Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is the property of Square Enix. No profit is being made from the circulation of this story.

Notes: Terribly late posting this, mostly because real life is super busy these days.

Also, kudos to my fabulous beta, Ms. Pacman (who doesn't like the word beta and would like to be known as an alpha instead). I dedicate elephants to her in exchange for her services, because she wants those too.

Someone Must Get Hurt

Chapter 3

There were some things you were bound to regret, but he once hoped that his regrets didn't amount to more than the things he was proud of. Snow Villiers shaded his eyes against the sun as he watched the crane hoist the huge steel bars into place. He hated this job, but he had nothing else respectable to do but accept the promotion to foreman. The house wasn't completely paid for and the improvements took a hefty bit of money as well. He felt as if he was slipping further and further into the very life he didn't want to get trapped in.

It wasn't supposed to be a bad thing to get what he wanted, but it seemed like he hadn't planned well enough, like he had let himself get carried away.

Selling the Farron's house had probably been a mistake. It hadn't turned much of a profit after Cocoon's fall. The majority of people looking for homes went to the growing city surrounding the crystal pillar holding it aloft. Lightning had offered it to them, making plans to leave the former utopia altogether, but he and Serah had wanted their own place, a home they made—or rather, that Snow made. He had done it to himself though, there was no cause for him to feel so bitter about it.

The sisters had split the money from the house evenly and Serah had gone to school, but she was unhappy. Classes weren't what she expected. And the money was burnt through quickly. She hadn't been adult enough to understand, but Snow hadn't held that against her. He loved her, supported her decision to take a break, and when that break had never ended, he had told her to stay home, not to push herself into a job that would make her increasingly unhappier. He was already doing enough of that for the both of them, and he would rather it be his burden than hers to work every day at job he hated. They would get by.

They did get by, but Serah had never out grown her unhappiness.

Their house was the nicest in the neighborhood, but also the emptiest. Serah wanted to wait to have kids, not that Snow blamed her. He wanted his big family, but most of all he wanted to be a solid provider for them. Then, when they were ready, there was no baby. It was one more thing for Serah to be unhappy about. It was one more wedge between them.

He hated to think of it that way, but really their marriage had several things that drove them apart over the years. They were glaring mistakes he and Serah had ignored, her reluctance to talk to him when things upset her, his obvious obliviousness to things she thought he should notice, the times they would fight over things he said that he didn't realize were really as bad as they sounded. He regretted not working harder, for himself and Serah...and for Lightning.

His sister-in-law invaded his thoughts every so often, usually when Serah would say her name and he would spirit away the memories of getting to know her until he was alone, later, thinking of how things might have been different. It wasn't something he entertained much anymore. He prided himself on not holding on to things that would-have, could-have or should-have happened, and Lighting was no exception, but every once in a while, when he caught the way she smiled lopsidedly and chuckled, hardly ever laughing, it made him remember. He had decided years ago that his thoughts would never damn him, so he allowed them to wander.

She looked so different from Serah on the way back from her run the previous night. Her cheeks had been flushed, her rose hair pulled back into a ponytail that had become loose while jogging. Serah styled her hair meticulously, cut into a short, fashionable bob that she often curled. She never jogged, she never looked less than perfect. It was a nod to her lifestyle, a socialite housewife. Lightning was a monster hunter, like Snow had been before they became l'Cie, living a rugged and daring life, just as she had since her parents' death.

Every so often, especially when he fought with Serah, he wondered if it wouldn't have been better to be honest with them both. They had been young when they got married, and over the years they'd both changed, and the reasons for it were many and confusing.

Snow wasn't unhappy when things were good. He didn't think about fighting Cieth or messy pink hair when he and Serah were cooking dinner together, strolling down the beach, or coasting along on his hover bike just as the sun began to dip into the ocean. It was only when she spent half the night at her friend's house and came home to argue with him that he wanted to escape his marriage. And Lightning was down the hall in his guest room. She treated him with a different disdain these days, as if she truly resented him again, but she was still captivating and miraculous Lightning Farron, still his sister-in-law.

A bead of sweat ran down his forehead from under his bright yellow hard hat. It really was a far-cry from being the hero who saved Cocoon, a l'Cie, even the leader of NORA. His friends were still adventurous. Lightning wasn't the only one with an exciting job. Hope worked for the Guardian Corps on the surface. NORA still lived on with his friends, Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui and Yuj, expanded to monster hunting on the surface, competition for Lightning's employer. Sazh and his son, unofficially because he was kid, were test pilots for a large company. Snow Villiers built buildings.

