CHAPTER TWO

Travel Troubles

The village of Kalm seemed like a good place to ease one's nerves. Things were relatively quiet here, even in the hotel-a place where Lightning was more accustomed to their being parties and drunken escapades. At least, that's how things sometimes were in Bodhum. She'd probably keep on renting this hotel room until her money was gone, or at least until the manager kicked her out. Either way, she was going to stay as far away from home as possible for as long as she could.

She was exhausted after her all-night drive, and with the price of renting the room, it wouldn't be long before the her savings was dried up… Then, she'd have to call one of her friends to come pick her up, take her home, and ultimately face the music. But at least for now, she had found a little piece while laying on the soft bed.

That's when her cell phone rang… again.

She didn't need to check the caller I.D. to know who it was. Instead, she grabbed the extra pillow and placed it over her ear until the ringing stopped.

"Lightning, it's Snow."

Her blood-shot eyes popped open. This was the last person she wanted to hear from right now. Crap. I forgot to turn the speaker phone feature off.

"Look, you've made your point, okay? Serah's so worried about you that she cries constantly. The least you could do is return one of her phone calls!"

Lightening grunted. Just shut up, you stupid, idiotic, happy-go-lucky-

He hung up before she could finish her thought.

Relieved, Lightning reached over and grabbed her phone to run it off completely. Then she replaced it on the nightstand and rolled over, falling asleep.

oOo

Knock, Knock, Knock.

Lightning yawned when she woke up. Her body still felt tired, but at least she had gotten some good sleep in the last few hours. "Who is it?" she asked, her voice sounding heavy with fatigue.

"Strife's Deliver Service. I've got your Blazefire Gunblade with me."

"Oh… Alright, hold on a minute." She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before grabbing her wallet. Given the cost of the room and gas for the car, ordering such an expensive weapon probably wasn't the best idea in the world. But underneath her soldier exterior, there was still a woman in there. And women liked to shop-especially when they were as depressed as she was.

She ran a brush through her light-rose hair before opening the door with her wallet in hand. The guy was holding an elongated box under his arm. "Is that mine?"

"Yeah." He handed her the box, along with his clipboard.

She quickly scribbled her name down, not looking up at him. "Thanks," she said as she handed him the clipboard, and the money.

With the transaction complete, she went back inside her room and closed the door, then pressed her back against it as she exhaled. With the blonde hair and blue eyes, he was an instant reminder of Snow.

She grunted. Why is fate treating me like this? Haven't I suffered enough?

Then, her stomach growled, and she remembered that she hadn't eaten at all since she left home.

Cloud remained frozen outside her door for a moment in order to recompose himself. That woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Her soft hair, her blue eyes, her smooth skin… He was mentally thanking Gaia for the existence of T-shirts and shorts; that pajama combination flattered her figure perfectly. Even her low-toned voice left her a mysterious aura about her.

Finally, he made himself march back down the hall to the stairs. He rang the bell at the front desk, signaling for the manager came out of his office. "I need a room," Cloud said flatly.

"I'm sorry, mister. We're all booked up for the night."

Cloud's shoulder's drooped. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. Sorry. You'll have to look somewhere else."

"It's nine at night, and there are no other hotels in this town. Where do you expect me to go!"

The manager shrugged. "What can I say? Not my problem, buddy."

Cloud scowled harshly at him before turning and stomping away.

"Wait."

He paused just before opening the door and looked back over his shoulder. It was her! The only difference being that she was wearing a sweatshirt now.

"Can he stay in my room?" she asked the manager.

"As long as he pays his fair, it's fine with me," he said.

"Fine, then… Would you mind having room service send up my dinner now?" She cocked her head towards Cloud. "And I'll pay for his food, too."

Cloud was flabbergasted. Was this woman for real? He turned around further and told her, "Thanks, but I can pay for my own."

She shrugged. "If you insist." With that, she headed back upstairs.

Cloud watched her go as he approached the front desk. She didn't have that feminine sway in her hips as she walked-thank goodness! During his travels, he'd had women offer to stay with them before, and they usually wanted a one-night-stand in exchange for their "kind hospitality." Yet, he had a feeling that this one sincerely wanted to help him.

"Ahem," the manager croaked, getting Cloud's attention. "That'll be one-hundred Gil for the night, sir."