A/N: This is Take Two of In Her Honour, this time in the Second Time Around universe. Pairing focus: Sebusai (married). Celes/Terra (married), Leon, Lightning and Firion/Maria (married) are mentioned and/or featured.

In Her Honour, Take Two

Firion and Leon love the Sebusai couple like sisters, Leon especially. Being the older brother of Maria, Leon is fiercely protective of any female he is either related to, is buddies with... or even Minfilia, the love of his life. He does things in a female's honour that would make his and Maria's parents proud of the lad he is becoming, despite the dark past he went through, which Lightning worked to clear his name of so that the Fynn native can have a future to be proud of. With that being said, Celes and Terra were immediately added to that list as soon as they met Leon after their move from Vector to Bodhum-Oerba. It was today, of all days, that Leon wanted to start planning for Seven's birthday which is in late September, something that the silver haired lass doesn't make a deal about, although Sice and everyone else who knows the Sebusai pair well enough want to ensure that Seven has as happy of a birthday that's celebrated as possible. Seven is one who puts herself last, behind everyone else, mainly because during her upbringining in Akademia in Rubrum, she was far more concerned about everyone else like a Big Sis than she was concerned about herself. It was this type of selflessness from Seven that made things so endearing for Sice, more than enough for the white-haired lass to date and then marry Seven.

Leon's heart broke for Seven in a way. With the amount of time he's known her, she's done far more for others due to her Big Sis nature, without asking for anything in return from anyone. It was a particular weekend that Leon, Firion, Celes & Terra have a friendly chat at the cafe to discuss things tied to Seven's upcoming birthday. While the actual birthday wasn't a milestone birthday, they all felt that Seven should be celebrated at the very least, for all that she's done for them after all this time. With Celes, it was a huge way, because Seven gave Celes Lightning's contact info via the silver haired lass' chance encounter with Terra so that the Vector native can locate the Guardian Corps office in a reasonable time, where Celes was welcomed like a shero Rydia, Edge and all Hope see her as. The others make note of this - along with Seven and Sice's wedding being part of a dual ceremony where Maria married Firion on the same day and venue - and the small group, using a pad of paper and a working pen, make a list of gifts and ideas to help make Seven's upcoming birthday a very happy birthday, something the silver haired lass hasn't truly had for quite some time. Celes immediately sided with Leon for varying ideas, as the blonde knows a few things from having closely worked with Lightning in recent times.

A few hours later, their complete list was agreed on and knowing that everyone else but Seven would know of the plans in short period of time after this meeting, the entire group agreed with the list, after making a few tweaks to it.

Seven would be overwhelmed with gratitude, with Leon being the mastermind of celebrating a person that is important to him, in her honour.

Things would be a matter of time.

XXX

Seven, being Seven, is hanging out with Odin and her nephew Kurasame, clearly enjoying her role as aunt to Kurasame, plus one of Odin's hoomans - perhaps her being Odin's main hooman; her wife Sice having a nap with their newborn daughter Kazumi. Two of my treasures with me right now, while Sice is with Kazumi. I wonder what I have done to deserve a life like this, where people love being around me despite having silver hair and violet eyes, but that is fine with me, because they see me as a good person in this life I live today. If I could find a way to bottle up these moments to look at when we get older... the silver haired lass mused to herself, lost in her thoughts while interacting with her nephew and the beloved cat with a genuine smile of gratitude on her face. Despite the work she does outside the house, Seven somehow finds time to be with her nephew, and by extension, Odin the cat. Seven loves everyone equally, and genuinely having no favourites in life. Despite knowing that her own birthday is a short time away, the silver haired lass treats it as if it is another day of the week. According to Sice, it's possible that life in Akademia played a role in how Seven views her own birthday and also putting others ahead of herself, but even the white-haired lass doesn't know the real reason why that is the case.

With some time passed since Leon, Firion, Celes & Terra having that meeting in the cafe, and by that, a week, Sice was approached by Leon for anything that 'Seven's Wife' would know about the silver haired lass regarding the plans and gifts for Seven so that if anyone can finally have a fantastic birthday, it would be Seven. Although Sice provided a small amount of information to the Fynn native, the small amount of info, in Leon's eyes, was enough to make one more tweak to the plans. The smile Leon had once processing that was a genuine smile meant for those who are important to him. All of this being done and Seven was helping with Kazumi while Kurasame and Odin are taking a quality nap of sorts. With Seven being unable to hear anything going on, this made Leon's week so much better. Seven, like Lightning, is a sister to him. She mattered. Lightning, being the observant along with having the title of oldest sister of three, offered a fist bump to the Fynn native because that type of planning he's doing for the baby sister is what she will love. After all, Lightning Knows Best (according to Terra, but Maria more so). There was a paper bag filled with takeout for Leon to take home so that he and his partner, Minfilia, can enjoy the food.

All in all, Lightning is the way that Leon is doing what he's doing for Seven's upcoming birthday in her honour. In reality, Leon needed help, and Lightning, upon finding out the planning was for Seven, stepped up to help in the matter.

It was something that Leon wanted to do sooner, but lacked courage. Doing things late is better than not doing it at all.

Leon and Maria's mother would be proud.

FIN

A/N #2: Next story is still in the Second Time Around, where Rydia and Hope team up and plan something special for the Fangrai couple - with Seven's help!