Don't Tempt Me

Author's Note: Another day, another update. It's been a while but I'm back on the scene. As usual, I don't own any of these characters but that's the great thing about imagination. It's free. So to all who continue to stick it out, thanks again.

Chapter 21- The Stranger

A few days later

"So I said to this guy, "You feeling lucky punk?!" and wham, right across the kisser. He fell down faster than a ton of bricks. Got me 2 days in the slammer but boy did it feel good to kick his ass!"

Lightning snorted to herself as she listened to the group of men she was currently riding back to base with. For the past week and a half, she had to hear stories like this. At the same time, she had to admit it was a bit entertaining to hear her team exaggerate past experiences. It was all in good fun and she was good with that. She had even walked in on them discussing their exploits with different women but they were careful enough to have never made any out of the way comments while she was present.

"Septson, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" She shot back towards him without even turning around. Seconds later, she could her Biggs and Wedge making fun of him while Keno just chuckled.

"Nice one sergeant." At that, Lightning just nodded as she noticed the gate up ahead. The day was pretty uneventful. They were assigned to relieve some of the other soldiers monitoring the repair of the pipeline to New Paddra and secure the perimeter from any other roaming ci'eth. Ever since their last mission, the Council decided to further evaluating existing threats to the expansion of civilization across Pulse. That meant beefed up security and monitoring of more Pulse fal'cie. Anything remotely related to fal'cie or ci'eth automatically rubbed her the wrong way. She just hoped history would not repeat itself.

As her group finally approached the gate, Lightning was greeted by one of the guards with a formal greeting.

"Sergeant, Lt. Seaye says to see him before leaving for the day."

"Thank you solider. As you were." With that she headed inside towards the officer's chambers. She wondered what was in store for her now. Usually when Seaye wanted to see her, it was something big. And she was more than ok with that. Ironically, one of the biggest supporters of the Purge ended up being a mentor to her here on Pulse. Making her way to the office, she watched the group of new recruits move past her and smiled to herself. They would be the future. A generation that will be able to raise their children without a hatred for anything related to Pulse. A life without fear of fal'cie rule. And for that, she was grateful to be a part of that change.

"Farron, have a seat." Lt. Seaye greeted as he motioned for the chair in front of his desk. Closing the door behind her, Lightning did as she was instructed without a word.

"How is the repair of the C-line going?"

"Fine sir. We've only encountered a few ci'eth roaming the area but they seem to be normal. Not anything like the kind we encountered during our mission. None of these had prolonged exposure to the dark matter."

"I see. That's good news. That brings me to the reason I asked for you here. We have a very important goal the Council as decided to implement this year. The implementation of the communication grid and eventually exploration of the entire planet as you are already aware of. However, it is highly unlikely that you know that we still have an outpost on Cocoon. This is how we gather salvaged supplies and the like. We informed the general population of its closure as a way to promote self-sufficiency a few months after the fall but it still operational in a limited capacity. Cocoon itself is a dead shell but still holds many treasures inside. We have a mission planned to bring back pieces of our old grid and establish communication for the public as well as a stronger link between the settlements."

Lightning said nothing as she processed the information. She had a feeling of what he was asking but knew there was more to it.

"With all due respect sir, there's something more to this than you let on thus far is there not?" She received an approving nod from her superior in response.

"Sharp as ever I see, Farron. Yes, there's a catch so to say. Cocoon is a dead shell as I said, but several ci'eth from that attack from Pulse still haunt it. Most are confined to Eden but several still roam the perimeter cities as well. Our outpost lies on the ruins of the Hanging Edge at the base of the Neophyte. The Air Force has been summoned to help with the retrieval of the grid as well as whatever supplies are left. Once the grid is retrieved the pieces will be brought back to Genesis where we will recharge their AMP cells and work with the Academy to maximize our resources to bring it back to operational status. Where you come in Sergeant, is quite simple. I need someone I trust to oversee the operation as well as traverse Cocoon in order to retrieve all parts the grid from different locations. Our group has managed to retrieve most of the cores from the less populated regions but larger cities like Palupolum and Eden are too infested with ci'eth and monsters for our current forces. As you know, the largest and most important cores are located in those two cities. Your team and your experience with l'cie has proved invaluable. So I asked for you to head the operation personally. The Council approved."

