Vanille dug into her lunch bag. She had a craving for chocolate, which is why she packed a small bag of cookies, and now she couldn't find them. "Where is it?" She frowned and split the brown bag in half, ignoring the sandwich that fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up and threw it on the table and went back to shuffling through all her snacks. "I know I packed it," she muttered.

Fang came up from behind and leaned over her shoulder, amused at the Vanille's near frantic movements. "Muts wong?" The brunette took another bite of her snack, chewing loudly and wondering why the redhead was in such an uproar.

Vanille's nostrils flared when she caught a whiff of sweet, delicious chocolate. She sharply turned her head and pointed to the half-eaten cookie in Fang's hand. Her gaze trailed down Fang's other arm, to her hand, and the bag of cookies that she recognized. "You!"

Fang recoiled and took a step back, trying to swallow the mouthful of chocolaty goodness that was tickling her taste buds. "Mut?"

"What!" The redhead lunged at Fang, ready to take her cookie back. "That's mine!"

Fang frowned and finally managed to swallow a mouthful of cookie dough. She held her arm out, blocking Vanille's flailing limbs. "What the hell?"

"Those are my cookies," Vanille snapped, reaching for the bag of cookies.

Fang grinned and raised her arm over her head, dangling the bag in front of Vanille. "Go ahead, take 'em."

Vanille pouted and stood on her tip toes, trying to reach over her head. Fang continued to taunt her with the small bag, which continued to remain out of reach. "Where are your cookies?"

"I ate them," Fang replied, watching the shorter girl hop on her toes like a little rabbit. She laughed and finally took pity. "Here, I only had one."

Vanille harrumphed and snatched the bag back when the taller brunette lowered her arm. "Thank you," she huffed. She walked over to the small table and sat down. "Did you call him?" She dug her hand into the bag and grabbed a cookie with a happy sigh.

Fang sat down across from her. "Yeah." She cautiously reached for Vanille's bag of lunch, pointing to her sandwich.

"Go ahead," Vanille replied, shaking her head slightly at Fang's insatiable hunger. "And?"

"And…" Fang removed the foil around the sandwich, shrugging apologetically when her stomach rumbled. They'd been working all morning and she was feeling ravenous. "He asked if we could do the interview tonight, at Balambia."

"Didn't that open a few weeks ago?" Vanille raised an eyebrow. She grinned; she was going to dress Fang tonight, and she knew just what to pick.

"Yeah, nice place," Fang replied, bringing the sandwich to her mouth. She took a large bite and spoke through a mouthful of food. "I'll let ya know if the food is any good."

The redhead frowned and snatched the sandwich out of Fang's hand. "You'll spoil your appetite."

Fang gaped and stared at her empty hand, willing the sandwich to magically reappear. Her ears pricked when she heard Lightning's voice across the bar, quietly chatting with Sazh. She continued to watch the soldier interact with Sazh and marveled at how easygoing she appeared to be. At least she wasn't talking to Sam. Fang never did like hitting other girls, though she considered making a special exception, just for the blonde woman who had stuck to Lightning like glue, all morning.

"Where's Serah?" Fang asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"I think she had to leave, Snow called or something."

Fang frowned and tapped her chin. "Hope everythin's on the up and up between those two."

Confusion flitted across Vanille's features. "Huh? Why wouldn't they be?"

"You said they were havin' marital problems."

XXXXX

"So, what's up with you these days?" Sazh asked, taking another long swallow of his cola.

Lightning shrugged and poked at the leftovers Serah had packed for her. "Work."

"That's it? Whatta load." Sazh frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "I haven't seen you in a while and my life is borin' enough." He sat back in his chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. "How's Fang?"

Lightning remained impassive and toyed with her straw. "You should ask Vanille."

Sazh laughed, remembering how uncomfortable the two women seemed, earlier that morning. He wasn't buying it. Between Fang's grumpy mood and the jealousy that flared at the arrival of Sam, he had an inkling. "Somethin' tells me, you might have a better idea."

The soldier arched a pink eyebrow at the knowing smirk the ex-pilot was giving her. She wasn't too surprised. "You really want to know?"

He paused and studied the pink haired woman, seeing the dangerous glint in her blue eyes. Did he really want to know? He wasn't so sure anymore. He shrugged in nonchalance. "I've seen and heard just about everything there is, hit me with it." He took another bite of his sandwich.

Lightning watched him intently and sighed, as if coming to a decision. He was pushing her and if he'd been anyone else, she would have shut the proverbial door in his face. Lightning realized she had no fight left. Her current situation with Fang over the past several days left her feeling haggard. She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fang and I were sleeping together, and now we're not." She took a slow sip of her soda and set it back on the table. "How are you?"

