giggled as she handed a glass to Fang.

"I love Less Virginal Vanille! Less Virginal Vanille is so much more fun than Virginal Vanille!" Fang proclaimed.

"There is no 'less'." Lightning said, taking a glass from Vanille. "You're either one or the other. It's like being pregnant." she gave her girlfriend a look. "You either are or you aren't. There's not little bit pregnant and there is no 'less virginal'." Ah, how she loved to deduce. Fang glared at her.

"Oh, like she's done half the stuff we have with that - that silver pansy on the couch!" Fang grabbed the bottle from Vanille and filled her own flute after taking a swig straight out of the bottle first.

"Fang! You're so mean to Hope!" Vanille whined at her.

"Hey! You come talk to me when you and Hope have had a wild, insane..." Lightning put a hand over Fang's mouth. She continued to try and mumble her words into Lightning's palm.

"Thanks for the champagne. Snaggletooth, control yourself." Lightning took her hand away.

"I'll be done talking if I can start drinking." Fang bargained.

"Yeah, whatever." was Lightning's rebuttal as she pushed Fang's braid behind her ear.

He chuckled lightly as he adjusted the Santa hat that sat upon his messy mop of brown hair before he walked up to the front door of the Farron-Yun household. The grin on his face wasn't one that was going to disappear any time soon. He had told the group that he would be arriving with Sazh and his boy, Dajh, but they had called him saying they would be late. The young Katzroy had hidden his fathers records, somehow knowing that a few members of the mishmash group didn't care for Sazh's music preferences.

Quickly, he rapped on the door three times. Right after, he could hear a fast and loud swear echo through the doorway before the usual patter of feet suggested the door was to be opened soon. The door opened, as expected, to show him the younger Farron's surprised face.

"Noel! You... you're early!"

"What? No hello?" the Pulsian boy smirked as she let him in, he dropped his overnight bag by the wall.

"Yes, no... I thought you were coming over later with Sazh." she stepped aside as Noel Kreiss walked in, inhaling the Christmas scents of the home. His grin never left his face as he turned to Serah. "So aside from those other two, who else is here?"

"Everyone else." She told him, smiling softly as she reached up and knocked the white puff of his Santa hat. "They're all in the living room; Hope's playing some war game with Snow." She glanced over her shoulder quickly. By the time she looked back, Noel had his own game controller for Hope's system held out in front of her face.

"I'll fit in perfectly, don't worry." he quickly pecked her on the cheek before welcoming himself into the home. Serah stayed by the open door, fully aware of the winter breeze chilling her bare legs. Exhaling slowly she closed the door and returned to the kitchen.

"Champagne!" Vanille was so bubbly as she thrust a glass toward Serah that it startled her.

"Y-yeah." Serah answered in a bit of a preoccupied tone as she scratched the back of her head. Vanille tipped the bottle over. "Thanks." Serah answered after Vanille had finished pouring. Serah gulped and gulped at the bubbly froth, drinking down the entire glass in four gulps before exhaling loudly. "I'll take some more." she insisted, holding her glass out.

"Serah! You didn't drink champagne that quickly at your own wedding!" Vanille shouted, surprised as she filled up her glass again. "At this rate we're going to have to break into Lightning's wine fridge!"

"Mmm..." Serah said, wiping her lips. "I know."

"I'm going to get a glass for Noel!" Vanille reached up into the cabinet, pulling another glass down. She happily left Serah alone with what was left cooking in the kitchen.

"Well, well, Miss Serah Farron-Villiers." Fang emphasized the last part as she finished off her first round of champagne. "Just came to look at my bird. Ain't she a beaut? All tan and...succulent. Like me?" Fang winked at her. Serah stood there a bit nervously. "Oh and Serah? Speaking of being like me..." Fang flung the oven door open to sniff the juices of her bird. She them slammed it shut and walked over to Serah, she leaned in close to her ear.

"Welcome...to the dark side." she leaned back her grin never disappearing. "Don't be standin' there actin' like you don't know what I mean, love." She winked and turned around to walk out of the kitchen. "Noel Kreiss! How the hell have ya' been!" she could hear Fang bellow.

