Standing in front of the white-board, Lightning was waiting for Fang to check out every single detail she had gathered and had only now realized the critical error she had committed; the file on the botulinum found in the wound she had printed and attached next to the pictures. Great start of showing she can trust you, she bitterly condemned herself. Damn it. Damn. It.

"It's what I thought," Fang said as she pointed at the exact same paper she had been thinking off. Turning around she said, "we found botulinum in Tifa's body too, good to know I was right when I said the blade was covered with it and that it should've been in the wound, but it had magically disappeared."

Biting the inside of her jaw, Lightning nodded. "Yeah, that's my doing."

"Oh, I wasn't suggesting anyone else," Fang said with a shake of the head, an amused smile on her lips. "You've done some good work based on the few details you knew. Well done."

"Thanks, I guess," Lightning mumbled. Flattery wasn't going to work. If Fang needed her help, becoming friends wasn't on her to-do list. She couldn't care less about being in her top-five favourite. "Let's go back to the living-room. I showed you that you could trust me."

"This is merely enough for me to trust you, Farron. Do you think it would be that easy?"

"And how are you planning on getting my trust?"

"I'm going to ask you questions, and to each one, I'll want an honest answer. I know you're a good liar and I've seen it first-hand earlier today, but this won't work with me. Clear?"

Looking appalled as Fang took a seat at the dining table, on the west side of the house, Lightning was left with no other choice but to give in. Running a hand through her hair, she first went towards the kitchen and discretely brought a pain-killer to her mouth, helping it to slide down her throat with a glass of tap-water before walking back towards the dining room with a bottle of sparkling water and two glasses.

Although her attachment to this woman was poor, if not non-existent, Lightning had been raised to be polite every time someone entered her house and offering a glass of water was the least she could do. It didn't show her she cared but that she was simply being a good host.

"Thanks," Fang said as Lightning took a seat at the other end of the five feet table. "Twenty questions and we're good."

"And this will prove that you can trust me?"

"Oh, believe me," Fang whispered, "it will."

Fidgeting on her seat, Lightning brought her glass of water to her lips and swallowed its content. Hoping the pain already pressing behind her eye would not turn into a migraine she clearly did not need, Lightning cracked her neck and brought her intertwined fingers to the table, her spine standing straight.

Observing as Fang retrieved a recorded, the questioning look she threw in her direction wasn't met with an answer but with a pleased smile. Fang could see the stress already pressing against her shoulder as well as the sword of Damocles getting ready to pierce through her skull , and she was having a tremendous time with it.

"State your full name, age and origins please?"

"Lightning Claire Farron, twenty-six and Canadian."

Fang lifted her head up from her papers and gave Lightning a dismayed look. Whether it was towards her age or birth country didn't matter, but the reaction it created was more than pleasing. "Do you use drugs as a recreational matter?"

"No," Lightning said. It was the truth. Smoking weed wasn't a hazardous activity, but a medical one.

"We said no lies," Fang said with a frown.

"I have a prescription for it," Lightning countered, "there's nothing enjoyable in smoking them."

"Alright…Are you on any other medication then?"

"Naratriptan," she admitted, "it's a treatment to prevent or stop migraines."

"Very well."

Marking a time to drink from her glass, Lightning was quick to mimic her. Her saliva had vanished from her mouth due to the stress that continued to pile on. Being the first time Lightning was ever interrogated, the fact that Fang was a member of the Federal Bureau did not help to ease her mind.

"How is your family situation?"

Lightning frowned. "I have a younger sister. That's it."

"Have you ever used force while being on duty?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever defensively pull the trigger and shot down an assailant?"

"Yes," Lightning repeated. Tearing her eyes away from the papers once more, Fang stared at her for what felt like an eternity.

"Have you ever stolen evidence during an on-going case?"

"What? I would never…" Growling, Lightning shook her head but never gazed away from Fang. "Yes."

"Have you given information about the case to anyone?"

