I apologize for the delay. I don't know when the next update will be in terms of exact dates. However, once I'm done with the exams, which will take place at the end of January, I'll be able to focus more on this.

Again, please let me know if there are any mistakes or confusion.

Chapter IV

Father and Daughter...

"Absolutely not," Lightning replied harshly to her father's request, "I will not marry a stranger."

It was a sunny afternoon, about two weeks after the end of war, when Cloud Farron told his eldest daughter the deal he had made with the Yun chief. That day was Lightning's twenty-first birthday, so Cloud thought it would easier to talk to Lightning, since she'd be a relatively good mood.

"It has to happen," Cloud said rigidly, "you know that, Claire."

"It's Lightning!" she yelled, her breaths were shallow and shaky.

"It's for greater good," Cloud spoke, "Claire."

Lightning was almost trembling now. Blood was boiling inside her body. She wanted to smash something, anything. "It's Lightning..." she said forcefully, her voice was shaking from her rage.

"No matter what your name is, you're my daughter and you need to listen to me," Cloud said. His eyes looked at the numerous plates of delicious-looking food on the kitchen island. Too bad neither of them had the appetite for any of this now. "As the primarch—"

Lightning snapped, "what!?" She turned and slammed her palms against the surface of the kitchen island, "so you became the new primarch, and now you want to force me to marry some...random stranger...a Pulsian? Are you fucking kidding me?" she shouted, "is this some sort of sick joke?"

"Fang is the daughter of the Yun chief; she's not just anybody," Cloud stated with a frown.

"I don't care! I don't care if she's the daughter of some stupid chief, or the slayer of Orphan," Lightning protested, "I'm not marrying her."

She growled, her hands snatched some of the bowls on the counter and flung them towards the other side of the kitchen. The glass shattered. "Worst birthday ever." She turned her back to her father and crossed her arms over her chest.

Cloud was losing his patience, "you need to listen to reason. Do you have any idea how much this means to the people of Cocoon? I'm the Primarch, and you're my daughter, so if you marry Fang, that will show the Pulsians that we trust them and are willing to form alliance with them."

"We don't need to trust the Pulsians," Lightning grumbled. She refused to look at her father.

"The war with the Fal'Cie just ended, and some of the Pulsians are already talking about attacking Cocoon. Not the majority, but enough to worry," Cloud continued, trying to stay calm, "the same thing is happening in Cocoon, too. We can't afford another war. Haven't we lost enough already? Yet these people still want to stir up trouble; but the marriage...the marriage will shut them up for good.

"Once our families unite, the treaty will be a lot harder to break. If the Pulsians want to attack us, they have to deal with the fact that the Yuns, leading clan of Pulse, are married to us."

"And if the Yuns betray us?"

"We have the chief's daughter."

"It works both way, doesn't it?"

Cloud sighed, "it's a risk we have to take. I trust Yun Dov to be honourable."

"I'm still not marrying—"

"Your marriage will be the symbol of peace. The people of Cocoon and Pulse will see that our peoples can in fact co-exist peacefully. I understand that it will be hard for both of the peoples to overcome the prejudice that has been drilled into our minds since the beginning of history. But this is a step worth being taken.

"What kind of bullshit logic is this? I marry some Pulsian woman I've never met and you believe that it will bring peace. It won't stop the people who want war. You know what will happen? We are probably going to kill each other and cause a goddamn war. You can't force me into this and ruin my fucking future..." She stared down at the tiles.

"Lightning, stop it!" Cloud slammed his hands against the counter as he scowled.

"No, you stop it!" Lightning did the same.

"Look, I will not repeat myself again. You know what's at stake. So quit being childish," Clouds hands turn into fists. "You will marry Fang. This is not a request, this is an order. For Cocoon's sake, for our family."

Lightning bit her lip, her nails scraping against the surface of the counter. She clenched her teeth, feeling like a cornered animal. Her heart sped and breathing was becoming harder and harder. She knew it. She knew from the beginning there was no way out. She struggled. Her heart ached and her chest felt tight. Was it selfish of her to feel that way?

She shut her eyes and thought of Serah; her poor little sister who suffered so much from the war. Lightning could not let Serah go through it all again. If war did break out, Lightning and her father would have to return to the battlefield, something Serah was strongly against though she did not voice it out.

But would this marriage really help?

"Once you marry her, most of the people, though they may still dislike the Pulsians, will at least give up on any thoughts about fighting them," Cloud said.