He wanted to be right there with them. He didn't want to be a foreman.

Lightning checked her watch, shifting the shopping bags to her other arm.

"What about this?" Serah asked. She held up the vase and began to study it. Light filtered through the blown glass, casting colors on the floor.

"It looks like the other one," Lightning muttered.

"No, it's pinker," Serah corrected. Her two friends shot Lightning a pair of glares.

"I think I like the other one better," the first one, Zoey, said. She was getting married in a month, thankfully after Lightning's vacation ended, and it meant she had quite a bit of shopping to do. Serah carried a few of her shopping bags and, consequently, Lightning carried all of Serah's.

"Hmm, well, I think I like this one better," the second one said. Whateverhernamewas.

"You think or you like?" Lightning asked. This time Serah stopped to glare at her as well. She racked her brain for something to redeem herself. "I liked the one that looked like a mushroom."

"Oh, yeah, that was pretty," Serah agreed, pacified. She put down the vase in her hands and walked around the shelf to pick up the one Lightning had mentioned. Her two friends looked skeptical at Lightning's taste, but Serah had a slight smile on her face.

Maybe I can tell her I like better friends for her and she'll pick them too, Lightning thought.

"Okay, I'll get this one," Serah announced.

Shopping was perhaps her least favorite activity, right along with being chewed on by huge fangs and breaking her bones, but Serah was persistent in taking her. Despite the fact that Lightning lagged behind as they strolled through the mall and tended to stop at weapons shops. It had been a long day of dresses, blouses, shoes, mixing bowls, frying pans and vases. Thankfully, it was nearing four o'clock, which meant she would "reluctantly" beg out of the next store and head to the train station. Serah had originally intended to go with her to pick up Hope, but Zoey needed her continued moral support. Lightning tried not to roll her eyes even as she thought about Serah's friend.

Weddings were such overproduced, hysterical social productions. At least Serah's had been small and Lightning had so few friends that she avoided most invitations such events. To be completely honest, Lightning considered her aversion to weddings nearly strong enough to be a phobia.

"Light, do you want to take my car?" Serah asked. She was stuffing her credit card back in her handbag and shoving a wrapped box that must have been the vase at Lightning. "Veronique said she'll drop me at home, then you and Hope don't have to get a cab."

"Sure, sure," Lightning said, accepting the keys. "I guess I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, see you at home," Serah said.

Lightning turned to go but her sister coughed conspicuously.

"Oh, nice shopping with you again, Lightning," Zoey said.

"Good to see you!" Veronique added.

"Yeah, it was fun," Lightning lied. She really wanted to forget she had saved them from plummeting to their doom once, but she smiled for Serah.

The shopping day had been quite fruitful for Serah, Lightning thought, her arms rather well-burdened as she tried not to run to the parking garage. The relief of getting away did make her smile to herself.

She and Hope saw each other quite frequently but it had been nearly two months since the last time. He had grown up quickly, at least to Lightning. His father made sure he finished school, but nothing had dissuaded him from becoming a member of Guardian Corps, not even Lightning's opinion that being a mercenary was probably more fun. After Orphan's defeat and the destruction of fal'Cie control, she had held a cynical view on all things originally created by them. Hope had been eager to rebuild based on the idea that humans could do better than the fal'Cie. He made a fine officer.

Once the shopping bags were in the backseat, Lightning pulled the hover car out onto the road, still thinking to herself about Hope. He had been quite upset when she decided to make her living on Gran Pulse while he was still stuck in Cocoon. He was young though and bounced back fairly quickly. When he did join Guardian Corps, he followed her to the surface. They and PSICOM did have their hands full policing such a new and dangerous frontier. That was why she saw him so frequently, he was her police contact when, from time to time, she rendered some questionable services. The dealing of animals wasn't exactly the kindest pursuit, but it had not yet been politically handled by the budding government.

She was probably lucky though that Hope had not arrested her on a few occasions. Though she doubted he actually willingly would, it had crossed her mind. Hope had idolized her for years and that had turned into a crush. Lightning had discouraged it, trying not to let it come between them. She thought of him as a younger brother. He was a good kid, but she wasn't romantically interested.

