Well dear readers, I'm back with a new chapter and I have to say I like the final product. I had to take that "walk down memory lane" to write this one. I hope you'll like it. Maybe some of you will wonder where this story is going and it's possible you won't agree where I'm taking it. But please, bear with me. If I write something that may seem to go - how should I say - against how you believe a certain character should behave, just have faith. In the end, it's all for the benefit of the story. I don't believe what I've written has been a disappointment so far or at least, I hope it's not the case. I will explain more in the third chapter.

If some of you are on Deviantart and know Lonewolf117, please can you let him know I kept my promise when I told him I would write a story for him? Thanks in advance.

Oh and I checked on the net for a drink that would knock Fang's socks off. Out of the top 25 best shots to order in 2017, a Hot Damn is in the list. I haven't tried one yet so forgive me if it looks/feels different from the real thing. ;)

Love you guys and enjoy. :)

CHAPTER TWO

They had always been close; they were family bound by blood and few people could understand the depth of that bond. For them, it was deeper. It was a connection where loyalty, protection, respect and devotion were an integral part of their being.

It was a soul bond that had transcended time itself. It had been tested more than once by powerful forces; it had made her go through ordeals that would have destroyed any normal human being.

But not her; she wasn't like other humans.

She was a soldier and she had even been a goddess once.

Self-sacrifice wasn't new to her; it had always been a part of her. As soon as she came into this world, it was as if that moral value had already been implanted into her genetic code. With time, it had beenshaped then honed to its purest form.

She had showed self-sacrifice many times. First it was to free her, and then it was to correct the mistake she had made; to atone for her sins.

But despite all her efforts, she had not been able to save her. In the end, she had died and all she had done had been for naught.

You always realize how precious something is when it's gone and it's the same for people.

So when Bhunivelze offered to bring Serah back to her in exchange to become the savior, she accepted. When she was able to hold her in her arms again, things fell into place. Now she knew why Serah had her undying devotion and loyalty. She knew why she was willing to give her life for her and she knew why she couldn't let her go.

It was because of love; pure and simple. It was a love that could withstand anything; even death. It was unconditional.

Serah was the only one who had her heart; no one else did.

Not even Fang.

Fang was glad for once to be gone for another exhibition. She never thought she would get to that point but she needed to be away from Claire who was slowly but surely turning back into Lightning. Their last argument had turned really nasty with Claire accusing the brunette of neglecting her and flirting only to advance her career. She had even implied Fang traveled around the world so she could use her fame to have women in her bed.

"How dare you say such a thing?" Fang exclaimed, outraged at Claire's words.

"You're always gone! What am I supposed to think?"

"It's for work and not to fuck some lesbian groupie!"

Claire/Lightning crossed her arms over her chest and sighed in aggravation.

"You really believe that shit," Fang said in a low voice.

The pink-haired woman didn't reply but it was clear enough.

Fang opened the front door and put her suitcase outside. "Then I guess you won't miss me much, eh?"

She looked at her girlfriend who averted her eyes. Her heart sank.

"Maybe I should be the one wondering if you spread your legs for someone else...," she mumbled before closing the door.

While she was away, Fang got no news from Claire and didn't see fit to give some to her either. They were both proud women so when conflict arose, making peace wasn't easy. Too often Fang had to make the first move to open the dialogue otherwise, they would resolve nothing. But this time, she had no intention to. Claire had gone too far. How dared she accuse her of cheating?! It was true temptation was always hanging in front of the Aussie's nose. She just had to smile and wink and a model was ready to land in her bed. But Fang was deeply in love with that stubborn police woman. Such were her feelings for her that even a whole harem of horny women had no effect on her libido. To know her soul mate doubted her hurt deeply. She couldn't deny it anymore; something was very wrong between them. They were seriously overdue for a talk; the kind of talk where everything was out in the open. They would either come out of it stronger or break beyond repair.