"How long do we have to prepare sir?" Lightning asked straightforwardly. She was still recuperating from the last mission and was hoping to have some time to get herself back together.

"You have a few more weeks. You and your team need to be fully briefed as well as the Air Force Squadron that well be flying you up there. Katzroy will be heading that part of the operation and needs the time to work on the cargo plane."

"Sazh? He was just in a plane crash a few weeks ago sir. Is it wise to send him up there?" The last thing she wanted was for him to get injured again, especially if it could have been avoided.

"He's quite frankly the best pilot we have left. We spoke with all the pilots earlier today but he was the universal choice. You two have a shared history and work well together. Besides, he was fine with it. His assignment to head the base in Averia was pushed back a few months but he didn't seem to have a problem with that." At the revelation, Lightning fell silent. Sazh would be staying here in Genesis a little longer. The thought alone made her heart skip. Maintaining her composure, she focused on Lt. Seaye and did her best not to smile at the announcement concerning her friend.

"I see."

"Trust me Farron, there was a reason you were promoted to Psicom. Your rank really doesn't reflect your worth to our military but I assure you, I intend to change that. This mission will help."

"Thank you sir. That means a lot." She told him quietly. Did he really just say that? He was basically endorsing her for a promotion in rank. Maybe she was wrong to think she was being undervalued by the Council? Things were really starting to turn around.

"Of course. I know this was a lot to drop on you at the end of the day so go home and rest. You and the rest of your team will be briefed tomorrow and we will begin preparations then."

"Right sir." At that she stood up and nodded before being dismissed. That was a lot to take in that's for sure. Walking out into the hallway, she headed for the hangar to see if Sazh was still here. She usually met him there before walking home together.

As she walked up to the doors, she noticed that they were closing them for the night. Had he already left for the day?

"Captain left earlier today before you got back Sergeant. Told me to let you if you came looking for him." Giving the soldier a nod, Lightning turned around.

Well that answered that. He probably had long day and wanted to spend some time with Dajh or something. She really wanted to talk to him about today's news as well as just hang out. She really hadn't seen him since the big announcement in the square a few days ago. And besides, she was up for cooking tonight. She wouldn't mind his company. Serah and Snow had an engagement so she wasn't home. Why not kill two birds in one stone and host dinner for once? With her mind made up, she turned and headed back to town.

Sazh's House

Knock Knock!

Lightning Farron was greeted to the sight of the door slowly opening but instead of seeing a tall man with a familiar afro she was greeted with a miniature version in the form of Dajh. She held back the urge to laugh. His eyes were as big as boulders.

"Miss Light!"

"You can just call me Light Dajh. Is your dad home?"

"Yeah, he's in the shower. Long day at work."

"Is that so?"

"Yep. He put me on guard duty while he unwinds."

"But you're only 8?" Lightning joked. Dajh took the bait easily.

"Almost 9 though."

"Does that really make a difference?" Lightning asked as she headed towards the kitchen and sat down in the chair before crossing her legs and sitting her gunblade on her lap. Dajh just nodded with certainty before pointing at her gunblade.

"Am I big enough to play with your sword yet Miss Light….I mean Light. Sorry. Daddy said it was okay as long as you weren't busy." Lightning just chuckled before waving it off. This was going to take a while.

"Almost. Let's wait until you're a bit bigger. It's pretty heavy. Until then we can practice with a stick."

"A stick? Aww man."

"You gotta start somewhere." She told him before looking around. The last thing she needed was to get caught off guard by a naked Sazh fresh out of the shower. Nothing good could come from that. Well not anything but a long sleepless night.

Of course, her thoughts always wandered back along these lines as of late. It was funny and a bit sad. But mostly sad. She could have been with any of the men who had been brave enough to approach her during adolescence and even after the fall but she didn't. Curiosity about sex or intimacy never got the best of her, until now. Now the thought crossed her mind on a regular basis. Realizing that she was thinking such thoughts in front of an 8 year old, Lightning closed her eyes tightly in embarrassment before regaining her composure.

'Get a grip, you idiot." She thought to herself. Or so she thought. She was greeted with a grin from Dajh as he stared at her. Chocolina chirped from behind him moments later and landed on Lightning's lap.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked intently.

