Perfect Stranger Chapter 9

Questionable Ties

22nd Day of March. Tuesday. 2:30 PM

Steam gathers up from the faucet as a careful hand gently moves a clean rag beneath the streaming liquid. Serah begins to dab the water soaked rag over the cut almost directly above her right eye. She leans closer to the mirror as she returns the rag beneath the water before pressing the rag against her temple again. Small steady streams run down the side of her face of mixed blood and water, on closer inspection she could tell it was going to scar seeing as how the cut tore right through her eyebrow. But scaring is the least of her worries. Right now she just wants to get it clean, who knows what particles a bullet can leave behind and start infection.

Then a small search for the white bottle in the cabinent behind the mirror. Uncap it, press a folded up tissue against the openning, tip it over twice. Then set the bottle of rubbing alchohal down safely before she presses and dabs the tissue to the cut. Her right eye flinched slightly when the alchohal first made contact but it cleared up afterward.

Once clean fully she tosses the tissue, now lightly glazed over with red, in the small waste basket next to the sink. Serah lets out a breath as she presses her hands together and brings them beneath the still flowing stream of water.

"Tell Mog not to worry about. Serah doesn't look like it, but she's a fighter."

Her sister's voice rang in her ear as she lowered her head and lifed the handful of water to her face. Seconds pass before she lets out a slow breath and straightens her back. Tiredly lifting her head to meet her reflection's eyes.

"You really think so, sis?" She asks, as if somehow Lightning will show up and reassure her. Then scold her for not being more careful. She looks away. A scolding would be nice at least, because that would mean Lightning is here physically standing next to her. Serah closes her eyes when the ache in her heart is suddenly stamped out with a boiling rage and hurt.

Why didn't Lightning tell her she was okay? Doesn't she trust her? Serah frowns and lets out a deep sigh before turning around. She thinks back on her own time when she had at first hid her relationship with Snow from Lightning. Of course, the hiding lasted all but two weeks before Lightning was tracking Snow and looking for every reason to mutilate him. Which then led to an earful, hence arguement, on Serah's end. But then considering the events that had occured in the months to pass, Lightning never really stopped interogating him.

Well,

Serah bit her lip and leans back against the sink. Saying that her sister wanted to work Snow over would be putting it nicely. She was never shy about making her distaste for her fiance show. But Serah didn't have intentions on keeping Snow a secret from her sister. Truth be told she was actually planning on telling Lightning about him when she waltzed in and demanded she listen to what she had to say.

But did that really make it neccesary for Lightning to keep away the very fact that she was alive? During the time she thought she was dead were the worst moments of her life since they both lost their parents. She closes her eyes and imagines that their situations are switched. It was habit she formed whenever she found herself deeply infuriated at her sister. She imagines that she was forced to fake her own death for the objective, the mission. She sees herself worrying about Claire, all the time. She manages to push it off for the time being, but that main concern is always there sitting at the back of her mind. Is Claire really safe? How long will she be safe? Can she get there in time if anything happens, wait how would she know if anything happened? God it's almost too much, so she finds someone to keep an eye for her. But it can't be just anyone, it has to be someone she can be sure she can trust. Unless...Unless she is desperate, but then that alone is a gamble. But Serah finds herself willing to risk it, for Lightning. For Claire.

Serah huffed, and glared forward. "Damn it. She still should have said something." She pouted and picked up a folded shirt from a neat stack of an outfit on the closed toilet. Hand picked by Mog. She sighs and removes her shirt.

"What's this?" Serah asks, accepting the pile of the folded outfit from Mog.
"You're change of clothes. You're a wanted woman now so it's time for you to go incognito! SO change of clothes is an immeidiate pronto."

With a quick frown she over looks the shirt again. Wondering if Mog even got the right size. She peaks at the tag, nevermind, it is. Wait, how in the world would he know her size? She thinks for a moment the last time she went shopping. When her and Snow finally had their papers together and had officially put a lawsuit in motion. She had decided to go and buy a few pairs of clothes. Yeah, Mog must have followed her. After changing into the attire that was provided Serah found herself in a simple black turtle neck and dark blue jeans. She'll have to question Mog later on how long exactly he's been tailing her.

When Serah leaves the bathroom and makes her way back down the hall toward the living room area where she walked in on the last moments of the video conversation between the boy Roxas and her sister. She found Noel on the couch, sitting next to a boy who looked a lot like copy of Roxas but with longer brown hair instead of blonde. Both of them in a heated battle of some kind of shooting game. She leans against the doorway watching the screen as, who she is going to assume is Noel, blows the head off an undead zombie.

