Bandits, Sheriffs, and Marshals

Lightning pushed away from the bar and blocked the doors of the saloon. "You planning on telling me what a bunch of marshals are doing in my town, and dressed like that too?"

Jihl Nabaat smiled innocently and put one hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Whatever do you mean, sheriff? We're just humble Cocoon employees looking to make an honest living."

"I'm not in the mood for your games, Nabaat." Lightning shrugged Jihl's hand off her shoulder and grabbed the other woman by the collar of her shirt. "I know you, and I know you're up to something so spit it out. Bodhum is my town."

"Well, Farron," Jihl said, drawling out Lightning's surname like it was something a mite unsavoury. "This might be your town, but you're just a sheriff and if you lay your hands on me just one more time, I'll have you arrested."

Lightning let go of Jihl's collar. "I'd like to see you try. Now stop playing, Nabaat, what is it that you're up to?"

"I can see you're in a pushing sort of mood, Farron," Jihl said. "But if you must know I've got word that a couple of fugitive are going to be holding up a stagecoach carrying Cocoon employees just outside Bodhum later this afternoon."

"Is that why you're playing dress up then?" Lightning glanced past Jihl at the other marshals. Rather than the usual serviceable wear that marshals favoured, all of them were dressed more like clerks or bank employees.

"If that's what you want to call it." Jihl reached up to adjust her glasses and pushed past Lightning. "So now that you know, sheriff, why don't you just stay out of our way like a good little girl?"

BANG.

Jihl felt stopped dead in her tracks as she felt the bullet rush past her temple. She turned slowly, and this time, she wasn't smiling. "You really don't want to do that, Farron?" she said softly, hand going to the pistol at her side. "You like to think you're mighty fast, but you're not the only one who's quick on the draw."

Lightning's eyes hardened. "I thought I saw a spider in your hair, figured I'd save you the trouble of dealing with it." She holstered her pistol. "Besides, Nabaat, you should know by now that you'd never beat me to the draw, not on your best day."

"That attitudes the reason you're still stuck in a piddling little town like this," Jihl sneered before she turned and started walking to the stagecoach waiting in front of the saloon. "Come on," she shouted over her shoulder to the other marshals. "Let's get this show on the road so we can get out of this miserable town."

X X X

"That's about far enough," Fang warned as she pointed her pistol at the driver of the stagecoach. She bit back a grin as the fellow hopped off the front and went to stand over where she could see him better. If her source was good, then this stagecoach was just what she had been waiting for, what with it carrying a couple of Cocoon bigwigs who'd have the information she wanted. As she walked over to the door, she wondered if Vanille was having as much luck looking for supplies in town. "Now why don't we open this door and see who we've got here."

She yanked open the door.

"Why if it isn't the Bahahum Bandit," Jihl drawled. "How nice to finally meet you."

Fang's eyes widened and she had just enough time to raise the gun level with Jihl's chest before something struck her on the back of the head. The last thing she saw was Jihl's amused smirk before everything went black.

"Let's see you get out of this one."

The next thing Fang knew, she was waking up in a jail cell and that wasn't the worst of it either. Someone had tied her up and while she could normally get herself untangled from just about any rope in a minute or two, whoever had tied her up this time had done it good and proper. There wasn't any leverage for her to try and get free and they'd also removed everything from the inside of the cell that she could possibly use to try and get the ropes off. Hell, other than the bars, there wasn't anything in the cell at all.

Great. Just great. On the other hand, at least Vanille hadn't been with her. When she didn't make it back to their meet up on time, the redhead would come looking for her and bust her out. All she had to do was sit tight till then and try not to do anything too stupid.

With all the planning out of the way, Fang took a look outside the cell. From what she could see, the cell was at the back of a large room, and in front of it was what looked like an office, with a couple of tables and chairs and some paperwork. That meant she wasn't in a proper prison. Most likely, she was locked up in the local sheriff's place, probably in Bodhum since that was the closest town to where Jihl had got the jump on her.

Bodhum, Fang thought, now why did that name sound familiar? Then it came to her. That was right. Word was that Bodhum had something of a pretty tough sheriff, a woman too, if what she'd heard was right. She chuckled. With her luck the sheriff was probably some ugly, brute of a woman who looked more like a man or a bear than anything else.

And that was when the sheriff walked in. Fang grinned. Maybe her luck was on the up and up.

"Well, well, well," she drawled. "You wouldn't happen to be Sheriff Farron, now would you?"

Fang's grin widened when the pink-haired woman with a star pinned to her coat stopped and glared. Hell, even glaring she was gorgeous, what with all that lovely pink hair just waiting for her to run her fingers through it and those eyes the colour of sky way out West.