Lightning inhaled deeply, and exhaled. Then she did it again, and again. She straightened her fingers and relaxed her muscles. She thought of the cost of this marriage. Aside from her freedom, what would she lose? Lightning had never thought of what her life would be like after the war; she had been too focused on winning battle after battle. Her sole duty was to win the war in order to protect Serah.

Serah...

Now that her sister was engaged and Snow had proved himself worthy, Lightning knew she was no longer needed to watch over Serah like she used to. If the war happened, Serah could lose everything; nothing would be certain.

She thought of her father. He, too, would be at risk.

If marrying Fang meant protecting her family...

"Don't expect me to do anything more than attending the wedding and signing the certificate," Lightning muttered, feeling weak. "And don't expect me to wear a wedding dress."

Cloud smiled softly, "thank you, Lightning."

Once Lightning married, she would continue on with her normal life. She would hopefully spend most of her time at work so she would only have to deal with Fang at the end of each day. Maybe they could live their lives separately while sharing the same house. Maybe Lightning wouldn't lose her freedom and individuality, or the silence and the solitude she enjoyed very much.

Lightning opened her eyes.

For my family...

To Love And To Understand Each Other...

After a week of trying to avoid it, the inevitable finally came. On a Sunday morning, Fang and Lightning attended their first therapy session at Serah and Snow's new house. Lightning felt extremely uncomfortable since Serah didn't say a word on what the session would consist of. She tried talking to Snow, who only told her that she would find out soon. Serah, apparently, had planned out many "fun" things...

"I wonder what Serah has in store for us," Fang muttered to her as they both sat down in Serah's newly prepared office.

Lightning ignored her.

The Bonding Room, as Serah named it, consisted of two leather couches facing each other with a black coffee table between them. There were three bookshelves against the wall opposite from the door, but they only had a few books. The room was silent except the ticking sound from the clock that hanged on the white wall.

Fang sighed soundly, breaking the quietness. Lightning send her a glare.

"Vanille, how's Serah gonna...help us today?" Fang enquired.

Vanille, who sat on the opposite couch from Fang and Lightning, said nothing. She looked up from her notebook and gave the pair a bright smile.

It only made Lightning feel even more uneasy.

Serah came in a few moments later with four cups of coffee. She set them down on the table then sat down beside Vanille. The two young women looked at each other and nodded. Vanille picked up a pen from the side table and prepared herself for writing. Serah looked at the married couple and grinned.

"Ready for your first session?" Serah asked, voice cheerful.

Lightning crossed her arms while Fang slouched on the sofa.

Serah smiled confidently, "it's going to great."

Lightning wasn't as confident as Serah. Her gut instinct told her this wasn't going to end well; and her gut instinct was usually correct. Maybe, by some miracle, Fang and her wouldn't kill each other by the end of the session.

For the past three weeks of marriage, arguments, which happened almost every time they had spoken to each other, ended in a sparring session. There was never a definite winner; Lightning and Fang would just wear each other out. Now, it had become a daily routine for the both of them. Lightning found that the only time this marriage wasn't that bad of an idea was during a sparring session. Where adrenaline would pump through her veins, where she could forget about everything else and just focus on winning.

It was the only time she actually enjoyed having Fang around. There were other times as well, but their arguments would ruin any fond thoughts she had of her new partner in life.

Serah cleared her throat and began speaking, "Alright, now I'm just going to remind you two that this is a room of friendship and love. So no fighting or anything stupid, got it?"

"Yeah..." Fang nodded, not believing that it would happen.

"Sure," Lightning replied simply. She hoped that Serah wouldn't make her talk too much.

"Let's begin," Serah smiled, she turned to her partner, "Vanille, ready to record?"

"Yup!" came a cheerful reply. Vanille sat up straight and tried to have a serious face on. Her excitement over this session was too obvious. She flipped through a couple pages in the notebook before starting to write.

"She's recording?" Lightning asked, disliking where this was going.

"Of course," Serah replied as if it was the most obvious thing. "We need to keep a couple profile." She gave her sister a smile and clasped her hands together and settled them on her lap.

Lightning rolled her eyes and grumbled, "This is stupid." Serah was taking this way too seriously. Lightning was beginning to worry. Her sister was just the type of person to blame herself for incompetence if this session went wrong. Lightning tried to talk Serah out of this couple counselling idea many times, but her sister was just as stubborn as she was.

"This is great," Fang chuckled, her eyes on Lightning, "show Lightning how wrong she is."

"Tch. You mean how stupid you are," Lightning spat, not looking at Fang.

