Chapter Six: Reap What You Sow.

Fang knocked on the door and wasn't surprised when no one answered. She sighed. This was about the longest Lightning had ever gone without talking to her. Usually she just dealt with it until one of them came to their limit. Fang was quickly approaching hers. Finally the door know turned and Lightning stood there Blaze Edge in hand and ready for whatever Fang had to throw at her.

"Can't we just have a civil conversation for once?" Fang asked.

Time up.

Lightning's fist met Fang's lip before she could even blink. The older woman stumbled back but didn't defend herself. She wasn't here to fight. Her face set in defiance she clenched her fists and looked Lighting in the eyes. The younger woman stared down at her, her gaze as cold as ice.

"I won't fight you," Fang said.

"Then what good are you?" Lightning asked. Her question sounded dangerously close to being serious in Fang's opinion. Fang shuffled in her spot as the question bore down on her.

Lightning scoffed and looked the older woman over. She was dressed in a manner that suggested she had somewhere to be sometime soon. Her white dress shirt and black slacks were ironed. A solid black tie hung loosely from her neck. Her hair was the same mess it always was. If Lightning wasn't five seconds away from losing her temper she might have found Fang mildly attractive.

"Light," Fang said softly. "I wanted to tell you myself..."

Four Days Prior

Lightning stopped in the middle of her jog to answer her phone. It was Vanille. She desperately hopped the older woman wasn't calling so she could toss the responsibility of picking up Fang onto her.

"Farron," Lightning said her throat was dry and her voice sounded scratchy.

"I'm so fucking pissed," Vanille yelled through the phone. Lightning could feel the crackle of Vanille's magic flow through the phone line. Something that sounded very similar to a dish met its doom on the other end of the line.

"Are you drunk?" Lightning felt the need to ask. It was the middle of the day but something Vanille had her moments.

"I wish," The older woman said. "So I go to the hospital to pick up Fang and who the fuck do I find…"

Something else crashed against the wall and Lightning cringed.

"Who did you find?" Lightning asked staying calm, one of them had to be.

"That… That…" Vanille screamed and something wooden broke.

"Vanille I'm going to need to you to articulate more clearly." Lightning said. She pulled her ear piece from her pocket and attached it to her ear.

"Nabaat," Vanille said trying to be calm. "Hanging all over my Fang like she was a piece of beef or something."

"You're joking," Lightning said. "Actually that makes a lot of sense."

"I blame myself you know," Vanille said. "If I hadn't suggested she give her a call to get you out of that cage we probably wouldn't be going through this mess."

"Don't blame yourself for this Vanille," Lightning said. "But that was a very stupid suggestion."

"My house is a mess," Vanille said changing the subject. "You should come help me clean it."

"Make Fang do it," Lightning said. "You can crash over at my place for a bit."

Vanille remained silent for a few moments contemplating Lightning's offer. They hadn't always been the best of friends but right now the woman she claimed as her best friend was being a moron.

"I just can't believe this," Vanille murmured. "And Hope knew by the way. That little pansy was just too afraid to say anything."

"Could you blame him? I wouldn't be surprised if that thing threatened him or something." Lightning replied. "I bet every dish in your house wishes you hadn't found out."

"You have no idea," Vanille said, treading lightly over the poor objects that lay littered in pieces across the floor. "I just thought that she was passed that stage."

"Yeah well," Lightning said. "So did I…"

All of the emotions Lightning had been trying to kill since Vanille had informed her that Fang had gone back to Jihl surged forward. She didn't want to see Fang's face. She didn't want to hear her voice. She didn't even want to sense her presence on the face of this planet.

"Don't," Lightning said. "You've made your choice."

"Just give me a chance to explain before you fly off on some tangent." Fang said. "I can't have you thinking…"

"Have me thinking what? That there was ever going to be anything more to you than being a filthy good for nothing Pulse L'cie," Lightning felt the tears coming and refused to allow them to fall in front of Fang. "I hope you're happy."

Lightning stepped backward out of her doorway and slammed the door in the stunned woman's face.

Fang sighed. That had gone almost as horribly as it had gone with Vanille, at least Lightning only punched her once and the pink haired woman was the victim. Things between them had started to smooth out and this would definitely set them back at square one.

The dark haired woman sat down on the step and waited. Her redheaded friend would be back from work soon. If Lightning wouldn't talk to her she as fairly confident Vanille would.

It didn't take long for her lifelong friend to show up. She worked nightshifts and her demeanor was one of fatigue.

"I'm really not in the mood," Vanille said trudging up the stairs past her.

"Please Vanille," Fang asked. "When are you going to stop ignoring me? You're supposed to be my best friend and you won't even answer the phone when I call."

"Go be best friends with Jihl," Vanille told her. "I'm much to disappointed in your choice of partner right now to be of any help to you."

"She hates me," Fang said. "What am I supposed to do?"

"If someone you didn't want to let in, got in, made you believe you wouldn't hurt them, and then stabbed you, you'd understand why she doesn't want to talk to you." Vanille said. "I know you have a date, wouldn't want to make you late."

Vanille removed her keys from her pocket and opened the door.

"Bye Fang," She said and for the second time the Farron's door was shut in her face.

Fang cursed and looked down at her watch. Coaxing those two would take more time than she had at the moment. Vanille was right. She did have a date and Jihl wouldn't be happy with her either if she were late.

"Women," Fang huffed and set off to her next destination.