So Fang and her sister know... Serah sighed as she leaned against the counter, hanging her head. If this all gets out, it was certainly going to be a Christmas to remember. Serah fingered the necklace she wore, the same necklace Snow Villiers put around her over two years ago. She pushed away from the counter, swearing, the yams were going to burn.

"NO! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEFENDING! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" Hope screamed. "OH NOW YOU'RE RUNNING!" He was standing from the couch, Noel was trying to stifle his laughter while Snow was struggling to figure out what the current objective was.

"See, everyone knows that the true meaning of Christmas is incessant yelling and...pure, heartfelt anger." Fang reached forward to tap Hope on the shoulder.

"DON'T FUCKIN' TOUCH ME!" he snapped, Lightning shot up from her spot on the couch and snapped up Snow's controller. The blonde man looked confused as Lightning took control of his character and shot Hope's character, the young boy didn't see Lightning's betrayal happen until he looked at the report that told him who killed him.

"I R Tac0 D0r1t0s." he read. "WHO THE FUCK?" he quickly recognized the name. "SNOW!" he quickly looked over and saw Lightning with his controller. "Oh, Light."

"Hope, calm down, or you're no longer allowed bringing this game over to my house again." she said in a perfect soldier tone. Noel was chuckling as Snow looked just as terrified as Hope. Noel stood up before pulling a new game box out of his bag he had dragged in earlier.

"Here, lets try this one, we can play it's Matchmaking." Noel grinned as he popped out Hope's disc and popped in his own. The game started up as Snow reached up to take his controller back from Lightning, but the Farron kept it as she returned to her spot on Fang's lap. The men watched up as Lightning logged Snow out of his profile and into her own.

"Lightning you?" Snow started but Fang's chuckle cut him off.

"Don't let her get the sniper rifle." she grinned wrapping her arms around Lightning's middle and nuzzling into her neck as the soldier took quick control over the matchmaking game they were playing. Hope's rage subdued as his partners actually knew what they were doing. "Amodar got her a system and a couple FPS games after she was kicked out of the firing range ten times in a single month. It keeps her calm when I'm not around."

All the blood drained from Snow's face. He quickly stood up and fled to the kitchen just as he was hearing the sounds of Lightning's avatar assassinate some poor soul on the other team. He found Serah giggling with Vanille in the kitchen, the bottle of champagne already empty between them. When they saw him they sobered up quickly. Vanille muttered something and left, not without taking a bottle of red wine out of Lightning's stash and going back to the family room leaving the two be. The air was tense between them before Serah turned away. Snow looked turned to the fridge.

Well this was awkward...

They had pulled out a fourth controller so now the game had changed to boys versus girls with Vanille just a little tipsy. It wasn't very Chirstmas-y, definitely not like last year. The game ended with the girls winning before Lightning chucked the controller away, bored. She leaned over and took the open bottle of red wine Vanille had brought in earlier and drank directly from the bottle.

"Serah! How's the food?" she called out loudly as her younger sister appeared.

"I don't think anything is burning now, the fire alarm isn't going off, so that's a good sign." she looked warily at the white smoke detector on the ceiling, it was hard to forget what had happened the year before with that ruddy little thing at the cottage. "Why?"

"I think I know where little Dajh and old man Sazh is." she stood up away from the couch, grabbing Fang's hand. "I think Christmas is just that one time of the year were we can let ourselves lose and channel that childish spirit." she pulled Fang up, that grin that didn't quite fit her face never disappearing. "Why don't we all go play in the snow? I think my sound system will still work in the cold."

"It's just the turkey that's left; whatever happens to it is Fang's problem." Serah answered as she peeled off the apron she was wearing. The Yun had whipped out the cell phone she had gotten the previous Christmas and set the timer with a grin that certainly made her name. With that everyone else began to stand up. Snow, stretching his arms over his head overdramatically, unaware of the older Farron and Yun watching him. Vanille and Hope were the first ones dressed, having raced to do so after the game had been turned off.

However Fang was the first out the front door. She was greeted by a showering of snow from above. The words that escaped her forced Sazh to cover his son's ears. "Lightning! How many times have I said - WE GOTTA FIX THAT DAMN OVERHANG!" Those were just the mild words after a string of things that left her lips.

"Hmmm...I guess it really does have issues." Lightning said with a questioning tone as she looked above her.