Sazh remained rock-steady, save for the rapid blinking of his eyes and slow movement of his jaw. "You've been busy," he muttered. Over the years, Sazh realized he was a visual man. He took information and visualized it. It proved invaluable during his career. It's what made him a great pilot and an asset to any team. Unfortunately, in that very moment, his mind processed Lighting's simple words and his visually gifted brain did the rest.

Lightning inched forward, studying his face. "You're red."

Sazh coughed and wiped his brow. "It's hot out here," he grumbled.

"Yes, it is." The soldier gently pushed her can of soda towards him. "Heat stroke is common this time of year."

Sazh raised his eyebrow and laughed, seeing the teasing smirk on Lightning's face. "Ya caught me off guard with that one."

The soldier gave a ghost of a smile. "It caught me off guard, too."

"So end of story? No white picket fences? No dog in the backyard?" Sazh raised his eyebrows, "That's it?"

Lightning sighed and glanced around the bar, unsure of how to answer. "It's complicated," she said after a moment.

He patiently waited and shook his head when she didn't offer anything else. "Okay," he paused and gathered the trash on the table, "if you ever want womanly advice," he winked at her, trying to lift the solemn mood that settled on her shoulders, "I'm your man."

"Thank you, Sazh."

XXXXX

Lightning listened to languorous melody that filled the busy restaurant, muffling the quiet chatter that surrounded their table. She grabbed the menu that was handed to her and waited patiently while her glass was filled. Raising an eyebrow, she watched Serah, who was currently busying herself with the wine menu. Next to her sat Snow, who was equally preoccupied with keeping his hands off his bothersome necktie.

"So," the soldier finally spoke, tinkering with her napkin, "are you pregnant?"

Serah and Snow both hitched at the simple question and it was Serah who managed to recover first.

"What? No!" Serah hastily placed the wine menu down. She gawked at her older sister and blushed at the matter-of-fact way she asked.

Lightning reached for her glass and took a small sip of her water, effectively concealing her smirk. She watched Snow through the rim as he regarded Serah with an offended look.

"Wait a minute," Snow interrupted, turning to face his wife, "You don't have to sound so…" He rubbed his light stubble, searching for a suitable word.

"Horrified?" Lightning offered.

"Yeah…" He frowned at both women and sat back in his chair. "It wouldn't be that bad, would it?"

"No, it wouldnt...anyway," Serah spoke up, trying to bring the conversation back on topic, "no, I'm not pregnant." She gave Lightning a pointed look and gave Snow, what she hoped, was a comforting pat on his hand.

The soldier glanced around the restaurant, trying to remember the last time they had all gone out to dinner. "Then what's the special occasion?" She arched an eyebrow at Snow. "You're not even wearing your trench coat."

"I got a promotion," Snow replied, beaming with pride. "Dinner's on me."

Lightning studied him for a moment and did not hide the small smile that climbed its way to her face. She found that she was genuinely happy that his hard work was finally paying off. "Congratulations, Snow."

Snow smiled, hearing the warmth in her tone. "Yeah," he waggled his eyebrows, "and Serah is pregnant."

Lightning grinned evilly and trailed a finger down her butter knife. "Don't push it."

He laughed and wrapped an arm around Serah. "Okay, Sis." He paused and his eyebrows rose in delight. "Hey, look who it is." He dipped his head towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Serah's mouth fell open at the sight of Fang, dressed in an elegant, black dress, being led to a table for two. She had to admit, Fang looked stunning, but that wasn't what surprised her. What she found surprising was the man that was following closely behind the brunette.

Snow grinned and nudged Serah playfully. "Look who's got a date." He assessed the dark haired man as he pulled a chair out for the stunning Oerban. He nodded, impressed with the gesture. Fang could definitely handle herself in a fight, he had the pleasure of witnessing her prowess firsthand, but that didn't stop the slight protectiveness he felt at seeing her out with a stranger.

"What?" The younger Farron trailed off, speechless. She peeked over at Lightning, who was studying the couple with hawk-eyed intensity. She gulped audibly. "I didn't know Fang was dating," she muttered. Vanille told her Fang was in love with Lightning. Her eyes narrowed in anger. Fang was out on a date, at a nice restaurant, with some guy, apparently Fang got over her sister pretty quick. "How could she do that?" Serah whispered.

Her husband turned to her, surprised by the fury in her voice. He figured she'd be pleased. "Uh, he seems like an okay guy," Snow replied, scratching the back of his neck. He watched as the brunette titled her head back and laughed at something the man said.