How could she be interested in anyone, really, besides Snow?

There had been a few affairs over the years, but mostly she kept them strictly business-like. Lightning didn't see anyone the way she saw Snow, she didn't feel that strong connection emotionally, though physically she had urges. Seldom did she give in to them, but when she did it wasn't serious and it wasn't what Hope wanted from her.

She parked out front by the station and got out of Serah's car. The train would arrive shortly and she made her way to the platform. Bodhum was rumored to be getting an airport in the next few years to connect it to the surface. Until then, however, travelers had to take the train from an airport in a neighboring city.

Hope had been in Palumpolum, visiting his father. Bartholomew Estheim wasn't the worst father in the world, but he and Hope certainly had their disagreements. Despite the fact that he was now in his twenties, he still felt the need to rebel against something. Perhaps it was his lack of a rebellion stage when he was younger, his teen years spent fighting fal'Cie, mourning his mother, and trying to act older than he really was. It probably wasn't quite so simple, Lightning thought, but it was probably something close.

As she waited for Hope, she wondered if he'd be happy after spending time in Palumpolum or sad. His mood could be as unpredictable as the weather, happy to have seen his home, annoyed that it wasn't as he remembered it, angry that his father had changed.

The biggest annoyance to Hope was that Bartholomew Estheim had remarried. It was a quite private wedding that not even Snow or Lightning were invited to, Lightning thanked her lucky stars for. Hope had a hard time accepting it, but worse, he had liked the woman, Martha Glade. She was kind and understanding—and twenty years younger than his father. It would have been much easier if she had been a horrible witch who hated children, then Hope would have gone through with his plan to drive her off, which Lightning and Sazh had helped him brainstorm up. Unfortunately, he had liked her and eventually, his father had married her.

She had been like a breath of fresh air in the Estheim home. No one could fault Hope's father for wanting that in his life, but it didn't necessarily help Hope feel glad for a new mother figure.

The whistle of the train cut through the air and Lightning turned to watch down the tracks as it approached. The sun glinted off a lamp post and she shaded her blue eyes with her hand. She could smell a hint of the sea even at the station. The train slowed as it pulled in, sliding to a stop at the platform. There were a few people waiting just as she was and they eagerly pressed forward a few steps as the doors opened.

Hope was easy to spot stepping off the train, his silver hair standing out half a head taller than most. Lightning remembered his growth spurt, feeling quite awkward that he had grown so tall so quickly, but he had become rather good-looking. She had to admit that.

"Light!"

"Hey stranger," Lightning said.

"I should be saying that to you," Hope said. Though he pouted at her, he had a grin in his eyes.

"Busy year," she said.

"I bet," Hope said. He stepped forward and spread his arms, embracing her. She tentatively patted him on the back. Hugging was incredibly awkward for her, but she allowed two people in the world to do it without repercussions. "So where is everybody? They don't like me enough anymore to come pick me up?"

Lightning chuckled. "Serah had an emergency with her friend's wedding and Snow is working."

"Still in construction?" Hope asked.

Lightning nodded. "Car's this way."

The crowd was becoming increasingly more annoying and she wondered just when she had become nervous around people. Before, she had let them go about their stupid lives, which had no impact on her. Maybe she was really becoming a hermit like Serah accused her of.

"When are Sazh and Dajh coming?" Hope asked.

"Whenever Sazh can tear his son away from home," Lightning said with a frown. She and Hope reached the car and she popped the trunk. Hope tossed his suitcase inside.

"Yeah, I heard he's already starting to chase girls," he said. "It doesn't help that he's such a prodigy in the air."

Lightning nodded as they climbed into the car. Dajh had been taking piloting lessons from his father for six years, after he started to show an affinity for planes and airships. He was a hot shot, something that continually worried Sazh and certainly impressed his friends—boys and girls. Frankly, Lightning thought he was certainly skilled enough that worrying about him was more effort than it was worth, but he wasn't her kid.

"So how was Palumpolum?" she asked casually. Hope seemed happy enough.

"It was pretty nice this year," he said evenly. "Dad and Martha had a lot of things going on. She's been doing a lot of work for city improvement movements and she wanted my opinions."

"And your dad?"

"He's alright," Hope said.

Lightning knew not to press him from the way he turned and looked out his window at the ocean by the roadside. She concentrated on driving.

"Oh, you should hear about the last mission I was on before I came back to Cocoon," Hope said, changing the subject.