"Fang! Hey! Will you clean that mouth a' yers up! Dajh wanted to build his favourite aunt a snowman. I couldn't tell him no!" Sazh said letting go of Dajh as he ran toward his favorite pink-haired aunt.

"Whew...that was a close one. I'm glad I'm not the favourite aunt. 'Course I will be when Dajh wants me to make a liquor run for him and his friends. Come 'ere, ol' man. Merry Christmas." Fang motioned Sazh toward her as she slipped the snow off her.

"Ah, you know I love ya'. It wouldn't hardly be Christmas without you tellin' somethin' to go to hell." Sazh squeezed Fang against him.

"Saaaaaazh!" Snow was thrilled to see him.

"Mr. Villiers! Hey, do me a favor and help my unload the van." Sazh gave Snow a firm handshake.

"Anything for you 'ol man." Snow winked at him.

"Hey, Fang can get by with bein' old. But I am 44 and proud to say I ain't that old!" Sazh reminded him. Snow laughed at him.

"Nah, but I sure like to tease you about it." Snow followed Sazh to the van. Back inside the house,

"Hi sweetie. Did you make me a snowman?" Lightning questioned Dajh, putting an arm around him. It wasn't a motherly tone at all but more of a statement. Either way, that boy loved her and Vanille to pieces.

"I made it just for you!" Dajh said hugging Lightning with wet clothes from clambering around in the snow.

"Thank you, honey. Let's get you inside and into something dry so we can eat, okay?" Lightning coaxed him as Sazh and Snow practically fell on the ice while unloading the van. "Look who's here!" Lightning chimed as she lead the little boy into the house. Vanille released Hope's hand and outstreched her arms to Dajh. Naturally, Fang had remained outside to give Snow and Sazh a hard time about all the crap coming out of the van. She'd help them if the spirit hit her.

"You're all wet, Dajh! What have you been up to?" Vanille asked as she knelt down to her knees.

"I made a snowman!" he told her happily. Vanille smiled.

"Ooh! I'm so proud of you! Is your daddy getting your clothes?" Vanille asked unzipping Dajh's wet snow suit. Dajh shook his head. "Hope, go get him a towel will you?" Vanille said.

"I thought we were all going to play in the snow!" Hope frowned looking at the young boy then Vanille, then over to Lightning who was watching Fang annoy the others. She looked over at Hope.

"Yes well... I didn't expect Dajh to be soaked to the bone." Lightning explained. "By the time he dries off the turkey will we done. There is still tonight, or tomorrow." she walked back into the home, just missing another avalanche of snow from the overhang by seconds. Vanille shivered herself.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Noel had his hands on Serah's hips as she moed a heap of mashed potatoes into a serving bowl. "Now, I'm going to ask you this one more time..." Noel couldn't help but laugh. "...did you and Vanille finish off the champagne and secretly open another bottle? Serah laughed stupidly.

"We stopped after one, but that's not counting the two bottles of red wine we had after that." she giggled, Noel shook his head, his smile never disappearing.

"Serah! This is an old Pusian dish!" Fang said examining the steaming food in the casserole dish. "You never made any Pulsian dishes for me last year! Fang stabbed a large spoon in it. "I think..." Lightning stopped her.

"Yes Fang, we all know what you think because you're always telling us. Now, you need plenty of it. Here dig in." Lightning jammed her elbow into Fang's side. Noel shot eyes at Serah. He had talked about it earlier in the week but he never dreamed Serah would actually make it.

"There are a lot of different dishes this year." Sazh pointed out. "Did you get a new cookbook or something?" he asked as he helped Dajh with a second serving of stuffing. Fang was happy that the little boy was enjoying what many people would say is the best part of a turkey.

"Noel compiled me all of his mother's recipes for my birthday. I thought, seeing that a good chunk of the people here are Pulsian, I should give a couple of these new dishes a try."

"You made them perfectly." Noel answered as he had another serving of the one of the Pulsian Dishes that Fang was enjoying far too much. "I doubt there will be any leftovers."

"No, daddy. I don't want any of that." Dajh remarked pointing at his plate.

"Why not?" his father asked of him.

"It looks funny." Dajh made a face of disgust.