"I think you mean how bitchy you are and how kind I am to put up with all of this," Fang smirked. Her back downwards on the couch as her feet on the coffee table. She was still staring at Lightning with a devious look in her eyes.

Lightning fought the urges to smack Fang's feet off the table. "Fang, you're a piece of sh—"

"Stop!" Serah barked, her face beginning to flush. "This isn't how it's supposed to work. Vanille is keeping track of this so when we look back we can analyze and help the both of you." Serah sighed and glared at the women sitting across from her. "You two are both at fault."

"Serah, you don't understand..." Lightning tried to say, but the determined and almost furious look in her sister's eyes stopped her. "Let's just get this over with," she sighed, placing her palm over her forehead.

She could still feel Fang staring at her. It was beginning to burn a hole in her body. Lightning tightened her crossed arms and looked the opposite direction.

"Okay," Vanille spoke, "One of you will talk at a time. The other promises to listen...calmly, right?" She tapped her pen against the notebook.

"Who wants to go first?" Serah asked calmly, hoping for a volunteer.

"I say Lightning, she's so eager about it," Fang answered with a slightly teasing tone. Lightning could hear that smirk.

"Tch." She crossed her legs and leaned back against the couch.

"So, first of all," Serah began, "Lightning, what makes you happy?"

Lightning turned to the younger woman. "A divorce," she stated flatly, briefly glancing at Fang's direction.

Fang stretched her arms and legs out and yawned. Lightning tipped her upper body side ways to avoid contact. She heard a husky chuckle. Fang moved her feet off the table; her hands rested on her stomach.

Serah ignored her.

"Divorce is not allowed," replied Serah, frowning, "say something else. What do you want? What will make you happy?" She leaned forward.

"Seriously, Serah?" Lightning arched one eyebrow. She had told Serah the honest truth; but that apparently wasn't acceptable. She didn't know what Serah wanted for a "good" answer.

"Just answer the question," Vanille insisted, not looking up since she was writing something. "What makes you happy?"

"Not Fang," Lightning responded in monotonous voice.

"Ouch, that cut deep," Fang placed the both of her hands over her heart. The corners of her mouth tilted downwards and a pained expression formed as the inner tips of her eyebrows pulled upwards. She turned her head slowly to Lightning. "You really don't want me?" Her whimpered.

Lightning shielded her eyes with her hand. Fang's puppy dog face was just too much, especially since it actually made Lightning's heart wrench just a little. Lightning bit her lip. Was Fang really having an effect on her?

Vanille snickered as she wrote. She had some trouble since her hands were shaking.

"Okay...anything else?" Serah was trying to hold back laughter.

"I guess my job, somewhat," Lightning squeezed her hands, trying to ignore Fang. She looked down at her feet. "Time by myself...a life without Fang, really."

She desperately wanted to walk out of the room; time was going by too slow for her right now.

"My sweetheart is just in denial, aren't you?" Fang said in her usual playful tone. She was smiling now.

"Fang!" Vanille whispered, placing her index finger over her mouth. "Shh!"

"Sorry," Fang shrugged her shoulders, "but Lightning secretly loves me."

"You wish, asshole," Lightning growled.

"Fang, Lightning...No." Serah commanded, "Fang, please listen and don't talk."

"I guess..." Fang said as her ran her fingers through her hair.

"A life without Fang..." Serah returned her attention to Lightning. She looked at Vanille, who gave her a thumbs up as signal to go head. Serah continued, "Lightning, this is about a life with Fang. But I guess we can start with how you feel of her."

Lightning rubbed her palms together; they were sweating. "I don't want to do this, Ser—"

"Lightning, don't be a coward," Serah spoke.

"I'm not—this is just stupid," Lightning shook her head. She started to tap her foot, feeling uneasy.

"Lightning."

"Fine. I sometimes want to strangle her because she is annoying and rude," Lightning looked up, "happy?"

"Oh, very," Fang interrupted, again. She crossed her arms and tiled her head sideways, a curious look formed on her face. "You're just a ray of sunshine. You make me so happy, I just wanna cry..." she said in a dry tone.

"Fang..." Vanille pouted, annoyed at her sister, "enough with the sarcasm, okay?"

"Vanille's right, Fang," Serah sighed, "we need to be responsible adults and listen to to each other. Respect is important."

"See, Serah? She always acts like this..." Lightning exclaimed, pointing a finger at Fang. "Makes me want to punch her," she growled. She was holding back on those urges. If it wasn't for Serah and Vanille, she would've punched Fang a long time ago.

