Chapter Ten
Author's Note:
1. Here is the final chapter of Crimes of Passion! I hope you like it. Thank you so much to everyone's whose read this and to those who have reviewed it. You all make me want to keep writing! :)
2. As a side note, whenever I originally said Valentine's Day was, I'm going to change it so it's maybe another week or so after the bad guy has been caught. Later, I'll go back and edit the other chapters to reflect that, but for now just keep that in mind. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!
Disclaimer: FFXIII characters and plot belong to Square Enix. Story plot and OCs are mine.
"Serah, we're going to be late!" Snow called up the stairs with an amused sigh.
"I'll be right down!" Serah called frantically from the bedroom. "I swear, I'm almost packed. I would've come home earlier but I had so much to do at school today."
"I know. Don't worry!" Snow replied gently, laughing as he turned to Fang, who was sitting on the couch nearby. "Are you sure you don't mind if we go? You, Vanille, and Sazh will be alone in the house for the entire weekend. After everything that happened…"
"It's fine," Fang assured him, grinning as she joked, "But add Dajh to the mix and it's gonna be a weird Valentine's Day."
Snow nodded, chuckling. "What are you going to do?"
"Oh, I've got some nice things planned," Fang replied with a smile. "Don't you worry."
"If Sazh and Dajh say here, will it mess up your plans?" Snow asked curiously.
"Not really." Fang smiled impishly. "It's a big house. I really don't think Dajh'll be able to hear any…strange noises from down here."
Snow laughed awkwardly. "Right."
"Snow, I swear I'm almost ready!" Serah suddenly shouted as she raced into her bathroom.
"It's okay, Serah!" Snow replied, laughing. "Take your time."
"So, she's happy about the romantic trip, huh?" Fang asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, she thought it was a great idea. I'm really glad I could find something at the last minute. There were barely any places that still had rooms open." Snow sighed, lowering his eyes. "Are you sure you don't mind if we go? We could always wait another week to make sure things have really settled down."
"We'll be fine, Snow. I promise," Fang assured him. "I've got a good feeling about this. We definitely caught the bad guy."
"If you're sure…" Snow grinned eagerly. "I actually am really excited about this trip. Serah and I never get a chance to be alone."
"Yeah, I'd be excited, too." Fang gave him a sly look, leaning closer and lowering her voice. "Remember, pay real close attention to Serah this weekend. If she starts snuggling close and looking to take things farther, you're getting married anyways."
Snow flushed. "R-Right, but I'm pretty sure she wants to wait. I mean, we both do."
"I know. I'm just saying." Fang chuckled, shaking her head. "You never know what might happen."
Vanille suddenly came out of the bathroom on her crutches, moving much more quickly now that she was used to the devices. When she saw that Snow was standing near the stairs with a suitcase at his side, she pouted. "Snow, you and Serah are leaving already? I thought you'd stay for dinner."
"Actually, we have dinner reservations at the resort at six," Snow replied apologetically. "We could all have a big family dinner when we get back though. Besides, Sazh and Dajh should be back by dinnertime, right?"
"Probably," Fang agreed, motioning for Vanille to come and sit with her. "Don't worry about us, Snow. You and Serah just have a great weekend, and remember what we talked about. You never know what might happen."
"What did you talk about?" Vanille asked curiously, plopping down at Fang's side and trying to scoot closer to her.
"Oh, nothing," Fang replied with a playful look, sliding closer to Vanille and wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "It's nothing important. I just gave him some good advice."
"Advice?" Vanille studied Fang carefully before turning to Snow. "Whatever she told you, don't listen."
"Hey!" Fang pouted, nudging Vanille's side. "I give great advice."
"I know, Fang," Vanille replied with a giggle, leaning to the side and hugging her tightly. "But if you won't tell me, it must be something bad, so Snow shouldn't do it."
"It's not bad, just private," Fang protested with a grin.
"Oooh!" Vanille's eyes lit up with realization. "Snow, are you and Serah gonna take the next step?"
Snow flushed. "Uh, I'm not—well, we're really not…"
"Have you ever been with someone before?" Vanille pried.
"Well…" Snow looked away awkwardly.
"'Cause if you haven't, there are definitely some things you should know about girls—"
"Vanille, Snow and I already had a really long talk," Fang interrupted with a smile, hugging Vanille closer.
"Oh, okay!" Vanille smiled reassuringly at Snow. "Don't be nervous, Snow. Fang's really good. If she gave you advice, you'll be fine."
"Yeah?" Fang teased, smirking at Vanille.
Snow placed his hand on the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "It's really not—"
"Okay, I'm ready!" Serah exclaimed as she suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She set down her large suitcase and looked at Snow. "What's wrong? Your face is all red."
"Nothing's wrong!" He replied quickly, clearing his throat. "Anyway, we should get going now. We don't want to miss dinner."
Serah nodded happily, hugging Snow's arm as she waved to Fang and Vanille. "We'll see you on Sunday. Tell Claire I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye. She's in the shower right now."
"Will do," Fang replied, saluting Serah and grinning at Snow. "You kids have fun."
"We will!" Serah replied innocently as she began to tug Snow toward the door. "Let's go."
"We can't forget our bags," Snow reminded her as he pulled gently away and picked up both suitcases.
"Wait, Snow, I can take my own," Serah insisted, moving closer.
Snow held the bag away from her, shaking his head. "You don't have to do anything this weekend, Serah. This is my chance to show you how much I appreciate you."
With a dreamy smile, Serah exclaimed, "You're so sweet!"
"Only because I love you," he replied with a warm smile.
Serah bit her lip shyly. "Let's go. I'm so excited!"
The couple walked out the door together, shutting it behind them, and Fang began laughing. "Well, aren't they cute."
Vanille nodded, asking curiously. "Do you think they'll do it?"
"I dunno," Fang glanced at her, shrugging. "It's hard to tell what they want to do."
"I guess it doesn't matter." Vanille giggled. "I just don't get it. Why wait until you're married? No one ever did that in Oerba."
"Well, technically the priests said we were supposed to, remember?" Fang teased. "It's just that none of us listened very well."