"Now boy, you're not goin' through this. What did I tell you the other day?" Sazh asked filling Dajh's plate with a variety of foods. Dajh didn't answer. "Son, you answer me when I'm talkin' to you."

"You said that new food makes me big and strong." Dajh said rather plainly.

"That's right. Now, you gon' try everythin' on this plate. You don't have to eat all of it, but you gon' try it. I don't wanna' hear none a' that whinin' outta' you." Sazh warned him.

"How old are you Dajh?" Noel asked him. Dajh didn't answer, he just stared at this youjng man whom he had never met. "Hey, I'll make you a deal. If you tell me how old you are, I'll tell you what Serah made for desert." Noel winked at him. That perked Dajh up.

"I helped make some of it Dajh!" Vanille perked up nearly spilling a gravy boat on Hope. That forced a smile out of Dajh.

"I'm seven." he answered Noel.

"You are!"

"Yep. Seven years old this year. We're in Miss April's first grade class, aren't ya' Dajh?" Sazh added. Dajh shook his head in delight at Noel. Snow rolled his eyes. Why the hell did everybody like this guy so damn much? What did he have that Snow didn't? It urked him.

"Well, I made a promise to you so come here and I'll tell you what Serah made." Noel motioned for Dajh to lean in toward him. After the words were traded Dajh jumped back with glee on his face as he quickly started to inhale is food, knowing full well that he'd only get desert if he finished it all. Snow stared in wonder before looking over at Fang and Lightning. Both of them had half finished their plates but had stopped for a break, Fang had her nose buried in Lightning's soft pink locks as the older Farron had her eyes closed and a content smile on her face.

Villers knew he was missing something, something obvious, something important, but he couldn't figure it out.

Time passed and the dinner was put away and the desert was pulled out. Snow then learnt why Noel knew the plate that Dajh was so excited about, he had made it. A Chocolate Pudding Pie. A Pulsian dish that was popular with the children, and Fang. Snow's thoughts were soon lost as he filled his plate with more sweet foods. Hope had brusied himself with the Jell-o while Vanille was giving Dajh another serving of the pie, her own plate decorated with a piece and countless shortbread cookies.

"Mmmm, Lightning." Fang started after a while, everyone else's conversations cut short. "Your hair is starting to fade."

Sazh spluttered, his coffee meeting the crisp white tablecloth as he shot his eyes over to Lightning, both of them as wide as a chocobo caught in the headlights.

"You dye your hair Solider Girl?" he looked at them, trying to see any difference, but Lightning's hair was still that lighter shade of pink to Serah's, even though it did seem a little whiter than usual, he thought it was just the lighting through. Fang was running her fingers through Lightning's locks lovingly as Serah rolled her eyes.

"You didn't know that?" she groaned.

"I didn't know either." Hope muttered, and by the looks of it everyone else at the table didn't know either.

"You guys travelled with her!"

"The journey wasn't as long as people think it was." Sazh muttered but the younger Farron shook her head.

"Lightning isn't a natural pink like myself, she's a natural white, like Hope." Those words nearly made Hope jump out of his own flesh.

"Wait what! You...and...and you and...your hair is...but my hair is white!" he finally said nearly spilling Jell-O all over Lightning.

"What the hell are you and Vanille gonna' do with that Jell-O?" Fang asked taking it away from Hope before he could make a horrible mess. Vanille laughed rather stupidly and leaned over into Serah.

"Oh god, is she hammered? On Christmas Eve! Is she...great...now I'm gonna' have to keep an eye on both of ya'." Fang rolled her eyes.

Later in the evening, it was that perfect time of night when everyone gathered around the TV for whatever Christmas special they could find.

"Eeew! No! I don't like this one." Vanille said, curled up on Hope's lap, his arms around her.

"I don't care! We're watchin' it. Besides, like you are really gonna pay attention." Fang said. Sazh sat Dajh between he and Snow, assuming Serah would squeeze in to Snow's left. Noel turned the lights out in the kitchen, a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka and a package of gummi worms in tote.

"You justate like...forty-five minutes ago! How could you possibly want gummi worms?" Hope asked him.

"Because...they're...they're gummi worms! And they go perfectly with the Grinch!" Noel protested as if it were perfectly logical.

"How!" Hope asked.