Fang hoped it wouldn't be the second outcome.

Her skin was fair and perfect. Her hair was the colour of cotton candy, a bit darker than hers. Her eyes reflected the pure kindness of her soul. There was not an ounce of malice there. She was a little ray of sunshine, shedding her light among the darkness. She was so different and at the same time, incredibly the same.

And her voice! Clear and soft as wind chimes except when she begged her to make her come like she did now. It was still soft but with a hint of huskiness and it drove her mad with desire. She wanted to lose herself in her; to become one with her for eternity. She belonged to her. There was just her and no one else.

Fang had decided to shorten her stay so she could come home earlier than expected. She wanted to show Claire that her intentions were true. That pink-haired woman was still the most important person in her life. Her heart belonged to her. She would do whatever it takes to keep this relationship on track. They wouldn't be another hopeless case like Serah and Snow. This new determination gave her hope. When her mind was set on something, she could be as focused as Lightning had been when she had gone after the Sanctum.

Lightning...

The name echoed in her mind, eliciting feelings of anger and resentment. She wouldn't let her win; she wouldn't let her destroy what Claire and she had built ever since their reincarnation. She felt this was their last chance to glue back the broken pieces of their relationship. If not, then she'd have no other choice but to close her heart and move on. The thought of it made her feel like dying. But now wasn't the time to admit defeat. She had to get home first.

As soon as Fang unlocked the door, she heard soft moans and sighs. The sounds vibrated in her eardrums, which sent electrical impulses to her brain. She clenched and bit her lower lip. God... Claire was probably touching herself while waiting for her... It meant that maybe they we not over yet. It meant there was still hope.

Fang put her suitcase down and closed the door slowly so as not to interrupt Claire. Her underwear was damp and her lower belly couldn't stop making somersaults. Her partner could sound so sexy when she was in the throes of pleasure. Even though she was eager to take part of the action, she was able to curb her impatience. She would feast her eyes a bit before giving Claire the relief she sought.

When Fang opened the bedroom door, she thought her senses were deceiving her because the scene that was unfolding in front of her was totally unreal. Claire was pleasing herself there was no doubt about that. Her breathing was shallow, interspersed with moans. The room reeked of sex to the point where Fang could taste it on her tongue.

The brunette's arousal turned to horror. She wanted to leave but was unable to. It was like her feet were glued to the floor. Her broken heart banged frantically against her ribcage, like it desperately wanted to escape and leave this place. Fang stood there, transfixed and unable to take her eyes away from the woman to whom she had given her heart to in a previous life; the one she considered her soul mate.

The same one who was at this very moment, scissoring another woman.

"Right there... Oh god it feels so good!"

Claire's pale back was covered in sweat while her pelvis gyrated sensually. It was something Fang had always wanted to do with her but Claire had never agreed to. But now, she was doing it with someone else, desecrating the place where she and Fang used to make love.

"Fuck me Lightning! Fuck me harder!"

That voice... It was so much like Claire's but only a bit higher in pitch. No... It couldn't be... Until the very last moment, Fang thought she was hallucinating. Maybe it was exhaustion due to jetlag or she was coming down with something. She was in total denial, until she saw a flash of pink hair a shade slightly darker than Claire's.

Claire was gone now; Lightning had taken over for good. "Serah...," she moaned. "Oh Serah..."

Upon hearing those words, Fang's blood turned cold in her veins. She became dizzy and felt sick to her stomach. She thought she would pass out from barely contained anger and grief. She put her hand over her mouth, muffling a sob as tears streamed down her cheeks.

And still she stood there, despite the disgust she felt. She was like a poor spectator attending a bad play that wanted to leave but stayed nonetheless in hopes the plot would improve and the ending would be different. She kept watching Lightning pick up the pace while Serah grabbed her buttocks, urging her on. How long could she stand this torture? How long before her brain finally snapped out of it? It seemed like hours since she had stumbled upon them. Time had stopped.

