A/N: Little Lightning interaction this chapter, she's tripping over her own feet now. One more chapter and we get into the dance, ahhh to be an awkward high school kid again. I feel pretty lame for putting out short chapters, hoping I can make something long when my semester ends :/. (erm by the way, I have three months left as a full time student/part time worker so chapters will be slow..) And I added a way to contact me on my profile, for what it's worth?

Lightning had yelled at me.

I told everyone about the card the two men had given me, Snow seemed pleased with my work. Fang had chided me, but she let up and patted me on the back.

Lightning had stood from her seat, looked from Snow to Gadot, and then dropped her gaze at me, "are you crazy?" She barked, "you know about this for how long?"

"I didn't think..." I shrank back, surprised by her reaction.

"Maybe that's the problem, Vanille." She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "you don't think. Meeting the men that kidnapped you in a secluded place? You could have told us you were going to meet them. And furthermore, what makes you believe we can trust them to give us accurate information? Use your head. Nothing works out like this." She rounded on Snow and Gadot, "and your stupid little gang isn't getting in on this, Snow. This isn't just a game, someone is going to die."

Infuriated, I gave the card to Snow, who took it and stared wide eyed at Lightning, "whatever." I glared at her, "I don't care if you use it or not, Light. I don't care if you're dead tomorrow, I'm sorry I bothered to help you, I should have known better."

"I didn't ask for your help, I didn't ask for anyone's help."

"Then don't take it." I turned away, "you said it yourself: this isn't a game. Someone's going to die. So just rush in, isn't that what you were going to do? Cut the act, Lightning. You're just a kid playing Soldier."

x-x-x

"Happy birthday, 'Nille." Fang gritted her teeth after Vanille ran off, Lightning turned and glowered at her, "she was only doing what was right, Light."

"Shove it, Fang. I don't need you on my case right now."

Serah stood and punched her arm, surprising everyone, "Lightning, you're an idiot. You better find her and apologize. She could have gotten herself in trouble for this, but she didn't care. She did this for you."

"For me?"

"Vanille cried," Fang crossed her arms, "she cried all night when she found out you were in the hospital. 'Course she'd never admit to it, but I know a lot more than she thinks. Do you think? Putting yourself in danger like this? Not a care in the world for how the people around you might feel about it? What about Serah? Do even know what she'd do if the last family member she had up and died?"

Lightning gritted her teeth, "what about you? You're defending her, when you know just as well that she could have gotten herself killed."

"I think you feel differently than you're showing us." Snow sighed, he stood and motioned at Gadot to follow him, "give the girl a break, Light. She's trying to help you." He nodded at Serah and smiled before he left.

"I don't need help." Lightning muttered.

"I get it," Fang sighed, "you want to protect her, but you don't know how. So you push her away, you hurt her."

"I can't protect. I never wanted to protect." She was Lightning, after all.

"Go talk to her, Light. Tell her how you feel."

"I don't feel anything, will you stop that?" Lightning shrugged off the tan girl, her glare returning, "it's better this way."

"You certainly do, Farron, it's written all over your face whenever she's around. You want to protect her just as much as I do. So do it. Show me what your made of."

"..."

"You better make it quick, while we get her birthday party started." Fang winked.

X-x-x

"Whatcha doing out here?" A small Asian girl peered up at Vanille, who had been pouting on a park bench for the past hour. She had startled the redhead, and jumped back in her seat. The girl laughed and stood from her crouched position, offering Vanille a reassuring smile, "did something bad happen?"

The redhead sighed, and shook her head, "kind of."

"Well, tell me!" She smirked, "when you're upset, isn't best to let it out, rather than keep it in? I have a friend that keeps everything in, it makes him quiet and dull."

"A friend, huh?" Vanille scooted over so the girl could sit next to her, "well...I have a friend...that has a friend. And they're both upset with each other." She started, "my friend risked her safety to help her friend." Vanille continued on, telling the girl her story and leaving out the facts about the gang. She wasn't quite sure why, but the girl next her made her feel comfortable.

