Author's Note: Okay, so, this is the last chapter I have written that's finished.

"What?" I hear you say. "But it's been so long since you updated!"

Yeah, I know, but college kinda sucks. And I'll be honest, this fandom is pretty dead, so it feels like I'm writing these for myself. Is anyone out there? Are people still reading these?

Well, here's to you, silent 13 fans that are hopefully reading this.

"Where's my dad?"

"I'm here to help you, Claire, calm down."

"I don't care why you're here, I want my dad!"

Lightning found herself almost relieved as she knocked on the door to Raines' office. Him she could deal with, but if one more person sincerely smiled at her, she was going to scream.

Thankfully, Raines wasn't smiling when he opened the door. He was ready to get down to business. Good. Hopefully this time he wouldn't pull questions from his ass.

He greeted her with, "Good morning, Lightning. Come on in."

She did so, pulling her right sleeve back over her hand and parking herself on the opposite sofa this time. She wore the sweater again, but made sure that Ivy's necklace was out of sight. Wouldn't want to make that mistake again.

Rained took his spot across from her, analyzed her for probably the hundredth time. She tried to be as casual as possible, but she probably looked stiff and bitchy. Whatever.

"So," he finally said, "how was your first day with the Kreiss family?"

She shrugged. "Fine. I have my own space for once."

Raines offered her a smile, which she did not accept. It came off as hollow and fake. "That's a bit of a luxury these says," he said, "isn't it?"

"Sure."

The two of them sat in silence for a short while, during which her mind traveled to her old home. She wondered what happened after she left. Surely she'd been reported dead, killed in the line of duty. That lie would cover a lot of asses, but what had it done to her sister? She was Serah's rock, her beacon. Sure, Snow shouldered some off that now too, but he'd never be able to compete with her. She'd been through so much with Serah. The fresh thought of being away from her made her wrists ache, and she hated herself.

"The last time we met," Raines said suddenly, "we spoke quite a bit about you. I thought that this time, I could return the favor and tell you about me."

Lightning looked up at him coldly, at once very aware of the bullet casing resting against her chest. She didn't give two shits about him, and cared even less if he knew about her. She would almost prefer Yeul's painfully bright smile.

"Whatever."

Rained didn't move from his sitting position, didn't even blink as he started. "My name is Cid Raines. I grew up in the capitol, but since I was raised by a closet rebel, my mother, I never respected the government or how it was run. However, my father was a government official, so we kept our beliefs between us.

"I originally joined this group as a soldier, the minute a turned eighteen. For six months, I made my mother prouder than she had ever been," he shifted uncomfortable, rubbing his tattoo, "but then she died, killed at a demonstration. Officially, she was an innocent bystander, but my mother never stood by, given the opportunity to act.

"When I enlisted, we had told my father that I was going away to get a psychology degree, just like his father. Without my mother covering for me, I had to do just that. So I went to school for three years, studying hard to protect my father's image of his son.

"Until he died, too. Heart attack. I dropped out of school as soon as I heard, and found my old commander. I loved my father, but his wasn't a legacy to fight for. He had hundreds of us killed, ordered raids and bombings. I came here to fight for my mother, for what we believed in," he lifted the corners of his mouth, just a little, "but my three years of schooling were enough to get me out of actual combat, and I was assigned here."

Raines went quiet, but Lightning sensed he wasn't quite done. A part of her wanted to hate him for not supporting his father, for joining the people who ruined her life, for being here. A big part. But the rest of her understood. She fought for her family, for her sister. It wasn't his fault that his mother brainwashed him with her ideals.

Now she wanted to hate him for making her not want to hate him.

"I know you don't like me," Raines started again, "and I don't expect you to, but I hope you can come to trust me. I hate my job, but I really do want to help you. You just have to let me."

Lightning stared at him for a good, long time. The longer she looked, the stiffer and more awkward his posture became. Perhaps she intimidated him.

"Are we done?"

He looked at her now, too, instead of just in her direction. His eyes were the color of storm clouds: a deep, brooding grey. They seemed to stare down her pupils and into her brain. Lightning wanted to look away, but she was both frustratingly mesmerized and determined to be the last one to look away.

"We're done for today," he answered, "I'll see you again after Fang returns."

"Right."

"Miss Lightning! I can' reach it!"

Lightning looked up from her plate, which she'd barely touched. "What?"

