Refresher: "Better my love?", Vanille questioned, kissing Lightning's forehead before placing the cloth down. Lightning's body shuttered as the cold fabric touched her skin. She sighed a relaxed sigh and shut her eyes again. Vanille couldn't help but squeeze herself between her wife and the back of the couch. She rolled the girl's body over onto her chest and lightly wrapped her arms around Claire, then followed suit in shutting her eyes and dozing off.
-Two Weeks Later-
"Serah!", Lightning shouted placing her gun blade in it's sheath behind her after cleaning it for the day.
"What?!", The younger sister shouted from upstairs.
"I'm leaving for work! I'll be home before dinner!", Lightning lied, already knowing her shifts these days would keep her out until the early hours of the morning.
"All right sis!", Serah shouted back.
Things had calmed down a bit since the incident two weeks ago. Serah coped a lot better than her older sister had. The two of them had also decided it would be better to not press charges. Snow would go berserk, and who knows what else would happen?
On more than one occasion Vanille, or Fang, would find Claire passed out in Lebreau's bar from excessive drinking. Snow kept his distance while the women had spent some nights walking from bar to bar, checking abandoned alleyways and doing their best to search for the man to no avail. However, the news sure did like to keep their cameras pointed at him. There had been more than one occasion when Claire had come home to Serah bawling her eyes out clutching a pillow watching a pathetic interview from her ex-fiancé. Claire could do nothing but sigh after hanging up her weapon and walk over to her sister. She would snatch the remote away and quickly change the channel before holding her sister and shushing her into a calmer state.
Snow had said in several interviews that his precious wife Serah had been taken hostage by the wild man robbing his house. Every time Claire, Fang, or Vanille would step outside they would see Serah's face plastered on telephone poles all around New Bodhum. For almost a week the police officers of Pulse were knocking down the soldier's door questioning her for any sign of her sister's whereabouts. Lightning pulled off lying successfully by looking pained by the loss of her sister. The officers quickly realized her position in the Guardian Corps and left the matter alone, apologizing for a straight week, before they decided to give up all together. Serah had decided to keep a lower profile. She rarely went out, and when she did she wore Lightning's black hoodie, along with a pair of her jeans and sunglasses. The hood covered her unmistakable pink hair, and the glasses hid her bright blue eyes. No one would ever suspect it to be her.
Things had to stop somewhere though. Lightning was almost trying to get noticed with her work schedule. She had been gone at work in shifts of more than twelve hours and was away from her house most of the day. She patrolled different parts of New Bodhum, watching for anything, even sometimes walking around aimlessly 'searching for her sister' and coming up with nothing. It could almost be predicted that things wouldn't stay easy forever.
"My shift's ended Lieutenant.", The soldier solidly stated. She was back to normal, training ten times harder than before, twice as long. She wouldn't allow herself to ever lose another battle again.
"You don't have to tell me Sergeant Farron. Feel free to head home, I'm expecting you bright eyed and bushy tailed to go on that mission to the Peaks tomorrow morning. You're all squared away I hope?", Her commander questioned, reminding her of the one thing she had been dreading.
Lightning had taken off for a week immediately after the incident. She could barely find the energy in herself to get up sometimes. Those few times when she did find the energy, she found herself wandering off to another bar drinking herself into oblivion. She'd gotten into a few bar fights with women, and on one occasion a man, that she didn't even know. Her relationship with Vanille was becoming severely strained. There was barely a night they spent together. Between getting trashed and attempting to strengthen her body, Vanille's wife was a walking ghost in their house.
Once she returned to work her commanding officer decided to test her, giving her a rescue mission to the Vile Peaks. There was a little conflict and protest on Lightning's part. Why do I have to be sent to the Peaks? I've barely been back a day, why can't I just go to Cocoon where they actually need me?
Lightning had known from the moment she was assigned the mission that there would be no point in protesting the wishes of her commander. Her memory phased back to the present and she kept her composure. "Yes sir.", her reply was stern, without hesitation, and filled with confidence. Their conversation had ended there as her commander nodded his head in her dismissal. She saluted him and walked away.
I guess I can go home now and try to fix things up with Vanille. I've barely seen her… This'll be my last chance before I leave in the morning. Claire was thinking to herself as she walked through the dimly lit streets.
Lightning made her way to her rather large modern house, finding all the lights on downstairs was a rather strange sight. She tried the doorknob realizing it was already unlocked, and she stepped inside. Her new house and barely resembled the one she and her sister were forced to leave behind so many years ago. The carpets on the floors were plush and white, free of stains. The plain walls had been painted the same scarlet shade of red as their parents old house, it was the only memory the two sisters could bring with them into their new home. The couches positioned around the television and fireplace were smooth black leather, and to complete the room there was a clear glass coffee table positioned in front of them. From the entrance she could feel the warmth of the fireplace radiating to her right, and smell glorious food being cooked in her kitchen.
"Aye, there she is.", Fang smiled immediately directing her attention to the door the minute it opened.
"Sis!", Serah shouted, putting down whatever she was fiddling with and excitedly running towards Lightning. She jumped on her and embraced her in a tight hug. Lightning easily caught the girl and smiled into her shoulder.
"Hey Serah.", Lightning greeted her sister. "What are you two doing up so late?", She questioned, hanging up her gun blade and taking off her boots after she released the young girl from their embrace.
"Trying to cook dinner.", Fang replied pathetically from the kitchen.
"So late?", Lightning quickly questioned, smelling the sweet aroma of the food as she strode over to the kitchen entrance.
"Vanille said she wasn't feeling well. We were playing games waiting for you to get home, but she went up to her room feeling sick.", Fang added a little sadly.
Well great, so much for a good night before I leave. Claire was disappointed when she heard the news.
"Serah and I thought we'd cook. A big dinner for tomorrow.", Fang explained mixing together what looked to be mashed potatoes. Lightning didn't stick around for much more talking after that. She didn't want to think about how everyone would be spending their time while she was gone. After smiling at her sister and her best friend as they cooked she quickly ran up the hallway to her bedroom to check on her wife.
Before opening the door she felt a cold breeze hitting her toes from the small crack underneath the door and shook her head. That crazy woman has the windows open?
"Vanille you're gonna get even more sick if you-", Lightning stopped dead in her tracks at what she saw.
A/N: BUM BUM BUMMM. Cliffhangers again! Hah. Well, I'm posting another chapter cause I'm really excited to get more of this story written. What's in Claire's bedroom that's shocking her so much? Hope you're all prepared to find out tomorrow! Muahahahha! Thoughts so far? I'd love to hear what all of you think. Thank you for reading!