A/N. WARNING! This is the third story is a continuing story line. There are many references to the first two, so I recommend that you read them first. They are Of My Dreams and When I wake

For everyone one else that have reviewed my fanfics, thank you so very much. It is your feedback and your stories that help inspire me to do my best to improve on what I have already done. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this new story.

I have played FF13, though have yet to beat it. I know my previous fics have some inaccurate parts, but for the sake of the storyline I will leave them as is and try to adjust as best as I can. Please review!

No, I do not own this franchise, but I am trying.

IN OUR HANDS

Feelings

The village of Oerba had laid abandoned for years untold, left to the ravaging of the Cie'th and local wildlife. Vanille, her eyes moist with the thought of how her home was once a place full of loved ones, found comfort that at least it was still there. It could've easily have been wiped out of existence during the Great War. She felt lucky that she could at least walk into her old home and visit one last time.

The young girl was wandering the empty streets, skipping along to see whatever she could find in the decaying town. Hope, who was walking alongside her, could only see more junk each time they turned a corner. She, on the other hand, was reliving memories and experiencing a deep sense of nostalgia. It felt strange, being home again went it wasn't really home anymore.

"Shouldn't we go back?" Hope said nervously, glancing around. "This place is dangerous."

"We told the others we would try to find some food. We can't go back empty-handed, now can we?" Vanille said cheerfully, an emotion Hope wasn't sharing at all.

"I…I don't like it here. It doesn't feel right." The young boy reached into his pocket, his fingers touching his battle boomerang, reassuring himself that it was still there.

"If that's the case," Vanille hopped over a few large rocks, planting herself right in Hope's way. "Why did you tell Cloud we would be fine when he offered to come with us?"

"Um…" Hope's face turned an embarrassed pink, biting his lower lip so as not to answer.

But Vanille wasn't going to be put off that easy. She continued to look him in the eye, hands behind her back, her bright eyes flashing. "Well?"

The silver haired turned around, taking in a deep breath. He blew it out with a quick sound of frustration, like a child does when he is cornered by his parents.

In many ways, he is still just a kid,the red-haired girl told herself. But hadn't Sazh often called her that as well? Maybe there wasn't such a thing as a true adult. Snow certainly acted immature at times, not taking the time to think things through. And Lightning was very stubborn, to the point that she had difficulty admitting her own mistakes. It was that same stubborn attitude that got her in the condition she was currently in, her body covered with cuts, bruises and several broken ribs.

Hope started to talk. "I don't…really…like him."

"Cloud? Why not? He saved Lightning from the fal'Cie Prime and brought her to us so that we could save her. He's really nice, loves Lightning alot and wants to help us stop the fal'Cie from destroying your home."

She noticed him clench up at her words. What was bothering him?

"I know he seems nice, Vanille. But it looks forced, as if he's just pretending. I remember that same look in the eyes of Sanctum officials, telling us that we were going to be fine when they wanted to deport us from Cocoon, just before trying to kill us."

"So you think he's lying?" Vanille ventured

"I don't know. But I believe that he's hiding something."

"Everyone has secrets. It what makes us who we are. That's why were are all so different from one another. Secrets are the little things that can change the way our lives are affected. Serah kept the secret of being a l'Cie from Lightning, I didn't tell Fang that it was she that had transformed into Ragnarok and cracked Cocoon, and you…"

The girl gave a slight gasp, catching herself, but too late. Hope looked at her with wide eyes, revealing his shame. Yes, he had also kept secrets, ones of hate and anger, which slowly transformed into a desire for revenge and murder. Looking back, he couldn't understand why he had lost himself so completely that he was ready to kill a man he soon afterwards came to call friend, for no more reason than refusing to see the big picture.

"You're right, Vanille. I hid my feelings of Snow from everyone, until I was ready to do something that I would never have dreamed of doing before. To kill. That was a bad secret, and I know now when someone has bad secrets hidden inside, they look a certain way, almost like suppressed panic. Cloud has those kinds of secrets, and I don't want to let him hurting anyone because of them…especially Lightning."

Hope had started walking again, pretending to be busy looking for provisions. Vanille almost had to run to catch up, grabbing his hand to slow him down. "You care for her, don't you?"

Hope turned his head skyward, a late afternoon breeze disturbing his hair, his green eyes focused on the immense form of Cocoon high above. "I care for everyone."

They continued walking, exploring building after building, always careful so that the ruins wouldn't fall down on top of them. Vanille had been hoping to find some canned goods, the only thing that could last years without spoiling. But all they found was litter and rubble. Whatever had happened to her home village, it had left everything empty and lifeless. When they decided to head back, the sun was just above the horizon, ready to give way to the moon and let Gran Pulse sleep. A whole afternoon of searching and nothing to show for it.

Well at least we tried to do something, Vanille told herself reassuringly.

"Did you hear that?" Hope said suddenly.