Closing her eyes, Lightning brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose and squeezed her skin. "Yes," she whispered.

Fang sighed in return and threw her a disappointed look. "Very well. Why did you decide to join the LAPD?"

Opening up one eye, Lightning cocked her head to the side at the odd question. The reason why, although personal, didn't matter in her choice for a career. But bound to a no-lying rule, it was reluctantly that Lightning agreed to share that part of her life.

"My parents were killed. Hit and run, five years ago. I was already at the academy at the time but the fact the killer was never found made want to do more. No one deserves to see their loved ones murdered and never avenged," Lightning answered, "That's why I decided to join."

"Alright. Could you be able to lie to your friends, family for your job even though it would mean staining your relationship with them?"

About to answer, Lightning lifted a finger up in the air to demand for more reflexion. Although it seemed an obvious solution, to know her relationship with Serah could be affected by anything she might learn today terrified her to her very core. She had worked so hard to keep their sisterhood as it used to be, being an actor in its destruction was something she refused to see happen.

But right now, Lightning was met with yet another choice as if the previous one she had to make hadn't had a big of a consequence enough.

Blowing out a breath, she faintly nodded and looked back at Fang. "Yes, I would," she said confidently. Noticing Fang wanted to hear it another time, Lightning repeated "I would" once more and continued on with the questions.

It took them more than half-an-hour to be done with the questions until ultimately, they reached number twenty. Most of them had been about her record and her willingness to harm, manipulate and disappear for a few days without letting anyone know why nor where, and the more questions Fang had asked, the more intrigued Lightning had turned out to be but at the same time, a sense of fear had started to settle in.

"Alright, last question", Fang said after taking another sip of water, the bottle now nearly empty, "Are you a vegan?"

Perplexed by the question, Lightning's face was enough to show her consternation. "Sorry?"

"Are you a vegan?"

"Uh, no, I'm not."

"Good," Fang said through a smirk, "You can't trust vegans."

Noticing the use of humour in this situation, Lightning remained unfazed. "Alright, so? Can you trust me?"

Fang put an end to the recording and darted up from her papers with a grin. Standing up, Lightning followed her towards the living-room but walked inside the kitchen to retrieve a fresh beer from the freezer, and after an intense reflection, decided to grab another one for her guest who slowly began to be welcomed and the mere thought of it sent Lightning shivers up and down her spine.

"This is just the beginning, Lightning," Fang stated as she wandered inside the living-room, the two beers in hand. "I know of you, but I don't know you."

"You asked me deeply private questions, Agent Yun, I believe my answers were proof enough of my honesty," she pointed out angrily.

"Oh yes, I'm not questioning your honesty at all. Being truthful and honest does not mean the same thing to me."

"Please, share why you believe there is a difference."

Snickering, Fang grabbed the bottle of beer from the table and managed to take off the cap without the need of any tools or even a lighter. Feeling weaker, Lightning frowned and tried to do the same but the pain in her left hand was too much for her to continue.

"What happened to your hand," Fang quizzically asked.

"Nothing," Lightning said whilst grabbing the bottle opener, "nothing to be worried about."

"Should I count anger issues to the list," Fang asked through a smirk to which Lightning scowled in return. "So…yes?"

"Listen, I'm not here to play games with you. As you said, you're here for a reason and based on the dossier on the table I guess it's about the ongoing case. So why don't we stay focused on that?"

"Very well." Grabbing the dossier from the table, Fang first looked through the pages. After a little while, she grabbed one and handed it to her without a smile on her face. "This is Kelly. She was killed a year ago in Washington, throat sliced from ear to ear. She was one of us, an agent posing as a waitress and ended up killed," Fang said, pain obvious on her face. "It's when they started a war on us. The following months, we began to pick informants, Jihl and Tifa being amongst them. They were both from abusive homes and didn't hesitate to say yes."

"But why in Los Angeles? Why not Washington where it began," Lightning asked after a sip of beer. Glancing at Fang, she got up from the sofa and grabbed her packet of cigarette from her jacket she had left on the hanger and came back with on already burning between her lips.