"Lightning... I'm so close... I love you."

"Serah..." There was a sense of urgency in Lightning's voice. "I love you so much!"

Fang witnessed the love of her life reach her climax, soon followed by Serah's. She felt bile rise in her throat and almost threw up on her shoes.

That was the cue her brain needed to wake up. She took a few steps back and closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar, just the way it was before she opened it. She had no idea how she was able to keep her cool and not destroy the whole place as she walked toward the main door. She felt numb but she was still sane enough to know that if she lost it now and killed them both, she would end up in jail for the rest of her life. She just needed a few minutes of control to be able to walk through the doorway then it would be over.

But it was too much to ask and soon, the numbness she felt vanished and got replaced by burning rage. Fang picked up her suitcase, opened the door but not before punching a hole in the wall next to the doorframe. She closed the door with such force; it rattled from its foundations. Once outside, she took deep breaths to try to clear her head but ended up hyperventilating instead. She needed to get as far as possible from this god forsaken place and somehow, she couldn't put one foot in front of the other.

Before Fang went down the porch's steps, she heard Lightning say, "Ah shit. She knows."

The words felt like a slap in the face, jolting her into action. Claire was dead; Lightning had seen to that. But now wasn't the time to grieve. Fang had to find a place to stay until she had enough energy to come back here again later and pick up the rest of her stuff. Then she would have time to mourn the death of the one she loved more than life itself.

She started running like she had the Devil after her.

Bloody hell Snow, where are you?

Fang had been walking aimlessly in the middle of the night for at least an hour, her mind still trying to comprehend what she had seen earlier. How did this happen? When did it start and mostly, why? She couldn't find any logical reason and it was driving her crazy. She needed to talk to someone and who could be the best person than Snow?

Her phone vibrated indicating she had received a text message. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.

Hey Fang. What's the matter? Something's wrong?

Yeah something was definitely wrong and not only did it involve Claire and her... Correction; Lightning and she but it involved Snow as well. But how could she tell him? Should she tell him and if she did, would he believe her? It was very unlikely. She didn't know what to do. Despite the fact that Serah had broken up with him, Snow still had a high opinion of her. He still loved her. If only he had seen her true colours... He would be as devastated as Fang had been with her former partner.

Her fingers throbbed in pain as she typed frantically on the phone's screen.

Are you still at that hotel of yours?

Yeah. Why?

Give me the address and I'll meet you there.

Alright, see you later.

Now that Fang had a purpose, she felt a bit better. She dialed a taxi and it didn't take long before one arrived. She got in and gave directions to the driver. The man started to do some small talk but gave up after he realized he got no response from its passenger. It had started to rain and Fang got her mind busy by watching water drops roll down the car's window. They stopped at a red light and she saw her reflection. She looked... haggard; empty like her soul had been ripped out of her body leaving a shell of herself staring back at her. She closed her eyes and instantly, a pale body with pink hair flashed behind her eyelids.

Lightning grinding her pelvis against Serah's.

Fang shook her head, trying to get rid of the image.

Lightning kissing Serah.

She gritted her teeth.

Lightning climaxing with Serah.

She took a sharp breath through her nose.

Serah... I love you so much!

Fang gasped in shock and opened her eyes. She couldn't wait to see Snow.

When she arrived at the hotel, it was like all the stress she had experienced earlier vanished, leaving her with deep exhaustion. She wanted to crash but at the same time, the mere idea of trying to sleep scared her. She would probably have nightmares for a couple of days.

"Welcome. How long will you stay miss?" inquired the clerk.

"I don't know yet. Let's settle for a week, yeah?"

"Of course."

Fang paid with her credit card then opened the registry book. The pain in her fingers had spread to her hand and she could barely hold the pen and sign her name correctly. It was swollen and she wondered if she hadn't broken it. But if she could still move her fingers then maybe she had just sprained it.

