(9,284 words) Merry Christmas!

It has been thirteen months and nine days since I last updated, needless to say, I am soo soo sorry. I never meant for the gap to get so long. Long story short school's been a lot heavier with assignments than ever. I'd like to say I'll try to get the next one out faster, but honestly, I don't even know. It'll be my last year, so everything school wise will be really important, so it'll have to come before fanfiction again. I'm sorry for the long wait, I really am. Only a little of it was because of my own procrastinating, mostly it was an assignment overload. Like ten at a time, that much of an overload.

I hope I've made this an enjoyable chapter, I tried to include as much as I could because of the lack of updates. This is my Christmas present to you all, I withheld updating for a few days just so I could upload it today. I hope you like.

Dance against the wind

Chapter 16: A day for surprises

Fang nibbled on the edge of a biscuit she'd picked up the moment a plate full of them was set on the table by a chubby old maid, whose face scrunched up at the hasty motion. The woman quickly left the room behind her to go onto complete other tasks. The Pulsian woman ignored the look she'd been given, since she didn't care much if she was thought of as unlady-like for pouncing on the food so fast.

"Don't mind her, she did it to me the first time she served us. Couldn't understand why I'd be on the food before my husband, she reckoned it made me look feral apparently. I heard from the other servants." Nora's face brightened up with a small smile.

Out of curiosity, Fang had decided to act on her ideas of who she'd rather become friends with. She knew Nora had an age difference over her by quite a bit, but in their short encounter a few days before, her interest in the woman had been sparked, so both were fine to overlook the age gap. It hadn't been much of a meeting to be sure, as the older woman had merely been tagging along with another two of own age, who'd come off to the younger woman as pompous and close minded. Not a couple she could associate herself with comfortably. Nora's little comments at the end of the conversation had been enough to prove that she was not like them. Already in the few minutes since Fang had arrived at her house, she was glad she'd made the decision to visit.

She'd with Jane's help had gotten Nora's address, and had pounced on the opportunity to see her. She'd been going crazy, being cooped up in her house with its endless corridors and silence. Being in a new setting did wonders for her almost instantly; she doubted walking aimlessly around with Jane would keep her calm for much longer.

It was a sizeable house, old but quaint. They were situated in a room specifically set up to accommodate quests, and though small was done up nicely. With a table off to the right where they sat, surrounded by five chairs. Against the wall was a small fireplace which gave the room a homely feel, and to their right a grand window, of which its curtains blew softly in the wind, framing their table in baby blue.

Nora was an interesting woman she found. She was born in in Pulse like her, but far away from Oerba. Her family like most people she'd known there were of Cocoonian heritage, from her grandmother on her father's side. She'd met her husband Bartholomew while he was on a trip with his father as a teenager. They'd grown close very quickly, and eventually she'd moved to Oerba with him where they'd gotten married and had since had a son. They had wanted more children, but it had simply never happened. She didn't seem like an older woman, not only from her looks, since the only thing that indicated her age was the look of her skin, her appearance was still very youthful, but from her personality as well. She didn't flaunt to Fang her status, or act superior to her because she was basically as child to her. She treated her equally and fairly, even when the Pulsian had brought her maid along even in this situation. She'd claimed that she didn't want to leave the house without her, since she was yet to do so, but though Nora saw through that excuse, she didn't question her or value her as an oddity. She simply accepted their friendship. She had a wonderful sense of humour and took things good naturedly. And though she was kind Fang could sense an amazing strength from her that radiated out of her.

"I don't see the problem myself." Fang scoffed. "I haven't eaten today, I'm hungry obviously." Referring back to the maid's reaction.

Nora smiled in response. "True, but she's simply that kind of woman. It's rare to meet people with different views, she expects us to act gently and polite. Eating a normal human amount isn't gentle in her mind. Of course at my age, I've met plenty like her, from all walks of life, and they're still the same. It's peculiar in a way."

The younger woman again laughed. "At your age? You make it sound like you're fifty."

Laughing back Nora replied. "Well it's true I'm a lot closer to it then you are." She sighed before switching topics. "It's a trivial matter anyhow, you'll encounter it much more I'm sure. I was meaning to ask earlier, but the food became a bit of a distraction. Why did you and your husband choose to come up here? Though it's only been a month."

"Hmm, I think it was easier for Cid to move here work wise. But it's nice that Jane and Ben can be treated more fairly, ah, that's Jane's older brother. He's also working for us. It bothers me that they were being used as slaves, even though I'd like to offer them more, the fact that they're simply servants now is a nice thought."

"A reasonable answer. Are you happy? It always concerns me when I see young woman put into situations unfavourable or horrible for them because their opinion is not considered."

Putting down the biscuit she'd been eating, Fang questioned, "Happy, how so?"

"With your life, with your relationship. Cid seems like a nice man, but do you love him? I'm appalled by how many girls I've seen in a relationship they'd do anything to get out of. And I've seen it out of Pulsian women so many times. It's so rare for their family to be rich nowadays that it's common for them to try to marry above them, with results that aren't always what they hoped for."

