A/N: Hello my loves, I sincerely apologize for my tardiness. Exams were crazy BUT, to make up for it I will post as many chapters as I possibly can today. I'll try and post one for every day that I missed. Don't hate me too much! I'm trying to get back on it as fast as I can. 3 I love you guys still.

-Claire-

New Bodhum was created on Pulse for the sole purpose of mimicking the inhabitant's old home in Cocoon. Claire remembered when she could walk out of Lebreau's bar and a few yards later the salty water of the ocean would be washing over the shores of the perfect white sandy beach. The beautiful sun would glisten over the water, transfixing the woman's gaze. Countless times she found herself traveling to that beautiful beach in Bodhum. She could sit on that dock for hours on end, feeling the warm water gently lap against her feet. The blazing sun would warm her skin, and a light breeze would tussle her hair. Even though it was just seconds away from civilization, it was the furthest place she could go to get away from everything.

Now? Well things were severely different to say the least. Lebreau had an entirely different bar, and across the street was the complete opposite of Claire's salvation. There was no palace of sand across from the pub, but instead just another office building. The nearest beach was just minutes away from the city limits of New Bodhum, and took a good half-hour to walk to from Lebreau's bar. It wasn't entirely intentional for everyone to create an exact replica of their old home, but it made the abrupt loss easier for everyone to handle. The new buildings weren't as creaky and everything had a bright new-age feel to it, but even with the new shiny toys, no one felt quite at home.

Claire could've cared less that night how far away the beach was. She was determined to get there, even with the lingering storm clouds hanging over her head and the chilly breeze weaving it's way around her body. The temperature had dropped severely since she entered Lebreau's heated establishment, and now the soldier was beginning to regret the outfit she had chosen. To compromise she continued filling her system with the contents of her whiskey bottle. As her body temperature rapidly rose the darkness of the streets had begun to play tricks on her drunken eyes. She stumbled as she walked, tripping on non existent objects and taking more swigs of her liquor.

The feeling of guilt hadn't interjected itself into her head yet. She had slapped Fang, a little harder than she intended too, then walked off as if she hadn't done a thing. No doubt Fang was pissed.

Tch. Who gives a shit? I'm sick of her constantly protecting me. No one's supposed to protect me. No one's supposed to take care of me. I can handle myself.

Claire had become obsessed with the idea of being invincible. She could handle any obstacle in her way. There wasn't a challenge she turned down. Her parent's death had kick-started her into the idea that she could protect everyone she ever cared about. In her own mind, she was a superhero destined for great things. Legendary. However, her portrait of gold had disintegrated into nothing. The Guardian Corps helped brand the idea into her mind that Claire could be the invincible woman she so longed to be after her parent's death. She'd spent years hiding her emotions. Years training her body to withstand various brutal things. Years teaching herself control, and patience. So much time had been put into making her the closest living thing to an immortal. Yet there she was, staggering down the street, wasted. As human as ever. Weak. Everything but golden and strong.

After what felt like ages she had arrived at the sandy shore of the beach. Vicious dark black clouds were tumbling above the woman's head. She could feel the electricity pouring through the sky as the waves lapped against the shore. Claire closed her eyes and downed the rest of her bottle. She winced and threw the empty container to the street watching the glass shatter. A blinding strike of lightning flashed across the sky followed by a deafening roar of thunder as she glanced up. The brightness illuminated the entire shore. The colorless sand turned a brilliant shade of bronze. The black waters had turned electric blue as the waves rolled around threateningly. To match the glorious sights of the storm were the even more invigorating sounds. The intensity of water crashing into itself. The slowly fizzling foam of the sea as the waves receded back to the endless stretch of the coastline. The tumbling sound of the deep thunder.

The soldier sighed, forcing her unwilling feet through the sand until she reached the wooden planks of the dock. She kicked off her shoes and tottered her way to the unguarded end. For a split second she considered falling forward into the cold greedy hands of the ocean. Claire instead plopped herself down, with her bare legs hanging over the edge. She dipped her feet gently into the water, and immediately felt the cold envelop her toes. A shiver went down her spine and her back arched. The sudden shift in her weight caused her to fall backwards. Her body was pressed tightly against the dock, her feet were still dipped in the ocean. A flash of lightning. A clap of thunder. Then there was nothing but relentless rain smashing into the soldier's face.

Maybe it was seeing her wife cheating on her. Maybe it was Fang constantly trying to watch out for her like she was her little sister or something. Maybe it was Serah being raped.

Maybe it was me being raped..

Claire still hadn't come to terms with that. Rape. She'd been in fights. She'd been involved in the biggest war her planet had ever experienced. She'd killed her fair share of creatures and monsters. And regardless of all that, nothing in the entire universe could've prepared her for the hardships of dealing with something like rape. She'd been in denial. She refused to accept that she had been weak, that she had failed. Every time she walked into the gym, every time she took a sip of alcohol, and every time she ignored her wife or lashed out at Fang, she proved just how hard she would fight to deny everything. For two weeks straight she had run herself into the ground trying to escape the truth. Tonight wouldn't be the end of it. Here she was again, running away. How had so much changed?

