"Tell me again why we agreed to this Fang" Lightning said as she emerged from her closet for the seventh time that evening. Fang sat on their bed watching her girlfriend scowl at herself in the full length mirror in amusement. Lightning looked positively gorgeous in her knee-length black dress.

"If I recall correctly love, you agreed to this first, remember? Serah did her puppy eyes thing and Vanille turned on the waterworks. Never thought I'd see you cave in so quickly, maybe I should ask them for tips." Fang smirked when Lightning froze in the mirror. Lightning had a hard enough time saying no to Fang when she did an amateur version of Serah's puppy eyes but a weeping Fang? She shook her head to rid her mind of the disturbing image.

"You look beautiful by the way Light – as a matter of fact, you look beautiful in anything and nothing at all, Sunshine."

Lightning ignored that last comment and sent Fang a quick glance. "I suppose this one will do then." Lightning walked over to the bed and Fang tugged her down where she ended up resting her head on Fang's stomach while Fang ran her fingers through Lightning's hair.

"How'd you get ready so quickly?" Lightning asked as she took in Fang's lithe form in the dark blue dress that reminded her of Fang's sari. Serah and Vanille had taken the courtesy to go on an all out shopping spree for their sisters and had stocked Fang and Lightning's shared closet full to the brim. Finding her uniform in the morning was a harder task than finding Vanille in a pool filled with hyperactive children.

"I just put on the first thing I saw… why? Does it look bad?"

Lightning lifted her head and gave Fang an apologetic smile. "Fang, that's not what I meant. You're beautiful." Lightning ran her hand through Fang's wild hair. Fang gave a grin that told Lightning she had walked right into a carefully worded trap.

The front door opened and the couple could hear a pair of footsteps cross the living room floor and stop at the base of the stairs. There was some giggling and what sounded like a scuffle. Fang and Lightning looked at each other. Were their sisters playing rock paper scissors? Vanille's triumphant yell followed by Serah's groan earned a chuckle from Fang. Serah's light footsteps slowly approached their open bedroom door and the older couple was greeted with the sight of Serah waving one arm blindly in front of her searching for the door that was currently open and covering her eyes with the other.

Lightning's eyebrow hitched up in amusement. "Serah, we're decent so you're safe for now." She chuckled as Serah froze in embarrassment.

"Just making sure, sis. Snow and Hope are waiting in the car, let's go!" Serah gave one last wry smile before heading back downstairs towards a giggling Vanille.

"Let's get this night over with." Lightning picked herself up off the bed tugging Fang up with her.

"Right behind ya, love."

The four climbed into the back of Snow's SUV. Hope turned in the passenger seat and greeted Fang and Lightning. Hope looked classy as always in his tux but Snow looked odd – not bad per say – just off.

"Sazh just called, says he's already there." Snow said from the driver's seat. He glanced at the clock which told them they would be early and shrugged. "You know what they say right? The old bird gets the worm."

Serah chuckled from the back seat when Lightning gave her a look that said really?

"No Snow it's the early bird gets the worm! And don't let Sazh hear you say that."

"Just drive Snow." Lightning said. The sooner they arrived, the earlier they would be allowed to leave.

"Can't wait to dance with me huh, Lightbug?" Fang teased.

"You're gonna have to get in line Fang. I've already been asked by just about every person on the base." Lightning's face twisted into a scowl.

"SNOW STOP THE CAR!" Fang yelled. Snow slammed on the brakes which caused everyone to jerk and stare at Fang in disbelief.

"Fang! Where are you going?!" Fang was struggling to get the door open.

"To get Kain's Lance."

Lightning could barely recognize the Guardian Corps base. It looked more like a grand hotel hosting those awards shows Serah and Vanille were always watching than a military base. The GC held a banquet once a year in honour of the former l'Cie and everyone was invited. Lightning would normally stop by in all her stoic glory and regulation GC uniform with a sexy Fang linked to her by the waist, say a few hellos and thanks and then leave, but this year Serah and Vanille had convinced her to actually stay and be a part of the celebration and of course that included wearing a dress.

Captain Amodar spotted the former l'Cie and made his way over to greet his favourite group of people.

