A/N: In the Paying it Forward universe, it's a follow up (of sorts) to "The Cuddlebugs" - this story is a bit more serious than most of the others posted here thus far. Pairings: Lightning/Fang, Hope/Vanille, Celes/Locke and Serah/Snow (all married)

When Lightning Outdoes Fang

"Aww, Lasswell, you must want a nap..." Lightning cooed to the newborn son Fang carried in her womb for nine months on a chilly day in the beginning of February. The brunette had just gotten done with breast feeding the baby boy and made sure his diaper was changed before anything else could be done. It was the day before that they welcomed their second child, Lasswell Raiden, to this world. Three years young Seven Michaela Yun-Farron would not stop smiling at her younger brother when he somehow kicked his way out of Fang's womb that day, which had everyone at the hospital being stopped in their tracks when she placed a gentle kiss on the baby's temple, and a vow to always protect him no matter what. Seven always wanted to be the 'Big Sis' - and thanks to Fang's success in getting pregnant to save Lightning varying headaches thanks to the Guardian Corps lately, her wish came true. What was more surprising was that Lightning had a year of paid time off to use, which the initial number of paid time off for the older Farron wasn't right. It had turn out, thanks to the younger Farron and a certain redhead, that Lightning had accumulated five years' worth of paid time off before Seven was born as opposed to the one year that was previously told close to the time Seven was born.

Lasswell Raiden Yun-Farron's time in Fang's womb was surprisingly difficult - there were a few times where no one was sure if he'd survive. Due to the nature of Fang's difficult pregnancy (the older Farron offered to carry again but the brunette wasn't having any of it), Amodar granted the pinkette the remainder of paid time off that she worked to earn so that Fang and Lasswell could make it out of the ordeal alive. It worried everyone to no end. A huge help came in the form of the Cole Family, who had moved to be closer to the Yun-Farron family two weeks after Fang got pregnant. Being experienced in what Fang was going through, Celes gave Serah and Vanille the extra set of hands that was desperately needed to ensure things turned out okay. Fang's favourite? When Celes sang Seven to sleep several nights. Locke helped out with ensuring Seven got to daycare as well, taking as much off of Lightning's plate as he could without overstepping, plus he scored them free food due to his know how's. On a financial note, the Villiers family recalled about a financial trust fund of sorts that the Farron sisters inherited when they were younger, which Snow asked Serah about it a month into the hardship that was Fang's pregnancy. Although the gigantic idiot initially feared Lightning's right hook by wondering, the older Farron was thankful for his insight into the matter.

As for Hope and Vanille's contributions, some say that it wasn't much on 'paper' but their communication with Lucien and Enya on the ordeal was one of great value due to the morale it brought. Hope felt that Fang's parents deserved to know the difficulty of this particular pregnancy, which made Fang feel even more grateful that Vanille chose the right lad to marry in Hope. It was the Estheims who called Sazh to help with transport of varying Yun medicines from Oerba to Neo Oerba that made a HUGE difference (in Lightning's opinion) - the older Farron remembered that Enya took varying medicine while she was pregnant with Fang all those years ago, yet both lasses, Lightning and Enya, were dumbfounded to learn that Fang inherited the same trait when the brunette got pregnant with Lasswell. Vanille was thinking about Lightning's pregnancy with Seven and that wasn't much easier by any means, and often wondered why Lightning was willing to get pregnant again only for Fang to shut that offer down but quickly realised that if Lightning got pregnant again it would have put the older Farron at a graver risk of being forced to retire from the Guardian Corps earlier than expected. The redhead thinks that Fang didn't want an early retirement from the GC happen if it can be prevented at any cost.

Seven Michaela Yun-Farron, however, was the MVP.

XXX

Three years young Seven Michaela Yun-Farron, in the eyes of everyone who knows the Yun-Farron family, was the one who saved Fang and Lasswell's lives while the grownups did all the 'dirty work'. Although some found that hard to believe, Lucien and Enya wholeheartedly believe it to be true. There were a few times where Seven had a nightmare and chose to sleep between Lightning and Fang, only for the older Farron to see their daughter having her small but protective arm around the womb of her younger sibling. The baby felt safe when feeling Seven's arms covering them as a means that she'll protect them, which helped Fang sleep at night. Seven's love for the baby was magical beyond words if Serah had an opinion on the matter. Upon finding out that she was going to have a younger brother, little Seven wanted Fang and Lightning to name him. Whenever Fang had the medical issues, it was Seven who could sense it at varying times before it was discovered. When the brunette was taken to the hospital to welcome her and Lightning's son to the world, Seven was more excited than everyone who accompanied them to the hospital. This time around, it was Serah who had the bag of a blanket that was handmade by the Yun Clan under Lucien and Enya's orders. Seven's face upon seeing her younger brother was priceless.

