HOPE'S DAY WITH LIGHTNING

AzureKate

Lightning fell onto the couch, sighing. Serah was out doing wedding stuff with Snow (their wedding is two weeks away), and she had just got back from training (what she was training for is unknown…). On the table in front of the couch there was a sheet of paper that had a list of things for her to do for them. She leaned forward, picked up the small sheet, and read it. It was Serah's hand-writing.

Dear Lightning,

Could you please do a few things for Snow and I? We're going to be out all day doing stuff for the wedding and we won't be able to get this stuff done and it needs to be done, so if you're not too busy could you please do it for us? Thanks!

Hire a Wedding Choreographer

Put in the order for the cake (attached to back)

Send out invitations

Feed the cat?3

Thanks so much! Love you!

Serah

P.S. … I love you, too, sis!

-Snow

Lightning smiled and stood up. She walked into the kitchen and pulled out the cat food from the cupboard and poured some into a small bowl, then set it on the floor next to the counter.

"Snowball!" she called. After a minute, a fluffy white cat walked into the kitchen. It was wearing a light blue collar with three small objects dangling from it: three small plastic crystals, a pink rose, a blue tear, and a blue heart, each resembling their l'Cie crystals.

The white cat meowed, walked over to the food, and starting eating it. Lightning smiled as she watched him eat, when the electronic doorbell suddenly rang through the air. She sighed and walked out of the kitchen and to the front door, hitting the button, causing the metal door to slide open.

Standing at the door was a certain young white-haired boy.

"Hi, Lightning!" Hope said cheerfully. She sighed.

"What do you want, Hope?" she asked.

"Are you busy?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing?"

"Wedding stuff."

"Snow and Serah's wedding?"

"No, yours and Vanille's."

"What?!"

"Yes, Snow and Serah's!"

"Oh…can I help?"

"Are you gonna be annoying?"

"No."

"Are you gonna get in the way?

"…No…"

"Hope."

"…Yes…But I'll try not to!"

"All right, come on it. I need help, anyway."

"Thanks!"

He stepped inside after she moved to the side to let him in, the door automatically closing behind him. Lightning turned, walked into the kitchen, and picked up Serah's note from the counter. Hope walked over and looked at her.

"What do you need help with?" he asked.

"A couple of things."

"Okay, what's first, then?"

"Sending out invitations."

"Okay, where are they?"

"Up in Serah's bedroom. I'll go get them," she replied as she walked from the kitchen, through the living room, and to the stairs. "You can sit down."

"Okay," he called back. He walked from the kitchen to the living room and sat down on the couch. Suddenly, Snowball jumped up and meowed at him. "Oh, God."

He covered his face with his gloved hands. After a few seconds, he sneezed.

A few seconds later, he sneezed again.

Then again.

And again.

Snowball was suddenly lifted away and something was sprayed there. It was obviously Lysol, it smelled like flowers. Lightning set Snowball down on the floor and sat down on the couch next to Hope, setting a handful of invitations on the table.

"You know, you should get that injection," she said. Hope, his face still covered, shook his head. "Why not?"

"It's gonna hurt!"

"Wuss."

"I am not a wuss!"

"Then get the injection. It's better than sneezing your brains out every time you come over."

"But I don't want to get it."

"You want to be allergic to cats for the rest of your life?"

"No."

"Then you're gonna have to get the injection."

"Ughhh."

"All right, we'll talk about this later. Now, invitations…"

"What are we doing? Just mailing them out?"

Lightning picked up an invitation.

"They aren't sealed. We're sealing them, then sending them out, I guess."

"Okay," he said, picking one up and looking at it. "Who's Lebreau?"

"Lebreau? She's a member of Team Nora."

"Oh, okay."

He folded the flap down into the envelope, closing it. Lightning held out a sticker to him, and he took it. It was a heart and a tear. He shrugged and stuck it on the envelope so it wouldn't open. Then he picked up another one and looked at it.

"Gadot."

"Nora."

"Yeah, I kinda figured."

He folded it and stuck on a sticker, while Lightning did the same to another. After a while, all of the invitations were done.

"Okay, done," Lightning said, putting the last invitation onto the pile. Hope nodded. She picked up the entire pile in her hand and stood up. "To the mailbox."

She walked out of the living room, through the kitchen, and to the front door. She pressed the button with her free hand and stepped outside with Hope following. As she opened the mailbox, she looked to Hope.

"So, why are you in Bo'Dam, if you don't mind me asking? I meant to ask earlier but I forgot."

"My dad kicked me out for the day."

"He did? How'd you get to Bo'Dam?"

"I walked."

"All the way from Palumpolum?"

"Yeah…"

"Through the forest?"

"Yeah.

"Wow. You walked that far?"

"I didn't know where else to go!"

"All the way from Palumpolum. You must have been really bored."

"Yeah, I was. Does it matter?"

"Your dad know you're out here?"

"No…"

"Won't he be worried?"

Hope was silent. Lightning started laughing as she closed the mailbox.

"You're an idiot!"

"Yeah, I know."

"Let's call him and let him know where you are, just in case," she said, opening the door and walking back inside. She walked into the kitchen with him following, and picked up the phone. She dialed Hope's home phone number and leaned on the shiny counter. Hope simply stood there, waiting. After a moment of ringing, the phone was answered.

"Estheim Residence. This is Bartholomew."

"Hello, Mr. Estheim, it's Lightning."

"Oh, Miss Farron! How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. How about yourself?"