"But no one's telling them they have to wait, so why do they want to?" Vanille asked with a smirk. "Not waiting is way more fun."
Fang laughed, hugging her close. "I dunno. It's just a different culture, I guess. So, are you ready for tomorrow?"
"Ready for what?" Vanille pouted. "We can't go camping. We're just gonna watch movies, right?"
"We're not just gonna watch movies," Fang chastised, poking her in the side. "We're gonna have a lot of fun. I picked out some really perfect movies."
"I'm sorry we can't go camping," Vanille murmured, glancing down at her leg. "We've only got five to seven more weeks to go. At least the doctor said it's healing right."
"That's really important," Fang agreed, snuggling close to her. "So, what do you want for dinner tonight? I'll make anything you want. I'm sure Sazh and Dajh will like anything."
"I don't want you to make me anything. I want to cook together," Vanille reminded her with a frown. "I'm not helpless, Fang. I'm just hurt."
"No one said you were helpless. I was just trying to do something nice for you," Fang replied, feigning indignation before her smile returned. "You can help if you want, but what do you wanna eat?"
"Hm…" Vanille rested her head against Fang's shoulder. "I dunno. Lemme think."
"All right." Fang kissed the top of Vanille's head and hugged her closer, closing her eyes. "You think, and we'll just stay like this for a while."
Vanille made a noise of agreement, smiling happily as she hugged Fang tightly and cuddled into her arms.
Xxx
"Here's some salt," Vanille murmured, passing the salt shaker to Fang and watching carefully as the other woman added more than was written in the recipe. "Not so much, Fang!"
"What?" Fang turned to look at her, asking cheekily, "You're not sick, are you?"
Vanille giggled, shaking her head. "Dajh doesn't like it that salty, remember?"
"Something's wrong with that kid," Fang joked.
With a smile, Vanille leaned against Fang's arm and closed her eyes. "It'll be fun having Sazh and Dajh living with us again. Dajh is so cute! How long do you think they'll stay here?"
"Probably just until Sazh finds an apartment," Fang suggested, grinning as she added, "Maybe they'll stay until Light kicks them out. It looks like we'll be here for a while now that I'm not working anymore."
"You can go back to work if you want," Vanille protested. "I won't make you stay."
"I can't just go back," Fang reminded her, "I quit."
"Yeah, but you know Snow'll take you back in a second," Vanille insisted, grinning. "You were a really good agent."
"That's what Snow said, but I didn't have that much time to be good at it."
A key turned in the lock and the two women quieted, both glancing cautiously into the living room. Although everyone had grown a bit more used to being safe again, everyone still flinched at the slightest sounds. It would be a long time before anyone in the group could fully recover from the ordeal with Agent Young.
The door opened and a familiar voice shouted, "Hello? Anybody here?"
"We're in the kitchen," Fang shouted.
The sounds of eight paws suddenly slammed against the stairs as the two puppies raced down into the living room and began barking fiercely.
"It's just us, boys. Remember Dajh?" Sazh asked, laughing.
"Kiwi! Ripper! I missed you guys!" Dajh shouted excitedly.
Vanille picked up her crutches and moved away from Fang so that she could see the front door better. She smiled happily as she watched Dajh dive onto the floor and begin to pet both puppies as the three of them rolled around. The two dogs were yelping excitedly, their tails wagging furiously.
Sazh closed the front door and hung up his coat. When he noticed Vanille, he smiled warmly. "Hi. How's everything going here?"
"It's good. Nothing weird happened today," Vanille replied enthusiastically. "We're just making some dinner. There's enough for everyone."
"Yay! I'm so hungry," Dajh exclaimed dramatically. "When can we eat?"
"It'll be ready in about ten minutes," Fang replied from the kitchen.
Sazh smiled at his son, who was still rolling around with the dogs. "Don't break anything, son. Lightning will be upset if you do."
"I know, daddy!"
With a nod, Sazh walked into the kitchen to join Fang and Vanille. "Wow! That smells good."
"Thanks. We've been cooking for a while." Vanille smiled faintly. "How was Hope?"
"He's all right, but he's pretty nervous about tomorrow." Sazh chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I guess there's a Valentine's Day dance at the school. He's bringing one of his classmates and really wants to impress her so she'll go out with him."
"Did he decide to take her to dinner or go to the movies?" Fang asked, grinning.
"Uh…" Sazh thought for a moment. "I think he said they were going to the movies."
Fang smirked. "Everyone's taking my advice. I'm just such a great confidant."
"You always get everyone in trouble, Fang," Vanille protested with a grin, teasing, "What if Hope tries to kiss that girl and she doesn't want him to and it ruins their first date?"
"Relax. He won't try to kiss her unless she gives him a signal. I heard him and Snow having a real long conversation about it," Fang assured her. "Sazh, what about you? Any plans for Valentine's Day?"
"Well, there's a cool family exhibit at the local aquarium," Sazh replied with a shrug. "Dajh seemed really excited about it, so I got tickets. I want to keep him interested in science and learning as long as possible. After that, we'll just stay in for dinner and maybe watch a movie or something." He frowned awkwardly. "Does that…interfere with your plans?"
Fang laughed, shaking her head. "Shouldn't be a problem. Just keep him out of the attic."
"Yeah, we'll be up there having a movie night since I'm hurt." Vanille sighed glumly. "I wish we could go somewhere. I just wanna walk around."
"You'll get better eventually," Fang assured her, leaning to the side to kiss her cheek. "Then we can go anywhere you want."
Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound from the living room.
"Dajh!" Sazh suddenly cried as he raced into the room, fearing the worst after everything that had happened.
"I'm okay!" Dajh insisted immediately.
Sazh, followed quickly by Fang and Vanille, immediately spotted Dajh on the floor with the dogs. Nearby, there was an overturned end table with a broken leg. The glass vase on top of it had shattered.
"What happened?" Sazh asked. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Dajh nodded, biting his lip. "I'm sorry, dad! I was playing with the dogs and then Ripper tripped me by accident and I fell and knocked over the table."
"We better clean this up before Light gets home," Fang commented immediately. "Otherwise, she'll make the dogs live in the woods."
"I'm home," an angry voice grumbled.