Fang paused, considering how to word her answer. She trusted that Nora was a nice woman, but being a new acquaintance, she was unsure how far that stretched. She decided immediately that she wouldn't mentioned that her husband and servant were in a relationship, and that it was the male servant at that. She thought it smart as well, not to mention which way her interests in people lied, as she saw little difference in her and Cid's situation, though she had made no actions.

"I guess I might as well admit to it. I won't say a word to others, but I trust you'll keep it between us; I'm unsure how most people would react. I don't love him at all, but it's not that I was forced into a relationship unwillingly. We've been friends since before we can really remember, and both come from families who would have forced us into an unwanted situation, even with him being a guy. We made the decision to marry so that our parents wouldn't force us to be with someone we could never love. To me he's only a friend, and I'm sure it won't ever change from that. I guess I do love him in an odd way, but not in the way a wife loves her husband. He's like family sure, but I have no attraction or romantic feelings for him. And is it certainly the same for how he feels about me."

Not knowing the full truth, which Fang avoided speaking of; predictably Nora's face appeared upset.

"So you gave up hoping you'll experience love? Just to avoid having your lives controlled by your parents? You didn't consider trying to hold out longer, to hope you'll find the one? You just gave up and ran off with a friend instead?"

Returning to eating the biscuit she'd been nibbling on before, as a distraction of sorts so the conversation would seem less serious, Fang finished it before admitting.

"I doubt I could find them before my parents interfered. Everyone had merely been a pretty face to me, with me never able to touch them, or for them to realise how I feel." She smiled grimly, knowing her meaning would be misinterpreted. She meant something that she had not mentioned to the older woman. She'd never love a man, and no one would let her love another woman. She could look, and never touch, because she'd be too afraid to admit to that.

"But, you're parents…they're gone now aren't they?" Nora questioned in a quiet, inquisitive, but saddened tone.

Fang nodded. She had a feeling that Nora, being a wife of a former plantation owner herself, might have heard word of what had happened back in Oerba. "Yeah, I was told both of them were killed when the house was attacked. Truthfully, I'm not sure how I feel about it. They were my parents sure, but as people they were horrible. They locked away my own sister for showing too much kindness to one of the slaves, that didn't mean she was crazy, she was kind. That was just it. But they didn't like it, so they got her out of the way."

Nora's expression changed from sad to shocked as she finished. "Your sister? I would have never expected that. I vaguely remember hearing things of another family whose daughter had died. Now that I think about it I'm rather sure it was the Oerba's. Was that simply a lie so they didn't have to admit to that?"

"They spread it to everyone. Perhaps they found it easier to accept, the strange people they were. With them gone, I finally have the chance to get her out. I have all the papers; I merely need to go there now, when the moment comes that I can, I'll pounce on it. It isn't in a good area, so Cid's reluctant to let me travel alone. When I get to see her again, he'll let us be by ourselves, but he wants to be there to make sure nothing bad happens. It'll make her release easier as well having my husband around."

Giving her a small smile Nora nodded in understanding. "He's still a good husband then. Even if you don't have a normal relationship. It's kind of him. I must admit, I could never imagine being in that situation myself. I'm an only child, and so is my husband. I wouldn't want to imagine what it'd be like having a sibling wrongly locked away, far away from you. I hope she'll be alright."

"That's what I'm hoping."

Their conversation was disrupted when the door to the room slowly creaked open. Nora was the first to look and notice the child peeking through, very curiously. Fang didn't think much of him since it seemed that the moment he noticed there was company he seemed intent on leaving, though she did take notice of his similarities to Nora. She assumed he must be the son she's mentioned the first time they'd met.

However before he shut the door behind him Nora lifted up the plate of biscuits from the table and held them out as she called across the room. "Oh, Hope. Magdalene made those biscuits again. She hasn't made them in a while, you like them don't you? You want some?"

It initially seemed like he would decline the offer and leave, but Fang was proved wrong when he took a step into the room, then walked right up to the table, and took three of the biscuits from the plate his mother held out.

Fang inspected the boy. That he was Nora's son was undeniable. The platinum hair and green eyes were exactly alike. He looked like he was ten, but going off that Nora wasn't anything special height wise, she could reason with him being a year or so older. He seemed uncomfortable with her looking at him, but she just reckoned that he wasn't the most trustworthy of strangers like a lot of the kids she knew, either that or he just wasn't a fan of people. Given his age she took it to be the first option.

"Shouldn't you be with your teacher at the moment Hope?" Nora questioned, trying to sound stern.

He reacted very calmly to her. "He never turned up, I've been waiting two hours. I don't think he's coming today."

"That's a shame." Nora said to herself more than anyone as she rested her cheek on her hand. "He makes us pay so much and then doesn't come. He could have at least sent someone to inform us he wasn't able to make it." She was annoyed clearly, but was poorly trying to pass it off as concern.

She sighed outwardly. "I suppose it must make today very boring for you. Why don't you go find Mary's children and play? That'll pass the time." She offered the idea.

He made a face much like a scowl, but didn't complain and walked off instead of saying more.

When he closed the door Fang asked, "Mary?"

"One of the women I was with when we ran into each other the other day. Her son ran into you if I recall correctly."