"And you are always trying to inflict personal injury on me," Fang protested, unhappy. "Serah, tell your sister to stop being overly sensitive."

"You're a jerk," Lightning spat, "an immature, bitter jerk."

Fang frowned, "and you're an abusive, violent, and manipulative bitch." She huffed and shook her head. "But I'll forgive for today, I guess," she smirked.

Lightning raised her hand and gave Fang the middle finger. Fang smiled back and blew her a kiss.

Lightning almost lost it. Her other hand clutched at the sofa; her legs were just about to launch her at Fang. She gritted her teeth, trying to swallow whatever swear words that threatened to come out of her mouth. Serah grabbed her by the shoulder. Lightning gradually calmed down and her heart rate slowed.

She sighed.

"This thing between the two of you, it's getting way over the top," Serah said seriously, "Fang, act an adult, please. You're not helping."

"Fang, don't taunt her!" Vanille begged. "Be nice, Fang! I know you're can be really nice!" She smiled. "I'm sure Lightning will like you if you are nice."

Fang grumbled something and went back to being silent. Lightning and Fang turned their heads to opposite directions.

Vanille looked at her sister sadly. "Fang.." she whimpered, "what happened to you? You used to be happy, and nice and funny and easygoing. B-but now...now you're mean, and childish, and...angry." She barely said the last word.

Fang refused to look at her and remained silent.

"I thought you wanted to be friends with her? This isn't how you make friends."

Fang shut her eyes and sighed deeply.

After a moment with the four of women just sitting there, Serah decided to continue the session with a different approach. "I think I asked the wrong question. Let me try again; something positive. Lightning, I want you to say, out loud, three things you like about Fang."

Lightning paused, expecting some kind of comment from Fang. However, the dark-haired woman kept the words to herself.

"I can't," Lightning murmured. It was hard for her to think of something right away just after arguing with Fang. Even if she did come up with something, she would never say it, especially with Fang in the room.

"Yes, you can. You have to," Serah said with a determined voice. "If you don't do it, you are not leaving this room." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Lightning frowned. This whole session was a completely joke.

"Ugh, fine." she gave in, sounding impatient, "I...like..." What did she like about Fang? Her skills as a warrior and a huntress? Lightning certainly admired that, though it was another thing she would take into her grave. What about her toned body? Her sexy accent? Or that cocky grin?

Lightning shook her head. Realizing that Serah and Vanille had been watching her closely, her face suddenly heated and she swallowed hard.

"I like the fact that Fang...is a good sparring partner. My equal," Lightning finally said.

"Better," Fang added. Lightning glared at her and there it was, that cocky grin.

Vanille hushed Fang.

"Good!" Serah smiled hopefully, "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, we need two more."

Lightning groaned. This was painful. If she continued to answer those questions, it would just make Fang's ego swell even more. Lightning glimpsed at her wife, who noticed and winked.

To be honest, Lightning did found many of Fang's traits appealing in one way or another. Fang's confidence, her wild fearlessness, or her ability to cook a great meal with the meat she got from hunting. These were just some of things that came into Lightning's mind at that moment. Though she hated to admit it, she found the woman to be exotic and...alluring.

Then there was Fang's annoying and never-ending sarcasm. Lightning scowled at the thoughts of that.

She thought of those times when Fang would ask how her day was. Sometimes Lightning would reply, other times she would just ignore her. However, if Lightning's mood was bad enough, though she was too prideful to show it, Fang would notice. It was either because Fang was good at reading people, or because Lightning seemed to have trouble controlling her emotions around Fang. She definitely showed her anger more when Fang was the direct cause of it.

Nonetheless, after a bad day at work, Fang would sometimes make little snacks for Lightning, ask her to go for a walk in the woods, or other things similar to those. Lightning almost refused every one of those offers unless it was a sparring session.

Suddenly, Lightning felt guilty.. How could she be so certain that there was no hope for them when she had been refusing to participate in any opportunities that could have helped in improving their relationship? She wanted to get along with Fang, since that would make her life a lot easier. But a part of her felt obligated to maintain that wall that had been built between the two of them and to keep the fierce attitude.

Lightning was too proud to change and admit the wrongs in her way of dealing with this marriage.

"Fang can be nice...sometimes," Lightning admitted, slowly. That was all she would say about it.

"Aww..." Fang cooed, "you can be nice, too. Rarely, but it happens."

"And I like her bangles." It was a random thought, but she needed one more. "They're colourful."