This is that same game that Hope likes playing isn't it?

The one she assumes is Noel takes position behind the other player and begins shooting zombies coming in from downstairs and a nearby window. Then she glances to the other half of the screen to see that the brown haired boy is blowing heads off approaching zombies on the ground. Another minute passes and Noel is soon over powered by a hoard.

"Sora, run!" Noel yells, before dying.

"What?" The boy asks turning around, only to get bludgeoned. "Gah!" But it was too late. There was a big red 'Game Over' sitting on the entire screen.

Serah takes the time to access that Noel is pretty decent at this game, being a qualified zombie hunter herself happens to come in handy when judging other's ability. But that's a conversation for another day, right now she has questions, and Noel is the one they are directed toward at this point.

"Hey. Noel."

Noel stops his moment of wallowing in frustration with the boy and looks at her. "Oh. Hey Serah." He looks at the boy, then gestures toward him with the tilt of his head. "This is Sora. Roxas's brother."

Beside the the fact that Sora had light brown hair and Roxas was a pure blonde. Sora also wasn't as light complected as Roxas is and had his own slight tan. He was wearing trunks, sneakers, and a hoodie. She thinks back to Roxas and remembers that he was wearing tan pants and a white long sleeve. They were polar opposites despite being brothers.

Must be twins. Serah thought to herself briefly.

"You wonder how Mog gets every where so fast?" Sora points at himself with a proud smirk. "You're lookin' at'em!"

"Sora, in case you don't know, this is Serah Farron."

"Yeah." Sora says. "I over heard Mog and Roxas mentioning you before. Your sister is Lightning isn't she?"

"Nice to meet you." Serah nods then sucks in her breath. "I'm sorry, but I have to skip pleasantries. Noel. Can we talk?"

"Sure." He nods, and then looks at Sora. "Uhm. Go ahead without me." He puts his controller down and stands. He faces Serah, and then gestures toward the other side of the room with an entrance to a single ailse kitchen.

Serah blinks, realizing how focused she had been on her sister that she was completely oblivious to the major details of this hideout. The kitchen had counters and cupboards on both sides with the fridge next to the wall on the left, and a sink in the center on the right. Noel leaned against the part of the counter next to the fridge folding his arms against his chest and crossing an ankle over the other.

"Where is Mog? Why isn't he here?" The first question she asks.

"He left with Roxas to get a hold of our contact. He said he's fine with just Roxas despite my attempts to help." He sighs. "Alright. I know there is more. Hit me." He gestures toward himself with the wave of two fingers.

Interesting choice of words. "Who are you?"

"Noel Kreiss."

"What is exactly is your standing with Orphan?"

"Primary."

Serah frowns. "Meaning?"

"I know people." Noel shrugs half heartedly.

"That's not exactly answering my question." Serah's fists slowly begin to clench, "What is your relationship with Orphan?"

Noel doesn't answer this time, only locks his eyes on Serah's, searching her expression.

"I'm seriously going to hit you if you don't talk." One of the things Lightning had made sure to teach her were the basics and tactics of putting up a good fight. She will take on Noel if she has too.

"Easy." He holds up both of his hands in a mock surrender. "It's just...You're not going to like my answer."

"My sister convinces the world she's dead, Orphan tries to convict her name as a terrorist. Try snuffing me out after I provide evidence against their claims. Then you somehow show in up in the EXACT nick of time to pull me out." Serah's brow furrows for a moment as she makes a realization. "It's as if you knew when and where they'd take me." Serah's frown deepens. "You owe me answers Noel Kreiss. So how about you spill and let me decide if I like what you have to say or not."

He looks toward the living room and then sighs. "Fine." Noel then looks Serah in the eye. "The man you saw earlier, with the girl. His name is Caius Ballad, he is an executive for Orphan's leading company and a succeeded name in Orphan itself." Noel seems to steal himself. "Caius is also my older brother."

A period of silence followed where Serah just stared at Noel. Well fuck. This changes a lot. Noel is the brother to Caius. Caius. Her practical hand picked executioner. How is she suppose to completely trust him now? Yeah, he was here now. He saved her life, he seems to know how Lightning is. But that begs the original suspicion she had.

What is his REAL reason for trying to help her?

