Author's Note: All Characters and Places from Final Fantasy XIII-2 belong to Square Enix…not questionmarxx.

REPROGRAM

Chapter 1

It was the year 10 A.F…a year of rebuilding and bright ideas for the future of the previous Cocoon citizens. Life was no longer luxurious for the people. Everything that was done had to be done with their own brains and sweat, and yet despite this the youth thrived, excited to build an completely new future; one that was shaped entirely by them not manipulated by powers they did not and could not possibly understand.

There were some who chose to stay on Cocoon Despite the harsh weather conditions and the absence of light, they hung on to their crystallized home: cursing the loss of light, cursing the loss of the Fal-cie, and cursing the l'cie who had brought change upon them. Rigidly set in there ways they stayed in their dark home.

Division would always be around…. especially in the world that they lived in this day.

Lightning Farron stood on the docks of New Bodhum, the wild chatter and screams of children around her not breaking her thoughts. She had been in this new world a mere five years. She was the last of the l'cie to wake from her stasis and what she awoke to surprised her beyond words. I was naive. I never thought that saving the world meant no sunlight, I never thought we would have to hunt to feed ourselves, I suppose I was more prepared for the hatred than anything else… but then again I wasn't even around the first five years.

She lowered her eyes to the soft waves lapping against the wooden pegs of the dock. Her family which now extended beyond herself and Serah had all grown in ways that she had missed. She resented that. Her long slumber in stasis somehow made her feel weak.

Lightning sighed again. She had managed to crawl inside her head, disregarding the people around her. Turning and walking away from the waves she made her way to Snow and Serah's beachside abode, which also housed all of the members of Nora. She was visiting for a short while because not a month ago Serah announced she was having a baby.

The news reminded Lightning how little time she spent with her sister since she and Snow had married. Two years after waking from stasis, Lightning had partnered with Hope Estheim, Director of the Academy.

The Academy was an elite group of scientists working to improve the life of citizens and delve into the past of Fal-cie. At least, that was what Lightning had understood it to be. She was hired at the time to protect Hope from any outside threat.

She of course took the job no questions asked. Protecting Hope was one thing she was absolutely familiar with. Hope was ecstatic, claiming how happy he was that she would be so near after so long without seeing her. The memory brought a smile to her face.

Hope had often left her small notes on the private airship she would take to Cocoon to guard him; silly messages that annoyed her to no end, but still brought a soft smile to her lips. She was aware that Hope was attempting to court her at that time and she found herself allowing him to. He was sweet …and talked to her softly, shyly touching her hand whenever they walked together.

Hope gave her a sense of calm in all the chaos that was Cocoon and Pulse. There was hardly any danger in any of the sites that the Academy was researching in, so that left nothing for her to do but talk with him (a fact that she was certain he knew of). Still, she couldn't deny enjoying his company.

It became serious between the two not long after she was hired. Soon the notes he left on her airship spoke of love, and it wasn't long after that he proposed to her. The two were married in 9 A.F. She hardly left his side since.

A twinge of guilt touched Lightning's heart as she crossed through the threshold into the kitchen. Serah Villiers stood at the stove stirring something Lightning couldn't identify

"Hello there stranger, have fun outside?" Serah asked, turning and smirking at her sister.

Lightning folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah actually it's been awhile since I've been by the water."

Serah nodded smiling softly at her sister. "I guess when you're a directors wife you don't get a lot of time off"

Lightning shrugged "It's not really as if I'm so busy… It's just with all of the new ideas being thrown at Hope…" she paused before grinning "…and a lot of them are his own ideas as well. We are constantly running from this site to the next, testing this and that crystal fighting this ancient monster or that."

Serah smiled "That sounds like being busy to me, Light."

"But I am no scientist, Serah. I usually end up either hunting or sitting and listening to Hope and the others scientist babble." Serah laughed causing Lightning to grin "Well I suppose its not really babble, but I'm a soldier, Serah. I cannot sit behind a desk and look at particles that glow when you add this or explode when you breathe."

Serah frowned "Did you talk to Hope about this?"

Lightning shrugged and ran a hand through her pink locks. "There's not much to say he's my husband…and also the Director of the Academy. I am not the kind of woman to whine and complain that I'm bored" Serah nodded before snapping her fingers her eyes lighting up.

"But didn't the Guardian Corps ask you to be their head?"

Lightning sighed. "That was merely a formality. Because of my experience in the corps and my marriage to Hope they offered me the job, but it would have only been in name. I didn't immediately wake from stasis so people are a little…" She shook her head frowning. "People are just a little suspicious as to why I didn't awaken when the rest of you did."

Serah stamped her foot "But that doesn't make any sense!" Lightning grimaced no it doesn't make much sense but is fear ever really that rational? They think I'm evil because it took me longer to come back. They believe my focus was different that somehow it was my focus that harmed them the most.

Lightning had spent enough time on Cocoon to notice the sneers, to hear the whispers, the fear of the people still dwelling in that cold wasteland. The animosity so thick she could taste it. Truthfully, she didn't mind being hated or feared. It was Hope that she worried for.

He was an influential figure on Cocoon and Pulse and she was his "dark bride." Lightning rolled her eyes at the name that was given her on Cocoon. Even his colleagues avoided direct conversation with her.

They pretended to see right past her and focused only on Hope. Lately it seemed to get worse since Hope began his new project. He was shut up in his small office in the Yaschas Massif for days on end.

Which much to Lightning's annoyance left her to own devices. She could stand being alone of course but when Hope was absent for days it was just Lightning and her thoughts. She always had the option of spending time with Hope's insufferable assistant Alyssa Zaidelle.

Five minutes in the petite blondes company and Lightning would actually feel her brain disintegrating. The woman had far too much energy and knowledge all bottled up into a tiny little frame. When approached, it all came tumbling out; accompanied with fits of giggles and smiles that felt a little abrasive to Lightning.