"Thanks!" Vanille replied cheefully. "I made them. If you want, I can teach you how!"

Lightning shrugged. She was done answering the question, thank the Maker.

"Alrighty, then! See how friendly that was?" Serah glanced between Lightning and Fang. "I can feel the improvements in your relationship already! Let's keep this up," she encouraged.

"Now Fang! It's your turn! You can talk now," Vanille said to the woman slouching across from her.

"Yay..." Fang said dryly, waving her hands in the air. Her face showed disinterest.

"Don't sound so bitter!" Vanille pouted.

Fang looked up at the ceiling and mumbled with a careless voice, "I think my bitterness is justified, considering how she treats me most of the time." She turned her head to face Lightning.

"You asked for it," Lightning stated.

"Positivity, people!" Serah exclaimed. "Positivity!" She focused her attention on Fang. "So, Fang! What makes you happy?"

"Gran Pulse," Fang answered, grinning. "Hunting, training, sparring, spending time with my little Vanille. Good times..." She winked at her sister. Vanille giggled.

"Good."

"See how I didn't say 'not Lightning'?" Fang teased, raising an eyebrow and smirking at Lightning.

"Tch." Lightning rolled her eyes.

"Fang..." Vanille said, "Don't be difficult." She returned to writing notes.

Seeing that, Lightning only hoped that Vanille was not exaggerating in them, or adding things they never said.

"Anyway, list three things you like about Lightning," Serah asked.

"Oh, that's easy. I like so many things about her." Lightning hated the dry tone Fang used. She hated Fang's sense of humour. "She's just the sweetest thing."

"Fang..." Lightning grumbled. She wanted to smack Fang.

"I like how she says my name," Fang chuckled. She sat up straight and stretched. A playful expression formed on her face.

Lightning really hated Fang's sense of humour.

"Ugh." Lightning's scowl deepened.

Fang leaned slightly over to Lightning and grinned. "I like her looks, especially when she's angry or flustered, or both. It's really cute." She looked at her, waiting for Lightning's reaction.

Fang's comment caught Lightning off-guard, even though Lightning was expecting some sort of tease. She felt her cheeks flush from embarrassment. "I'm not—" Lightning tried to protest but was cut off.

"Yes, you are. When you're face is all red and you don't know what to do..."

Serah and Vanille snickered at Lightning's reaction.

"Argh!" Lightning covered her face and turned her back to Fang. Her heart raced and her whole body felt uneasy.

Lightning really needed to learn to ignore Fang's comments.

Fang laughed, feeling accomplished. "See?"

Lightning turned her hand into a fist. She twisted her upper body slightly while flinging her arm backwards, hitting Fang. Fang yelped and hugged herself dramatically while Serah and Vanille broke out in laughter. Lightning was furious. Fang was laughing so hard she was bending over. Lightning would have none of it, she snapped around and went for Fang's neck, attempting to strangle her.

Fang jumped up from the couch and soon hid herself behind the couch. Lightning stood up, glowering. She pushed the couch backwards. She was going to crush Fang.

"Lightning, stop! Let Fang finish...please?" Serah stopped laughing and grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her back. Lightning shook her off but stopped pushing.

Seeing that it was a bit safe, Fang peeked out from behind the sofa. "Last, but not least," she grinned at Lightning, "I love her sneeze. It's really adorable, like a kitten."

"I do not sneeze like a kitten!" Lightning angrily shoved the couch backwards, it tipped and Fang stumbled backwards and fell.

"Yeah, you do!" She said as she scrambled onto her feet and began to head towards the door.

"No, I don't." Lightning blocked her off.

"Yes." Fang quickly moved to the right.

"No." Lightning chased after her.

"Yes. Very much like a kitten." Fang panted, still laughing.

"No..." Lightning cornered Fang now.

Fang stopped laughing and stared at Lightning. The two of them stopped moving. Then, a low chuckled escaped her throat. With a devious grin, Fang mocked in a higher pitched voice, "Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"

Lightning launched her body at Fang, who dove under. Lightning turned around to grab her, but missed when Fang jumped over the couch and landed just beside Serah. She quickly hid behind her. Lightning tried to get her, but Serah, when she wanted to be, was a good shield.

Lightning gave up and cursed at Fang. She was done making a fool out of herself today.

"Aw, that's cute!" Vanille commented innocently. Lightning shot her a glare.

"I can't imitate it. She's gotta do it," Fang added.

"Lightning, you do sneeze like a kitten," Serah said.