"You're not an idiot Light. I think you're cool. " All Lightning could do is stare. If she had been in this same situation a year or so ago, she would have said nothing to the boy and kept it short and sweet. She was no good with kids she thought. But Dajh was relentless.

"You heard me?" The younger boy just nodded in response.

"I'm flattered. Thanks." She told him earnestly as she finally allowed herself to smile at him. Smiling had become something that she was getting better at lately. And it wasn't so bad. There was a lot more in life to smile about now.

Moments later, Sazh finally appeared from around the corner. Fully clothed. Which was a relief. He was visibly surprised but issued her a cool smile all the same.

"Soldier Girl, wasn't expecting you. What's up?" He asked as he automatically went for a cup of coffee and poured her one as well. Lightning caught him looking back at her a second time before turning back to his task. She noticed that she was still sitting cross-legged at the table and smirked to herself. Well wasn't that interesting? Poor old man. Readjusting herself to where she was a little less revealing, she thanked him as he handed her a cup.

"You already know what's up. Lt. Seaye talked to me this evening. I wanted to talk about it. More specifically, I wanted to know if you were truly up to the task."

"Yeah, I got the lowdown on it. I'm ready. Really. I was actually going to ask you if you think Serah would mind watching him again while we're gone. I didn't want to burden Hope with babysitting. He's doing his teenage thing right now."

"I don't see her having any problem with that. To be honest, I think she would enjoy his company." Sazh gave Dajh a glance before turning back to her.

"You sure? That's one more kid for her to take care of. The other being Snow."

"Truer words have never been spoken." Lightning retorted making Sazh laugh. She had to give herself credit. It was a pretty well placed joke. Taking a sip from her coffee, she turned to Sazh.

"We haven't done this in a while. Hanging out, I mean. I'm glad we're in a good place." She admitted quietly. Sazh nodded in agreement. Hearing that come from her was music to his ears.

"So am I."

"I'm heading back home to cook dinner. For once, I think I'll be a hostess. That is if you and Dajh would like to come. We can talk more then." Sazh smirked at her attempt at an invitation. She was trying. The girl had come so far and he was glad to be a part of it. He figured this would be as good a time as any to break the news.

"You know I can't turn down a home-cooked meal. But I do have something to tell you."

"What?"

"I met a friend. She's a guitar player at the Golden Saucer. She and her daughter were supposed to come over here for dinner. We've been talking for a few days. I want you guys to meet her." At that, Lightning could feel her eyes roll inside her head. Of course, he met a friend. Only this one seemed like she would be around for more than one cup of coffee. He actually wanted to introduce her. Part of her wondered if Sazh had the slightest idea about how she may have felt towards him. His being nonchalant about the "tension" between them as if it never existed was kind of pissing her off but if she was going to get over it, she had to start somewhere.

"I take it you didn't scare her off after the first cup of coffee." She answered back in a sarcastic manner.

"You got jokes. But no, I didn't. She's really nice. Even got me a guitar. Haven't played it yet though."

"Well then bring them too. I want to see what this person is about. Let's start with her name." Lightning said as she finished the last sip of her drink and placed it on the table.

"Renee. Her daughter's name is Lila. They used to live in Eden."

"She know you used to be a l'cie?"

"Yeah, one of the first things I told her. She actually wanted to hear more about it. I realize there are two types of people. Those who hate us for being l'cie and those who are curious and love us for saving the world."

"Glad to see she's in the curious bunch."

"Yeah I know right. Anyway, I'm excited about you meeting her. I think you'd like her."

"We'll see. I'd better get home and prepare this feast. Hope's not going to be too happy. He doesn't know it yet but he's going shopping." Lightning said as she stood up. Sazh chuckled as he stood up as well.

"This should be fun."

"As long as you keep your jokes to a minimum, yeah it should be."

"You're getting too good at cutting me down."

"As long as I'm the only one that's doing it, I can live with that. It's 6:00 now. I'll expect you there by 8:00." Sazh cast a sideways glance at that statement. It sounded kind of "possessive". He didn't know what to make of that. Especially coming from her.

"Yes mam."

"Whatever." Sazh just smiled as he walked her out. That was code for bye in Lightning terms. Releasing a deep sigh after closing the door, he smirked to himself. He hoped he knew what he was doing. He wanted to get to know Renee better. But his attraction to Soldier Girl didn't look like it was going away. He just hoped he could deal with it.

