Lightning stared at Serah.. shock the dominant feature on her face. She smoothed her face, looking away off into the water. Serah looked very serious about this.

"I.. don't think it would work for you, Serah. It worked for me.. but. I.. " Lightning had no idea where this was coming from, her shoulders slumped. "Didn't you want to go back to school..?"

"I did." Serah said softly. "I mean.. I will, when it opens but.. for now.. I just can't be this vulnerable anymore.."

"Have you talked to Fang about this?"

"No."

"You can't just join the Guardian Corps and leave whenever you please.." Lightning spoke slowly. She never thought she'd be having this conversation with Serah of all people, the very last person she could ever picture as a soldier. They sat in silence for a moment, Lightning feeling extremely awkward. What had brought all this on? The wind played with her hair as the sun rose in the distance, they sat next to each other. It was one of the only moments they'd had alone to each other since Lightning got married.

"I need to be able to take care of myself. Snow... " Serah paused.. her head shaking slowly, "That was my fault. You could have... " Died.

"It's my job, Serah." Lightning cut her off sounding irritated. "You're not joining the Corps, I'll see to it that you won't get in. It's too dangerous."

Well that was finalized, Serah's shoulders slumped but she didn't object.

"So.." Lighting started, keen on changing the subject. "You're pretty happy, huh?" Lightning smiled sideways at her.

"Very.." Serah grinned.

"I still don't know what you see in her." Lightning said with a smirk. "But I guess I don't have to."

Serah looked at Lightning, "You trust my judgment..?"

"I've always trusted you, It's the other people I didn't trust. Rightfully so with Snow I might add.." Lightning nodded.

"Do you trust Fang?"

Lightning went quiet at this, thinking. "I.. guess I do." Lightning sat up sighing, coming to her feet slowly. Her midsection was still rather tender but she could walk and stand on her own at this point, even if she technically wasn't supposed to. She walked to the other side of the roof, opposite of the water. "Serah.."

"Yeah?" Serah stood and walked to stand next to her sister.

"I spoke to a contractor today." Lightning muttered, staring at a building across the street.

"Oh." Serah said, a bit unsure what that meant.

"See that building?" Lightning pointed at it.

"Yeah.."

"They're going to tear it down." Lightning grinned.

"How come?" Serah asked.

"Because.. I'm having a house built for you." Lightning beamed, turning to look at her sisters astonished face.

Serah gasped, her mouth hanging open. Words failed her, so Lightning continued.

"I think you're old enough, and well, I'd imagine you two would want some privacy.." Lightning finished with narrow eyes despite herself.

Serah all but threw herself at her sister, her arms landing around her neck. Lightning groaned.

"Careful.." Lightning sighed, holding her side.

"I'm sorry!" Serah said shrilly. "Oh.. Oh thank you so much, Claire!"

Lightning paused, wrapping her arms around her sister. Serah wasn't getting married but for some reason it still felt like she was letting her go again. Even though she was only moving across the street. It was odd how in just three short years the maternal instincts had grown so strong inside of her.

"Serah if she ever hurts you.."

"..You'll take her to a dark alley and beat her face in with a shovel." Serah recited in a textbook fashion. "I know.. I'll tell you." She smiled.

"Not in that state I hope." Fang's chuckle came from behind them, Serah immediately flitted to her side, her eyes wide with excitement "Do you think you could even hold a shovel above your head right now, Light?"

"Tsch." Lightning scoffed, hobbling across the length of the roof to stand in front of Fang, her arms folded. "I don't know, I've got a pretty high pain tolerance you know.."

"I'd imagine." Fang grinned. "Vanille's got some sharp nails."

Serah giggled. Lightning sighed.

Fang always has to take it one step further.

"Fang, Claire's buying me a house!" Serah exploded happily. Fang's face immediately changed.

"Wow.." Fang breathed. "That's huge. Good of ya, Soldier." Fang reached over and patted Lightning on the shoulder.

"I expect you'll keep all the furniture intact." Lightning grinned. She was referring to a near screaming match that occurred when she'd first returned from the hospital and found the kitchen table missing. She'd assumed right off the bat that Serah and Fang broke it, and of course her mind went straight to the gutter, and her temper through the roof.