"Dear Maker..." Lightning smacked her palm against her forehead.

Serah walked to Lightning. "So, I really like the progress we made today. It almost seems like that this marriage isn't all that bad." Serah tried to sound as cheerful as she could, hoping to make Lightning feel better.

"It's horrible," Lightning groaned, "I'm forced to deal with her." She pointed her point at Fang.

"Don't act like you're the only victim," Fang frowned, "I could've been out in the wilds, exploring and hunting for treasure right now. But instead, I'm here, stuck with you."

"And I could've been living the great single life." Lightning argued back angrily, "you act like you lost so much. Well, I lost many things, too. In fact, I'm losing my sanity right now." She turned away from Fang, feeling like pulling out her hair.

"Fang, don't you have a forest behind your house?" Vanille smiled weakly, trying to calm the situation, "you can go there!"
"I'd prefer if you live there," Lightning added bitterly, "like a true barbarian."
"Lightning..." Serah nudged her sister.

Fang looked offended. "Oh, here it is again. You Cocoonians are just so much fucking better," she snarled, "you might as well live at the GC headquarters, since you work so much. We don't really spend that much time together."

Lightning stepped towards Fang, "wait, are you complaining about not spending enough time with me?" Lightning faced a surprised expression. Then her faced turned serious. "All we do is fight. Plus, if you think this marriage is hell, then why do you want to spend time with me?"

"Because I'm trying to make it so it's not like hell! I'm trying to talk to you, but no, you're always working or shouting at me. You like your soldiers way more than your lawfully wedded wife!" Fang yelled.

"Oh, you're jealous," Lightning smirked, proud that she finally got an upper hand against Fang.

"Can't we just stop talking now?" Serah tugged at Lightning's sleeve.

"I'm not jealous, I'm trying to build a healthy relationship," Fang argued.

Lightning looked at her with wide eyes, her mouth forming a crooked smile, "because being rude and sarcastic is exactly what a healthy relationship needs, right?"

Fang complained, "you never listen to me, just like what happened to the house. You like to order people around, Captain. You like to force your habits on other people, making sure things like the way you like it." She pointed an accusing finger at Lightning.

"I could say the exact same things to you, Fang."

"At least I'm faithful," Fang mumbled bitterly, her eyes darting to the walls around her.

Lightning was suddenly struck with confusion. "What? Where the hell did that come from?" she asked harshly.

Fang breathed deeply, looking uneasy. "You're spending an awful lot of time at GC, and I've seen how some of the guys there look at you, Captain," she growled lowly.

Lightning didn't know if she wanted to laugh or to flip out at the accusation. "You accusing me of cheating? What the hell, Fang? How dare you question my integrity?" she snarled, "why the hell do you even care? We're not romantically involved in anyway. We are only married on paper."

"That still counts," Fang stated.

"I don't understand how this conversation turned into you accusing me of cheating on you." Lightning crossed her arms. "But anyway, I'm not."

"You Cocoonians can't be trusted..." Fang commented weakly. Her eyes still didn't meet Lightning's.

"Fang and Lightning, shut up please," Serah sighed, "I see some issues here, obviously. But Fang, why did you suddenly accuse my sister of cheating on you?"

"I don't know...it just slipped out," Fang looked at Serah with a hurtful expression. "It's been on my mind for a couple of days now. I...she hates my guts, we're married, and she spends her most of her days at GC..." Fang shook her head.

"I'm not a cheater," Lightning said sternly, "you can choose whether to believe it or not."

Then there was an awkward silence.

"Why is it so hard for you two to have one conversation peacefully?" Vanille finally snapped, dropping the notebook and her pen on the coffee table. "You know what, I think you are doing this on purpose. You're exaggerating things, making them more dramatic than they really are."

"Van—" Fang was interrupted.

"Vanille's right," Serah agreed, "I don't think you are even trying to get along." She glared at the married couple and accused, "More like trying to not get along."

"I am trying, Serah. But Fang here is making it impossible," Lightning tried to explain.

"I'm not the who's abusive and violent," Fang shot back.

"I think I've had enough for today," Serah made a frustrated sound and covered her ears with her hands. "Lightning, you and Fang are both war heroes. You've been through much more difficult situations than this, and you've overcome them. So why is it so hard for you to exchange a few compliments and have a nice, civilized conversation?"

Lightning clenched her jaw. "Ser—"

"No," Serah cut her off sharply. "you need to think, hard, about this. I need some fresh air...Maker, you guys are so frustrating," she growled.

