Thanks to BabyCapri1990 and Leena39 for betaing this chapter.

Chapter Four: Bad for Business.

The small traveling party climbed the steep hills that led them between Palumpolum and Bohdum. Snow led the way while Fang tagged behind. Lightning was nowhere to be seen. She was deep in the trees scouting out the area around them.

"We should rest here," Snow said halting the group. "Fang, would you mind getting Lightning?"

The dark haired woman nodded. It didn't take her long to track the other woman down. She had this odd attraction to wide open spaces. She cleared the brush that blocked her view and took in the sight before her. She liked the way Lighting looked while she was concentrating but now there was something different about the way she appeared.

She looked lonely. It wasn't very much of a change from the way she usually looked but when she was alone and thought no one was looking, the usually resilient warrior got lost in her own melancholy.

Fang came out from the brush and stood staring out into the vast amount of nothingness that lay before them. She wondered if Lightning had anyone special worrying about her back where she was from. She shook that thought away. Lightning wasn't the type to have someone waiting on her.

"Light?" Fang called out to the other girl. The tall beauty sat down on the Cliffside beside Lightning, her legs swinging as she stared off into the distance. The night around them was clear; it was hard to imagine that there could be so much chaos going on around them.

"Hmm?" Lightning replied coming back from her distraction.

"Have you ever, you know, had someone?" Fangs choice of words was spoken with a tinge of uncertainty.

"What do you mean?" Lightning turned toward Fang staring into dark green orbs filled with an emotion she couldn't explain. The older female's eyebrows came together as she tried to find the right words.

"An intimate liaison?"

The pink haired warrior pursed her lips in thought. Out of all the annoyingly serious things Fang had ever asked her, she never thought that this topic would be one of them. She thought back. It had been a long time since anyone in her life had asked her a question of this nature.

"Once upon a time," Lightning said. "There was someone that managed to catch and hold firmly onto my attention. Why?"

Fang shrugged. "Fleeting thought."

"What about you?" Lightning inquired. Now that the can had been opened she couldn't help but wonder about whether or not her companion had any brave young suitors that could handle her savage attitude.

"I've been out some, not exactly with any one I'd want to meet again."

"You cruise?" Lightning asked confused. "That doesn't exactly seem like it would be your forte."

"It's a poor substitute but sometimes…" Fang paused for a moment becoming lost in her thoughts. "I just need someone."

"I guess I could understand that," Lightning said with a nod of her head. "But you know, you have Vanille and me. You don't always have to go looking for someone you don't know to talk to."

"Vanille's my best friend," Fang responded. "But there are just certain things I'd rather not discuss with her."

"And me?"

"Well, our relationship is different." Fang said. "It's more of a give and take sort of thing."

"Funny," Lightning said. "I can't think of anything you've ever given me."

"I don't necessarily have anything you'd particularly care for,"

"I wouldn't mind sparring more often," Lightning said.

"Perhaps an accord can be formed."

"I'll give you the time I deem necessary to convey your feelings, whine, or whatever," Lightning teased. "and then to blow of some tension we can spar."

"How does fighting me benefit you?" Fang asked.

Lightning was by far the strangest friend she had, even above the black guy that carried the baby Chocobo around in his afro. She saw Lightning shrug.

"You should tell me about him,"

"Him?" Lightning asked. "I don't remember any male companions in my past."

"Forgive me and my wrong assumptions," The dark haired woman said. "You should tell me about her sometime."

"I'll consider it," Lightning replied settling back down into silence.

Fang blinked the blinding light that shone in her eyes made it difficult for her to see. Squinting her eyes only made the light tolerable. Machine's beeped quietly next to her and she could feel the I.V's drip in her arm. The smell alone told her she was in the hospital.

She tried to think back to her last moments of consciousness. Lightning had played dirty in her opinion. Head blows were only dished out for desperate situations. There was shuffling somewhere next to her and a blurry face appeared.

"Fang?"

It was Vanille. The bedridden woman opened her eyes more and the girl's face became clear.

"If you'd like I'll let the nurses know you're awake," she said. "Then maybe we can take you home."