"Hey, I haven't broken any furniture darling, that's from your own twisted mind." Fang laughed, draping an arm around Serah naturally.

Lightning watched Fang's face change when Serah was in her arms, it softened. The taller woman glanced down towards Serah's face as if it were so important she couldn't look away. It made Lightning wonder how differently Fang acted around Serah. If it were anything like it looked right now, Serah was treated like a queen. Lightning let her eyes fall to Serah face, whose eyes were closed, and the small smile on her face was soft. Content. A face she was used to seeing on Vanille. She suddenly missed her wife.

Deciding to give them their moment Lightning started down the stairs slowly. Her healing ribs gave her a slight limp and she used the wall for support. Vanille, hearing footsteps, popped her head out of the bedroom and locked eyes with with wife. They smiled at each other.

"Up here talkin' about me huh?" Fang smirked, finally letting Serah go.

"Actually I had something to ask her.." Serah started, looking away.

"What's that?"

"It was about joining the Guardian Corps.." Serah said in a small voice, mildly afraid of hearing Fang's reaction.

"The Guardian Corps?" Fang repeated, dumbstruck.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I just wanted to get stronger..." Serah sighed.

"Soldiers aren't strong." Fang chuckled, Serah turned to look at her, slightly confused. "I mean sure they're in shape, buff, well equipped but the military is only about strength in numbers. Find one on their own and they're not a threat at all." Fang took a seat looking mildly amused. She never found the idea of a military impressive, not the ones that came from Cocoon, anyway. "None of them stand out, they're uniformed. Meant to look exactly like one another. Really, I could probably take them all on, one on one." Fang finished, smugly.

"That's it!" Serah said, dawning crossing her face, her eyes were wide. "Fang, you can teach me!"

"Teach you...?" Fang looked weary.

"To fight!" Serah chirped, sitting on Fang's lap. "And hunt, and you can teach me how to write in Pulsian.."

Fang raised an eyebrow. "What's this about?"

"Nothing. I just.. I'm an adult now, and I'm going to have my own house. I want to be able to protect myself.."

"Sounds like you're trying to be someone else.." Fang said before Serah's hands landed on her shoulders.

"I'm not! I've just always had someone there to come and rescue me, or protect me. Why is it so bad that I want to be able to do this for myself?"

They stared at each other for a while, Fang trying to read Serah's face.

"Hmm.." Fang rumbled.

Serah just continued staring at her, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, okay. I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Really?" Serah grinned. "When can we start..?"

"Well, when are you ready to leave?" Fang asked, excited at the idea of being alone with Serah again.

Lightning held Vanille close, their lips moving melodically against each others. Bliss. And to think she'd almost lost this forever..

"Claire!" Serah's voice came, and the footsteps down the stairs were thunderous, she'd just barely moved her head an inch to the side, separating her lips from Vanille's when the door struck her in the back.

"Erggg." Lightning grunted, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes as the blow ran through her most injured body parts.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" Serah rubbed her sister's back, noticing then that she might have just interrupted something.

"What is it?" Lightning opened her eyes again.

"We're leaving." Serah said. As Lightning turned to face her she saw Fang walk past the door and heard her footsteps down the stairs.

"What?"

"We're going camping again." Serah said with a grin, barely able to contain herself.

"Oh.." Lightning said, lowering her eyes. She felt her sisters kiss on her cheek, and Serah moved on to hug Vanille.

"I'm going to bring the Com so I can talk to you. I don't know how long we'll be gone.." Serah said. "But we'll be fine so don't worry!"

"A-Alright.." Lightning stumbled. "Be safe. Stay with Fang." She spoke at Serah's back, who was already on her way out the door. A few moments later she heard the front door close.

"That was abrupt.." Lightning whispered. Staring at the spot where Serah was standing a few moments ago.

"Better get used to it.." Vanille's arms came around her from behind. "Fang's pretty spontaneous." Lightning turned around in Vanille's arms and stared down at her.

"Don't be sad, you've still got me." Vanille smiled happily.

Lightning grinned down at her. She was always so positive sounding.

"And.. now we've got the house to ourselves." Vanille grinned wickedly. "Just you and me. Oh gosh what could we possibly do." Vanille feigned ignorance which made Lightning smile wider.