Fang let out a short laugh. "Oh, yeah, that Mary. God she made so little an impression, I've already forgotten her name."

"And her children are just as bad as she is. It's why I didn't comment on that scowl. Frankly I'd be horrified if all I had to do all day was go to her house. He's a good kid, I really feel sorry for it."

"Very quiet." Fang commented.

"He can be. Not one for socialising with anyone. It's just how he is though." Nora explained. "He hates his father too, and I've no idea why. I don't even think he knows that I know, but I must admit it's painfully obvious."

"What's wrong with his father?"

"That's exactly that, I generally don't know. Bart's a very nice man; I don't know what could possibly be upsetting Hope about him."

"Another question, why Hope?" The curiosity in the Pulsian woman's tone was pouring over the top.

Nora paused for a second with a quizzical expression planted on her features, before they split into a smile and she spat out confused. "What?"

"It was really bothering me, isn't that meant to be a girl's name? He's a boy isn't he?

Again she laughed, but quickly caught herself and calmed down. "Why not Hope? I don't see the point in separating names like that. For some things, yes I understand, but for a name like Hope, why force a gender on it? Hope is a wonderful thing, a ray of sunshine, a rainbow of happiness, and joy in a dark place. Me and Bart when though a number of troubles in trying to have a child, I'm amazed we even had one, and I'm forever glad I was granted that miracle. It just seemed like an appropriate name for us to call our child after all that. Because now, whenever things seem dark, I know I'll always have hope." She smiled a sweet, motherly smile.

Fang felt her complain slip away. It was still there, but after Nora's reasoning, it wasn't enough to bother speaking it.

The two women conversed jovially for the remainder of the morning, making it a well needed release for Fang who was always in better spirits when she had someone to talk to. She and Jane left shortly before noon, bidding their goodbyes to Nora with the intention of visiting again soon. She was the first enjoyable female friend Fang could remember having, it she wanted to have an interesting conversation, she'd always relied on her male friends like Cid or Rygdea. This was a connection she was glad she'd made.

Afterwards when she and Jane had left, Jane offered the idea to go shopping. They were running low on food and needed to stock up. Fang certainly had a habit of using any excuse to get out of the house, so she knew she wouldn't decline. She just hoped the endeavour wouldn't end with Fang having a major distraction.

Fang stood by the door of the store as Jane did the buying by herself. She was getting odd enough looks just by staying so close to her maid, walking into the store would her would just make things worse. They expected eventually they would throw someone into an uproar about it eventually. It was just a matter of waiting.

A little before Jane was finished a blonde woman strode past Fang out the entrance of the store, the whole while receiving less than nice looks from those around her. Though initially questioning of this, on second look it clicked that going off her well-worn clothes that were a mite revealing at that, that she was bound to be from the bad side of town. The people surrounding her must have just picked up on that straightaway unlike her. She was about to look away, but the young girl noticed her curious looks before she managed. Her face split into a small grin.

"Are you that Pulsian girl who called madam Dẻteste lazy?"

Raising an eyebrow, Fang recalled calling a woman standing in front of a saloon that a while back. She didn't see what the issue was, it wasn't really anything to talk about.

"And? Is that a big deal now? Or is she just a touchy woman?"

"Neither. But it's stupid. If you knew what she's gone through you wouldn't be saying that. Asking someone for help isn't lazy, one would think you of all people would understand that," She sneered, "Seeing as you're an ignorant rich girl, it's probably the only thing you know how to do. "

"Ignorant rich girl?" Fang questioned as the blonde woman, clearly done with the topic had begun to walk off. Fang wasn't in the mood to let that slide however. Being compared to one of the lazy imbeciles she had only recently ridded herself of dealing daily by moving up here, was never something she enjoyed. At least she understood that other people were actually human, if she was ignorant, she didn't want to know what they were.

"Hey Look here!" She called as she went after the woman, she reckoned she'd gathered a few looks, but in her determination to somehow or another prove that comment wrong, she was blind to them. "I'm not some stupid ignorant rich girl; those girls are just imbeciles who need a prince in shining armour just to live."

The blonde woman peaked behind her to definitely make sure she was being followed. It seemed to amuse her as her smile implied. "And? Your husband isn't? You are married I assume?"

"Doesn't matter, Last time I checked Cid wasn't a knight."

"I thought you said prince?" They giggled as she led Fang along back the way they both would have needed to originally taken to get to the store.

"Same thing, it's all stupid shining idiotic love crap isn't it? I'm not that stupid to believe in it anyway. I don't care for it. I'm fine by myself, I can look after myself." Fang asserted her belief.

The response was a snort before a mocking laugh. "Some rich girl looking after herself? I'd like to see that, your kind need someone else just to wipe your butt."

As they dodged a carriage driving by Fang lost some ground as the other had dodged it spritelier, so she picked up her skirts and ran back to her. "My kind? Don't got no bloody kind. I'm just myself aren't I? And I can wipe my own ass thank you very much. I never said looking after myself would be easy." She explained, venomously. "It'd be hard as hell, but I'd pick things up eventually wouldn't I? That's what people do, learn. Now that's something that those ignorant little rich girls don't know how to do."