"What's it to you?" Lightning asked.

And what a voice to go with the rest of it, Fang thought. It was all cool and commanding. What would it sound, she wondered, hot with anger or something else. "Well, I'd always sort of imagined the legendary Sheriff Farron would be a great deal taller and a good bit uglier. Just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear." She let her lips curve wickedly into what Vanille called her 'flirty face'. "Never thought you'd be such a looker."

She wasn't disappointed. In fact, Fang had to hold back a cackle as a Lightning's glare grew ten times colder, although the effect was ruined by the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks. Time to turn on that old Oerba Yun Fang charm.

"So sheriff," Fang said, drawing out the last word like fine wine, "What's a fine girl like you doing in a dusty old town like this?"

"That's about enough out of you," Lightning ground out as she drew her pistol and levelled it at Fang's head. "I've had enough trouble with those marshals throwing their weight around. The last thing I need is a wanted criminal running her mouth off."

Fang smirked. So the sheriff wanted to play? Well, that was just fine by her. "Well, sheriff, would you mind putting that gun away? Word is your pretty decent, and I like to think I can judge a person pretty well. I figure you won't shoot me in cold blood." Lightning eased the hammer back and Fang winced. "Or maybe you would." She tilted her head to one side. "Though if you're going to be shooting me, mind maybe giving me a last meal or something? I could use a good steak."

With what looked to be a great deal of will power, Lightning lowered her pistol. "Shut it. I'm not wasting any more time talking to someone like you."

Fang watched with mighty keen interest as Lightning shrugged off her coat and sat down at one of the tables to do some paperwork. From where she was, Fang had a pretty good view of Lightning's figure, and she had to admit, the other woman's clothing fit her all kinds of well. Lightning was all slim, toned deadliness, just the sort of woman Fang knew she shouldn't mess with, but probably would. And hopefully would, part of her added.

"Come on, sheriff, don't go all high and mighty on me. Besides, who knows how long those marshals are going to be. Why not talk for a spell?" Fang put on her best winning smile.

Lightning remained focused on her paper work. "Pipe down, criminal." She gestured at her gun. "I won't ask again."

Fang was about to say something else, when the door opened.

Lightning looked up and scowled. "You took your sweet time, Nabaat. Hurry up and get her off my hands."

"I'm afraid Marshal Nabaat here won't be going anywhere with Fang, although I'll be happy to." Lightning's eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar voice and she reached for her gun, but stopped when Jihl stumbled forward, a pistol pressed squarely against her back. "Good choice, sheriff, I'd hate to have to rearrange the marshal's innards."

The woman holding the gun to Jihl's back was a bit short with black hair and green eyes.

"Took you long enough," Fang shouted from her cell. "Although you shouldn't go with black, it looks right horrible on you."

Vanille grinned and shoved Jihl forward before she pulled off her black wig. "Well, it's not much of a disguise if I look the same and red and blonde just don't look different enough." She looked over at Lightning and smiled. "Hi there, sheriff. Thanks for keeping an eye on Fang. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"Hey!" Fang shouted. "I'm never trouble. Now, how about you get me out of here?"

Vanille sighed loudly. "I guess I could do that." She gestured at the cell. "Sheriff, if you'd be so kind as to let my friend there out of the cell." When Lightning didn't move she prodded Jihl in the back with the gun. "Quickly, please, or your friend the marshal here will be sporting a good sized hold in her chest."

Lightning growled. "She's not my friend." She looked over at her gun. It was right there and the odds were pretty good that she could get to it and fire before Vanille could get her.

Jihl must have seen her thinking, because the marshal's face paled. "Don't you dare go for that gun, Farron, or so help me, I'll have marshals on your trail, as well."

"Fine." Lightning pulled her hand away from her gun. "But only you, Nabaat, could get held up by a little girl."

Fang grimaced. "I wouldn't call her that."

"I am not a little girl!" Vanille growled, jabbing Jihl with the gun.

"Damn it," Jihl said as pain lanced through her back. "I didn't say anything. Now hurry up and get that cell opened, Farron."

Lightning went over to the cell and unlocked it.

"Mind untying me too, while you're here?" Fang said, smiling all the while.

Lightning untied Fang, taking great pleasure in jerking the rope as roughly as she could whenever the opportunity presented itself. Fang though, just smirked at her the whole while and then dusted herself off as she stood.

"You seem to like it rough, sheriff, though if that's what you want, I guess that's fine by me." Fang's voice took on a sultry lilt. "For a fine girl like you, well, I can be mighty accommodating."

Lightning just turned away and Fang was certain that had Vanille not had a gun on the marshal, Lightning would have riddled her with holes.