"I'm doing well."

"Good. I was calling"-

"Real quick, do you happen to know where my son is? I kicked him out for the day but he's not picking up when I call to ask where he is."

"Yes, sir, that's why I was calling."

"Has something happened to him?!"

"No, he's fine."

"Oh, good…wait a minute…"

"Yes, he's at my house."

"In Bo'Dam?!"

"Yes."

"How on earth did he get over there?!"

"He walked."

"He walked?! All the way from Palumpolum?!"

"Yes. He says he was bored."

"May I speak to him, please?"

"Sure."

Lightning held out the phone to Hope, who gulped and took the phone slowly. He put it to his hear, but quickly pulled it away as Bartholomew started yelling. After a moment he put it back to his ear.

"No, dad, you kicked me out of the house! Where was I supposed to go?" he asked. "Why would I want to go there?"

Lightning picked up Serah's note and pulled off a smaller piece of paper that was taped to the back. On it there was a specific order for a cake.

"No! That's not fair! Come on, dad!" Hope suddenly said, making Lightning look at him. "No. I'm not walking back there. No. I don't care. No. Really? Thanks!"

"I'm guessing he says you can stay?" Lightning asked. Hope nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Sure…"

He held out the phone to Lightning, who took it.

"Mr. Estheim?"

"Miss Farron, could you please watch him? Don't let him do anything stupid."

"I will. And you can call me Lightning."

"That would be rude."

"No, it's all right, you have my permission. I don't mind."

"All right, Lightning, thank you. If you don't mind, what will you two be doing, just so I know?"

"I'm running errands for my sister, and he's going to be helping me, if that's all right," she replied.

"Yes. That's fine. If he does something stupid, don't hesitate to call. I'll come get him."

"Okay, thank you."

"Good bye."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and looked at Hope, who was reading Serah's note.

"Huh. What kind of cake are they getting?" he asked, not looking up at her.

Lightning shrugged.

"Dunno. I have the order but I wasn't there when they picked."

Suddenly the doorbell rang, again. Then, at the same time, the phone started ringing. Lightning sighed and started to walk to the door.

"Could you get the phone for me?" she called as she walked away. Hope nodded and picked up the phone.

"Farron Residence," he said. "Uh, yeah… Oh, hi! You sound different on the phone. Yeah, she's at the door. Hold on a sec."

He put the phone on his shoulder. "Lightning, it's for you!"

"Just a second!" she called back. She walked back into the kitchen, and behind her was Vanille.

"Hi, Hope!" she said cheerfully. He waved. Lightning walked over to him and held out her hand.

"It's Serah," he said, handing her the phone. She nodded and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she asked. "Hi, Serah. Yes, I got your note. We just put the invitations in the mailbox, and I've got helpers. Yes, Hope is here, and Vanille just got here, for some unknown reason…"

Snowball walked into the kitchen and meowed. Hope looked at him and felt his nose start to twitch, and he covered his face and turned away. After a minute he sneezed. Lightning turned around and looked at him as he sneezed again.

"Snowball, leave him alone. Vanille, can you move the cat?" she asked. Vanille nodded and walked over to Snowball, scooping him up in her arms and walking into the living room. "Sorry, what?"

Hope lowered his hands.

"Stupid cat."

"Well if you got the injection you wouldn't have to put up with that all the time!" Vanille called from the living room, apparently having heard him. He shook his head and sat down at the counter.

"Yes, we're headed out right now," Lightning said. "Yes. Love you, too. Bye."

She hung up the phone, but as soon as she turned to walk away it rang again. She signed angrily, turned around, and picked it up again.

"Hello?" she asked angrily. "What do you want? No, I don't. Don't you have something better to do? Yeah, well, I'm kinda busy right now. Yeah, he's here. Her too. Why do you care? Is that all you called for? Bye."

She hung up the phone.

"Stupid Sazh, always bugging me," she said to herself. She stood for a minute, then turned to walk away, but the phone rang again, and her face scrunched up with anger. She walked away anyway.

"You get it," she said as she walked past Hope and into the living room. He sighed and stood up, walked over to the phone, and picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked. "Hi, Fang. Yeah, she's here. Sure."

He put the phone on his shoulder and looked to the living room.

"Vanille, phone's for you!" he called.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Fang."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. She jumped up from the couch and sprinted into the kitchen and took the phone from his hand quickly and put it to her ear. "Hi! Did you get it? Great! All right! Okay! Yeah, he'll never expect it. Bye!"

She hung up the phone and jumped up and down excitedly.

"What's up with you?" Hope asked.

"Oh, nothing…" she said, smiling as she twiddled her thumbs. He tilted his head slightly, and her smile grew larger.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

She quickly ran back into the living room and over to Lightning, who was sitting on the couch. She quickly sat down and whispered something to her, but Hope couldn't hear. He sighed and sat back down. After a moment, Lightning and Vanille walked back into the kitchen, both smiling.

"All right, time to go! We have to go put in an order for the wedding cake," Lightning said, gesturing for Hope to follow her as she walked to the front door, pushed the button, and stepped out. He quickly ran after her along with Vanille. "To the Bo'Dam cake store we go."

"Okay!" Vanille exclaimed. Hope sighed and smiled. He followed Lightning as she walked down the steps to the sidewalk. He ran to catch up along with Vanille, and they started down the sidewalk toward the cake store a few blocks down from the large Farron House. Lightning had Serah's cake order in her hand.