Epilogue

Author's Note: Here is the final installment of The Simple Life. It won't be my last Fanille story, but I'm glad to finally be able to post the last chapter. I posted two chapters tonight, so make sure you didn't miss Chapter Seventeen. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and supported this story. All of your reviews, PMs, favorites and follows really inspired me to keep writing the story and made me so happy. You're all really awesome! :) I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Fang came out of her memories with a sigh and ignored the constricted feeling that developed in her chest. Those days had been wonderful, and she missed everyone so much, especially Konnor. If only she and Vanille could return to those happy days when they had not soon realized that their world would come crashing down upon them. When Fang had left to attack Anima in the temple, Fang had thought that she would probably never see the woman she loved again. Instead, Vanille had followed her, saving her life, and the two of them had been branded as Pulse l'Cie and given a dangerous mission. Their lives had changed forever from that moment, because they had been forced to accept their focus or turn into Cie'th.

Even worse, returning to the memories of the good days had reminded her once again that everyone she loved was gone. She and Vanille were headed toward a graveyard at best.

The sound of faint footsteps behind her stirred her from her thoughts.

"Couldn't sleep?" Fang inquired with a sigh.

Vanille shook her head, a troubled look coming over her features as she sat at Fang's side and rested her head against her shoulder. "What're you thinking about?"

"The past," Fang admitted, smiling faintly at her as she tried to disguise her misery.

Vanille hugged her arm and smiled. "You mean before we became l'Cie?"

Fang nodded, resting her head against the top of Vanille's. "Before we left Oerba."

Vanille grinned happily. "I miss those days."

"Me, too." Fang frowned, her brows furrowing.

"But it's okay that we're not there anymore," Vanille exclaimed with a faint smile, trying to remain positive, pulling back to look at her. "As long as we're together, I don't care. We'll complete our focus, Fang, and even if we go back into the crystals, we can be together forever."

Fang smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around Vanille, hugging the surprised girl closer and holding her tightly. "I'm glad we're together again. I was so worried..."

Vanille snuggled against her, her arms wrapping tightly around Fang's waist. "No matter what happens, we'll be together forever. Right?"

"Yeah, we will." Fang pressed her cheek to the top of Vanille's head and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair.

Fang had known it already, but as she held Vanille in her arms, she realized another time that she could not live without the woman wrapped in her arms. No matter what had happened throughout her life, she had always thought about Vanille. Every action had been meant to help or protect Vanille in some way. Now her only mission could be to rescue Vanille from becoming a Cie'th. She could care less about Cocoon or Gran Pulse as long as her love was safe. Even the others were less important to her, no matter how she came to like them. It was her responsibility, especially because it was her fault that Vanille had been branded in the first place.

Her only comfort was that if Vanille had not been turned, she never would have seen her again. The two of them were still together, and that was a gift no matter how it had come to be.

Vanille pulled away and kissed Fang's cheek. "Don't think about sad things, okay? We're together now, so everything's fine."

Fang smiled apologetically, tucking Vanille's hair behind her ears and tenderly stroking her face. "Sorry. I just wish we could go back. We could have lived our lives there. We could've been happy."

"You dunno what would've happened if we didn't become l'Cie," Vanille corrected gently, tracing her fingers down Fang's cheek. "Neither of us can ever know, so we shouldn't think about it."

Fang nodded, leaning forwards to capture Vanille's lips, kissing her with desperate passion beneath the cradle of stars. She did not mind that the others were sleeping nearby, because she and Vanille had scarcely had a moment to themselves since they had been reunited and she still had not completely gotten over worrying about her.

Eventually they pulled away from each other and Vanille breathed in deeply before nestling her head against Fang's shoulder. It did not take long for her to fall asleep in Fang's arms.

A while later, another set of footsteps approached from behind. Fang tensed and glanced over her shoulder, but she relaxed when she realized it was just Lightning.

"Your watch is over." The ex-soldier seated herself on a log across from Fang and glanced curiously at Vanille. "You can both go back with the others."

Fang nodded and gently shook Vanille awake. The younger girl stood groggily and followed Fang back to their sleeping bag, looking pleased when Fang wrapped her arm around her waist to help her walk because she was not completely awake. They only had one sleeping bag between the two of them, so they slipped inside together and clung close, Fang pulling Vanille against her and holding her tightly with the same desperation.

Vanille smiled brightly and pressed against her, whispering gently, "Let's promise never to be apart after this."

Fang nodded and kissed her cheek, holding her tightly. "I won't leave you behind again."

"I hope that's a promise, 'cause I'm still mad at you," Vanille joked, giggling.

Her dark-haired companion snickered quietly and buried her face in her hair.

"I'm serious," Vanille insisted even though she was not actually. "You said you were gonna come find me, but you waited 'til I got captured to come after me."

"I tried looking for you," Fang grumbled, kissing her cheek just below the ear. "It's not my fault you went and got yourself purged."

Giggling again, Vanille wrapped her arms around Fang's waist and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. As she pulled away, she murmured, "Let's call it even?"

"I'll think about it," Fang replied with a smirk as she snuggled closer to her.