The blonde woman let out a little laugh. "Nice language there, don't usually hear that out of the rich folk round here. I wonder if it's just a Pulsian thing?"

Scowling Fang snapped back. "Now don't go on being racist, you'll make yourself the ignorant one here. All the other Pulsian's I know are just like the rest, hoity-toity little imbeciles who could do with a new brain theirs is so useless to them. My language is my thing, and I like it very much."

"Oi Jaz, don't do that. You'll just make yourself more enemies, she's not giving up you know?" A voice called out from somewhere in front of them.

Both woman looked in its general direction to find a black haired woman leaning against a wooden pole of a building, shortly in front of them.

"Well she really did start that I must say, Dẻteste." The blonde woman, Jaz scoffed and walked right past Dẻteste, inside the saloon behind her.

Left alone, Dẻteste smiled at the shadow of the girl and sighed. She turned back to Fang, who was still worked up over what she had found as an idiotic conversation. She didn't change her expression at all even when she was giving a cheeky little grin from the woman to her front.

"She's like that. I guess it's a hassle for you." She shrugged her shoulders. "Usually apprehensive of new people, and it usually ruins their view of her. She's too careful that's all, it really doesn't work in her favour."

"Apparently I'm an ignorant rich girl now. I don't think money has any connection to my personality or intelligence. Not very good at understanding that she was." She frowned. She hadn't won the argument in the end, she'd just been left behind instead. It was quite the annoyance.

"You get people like that. Sometimes when people live difficult lives, they become more and more careful, and sometimes you wound up like Jaz. Completely cutting yourself off from them by arguing with them just to keep the distance, with little consideration to who they are or what it will do for you." She stepped away from the pole and stopped just before Fang. "She gets a lot worse if ya wanna know."

"Oh that sounds like joy." The Pulsian sarcastically joked.

"Oh absolutely." Dẻteste agreed. The woman let out a short chuckle before going on and leaving the little fiasco behind her. "So, are you really different? Or was that just argument talk?"

"Odd question." Fang raised an eyebrow, the woman did seem curious.

"I was just wondering you know." Dẻteste laughed as she hopped back on the wooden floor boards out the front of her saloon.

"Well," Fang pondered, "I'm talking to you ain't I?" She grinned, and got one back in return. It was certainly true, or at least it sounded right to her, that someone else of her status wouldn't talk to a woman like Dẻteste. Even with knowing little about her, this was certain.

Dẻteste had the same thought pattern she was sure, because her expression agreed with Fang's statement. "Fair enough, I have to say. You lot usually gossip about silly stuff like talking to lower status people, don't you? You're reluctant to dare the idea is the image I get. "She sighed at the thought. "Don't get it myself; I'm honestly glad to find a similarly minded person."

Fang chuckled at the honest relief the woman had on her face. She didn't see her comment as much; it made her wonder then, the exact treatment Dẻteste had gotten around here.

"Fang!?" A voice called from somewhere in the crowd behind them. Both raven haired women looked to see who had spoken, to find Jane rushing over to the conversing duo. As she reached them she collapsed in a huff. "Fang, why did you wander off? You scared me, you truly did. I had no idea where you went. Why on earth did you do that?"

She stopped herself from going on upon noticing Dẻteste standing close by, her attention directed to both her and Fang. She understood immediately what had gone on before she'd disrupted it. She sent Fang an all-knowing look, before switching her gaze to Dẻteste, who gave her a happy little wave, smiling, to poke fun at the situation.

"Oh god you really meant it didn't you?" Jane sighed heavily.

"Meant what?" Dẻteste couldn't help but pry, leaning forward a little to listen in.

Jane made a face so Fang explained in her place. "I was telling her before that it might be more interesting talking to you than attempt the idea with other woman of my status, crazy old hags they are. She freaked out a bit, scared of how others would react and all."

The other woman raised an eyebrow, happy in an odd way that the view point was shared. Both had an interest sparked in each other. "I like your thinking there." She laughed. "But I've work to do, wasted enough time talking to you." She smiled and saluted as a goodbye, "I'll see you two later." She smirked before entering the building and leaving them behind.

Jane gave Fang a concerned look, only receiving a quick smile in response as the Pulsian begun to walk off. She couldn't help but fear the worse.

A few days passed until like many times before, the duo went on a walk together. They didn't plan a long one, just a short one to allow Fang out of the house, to stop her from exploding like she now claimed was what happened if she kept herself locked up for too long. She was glad she'd made the connection with Nora, who she was sure would certainly stop boredom from completely overtaking her, and she was starting, rather, poorly attempting the same with Dẻteste. She knew it might take some time to manage anything proper with the woman, and with Nora's case she wasn't sure how many opportunities she could have to bother the older woman. So needless to say, she still had her bouts of boredom.

Jane had offered they keep up their normal schedule, knowing the other woman tired irrationally quickly of being locked up inside. She wondered how on earth she'd managed back home. But after thinking on the matter for a time, it occurred to her she'd also had a number of people to speak with back home. Perhaps that was how she'd wiled away her time without suffering through it in endless boredom.