Serah and Lightning turned to glare at him and he swallowed thick and heavy, feeling his stomach drop to his knees. He shifted in his chair, baffled by their anger. "What?" He looked between both women and realized that somewhere in the last thirty seconds; he managed to stick his entire boot, knee, and thigh into his mouth. It was a thing of wonder. "What did I say?"

Lightning ignored him, snapping her eyes back on the Oerban and her date. The brunette was seated with her back to them and Lightning wasn't sure if she was relieved or infuriated that Fang couldn't see them. She cleared her throat, feeling her face and neck start to flush. She gripped her napkin and took a deep breath, steadying her nerves.

The younger Farron watched her older sister struggle through a myriad of emotions and her heart clenched in sympathy. She rubbed her forehead, trying to find a way to console her. "His head is too big," she blurted out, staring helplessly at Lightning. "And, and…" Blue eyes quickly darted over Fang's date. "He's got sloppy hair." She watched as he said something to Fang, causing the brunette to laugh again. "He seems really boring," she weakly finished.

Lightning clenched her jaw, hearing Fang's soft, lilting laughter ring loud and piercing in her ears, despite its soft tone. She couldn't hear the music, or the other customers in the restaurant, all she could hear was Fang's voice. Soft and sultry, it eclipsed everything her other senses could perceive. She glanced at Serah, feeling like she was looking down a long, narrow tunnel, and she straightened her back, trying to calm her racing heart. Her sister probably thought her behavior was exceedingly odd, even for her.

"She seems to be enjoying herself," Lightning softly said. She watched as a waitress walked over to Fang's table, ready to take their orders. The man pointed to his menu and she saw his mouth move and Fang nod a moment later. Was he ordering for her? Lightning shook her head, trying to shake away what she hoped was a nothing but a bad dream. She blinked several times and was disheartened to find that nothing changed. She was still in a restaurant, with Serah and Snow, and Fang was sitting in a cozy booth for two, with a man.

"Our foods here."

The soldier heard Snow's voice like a distant echo. It shook her from her dire thoughts and she glanced down, seeing a hot, steaming plate of food sitting in front of her. How long had it been there? She shifted back in her seat, feeling a little nauseous and tried to concentrate on simply getting through the night. She had a distinct urge to excuse herself and go home. She glanced at Snow and changed her mind, it was his night, and he wanted to celebrate with her and Serah. She could do this.

XXXXX

"You locked the house-mother in her office?" Professor Waldon asked, seeking clarification.

Fang snickered and tapped her fingers on the table. "Well, yeah." She shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "Jammed her doorknob and stuck a chair against it." She chuckled, remembering the angry screams that were coming from the inside the office. "I thought they were gonna take Vanille away."

The Professor laughed and shook his head. "Why would you think that?"

"I overheard them talkin' about it. Turns out," Fang explained, shaking her head, "they were just takin' her to one of the other villages for some medicine."

The Professor grinned and shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. "What about this Bhakti guy? Who was he?"

Fang grinned. "He was Vanille's pet robot, not a guy." She moved her arms away from the table when the waiter emerged with a tray of food. "He used to help us sneak cookies and cake out of the kitchen," Fang mused.

The Professor adjusted the tape recorder that was placed between them. "The village shared everything? Houses, food, facilities?"

Fang nodded. "Yeah, no privacy, if that's what you're gettin' at."

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "Would you mind telling me about the war?"

Fang sat back and crossed her legs, toying with her napkin. "Fire away."

XXXXX

Lightning jammed her fork into her steak, not really seeing it. Snow continued to lightly chat and Serah had finally given up her efforts to engage the soldier in conversation. Lightning sighed and stole a glance back at the brunette's table. Fang's date seemed to be listening to the Oerban with rapt attention, his eyes wide and interested. She growled softly. She found Fang fascinating too, Damn it.

Fang was dating now? She shook her head. In all the time she'd known Fang, she'd never heard the brunette talk about any dates, or any interest in seeing anyone. Lightning rubbed her forehead and finally dropped her fork, hearing the clatter when the metal hit the plate. Fang seemed so concerned that Lightning was seeing people, and here she was, on a date, with some guy. Weren't there rules against this? Lightning scrunched her brow, like a cool-down period? She tapped her fingers against the table. They didn't' need a cool-down period because they were never dating, just sleeping together. A seed of regret began to sprout and blossom in her mind. We should have gone slower.

She rested her elbow on the table and tried to tear her eyes away from the back of Fang's head. What would have happened between them if they hadn't dived between the sheets, head first? Would they have progressed? She sighed and watched Serah and Snow through new eyes and grudging respect.

