Chapter 15

It was all simply ridiculous. My intention had been to attend the trial to possibly help Snow – to keep him from being executed. Even though he had been an irrational idiot, I didn't wish him dead. Hope had protected me from Snow's attack and with it, an immense amount of pain and anguish, but despite all of which he suffered, he did not want to see Snow's life taken away. I watched the helpless look on the young boy's face as he sat before people whispering awful things about me. Hope – and myself - hadn't expected things to take such a twisted turn.

I had become the bad guy. All because I loved, Serah. Everything was just falling apart before my very eyes.

Hope sat frozen in his seat, looking pale and sickly. There was a guilt weighing heavily upon my heart when I realized how my happiness had made so many people's lives so unhappy. Maybe it was a terribly selfish feeling to possess. Perhaps I truly am an awful person for loving Serah the way I do.

Just as doubt began to plague my mind, Serah took my hand, and squeezed it reassuringly. I turned to my side to see Serah looking back at me – trying to read my mind and the expression in my eyes.

Serah gave me one of her little crooked, sweet smiles as she mouthed silently, "I love you."

I blushed and was ashamed at how a moment ago, I was willing to let what we had go because of yet another moment of weakness. I moved my lips to profess the words I had always felt. "I love you too."

Serah smiled and laughed softly, happily, at the way her words – and my own - made my cheeks become tinged with a subdued pinkness.

Snow was peering over Mr. Vane's shoulder towards the area where Hope was seated. He stayed his gaze on Hope for a brief moment, pondering a thought I could not decipher. Immediately, Snow tore his eyes away when he could no longer stand how weak and sickly Hope looked.

There was a flash of anguish across Snow's face – a moment of regret, perhaps. When Snow's eyes forced their way onto Serah, they couldn't stay long on her either.

He was expressionless as he watched Serah stare at me with admiration. I was expecting more of an emotional response from Snow – a frown, a scowl, or the furrow of his eyebrows, but, nothing…

His eyes scanned the courtroom a little longer before they eventually fell upon me. Our eyes met and his gaze did not falter. In my own eyes, I tried not to show any animosity, but I knew they clearly expressed what I was feeling inside.

The corner of his lip twitched slightly as he stared at me with the same deadpan expression. As the Judge spoke, Snow turned forward – breaking the intense lock of our eyes as Mr. Vane proceeded to whisper strategic tips into his ear. Snow's large form shifted irritably in his seat. The clank of his handcuffs rang in my ears and jangled rhythmically like a distorted melody. Snow rolled his shoulder blades as if warming up for a race, and I felt my skin crawl uncomfortably as I watched him loll his head around in an agitated manner. I sensed something was wrong, and I had been right.

As if on cue, an ear-shattering bang erupted throughout the courtroom and invited the room into chaos. I was knocked violently back from the surprise blast. My first instinct, made me hold firmly onto Serah and shield her with my body – taking most of the flying debris on my shoulders and back. Smoke and dust filled the air in seconds as the sounds of people coughing and groaning filled my ears. I opened my eyes but was blinded by the thick haze of smoke wafting throughout the entire area.

I frantically searched and grabbed for Serah's hand, and she quickly gripped onto me. I helped pull her up and towards the light coming from the opposite end of the room as I guided her past the scurrying people. I kept an eye out for anyone in need of help, but Hope, Fang, Vanille were already assisting people by evacuating the crowd through the massive hole blown on the side of the courtroom. I spotted Mr. Kaufman offering Mr. Vane, his adversary, his shoulder as they hobbled out of the building together. In that moment, the meek and timid Mr. Kaufman had become a hero in my eyes.

"Help! Please!" I heard a voice shout from inside, and I squinted through the acrid smoke to see the Judge pinned under a large piece of fallen cement. He was scrambling to let himself loose, but to no avail.

I ran over to Fang to hand Serah trustingly over to her. "Please, make sure Serah gets out of here safely!" I instructed Fang, and charge back inside the chaos before Serah or anyone else could argue.

Back inside the burning building, I immediately coughed from stupidly breathing in a large amount of the smoke originating from the growing flames. Quickly making my way to the Judge, I slid my hands under the cement and lifted. The slab was heavy, but luckily not too much for me to be unable to free the helpless Judge. I helped him off the floor and offered him my shoulder – his right leg clearly broken.

He coughed, "Thank you, Ms. Farron! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me just yet," I quickly replied, and struggled to find the exit through the irritating smoke causing constant tears in my eyes and brutally choking me.