Fang glanced up at the top of the stairs, where Lightning stood with her hands on her hips.
Grinning, Fang exclaimed, "Would you look at that? Light, I didn't even know you were here. Anyway, like I said, we should tell Light about this immediately 'cause honesty's always the best policy."
Vanille giggled behind her hand.
"I'll help clean it up," Lightning told Sazh as she walked past him. "There's a dustpan and a broom in the kitchen."
Sazh nodded, surprised that she was not upset, and ran into the kitchen to get the supplies.
"Are you okay?" Lightning asked Dajh.
The child nodded, scooting away from all the broken glass.
"Good."
"Wow," Fang mumbled, leaning close to Vanille and whispering, "Having a new friend really puts her in a good mood, huh?"
Vanille merely smiled.
When everything was cleaned up, Lightning poured the glass from the vase into the trashcan and warned everyone to be careful walking around before she moved toward the door, grabbing her keys. "I'm going out. I won't be back until Sunday, but I'll be in town. Call my PMC if there's an emergency."
"Where're you going, Light?" Fang teased, since the ex-soldier still had not admitted that she was seeing anyone.
"None of your business," Lightning replied firmly as she walked out and closed the door behind her.
Fang laughed and walked back into the kitchen. "Come on, everyone. Dinner's ready."
Xxx
Vanille's eyes fluttered open and she yawned, shifting around as best she could. She glanced hazily around the room, trying to work out what time it was. The sun was very bright, so she knew that it was probably the middle of the morning. Fang was missing from their bed, but Vanille was not concerned. She knew that her love was most likely in the bathroom or downstairs eating breakfast, since she had been having trouble sleeping in later after waking up so early for work.
A twinge of pain moved through Vanille's leg and she shifted, sliding back against the pillow. With a sigh, she pouted at her leg and grumbled, "Fang and I could be camping right now if it wasn't for you, you know."
Another twinge moved through her leg.
"Oh, yeah?" Vanille crossed her arms. "Well, pain to you, too!"
Fang suddenly poked her head in the door. "Everything all right in here?"
Vanille nodded, laughing lightly. "Everything's fine. I was just having a really important discussion with my leg about taking responsibility for my misery."
"Yeah?" Fang asked with a chuckle. "Well, you tell that leg. Anyway, I've got a surprise for you."
"Really?" Vanille bit her lip excitedly. "What is it?"
Fang pushed the door open and stepped inside holding a large tray. "Breakfast in bed."
Vanille's eyes widened happily. "Ooh! What'd you make me, Fang?"
"It's a surprise," Fang replied teasingly as she crossed the room and sat the tray above her partner's lap, extending the tray's plastic legs so no pressure would be put on Vanille's leg.
Vanille glanced down at the big plate and her eyes widened happily. "Fang, you made me breakfast cakes! How'd you know what ingredients to use? The matrons would never tell us what was in them."
"Well, I did some experiments," Fang explained, chuckling. "This is the fourth batch. It's way better than the first ones I made. They don't taste exactly the same, but I tried my best."
"You brought my medicine, too," Vanille murmured as she noticed the glass of water and the two small pills. "I'm really glad. My leg's starting to hurt."
"You better take it now then," Fang mused as she crawled onto the bed next to her. Then you've gotta try those cakes and tell me what you think."
"I bet I'll love them," Vanille told her enthusiastically before quickly swallowing her morning dosage of pain mediation and taking a sip of water. She noticed that Fang was watching her rather intently, so with a giggle she picked up one of the small, sugar covered blobs of dough and popped it into her mouth. A grin covered her face. "These are really good!"
Fang smiled happily. "I'm glad you like them. I worked really hard."
Vanille nodded happily, taking another one and sliding the plate toward Fang. "Let's share. You used to really like these, too."
"Well, I already had a few, but I guess another won't hurt," Fang joked as she sat up and took one of the delicious doughy treats for herself. She moved closer to Vanille, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "So, are you ready to have some fun today? I've got a whole marathon of romantic movies planned out. There are some action ones in there, too, just in case we get bored."
Vanille tried to seem cheerful even though she really wished they could have gone camping. "That sounds like fun, Fang. We should start with a few romantic ones, then watch an action movie. Nothing scary though."
Fang nodded. "I don't think I'll wanna watch any scary movies any time soon either. After everything that happened, I just wanna relax."
Vanille nodded in agreement, snuggling closer to Fang as she continued eating breakfast. "So, what are some of the movies you picked?"
"Well, the first one is…" Fang trailed off, glancing around the room suspiciously before closing her eyes.
"Fang?" Vanille glanced upwards.
"Did you hear that?" Fang asked with a frown as she opened her eyes and looked around.
"Hear what?" Vanille asked nervously, tensing.
"Nothing like that," Fang assured her gently, squeezing her shoulders. "It sounds like water dripping, like there's a leak."
"Oh." Vanille sighed with relief. "I don't hear any water."
"Are you sure?" Fang sat up and glanced around the room.
"I bet it's just the icicles melting outside, Fang. It's been warm this week," Vanille murmured as she took another bite of her deliciously sweet breakfast. "Let's just lie here and not worry about it."
"Vanille, if there's a leak, it could be a big problem," Fang replied stubbornly, leaning forwards to kiss her cheek. "I'm just gonna look around the room for a second."
"Okay." Vanille shrugged and continued eating.
Fang smiled faintly before standing up and walking around the room, alternating between staring at the ceiling and studying the ground for water droplets. Suddenly she exclaimed, "Got it. Here we are."
"There's a leak?" Vanille pouted as she glanced over her shoulder.
"Yep." Fang placed her hands on her hips. "A nasty one, too. I've gotta take care of this quickly Vanille or the whole ceiling'll be ruined."
"What're you gonna do?" Vanille asked with a frown.
"Well, first I'm gonna have to climb up on the roof and take a look," Fang muttered, sighing. "Then I'm gonna have to see what I can do to stop it. I helped fix Konnor's roof a few times. They did a bad job building his house."
"Do you really have to do all that now?" Vanille asked with a pout.