"Serah and I are going to leave, and the two of you are going to sit here and think," Vanille sighed, "think about ways you could get along. No fighting." She looked at Fang one last time before leaving the room with Serah.

A few seconds passed and Fang sighed. Without looking at Lightning, she walked out of the room, leaving Lightning by herself.

Tender Loving Care...

In her office at the Guardian Corps headquarters, while sitting at her desk, Lightning idly played with her pencil as she hummed a tune she heard as a child. A stack of paper she still needed to do sat on the corner of her desk untouched. Lightning had too many other things on her mind to worry about those now.

Since the counselling session a week ago, Fang and Lightning had been giving each other the silent treatment. Lightning certainly didn't mind it; she enjoyed the peace and quiet. It was the awkwardness that made her uneasy. Good thing she didn't have to interact with Fang too much. In a way, Lightning was still angry at Fang. But most of the anger was gone by now. One of them could break the silent treatment, but it would have to be Fang. Breaking the silence was equivalent to admitting defeat, and Lightning would never do that.

Lightning continued to spend most of her days at work, except now, in the back of her mind, were Fang's accusations. So every time she worked late, her mind would automatically think of Fang, wondering if she was at home worrying about her loyalty. Lightning didn't understand why she cared.

Lightning released a breath she had been holding for a seemingly long time. She blankly stared at the unmarked piece of paper in front of her; she was thinking back to the session. Now, in this calm environment, everything Serah said was starting make sense. Lightning had been purposely worsening her relationship with Fang. For what reason, though? She wasn't so sure. Maybe she was angry. Maybe she wanted to show everyone, to prove to them, that marriage was a terrible idea. But was all that really worth it?

She had ever thought of the good things that could come from this. It was hard since she was forced into it.

Lightning tapped her fingers gently on the paper. If she tried, honestly tried, to control her temper and be nice to Fang, maybe they could become friends. Good friend. Ignoring the sarcasm, Lightning found Fang to be likable.

Attractive?

Lightning shook her head. Fang was quite attractive physically, but personality wise? Lightning didn't want to think too much about it. Frankly, she was scared to step into this foreign territory.

Her train of thought was interrupted when the door opened. Someone had stepped in without knocking. Lightning was about to yell when she saw who it was.

Captain Richard Fowler, dubbed Dickhead Fowler by his men, walked in. His uniform was untucked, as usual. He was six foot one, and had brown hair and dark eyes. Since the end of the war, he had been away to supervise reconstruction in other cities. Now he was back, unfortunately for Lightning.

"Captain Farron," he smiled fakely. "Good to see you." He walked closer and stopped in front of her desk.

"Fuck off," was Lightning's simple reply. She didn't want to spend too much time and energy dealing with him.

"I missed you," he said dryly, then he sighed, "I was going to propose to you, but I heard the news that you got married. It broke my heart."

"Fuck off, Fowler," Lightning glared at him, "seriously, what the hell do you want?"

Fowler shrugged, "just checking to make sure you're okay. What's it like being marriage to a savage?"

Lightning stood up from her chair and slammed her hands down on the desk, she growled at him, "she's not a savage, you fuck."

He ignored her, "What's it like being fucked by one?" He smirked.

"Get your fucking ass out of here before I kick you out!" Lightning shouted angrily, punching the desk with her punch.

Fowler's face darkened, "the treaty isn't going to last, Farron. Cocoon is going to destroy Pulse." With that, he turned and left, closing the door on his way out.

"Ugh," Lightning threw her mug at the door. She sat down, attempting to calm herself. She leaned towards her desk to write something random. However, when the lead snapped, she growled and flung the pencil across the room.

It was going to be a long day.

Lightning watched the clock and yawned. The hand which she had rested her chin on was getting sore so she lifted her head up and sat back in her chair. She could go home now since she technically didn't have anything else to do here. Her work for the day was done.

But go home and what? Ignore Fang or argue with her?

Maybe she should try to be nice. However, she wasn't going to bow her head down to Fang. So if she suddenly change her attitude now, she would feel weak and exposed. But a part of her desperately wanted to.

Anyway, what was Fang doing now? Was she out hunting in the forest again? Lightning remembered the sweet smell of well-cooked meat. Fang had offered some, but Lightning, like always, refused.

Then, it happened again, her thoughts cut off by the sudden opening of her office door. If Fowler dared to mess with her again, she would stab him with that pair of scissors she had in her top drawer.

"Lightning," called a voice with a foreign yet very similar accent. Fang.