"Listen!" He throws his hands up. "Before you get any ideas that I have some sort of under cover objective against you, stop right there. I'm not with him, or anyone from Orphan for that matter. I'm here to help and didn't just save you for shits and giggles. You know what Orphan is capable of, and you know how deep their claws reach. I never cared for the amount of lives destroyed by this and I think I was just always waiting for the opportunity to act. Mog helped bring both of us together for a reason and that was to bring down Orphan."

"Are you sure about that?" Serah narrowed her eyes.

"It's Orphan! How could I not?" Noel exclaims, out of annoyance or frustraion Serah is unsure. "Tell me. If it were Lightning leading Orphan, wouldn't you be hard pressed NOT to do something? Wouldn't you try and change things so she wouldn't hurt so many people? You wouldn't think twice about it, would you?"

Truthfully she would. If Lightning had every right reason to lead Orphan, if she believed in the driving force behind her sister's actions. She would be at her side every step of the way. "That doesn't change anything." Serah says. "I'll help you, but don't expect me to trust you anytime soon." This is also the only way that she could really help her sister. Serah quietly holds her breath, she wants more than anything to bring Claire back home.

22nd Day of March. Tuesday. 1:15 PM

"Just keep your eyes closed, and no peeking!"

"Seriously Vanille, how can I-" She almost trips over something with the fumble of her weight. But she somehow keeps steady. "See ANYTHING." Fang chuckles when Vanille continues guiding her. She hears the door open.

"Just keep walking!"

"Alright." Fang chuckles, and catches herself after almost tripping again down the porch steps.

"Okay. Almost there. Now stop." Vanille says excitedly.

Fang stops moving when her hands jerk her to a stop.

"Okay. Now. Surprise!" She quickly removes her hands from Fang's face and steps around her. "Ta-da!"

Fang gasps with a dropped jaw at the sight in front of her. "Kyle!?"

Fang sits up and wipes her forehead off with the back of her wrist. A deep inhale and exhale before she tosses the rag into the bucket of water. Then returns it to her hand, wringing the water out of the cloth and resumes her attention over the chrome pipes.

Kyle grins from his place, leaning against the side of something covered in a small tarp. Watching Fang run up to him, where they continue to have that awkward moment when they stand and stare at each other. Both wanting a hug but unsure if they should proceed. Their last encounter wasn't exactly pleasant.

"Oh. Git'over here ya'runt!"

Fang grunts when Kyle jerks her into a hug.

"I'm not small anymore!" Fang tries to resist by pulling away, only to have her hair ruffled by Kyle's hand as he pulled her head back into his shoulder. "You're talking with an officer now!" Her protest is ignored when Kyle tugs her head down into a quick headlock. She was just beginning to squirm out when he releases his hold, turns around, and wraps his arm around her neck.

"Okay. Remember when you kind of..." He throws a hand up. "Crashed Bahamut?"

Fang made a face. Crash would be putting it nicely. Totaled was a more appropiate term.

"Like she crashes everything she drives!" Vanille pipes up with a smile.

"I had good enough reason too." Fang snuffs her nose. "At the time anyway. And I do not crash everything I drive." She peeks over Kyle's arm at Vanille.

"Uh-huh. Right. What about that time you flipped your bike when you were thirteen?"

"Not my fault."

"Sure. And crashing into the car as soon as you could walk wasn't?"

"I was in a hurry."

"In any case." Kyle pokes Fang in the forehead. "It has made you all the more hard headed." Then he points at the tarp.

Fang glances between Kyle and the tarp as a realization settles in over her mind. "No way." She immeidiately leaves Kyle's side and rips the tarp off to reveal what it covered.

Dusting imaginary dirt off her hands Fang steps back to admire her handiwork of a clean and shiny Bahamut.

"You know. I think you just set a track record."

Fang blinks and then looks at Vanille who was sitting against her own sparkle clean Eidolon. "Hm. What?"

"If I can recall correctly you haven't crashed on Bahamut once since we brought him back to life." Vanille smirks.

"If I can recall correctly I am a far more experianced driver." Fang defends herself as she points at Vanille with the rag in her hand.

"Uh-huh. That's what you said last time. Before you hit the rut that flipped you onto your back." Her voice was playful.

Fang smirks, and looks at Vanille. "If I recall correctly I was distracted by you crashing by that same rut."

"This is insane!" Fang laughs, and looks at Kyle. "How did you even-?" Her voice cuts off with excitement, her smile now a full grown grin.