"Well, I could wait until after breakfast if you want, but I've at least gotta go put a bucket on the floor. This could get serious," Fang replied, crossing the room to give Vanille a quick kiss. "I'll be right back. Sorry about this."
"It's not your fault," Vanille replied with a sigh.
Fang offered an apologetic smile anyway and shuffled out of the room.
Vanille sighed once her partner was gone and ate some more of her breakfast. Glancing down at her leg, she grumbled, "Great. Now our bedroom's broken, too."
Shortly afterwards, Fang bounded back into the room with two different buckets, which she placed strategically under the leaks in the ceiling. She placed her hands on her hips and studied the ceiling for a long time, as though she were trying to will the leaks to stop with her mind. Then she finally walked back across the room to join Vanille on the bed.
"So, it looks a little more serious than I thought," Fang murmured with a frown. "I think maybe after breakfast you should go downstairs for a while so I can take care of this. It might spread across the room if I don't get it sealed up quick."
Vanille frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the ceiling, and gasped with surprise. Even though it did not appear that the water was really dripping from the ceiling at an alarming rate, the entire ceiling on one side of the room was visibly soaked.
"That looks really serious, Fang!" Vanille exclaimed, pouting.
"I know. I better take care of it, but hopefully it won't take me too long," Fang murmured as she wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulder and pulled her close. "No matter what, we're definitely gonna get to spend some time together. Even if we can't watch movies up here, I'll find something for us to do. I'm not letting anything ruin our Valentine's Day."
Vanille forced a smile. "I bet you can fix it really quickly."
"Sure I can," Fang replied enthusiastically. "We'll be back up here by lunchtime."
"It's a date," Vanille murmured happily, snuggling close to Fang.
Fang merely grinned at her, resting her cheek against the top of her head as she hugged her closer.
Xxx
Several hours later, Vanille was seated on the couch in the living room watching morning cartoons with Dajh, who animatedly sang along with every song performed on the surprisingly musical show in which superheroes rescued civilians from dangerous situations. Whenever one of the heroes took off flying, Dajh would jump onto the couch, throw his arms above his head, and dive off before tearing around the room making whooshing noises. Vanille thought that Dajh was absolutely adorable, but she was so bored. It had been forever since Fang had sent her downstairs to stay with the others while she was trying to get the leak under control, and Vanille was beginning to feel very discouraged about the prospect of a pleasant Valentine's Day.
"Vanille, do you want some grilled cheese?" Sazh asked as he poked his head out of the kitchen.
"I want some, daddy!" Dajh gasped, turning to face his father. "What about me?"
"I'm already making you some, little man," Sazh replied with a chuckle before glancing at Vanille. "Are you hungry? There's plenty to share."
Vanille nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thanks. I'd love some. Can you make one for Fang, too? I bet she's hungry after working hard upstairs."
"Sure. I'll make her some." Sazh gave an encouraging smile before returning to cooking.
After glancing at the show that Dajh was watching one last time, Vanille dragged herself off of the couch and picked up her crutches. She moved quickly into the kitchen and sat down at the table before glancing up at Sazh.
"Didn't want to watch any more of Dajh's shows?" Sazh asked with a look of amusement. "If you're ever a parent, you'll have to get used to watching that stuff all the time. He watches reruns of Heroes Unite every night for hours."
Vanille giggled, grinning. "That sounds cute."
"Yeah, it sounds cute," Sazh agreed with a chuckle. "But it gets not cute really fast. Anyway, how are you doing? You look pretty bummed."
With a vigorous nod, Vanille explained, "I just wanted to have a nice Valentine's Day. Fang and I were gonna go camping but we can't since I'm hurt, so Fang planned this really cute movie marathon for us. Now there's suddenly a leak in the ceiling, so we're probably not gonna be able to spend any time in our room at all tonight."
Sazh frowned. "Well, I'm taking Dajh to that exhibit. You two could always have your movie marathon down here in the living room. Or if you want, Dajh and I could sleep up here tonight and you could have the basement. We could put the TV in your room down there for the night."
"You'd let us take the basement?" Vanille asked with wide eyes. "But that's your room."
"Well, I think it'd be better for you to sleep in a bed," Sazh exclaimed, his eyes drifting over her bandaged leg. "It's a lot safer than the couch out there. You might roll off in your sleep otherwise."
"Maybe we'll be able to sleep in our room. I bet Fang fixes the leak by tonight," Vanille exclaimed enthusiastically before pouting. "But then she won't get to spend any time with me."
"I'm sure everything'll be all right," Sazh assured her as he scooped a grilled cheese sandwich off of the frying pan, put it on a plate, and placed it in front of Vanille. Lowering his voice, he nearly whispered. "Here you go. Don't tell Dajh I served you first or he'll throw a fit."
"I heard that, daddy!" Dajh shouted from the other room. "I'm so hungry."
"Your sandwich will be done soon, Dajh," Sazh called back immediately as he walked to the stove and began making another one.
Vanille smiled faintly as she began to pick at her food. "I hope Fang's okay upstairs. Maybe I should go check on her."
"I'm sure she's fine," Sazh replied with a shrug. "I wouldn't interrupt. If she's up on a ladder or using any tools, she might fall or drop something."
"How do you fix a roof anyway?" Vanille asked curiously. "I don't even know what Fang's doing up there."
"Well, first she'd have to figure out exactly where the water is coming from and then close up the hole in the roof. If it's taking her this long, it must be a pretty serious leak."
"It is," Fang exclaimed as she suddenly walked into the room. There were damp spots on her clothes and she looked like she had exerted herself quite a bit. Wiping her hands on her sari, Fang exclaimed apologetically, "Vanille, I couldn't fix it just yet. I think we're gonna have to call someone, but they probably won't be able to come out until tomorrow."
"Does that mean we can't sleep in our room?" Vanille asked with a pout.
"Yeah, but that's all right," Fang assured her with a grin. "There're plenty of other rooms here."
"We can't just sleep in someone else's room," Vanille protested in amusement.
"Says who?" Fang asked with a smirk. "Sazh isn't gonna tell anyone, right?"
"Right." He shook his head, laughing. "I already told Vanille you girls could sleep in the basement."