The clerk gave her the magnetic card to her room and wished her a pleasant stay.

"Oh, can you give me the room number of Snow Villier please?"

The clerk frowned. "One moment, please."

He picked up the phone and called Snow. When everything was in order, he hung up. "Room 113. Mr. Villier is expecting you."

"Thank you."

Before meeting Snow, Fang stopped at her own room. She slid the card into the slot and the door unlocked. She stepped inside and looked around. There was a king sized bed, a kitchenette and a big flat screen TV. She turned on the lights of the bathroom. The place was clean and fresh towels had been placed. All in all, the room was adequate although it wouldn't replace her former bedroom. But it would have to do for now. She put her suitcase next to the bed and decided to unpack later. She needed to see Snow now.

Fang stopped in front of room 113. She knocked on the door with her right hand out of reflex and winced in pain.

"I'm coming!"

The door opened and there was Snow half naked with only a towel wrapped around his hips. His blonde hair was damp and uncombed.

Fang felt awkward. She had seen Snow bare-chested before when they had stood up against the Sanctum's forces in their previous incarnation and she had been unfazed by him, too busy ogling Lightning. This time though, she felt weird. She never really noticed how muscular he was. He looked rugged and sexy. She swallowed loudly and mentally slapped her brain, blaming her reaction on the fact that she was emotionally vulnerable.

"Hey Fang," Snow said smiling. "Sorry for the way I look. I just got out of the shower."

"I can see that," Fang mumbled, closing the door.

"Give me a minute while I change into something more appropriate."

Fang nodded. They both stood there like idiots, not really knowing how to act.

"I'll turn around," they both said at the same time.

Eyes downcast, Fang waited for Snow to get dressed. She wondered how she would brush the topic of Lightning and Serah. She couldn't keep that for herself and it was certain Snow would probe about why she had decided to meet him at his hotel instead of being home with her partner, especially after spending weeks outside the country. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess inside her head. She sighed and as she looked up, she realized she was standing in front of a mirror. Her mouth became dry. Behind her, Snow had removed his towel and was putting on black pants. She saw his muscled buttocks and felt weak at the knees. She never thought he was the kind of man not wearing underwear.

What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Fang thought. You'd better snap out of it right now!

She felt a hand on her shoulder and startled. Thanks to her tanned complexion, Snow wasn't able to notice her blush.

"What's wrong? You look like a nervous wreck."

Fang took Snow's hand in hers then turned around. She averted his gaze though. "We need to talk."

The tall blonde man had put on a black shirt as well, which didn't help Fang. Why did he have to look so good in black?

Snow nodded. "Sure. No problem. What the hell happened to your hand? It's fucking swollen!"

When Fang looked at her hand, she noticed it had turned blue and she could barely close it.

"That will be part of the talk later."

"Well in the meantime, you should put on some ice and bandage it. Wait, I'll take care of that."

While Snow went in the bathroom to get the first aid kit, Fang sat down on the edge of the bed. Now she had no choice. She would have to tell him about the betrayal. She would find a way to leave Serah out of the conversation though. There was enough damage already...

Snow went to get some ice from the freezer. He put some in a damp towel and bundled it up. Then he came back and knelt in front of Fang

"Here, put this on your hand."

"Thanks." Fang pointed at Snow's forehead. "Hey. No bandana?"

Snow grinned and raked his hand through his hair. "Nah. It doesn't seem appropriate now since Serah decided to go on a break or break up with me. I don't even know anymore."

The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Fang. "Well you should keep it that way. It suits you better."

Snow's face became somber. "A new beginning, right"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to..."

"I know. I'll go get some painkillers."

Fang knew the time to talk about what had happened with Lightning was coming soon and she was scared she would chicken out. She needed liquid courage for later.

"Forget the painkillers. Do you have strong booze? I could use some."

Snow arched an eyebrow. "Sure check in the liquor cabinet."