"Here, have a drink and it will all make sense." Noel handed the bottle over and discreetly tugged on the edge of Serah's shirt. She glanced over at him quickly as he sat down beside Lightning. "I wanna' see your roots." Noel said leaning over against Lightning to examine her hair trying to find the white while the horrible Grinch gazed over Whoville. So, here was Serah at one end of the couch and Snow at the other...no one seemed to think this out of place.

"The animation in this thing sucks ass!" Snow announced.

"This is a classic!" Lightning snapped as Sazh followed up.

"Hello! Seven-year-old right there!" he reminded Snow pointing to Dajh.

"Oh, I'm sorry, man. The animation in this thing blows!" Sazh just shook his head and sighed. That wasn't exactly the rephrasing Sazh had in mind.

"Alright, love...here's the dealio. We drink every time they say Who!" Fang whispered to Lightning. Lightning smiled and look at her.

"You're such a lush." she rolled her eyes at her dark haired lover and intertwined her fingers with Fang's. Fang laughed at her.

"Oh! Said Who!" she reached over Noel and Serah and took the Grey Goose bottle from Hope.

"Hey!" Hope said rather shocked by her actions.

"Eeh, you've had enough anyway. You gotta be able to get it up later." Fang took a long swig and handed it to Lightning. Lightning also took a swig, Noel spied them before holding his hand out wanting to take part of the game as well. Lightning handed it to him. Serah laughed at her wildly.

"It's true! You're sleepin' beside them tonight so...oh wait, they just said who again..." Fang stopped mid-sentence and grabbed her bottle back, leaning over Lightning and smacking Noel.

"Imagine if you were watching something else. Like Doctor Who." Hope started the three of them all took a drink, even though it wasn't part of the movie. "Imagine that kind of drinking game." he chuckled to himself. Fang looked over at Lightning and smirked, knowing the soldiers love for the Time Lord. "It's drinking game would probably be crazy 'take three shots every time they ask 'Doctor Who?'." they all took three shots.

"Remind me again how this is at all Christmas related?" Snow asked.

"It's simple really..." Lightning began rather seriously. "...those of us that are on Santa's nice list get a quiet evening with a bottle of fine vodka on this couch...and then there's you."

"No! No! No! that's wrong, love. Now, I love ya'...but no. That's wrong. See, Snow...you're getting coal for Christmas...like the Grinch. Now all us? We're on the naughty list...because we've been so good that it's baaaaaaad!" Fang would have toasted someone right now, had that been an option. But there was only one bottle between the three of them, so she just opted to kissing Lightning full on the lips instead. The lot of them diverted their eyes while Dajh voices his distaste for the obvious love between the couple. Noel stole the bottle back and drank from it while Fang pulled the blanket off the couch and cover her and her girlfriend with them. Serah rolled her eyes, knowing full well what was happening underneath that blanket as the two had forgotten the little game they were playing. Leaving Noel to it all by himself. By the time the special had ended, Lightning and Fang were distracted with themselves and Noel was buzzed, and laying heavy eyes on Serah, Vanille was still hammered. They went their own ways for the night.

They were a different couple this year than they had been last year at this time. "Hey, love. You remember how last year it was yer first time and all?" Fang laughed, thrilled with herself as she shoved Lightning into a sea of blankets. Lightning laughed a girlish laugh that wasn't common for her. It was the vodka talking. She reached her arms up and pulled Fang down on top of her.

"We've come a long way, eh?" She asked smothering Fang in her pink caress.

"That we have." Fang agreed with her as she wasted no time in stripping Lightning of her shirt. The moment Farron's shirt touched the ground the roles were reversed, it was a blinding instant, Fang found herself with her back pressed against the mattress and Lightning hovering above her, a soft smile on her face.

"I've grown, haven't I?" Lightning smiled as she pressed her lips against the crook of Fang's neck.

"Yes...yes ya' have..." She arched her back at Lightning's touch.

"Take your clothes off." Lightning demanded of her.

"How about...you do it for me?" Fang grinned her. Lightning knew that after a year together...she had to oblige her. Pawing at Fang's clothes with hot, hungry hands she managed to get Fang down to her underwear without hesitation or without flaw. It was solid evidence that she and Fang had come quite a long way in a year's time.