Vanille's ears perked up. She had, but was too busy living in the past to have noticed. The street they were on was where she often played with her friends when she was very young. The sound was somewhere between a roar and a high pitched whine, like an old engine. It was getting closer.

Having come across many different things in their recent travels, ranging from dragons to mechanical miners, whatever was making that sound could easily be a fal'Cie or a very large insect. Both kids quickly hid themselves in the nearest house, peeking out the broken windows to see. The roaring got louder, until it sounded like it was coming from any which direction. Vanille suddenly saw a light coming down the street at a speed faster than anyone could run. It was too dark to see clearly, but she believed she could see the form of two bodies behind that yellow light.

"Vanille! Hope! Are you around?" Shouted a loud voice. It was Fang.

"Here!" Vanille answered, coming out from hiding.

Hope didn't follow at first. He had seen a little too much since the death of his mother to trusting anything at first glance. But when the motorcycle came to a stop and he could clearly see the dark haired woman dismount from behind the driver, he relaxed and joined them. Vanille hurried into the arms of her friend, giving her a tight hug.

"I'm so glad to see you." She squeaked happily.

"Why? You've only been gone for a few hours. Did you get into some kind of trouble?" Fang asked, staring at them both evenly. "Did you try to do a Cie'th focus by yourselves?"

"No!" Vanille said a little too quickly.

"Don't lie to me." Was the cold retort.

Hope spoke up, avoiding all eye contact with the driver. "We did find a Cie'th stone and accepted it's focus, but it's too hard for just us two. We were going to do it tomorrow with either Snow, Sazh, or you."

"What about me?" The driver asked.

For the first time Hope looked directly at Cloud. "You're not a l'Cie."

"What he means is that we're worried that it would be too hard for you, seeing how you don't have any magic or a eidolon of your own." Vanille quickly added, praying that the falling evening kept Cloud from seeing her reddened face. Hope was even more unfriendly toward the blond man than she thought he would be.

The silence that hung in the air afterward felt as though an intruder had suddenly joined them. Cloud was staring blankly at Hope, who stood still as a statue. Fang frowned at the scene, giving Vanille a quick glance.

What was that all about? Was the message.

The red-haired girl shrugged in response. She didn't fully understand Hope's feelings herself, so how could she explain them?

"It's getting late, we should head back." Cloud said finally, looking up at the dark sky. The sun was almost gone, and the stars had just started to shine. Cocoon hung overhead in the distance, an artificial moon over Pulse.

Vanille clapped her hands in excitement. "Can I ride with Cloud?"

Rolling her eyes, Fang nodded a yes, watching with a smile on her face as Vanille eagerly hopped on behind Cloud as he revved the engine.

"Hold on tight or-" Cloud began, giving a quick grunt as the small girl firmly wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Like this?" She asked.

"Yeah, that's good." He replied sheepishly.

Fang had noticed that Cloud had also been uncomfortable earlier when she had ridden with him. She guessed wherever he had come from, he hadn't been around girls very much. Hope stood by silently, looking disapprovingly at Cloud. The boy's hands clenched into fists over and over again, wanting to say something but not being able to get it out. He had the same trouble when he wanted to confront Snow about his mother's death. But he had learned to overcome that over time, so why was he having trouble now?

"You guys will be alright?" Cloud asked over the roar of his bike.

"Oh yeah. Just be sure that we don't beat you there first." Fang said back, half serious

Back wheel spinning, Cloud and Vanille spun around and sped down the abandoned streets of Oerba, heading for the girl's old home where the group were using as a temporary shelter. Soon Hope and Fang were alone.

"Come then, let's not waste any more time here." Fang told Hope, gesturing him to follow as she began walking away. "The nastiest creatures always tend to come out after night fall."

Hope complied, but didn't say anything. In his mind he was trying to think up different things he could've said, how he could've told Cloud what was on his mind and how he felt about him. It frustrated him that it was only after Cloud was gone that he was able to think up stuff, but never on the spot. Maybe he should prepare for the next time he and Cloud were alone? It seemed like a good idea.

"Ok, so what's up?" Fang said suddenly, jolting Hope out of his train of thought.

"Um…excuse me?"

"You're not the chattering type, Hope, but you're not always this quiet. Tell me what's on your mind." Fang never turned around to look at him, but kept looking ahead, eyes and ears alert in case of any danger.

Feeling his face heat up, happy that Fang wouldn't notice in the dark, Hope sputtered an answer. "I'm…uh…just tired, that's all."

"Hmm…and that's why you were so rude to Cloud?"

"…I don't know what you mean."

" 'You're not a l'Cie'. That wasn't very nice. Cloud has been helpful to us since the day he arrived. I don't see any reason for you to be telling him that he's too soft to help you and Vanille complete a focus."