"Because Washington was a mistake we made. Kelly should've never been caught but we slipped up and we lost one of our best agents," Fang said.

Looking at her, Lightning realized the pain she was trying to hide at the mention of Kelly. There was no doubt they used to be close and her loss still hurt her to this day.

"Was she close to you?"

"That's personal."

"So, you're allowed to ask questions but I'm not," Lightning asked.

"That's right. I'm giving you the chance to help me but as you said, that doesn't mean we're friends."

"Tsch."

Fang proudly grinned at the reaction she had managed to trigger, and Lightning pictured once more the idea of pummelling her into the ground until no one would be able to identify her. Clenching her fists and darting away, she stared at the ground for a few seconds whilst simultaneously inhaling and exhaling to regain a proper sense of calm. Grabbing her beer, she proceeded by licking her lips and glancing back at Fang whose smile had now been erased.

"Lightning, this case is dangerous, and I don't think you're ready for that."

"What, because I'm just a Lieutenant?

"No, because God knows I want it to end. Are you sure you want to see it start?"

Lightning was taken aback by her words and based on the despair that had washed over her face, it seemed clear she wasn't lying. Would she even be able to help as much as she wished? They were all FBI agents after all and surely had a better understanding of the case, one she never would possess. Or could she? She knew she could, or believed she could, but what if she turned out to be wrong?

Running her hand in her hair, she glanced at the dossier that had remained untouched and back at Fang. The look on her face was taken over by distress, but there was something…strange about it. And when it hit her, it was all Lightning could do but to glare.

"You're lying. You don't hate this case."

"What makes you say that?"

"Your face. I can see you're lying."

Her distress stayed but only for a few seconds. Quickly, she turned her frown upside down and replaced her straight mouth for a smirk. "Well done.

"Was this one of your precious tests again?"

"There's no fooling you, is there?"

Feeling as if her face had been covered with lava, Lightning stood up from the couch and aggressively pointed towards the door.

"If you're here to make fun of me, or whatever, you can leave, Agent. I'm not interested in playing games."

"Neither am I, Lightning."

"Then what's with the incessant jokes?"

"Listen to me. Everything I said about it being dangerous isn't a lie. You're LAPD, I shouldn't even be talking to you about this. Do you know how many rules I'm breaking just by doing this?" Lightning shook her head and darted down. "I need to know, to be sure there's nothing you're hiding, that could endanger not only the case but also our careers."

"I know but…"

"No, you don't." Coming closer, Fang whispered "You don't know shit. And don't think you'll get any praise for it. See this as…volunteering. If I don't decide to change my mind and make sure you lose your job."

Biting the inside of her jaw, Lightning had no right to say anything in return. But how she wanted to retort with a witty reply to bring her down to her knees. "Fine."

"If you're as accommodating the rest of the way we'll get along very well."

"Ha-ha."

Crossing her arms on her chest, she brought her cigarette still burning between her fingers to her lips and inhaled the smoke. She kept it between her lungs, staring at Fang still closely standing before her. And the entire time, all Lightning could do was to stare at her eyes.

She didn't know if the lights had turned them greener, but to look at them so closely and for such a long time had changed them in a way she couldn't quite figure out. Perhaps was it because of their powerful green seeming like they were shining or the shape that suited her face, but the longer she stared, the more hypnotic they became.

Taking a step backward, Lightning darted at the kitchen and escaped the vicinity she had suddenly felt trapped in. Shaking her head, she tried to collect her thoughts, confused about her sudden and unsuspected reaction. Taking a sip from her beer, she sat down on the couch and squished her eyes together. Fang couldn't be better than gone now that her migraine had developed into something more.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yes. Just a headache," Lightning whispered, trying to keep the noises away.

"You know what, I'll leave you for tonight. We'll meet tomorrow night, okay?"

"Where?"

"You'll know," was all Fang said.