"Happy anniversary." Fang's voice was a bit breathless and vodka soaked as she let Lightning have her.

"I'll show you what a happy anniversary reallyis." Lightning was purse confidence a she slid silken panties off Fang's thighs. Fang's grin was reflected in the moonlight while Lighting's off white hair glowed.

It was even later than before and the house had fallen extremely quiet. Lightning and Fang had gone to their room; everyone could easily guess what the ever active couple was doing. Sazh had read to Dajh to put the excited boy to sleep; now both of them were passed out in the family room. Hope and Vanille were engrossed in a movie in the upstairs office. But Serah figured they were actually more engrossed in each other but the movie was a good excuse anyway. Snow was asleep upstairs in the spare bedroom and he had been for a while. For it was 2:07 AM on Christmas morning.

Serah had been wide awake well past the time the others had said they had gone to bed. Now here she sat on the washer in the laundry room watching a load of clothes roll over and over in the dryer. The rhythmic sound was hypnotic and calming to her. The tree and the mantle lights were still plugged in, casting the pale yellow glow of Christmas through the adjoining rooms. While there was an absolute mass of presents underneath the tree. Serah thought it was endearing because she knew how big and happy this makeshift family was. She could already spot three made out to Lightning with the Yun's messy scribble. Fang would never admit in a thousand years that she had such a soft spot for the elder Farron. Only a little light trickled into the laundry room as Serah's mind turned over and over.

"Merry Christmas." a soft voice called to her as a darkened figure appeared in the doorway. It startled Serah at first but then she couldn't help but smile and relax. He walked over to her, put his hands on her thighs and leaned in to steal a kiss from her. She put her arms around his shoulders in response.

"Merry Christmas." she answered just as softly. He knew how to make her weak as he rubbed his hands over her flannel clad thighs. She kissed him again, longer and harder this time. Noel Kreiss pulled Serah toward the edge of the washer, letting his hands slide over her hips. Serah pulled her lips away from his and rested her forehead on the top of his. "Fang knows." she whispered softly, disappointed.

"Hell, of course Fang knows." He paused for a small grin. "What is there that those two don't know?" Noel reminded her, kissing her once more. He didn't stop and Serah certainly didn't stop him as she let her hands run down his back. She could feel Noel's hands at the top of her pants. "Come to bed..." he mumbled into her lips.

"I know, it's late. I'll go soon and-"

"No, I mean come to mybed." his voice was hardly audible as he moved his lips closer to her ear.

"You know I want to." Serah's voice was equally quiet. Noel had pulled her off the washer and was pressing his body into hers, her back against the washer door.

"Then come on. No one knows except your sister and her girlfriend. Serah." He paused and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"I know that Noel, and I trust you." Serah promised him.

"Then Serah...baby...relax. It's okay. He's alseep, yeah?" he kissed her again. "We'll be up before him anyway." he gently traced her jawline. Serah closed her eyes and nodded he held his hand out to her as she took it. Silently he led her away from the dryer and towards his spot in the basement. Serah surrendered herself to him.

Lightning hadn't heard Fang cry out for her like this in a while. In fact, she worried that Fang would disturb Vanille and Hope who were beside them. Her worries were short lived however, with a moment of silence from Fang she could faintly hear Vanille's own moans and cries, Hope had certainly matured from the young boy he was when she had originally taken him under her wing back in the Vile Peaks.

"Don't let your mine wander Claire." Fang's husky voice rose up to her hears, Lightning smiled against Fang's sweat coated skin as she slowly moved up her lover's body.

"Then lose yourself." Lightning ordered her. Fang dug her fingers hard into Lightning's shoulders. Fang's hands shot up to her white hair, her nails digging into Farron's scalp, making her groan. Lightning could count it down in her mind and she felt utterly powerful. She had to smile to herself, even half a year ago it would have been the other way around...Fang doing all the damage and knowing exactly how to make Lightning fall weak to her. But Lightning knew Fang's weaknesses too well and here she was clocking it like a time bomb in her mind.

Farron slowly traced her fingers through the inside of Yun's thighs, knowing where exactly to push, where scratch then...it was without warning and without prelude. Fang's angry and blissful growl into the pillow her face was buried in. It left the elder Farron more than proud of this slightly early...anniversary gift.