"Hmm, sounds complicated." She ran a hand through her short black hair when Vanille finished. "I think your friend's friend was in the right to get mad though! She sounds like she really cares for your friend, and she just doesn't want her to get hurt anymore. It seems like she expressed her concerns for her safety, just in the wrong way."

"You think so?" Vanille hummed, staring at the odd girl, "what do you think my friend should do then?"

"Apologize, maybe, talk to her when you both calm down and work out what's going on." She winked at Vanille, and the redhead sighed, she had been seen through.

"But what if she doesn't want to listen to me? She hates me."

"I don't think she hates you, if she hated you she wouldn't have made such a ruckus. She would have let you do whatever you wanted, because if she hated you she wouldn't care if you got hurt again."

"So that's how it is?" Vanille sighed, "she's a very stubborn girl, though. I suppose I'll be waiting a long time."

The girl laughed, "well just think about what you're going to tell her, then! That's my friend over there," she pointed at a spiky haired blonde boy, he seemed irritated, "I'd better go, I told him to meet me here...we had a bit of a misunderstanding ourselves." She smiled, "good luck with your friend!"

x-x-x

"I've been looking all over for you." Lightning stood slightly hunched over as she caught her breath, Vanille wondered how long the other teen had been running. She felt guilt bubble in stomach.

"Light-"

"This is really hard for me to say, s-so listen to me because I'm only saying it once." Lightning stammered, "look, I'm...I'm really sorry, Vanille. I was an idiot for yelling at you. I just want you to be safe, I don't want you to get hurt. For so long I've wondered why I felt like this, but now I realize, I mean it's only natural..." Lightning trailed off, a kind of uncertain nervousness flashed across her face, Vanille had never seen Lightning like this before, and she wondered if the athlete was even in her right mind.

"It's only natural?" Vanille pressed, curious as to what Lightning had to say.

The pinknette coughed and finished hastily, "you're Fang's sister, and you're so much like Serah that it's only natural for me to want to protect you. We should probably get back," She added as she turned away, another strange expression on her face, "the others are pretty worried about you."

Vanille agreed, disappointment filling her chest, she wasn't sure why she felt like this so she tried to bury the thought in the back of her head as she followed the other teen.

Some things are best left unknown.

X-x-x

"Don't make it a habit to run off on your birthday!" Fang chuckled, after they returned and everyone surprised her with their well wishing, Fang had locked Lightning in a headlock. The other teen gave up her struggle and remained beside Fang, shooting a frustrated glare at anyone who dared to watch them.

Vanille sighed, she wasn't sure what was going on between the two, but she knew it was absolutely ridiculous, "Fang, behave...let her go."

"Alright, you're off the hook for now, Pinky" This new nickname earned her a growl as Lightning finally pulled herself free, the redhead was certain the ex-athlete would have decked her right there.

When she left, Vanille looked back at Fang and raised an eyebrow, Fang was only smirking, "what's wrong with you two?" She practically hissed, "can't you guys get along for one day?"

"Oh, there's plenty of getting along going on here. I'm just playing with her, you know that." The tan girl shook her head, "so what'd she tell you?"

"Oh, Fang! Don't tell me you made her find me." Vanille sighed, "she just said she wanted to protect me, like her sister."

"Well, that's not very eventful."

"Oh, really? And what exactly were you hoping would have happened?"

Fang opened and closed her mouth, a knowing smirk spread across her face, "oh you have a good imagination, I'll let you think about it for a while...In the meantime, you should enjoy this party of yours." Fang laughed, when she left Vanille assumed she was off to find trouble.

The redhead sighed, and returned to her party, joining Serah and Snow who were giggling over a flustered Yuj, who in turn threatened to make their week miserable.

X-x-x

Lightning stood against the door frame, cell phone in hand, she tossed a glance back at the party, catching a glimpse of Vanille teasing Hope and Yuj. She smiled slightly, she liked seeing the redhead happy. She didn't want to see her hurt, didn't want to find out one day that she had slipped up and the girl's life was in danger.

She would do anything.

If she had to make the girl hate her in order to keep her safe, then she would.

It hadn't come to that, just yet, but when it did...

She stepped out into the warm evening air. The line finally clicked as the phone was answered, "how may I help you?"

"I need information."