"Well, that's nice of you." Fang smiled gratefully. "Anyway, Vanille, I feel really bad that we can't watch our movie marathon, but while I was upstairs I found two great movies we could see at the theater tonight."
"Really?" Vanille's eyes widened hopefully. "You mean we can go outside? Do you think it's safe?"
Fang nodded, laughing lightly. "I know I've been making you stay in, but I can't keep you in the house forever. It'll be good for you to get some fresh air, even if we're just going right back inside after."
"I'm so excited, Fang!" Vanille exclaimed happily as she hopped out of her seat and used her crutches to move toward the other woman. When she reached Fang, she set her crutches against the wall and hugged her tightly.
"I'm glad," Fang told her gently, kissing the top of her head. "Now, I see you're eating a sandwich. Is there anything for me, Sazh? I've been working hard all morning."
"No, me first!" Dajh cried as he suddenly entered the room.
"Dajh," Sazh warned with a look.
"Sorry, dad." Dajh sighed and plopped down at the table. "I'm just so hungry."
"You're always hungry, son," Sazh exclaimed, laughing as he pulled another sandwich off the frying pan and handed a plate to his son. "Here you go. Eat up. I'll make one for you, too, Fang."
"Thanks," Fang smiled as she guided Vanille back toward the table, picking up her crutches as they went. "Let's finish eating and then we can play a game or something. After that we'll go to the movies, and we'll work out where we're sleeping once we get back."
"Okay," Vanille exclaimed cheerfully as she sat back down.
Xxx
The lights in the movie theater slowly turned back on and people got up and began to walk out as the credits were rolling. Vanille remained in her seat, because it would be difficult enough for her to get out of the room on crutches without everyone rushing past her.
"So, did you like the movies?" Fang asked with a smile as she glanced down at her companion, her arm still draped over her shoulder. "I thought they were both pretty good."
"I liked both, but I loved the second one," Vanille exclaimed as she turned to face Fang with a bright smile. "It was such a beautiful love story. The two main characters were perfect for each other, and I love the way all their friends had love interests and their own stories, too. My favorite couple was the younger brother and his partner."
"They were pretty cute," Fang agreed, sliding her thumb back and forth across Vanille's shoulder. "I'm glad we came. This was definitely worth the ticket price."
"Was there some kind of special?" Vanille asked curiously as she rested her head against Fang's shoulder and glanced up at her. "I've never heard of two movies playing at once. Serah and I went to a few, but they all had just one movie."
"It was a Valentine's Day thing. They called it a double feature," Fang replied with a shrug, glancing around as she noticed that everyone else had filed out. "Are you ready to go? We should probably leave before the next movie starts playing or we'll get in trouble."
"I don't wanna go home." Vanille pouted. "It was really nice getting out of the house."
Fang laughed and stood up, handing Vanille her crutches and helping her out of her seat. "Well, no one says we've gotta go home, but we do have to leave here before they think we're trying to see a third movie for free."
"We don't have to go home?" Vanille asked hopefully. "Where're we gonna go next?"
"I dunno. It's not like I have anything planned," Fang replied cheekily.
Vanille eyed her suspiciously. "That means you do have something planned. Are we gonna do something else, Fang?"
"It's a surprise, Vanille," Fang replied with an impish look as the two of them began to walk out of the theater. "You know how I love surprises."
"I know," Vanille giggled, biting her lip. "Well, I can't wait. I hope it's something good."
"All my surprises are good. We're gonna have to walk a bit though. Think you're up for it? I could carry you."
"I'll be okay, Fang." Vanille used her crutches to keep up with her girlfriend. "I've really gotten used to these things."
"All right. This way then."
Fang led Vanille two blocks down the street, moving slowly so that the younger woman could keep up with her. They turned another corner and doubled back only about half a block before Fang stopped in front of the gates to what appeared to be a large park surrounded by stone walls carved right out of a giant rock structure nearby.
"Fang, I love this park! Are we gonna take a walk together?" Vanille exclaimed happily, but then she frowned. "Won't it be really dark in there? I dunno how long I can walk around in the cold either…"
"Don't worry," Fang told Vanille as she wrapped her arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I've got everything planned out. You've just gotta trust me."
Vanille snuggled close to Fang. "I always trust you."
"Good." Fang grinned at her before motioning her to take a few steps forwards.
They stopped in front of the gates and Vanille noticed that there was a long line of people leading into the park. Some kind of ticket booth had been set up in front of the gates, and everyone seemed to shift around in the cold, looking up hopefully. It was clear that the tickets would eventually run out and not everyone would be able to get in.
Fang motioned for Vanille to walk right to the front of the line, where she flashed two tickets at the guard standing in front of the park. He smiled at the two of them, motioning them through the gates as he exclaimed, "Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy the tour."
"What tour?" Vanille glanced at Fang. "How come you've already got tickets?"
"You know me. I'm always prepared," Fang replied with a smirk as she nudged Vanille forwards. "Come on. The tours start over here."
Vanille gasped as she noticed that the entire park had been lit up with gorgeous strings of lights in shades of white, pink, and red. "This is so beautiful."
"I hear it gets better the farther into the park you go," Fang explained as they stopped in front of yet another line. "We get to ride a tram."
"A what?" Vanille tilted her head curiously.
"It's like a big tour bus without a top, and they're gonna give us hot chocolate since it's cold," Fang replied as she wrapped her arm around Vanille's waist and pulled her closer. "Until then, I'll keep you nice and warm."
Vanille smiled gratefully, pressing against Fang. "I'll keep you warm, too."
"Good." Fang wrapped her other arm around Vanille and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Me either." With a giggle, Vanille nuzzled against Fang's shoulder.
The couple waited for a short while, wrapped in each other's arms, before a large, two-story vehicle pulled up on one of the gravel walking paths that led through the entire park. The vehicle stopped, setting down on the asphalt, and a bell dinged as the driver shouted, "All aboard! All couples are welcome. Show your tickets as you board."
"That's our cue," Fang exclaimed, kissing the top of Vanille's head before pulling away and fishing the tickets out of her pocket. "Come on."
Vanille used her crutches to get to the vehicle, and she was very pleased when several people moved out of her way and motioned her forwards, waiting patiently because they could see that she was injured.