They wandered for a while in silence, walking along the one path on the outskirts of town, soon enough their so called short walk became much more than that. The sun had already past the middle of the sky, and neither knew how long it'd been since then. Fang was transfixed with the green scenery, but Jane didn't see the problem with starting up a conversation.

"So how is it going with getting Vanille out of that place?" She inquired quietly, worried of provoking too much out of a reaction out of the older woman.

However, unlike her expectations she responded calmly. "Cid's doing some stuff on it at the moment, but it shouldn't be long now. Work's getting in the way a bit to secure the final details. But it shouldn't put her release off by too much."

Jane raised an eyebrow, "It doesn't bother you it's not happening right away."

Fang actually smiled in response, "Honestly, I think I'm just happy she's getting out. It wouldn't be hasty of me to say it'd be possible for us to make the trip to Nautilus in a week. I'm finally going to be able to see her again, isn't that good enough? That alone makes me happy, and I couldn't be happier in fact, I'm going to see my little sister again."

Jane nodded and smiled back, "I suppose. I barely remember her to be honest, I didn't work much around the either of you after all. I don't reckon you knew my face either. I just remember that she looked like Madam Oerba a lot. But, going from what Sazh said about the two of you, she's a lot nicer."

"Well of course, Vanille's a sweet little angel, even sweeter than her name." Fang bragged.

"Sweeter than her name?" Jane giggled at the odd wording.

"Yeah, it means Vanilla. And she's sweeter than that." She explained in a matter of fact tone.

"What a silly thing to say." Jane said as she sighed. In the humour of the situation, as Jane continued walking she failed to notice that Fang had stopped in her tracks, until it clicked that she hadn't gotten a reply.

Curiously the teenage girl twisted around to see what was wrong, to notice that Fang had simply just stopped, staring intently ahead of her. Unable to tell why, Jane returned her gaze to in front of the pair, down the tree lined path, down to the white and blue house down the hill. She strained her eyes to notice a woman standing by its front, doing nothing from the looks of things, just aimlessly spending her time.

Fang suddenly burst past her, "It's her." She declared.

"Her?" The smaller girl asked as she sped up to catch up to the Pulsian, "What do you mean 'her'?"

"Like I'm just going to see those colourations from just anyone, don't they sound familiar to you in any way, shape or form?"

Jane pursed her lips and looked at the woman in question, standing without purpose by the house's wooden front door. By 'Colourations' there was little to be interpreted, it was clear what Fang had meant by that. She was a pale woman with soft light blue eyes, but that mattered little, they couldn't be what Fang had meant. It was her hair, not bright, but a pretty faded shade, that was undeniably pink.

"It's the Farron's daughter, I swear."

"Really Fang? How can you be so sure, what on earth are the chances. It's so unlikely. If they've got hair like that that shouldn't it be possible for there to be others just like it?"

"Don't care, I know it's her, it's got to be. I'll prove it." Fang decided, Jane reluctant to go against her decision. She was oddly determined to prove to herself that she knew the woman.

Before she could say another word to her, Fang was racing down the hill, leaving Jane to stand there awkwardly, inwardly sighing at the sudden and strange excitement ignited her in companion. She got all the way down the hill and in fact in front of the woman, who was easily out of it, before she was noticed.

Shock hit the woman and she jumped back at the stranger's unexpected arrival. She eyed Fang with apprehension and put some distance between them quickly. Fang was standing with her knees bent and her head tilted to the side, the position she'd been in when she made her way into her vision. Initially her countenance expressed little, only for her then to stand up straight and her face to split into a grin.

"Ah! I was right!" She laughed. Wholly happy she wasn't insane. It was actually her. It was the strangest form of excitement running through her, she wasn't even sure how to describe it, but it was why she wanted so badly to know that this really was the Farron's daughter.

She was given a questioning look in response to her random appearance, but before answering any questions that could come, she took off, running to Jane who stood a few metres away behind them. She lowered her head in embarrassment as the Pulsian woman stopped in front of her.

"I told you I was right, and you told me I was crazy." She grinned joyfully.

"I never said crazy…I…just thought it was unlikely. No one would blame me." Jane bit her lip and pouted, turning her head to look away.

"Still doesn't change the fact I got it right." Fang laughed and ran back to the pink haired woman, who sighed and turned away, hoping to be left her alone. Only unfortunately, Fang had no intention to allow her that.

"Hey, wait up!" She called, "What are you doing here?"

The answer was not instant, as she debated to answer or not it seemed. Finally she pointed to the house, "I live there."

Fang raised her eyebrows and whistled. "Wow, nice place. Since when?" She asked as she invaded the other's personal space quite substantially.

She was given a look of exasperation. She honestly thought that the woman just wanted to go inside, but she wanted to talk, and had no intention of allowing her that, rude or no.

"Since today." She tried to make it came out in her tone that the conversation was now over, and she was sure she'd been successful, only Fang decided to go right ahead and ignore it.

"Why? You married or something? That's why I'm here." She looked genuinely curious, but it looked to be that only Fang wanted this conversation to go on, only unfortunately what she chose to say just gave their little conversation reason to grow longer.

"I'm sorry for whoever you're married to." She found Fang annoying, very annoying, to say the least. She hoped that for the people she knew that she was just over excited for god knows what reason, and was merely creating a bad first impression.