Fang went over the liquor cabinet and opened the doors. There were small bottles of rum, tequila, vodka and whiskey. She frowned when she saw Claire/Lightning's favorite drink. She chose rum and closed the doors. She uncapped the bottle and drank it down in one go.

Snow's eyebrows reached up to his hairline. It was so unlike Fang to get herself drunk in an instant. Oh she could drink anyone under the table but she was more the kind to appreciate what she had in her glass. To just drink herself blind meant something was very wrong but Snow respected her so he let it slide. When she'd be ready, she would tell him.

"Heh... My hand feels better already," Fang said as she threw the small bottle in the trash can.

Snow said nothing and took Fang's hand to bandage it. She let him although it was obvious how tense she was. He frowned and tried to meet her gaze but she avoided it.

"There. But if it's not better you should get it checked."

Fang nodded. "Thanks."

Snow got up. "So you want to go out?"

"Yeah, the night's just getting started."

"I'll be right with you guys!" Lebreau yelled at Snow and Fang when she saw them step inside her establishment.

They both wanted to go somewhere else but somehow, they ended up at Lebreau's bar. Fang wasn't too keen on being there since Lightning was a regular just like Snow and her. She was scared she would show up and if she did, Fang had no idea how she would react. All she knew was that her reaction wouldn't be a friendly one. But if Lightning had wanted to reach out to her and talk, she would have texted her already, which she didn't. It said a lot about her and the thought made Fang grit her teeth in anger.

The place was packed tonight so they took a seat at the bar. Lebreau came back and greeted them with a smile.

"Sorry. It's a pretty busy night. If I could teleport myself I would!"

She got no reaction from her friends.

"Okayyyy... So what'll it be?"

Snow ordered beer as usual.

"And I suppose it'll be beer for you too Fang?" Lebreau asked.

"No. Shots."

Lebreau and Snow looked at each other. The eyebrows reaching the hairline were becoming a trend tonight.

"Erm... Fang? That doesn't help me," Lebreau deadpanned.

Fang locked gaze with the dark haired woman. "Give me something that will make me forget."

Lebreau frowned. This was so unlike Fang but it wasn't her place to ask and based on the brunette's facial expression, it was better not to.

"Alright, a Hot Damn it is. It's a good thing you have Snow to take you home after."

Fang was stone-faced while Lebreau prepared her shooter.

"Here you go Beautiful," Lebreau said as she put the shot glass on the counter. "May your brain be fuzzy and your heart happy."

Fang took the shot glass and examined its content. The liquid had an orange/brownish colour and didn't look very appetizing. "What's in it?"

"It has whiskey, vodka, rum and orange juice."

"I could do without the juice."

Lebreau smirked. "Ahhh but you wouldn't be able to knock some back as much."

Fang downed the shot and slammed the glass on the counter. The taste wasn't bad at all and the drink left a nice fiery trail as it went down her oesophagus. Then it was like she'd gotten kicked in the gut.

"Whoa! Oh that's nice! Give me another."

"You're the boss," Lebreau said as she prepared another glass.

Fang downed it and asked for a third. Before she had time to bring the shot glass to her lips, Snow's hand was on top of hers.

"You said we had to talk so maybe you should take a break?" he suggested, a frown creasing his brow.

That seemed to sober Fang up. "Right."

"Why are you here instead of being home with Lightning?"

That was when Lebreau chose her moment to leave and serve another patron.

"Can you remove your hand from my shot glass?" Fang asked. Snow complied. "Thank you. Cheers!" she exclaimed before downing it in one gulp.

She cleared her throat. "I'm here because I didn't want to be with Lightnin'," she slurred with disgust, thanks to the alcohol kicking in.

Snow noticed right away that Fang had said 'Lightning' and not 'Claire'. She had never called Serah's sister by that name. Even in her past life, she used to call the pink-haired woman 'Light'.

The tall blonde man blinked stupidly a few times. "Okay I know Light says I'm dense but..."