He shrugs one shoulder. "I contacted people who owed me some favors."

"But why?" Fang shakes her head once as Kyle steps closer to her. An amazed confusion set clearly on her face. Awestruck by the parked pride it must have took Kyle to bring Bahamut back."Why would you even bother?"

"Don't worry about it. It's here now, and it's still yours. Consider it a sealed deal on a fresh start." Kyle stops in front of Fang and holds up the keys between the both of them. His eyes set on Fang's. "IF you really are finished with Monoculus. Are you finished?" Kyle raises a brow.

"Heh." Fang shakes her head and looks away. Really. Did he have to ask? Of course! The grin returns with her eyes to his. "I told you Kyle. I'm done. I'm out."

"No more? Done?"

Fang grasps her hand over his. "Done."

She lifts her arm and pulls the garage door down. Watching their Eidolons disappear behind the closing barrier. Fang closes her eyes, takes in a deep breath, and then swallows the lump in her throat. Moving on. She straighens herself, squares her shoulders, and pushes all thoughts away while she heads inside.

She unzips her jacket and hangs it over the coat rack directly across from the front door. Then takes a moment to look at it. Hmn. She is going to have to give it a good cleaning before they make their way to Eden. Fang gives her jacket a pat and makes her way toward the kitchen through the livingroom. She passes Vanille, who seemed content to stand at the kitchen entrance, and makes her way to the cupboard next to the fridge.

"You know Vanille." She opens the small cupboard door and reaches up to grab the pack of cookies. She turns around and bites into a chocolate chip and m&m cookie and leans against the counter. "Maybe you could go back to school. Ya'know. Since we're headin' to Eden'n'all."

Ugh-She loved these cookies too much. Always have. Probably always will. She takes another bite of the cookie. They were awesome, it was as simple as that. "We need to call Rachel. Let her know that we're alive and kicking." Once almost finished with her first cookie she grabs three more, and then steps forward when she hears nothing from the other. Fang peeks at her sister. "Uh-Vanille?"

Vanille shakes her head, her entire form tense. "I-I'm going to pack my bags." Lime green eyes on the floor as she turns around.

Fang catches ear of stress in her voice and is immediately concerned. "Vanille-" She starts with a step toward the younger one.

"By myself."

Fang stops in her tracks at the guarded reply that cut off anything she had to say. As much as Fang feels a need to be at her side, tugging at her conscious, she knows that Vanille needs her alone time. To deal.

Fang frowns, and then nods. "Okay." She says softly, not caring really whether Vanille heard her or not.

She huffs and kicks at the floor. Dealing with the mix match cascade of emotions was something she did not want to do right now. She starts on her second cookie and makes her way to her room. A nice hot shower should clear her mind.

22nd Day of March. Tuesday. 2:00 PM

Hot steam dances across and clings to a mirror in white mist. Fang runs her hands through her hair again before letting her hands fall back down to her sides. She closes her eyes and tips her head back to allow the soothingly hot water to run down against her skin. Then she turns her head, enjoying the flow that continueously ran down her neck, shoulder, and back. As she did so, she kept her mind blank. Moving on a slow autopilot to keep her mind from wandering to the events that had and will leave her emotionally crippled.

Well, she was trying for autopilot. But the very different form of streams kept continuing their own path down her cheeks. Damn it, she was trying to avoid this. The tears wouldn't stop pushing onto the surface and she was eventually forced to just let them flow. Especially since there wasn't anyone around to hold them back for.

Before the tears have a chance to bring any painful occurences she shuts the water off. Having finished washing herself down some time ago and pulls a towel from the towel rack directly next to the shower. She gives herself a quick pat down and then slips into a tank and sweat pants. Fang is still patting her hair down when she leaves the bathroom and heads straight down the hall toward her room.

Flick the light on, don't like it, flick the light back off.

Fang walks back toward her bed on the far end of the room next to the window, and just sits at the edge. Part of her wanted to turn on one of the lamps next to the bed, or the one on the dress directly across the bed next to the closet. But she left both off, and was just content enough to stay seated. Fang bites her bottom lip, and closes her eyes.

Her head slumps forward into the palms of her hands as her elbows come to rest on her knees. Her chest tightened with her shoulders. Now it's decided to hit her it seems. Despite having a full nights rest and a refreshing drive through the natural greens of Oerba. Nevermind her attempts to keep it at bay. The mashed up feelings were still there. The loss, the grief, the sadness, the confusion, all of which are slowly giving way to anger. First her mind went to Oerba, and every face that she knew of who she would no longer see. Them, their families, the very soul of Oerba. Then there was the complication with Kyle..

