A/N: In the Paying it Forward universe, Caius stands up for the Fangrai couple. What prompts him, and his daughter Yeul, to do so - and will this change a certain person's view of him? This is the IMMEDIATE follow up to 'Cursed No More'. Pairings: Lightning/Fang (married), Celes/Locke (married) and Serah/Snow (married)

Caius in Zen Mode

"Papa... Should we jump in and stop the harassment they are receiving...? Yuel asks her father in a pleading tone, who has had enough of the bullshit Lightning and Fang have been getting lately as he's seeing the very same things as Yuel has. Right now, the single father is struggling to keep it all together, for he remembers how he earned the respect of the Yun-Farron family after the interview for his talk show, especially the oldest child, Seven. The fact that it was the silver haired girl's happy reaction to what she found out after the interview made was one that made Caius' day much brighter when he found out how joyful she was upon learning that he adopted both a cat and a horse for Yuel and himself. For a while, Caius initially thought that it was best to NOT intervene in matters that don't involve him, but parts of what they were hearing had him at his boiling point usually is enough to send him over the edge like he's known to do in the past. Lightning and Fang changed me for the better...they need someone outside of Celes, Locke, Serah, Hope, Vanille and Snow sticking up for them - I know some people at the Guardian Corps don't truly approve Lightning and Fang's relationship. EVERY clan on Gran Pulse loves them. I have to make this right... Caius thought to himself, trying to find a real way to do the right thing without laying a finger on a single person involved in what they're seeing in front of them. Which is hard for him to do.

Giving an internal thanks once more to one Celes Cole for a chat about Lightning and Fang's relationship the day before the interview, Caius wanted to earn Lightning and Fang's friendship, as well as earn Serah's forgiveness from his past actions, although he doesn't know that the younger Farron already forgave him and Snow seeing him as an honourary member of NORA, who was recently announced as an official partner of the Guardian Corps alongside SeeD. Although it took him a while longer than he wanted to gather the courage, the single father - and daughter - approached the clusterfuck of a scene where things were about to get more chaotic than what was initially seen by the duo. Both Caius and Yuel had to act as fast as Lightning's namesake if the desired resolution was to be made into a reality. It wasn't just for the sake of the Fangrai couple at this point, as far as Caius was concerned. It wasn't just for the sake of the Cole, Villiers and Estheim family either, and THAT was self-explanatory if certain people were present to witness what Caius and Yuel are seeing now. Not at all by any means here! It was FAR more personal than that in this case for at least Caius, to make his daughter proud of that he's becoming for her. It was how Caius wanted to redeem himself as a good person, a decent lad and the father his daughter deserves to have in her life.

In short: redemption.

XXX

Fang and Lightning are having a quiet lunch date away from the Yun-Farron household when the couple get harassed by varying homophobic dipshidiots and misogynistic douche canoes (Lightning's exact description of those who harass the pair for 'shits and giggles') - again. On one of Lightning's days off from work at the Guardian Corps of all days for it to happen to them. The married couple wanted to have a quiet lunch to celebrate one of their many anniversaries (Serah found it hilariously adorable that the duo celebrates more than one 'anniversary' each year) - this particular one was when Lightning agreed to give Fang a chance, which a quiet lunch date was how the pair celebrated that occasion, with a quiet lunch date together. In this particular instance, the harassment Fang and Lightning were getting while having lunch was about to come to physical blows between them and the pair. Lightning was trying to avoid a confrontation just as much as Fang, but it was to no avail. Lady Luck was their guardian angel for the simple reason that the older Farron sister being a member of the GC would help their case become more ironclad, and the less room for those dipshidiots and douche canoes to wiggle themselves out of the better the case would be.

It didn't take long for this instance to get verbally out of hand, as the aforementioned group became more and more clever with their words and ignoring them was really proving to be a real waste of time (Celes and Locke volunteered to babysit Seven and Lasswell so that the Fangrai pair can have their annual lunch date). While Lightning was stretching her neck, Fang was cracking her knuckles, knowing that this time around, fists are bound to go flying in every direction unless someone stepped in to intervene with the clusterfuck of a fiasco that is happening in public FAST. To make matters more interesting, any form of assault against GC Personnel is said to be a serious felony with a hefty fine and a prison sentence that would make Jihl Nabaat look like a goddess for her high school orgy. While it is unknown if the dipshidiots and douche canoes know of this law in particular, they simply don't give a shit if the Fangrai couple got hurt by them in the end for their actions. It was both Lightning and Fang who made a secret prayer to both Etro and Lady Luck to send them something - or someone - to give them a helping hand on this, as they were clearly outnumbered and (quite possibly) out armed in case they need to defend themselves - until a familiar voice made himself heard. What was it they heard?

"At least I rode on their horse Odin."

XXX

Caius made himself, as well as his daughter Yuel, known to the entire group when he made the surprising announcement - which was well known and factual. Caius did, in fact, ride on Odin the horse. It was both the statement and how he delivered it that had EVERYONE turn their attention towards him. The single father was PISSED, and the last thing anyone wanted to do is piss off a Gran Pulsian like Caius Ballad. He wasn't having any of the bullshit that came from the dipshidiots and douche canoes, which Yuel followed her father's suit on the matter, which makes this meeting the first time Lightning and Fang ever met his daughter. It was that comment that took the weight off of the Fangrai pair's shoulders, for Caius Ballad was the LAST LIKELY person to show up and saved their arses even though Lightning had her survival knife on her person, of all things! Everyone who wasn't Fang or Lightning ran in the opposite direction faster than Lightning's namesake, for they knew to not fuck with Caius Ballad at any time and for any reason. If anyone had to be honest here, this took the Fangrai pair by surprise, but in the best way because no one got physically hurt in the end. When the married couple smiled at the single father/daughter duo, it made Caius' day much better. This also made Yuel feel proud of herself for being the only daughter and child of one Caius Ballad, more so than ever before.

"Thanks..." was all Lightning said, all she needed to say, that had Yuel smiling her best smile. She knew that the married couple were beyond grateful that one lone sentence was enough to scare them away without further incident. "This must be the kiddo Yuel, yea?" Fang asked before reaching out with her hand for Yuel to shake, which Yuel immediately accepted the gesture from the brunette. Lightning was then introduced to Caius' daughter, which Yuel wanted a hug from the Cocoonian, something the older Farron sister was willing to give to Yuel: a hug. A short conversation was made between the group before the father/daughter duo decided to join the married couple for their 'quiet lunch date', now that it wasn't a quiet one anymore. "Caius...before you ask, yes you've earned our friendship. And Serah already forgave you for whatever happened in the past. But thanks for having our backs like that, in all seriousness..." the pinkette reveals to the single father, who was at a real loss for words. Not only did he earn their friendship, but Serah also forgave him. It took a bit of time, but Caius admitted that he had to go into 'Zen Mode' in order for a situation like the one Fang and Lightning were in doesn't have a sad ending to it. Fang couldn't stop smiling at the confession from a fellow Gran Pulsian, for the Oerban native knew it to be nothing but absolute truth, only because some things would need everything for cooler heads to prevail.

From that day on, Caius and Yuel would meet Fang and Lightning at the same place for the 'quiet lunch date' at the same day every year, until Caius and Yuel would move back to Gran Pulse, which they would eventually learn that the Fangrai couple would move to Oerba, which at that point the tradition could resume where it left off.

It was this incident that made Caius Ballad a better person.

One with Caius in Zen Mode.

FIN

A/N #2: Next story is in the Second Time Around universe, and it's the Fangrai wedding ceremony!