Fang turned her head toward Snow and locked gaze with him. "I broke up with her alright?"

"What? What the hell happened?"

That was the moment Fang had apprehended ever since she had left her home. "Our relationship had been... rocky lately. We had a nasty argument before I left home and it left us... distant toward each other I suppose. So I decided to shorten my stay and come back early to patch things up. When I got home I..."

The words got stuck in Fang's throat. She was afraid to say them out loud because it would really mean that what had happened earlier had been real. She put her left hand over her eyes. She felt tears behind her eyelids, threatening to spill down her cheeks. She couldn't cry now; not here. She pressed her fingers hard against her eyes, hoping they would stop the upcoming flow.

"Fang...?" Snow said concern evident in his voice.

Fang let out a trembling sigh before blurting out, "When I arrived, I caught her in bed with someone else."

"Fuck...," Snow let out before downing the rest of his beer. He ordered another one.

Fang gripped the shot glass with her good hand, as if she were about to throw it across the bar. "Yeah fuck. That's exactly what she did. That pink-haired bitch was so busy shagging another woman in our own bed that she never noticed me. I saw everything Snow! It was..."

Fang choked down a sob.

Snow put his hand on the brunette's neck and started to massage it, hoping it would calm her down.

"I'm so sorry Fang."

Fang blinked a few times and tears rolled down her face. She wiped them angrily with her bandaged hand. She gritted her teeth, trying to keep her grief in check. Her jaw hurt so much she thought it would break from the strain.

"So that would explain your hand injury then."

"I got... carried away."

Fang was about to order a fourth shooter when she hear some commotion behind her. She turned around and almost fell off her stool. Lightning was shoving her way through the crowd with Serah right behind her. She noticed her former partner was holding her sister's hand.

"You!," Fang said spitefully. "What are you doing here?"

Lightning's face was emotionless. "We need to talk."

Snow's eyes were fixed on Serah. There was such hurt, such sadness in those blue eyes when he realized she completely ignored him. He sighed then turned his gaze toward Fang whose face was twisted with barely contained anger.

Fang stepped down her stool and that's when she fully experienced the effects of the drink Lebreau had prepared for her. It felt like she had been hit right in the face by a mallet. She could barely stand! She had to grip the counter or she would've fallen right in front of Lightning. She had been humiliated enough and she didn't need an extra dose.

"Spare me. Get out of my face you pink-haired whore. I don't want to talk to you," Fang growled.

Lightning's eyebrows reached up to the roots of her hair, which made Fang want to punch her in the face.

Snow noticed Fang's body was bent a bit forward and she had closed her left fist. She was getting ready for a fight.

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Serah exclaimed, outraged at Fang's description of her sister.

Fang pointed her finger at Serah. "You! Don't you dare interfere!"

Snow got off his stool. He knew Fang; she was his best friend and she wouldn't talk like that if she didn't have a good reason. Still, he loved Serah; that hadn't changed.

"Come on Fang. Just let her explain."

Lebreau heard Fang raise her voice and came back. "Hey you guys! Take it outside will ya?"

Fang put some money on the counter. "Fine. I was just leaving anyway."

The brunette walked unsteadily toward the exit with Snow right behind her. Little did they know that Lightning and Serah had decided to follow suit.

Once outside, Fang took a deep breath. Her anger churned and she could barely control it. She had been so close to lose it back there, she couldn't stop shaking.

"Hey, you okay?" Snow asked.

"I'll live. Let's just leave this place."

Snow nodded.

"Don't walk out on me Fang," Lightning said while still holding Serah's hand. "We need to settle this."

Lightning. Of course Lightning couldn't just ask. She had to order around, expecting people to obey her like a dog would with a snap of the fingers. Well Fang was no dog.

The brunette whirled around. "You're right; let's settle this. How long has this little game been going on behind my back? Has it been days, weeks or months maybe?"