She didn't know what wanted to feel about her now dead brother. She wanted to grieve his death, but then she couldn't allow herself because she felt betrayed. Then she also felt doubt, she didn't want to believe that Kyle would have any hand in all of this. If she knew her brother like she thought she did, like she hope she did, then he wouldn't even think to have plan in this. In fact, he'd be the one trying to stop any attack on his hometown. ESPECIALLY his hometown.

But really, how well did she know him? She didn't even know Kyle's partner for crying out loud!

Alas, the very topic of how contradicting this entire subject is, is hurting.

"Fang."

She ignores the figure as he comes ot her side. She ignores the hand that he puts on her shoulder before giving a reassuring squeeze.Hell, she doesn't even acknowledge him, she just keeps her current form on the couch. Leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, face buried into the palms of her hands.

"Hey. Fang." Kyle says softly. "There was no way you could have seen that coming."

Fang grits her teeth when her throat tightens, and a pressue begins to grow in her chest. "Damn it." She curses, her hands forming into fists against her forehead.

"I'm sorry you had to go through with that. But if it's any consolation." Kyle continues. "You did the right thing in there."

She tries to hold them back, she tries her damnest to. But they were just too powerful, just like in the shower. Her eyes scrunch shut as the tears force their way past her eyes and onto her cheeks. "God damn it all." Her voice crumbles beneath the heavy pressure of a sob.

"Idiot." Kyle grumbles as he lifts her weight more onto his back, it was hard keeping her steady because they were both covered in mud. "I told you not to go down there by yourself! What would have happened if I didn't think to take one more round about? I wouldn't be back here, and you would be stuck out here until God knows when!"

Fang didn't say anything. She only kept her face tucked into the back of her brother's shoulder. Crap, she didn't know this was going to happen. She didn't think the bike was going to curl like that, she didn't think she was going to be underneath it when it slammed into the ground.

"You probably broke your leg. But that's lucky compared what could've happened Fang. What if you weren't wearing you're helmet? What if you broke you neck!? What then? You'd be dead! Just because you're thirteen now doesn't mean you could go out risking you're life by yourself! Don't you ever. EVER. Scare me like that again! Just wait till we get home! Mom is going to hear it!"

Double quadruple all time crap! Fang feels her heart sink. It hurt worse than the pain in her leg, and her upper side. That means that mom is going to find out about their secret spot, and the high jump. Then she'll find out how they've been sneaking Vanille over there, letting her practice her jumps. Then she'll take their motorbikes away. Then she will ground Fang for the rest of her life. Bye bye teenage years, it was nice knowing ya, despite just starting them.

"But." Kyle sighs and looks back at Fang still curled against his back. "Even I have to admit, despite the landing, that was a pretty sick flip. Next time I call dips on the first run."

Fang blinks, and lifts her head. Seeing Kyle's smile she can't help but to grin like an idiot.

What about Vanille? Should she tell Vanille? How is she even going to tell her this? It's better if she hears it from her, but damn it, she just didn't know how. If she doesn't tell Vanille, she's going to eventually hear it from someone else. Which would just make it even worse.

"Does Vanille know?"

"Know what?" Fang crosses her arms in front of her chest. Tipping her chin upward in her own form of a challenge to the anger in Kyle's tone.

"Don't play dumb!" Kyle spins around and waltzes straight up to Fang. "Did you tell her that that some bitch named Mary wants you in her damn gang?!"

"She doesn't need to know that." Fang growls, straightening her form toward Kyle.

"The hell she doesn't! This isn't some local punk get together Fang. This is Monoculus. MONOCULUS. Listen." Kyle puts a firm grasp on Fang's shoulder. "Think about what you're doing Fang. Don't throw everything else away for this!"

"Get away from me." Fang growls.

The corner of Kyle's upper lip twitches. Out of anger or disgust, Fang doesn't bother to check. "At least have the decency to tell Vanille yourself."

Fang sits up, and then looks up to the ceiling. Suddenly feeling so heavy she lifts her self up, and crawls further up the bed. She collapses downward, and buries her face into her pillow. The weights over her shoulders settles and she allows herself to openly feel every single pound of it. It would seem like ages before the weight pulled her eyes shut and lulls her into a light slumber.