"Lightning! I assume you're going to stay for more than just a few drinks this time?" He asked happily as he took in Lightning's dress. He decided not to comment on it seeing as the soldier looked slightly uncomfortable wearing something other than her usual uniform.

"Captain Amodar, sir." Lightning saluted formally.

Amodar let out a hefty sigh and pulled Lightning into a playful headlock and ruffled her hair. "Formal girl, this one." He grinned at the rest of the group who nodded in agreement. He noticed Fang didn't have on her usual cheerful demeanor and glanced down at Lightning.

"Don't mind her, she's just upset she's not allowed to spear any of my courters." Lightning explained.

"Ah." Amodar nodded in understanding although it seemed like his Commander wouldn't mind all that much if Fang really did spear anyone who would ask her to dance.

The group talked for a few minutes before the DJ arrived and music started blasting. "It was nice seeing you again Amodar!" Serah grabbed Snow's hand and led him towards the dance floor. "Let's dance snow!"

Vanille looked to Hope who grabbed her hand and motioned towards Snow. "Shall we?"

Vanille giggled and turned to the rest of the group. "Catch ya guys later!"

Fang shook her head and smiled at the sight of Serah and Snow dancing. Snow was much taller than Serah so she wasn't able to place her arms on his shoulders and settled for his waist instead. It was a good thing that Hope had his growth spurt while they were in crystal stasis because if Fang could recall correctly, Vanille was taller than him during their l'Cie days. She was also five years older than him but spending five years in stasis had put them at the same age meaning Fang was now five years younger than Lightning even though the other woman hadn't looked a second older when Fang was finally freed from her crystal prison. Fang would often tease Lightning about being a cougar but that all ended when Lightning pointed out that Fang technically has to add 505 years to her "age" and that pretty much made her a pedophile.

"I'm gonna go look for Sazh, give you two some time to catch up. It was nice to see you again Amodar, talk Sunshine over here out of working herself to death for me will ya?" Fang gave Lightning her signature smirk and headed off towards Sazh and Dajh who was talking to Bartholomew near the bar.

"Will do Fang!" Amodar called after her and looked back at his slightly ruffled Commander. "So how've you been Lightning? I haven't seen you since they shuttled me off to New Bodhum." Lightning had been the best choice however she absolutely refused to leave Oerba. It was where she felt the most connected to Fang, and Serah had been adamant about not building a house at the base of the crystal pillar so she and Hope spent the better part of five years rebuilding the city so Fang and Vanille would have a home to return to when they woke up.

Lightning looked towards the dancing couples on the dance floor with the new addition of Fang and Sazh. Hope and Vanille were trying not to step on each other's toes, Serah was having the time of her life being whirled around by Snow and Fang was manhandling Sazh in very much the same way Snow was Serah. Amodar followed her gaze and smiled softly. Lightning and her friends deserved this happiness, every last ounce of it for what they did.

"As you can already see sir, there's never a dull moment." Lightning grinned.

Serah eyed Vanille and Hope from the opposite side of the dance floor. "Snow! Can you do me a favour?" she yelled over the loud music. Snow leaned down and Serah whispered something into his ear. With a grin, he nodded and walked over to Hope.

"Hey! Mind if I cut in?"

Hope looked incredulously at Snow and back to Vanille who smiled. He shrugged and walked off towards Serah. "Hey Serah, Snow ugh… kinda stole Vanille so you wanna dance?" he offered his hand.

"Sure Hope." Serah took his hand and the two started swaying to the beat of the music. "You said you wanted to talk to me earlier?"

"Yeah… it's about Vanille." He said nervously. Serah hitched an eyebrow.

"What about her? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong it just that I love Vanille…" Hope trailed off not really sure what to say next.

"And… ?"

"And I want to spend the rest of my life with her." He finished.

Serah's eyes widened in surprise.

"Hope are you going to–"

"Serah, you're Vanille's best friend. I need your help – and I guess your approval." Hope said gently.

"Isn't Fang the person you should be asking for that last part? And of course I'll help, Hope!" Serah's shock was replaced with an excitement that could only be rivaled by how she felt when Snow had proposed to her.