Upon their arrival home from the hospital the very first thing Fang did was, after Lightning somehow got Baby Lasswell (Vanille's description of her nephew) safely out of the car, was breastfeed their son and do the diaper changing and swaddle duties tied to newborns. It was the pinkette who offered to have a nap with their son, doing the same thing that Fang did with Seven the day after Seven was born. Without a second thought, Seven took Mama Snaggles up the stairs by the hand to have their nap while Lightning had her first nap with their son. Upon arrival to Fang and Lightning's room, Fang wasted no time in getting to bed, only to have Seven initially lie on top of her, for both had turned out to be quite exhausted from the delivery of Lasswell from Fang's womb. It would only be 30 minutes into the nap that Seven would get off of Fang and claim the empty spot where Lightning would sleep, ensuring that the brunette can exact her 'revenge' on Lightning for the photo from three years ago: a photo of Lightning napping with one day young Lasswell. Why or how Seven would get off Fang is anyone's guess but sometimes a silver haired young lass needs her space to be a big lass one day! Needless to say, the brunette still had the same type of stealth in her strut as she had before she got pregnant with Lasswell.

Before long, Fang got both her and Lightning's phone in a pocket and set up in a sense that the older Farron wouldn't suspect that anyone would get a picture of her in a moment like this, the pinkette napping with her and Fang's son. In another pocket was a digital camera where one could get a physical print made in time. The brunette had to act quicker than Lightning's namesake to pull this off, and by Lady Luck's intervention, Fang was successful in getting photos of Lightning holding their son in her arms on the sofa on every device she had on her person. Both of them, like Fang and Seven before, had a gentle smile on their face. They looked beyond the work serene, and at peace with life. It was also quicker than the speed of Lightning's namesake that said photo was sent to everyone who wanted to see, with the replies being enough to make Lightning go as red as a fire hydrant planted just outside her property. With no time to waste, the Oerban native went back to the room Seven was in so that they can resume their nap. Eventually, Lasswell's crying woke everyone up from their well-deserved nap, and the first thing that Lightning did was go to her room so that Fang can breastfeed their son. Lasswell was one hungry little lad who loved his mothers and his food!

Lightning would get the shock of her life upon checking her phone.

XXX

"FANG YUN-FARRON!" was all Lightning had to say, for the older Farron FINALLY found out about what Fang had done: take an adorable picture of her holding their newborn son in her arms the day after he was born. The comments that showed up on Lightning's device were true to the prediction of the pinkette's face being as red as the nearest fire hydrant and then some. Even the Coles, Amodar and Rygdea had something to say on the photo, although Snow was the smart one and kept his mouth shut on the matter. It took to Lightning remembering that she did the same with Fang and Seven - a physical copy of that photo still sits by its lonesome on top of the fireplace - that she wanted to give her wife a hug and say thank you for capturing this moment, which is exactly what she did when Fang finally showed her face alongside Seven. Fang, Lasswell and Seven returned the hug somehow, reminding them why they are a family from Day One and why they will forever be a family. Later on, they had a very fun, relaxing day and they all got to know their newborn son Lasswell Raiden Yun-Farron even better. What surprised everyone, however, was that Seven Michaela Yun-Farron lacked any form of jealousy towards her younger brother; she has the personality some see as the 'Big Sis' and her younger brother was fitting for her that way.

It would be Valentine's Day that Lightning would completely outdo Fang. She did everything with the kids outside the times Fang breastfed Lasswell, or 'Lassbrat' as Seven endearingly calls him. Snaggletooth deserved every moment of rest she could when the pregnancy with Lasswell had to be taken into consideration. A newer photo of the older Farron holding to both of their kids was just as sweet, with Lucien and Enya being the first ones to see that photo; it reminded them why Lightning is the perfect lass for their Snaggletooth aka Oerba Yun Fang. The older Farron, for one day, took so much weight off of Fang's shoulders that it allowed the brunette to make an eventual yet full recovery from a very difficult pregnancy. "Thank you Etro, for watching over my Fang and our newborn son Lasswell..." the pinkette quietly said in prayer of thanks and gratitude. Fang would playfully argue that it was completely on Lady Luck, but the brunette gave credit where it was due at the same time: the people who gave a damn about her and Lightning delivered on their help when it was needed to be delivered the most. With Lightning not having to return to the GC for few years, it would pay off as the married couple could see varying milestones for both of their children without having to sacrifice too much to do so.

Upon her eventual return to being an independent contractor, when Lasswell turned three, Fang gave both her wife and Seven credit for everything tied to her pregnancy with their son. "Lady Luck blessed me with them, mate. You'd lose your shit at how many times I'd have gone apeshit crazy if it weren't for them being in my life the way they are. I have a young lad in Lasswell too. My family is my definition of perfect..." the brunette was caught saying to Celes, Snow and Hope during lunch one day.

For they knew it was true.

FIN

A/N#2: Next story is in the Second Time Around universe when Seven and Sice takes up an offer from Lightning they couldn't resist.