In the Paying it Forward Universe, Celes plays a role in a certain couple getting engaged. How big is her role, and will one propose to the other - or will they propose to each other at the same time? Pairings: Lightning/Fang (endgame engaged), Celes/Locke (married)

Lady Luck and Vector's Undefeatable General

"Doing the happy dance... doing the happy dance... doing the happy dance..." Celes sings while dancing in the driver's seat of the car she and and her husband Locke share that's not tied to Guardian Corps work (Locke was in the passenger seat due an injury to the foot he drives in - and thankfully for him, Celes had paid time off from the GC to help him heal from said injury), which Locke couldn't help but laugh his arse off at his wife's antics, knowing that she, alongside himself, wanted Lightning and Fang to be one step closer to saying 'I Do' - the Fangrai couple are their closest friends/mates, who deserve the nothing but the very best in life. "You finally got the rings, Celes?" was all Locke had to ask his wife, for the Vector native continuing to do the Happy Dance while in the driver's seat gave away why Celes was so happy. The blonde was able to get the car started and drove away from the jeweler near Oerba in Gran Pulse with the matching engagement rings in hand, after using the blood free diamonds from the Yun Clan, given to the Vector native by Lucien and Enya personally to combine with the pure platinum bands that came from Vector to form the engagement rings.

It was Celes who had talks with Fang's parents in private about Fang and Lightning getting engaged, something only one other person had any amount of knowledge on: Hope Estheim. Why Hope, one asks? Oerba Dia Vanille, his better half. If Vanille got a single word on the engagement plans, Lightning would have found out one way or another, and said plans would have been ruined to where a Plan B would have to be planned and executed as quick as Lightning's namesake, and that's the one thing Celes didn't want for the two closest pals she's had since moving to the Neo Oerba/New Paddra region of the planet. To make it more interesting, it was the redhead who is known for spoiling news to anyone and everyone, especially one particular couple: Snow and Serah. As for calls to make, the blonde had to make separate calls: one to Fang about the ring for Lightning, and the other one to Light regarding the ring for Fang. If anything, Celes had an interesting - but surprisingly not difficult - time with not letting one know about the ring meant for them. It wouldn't take long for the Coles to return to their hotel outside of Oerba for the remainder of their trip and then head back to Neo Oerba.

After all, Celes had a reputation to keep.

XXX

"Light, what's the nickname Celes is known by back in Vector...?" Fang asked her girlfriend, upon noticing a newspaper article on the blonde pertaining to Celes' notoriety for getting the right people to justice without losing. "She's known as 'Vector's Undefeatable General', Fang. Back in Vector, she brought in people like Kefka Palazzo, Matheus... don't remember his surname but he's a fucking prick, some lad whose first name is Vayne and someone else I can't recall the name of... all of whom she got harsh sentences for regarding the crimes they did. No criminal got past her, which is why Amodar wanted her to come here and work for the GC..." Lightning explained to the brunette, causing the Oerban native to release a quiet chuckle, recalling how the blonde was miraculously able to bring a thug known as Seifer to justice for what was revealed to be a hate crime against the Dia and Yun Clans plus aggravated assault on two lasses from Tycoon: Faris and Lenna. If anything, Fang was grateful to see that Lightning got a good colleague like Celes working with her. What Light doesn't know is that Fang gave Celes some blood free diamonds to create an engagement ring for Lightning, because the brunette plans on popping the big question to the pinkette really soon.

In the meantime, Lightning continues to cook the food for the couple without a care in the world. Usually, the older Farron doesn't set foot in the kitchen to cook but after being given a recipe for a meal Fang fancies from Oerba Yun Lucien and Enya, Fang's parents, it was about time that Lightning tries her hand at cooking a meal for her girlfriend. With this particular instance, the overall process was a walk in the park, with everything turning out just how Fang wants her literally salty food. After all, Lightning was given blood free diamonds by the head of the clans on Gran Pulse - which one Celes Cole is in sole possession of at the moment - yet Fang has NO clue that Lightning plans on proposing to her soon. In fact, Lightning was far more secretive with plans like this than anyone who knew her. It was through a chance talk with Celes and Hope at the GC HQ that they found out about the older Farron's plans to propose to her girlfriend as soon as she could. Once the food was all done, the couple had a quiet and relaxing dinner together. Fang couldn't talk as the food was really made to her specifications, making Lightning smile the smile only meant for her girlfriend. The talks of marriage resumed once again, but the topic was - surprisingly - how many ceremonies, due to the differing takes on Cocoon as opposed to Gran Pulse.

Yet they secretly waited for Celes to come back with the engagement rings.

XXX

Celes meets Lightning at the GC cafeteria for lunch on a Monday - Hope was off from the GC that day due to excessive hours worked - which the Vector native gave the older Farron the ring meant to propose to Fang with. It was made exactly how Lightning wanted it (the older Farron is still trying to understand how she earned the blood free diamonds from Lucien and Enya), which the pinkette immediately put the small black box in her maroon pouch, which said pouch is strapped to her leg. In return, Lightning gave Celes the best news: Celes' close mate from Vector, Terra Branford, was able to not only move into the Neo Oerba/New Paddra area legally, Terra was also able to obtain her citizenship so that she can start the plans for her no-kill shelter to get up and running as a legitimate business. It was moments like this that saw the reason why the two lasses considered each other buddies. After lunch, the duo go back to their respective offices to finish up the paperwork they had for the day, because things were 'lame as fuck' (how Lightning would describe a light workload day), with the older Farron wanting to go home and fuck the daylights out of Fang, with Celes wanting to go home and... you can figure out the rest.