Wanting to retort, it was when her lips parted that the sound of the door being closed suddenly hit her ears like a thousand of thorns. Pressing her fingers against her eyebrows to try and erase any kind of pain, she blindly stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray and placed her beer on the table before lying down on the couch to relax.

The pain was such that she didn't even care when or where she was supposed to meet with Fang to gather more valuable pieces of intel. Right now, all she wanted to do was to sleep and soon, Lightning was heavily sleeping in her living-room with almost every light still on.

Staring at the clock over her desk, Lightning sighed for the umptieth time within a day. Yuj and Maqui were away, still investigating on the robbery and she had been left in her office, forced to process paper and thoroughly write down every single detail of previous cases. Usually, it would've been a task she adored, meaning that she could be left alone without needing to engage into conversations and pretend once more like she even cared, but today, Lightning wanted to talk to someone.

Not because of who she was, that part wasn't of any importance, but because of what they would be able to talk about, the only thing truly mattering to her now.

Having slept on her couch, Lightning had been up at down and had immediately tried to figure out when she would be supposed to meet with her and it was without too much surprise that she had received a simple text message from an unknown number telling her where and when to meet with her. Tomorrow-7PM – There's a bar called The Amazon by the beach. Figure out which one.

It hadn't taken her long to figure out which beach Fang had meant but thinking this was once more part of the test Lightning had tried to remain calm during the entire search. Luckily, the beach was closest to her house and therefore wouldn't take her more than a few minutes than usual to reach.

In-between thoughts, Lightning reached out for her phone she had placed on the table without really looking in its direction, her vision blurred by her lack of inner presence as it buzzed against the desk. Clearing her throat and blinking a couple of times, she unlocked her cell phone by entering her eight-digit code and pressed on her unread messages that had now reached the number of twenty-six.

As the word unknown appeared on her screen, Lightning's brain immediately started to function again. Pressing on the message, she carefully said its two only words. Aerith Gainsborough. What the hell does that mean, she asked herself whilst tossing the phone back on the desk.

Rubbing her eyes untouched by makeup, she breathed out a heavy breath and tried to make sense of the name she had been given, and quickly decided to type the said-name on the internet for a quick research and as the first pictured appeared, Lightning was this close to throwing her head against the wall due to her lack of perception.

Although she had only seen the body for the quarter of the second, the missing posters she was able to find on line were more than enough to tell her who this person was. This was the third victim; the one Emma had been unable to identify because of a thorough body search before leaving the premises. But why would Fang give her the name when she knew she couldn't get more information than the one given to her? Or was this some sort of peace offering to show her she was beginning to be more trusting?

Lightning couldn't say for sure. Thoroughly, she began to read through every possible article and was quickly forced to make the same assessment than the two times before but with one more information to her quilt: the FBI had hired them and now, three girls were dead.

"Light!" Severely flinching on her seat, Lightning looked up from her screen and stared at Yuj standing underneath the door frame, a smile on his face. "We've got a suspect for the robbery, care to join the interrogation?"

"Sure. What do you have on him," she said, already turning her computer off and standing up from her seat.

"We found three diamond bracelets at his place, and a 9 millimeter."

"Idiot." Following Yuj towards the interrogation room, she pushed open the door and was immediately confronted with a tall, though guy.

Coming inside, she decided to stay standing up, leaning her shoulder against the wall as she gingerly scrutinized the person sitting in front of her two Detectives. The tattoos covering his entire arms were enough to show what kind of a man this thief was: loathing and idiotic.

"I didn't do nothing," he said for what she assumed to be the twentieth time, "You got the wrong guy."

"Are we talking about the gun or the jewelry," Yuj asked with a smile.

Remaining silent, the man only proceeded by kicking the foot of the table. Grating against the soil, Lightning's lips twitched with anger as the sound became louder and walked closer to the table with a severe look in her eyes. At this time, she refused anything, or anyone go against her rather pleased emotions.