She let him.

There was a commotion in the kitchen. Lightning and Hope exchanged a glance as Serah's voice carried to them at the door. They couldn't understand her but she sounded far more angry than she ever had before. Snow's deep voice cut in, an undertone that was quickly cut off again. Lightning strode through the house quickly, Hope on her heels. His suitcase fell somewhere in the living room and they stepped into the kitchen with the two combatants.

"I don't understand how you can be so selfish!" Serah yelled.

"Me? What about you? How selfish are you being? You're taking this too hard, it won't change our lives that much!" Snow shouted back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, not having any money won't change our lives?" Serah asked.

Lightning scowled, her eyes going to Snow. He was still in his work jeans, covered in dust from the job sight. His face was pulled down by a deep frown that had settled in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Hope asked. He placed himself beside Serah but slightly closer to Snow, as if he would need to put himself between them.

"It's nothing you guys should worry about," Snow said.

"Oh that's rich," Serah said. "Sure, it's not their problem, but it's mine. What are we going to do, Snow? We're trying to have a family and you're just giving it all up. Light, he wants to quit his job! He doesn't want to take his promotion!"

"Why not?" Lightning asked, meeting Snow's desperate eyes. He was afraid of her and Hope, afraid that they would find him completely irresponsible, but it was actually quite clear. It wasn't what he wanted. It was Serah that surprised her. The life she had wasn't what she wanted either, but she was fighting so hard to keep it. Her face was red with fury.

"I want to do something different," Snow said, his calm voice strained. "This isn't how I wanted us to turn out, Serah."

"So you don't love me anymore?" she asked.

"That's not it at all!" Snow said.

Lightning believed him and a small part of her was sad.

"How can you come in here and say these things to me then? How can you say you don't want to do your job?" Serah said. "You hate this house, you hate this town, you hate our friends. You are saying that you hate our life and you know what? This is my life too. All these things are things I do for you!"

"Please don't take it like that, Serah," Snow said. "I've given you everything you've wanted-"

"You think this empty house is everything I wanted?" Serah asked.

"Serah, calm down," Lightning said before either could say something they'd truly regret.

Serah visibly trembled but leaned back against the marble counters of her kitchen. They were standing in the very tribute to their lifestyle, a lavishly furnished room where Serah spent most of her time with a catalog and a glass of wine. Lightning was quiet but Hope looked at her as if to tell her to keep going and say something else to ease the situation. She didn't know what would help, her brain already searching for something to do.

"I know you're not exactly happy right now," Serah said finally. "So don't throw it all away. I don't want to lose the house."

"We won't lose the house, Serah," Snow said. "I won't just give it up. I just want to do something else, more like the things I used to do. You were happy when I was the Hero, well that's who I want to be."

"You mean you want to run off and fight dangerous monsters and leave me here," Serah said.

"It's not like that," Snow replied. "You can come with me. This whole crazy life has a to stop though. I'm breaking my back and you're entertaining girlfriends at the mall."

"They're my friends!" Serah huffed, her barely-formed calm disappearing.

"They're just friends," Lightning said. "Serah, you don't need to buy vases and dresses with them. It's not making you happy. You're fighting over something that you don't even want."

She could see that her opinion was probably not what her sister wanted to hear. Like a match lit under a pile of dead grass, Serah's temper flared up. Lightning could tell from the conflicted emotions on Snow's face he was both thankful and scared of what it meant that she agreed, that she understood his side. Serah didn't appreciated it one bit.

"You're both wrong!" Serah said. "And you can't tell me what I do and don't want!"

She stormed past them, making sure not to touch either of them as she headed for the door. Snow called her name, asking her to wait, but Lightning grabbed his arm. Serah wasn't in a place where she would reason with either of them. She felt attacked, blind-sided.

"I'm sorry," Lightning whispered. She looked away from Snow to Hope. He stood awkwardly, clearly waiting to find out if he was making a mistake by simply breathing in the same room as this argument.

Suddenly, Serah reappeared in the doorway, the vase from the mall in her hands. Time seemed to dramatically slow as she raised it over her shoulder and lobbed it towards both Lightning and Snow. They both jumped back a step as it shattered, throwing hundreds of sparkling pink and violet glass across the floor.

"I hated it!" she said defiantly, then turned and was once again gone. The front door slammed a moment later.