She missed her parents. They'd been ripped away from her life far too soon. Growing up too fast, with no mother to help her through her struggles. No dad to fend off the evils of the world for her. She'd grown up with Serah, and that was all she had.

Vanille consumed her shortly after they had met. She had compensated for Claire growing up too fast. She brought her back to a beautiful world where everything was young and perfect. Vanille and Serah had made everything complete. Then the perfection shattered the day Snow asked for Claire's blessing. Nearly 19 years she'd spent living with her sister, and out of the blue she was expected to give all of that away.

I should've never said yes to him. Serah.. I'm so sorry I ever gave you up.

Claire had lost herself in the better days of her life. She lost herself in the happy memories of her wife, and of her young sister. As she sat there on that dock losing herself to the bitter droplets of rain and the merciless storm her mind attempted to find an answer; How had so much changed?

"Hey sweetheart.", Lebreau's voice shattered the silence as well as Claire's memories of her once flawless life.

Claire didn't stir as she heard the woman's voice over the rain. "How'd you find me?", She mumbled refusing to open her eyes. Trying to take herself back to her paradise, back to her search. Lebreau didn't answer, she attempted to take the woman in her arms. Claire pushed her off.

"Get off me." Claire demanded pushing Lebreau's arms off her as she sat up. Her elbows were resting on her knees as she hung her head down watching droplets of water flicker off her face and drip into the ocean. Her hair drooped down in dripping wet strands. She attempted to get herself back in control rather than allowing Lebreau to see her hidden emotional side.

"Claire." Lebreau demanded. "You can't stay out here all night you're gonna get sick.", She added, trying to rush the slow process.

"It's only rain." Claire whispered to herself.

She continued to sit there, motionless, staring at her feet as she flicked them back and forth in the cold water. Lebreau merely sighed, and pulled out a thick warm blanket from underneath her arm. She had a plain large red umbrella balanced over her shoulder as she unfolded the large piece of fabric.

"Scoot over.", Lebreau asked sitting herself down next to the girl on the soaking wet planks. She wrapped the fluffy black cover around Claire's shoulders and she instantly began shivering as if the cold had only now hit her. Lebreau pushed her umbrella over the young woman to shield her from the unrelenting hard droplets of water falling from the sky. More thunder crumbled. More lightning shrieked. Claire enveloped her body inside the warmth and shuddered close to Lebreau.

"C'mon Claire. Get up.", Lebreau demanded with a comforting tone. She stood up and lifted up Lightning's drunken body off the dock. Her arms wrapped themselves around the shivering woman and grabbed her soaking boots off the planks. The pair of them walked back to Lebreau's car parked at the edge of the sand.

"You followed me?", The soldier asked between chattering teeth once she crawled her way into the passenger seat of Lebreau's truck.

"No. Claire, back on Cocoon the only place you'd let yourself have some alone time was the dock in front of my bar. You haven't changed as much as you'd like to think.", Lebreau explained with a reassuring smile as she reached behind her seat and grabbed several more thick blankets. She unraveled each of them and padded Claire's body with the fabric. She sat there shivering in the passenger seat for a long while before she spoke.

"Vanille cheated on me.", Claire whispered staring at the dock where she was once sitting with unblinking eyes. She was transfixed staring into nothing.

Lebreau couldn't manage a gasp. She couldn't manage an apology either. Her fingers endlessly fiddled with her steering wheel. No response in the world would be good enough. She would glance up at Lightning on occasion when she had come up with something to say, but quickly turned her head back down and remained silent. The storm was buffeting the root of Lebreau's truck as the minutes wore on.

"Want me to take you home?", Lebreau offered after the painful stillness.

Silence. Lightning remained still for a few moments longer.

"Claire..?"

"Is your bar free tonight?", Lightning questioned back. She had shut her eyes and leaned herself against the door of the truck as if she was attempting to fall asleep.

Lebreau sat there for a few minutes, considering what she should say.

"You know N.O.R.A. stays at the bar right?", She asked. Lightning didn't respond. Of course she knows they stay there you idiot. What kind of question was that? "I guess it's open.", Lebreau added.

"Then let's go.", Lightning responded without hesitation wrapping herself even deeper into the warm blankets. She was still shaking violently. Her pink hair was dripping. Lebreau eyed her before she started her car. In a moment of hesitation, she wondered if it was a good idea to even take the girl back to her place. A decision was reached as her keys jingled into the ignition. The rain continued surging from the sky as Lebreau's truck roared to life. Her bright headlights illuminated the dock where Claire was sitting minutes ago. For the sake of the soldier shivering next to her she turned up the heat and began driving back to her bar.