"Or maybe we're talking about both," she said to break the silence between him and her men.

"Who's this bitch?"

Craning her neck, Lightning's vocal cords became apparent on her neck. "This bitch is a Lieutenant," she perfectly articulated, "I suggest you call me something else."

"I don't care what your stupid title is. You can't keep me here forever."

"Don't worry, by the time twenty-four hours have passed, you'll be locked someplace else," she taunted with a grin, amused by his sudden change of expression. "And trust me, we have all the time in the world."

"Exactly," Yuj said standing up from his chair. "Care to share why you just got a six-thousand-dollar income?"

"I have a good job."

"What's your job, exactly?"

"Clearly not the same as yours."

Running a finger across her forehead and between her eyebrows, Lightning was looking at the man with a disgusted expression. She didn't know why most people they were bringing in needed to act like such self-sufficient douchebags, but the urge to punch them across the face was always the same.

Knocking on the door, an officer from the precinct entered, gave Yuj a paper and exited the room without adding a single word. "Well look at that," Yuj said through a smile, "the gun was stolen to…an officer of the law."

"What?!"

Grinning, Lightning crossed her arms on the chest and rose up her nose at him. "Stealing a gun to the police, using it for a robbery… That's at least five years, right guys?" She threw a glance at her Detectives who were now both nodding. "That's bad luck, isn't it?"

"That gun wasn't mine. It was placed there I'm sure."

"Isn't that convenient," Maqui snorted.

"And funny since your prints are all over it," Yuj continued, the paper still in hand. "Or did someone else do that too?"

"I've got nothing to say."

"We don't need you too. With this, we'll have enough to lock you up for a few years. Too bad you were the only one we caught, I'm sure we could've worked something out."

With a shimmer of pride in Lightning's eyes, she turned around and went directly to the door with Maqui and Yuj. Grabbing the handle, she turned it to the right but was abruptly caught off by a gruff voice asking for them to wait. Turning around, she glanced in both their Detectives direction and nodded at them both.

"I believe you've got this," she said, "Come see me later."

"Sure thing Lt."

With the handle still in her palm, she pulled the door open and exited the interrogation room without uttering an additional word.

She found herself in front of the door without truly knowing what she could now do. To her right stood Amodar's office and to her left her own, but being confined in a tight, small place wasn't something she intended on doing. Blowing out a breath, she went to the exit door and stood outside of the establishment on the terrace with a frown on her face.

Grabbing the rail, she looked at the horizon with the same emotionless expression and gazed at the sun already starting to set behind the ocean, its colour of an indescribable blue holding her attention for a long amount of time. She could've stayed there for hours if her hone hadn't started to ring inside the pocket of her black jeans, her sister's name suddenly making her remember of her existence.

Sighing with despair at her own attitude, Lightning slid her finger across the screen to answer. "Hey, Serah. What's going on?"

"Tonight. Dinner, my place."

"Serah I have work to…"

"Don't care. Be there, 8PM."

Flinching as the communication was cut off, Lightning brought her phone before her eyes and stared at it for a few moments, surprised and confused by her younger sister's sudden aggressiveness. Scratching the back of her head, she stuffed her phone down her pocket and grabbed her packet of cigarettes in exchange.

Another dinner with that oaf, she bitterly thought, puffing on her cigarette. Sounds like a fantastic night ahead of me.

Standing in Serah's living-room, Lightning was holding a glass of white wine along with a burning cigarette, taking a sip she then followed by a long, soothing drag. Snow was sitting on the couch behind her and had tried to start a conversation with her, one she had immediately put an end to only by looking at him with warning eyes.

Although they had managed to arrest the three people responsible for the heist, Lightning's mind had wandered back and forth between her actual case and the one Fang was willing to share with her and the headache it had started to form had been excruciatingly painful and once more, medications had been the only thing able to help. It had taken time and had tired her more than she had planned, but the pain had in time managed to fade away.