And yet that girl was the only one who spoke to Lightning just as she would speak to anyone else. So, Lightning often did find herself in Alyssa's office (which was opposite Hope's) listening to her scientist babble.

The guilt Lightning felt before returned. That was another reason why she was in New Bodhum for the week. Hope was so busy, she was lonely. It was an emotion she would never directly admit but one that her actions admitted for her.

She furrowed her brows. She hadn't even told him she was going. She just left a curt message with Alyssa, grabbed her things and left. Childish. But she was becoming more and more exasperated with his behavior. She could feel herself becoming flustered and instantly she was annoyed.

"No it doesn't make much sense, Serah, but I'm just glad to be here with you." the smile she gave her sister was genuine.

xXx

Hope Estheim was thrilled; absolutely thrilled! He had finally had his A.I. program approved by the New Cocoon-Pulsian Government… a project that he was working on long before he had received "formal approval."

Since becoming the Director of the Academy at the mere age of twenty one he had been bombarded with tasks and strange anomalies that would turn any mans hair white. Luckily he didn't have to worry about that, regardless, the work load was immense.

His assistant, Alyssa Zaidelle, was indeed a great help to him. His wife Lightning was as well, but he could feel a strain on her end. Light was not as thrilled as he was when it came to his work and he could not blame her. It was tedious and could be quite boring at times.

Before anything else, Lightning was a soldier. She liked clear cut paths and cutting straight to the root of things. She was not one to play with possibilities or to tamper with the natural order of things. Hope smiled. His wife did not like being told to sit down and research.

Being the man that he was he took notice of this fact and began seeking ways to spend more time with the woman he loved. Ways that he didn't find until about a week or so after there honeymoon trip to New Bodhum (which served as mostly a family reunion of sorts).

It was a crazy idea starting with wishing he could be in two places at once. Even as he was laying beside his peacefully sleeping wife underneath the Pulsian stars, his mind was filled with how much work would be awaiting him on his desk when he returned.

It wasn't that he minded the work… just… He looked over at her, the woman who had plagued his dreams for nearly five years before finally awakening. It was her…experiencing her presence, her rare smile or her more commonly annoyed expression. He realized he didn't want to miss her, any of her.

He loved Lightning Farron Estheim probably more than he really wanted to admit.

It scared him to think of her becoming distant from him because he was always working. As much as he tried to keep her constantly around, he knew she wanted to be by her sister's side. The Academy was difficult for her with all the whispers about her prolonged stasis. She was often by herself when he wasn't with her… and he was not with her very often at all.

So Hope began working on a ridiculously crazy plan that often had him shaking his head, pacing back and forth, or just down right yelling. He would create a double; an artificial model of himself that resembled him in every way. He remembered how the excitement had risen in his chest.

This duplicate would be able to generate thoughts the exact same way that he himself could and (he admitted guiltily) cut down on some of the immense staff that was draining the Academy's revenue dry. And he, Hope Estheim, would be able to go home with his wife and even free up time during the workday for her.

It was a beautiful idea that took only a year to complete. And also a year to be approved He thought, annoyance seeping into his features. Hope paced back and forth in his small office in the Massif. The project was done, but would not be unveiled until next week. Unfortunately, his excitement was shadowed by the unpleasant news he received earlier that morning.

"Director! Director!"

Alyssa Zaidelle banged on his office door for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Hope frowned, his fingers rapidly typing on a holographic keyboard. He blew constantly at the snowy white bangs that fell into his eyes.

"What? Oh yes Alyssa come in." The small blonde entered the stuffy room, her cheeks flushed, and her blond hair pulled back in a rather comical ponytail. Hope chuckled softly before returning his eyes to the screen.

"You shouldn't work yourself too hard Alyssa; I need you to stick around a little while longer." Said girl blushed.

"Yes well I wouldn't have to run around so much if your wife didn't treat me like a common clerk!"

Hopes fingers instantly stopped typing and his eyes narrowed. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Alyssa waved a yellowed piece of paper in her hand before slamming it down on his desk. "This!"

Hope quickly grabbed the note, his green eyes scanning the words quickly. He had immediately thought the worst. He thought this would be her goodbye note, that she would leave him before he even had a chance to tell her of his duplicate. The note simply read: "Inform my husband of my departure. I'll be back in a week, please don't call."

Hope gritted his teeth "Did you find out where she was going?"

Alyssa let out an exasperated sigh "Of course! She is staying with Serah, but I only know that because Serah called!"

Hope shifted uncomfortably in his chair he was never one for conflict but it would have been a lie to say he hadn't seen it coming. Lightning was asking to be chased. It wasn't something he was completely familiar with and it did give him a slight migraine… but he couldn't deny the pull of her request. His heart stood up and made her a top priority.

"Alyssa please ready the airship. I'll be going to get my wife."

As cool as those words sounded twenty minutes ago, Hope was a nervous wreck. He simply couldn't believe that Light would actually leave without saying anything to him about it. And the note had enough bite in it to make him sweat.

He thought of a million ways he could apologize but not one seemed right… it truly annoyed him. He groaned, digging his thumbs in his temples. I am a horrible, horrible, husband I mean why even ask her to marry you if you are going to ignore her for a year? Hopes mood was quickly becoming sour. Ugh I need a chocokick or something before I do this.

He walked over to the small mirror he kept in his office he shook his hair around wildly before repeatedly scrunching it up with his gloved fingers. The silky strands simply fell right back into place as if nothing happened. Hope groaned again. Whatever Hope! After the unveiling of the duplicate, this will get better.

He practiced a couple of smiles in his mirror before shaking his head. Rolling his eyes he headed out the door.