"I'm not sure how she'll react, I mean when she found out Vanille and I were dating I had to hide on Cocoon for four days." Hope said nervously.

"It'll be fine Hope, she'd much rather Vanille be with you than Gadot." Serah chuckled.

"Does she still think that Vanille was seriously considering Gadot? She was only jo–"

"Yes, yes I know Hope, we all do but it wouldn't hurt to leave Fang out of the loop until after the wedding is over, no?"

"Yeah, I guess not." Hope grinned.

Vanille was having a blast dancing with Snow. Hope was stronger than he looked but her feet had barely touched the floor since she started dancing with Snow.

"Did Serah send you over here?" Vanille glanced towards her best friend who was currently bouncing up and down gleefully while her boyfriend stood there grinning. Knowing Serah, she probably intended to give Hope the same lecture Lightning gave Snow when Serah had moved out, only without the threats. On second thought, maybe not. Even Lightning feared Serah sometimes, she just won't admit it. Farrons.

"Nooo…." Snow tried to sound convincing but failed miserably.

Vanille gave Snow a disbelieving look. Whatever Serah and Hope were talking about, they had better finish up quick because she was starting to feel dizzy and wanted her conservative boyfriend back.

"Hey kid, long time no see!"

"Sazh!" Vanille ran happily towards her older friend and embraced him in a hug, and smiled at Fang who patted her head and headed in Snow's direction. Sazh was like a father figure to her and the others but he wasn't around much except during the holidays because of his job as a pilot shuttling people to and from Cocoon. Most Cocoonians had chosen to start new lives on Gran Pulse but some chose to stay behind.

"And then there were two." Fang grinned.

Snow returned Fang's grin with his own and held out his hand. "Let's dance!"

The bulk of the town had arrived by then so for the next hour the former l'Cie found themselves surrounded by a sea of adoring fans. It wasn't until Amodar and some other GC soldiers put their crowd control skills into good use was Fang able to make her way over to Lightning.

"Hey there beautiful. Care to dance?" Fang offered her hand with a smile. Lightning gave her a curious look and Fang's expression fell slightly. Playing hard to get eh, Sunshine?

"Claire Farron, I am asking you to dance with me." She tried again.

"I can't Fang."

This time Fang's face fell completely. She didn't know how to respond to that so she held Lightning's gaze until she noticed the corner of her girlfriend's lips tilt up in a smirk. Lightning found pouty Fang adorable.

"There's no music, Fang." Lightning let out a fully fledged smile now and earned an equivalent one from Fang.

As if on cue, a slow song started playing and the two embraced in a dance to I Was Lost Without You. It was Serah's favourite song and secretly, it was also Lightning's.

Lightning's cheeks mimicked her hair colour as the crowd surrounding them erupted into a chorus of aaawe's and Fang broke their embrace to wrap her arms around Lightning's waist. They looked into each other's eyes and the world around them immediately faded until they were the only ones left. Fang's lips closed the distance between them and Lightning felt like every cell in her body was on fire. Their kiss was fierce yet gentle at the same time as their tongues battled for dominance. The two didn't notice the music fade out and the increasing murmuring of the crowd until the sound of Vanille screaming bloody murder rang through their ears.

They quickly broke apart and tore their way through the crowd in the direction they last saw Vanille to find her with tears running down her face. Lightning saw Fang make a reaching motion for her lance – which thank Etro was still at home – out of habit and noticed that her hand had also reached for a certain gunblade that also wasn't there. They were ready to stab multiple holes into whatever or whomever had caused Vanille to cry, with or without their weapons, until they noticed Hope down on one knee holding one very shiny ring in one hand and Vanille's hand in the other.

"It's about time." Lightning said with a smirk. The crowd shifted their gaze towards Fang who slowly made her way over to Vanille and took her free hand.

"Van?"

"I'm saying yes, Fang. I love Hope, and I want to be with him." Vanille said with a tear stained smile. Fang smiled looked over her shoulder at Lightning.

"Hell yeah it's about time!" she yelled and the crowd erupted into cheers. It seemed that only Hope heard what Fang said next.

"Start running kid."

AN: Can anyone guess the movie reference when Fang asked Lightning to dance?