That was until Snow had begun to talk. The man himself was enough to generate a migraine unlike any other. "So, how's work," he asked still sitting on the couch, "any good cases?"

"Yes. We arrested three people today," she unsympathetically replied, refusing to turn around and face him.

"Hey, Light?" Turning around, she faced Serah holding a plate of cooked beef. "Do you ever go out of your work clothes?"

With a brow severely arched, Lightning glanced down at her outfit. What was wrong with a shirt tucked inside black jeans, supported by heels? It screamed classy and distinguished, not necessarily work.

"This isn't my work outfit," she pointed out, her head slightly tilted to the side. "I usually wear boots, it's easier when I have to run."

"Yeah but…" Rolling her eyes, Serah sighed. "Can't you just throw a t-shirt or something else than shirts?"

"I like my shirts," Lightning replied. Starting to feel aggravated, she stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray and sauntered towards the dining-room table. "It looks good," she said in the hopes of changing the subject.

"Mashed potatoes, carrots, beans and well, the meat."

Looking at her sister, Lightning took a seat at the table and was handed the first bowl of white mash, dropping a small nut of it inside of her plate, followed by the vegetables and the smallest piece of meat she could find. Not being an eater, this was as much as she could handle without feeling like blowing up from the inside.

"Bon appétit," she said, fork and knife in hand. "Thanks for the sudden invitation."

"Yes. There a reason why I wanted you to come because I have something I need to tell you."

Nodding, Lightning paid no attention to the looks both Snow and Serah were giving her. Focused on her food and cutting her steak into small pieces for her to chew on, she eventually decided to look up from her plate and gaze in their direction. Then, she looked at Serah's glass and from the colour, she knew it only contained water.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said. Glaring at Snow, she stood up from her seat with her fist already forming a little ball. "Tell me this is a fucking joke."

Not usually one to curse, or on very rare occasions, Serah's mouth dropped to the ground as Lightning went closer to Snow. "Light, calm down," she urged, jumping from her seat to stand before Snow. "Isn't it…good news?"

"How can you…" She stopped herself from talking.

The word that had wanted to slip from her lips had been happy, and based on Serah's shining eyes, Lightning didn't need to be told twice that this was good news. Although displeased by her choice of companion, she knew Serah would be perfect for the job.

"And you're going to be an aunt! She'll be able to learn cool stuff from you."

"She," Snow asked with a tremble in his voice.

"I'd like to believe it is," Serah replied, her smile growing even more.

Going back to her seat now that her wave of aggressiveness had faded, Lightning looked at the couple with a slight smile creasing at the corner of her lips. It was nearly invisible, but it was there, nonetheless. Maybe a new addition to the family would be a nice change of paste.

Even though Lightning detested children because of their loudness and dirtiness, she was somehow confident that this child wouldn't cause her as many problems as the ones she had encountered throughout her life. After all, this kid would have Farron blood running down in her veins; so how bad could it actually turn out to be?

"Well," Lightning said with her glass in her hand, "I'm happy for you. I hope it's everything you wish it to be."

"Thanks, Sis," Snow replied with a grin.

Frowning, Lightning retorted with "I'm not your sister," and finally began eating the meal Serah had cooked. "Anyway…How's…things?"

"You still don't know how to be around people, uh," Serah asked, a smile drawn on her lips.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Yeah, but it's fine. Wouldn't love you any other way."

A shadow of a smile tainted her lips. She continued to look at the happy couple now providing them something they clearly both wanted. And to be fair, Lightning was confident about the fact that Snow would make a great father, there was no questioning that. All she needed to do was to push back the negative feelings she felt towards him.

Perhaps that in time, these feelings would pass. Only time would be able to tell.

Sighing, she picked up her fork and continued to eat in silence, listening to conversation happening between Serah and Snow, sometimes answering the few questions being asked her way. But Lightning never once felt uneasy. Somehow, she even felt happy.

Maybe she had needed a night like this after all because there wasn't a moment she thought about anything else but her sister's happiness. What would she do without her, anyway?