Through the thick smoke, I could barely make out a large figure with blonde hair standing atop the courtroom's windowsill. He was silhouetted from the faint daylight struggling to shine through the soot-covered panels. It was undoubtedly Snow leaning against the window, free from his handcuffs, and staring at me with a quiet interest.

I stood frozen in place with the coughing and hacking Judge clinging onto me, still processing what I was seeing. I think, for a moment, Snow had been smiling. But before I knew, Snow had turned away from me to jump out of the open window to escape.

I stared a while longer at the place where Snow had stood before the Judge interrupted my thoughts, "Ms. Farron," he coughed, "We need to get out of here."

Once outside, paramedics had already arrived and were rushing to help the wounded. Once I made sure the Judge received the proper help, I immediately searched for Serah. Before I walked away, he stopped me and said, "Ms. Farron, you are not a bad person. Don't listen to what people say."

I gave a little nod in understanding before the paramedics hauled him into the emergency truck and shut the back doors.

Suddenly, I felt strong, slim arms encircle my waist from behind, taking my breath away from both surprise and from the sheer force.

"Claire!" Serah cried.

I turned to see tears streaming down Serah's face as she continued to hug me fiercely.

"Claire, you're safe!" Serah exclaimed, as she nuzzled her face lovingly into my hair.

She was getting herself dirty from the soot and grim covering my entire body. "Serah, you're getting soot on you," I said, calmly, not sure what else to say.

Serah only hugged my waist tighter in a vice-like grip. Her hands were running up my back and pulling me in closer to her. I felt her body press hard against my own and I nearly forgot that I had just narrowly escaped a fire.

I hugged her back and tried not to cry from the wave of overwhelming emotions suddenly catching up with me. But before I could get too teary-eyed, Serah pounded her fists on my shoulders and said, "Idiot! You had me worried, Claire! You could have been killed!"

"I had to go back, Serah. I had to help," I explained myself, as I allowed Serah to let out her frustrations and fears through her fists.

"I know…" Serah said, and stopped hitting me. She burrowed her face against the top of my chest. Strands of hair from her bangs tickled my skin and the places where her breath touched my flesh became hot. "I'm sorry," Serah whispered, and placed her lips on the places where she had hit me. She stopped on one spot and mumbled against my skin, "You always have to be so irrational."

I felt my cheeks flush, and did not say anything as Serah relaxed in my arms. I took her face in my hands and said, "I'm just glad you're safe." I leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped me.

"I'm not kissing you, you're all dirty," Serah teased, and smiled at my shocked expression. I rubbed a thumb across my face and stared glumly at the thick and black grime covering my finger.

She pinched my cheek playfully and moved in to kiss me with an urgency. I was caught off guard again by her impulsive actions and her lips pressing hard and forcefully against my own made my knees buckle from the painful desire flowing through my veins.

I didn't want to stop the kiss, but there were more pressing matters to attend. I had to grab Serah by the shoulders to gently push her away.

Serah looked at me with a puppy-like expression and I smiled half-heatedly.

"Is something wrong?" Serah said.

"Yes…" I said, and paused.

"Well, what is it? Serah pressed, growing more concerned.

"Snow escaped," I blurted out, and Serah's eyes grew wide with realization.

Before Serah could respond, Fang and company walked into the conversation. "This guy is really starting to get on my nerves," Fang interjected. "How did he even pull this catastrophe off anyway?"

Everyone looked at each other in puzzlement. No one had a clue how Snow devised such an elaborate plan.

"There's no way he was smart enough to accomplish this on his own," Fang concluded, and pondered to herself for answers.

"Does this mean he'll be coming after Serah again?" Vanille worriedly said.

"I think his new target may be someone else…" Hope's soft voice added.

"It better not be me," Fang said.

"I'm sure it's not you, Fang," Vaniile dryly said.

"You never know," Fang said, and lackadaisically shrugged. "Then who, Hope? You?"

"No, not me," Hope nodded his head, and then looked at me. "I think he wants, Light."

"He wants her? Ugh, gross," Fang interrupted.

"I don't meant like that," Hope blushed, and continued. "Did you see the way he looked at Light during the trial? He seemed like he wanted to… you know." Hope fiddled fearfully with his fingers.

"Kill her?" Fang and Vanille said, in perfect unison.

Serah looked at me with growing fear in her eyes, and I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Fang and Vanille laughed at the notion of Snow actually being able to kill me. I had to confess, the Snow before was no threat to me, but now, I felt there was more to him, and in his gaze there existed a sense of a dead soul in a numb body.

"I'd like to see him try," I said, confidently, and Fang high-fived me. Serah and Hope looked more at ease from my words, but I couldn't help but feel things were not going to get any easier.