Later that evening

"Hey, Light?"

"Yes?"

"Is this whole thing going to be weird for you? I mean, since there's something going on between you and Sazh and all?"

"Was. I'm beginning to think the tension was pretty much one-sided. Like I said before, I really didn't give Sazh a choice. I let my fear of being vulnerable…" She started before looking up from setting the table and giving Hope a look.

"…Get the best of me." Hope looked back at his friend and felt a pang of sadness. Lightning was good at hiding her pain and playing the ice queen. But she wasn't as good at it as she used to be. She hadn't been for quite some time now. He could hear it in her words. She was still hurting about the fact that she couldn't allow herself to give into her feelings. She wasn't sure she knew how.

"I don't think that's the case, if it makes any difference. You two tend to smile the most when you are together. That means something." Hope told her in all seriousness while reflecting back on his feelings towards Vanille a few years prior. He liked it when she smiled, even if she was getting on his nerves half the time. She made it feel like everything was going to be okay. Lightning managed to ease out a smile. She didn't really know at this point. Time would tell.

"I suppose it does."

Knock knock!

"Guess I'd better get the door." Hope said before Lightning stopped him.

"No, I'll get it. Finish the table. I need some people practice right?" At that, Hope just chuckled.

"Oh man, I need to see this." He received a flip of the finger in response. So much for finishing the table.

Opening the door, Lightning was greeted to the sight of Sazh, Dajh, a lady with black and blue hair and another girl to whom she presumed was the daughter. Only the mother was in excellent shape.

"Hey." Sazh greeted for all of them as Lightning nodded and opened the door for all of them to step through. She overlooked them before introducing herself.

"Lightning." She started as she offered her hand to Renee and her daughter. The each accepted with a smile before doing the same with Hope. Lila seemed to look over Hope before nodding in approval. Hope seemed to notice this and ran a hand through his hair. Did this chick just check him out and nod in approval?"

"You got it smelling good in here Soldier girl. Good thing I brought a bottle of Pulse's finest to go with it." Sazh said with a grin as he pulled out the bottle. Lightning gave him a look before grinning back. It seemed their whole relationship revolved around this damn bottle. As she went to close the door behind them, Lightning didn't catch the look of amusement Renee was giving the two of them.

After getting thing situated and everyone was seated, things seemed to be going well. Hope and Lila apparently had some friends in common. Dajh had no problem keeping himself occupied. And Lightning had to admit, from what she had seen of of Renee so far, she didn't seem to be that bad. She actually seemed to really be into Sazh. She really couldn't blame the woman. The man was charming when he wanted to be.

"So Lightning where are you from originially?" Renee asked as she took a bit of her behemoth steak.

"Bodhum native. Born and raised."

"Hmm, I think I may have stopped by there once. Spent most of my life in Eden but I did some gigs in some of the smaller towns. From what Sazh tells me, you're quite the dancer."

"I hold my own." Sazh grinned at her reply.

"I second that. Me and Soldier Girl make a pretty good pair on the dance floor I think."

"Why do you call her Soldier Girl?" Renee asked slightly confused about it all. She didn't say anything the first few times but he had called her that repeatedly. Lightning shot the man a look of amusement as Sazh coughed a bit. He was going to have to tell the story.

"When we first met, we were in line waiting to be purged to Pulse. We both were trying to reach the Vestige in the Hanging Edge. She never told me her name. I believe her exact words were "I see no reason to tell you mine or to learn yours." Since I could see she was ex soldier, I just called her Soldier Girl. I guess it just stuck."

"Well that explains the big ass sword by the wall over there." Renee said before grinning. Lila turned back from Hope and scoffed at her mother.

"Really mom?! Sorry if she offended you. She's kinda of blunt." Lightning waved it off and smirked. Renee might be all right after all. What was even funnier was the drop of sweat on Sazh's forehead.

"It's perfectly fine. There's not wrong with being direct. I respect that."

"I'm glad. I was only trying to keep it light. Sazh told me how serious you could be. He was worried you might scare me off or something."

"If anything scares you off it won't be me. Now Sazh's snoring, that's a different story." Lightning shot back making Sazh interject.