The exception to this was Celes and her secret meeting she had with Fang. With the brunette, the Vector native had the ring for Fang to propose to Lightning with in her possession, which was given to Fang before the Oerban native had a chance to say anything. "So you want to get home and give Locke some head, eh?" Fang asks the Vector native, only for the brunette to be proven wrong. "I gave him head this morning, Snaggletooth! I just want to get to the dog we just adopted - Interceptor is his name, and don't ask on the name. He's so damn cute!" Celes counters, ensuring that Fang had the wrong idea about Celes' plans once she got home. The duo was able to finish their cup of coffee - plus bagel - at the cafe they frequented for their private talks about Lightning and/or Locke if push came to shove on the matter before heading to their respective homes. If anything, Celes was more grateful than ever to play a major role in the two people who accepted her for who she is to finally have something to ensure they'll be engaged. After all, Celes is their biggest cheerleader that wasn't Serah, Vanille or even Hope. Snow and Locke outdid the rest besides Celes: Snow had violently beaten up a pair of thugs who talked down Lightning and Fang regarding their sexuality, while Locke, in a separate incident, took valuable belongings from another but similar pair - and got away with it.

In other words, Lightning and Fang had an army that protected them to no end - even if the method was sometimes questionable like Snow and Locke's methods.

Or a verbal riot act like Serah and Vanille.

XXX

Three weeks pass, yet Fang and Lightning haven't found the time to pop the question to each other. If it weren't for Lightning's odd but temporary switch of work hours at the GC for one week, it was the expedition Fang took on three days after getting the engagement ring for Lightning from Celes, which the brunette returned from that only two days ago. The Oerban native was TIRED and Lightning made sure Fang rested and did little else. Fortunately for today, which was a Friday and Lightning was given the okay to leave the GC HQ early by Amodar, Lightning set up the dining room to their shared home in a way that would knock the socks off of Fang. The older Farron was able to include the ring meant to propose to Fang with in her maroon pouch, which Fang doesn't know the contents of to this day. This was while Lightning was making dinner - again. In the time that Fang was away on the expedition, the older Farron made serious improvements to her cooking, and using her GC know how's to contact Lucien and Enya for pointers on cooking when in doubt. Despite the fact that Fang was running a few errands for reasons unknown, Lightning had put on (literal) blast varying Gran Pulsian music which reminded her of Fang, and their first visit to Oerba when Lightning met Lucien and Enya for the first time.

Where was Fang? She was at the grocery store, picking up a few cases of Strawberry Dr. Mog, a 3 liter bottle of additional Strawberry Dr. Mog, 2 pints of Rocky Road Ice Cream and 2 pints of Chocoberry Sherbert - and a pregnancy test for Celes as a gag gift. Thanks to Lady Luck it didn't take Fang long to return home to her girlfriend - complete with the gag gift for Celes. Once Fang entered the shared home, it took everything within the brunette to NOT drop the items in her hands, as their dining room was beautifully set up, with the theme showing off Lightning's romantic side of herself. The Oerban native was, somehow, able to get the beverages into the cooler which gave Lightning just enough time to finally make her appearance. "Fang..." was all Lightning was able to say, for her girlfriend embraced her in back crushing, bone breaking hug. "Thank you for this, Sunshine..." was all Fang needed to say, for the older Farron knew everything else that was to be said. Making sure that the portions were just enough for the two of them, the couple had a relaxed, quiet dinner which Lightning herself made. The only communication made between the pair was through the expressive eyes, and the gentle smiles they shared with each other throughout the dinner.

It was after dinner that the couple FINALLY made their move - at the same time. Fang made her affectionate ramble to Lightning about how much the older Farron meant to her, with the pinkette doing the same in return once Fang once done. Celes must have known about certain things becuase moments later the couple pulled out a small black box - which a beautiful ring was inside those boxes. Fang and Lightning gave each other a look that asked "Is this what I think it is...?" before opening the black boxes and asking each other "Will you marry me?" at the same time. With 'fuck yeah, I'll marry the shit out of you' being the mutual answer, Lightning and Fang shared an embrace and kiss as a (FINALLY) engaged couple, with the rings not only being a perfect fit but the rings also matching each other's to the letter. Needless to say that a few days later, Celes brags to everyone how she knew that Lightning and Fang were going to be engaged before Serah and Vanille - after all, Celes IS Vector's Undefeatable General.

As for the gag gift? Celes actually used it - and found out that she is expecting her first child with Locke.

Lady Luck was on Celes' side in the end.

FIN

A/N #2: In the Second Time Around universe, Lightning, Seven and Rydia have an interesting chat about their respective spouses - with a certain Miq'ote and Lyse. Does this give Leon the needed confidence to ask someone out on a date?