Once Fang and Vanille were safely on the tram, the two of them moved to the back, sitting on the first story because it was most likely colder up top. There were no windows, but even though it was cold, Vanille still did not want to sit on the aisle, so she slid inside the seat.
"This is so exciting," Vanille exclaimed as she set her crutches down on the floor.
Fang nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around Vanille's shoulders and sliding closer to her. It really was very cold, so she hugged her girlfriend close as she anticipated the hot chocolate that they should be receiving very shortly.
A woman dressed in a tasteful uniform, which included a very fashionable winter jacket, came down the aisle with a small trolley, passing everyone thermoses of hot chocolate with built in straws so that no one would spill. Fang and Vanille each accepted a mug and snuggled close to each other, Vanille resting her cheek against Fang's shoulder as the taller woman wrapped both of her arms around her.
Shortly afterwards, the tram lifted off of the ground, hovering a few feet above the snow and beginning its slow path around the park. All of the trees had been strung with lights, and there were dancers and performers lining the path, filling the night air with romantic music to set the mood. The stars twinkled brightly in the sky, and even though everyone could see their breath, the hot chocolate kept all of the couples warm enough that they could truly enjoy the lovely display.
"This is perfect, Fang," Vanille whispered as she snuggled close to her love.
Fang merely smiled, resting her cheek against the top of Vanille's head.
Xxx
When it was all over, Fang and Vanille returned home to an empty house. It was pitch black outside, but it was still relatively early in the evening, so they both knew Sazh and Dajh must still be at the exhibit. Fang suggested that Vanille allow her to cook something nice for dinner, but as always, Vanille wanted to help, so the two of them spent the next half an hour teasing and nudging each other as they created a perfect meal. After it was all prepared, the two of them reminisced over stories of the past while they ate.
Upon finishing eating and watching Fang clear away the dishes, Vanille exclaimed glumly, "I guess we should decide whether we want to sleep in the basement or not. Do you really think it'd be okay to sleep in someone else's room?"
Fang shrugged. "I dunno. It depends on what you wanna do. We could try to sleep in the living room, too. I know Sazh was worried, but the couch is a futon. It opens up into a bed."
"Really?" Vanille's eyes widened. "I didn't know that."
Fang nodded, smiling as she came around the table and wrapped her arms around Vanille's shoulders. "We can sleep wherever you want. It's your choice."
"If the couch turns into a futon, I guess we should just stay there." Vanille sighed, pouting. "I wish we could sleep in our room. It's Valentine's Day!"
"And?" Fang teased, smirking.
"And it's not fair to have to sleep somewhere where we can't…be close to each other," Vanille replied with a giggle, turning her head to face Fang. "Right?"
"That's true, but who's gonna know?" Fang asked teasingly, pecking her lips. "Now, come on. We better go upstairs and get some things. We'll need pillows and blankets, and we should change into our pajamas, too."
Vanille nodded and pulled herself out of her chair, reaching for her crutches. "Okay. I'm right behind you."
Fang nodded and led Vanille up the stairs, glancing over her shoulder occasionally to make sure that she was all right. When they reached the attic door, Fang turned to face Vanille with a grim look.
"Now, don't be too surprised, okay? I had to move some furniture while I was trying to fix the leak. It looks pretty different in there," Fang explained.
Vanille nodded, smiling faintly. "It can't be that different, Fang."
"You'd be surprised," Fang exclaimed as she pushed the door open.
The younger woman used her crutches to ease her way into the room and gasped with surprise, biting her lip as a faint smile crept onto her face. "Fang, what is this?"
Fang walked into the room, grinning faintly. "I dunno. Who could've done something like this?"
All of the furniture had been moved. The bed was gone, and in its place was a giant tent which covered more than half the room. The flaps of the tent were open, revealing a bed created out of several sleeping mats and a cushion covered in lots of blankets and pillows. A light display had been placed on one of the end tables, which was pushed to the corner of the room, and its beams shined on the ceiling, creating the effect of hundreds of little stars on the roof. The room was completely dark except for the light display, but the illumination gave a feeling of warmth and security.
"Fang," Vanille giggled, "Did you turn our bedroom into a camp site?"
Fang nodded, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist and leaning close to her. As she brushed her lips against her cheek, she murmured, "You were so disappointed we couldn't go camping. You know what happens to me when you get disappointed."
Vanille grinned, wrapping her arms around Fang's waist. "You always do really sweet stuff when I'm sad. How'd you make it look like there was a leak in here?"
"Oh, you know, I put some water on the ceiling and made a big deal about the buckets," Fang replied with a grin, running her fingers up Vanille's back. "So, still wanna go camping?"
"Of course, Fang," Vanille replied enthusiastically.
The taller woman nudged Vanille gently forwards, helping her take a few steps. Then she shut the bedroom door. She crossed the room and removed any weapons and other sharp instruments she had had while they were outside, and then she took Vanille by the shoulders and helped her walk toward the entrance to the tent.
"You can use your crutches until it's time to lie down," Fang suggested.
Vanille complied, allowing the other woman to help her balance against her crutches as she stepped over the edge of the tent and ducked inside. Then the two of them moved toward the top of the makeshift bed together, at which point Vanille surrendered her crutches to Fang.
Fang set the crutches down on the other side of the tent before she wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist and asked gently, "Do you trust me?"
"Always," Vanille replied, grinning lovingly as she looked into her eyes.
"Then just relax and let me do all the work," Fang replied with a smile as she gently lowered the woman she loved down onto the cushions that she had used to cover the floor.
Once Vanille was situated, Fang crossed the tent and closed the flaps. There was enough light in the room that they could still see each other fairly well, but it was dark enough to set a romantic mood.
Fang returned to Vanille's side, sliding down on top of the blankets and moving closer to her with a smile. "So, what do you think? Was that a pretty good first Valentine's Day?"
Vanille nodded eagerly, scooting sideways as best she could so that she could be closer to Fang. "I really had fun. Thanks for planning all this. I really thought we were just gonna have a movie marathon."
"I know," Fang replied gleefully as she leaned forwards and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You should know by now I've always got something else planned."