"Hey, hey now. I'm all for you two bonding but not at the expense of this old man's dignity."

"If it makes you feel better Sazh, mom can wake the dead at night when she snores." Lila chimed in making Renee gasp and Hope burst into laughter. Lightning rose an eyebrow but nodded to herself. Lila sort of reminded her of herself at that age. Very sarcastic.

After ragging on Sazh a little while long, the conversation turned to Hope and Lila who seemed to be getting along well. Looking over at the scene unfolding in front of her, she noticed how at ease Sazh and Renee seemed to be around each other. If they were only friends, they weren't going to stay that way for long if things kept going this way. On one hand, she was glad that Sazh seemed to be happier. He seemed to really enjoy her company. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. It sounded so childish when she thought about it but what could she do. It would be a lot easier if she didn't like her, but she had no problem with Renee. That's what getting over this whole thing so much harder.

Later

"I really enjoyed dinner. And finally getting to meet you. I hope we can get together again sometime." Renee said as she gave Lightning a friendly hug. Lightning gave Sazh a look over her shoulder as she returned the gesture. She was extremely uncomfortable hugging a stranger but she was doing it for Sazh.

"Likewise. Have a good night. Bye Lila." Lightning issued back as the two of them them waved back and headed outside. Sazh told Renee he would be out in a second. With Dajh on his shoulder, he turned back to Lightning as Hope headed back to the table to clear the dishes.

"So…what do you think?" He asked with a grin. Lightning overlooked him. He looked like a kid receiving a present for his birthday.

"She's…nice. Easy to talk to."

"Isn't she though? She's a little goofy but I like that about her. And she doesn't sugarcoat stuff. She tells it like it is."

"I gathered as much."

"She's like you."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or something?"

"No. Just a casual observation. There's not a woman in the world like you Soldier Girl."

Lightning didn't say anything after that. Sazh said nothing else either for a few seconds before turning back to the door. She could hear him release the breath he was holding as he attempted to speak.

"Well, uh… let me get outta here. Walk the ladies home."

"You're such a gentleman."

"You know it. Thanks for dinner. You were great."

"You're welcome." With that she accepted Sazh's hug and without even thinking of the consequences kissed him lightly on the cheek. Sazh's eyes bulged open. His thought processed stopped in its tracks. Hell had completely frozen over.

"What was that for?"

"In some cultures, a kiss on the cheek is considered a polite gesture."

"Ha ha. You're just full of surprises." At that Lightning gave him a warm smile before pushing him out of the door. She didn't even notice how easy it was for her guard to fall down around him.

"You have no idea. Goodnight Sazh."

"Night Lightning."

Turning around, Lightning was greeted with a sly look from Hope. Lightning shot him a look of death making Hope hold up his hands in surrender.

"I wasn't going to say a thing."

"Good answer." With that Lightning headed back towards her room towards her bathroom to draw herself a bath. As she turned on the water, she heard Hope yell by her bedroom on the way to his own.

"So much for one-sided huh?!"

Shaking her head, she chuckled as she let hands run through the water to test its temperature. She was going to get a shower and show Hope her appreciation with a list of errands to run tomorrow after school. But he was right about one thing. The way she felt around Sazh, it meant something. No matter how much she wanted to deny that fact, it was becoming more and more obvious.

To everyone but the damn man in question.

Author's Note: Eh, it's been quite a while since I've updated this story but life finds a way to take over everything doesn't it. This chapter was a big one since Lightning has gotten to the point where she can admit some things out loud and to herself. I wanted to make Renee and Lightning similar because that would make her jealous a bit more complicated. Renee is a stranger to Lightning. Lightning is still a stranger to the ability to give in to her feelings. If you haven't noticed, there's a lot of changes going on in the background as well. Sazh and Light have a big mission coming up and let's just say, Communication is going to be a big theme. Spoiler alert maybe lol. Anyway, as always I do this for you all. Any and all feedback is appreiciated and encouraged. I know this is a super long story and you're probably like where the hell is this all going. Well, this is a romance featuring Lightning. And a widowed man named Sazh. Anything that didn't take a long time to develop concerning her or him probably isn't realistic in my opinion. That being said, hopefully the payoff will be worth it, should you stick around, Until next time, Hell Yeah!