Ivy was standing on the tips of her toes, reaching her short arms as far as they would go to one of the cabinets above the sink. "My cup!" she cried. Her little face was crumpled in the effort of trying to reach, hopping a few times in a fruitless attempt to make herself tall enough.

Lightning got up to help her, and knew immediately which one she meant. One lone purple child's cup sat brightly apart from the rest of the cups, four white, handle-less plastic mugs. She grabbed Ivy's cup and gave it to her.

Ivy held her cup carefully in her hands, happy for her victory. Lightning flickered a smile at her, and turned to go back to staring at her supper. Yeul had said she'd be back in an hour. How long ago was that?

She was stopped by the child's hand grabbers hers. Ivy was looking up at her with her big blue eyes, presenting her cup like an award. "Water, pwease?"

"Daddy?"

"Is something wrong, Nora?"

"My light broke..."

Lightning offered her the most sincere smile she could muster. "Sure." She took the little cup and filled it only halfway, the way her father used to. When Ivy took her cup back, she said, "Now try not to spill, we don't want to make a mess."

"I won't!" Ivy chirped, practically tip-toeing back to the table. Lightning watched her, seeing Nora sitting in the chair, her legs too short to reach the floor. A stab of guilt morphed her into Serah, and their mother hummed behind her at the stove, making dinner. The kitchen smelled of slightly burnt bread as usual, giving the whole place life. Her mother could make a graveyard seem vibrant.

"Dinner's ready, girls!" she called, pulling the source of the smell from the oven, "One of you bring Daddy to the table."

"Me! Me!" Serah cried, jumping up and running for his office before Claire could even blink.

Their father looked just as he always had, hair just slightly unkempt, glasses fashionably askew, perfectly trimmed beard. His eyes smiled more than his lips ever could as he let Serah drag him to the table.

"Here, Daddy! Sit by me!"

"Daddy..."

"It's okay, Serah... It's going to be okay..."

Serah began wailing desperately as both of their parents dropped cold to the ground, riddled with holes from the bullets they never saw coming. Their eyes were pale and distant, blood pouring from everywhere and nowhere. "Daddy!" Serah cried, shaking his body furiously. "Daddy, wake up!"

Claire turned to help her sister, to tear her free from the pool of death creeping above her knees and wash the horror away from her forever. But she couldn't. She wasn't...

Serah's crying faded into whimpering, and her hands fell dejectedly to her sides. Her fragile little form shivered with grief, and she looked up at her big sister, "L-Lightning..." she whispered.

"Lightning..."

"Lightning..."

"Miss Lightning?"

Lightning blinked until the eight people before her became two, and took several seconds before realizing that the pressure she felt against her head and back was the floor. Ivy and her mother were both knelt beside her; Yeul was fanning her slightly with a washcloth. Feeling entirely too coddled, she sat up quickly, leaving her brain behind in the process.

Yeul quickly abandoned the rag and steadied her, "Easy... Ivy said you fell...what happened?"

Ivy sat back on her heels, sucking her thumb nervously. The concern in her eyes was painful.

Lightning closed her own eyes, which was a mistake, so she opened them again and stared pointedly at a small rip in her pants, "I just fell, I'm fine."

It was a weak lie, and Yeul knew it just as well as she did, but she didn't press. "Okay, well, let's get you to bed so you can rest. You're white as a sheet."

Lightning didn't fight her, yearning for empty air. Agreeing to be alone with Ivy was a bad idea, she should've known better. When she was finally alone - after curtly assuring Yeul that she would be fine - she stripped off the sweater Noel gave her and fell back onto the bed, feeling all the bumps and lumps that had already become familiar in the last two days.

Tomorrow was her last day with these people. And she wouldn't be spending it here.

Not that it was any better in that damn infirmary, but she'd be getting her bandages off for good.

Lightning brought her wrists into sight, studying the curves and folds of the gauze and thinking about how weirdly used to them she'd gotten. They weren't as oppressive anymore, not all the time, anyway. Not unless she thought about it. Like right now. She rolled her eyes at herself, and her body followed suit until she was on her side; she shoved her arms under the pillow. Just one more night, one more breakfast, and she'd be back...nowhere near home, but at least back in familiar territory, and having Fang back would be almost a relief.

She'd never admit it, but she missed the crazy bitch.