"B-but, we don't know who he is." Hope finally admitted

"Lightning trusts him and that should be enough-"

Fang stopped walking for a moment, reached for her spear and waited. Heavy breathing sounded nearby, followed by sounds of rocks and rubble being stepped on. Hope pulled out his boomerang with his right hand, while his left began glowing blue, ready to cast blizzard. A behemoth was nearby, wandering the village, hunting for a meal. One adult woman and a fourteen-year old could easily be put on the menu. Fang motioned to Hope to get to a trailer that stood several dozen yards behind them. The boy made his way as quietly as he could, tiptoeing along.

Suddenly they heard a loud snort, and they bolted for the trailer. The beast had caught their scent and wasted no time giving chase. To Hope the trailer felt like miles away instead of only several feet, and that he and Fang would be dead before they could even touch the front door.

"Here!" Fang cried out, removing a manhole cover with her spear right in the middle of the street.

Hope had to change direction in middle stride, which caused him to slip and fall. He scrambled to his feet, running as fast as he could. Fang had turned around to face the oncoming monster, holding her crimson spear out in front of her. If it charged, she would be able to use it's own weight against itself and impale it. But behemoths have a habit of being smart and to learn quickly. The beast slowed down, swinging a massive fist of claws at the Pulse native. Fang pulled back enough to avoid getting hurt. The next swing wouldn't be so off the mark.

Thinking fast, Hope's hand glowed red a second before he unleashed fira right in front of the creature, blinding it from the sudden heat and glare. It pulled back with a painful growl, giving time for Hope and Fang to jump through the manhole. Years and years of neglect made the old sewers a world on it's own, full of vegetation able to thrive in the dark as well as large critters like rats and insects. But it was better than being above ground, for the moment.

"At least there's no smell." Fang said positively.

"You think so?" Hope was pinching his nose, fighting down the urge to heave.

"Oh, trust me." Fang said, looking around to get her bearings. "I've been in worse. This way."

The boy looked down the tunnel she was pointing to, seeing mostly shadows, with the occasional movement in the dim light that managed to seep through the cracks from above. "How do you know that's the right way?"

"I didn't say anything about being the right way. But ugly up there will try to get down here, and if he does we want to get a good head start on him. Hopefully before long we'll be out again."

As if it had been listening, the behemoth slammed down on the hole with all it's might, knocking the two l'Cie off their feet. Hope looked up, seeing it's large nostrils covering the hole as it sniffed for them. Already cracks were forming around the manhole, getting only larger when the behemoth smashed it's head down on it again.

"No time to dilly-dally, let's get moving!" Fang announced, hurrying to her feet and taking off deeper into the sewers at a run.

It was all Hope could do to keep up. The sounds of the raging behemoth began to die, and after several minutes they slowed down. Hope's side were burning each time he drew breath. Even Fang was wet with sweat. She was looking at an overhead manhole cover red with rust.

"Can we get…out here?" Hope asked between gasps.

Fang used her spear to hit the cover, which refused to budge. She hit even harder, the sound echoing throughout the tunnels. The sound made Hope worry. If the behemoth was inside, it could easily find them if them made that much racket. After giving up on that one, they continued on until they found another one, but with the same results. After at least three more, Fang showed signs of impatience.

"Curses! It's so humid down here all the covers are rusted tight. Can we catch just one little break?" The dark-haired woman growled. "Just another day on Gran Pulse."

"What if I froze the metal? It would become brittle and you could bust it open, right?" Hope suggested.

Fang thought for a moment. "Alright. But be careful. In a space this tight we can just as easily freeze ourselves."

Taking several steps back, the Pulse born woman allowed Hope room to cast blizzard, the air immediately falling into subzero temperatures. Frost soon lined the walls and the mud at their feet became harder than rock. Fang shivered, her fingers tips numb and her lips turning blue. After a few more casts, the metal manhole cover was as frozen as it ever was going to be.

"Ok." Hope said, his breath like fog in the air. "Your turn."

Without hesitating, Fang spun her spear in a tight circle once for momentum, then slammed it upwards against the cover. Like glass the metal shatter into hundreds of pieces, raining down on them. Fang, satisfied, leaped up and out, checking to make sure they weren't walking into the claws of another wandering monster. Seeing no threat, she extended her arms back down into the hole and hoisted Hope out. The boy quickly brushed off his clothes of the filth of the sewers.

"I bet anything we stink to high heavens." He grumbled. "Of all the nasties we could've come across, it had to be the one that we have the most trouble with?"

"Yeah." Fand agreed. "Too bad Cloud wasn't here. We could've used that overgrown steak knife of his."

Hope glared at Fang for the remark, but the woman didn't seem to notice. She was staring up into the sky, looking at the stars. They had gotten turned around in the sewers, but after a glance she knew exactly where they were.

She started walking north. "Home is this way. And let's hurry. Sazh is making dinner and I'm hungry."

Thank you for reading. I will be posting the other chpaters soon, seeing how they're all ready written. All they need is a little polish. I thought it would be fun to focus on the other team members this time than just Cloud and Lightning. It help deepen the plot, I find.

Read you soon. Remeber to review.