Vanille giggled as she leaned into another kiss. As she pulled back, she exclaimed, "I think we should keep our room like this. I like the tent."
"Yeah?" Fang asked with a teasing grin as she moved closer and wrapped her arm gently around Vanille's waist. "We can leave it this way if you want, but you'll never be able to lie down without me here to help you."
"Then I guess you'll just have to stay in bed with me all the time," Vanille replied with a playful smile. "It probably sounds boring, but I bet we can think of something to do."
"I bet we can," Fang agreed as she brushed her lips against the soft skin of Vanille's neck.
The younger woman breathed in deeply, sliding her fingers up Fang's arms as she pulled the taller woman closer to her.
Fang rolled to the side and propped herself up by the arms, her upper body hovering above Vanille's as she adjusted her angle so that she would not accidentally press against Vanille's injured leg. The two women stared into each other's eyes for a moment, their gazes both playful and loving. With a faint smile, Fang leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Vanille's lips, tracing the line of her jaw with her fingers.
Vanille smiled warmly as she leaned upwards, initiating another kiss. Her arms slid around Fang's neck, pulling the taller woman against her. A warm feeling began to move through her as they held each other close. Their lips came together, a slow, passionate kiss growing between them, and Vanille hugged Fang even more tightly, loving every moment of their lips and tongues meshing together.
Fang slid her hands up Vanille's abdomen and her chest, her palms sliding over soft fabric in a slow massage. As Vanille moaned quietly, Fang pulled away and kissed her neck, lips trailing downwards until they reached Vanille's collarbone.
Vanille shifted beneath Fang, her head tilted back as her own hands searched for sweeter skin, sliding down Fang's neck and across her chest. She slid her hands beneath her girlfriend's shirt, pushing the sari up over her head and discarding it, and Fang soon followed suit, the two of them gently removing each other's clothes. Soon they were nude and pressing together, hands wandering with practiced skill, and they made love slowly, ever mindful of Vanille's injury, but no less passionately than usual.
After a while they lay together, pleasantly spent. Vanille still felt most comfortable on her back, so Fang pressed close to her from the side, wrapping her strong arms around her waist as the two of them kissed gently.
Vanille smiled, pressing her hand to Fang's cheek. "Today was really amazing, Fang. Thanks for such a great Valentine's Day."
Fang grinned, leaning into another kiss and murmuring, "It's the least I can do. Thanks for such a great life, Vanille. I dunno where I'd be without you, but nothing compares to how amazing this is."
Vanille nodded in agreement and hugged her around the neck as she kissed her again. "Happy Valentine's Day! I love you, Fang!"
"Love you, too."
Xxx
"How's it going in here?" Fang asked as she peeked around the corner into the kitchen.
Serah grinned over her shoulder. "Dinner is almost ready. This was such a good idea, Fang. I never even thought about the whole family having a Valentine's Dinner together. It seemed like it was just a holiday for couples."
"Well, it probably is, but the holiday was technically yesterday, so I think we can get away with it," Fang replied with a shrug, smiling as she glanced at the pot on the stove. "Making pasta?"
"As a side dish. Don't worry, it's a really good meal," Serah assured her laughing.
"I'm sure it is. You're a great cook." Fang glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening and walked into the kitchen. "Hey, by the way, how was your getaway?"
"Oh, it was completely amazing," Serah replied with a bright, clearly enamored smile. With a sigh, she exclaimed, "Snow was so wonderful. He was so romantic. We went out to fancy dinners both Friday and Saturday and we went skiing and dancing. It was absolutely perfect. Snow practically proposed to me again to make sure that I still wanted to marry him. I don't know why he would think I didn't. He's such a dummy, but I love him so much."
Fang laughed lightly. "Good. I'm glad you two had a good time."
"What about you and Vanille?" Serah asked, frowning faintly. "I know she's still hurt, but were you able to make the most of it?"
"Oh, I think we did okay," Fang replied vaguely. "Anyway, I better go check on her. Last I saw her, she was trying to convince me she could get boxes of beads out of the closet with one arm while holding her crutches with the other. She really doesn't like not being able to move around."
Serah gasped. "Fang, you can't let her do that! She'll hurt herself."
"That's what I told her, but she doesn't like to listen. I got her to promise she wouldn't keep trying once I left, but I know her too well for that so I better go." Fang waved. "Call us when dinner's ready."
"Okay!"
Fang walked up the stairs to the attic and opened the door just in time to find Vanille standing on her tiptoes balancing herself against the crutches as she tried to reach for yet another box.
"Would you let me do that?" Fang grumbled as she crossed the room and placed her hands on Vanille's hips so the younger woman would not fall.
"I'm okay, Fang," Vanille assured her with a pout as she leaned back against her. "I can do it."
"No, you can't, not yet," Fang argued with a frown, turning Vanille around and wrapping her arms around her. "Listen, Vanille, I know you're bored and you wanna do stuff by yourself, but if you get hurt worse, you're gonna be like this even longer. You can walk around on your own all you want, but please let me get those boxes for you."
"Okay, fine." Vanille sighed, leaning against her. "I just hate this."
"I know." Fang ran her fingers through Vanille's hair, hugging her close. "The time'll go by fast if you let yourself heal."
"Do you promise?" Vanille looked up at her with sad eyes.
"Yes, I promise," Fang exclaimed, pecking her lips. "Now, which boxes do you want?"
"Those two," Vanille replied gently as she pointed up at the ones she wanted.
Fang nodded and released her, stepping forwards and lifting the two boxes out of the closet with ease. She crossed the room, setting them down on the bed, and exclaimed, "There you go. Are you gonna make some more jewelry tonight?"
Vanille nodded vigorously. "I figure if I just keep making jewelry while I'm hurt like this, by summer I'll have enough to open a stand in the market. Then we can make a little extra money."
"By then I'll probably have another job, too," Fang assured her with a smile. "Snow and I have been talking."
"I thought you weren't going back to NORA," Vanille exclaimed curiously.
"I'm not, but I might do something else related to NORA," Fang replied with a shrug as she sat down on the bed. "We don't have to talk about that now though. Nothing's final."