Lightning was about to open her mouth when Fang put her hand in front of her face, letting her know she wasn't done.

"You know what? I don't even want to know. It just makes me feel sick to think how you've been cheating on me. You; who kept complaining that I left you alone, that I neglected you. You; who dared accuse me of sleeping with other women while I was away when all I did was to miss you like crazy. Little did I know you were doing the very same thing you accused me of?"

"Fang..."

Now Fang was crying from rage. "Don't 'Fang' me!" she said realizing that her voice had gotten higher in pitch as she threw her pain in Lightning's face. "I loved you! You meant everything to me and you fucking ruined it because you're too selfish to talk to me and a coward for not trying to patch things up you self-centered bitch!"

Snow stood there eyes downcast and gritted his teeth. Serah started crying and Lightning? Well Lightning took it all in like a champ except for a slight blush on her cheeks.

But Fang was on a roll. "Now it all makes sense why you had such a weird reaction when you told me Snow and Serah had broken up."

Snow's head perked up at Fang's words. "What do you mean Fang?" he asked frowning.

But Fang wasn't listening. "You must've been so happy when you learned the news, eh Lightnin'?" she spat the name like she had eaten something foul.

Tempers started to rise between Fang, Snow and Lightning. As for Serah, she was too busy crying.

"Fang stop it! I didn't mean for it to happen okay?" Lightning replied sharply.

"What the hell is going on?" Snow interrupted.

"You didn't mean for it to happen?! YOU SHAG YOUR OWN SISTER FOR GOD'S SAKE!"

A heavy silence settled over them. You could have heard a pin drop except for Serah's sobs. When Fang realized what she had said, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

Snow gasped in shock.

"I'm sorry Snow. I didn't mean to...," Fang said her voice barely above a whisper.

Snow looked like he had seen a ghost. He looked at Serah. "Serah... Is this true? Tell me she's lying."

But Serah didn't give the answer Snow sought. She averted his gaze instead.

"Say something please," Snow begged his features twisted with anguish. Then he grabbed Serah by the shoulders, making her wince in pain. "SAY SOMETHING!"

Lightning put herself between Snow and Serah and pushed her former brother-in-law. "Back off! Don't you dare lay your hands on her!"

Snow tripped and almost fell on his ass, a scenario that had been repeated too many times between Lightning and him. Then it finally clicked. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place so to speak and it all made sense. Now Snow understood Lightning's reaction toward him ever since he had started to date Serah. Now he knew why she had never accepted him as her brother-in-law; why he wasn't allowed to call her by her real name; why she blamed him for not protecting her sister; why she always called him 'stupid' or 'moron'; why it felt more like she was keeping her eyes on him when she gave her consent about their wedding; why she punched him instead of just trying to have a civil conversation.

Now he understood why Lightning hated him so much.

And Serah... Oh how he had loved Serah. He loved her still except now; he felt it had just been a lie on her end. He knew now why she had been so distant of late. Snow crumbled inside. He felt like his whole being had turned to ash and it would just take a gust of wind to scatter him and he would cease to exist.

Snow was a hot head; that much was true but he was fiercely loyal and most of all, he was a good soul. He always knew that if he had retaliated every time Lightning had been physically violent with him, he would have broken her bones so many times that she wouldn't be here today. So he had taken punches after punches; humiliations after humiliations and all for Serah's sake. The reason was because he had loved her more than any other human being.

But it wasn't the case anymore.

Snow stared at Lightning, his face contorted with fury. He closed his hands into tight fists and did what had been done to him too many times in his past life.

He punched Lightning right in the face. There was a loud crunching noise as he broke her nose. She flew across the alley and landed on the concrete, completely stunned.

"Lightning!" Serah cried out, running toward her sister who bled profusely.

Snow spat at Lightning's feet, letting her know all the contempt he felt for her.

"Come on Fang," Snow said putting his arm around Fang's shoulder. "Let's get out of here."