"Well, that's mean. I don't see him that much anyway because of his work. Besides, he would have nothing to do with me if he found me that annoying. We're only married because he's my friend and we were trying to get away from our parents interfering with our lives." She was grinning as she said it, but immediately after her grin changed into an expression of alarm as she caught up to herself on how strange a thing that was to say. "Oh crap, I just said that out loud didn't I…? Got told not to do that." She laughed awkwardly, scratching the nape of her neck. "Just pretend you didn't hear that."

"Too late." Was the reply, more to mess with her then anything. She'd been too polite for her liking during the whole time.

The Pulsian didn't take it negatively as she had expected her to, but instead laughed, "Should have expected that, you don't find that weird at all do you?"

The other shrugged, and begun to walk off. "I don't know, is that weird or is it normal? I don't really care. It's probably worse that I didn't truly agree to the man I'm married to about getting married. "

Fang's face turned to show sadness for a moment, but it was gone a second later. The other expected to be questioned about it, but instead was asked, "Hey, you're the Farron's daughter aren't you? Did your house get attacked too?"

The pink haired woman raised an eyebrow but did not question. Many houses had been attacked by rogue soldiers, it happened both in Pulse and Cocoon, but Pulse took most of the blow. It wouldn't be a surprise her that the Farron's had lost their home as well Fang thought.

"Yes, it burnt down. My mother and a handful of the slaves died."

Saddened, she offered her sympathy, "I'm sorry to hear that. Both of my parents died, I'm not sure on the state of the slaves, no one bothered to mention them."

"Don't say sorry, she was a horrible person. I'm sorrier for the slaves than for her. At least they were decent people, even if they hated me just like she did." Her tone was stern, and dead serious.

The raven haired woman blinked in surprise, but calmed down relatively quickly. "It's the same with me then. Both my parents were positively dreadful human beings. They even locked up a perfectly sane child in a mental facility." There was a harsh undertone as she talked.

The pink haired woman chose not to question what she was talking about, so she could quicken the conversation up so it could meet its end. She waited five seconds, waiting for the Pulsian woman to continue talking; she didn't, so she decided to take her leave now. She pivoted around and headed for the door once more, on the first step Fang called out happily,

"Hey, do you think I could see you again?" She sounded incredibly happy about the idea, but the feeling wasn't mutual.

"No." She replied, and shut the door on her.

Fang sighed, alone now besides Jane. It was such a poor attempt at a conversation, and she was really hoping she could know the woman. She'd wanted to speak with the her since the first glance she'd gotten of her, she was so full of energy at the opportunity. And how that it had ended like that, she was left with a feeling of emptiness. She was about to start walking away when it occurred to her, "Damn it, I forgot to introduce myself!"

She hoped to gain the opportunity to speak again, and next, time, she hoped the results would be much better. But that was for the future to know, and for her to find out.

As the day turned darker Fang and Jane set back for home. They followed a similar path to the one that had led them, with slight differences in order to return home faster. Fang walked at a faster pace to Jane who had to keep running up to her every couple of metres when she begun to fall behind. In spite of the failed conversation, she was left in a good mood. Perhaps it was one of the reasons she didn't notice her speedy pace that Jane couldn't match.

When they reached the house she'd slown down a little, which made the younger girl take the opportunity to catch up, and they walked up the steps of the house together. Just as Fang twisted open the doorknob to the front door, she was flung forward when the door was opened from inside. She made a gasping sound but just before she fell a hand caught her and fixed her up. A sigh sounded as she rebalanced herself, knowing instantly who it was, she looked up to see Cid standing on the other side of the doorway.

"Ah, Cid. Scared me there. Didn't expect you to be there." She laughed shakily. She'd gone into her own little world as she'd reflected on hopeful attempts on how to get the Farron's daughter to properly speak with her, Cid's appearance had interrupted that, and had thus come as a shock. "Surprised me it did."

"Surprise eh? Plenty of more of that today." He seemed to muse.

Curious, Fang raised an eyebrow. She knew for a fact he hadn't anything in particular to do today, he'd informed her when she'd been eating breakfast. Going from that, she couldn't form a reason for him to be surprised by anything other than the coincidence of opening the door at the same time as her. But that counted as being the same surprise Fang had, so therefore his sentence wouldn't make sense.

"What are you going on about?" She spat out with a chuckle, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I suppose it's better for you to see it yourself." He explained, and stepped to the side, letting both woman in. Fang eyed him oddly, Jane kept behind, nervous and curious equal measure. The looks Fang sent Cid continued as he led her across the room and to the door of the dinning room. She noticed immediately that the room beyond was not empty. There were voices, and judging from the sound of things, it had to be more than one. She tried to sneak past Cid as he turned the knob but she only got a view of those inside after the door was fully opened, and he'd given her the opportunity to look inside.

