I just want to say that this chapter does contain a lot of strong language. A LOT! Not because it's "cool" or whatever. But because the characters are people. And people aren't perfect. Also sorry to everyone who has added this to their favourites or their alert list. Sorry it's taken such a long time to update! Tough times and all that!

"Well that was a complete fuck up!"

Lightning strode through the door, her cape billowing behind her, in her wake. Snow followed, carrying Vanille over his shoulder.

"Snow! I can walk! Put me down!"

"Ye-"

"JUST DO IT!" Lightning yelled, spinning around, "put her the fuck down!"

She began pacing like a caged animal as Snow wordlessly set Vanille to her feet. She poked him in the stomach and threw herself down onto the sofa.

Snow tentatively stepped closer to Lightning. "Lightning? Y'know it's not our fault-"

"Not our fault?! Whose fault is it then?"

"We had a job to do."

Lightning laughed but there was no humour in it. "A job? You can't be serious." Her voice had been raised but now it was deadly quiet. "If our job is killing innocent people then I fucking quit, alright?"

"You can't. You know that…"

Lightning grabbed the front of Snows jacket, spun him around and slammed him against the wall. Again, her voice was even quieter.

"You think I don't fucking know that?" she hissed into his ear. "You don't fucking think I know that we're slaves?"

"Technically we're servants." Quipped Vanille.

She was ignored.

"If you think that this is a "job" then you need your head looking at!"

Snow couldn't take it any longer. "I need my head looking at?! Listen to yourself you crazy bi-!"

Lightning punched him in the face. She was trembling with rage as she leant closer. "Don't you ever say that again. Or I will fucking kill you. I suppose you think its hilarious that I don't remember a single thing?"

"No. Look, I'm sorry…. I…. heat of the moment…"

She leant even closer so that her lips were almost touching his ear. "Say that again and you will die. Understood?"

"Lightning… that's enough." Lebreau was stood in the doorway.

Lightning stopped and slowly let go of Snows jacket. She turned her head to face Lebreau. "Don't you tell me when it's enough or not. I'll tell you what's enough – killing innocent people."

Snow opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a sharp shake of the head by Lebreau.

Lightning stepped away from him, glaring at Lebreau as she did so. She headed towards the door and stopped. Without looking at her she said, "Oh and Lebreau? If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. So I wouldn't bother holding your breath if I were you."

She walked out slamming the door behind her. Vanille yawned.

"How can you just sit through that?" Snow asked her, rubbing his face.

"Dunno. She's lovely really! She's like a bear. Cuddly, but if you piss her off, she rips your eyes out!" she smiled.

"Yeah….ok…."

Gadot walked into the room, rubbing his shoulder. "Jesus! Who forgot to take their happy pills this morning? What's her problem?"

"The job we did," replied Snow, shortly.

"Oh."

"But why does she over react so much?"

"You know Lightning… she doesn't fail… she doesn't know the word "fail". She's never had to use it all that much!"

Snow stood up and Gadot threw the rifle to him.

"I'll go on guard duty if you want Snow!!"

"No Vanille. I've already told you."

"Oh come on! You're such a spoil sport"

He leaned closer. "That's exactly why you aren't allowed – you think it's a game."

Vanilla crossed her arms and stuck her bottom lip out.

"See you later," laughed Snow, ruffling her hair.

"Not if I see you first!" Vanille replied, cocking an imaginary gun.

"C'mon Gadot you can help with dinner," Lebreau sighed, "Gadot?"

He had thrown himself on the sofa and seemed to be snoring.

"Don't worry I'll help instead," laughed Vanille, throwing a cushion at Gadot.

They stood for a while in a companionable silence.

"Actually I had better clean you up first. Cuts and bruises everywhere!"

"Yeah ok."

"You need to cover your legs up a little, young lady!"

Vanille snorted, "that's rich, coming from you!"

"Yeah well, you're still young."

"I'm 17!"

"Yes," replied Lebreau staring into space, "…all grown up…"

"Oh please! Shuddup you old fogey!"

. . .

"Vanille?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think about what happened today?"

Vanille kept her eyes down as she said, "it shouldn't have happened. Snow was right. It was a mistake."

"But what if the only way to free the people of Pulse is to take down the Caelum government?"

"Then maybe it's the wrong way…" she looked up. "Maybe it's better this way?"

Lebreau just looked at her.

"Maybe…" she replied softly.

"Lebreau?"

"Hm?"

"…y'know that guy?"

"Hm"

"He looked at me weird…"

"Hm"

"Can you say anything other than "Hm"?"

"Hm"

Vanille laughed, "Alright be that way! I'll just shut up."