Fang shook her head. She'd have enough of nurses the minute the first one entered through the door, unless the nurse was hot. Then there was fun to be had.

"What happened?"

"Lightning knocked you out. A nearby patrol spotted you guys, Lightning got arrested," Vanille said sitting on the edge of her bed. Fang attempted to sit up. "Serah's going to leave her there until she calms down a bit."

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll help," Fang said while Vanille helped her into the sitting position.

"You have no idea," she said. "but if you go bail her out or, you know, make a little phone call..."

"No," Fang said. "I'm not calling her."

Lightning tapped her foot against the wall as she lounged on her cot. She'd long gotten over being angry but her nerves were being danced on by the precincts captain. She huffed as she heard the heels of the person in question clacked toward her cell.

"Enjoying yourself?" The tall blonde woman asked. Her knee length long hair trailed behind her. The smirk that played on her face almost made Lightning want to strangle her but instead she ignored her and continued to stare at the ceiling.

Keys jingled and the lock to her holding cell opened. The captain walked over to the wall nearest to her and leaned on it. Her arms were crossed over her chest and two guns rested at her sides. Her glasses sat on the tip of her nose as she looked down at her captive.

"Forgetting your manners?" she asked.

"Don't you have a job Captain Nabaat?"

"I'm doing it, Lieutenant," Jihl said with a smile. "Keeping ruffian's locked away."

Lightning scoffed and went back to trying to find pictures in the texture on the ceiling. It was easy for her to ignore many people but Jihl just happened to be on the rare list of people she couldn't generally block out.

"It's a shame really. I don't understand why we couldn't become strong allies." Jihl said. "We're just so much alike…"

"We are not alike," Lightning snapped interrupting Jihl's short monologue. The very notion that the two had more than being women in common was not one she liked to think about. Jihl was a murderer. There was no way around it. The way her eyes gleamed when she smiled was an indication of her traitorous nature.

"Come now, after all we've gone through together, our bond should be stronger." Jihl said. "I would have thought Yun's happiness would come first."

"What are you getting at," Lightning said sitting up from her resting position. "The way I feel about you has nothing to do with Fang,"

"It's so unlike you to lie so blatantly, L'cie," Jihl said her facial expression becoming serious. "Do you honestly believe that your closed minded opinion of me had no effect on Yun,"

"Don't flatter yourself," Lightning replied. "Unless you're in my face I don't give you a seconds thought."

"Then why did our relationship change when you came into the picture?" Jihl asked.

"You interrupted our picture," Lightning replied. "You may have had some basis if you'd known her before I'd met her."

"You refer to it as 'our picture' and have to ask how you were an interference."

"Don't blame me for your failed relationship."

"I only place blame where it is due," Jihl said. "Yun is special. What we had was amazing and the only thing in the way of me having her back is you. I see the way she looks at you. Those stupid fleeting glances you two pass between each other like sick puppies. You, Claire Farron, are bad for business."

Lightning scoffed and folded her arms over her chest in disbelief.

"If you don't believe me ask Yun yourself." Jihl said getting up from her leaning position against the wall. "You're free to go, Lieutenant."

The older woman left the cell door open when she left. Her heels clacking as she walked back down the hall. Jihl's words plagued her even as she got up from her seat and met the awaiting guards that were going to escort her out.

She collected her weapon and left the police station. It was a long walk back to her seaside dwelling, but by the time she made it there, she was calm. She ambled up the stairs and checked the door knob. It was unlocked so she went inside. Serah was home. The large blonde lummox relaxing on her couch more than told her so.

"Sis!" Snow greeted getting up from his spot to embrace her. Despite her disposition she allowed him to hug her. When he stepped back and looked at her she moved him aside and wandered to her room. She'd actually gotten a pretty good rest while she had been locked away.

The slim warrior changed into street clothes and listened as Snow informed Serah that she was home. It was a short time later that there was a knock on Lightning's door.

"What?" she called.

Serah pushed the door open and came inside.

"Are you going to visit her?" She asked.

"Yes," Lightning responded. "So I can pull the plug."