Shock hit her fast, forcing her to take a step back, as all and any words were lost in her throat as they were halted by the surprise and elation growing in her chest. Sitting on the closest chair on the right by the dining room table, was Sazh. The man was nursing a bundle in his arms, as Dajh hovered near the chair legs. Fang was unsure how to react, she couldn't speak, her feet glued her to the spot. Her hand raised itself to cover her agape mouth as tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. She wanted to say she was happy, but she knew the word wasn't good enough for the joy that was overwhelming her. Somewhere inside, the shock led her to belief it wasn't him, that she was seeing things, dreaming even. But when the man noticed and looked her way, she knew, looking into his familiar features, that this was really happening.

"Sazh!" She screamed, finally finding her voice. She pushed past Cid and burst into the room, pulling the older man into a harsh hug. "It's really you isn't it!?" She knew it was, but she wanted to hear it too.

The man tried to laugh as he shook off her strong hold. "Hey, little softer next time, you might wake her up."

Fang loosened her grip on him as she realised what the little bundle he was holding was. She smiled warmly, wanting to cry again, looking at the face of a little baby girl, whose skin was just like her mothers, a deep honey colour. With little streaks of jet black hair covering her tiny head.

She wiped the corners of her eyes and breathed. "Annette had her baby eh? Is it a girl?"

"Hmm. She's small for her age. It was a harsh pregnancy after all."

She nodded, and she moved past Dajh and took the seat to Sazh's right, just as the kid took the one to her right. "I heard the house was attacked, were you okay? How did you get out?" Concern rang in her voice.

Sazh smiled at the worry. "It was, it was sheer luck we got out okay though. I know others weren't that lucky."

"And Annette, what about Annette, she's okay isn't she?" The concern rose. She wasn't here, she needed to know if something happened. She feared the worst but wanted it to be a lie. She was a wonderfully kind woman who'd suffered so long in her life. Only after having such a loving family did she receive kindness, to loose it all so fast, was something Fang didn't dare believe in.

Sazh's head lowered, and Fang knew, she just knew. Tears started to well up again, but Sazh wiped them away. "Don't cry please. It wasn't the attack. As I said, it was a harsh pregnancy, we all knew what could happen, but none of us wanted to believe in it. Labour was hell on her, and in the end, it took her. She gave birth after a troublesome labour, but afterwards she was very weak. She slept for a while, and talked for a while too. She got to hold our little girl and we got to say our goodbyes, but we knew her time was limited. You could see it in her eyes, as they faded away little by little. She didn't make it through the night, she was gone a little before the sun rose."

In spite of Sazh's hope for her not to cry, she couldn't help herself. She'd hoped she'd get to see them all again, she was wishing for it daily. She didn't care how they got up here, she just wanted to see them all once more. But now that'd be impossible, because Sazh's wife was already gone. She tried to hold back, but in seconds of hearing the news the tears were rolling down her cheeks. She lowered her head onto the table and tried to hide her tears by wrapping her arms around her and letting her hair hang down, but she was loud enough that it wasn't like that had any use. She knew that Jane and Cid had not followed her inside. She knew and expected Jane and her brother Ben to speak with Sazh latter, given they knew him too as Sazh had been very well liked. But for now it seems that she was allowed to have her reunion in peace. No one was there to see her cry, besides Sazh himself, and his little son Dajh, who was patting her on the shoulder, not knowing what was to be done.

Sazh would prefer her happy than sad, but knowing how the new must have made her feel, he let her have her cry.

After a few minutes of crying, another sound was heard, though not unlike the sound Fang was making. Curiously, she lifted her head ever so slightly, to see she'd woken up the baby, who was bawling almost as loud as she had, her little arms swinging about, upset, but unsure how to convey what she wanted.

She tried to smile. She was sad yes, but the little girl just made her want to smile, and she didn't even understand why. She sniffed and wiped away her tears as she attempted to ask the question she was yet to ask. "Hey, Sazh, what's her name?"

The man smiled back at her, and as he rocked the girl who'd woken early from her sleep to try to calm her down, he answered.

"Vanille."

"Vanille eh?" She let the word pass her lips. At the same time, it made her want to cry harder, but also made her want to laugh and smile, and be happy again.

"A cute name for a cute child. Annette thought it was perfect, how could I say no?"

Fang lifted up her arm to stroke the little girl's tiny cheek. In response Vanille pouted, uncomfortable. The Pulsian woman chuckled a little at the reaction. "She is cute."

"Do you want to hold her?" Sazh offered, grinning.

"Ah, really? You don't think I'll drop her?"

"Don't think like that, besides I trust you. You're sitting at a table anyway, she doesn't even have anywhere to fall." He laughed at her reaction.

She mused it over, before deciding finally there wasn't any problem, it shouldn't be too difficult. "…Sure."

She held out her arms as Sazh lowered the little girl into her outstretched arms which carefully enclosed around her. A warm feeling lit up as she watched Vanille's tiny features looked up at her, her soft brown eyes slowly blinking, mouth open wide, not understanding. She wiggled in her grasp, which was something Fang hadn't expected, but quickly adjusted to. She was a living being, moving was something they did after all. It was a strange feeling, being able to hold a human being in her arms, a very peculiar sense of joy. But even as seconds ticked on by, she was beginning to understand the term 'bundle of joy' a lot better than she ever had before.

As a tiny smile formed on Fang's features, Sazh could do little but help smile himself.

"Hey, Sazh?" She piped up, her voice quiet as she asked him a question.