"No, c'mon. Tell me!" laughed Lebreau, "You mean the guy that you helped?"

"Only if you be serious!" Vanille replied. "Yes, him…"

Lebreau pulled a serious face and crossed her arms.

"Right, its just y'know… he looked at me weird…. Like he knew what I was doing…like he could see…it." She glanced up at Lebreau to see her reaction and was surprised to see her smiling.

"Vanille…. I don't think that anyone like that would be at a palace ball…. They wouldn't allow it."

"Yeah…. I suppose….there's something else…"

"You've got a crush on him? Was he handsome? Tall? Dark eyes and all that?"

"NO! Shuddup! Listen to me"

"What was his hair like?"

"Lebreau just SHUT UP!"

Lebreau stopped. "Hey…. I was only kidding…. You know what I'm like. I just want you to find a guy… y'know."

Vanille walked away and sat down. Lebreau followed her and perched herself on the arm of the chair.

"It's not like that. That's not the problem. He…."

"What? What did he do? Vanille"

"I think it was the prince…"

"WHAT?! What the-"

Lebreau stood up so suddenly the chair rocked.

"Are you sure? Did it look like the- Wait! It can't have been!" she laughed.

"Um…"

"Because if it had been him…. Lightning and Snow would have recognised him!"

"Yeah but-"

"So if they didn't then it can't have been-"

"It was."

Lebreau looked at Vanille and frowned. "How can you tell? All the evidence points against it…"

"I just…" she closed her eyes, "I can just tell."

"C'mon Vanille… you can stop now. It was a good joke but that's enough"

"I'm not joking."

"Yeah because if you were, it wouldn't be funny!" Marquis laughed.

They both turned around to see an oil covered Marqui standing in the middle of the room.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Living. Room. With. Oil. All. Over. You."

"it's onl-"

"NOW!"

Marqui jumped and dashed upstairs. "Yes mum!" he shouted from the safety of the stairs.

Her response was a muffled, "Don't be sarcastic!"

Lebreau sighed. "Get up!" she said to Gadot.

He rolled onto the floor. "I've been working all day!"

"If by all day, you mean 3 hours of sleeping outside then yeah!"

She shook her head. "Vanille, can you go and see if Snow wants some food for me?"

She watched Vanille walk out of the room and then turned to Gadot. "So what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Don't pretend you were asleep because I'm letting it go. For now."

"It's messed up if you ask me!" he showed no signs that he was at all embarrassed at being found out.

"Yes but do you think she's right?"

"Are you kidding? When has that kid ever been wrong?"

They sat in silence.

Vanille and a now cleaner Marqui walked in laughing.

"So I'm like your mum huh?" Lebreau asked him, her eyebrows raised.

"You are kinda like our mum," giggled Vanille.

"Yeah and Gadot is like the crazy ass uncle!" confirmed Marqui.

They all laughed and began eating in silence. After a while Gadot grinned.

"Y'know? I could be a crazy ass uncle!"

"What the hell, Gadot?! That ended 5 minutes ago!"

Their laughter was interrupted by the door slamming open. Lightning stalked in followed by Sazh and Snow. She snatched up the TV remote.

"Oh good," murmured Gadot, "happy time…"

Lightning turned on the TV, flicked it to the news channel and then threw the remote at Gadot's head. He caught it just before it hit him.

"Try and find a channel that isn't playing this same footage!" she told him.

"What?"

"Go on! Try it!"

He flicked through and every channel displayed the same story;

PRINCE RECOVERS AS PARENTS FIGHT FOR THEIR LIFE!

"Oh Fuck."

Why does Microsoft Word always change Vanille into Vanilla!?

I wrote this months ago….. It was a different version then though – Snow and Lebreau were paired but now that the info on Serah has been released I decided against it. Also there wasn't as much "normal" family life included. But I wanted to include this to create a contrast and show Lightning's sense of desperation and… y'know….

Wow! That was a bit deep for me! I may have to write a stupid One shot to compensate for the seriousness! For anyone who has read my One shot Noctis the Skirt Chaser I'm working on a sequel! (kind of a sequel…) so that should be fun! Its about Lightning this time!

Obviously I would like to thank my beautiful reviewers! (With the exception of a few – they're just plain fugly! You know who you are!) Seriously though thanks guys!!! You make it all worthwhile.

So let me know what you think! If you like it - great. If you don't like it -great! If it makes you want to throw eggs at me - get lost!

But your opinions really matter to me.

Thanks again and see you next time (hopefully!)

Qwerty91

(AKA FLOWA POWA… thanks SunflowerWielder)