"Just hold it right there, sheriff," Fang said, rubbing her wrists and putting on a look of mock pain. "I see you've got my gun belt and pistol on that there table and I find I'm feeling a mite painful." Her eyes twinkled and she held her arms up. "Mind putting them on for me."

Lightning's eyes widened and she looked set to refuse, but Fang just nodded a little in Vanille's direction. The little redhead shot Fang a look that plainly told her not to play around, but really, how could she resist with the sheriff being so darn good to tease? Lightning stalked over to the table and grabbed the gun belt and pistol. Then she walked over to Fang and draped the gun belt around the taller woman's waist, careful to pull it much too tight as she stood and glared right at her, bright blue into shimmering green.

"Well, sheriff, that's a little tight." Fang caught Lightning's hands in her own. "You've got to loosen up a little." She bit back a laugh as she felt the tension running through Lightning. "How about I give you a little demonstration?" Her eyes dropped very deliberately to Lightning's gun belt. She also took the opportunity to admire the pink haired woman's slim waist. "What do you think?" She put one hand on Lightning's hip.

Lightning smiled and leaned in close. "A demonstration, huh?"

"Yeah," Fang grinned. This was going better than she'd hoped for. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vanille and Jihl both staring and leaned in real close till she could feel Lightning's breath on her lips. "After all, folks say the best way to learn things is hands on."

Lightning's eyes fluttered shut. "Is that so?" Her eyes opened and they were flashing blue fire. "How about this?" And then she slugged Fang with a thunderous left hook.

"Fang!" Vanille shouted, her attention wavering from Jihl as Fang staggered away from Lightning, clutching at her jaw and trying to get her head clear. It was exactly the moment that Jihl had been waiting for. She turned and knocked the gun out of Vanille's hand before she drove one booted foot into the smaller woman's stomach.

Fang cleared her head just in time to see Vanille fold over Jihl's foot. Rage surged through her and she heard a snarl leave her lips. That damn marshal! However, she hadn't taken more than a few steps before Lightning was on her and damn if the sheriff wasn't just about the faster person that Fang had ever fought. Before she even knew what had happened, Lightning caught her with another punch and then another and Fang grimaced, tasting blood, as she tried to grab hold of Lightning by the collar. Only she didn't grab Lightning by the collar. She'd grabbed her by the chest.

Lightning looked down at the offending limb like it was the worst criminal in the world. "Let go of my chest," she growled.

Fang didn't need to be told twice and scrambled away from Lightning. "Now, you listen here, sheriff, I was just trying to keep you from landing another one of those damn punches of yours." She grinned. "Hell, I'd swear you hit harder than a damn train."

Lightning's eyes narrowed and her gaze flicked to the gun on her desk. "Never mind the trial," she muttered. "I'll shoot you myself."

As Lightning dove for her gun, Fang reached for her pistol. She wasn't planning on shooting the sheriff, but she could sure shoot that gun of hers to bits. She pulled the trigger. Click. She pulled the trigger again. Click. "Oh damn… I should've known you'd be smart enough to empty it first."

As Fang frantically tried to reload her pistol, Lightning reached her desk only for Vanille to come crashing into it. The desk came apart and the gun clattered away. Lightning went to go after it, but Jihl was there to trip her up, so intent on strangling Vanille that she scarcely seemed to see Lightning.

It was like watching a coyote fight a bear, Lightning thought. Jihl was bigger and stronger, but Vanille wasn't one to take a beating lying down. The redhead was plenty fierce, kicking and clawing and fighting fifteen different kinds of dirty to try to swing things her way. Glancing back at Fang, she saw the other woman had almost finished reloading her gun and leapt toward her. The two of them tumbled to the ground, punching and kicking as best they could at one another. They rolled one way, breaking a chair, and then the other, a table smash to bits as they slammed up into it.

Paper flew everywhere and Lightning bit back a grimace as Fang kicked her off. She pushed herself up onto her knees just in time to see Vanille land a vicious kick to Jihl's shin before she grabbed a chair and smashed it into the marshal. Jihl gave a groan and collapsed, half-conscious on top of Lightning.

"Come on, Fang," Vanille shouted. "We need to get out of here."

"I guess you're right," Fang said as they ran for the door. Once she got there she stopped and turned to wink at Lightning who was still struggling to shove Jihl off her. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, sheriff. Maybe next time, I'll get to tie you up."

X X X

Author's Notes

First of all, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off this.

And so Fang and Lightning finally meet. And what first meeting would be complete without disguises, brawls, and of course some rope? I thought it would be best for them to meet like this, rather than having them exchanging bullets at first sight. As for how Lightning knows Jihl, that's a story for another day.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.