"Hmm?"

"How did you get up here exactly?" The thought had been weighing on her mind, but she'd been too focused on other things to ask it.

Worry surged through as almost in an instant, the joy faded from Sazh's face and he looked away. The world grew deadly silent around them.

"So we get to this." He mused.

"Sazh?" She frowned, knowing something in someway was wrong.

He sighed, and it almost seemed like he wouldn't answer, but after considering it for some time further, he decided it was only right to tell her the news.

"After the house was attacked, we got out and wandered for awhile. I had every intention to come here, but had no idea how. It was about that time that I ran into a woman about your age. She looked like a total mess must confess. As it turned out her house had been attacked. But that wasn't why she'd ran away. We'd talked for awhile, and I learnt a lot from her. I took it the soldiers had already left long before she'd ran off too. She wasn't running from them, but from another man who'd survived the attack on the plantation. He wanted to propose to her I know, but she was dead against it. That she hated him was clear, and I could hardly blame her, that he was cruel, was also clear."

"Where is this going exactly?" Fang questioned, both concerned and most certainly confused. But Sazh ignored the comment and continued.

"He found her, and tried to take her back while trying to convince her to say yes. He was losing the battle, she was much like you, strong. Whether she truly believed that or not I can't say, people don't usually see the good in themselves. He soon realised he'd get nowhere with things going as they were, he needed to take things higher, or nothing would happen at all. So he pointed his gun at Dajh, and told her he'd shoot if she said no one more time."

An audible gasp came from Fang as he said this. Dajh was right by her side, it was clear what must have happened. Sazh continued on.

"I told her she didn't need to worry about strangers like us, but she refused. She knew the man was serious, so she said the last thing she'd ever wanted to say, and said yes. Even though I'd only just met her, I knew what she was getting herself into, I knew she was selling her soul to the devil, and all for the sake of a stranger." He paused in reflection of the incident. Even now he was emotional over it. "Her husband wanted to move nearby, so she saw it as only right after putting us through that that she take us up here, so that she could grant what I wished, to see you again."

Fang didn't know what to say, it was selfless, that someone would do that for someone, and for a slave also. She respected her in that aspect.

She asked the only thing she could think of. "Who was she?"

"Well, to be honest, she may have introduced herself to me as Lightning. Obviously, given she was a rich Cocoonian heritage girl, I couldn't imagine that being her actual name. As I learnt off her later, and from others around her, her name was Claire."

Fang eyes opened wide, as the familiarity of that name hit her, as the remembrance of a meeting earlier today came to mind at the same time.

"I think you would have heard of her, she was the Farron couple's older daughter, you know, those girls with the bizarre hair. I'm pretty sure she was the one nobody liked. I really don't see what they were seeing though. For someone to commit such a brave and selfless act, how can they be horrible?"

Fang shook her head, not wanting to think. She's seen her today and everything, she'd never thought it'd been such a forced situation, that'd she'd do something so kind, for someone she'd never met before. She didn't want to think. She shook her head viciously, as if that'd get it out, but it didn't. not knowing what else to do, she tried to change the subject.

"You…you know. I can get Vanille out of that place. I know how, the paperwork's all done…" Her voice shook, she was being overcome. "All I have to do…" she grew quieter, "All I have to do…is go there, and get her out…" She sob rang in her throat. She couldn't continue anymore. She knew the news must have made Sazh happy, but she couldn't continue, she couldn't think. Tears swelled up and blinded her, so she couldn't even see either.

"Cid was right, this is a day for surprises." She forced out, her voice barely there.

It was at that moment, that everything she'd learnt today finally hit her, and she could do nothing but let it all out, and cry. Knowing, Sazh wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest, letting her have as much time as she needed to calm down. She wasn't sure how to think, or react, to any of it.

She didn't know how to feel. She was happy, she'd gotten to see Sazh and Dajh again, and even little Vanille. But she was sad, because she'd never see beautiful Annette again. She was happy that the baby was healthy, but she'd never know her mother. She was happy she'd made new connections today, and had reunited with a lost one. She was happy, that someone could be so kind to Sazh and his familiy, but she was upset equally so. Someone had given themselves up, their everything. They'd sacrificed themselves for a stranger, and had a stranger cry for them in turn.

I hope you enjoyed. I hope the next update can be done faster than this, but I don't want to make promises and get your hopes up, but I'll still hope I'll find the time to write.

I'm really interested in drawing a picture related to this story (and also another for DL), but I've no idea what to do. Does anyone have any requests? It'll be uploaded to my deviantart account. I'm yet to decide whether to make it digital or traditional as of yet. I'm curious what you guys will come up with. I'm at a loss for ideas.

I'm just going to be a nice little sister here and recommend 'Seeker of the Skies' stories. She's a reeaaally good writer, much better than me. And her stories are so creative, but she has very little fans and deserves more. She's one of the better writers I've seen on this site. She has two FFXIII stories, one fantasy, and another very dark (be warned) but both are positively fantastic. She also has a creative little KH story that I absolutely love, it's my favourite from her. If you're curious just look her up, it's worth the read I promise.

Jya ne,

~Serah Villiers Valentine