"Will you be in danger?" Vanille pouted.
"I'm always gonna be doing something involving danger," Fang replied with an apologetic smile. "I like danger. It makes things interesting."
"It can also make things really scary," Vanille protested, motioning to her leg.
"I don't like when you're in danger," Fang amended, reaching out and giving Vanille's hand a squeeze. "Your leg'll be all better soon. Then we're gonna start taking martial arts together."
Vanille grinned excitedly.
A crash downstairs distracted the two of them, but they were relieved when they heard Dajh shout, "Bad puppies! Dad, help, they knocked over the table again."
"Dajh, I told you not to play rough with them anymore," Sazh replied loudly.
"I know. I didn't mean it!"
Fang laughed lightly, glancing at Vanille. "You sure you want kids?"
Vanille nodded as she moved forwards and hugged Fang, wrapping her arms around her. "If they're ours, we won't care if they break the furniture."
With a nod, Fang leaned forwards and kissed her lips. As she pulled away, she joked, "As long as they break Lightning's furniture and not ours."
Vanille giggled, shaking her head.
"Dinner's ready, everyone!" Serah suddenly shouted up the stairs.
"Let's go," Fang exclaimed immediately, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist and helping her toward the door. "I'm starving."
With a nod, Vanille reached for her other crutch, which was propped against the wall, and the two of them began the slow journey down the stairs.
Xxx
Serah's family dinner was more like the spread of a feast, with everything from steak and mashed potatoes to antipasto, pasta salad, and assorted fruits. There was also ham, fish, and a plump loaf of bread which was deliciously crunchy after being toasted for a few minutes.
"Before we start eating, I want to make a toast," Serah exclaimed.
Everyone set down their forks and looked at her, looking depressed that they would not be able to dig in immediately.
With a smile, Serah lifted up her glass. "Here's to a happy meal and really happy lives. I think we'll all be together for a very long time."
"Cheers," Fang exclaimed as she lifted up her own glass.
Everyone else followed suit, and Snow leaned to the side to wrap his arm around Serah's shoulders and pull her close. Kissing her cheek, he murmured, "That was a toast for everyone else's happy lives and for ours. Now that this is over, we can get back to planning the most important day of our lives."
Serah grinned eagerly. "You're right, Snow! I practically forgot. We still have so much to do."
He laughed lightly, hugging her close for a moment before he pulled away to return to his food.
Lightning sat on the other side of the table picking at her food distractedly. She glanced around the table several times, looking like she wanted to speak, but each time she seemed to decide to simply close her mouth. Finally it seemed that she could not hold it in any longer.
Looking at Hope, Lightning asked, "What are you doing here? Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"I'm never going to school again," Hope told Lightning firmly as he cut into his steak.
Lightning narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"I can't go back," Hope replied nonchalantly, garnering everyone else's attention as the table went quiet. "I'll just have to live here or go hide out in the woods."
"Is something wrong, Hope?" Sazh asked gently.
The teenager remained silent, practically burying his face in his food as he tried hard to cut off a piece of his steak. The task was proving quite difficult, most likely due to his frustration, so eventually he dropped his knife onto his plate with a huff and stormed out of the room.
Snow's eyes widened as he stood from the table. "I'll go check on him."
Fang frowned as she watched him go. "I guess Hope's date didn't go well."
Vanille pouted. "Maybe that's not it, Fang. I was hoping he'd have a good time."
Several minutes of silence later, Hope and Snow walked back into the room and sat down at the table. Hope resumed cutting his steak as he mumbled, "Sorry about that. Snow's going to drive me back home after dinner. I don't really want to talk about what happened. It was just, you know, one of those things."
Snow was nodding vigorously, mouthing 'Bad date. Don't ask.'
"I'm really glad we're all here together," Vanille exclaimed happily, trying to distract everyone as she set her fork down. "We're all lucky to have each other."
Even Hope seemed cheered up by her words, and everyone lifted their glasses again.
"To friendship," Fang said as she raised her glass.
"And health," Snow added.
"And getting super rich!" Dajh exclaimed happily.
Everyone paused to look at him.
"What?" He frowned curiously, glancing at his father.
As everyone began to laugh, Serah asked, "Does anyone want to watch a movie tonight? It's early, Hope. You could always go home afterwards."
He shrugged, asking, "What movie?"
"Anything you want."
"Just nothing about girls or relationships or dates," Hope insisted.
Serah smiled faintly. "I'm sure we can find something."
The group resumed eating as pleasant conversation broke out between them, and once the meal was finished, they moved into the living room and turned on the television as Serah and Hope searched for a movie that would not upset the adolescent. When they finally found something, everyone sat down on the couches and chairs, snuggling close together.
Vanille sat on Fang's lap, her partner's arms wrapped around her waist as she rested against her shoulder. As she looked around the room, she noticed that Sazh and Dajh were close together, Sazh's arm wrapped around his son's shoulders. Serah and Snow were cuddling, Lightning was on her laptop, and Hope leaned back against a fluffy pillow, looking completely comfortable. Although Lightning was sitting alone, she had opened her laptop and was almost smiling in her stoic way, so Vanille imagined that she was chatting with someone very important to her.
Now that the ordeal had truly ended, everyone could be happy.
Xxx
Outside the house, the night was completely silent. A white rabbit scurried through the snow, racing away from an unseen predator. A deer poked its head through the trees and looked both ways before padding into the yard. It walked around for a short while, lowering its head, before it suddenly straightened, rigid. Its wide eyes searched the yard around it frantically before it bolted, disappearing through the trees.
A branch creaked, and prying eyes looked through binoculars, slipping uninvited into the family affair.
"What are they doing?"
"Watching a movie."
"What movie?"
"Does it matter?" His words were met by silence. "It looks like a family film, something appropriate for the kid."
"They left the blinds open. They've relaxed."
"Of course, they did. They have no idea what they're involved in, what's beginning." He lowered the binoculars and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree. "It's too late to stop it now."
"Young was just the beginning."
He nodded. "His sacrifice was noble. All their suspicion disappeared."
"If he wasn't weak, he wouldn't have had to make a sacrifice."
"We all have our flaws, Jake."