The Pulsian huntress stood nervously by the door. She had a bag in her hand. She smiled sheepishly at Lightning and waved.

Lightning, surprised to see Fang here, didn't know what to say. "Fang," she greeted back, keeping her face neutral. A short pause later, she asked, "what are you doing here?"

Fang took a step and stopped, "can I come in?"

Lightning nodded, suspicious at Fang's intention. She had never showed up at Lightning's workplace before.

Lightning watched Fang closing the door. "How did you get in here? How was I not informed of this?"

Fang smirked. Her confidence was revived. Lightning wondered if she had asked the wrong questions.

"I...didn't exactly get any permission," she responded, "the security in the building isn't that good for the headquarters of GC. I'm kinda worried, what if someone comes in and assassinates my beautiful and lovely wife?" She acted worried.

Lightning rolled her eyes, feeling too exhausted to play Fang's little game. She did realize, though, that Fang had come to her, ending this silent war between them. But was Fang admitting defeat? Of course not, Lightning thought, this was Fang. So it had to be that Fang had something else in store.

Lightning immediately felt defensive.

"It's dangerous, walking in like that. If they catch you," Lightning didn't get to finish.

"Aw, are you worried about me?" Fang said with a teasing tone, smiling, "No need to be, love. As long as you don't report me, I'll be fine. Heck, even if you do, I'll still be fine. The GC's got nothing against me, the great Oerba Yun Fang!" She grinned proudly, showing off her biceps. "I ran into a guard on the way, he threatened me with that expensive toy gun. Ha, what a joke," she chuckled nonchalantly.

Lightning sighed, irritated, "well, that toy gun is an advanced killing machine. You could have died."

"Nah, he's got nothing against me. Even if there were a dozen of them," Fang boasted, "these killing machines aren't that effective. I recall seeing Gran Pulsian warrior charging and fighting the Fal'Cie while the Cocoonian soldiers hid in the back like cowards, shooting their guns and missing most of the time."

"Hmph."

"But anyway, I'm not here to complain to you about your incompetent soldiers. I'm here to ask how your day was," Fang smiled genuinely.

This sudden change of attitude was making Lightning feel uneasy. Fang was definitely up to something.

"It was okay," Lightning answered.

"It's good," Fang watched Lightning with soft eyes, "did you have a good lunch?" Her voice was husky and sweet.

Lightning couldn't look at Fang anymore. That genuine, caring look on her face was making Lightning's heart race. That soft voice, in contrast to the usual cocky and sarcastic tone, was sending shivers down Lightning's spine. What scared Lightning more was how she was reacting to it. She glanced at Fang, who looked accomplished. Lightning felt a surge of heat rushing up to her face.

"Yeah..." Lightning whispered weakly.

"Well, you know what's better?" Fang took a brown cardboard box out of her bag, and immediately the room was filled with the scent of the food inside. "Freshly cooked gorgonopsid meat!" She walked over and placed the box on Lightning's desk.

Despite the temptation from the food, Lightning remained serious. She looked up to Fang and saw those warm green eyes. Lightning felt something strange in her heart.

"Thanks," Lightning said without thinking.

Fang grinned, "no problem."

A pregnant pause.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could get a contracting job from the GC. It's better than sitting on my ass all day," Fang said.

Lightning stared at her. So this is was Fang wanted. Lightning felt her anger rising. Fang didn't actually care, she just wanted to take advantage of her.

"You're bribing me?" Lightning asked, trying to hold back her anger.

Fang was taken back. "No," she denied, "I'm not bribing you. Oerba Yun Fang never bribes anyone for anything. I'm fully capable of getting a job." She crossed her arms. "This is really for you."

Lightning thought about it, feeling tension leaving her body.

"Hmm. Why are you doing this?" Lightning asked her.

"I thought about it. I think we're capable of more than just arguments and fights. Vanille and Serah did have a point, you know. We were both acting childish. It ain't smart for us to take out our anger and frustration over this marriage on each other. I think we have the potential to become great friends, Lightning. So here I am, taking the first step."

Lightning was quiet.

"Let's start over, Lightning," Fang said, "let's show 'em that we're not as hopeless as they think."

Lightning still didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. Fang had already taken the first step, now it was up to Lightning. Would it work? She was skeptical.

Fang sighed. "Let me know what you think. I'm going to leave now." She began to walk away.

"How was your day?" Lightning blurted.

Fang turned her head to smile at Lightning. "It was great. I'll tell you more about it later. So get back to work and come home early, okay?"

Lightning nodded.