Lightning no longer called him an idiot. She thought he still did idiotic things, but that's who he was. He loved Serah and took care of her, and Lightning couldn't be happier. They seemed happy, in love, at ease, and for Snow's sake, that was a very good thing. But, shook her head in disbelief, if Snow understood matters of the heart, and she couldn't even manage a conversation with Fang, Who was the idiot?

She scrunched her napkin in her fist. Given everything she and Fang had been through, dating didn't seem all that daunting, Right? Blue eyes turned to slits and she resumed her staring contest with the back of the Oerban's head. She grumbled under her breath, ignoring the curious look Snow gave her. She and Fang were just friends, that's all Fang wanted it seemed. Fine.

Fang wanted to be friends, and Lightning agreed, only because she didn't want to cause the brunette further grief. Now she was the one with a steel knife in her chest, while Fang was tucked away in the corner of a fancy restaurant with some man, having the time of her life.

Snow abruptly stood up and placed his napkin on the table, brushing his trousers. Lightning and Serah gave him a questioning look. "I'm gonna go say 'Hi'."

Serah blanched and grabbed his shirt, trying to keep his massive frame from taking another step. "What? Why?"

Lightning frowned, not liking the idea at all. She didn't want to see Fang. She'd risk a confrontation if she were placed face to face with the dashing man that had Fang laughing and smiling for the past hour. She chuckled softly and studied the restaurant, wondering how many establishments she'd wind up destroying if she continued to act on her jealousy.

"They're on a…" Lightning hesitated, loathing the word, "date." She glared at Snow and then stared at his empty chair, silently demanding he sit down. "Let's not intrude."

The younger Farron shuddered at the cold tone and grabbed Snow by his tailored shirt. With a mighty pull, she shoved him back down in his seat and patted his thigh. "She's right, leave them alone."

Snow was ready to argue when he saw Fang stand up from her table. The two women turned to watch as the Oerban and her date walked towards the exit. It was sheer willpower and discipline that prevented Lightning from leaping over the tables and severing the man's hand from his body when he placed it in the middle of Fang's back, ushering her out of the restaurant.

She gritted her teeth, feeling her cheeks turn redder and redder. Are they going back to her house? His house?

"Are you gonna eat that?" Snow asked, wisely choosing not to comment on Fang's departure. He eyed her food, noticing that despite the multiple stab wounds in her steak, it was relatively untouched.

Lightning roughly shoved her plate towards him, her eyes still trained on the exit. "Go ahead."

Snow took the offered plate and began to cut into the steak, perplexed by her behavior. He shrugged, thankful that it wasn't directed at him. Serah sighed and rubbed his shoulder, deciding that she would need to explain everyone's tense behavior once they were alone.

XXXXX

"Thank you so much!" Professor Waldon stated, holding his hand out.

Fang smiled and shook his hand. "No problem, it was fun." She glanced around the street, noticing the light chill in the air. She was happy Vanille had forced her to take a jacket along, despite all her protests. "You got enough material?"

"Oh yeah, but I'd love to arrange an interview with you and Vanille, together."

"I'll talk to her...see how she feels about it." Fang turned her head when she noticed a car driving towards them. She squinted at the bright headlights.

"There's my wife," Professor Waldon said, stepping off the sidewalk.

The car pulled up next to them and Fang smiled at the young woman in the driver's seat. "Hello."

"It's so nice to meet you!" The woman exclaimed, reaching over to grasp her hand with a firm shake. "Troy was worried you wouldn't accept."

Professor Waldon laughed and gave Fang an apologetic smile. "Oerba fascinates me, so thank you, again."

Fang raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Yeah, I see that."

He handed her a business card. "I'm going to spend the next few days drafting out the article, then I'll need a picture, if you don't mind."

Fang grabbed the offered pen and jotted her number on the back. "Call me about it, and I'll talk to Vanille about another interview." She turned to Mrs. Waldon and smiled. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too Ms. Fang."

She watched as the Professor stepped into the car and waved at her one, final time. They drove off and Fang found herself standing alone on the sidewalk, feeling much better than she had in a while. She hummed thoughtfully and realized that she'd have to thank Vanille and Sazh. She felt much better. The lighthearted interview with the Professor provided a short respite from her obsession with a certain pink-haired woman. She smiled, green eyes twinkling under the night sky, and pulled out her phone, ready to ask Vanille for a ride home.

XXXX

Phew, been awhile...big sorry! I'm back though, revitalized and energized, and any other word you can tap 'ized on to.

Feedback appreciated, as always, and the next update will def. not take a month lol.