"I'm still pretty sore you know.." Lightning said, but there was no use. She was already being backed into the bed. They kissed. Vanille hovered on top of her making sure not to place any pressure on her body.

"I need to tell you something.." Lightning whispered against Vanille's lips, Vanille protested against the talking with a small sigh.

Lightning chuckled.

"Hey its serious, give me 2 minutes."

Vanille sat up on Lightning's lap, her hands roaming under Lightning's shirt exploring her smooth stomach. She smiled at her wife. "What is it darlin'?"

"After I pay off Serah's house I'm retiring, probably end of this year." Lightning said slowly, watching Vanille's face.

"But.. I thought it's what you love doing. You aren't doing this for me are you?" Vanille said, nonplussed. Her insides were flowing with relief but at the same time she knew this was Lightning's livelihood. Lightning just reached up and touched Vanille's face.

"I didn't think I'd see you again.." Lightning said quietly. "I said I'd be yours forever, so.. I'd like to be around. It's too hard thinking about.. going out and risking my life knowing you're waiting for me at home. I want to grow old with you, Vanille."

Vanille's face froze. Her lips slightly parted, she took a deep breath to hold in the tears. This was quite possibly the sweetest thing Lightning had ever said to her. The fight they had meant nothing anymore. They stared now into each others eyes, Vanille remembering why she had fallen so deeply in love with the woman before her.

"Oh.." She breathed, lost in Lightning's azure gaze. The affection that emanated between them was overwhelming. Vanille's body wavered, the blood rushing into her brain making her dizzy, she crawled off of Lightning's lap to lay next to her. Their hands joined and Lightning rolled onto her side so as not to break the gaze. Lightning scooted closer, until their foreheads were touching before she brought a hand up to brush Vanille's cheek. Vanille, who was breathing heavily from the pure emotion of the act, let her eyes fall closed before she tilted her head, letting her lips brush against Lightning's.

As they kissed the feelings that pulsed through Lightning were so incredible. She was given a second chance, no, a third chance with Vanille. She would never take the girl for granted again. Their future together looked brighter than ever. The small hands that ran through her sporadic pink locks shook slightly, and it was then that Lightning felt wetness on her nose. She opened her eyes without breaking the kiss to see tears flowing freely on Vanille's face, happy tears on a content face. Lightning brushed them away softly, she held her closer wondering how anything could ever be this good, and what she'd done to be worthy of it. Lightning then remembered her vow, smiling against Vanille's lips..

Forever.

Serah held her makeshift lance at her side. Staring off into the distance, from this angle she saw something truly unique. The sun was falling behind the hollow shell of Cocoon, as the sunlight hit the solid object it refracted into several colors, casting an odd light down onto everything. She was on a cliff overhanging a small lake, two small boulders rested beside her. It seemed like she could see everything from this vantage point.

"Now, remember how I taught you to hold it?" Fang asked from behind her.

She turned and gripped the wood in her hands, bending her knees slightly to demonstrate what she'd learned.

"Right." Fang said. "Ready?" The tribal woman held a grin, her arms folded as she walked to the edge of the cliff and glanced down at Serah first mark. A stray Ugallu stood at the waters edge below them drinking from the lake. Serah stared at it uneasily, he looked kind of big from here.

"Uh. Yeah." Serah said abruptly, she could feel the blood leave her face.

"You'll do fine, sweetheart. I'll be there in case it goes wrong. You can do this." Fang's arm came around her waist as she began easing her down the hill. Fang drew her lance and stood behind her.

"Whenever you're ready, darling." Fang smiled. The little chocobo flew out of her sari to stand on her shoulder, as if trying to get a better view.

Serah took a deep breath, as she took a step forward. The beast turned to greet her with a loud roar, she bent her knees and narrowed her eyes, running forward to take the first swing of her knew identity. From now on Serah would be in charge of her own destiny. The first drops of blood were drawn from the beast, to Serah it seemed as if the whole action was playing out in slow motion, underneath the radiant light cast from Cocoon's shadow she was ready to become everything she'd always been holding back.

When the beast fell, she stood for a moment staring at it uneasily.

Did I really do that..?

She turned to see Fang smiling pridefully. That beautiful heartbreaking smile was all the confirmation Serah would ever need.