When Hope's dad saw Éclair, he was shocked at the color of her fur but quickly recovered.

"She's pink," he stated. Hope nodded.

"You always had the éclair with pink icing," he replied. Bartholomew walked over and pet Éclair on the back. She watched him and then slid out from under his hand and jumped off the couch.

"She has quite an attitude doesn't she?" he said with a smile.

"Yeah, not too long ago she gave me the stink eye for having to use a litter box," Hope commented. His dad laughed.

"I'm going to put my coat and case away then I'll start dinner," he told Hope.

"Ok, come on Éclair. I have toys for you to play with," he said to the cat. She glanced at Bartholomew once more and then followed Hope to his room. He showed her the catnip filled mouse which she pawed once and then did nothing. Then he dangled the fishing rod like toy in front of her. At the end of the string were a cluster of multicolored feathers. She watched them carefully and then swiftly launched at them unexpectedly. She neatly clamped them between her teeth and tore them off the string. She spit them out and then jumped up next to Hope.

"Well, I guess you're the fighting type right?" he questioned, dropping the now useless toy. She seemed to nod a yes to his statement. He did a double take but shook his head.

"Here I got this for you too," he said, picking up the black collar on his desk. It had a small silver bell on it. He unclasped the clip and then put it around her neck. He clipped it closed and then adjusted it to better fit her.

"There, whenever I get a chance I'll get you a license with your name and my information on it. I don't know if you have an owner but if I do find them I'll give you back," he said a little sadly. She tilted her head and her ear flicked. Then she sat up straight. She darted for the desk and then shimmied behind the curtains to look out the window.

"What's wrong?" he asked, joining her at the window. He followed her gaze to a car driving down the street with black tinted windows.

"Is that a Sanctum car?" Hope wondered. Éclair backed away with her ears down and then jumped from the window.

"Hey Hope dinner's done," his dad said as he came into the room. Hope turned around and dropped the curtain.

"Ok, I'll be right down," he replied. His dad glanced at Éclair who sat by Hope's feet with her tail curled around her feet.

"You might want to give her something too," he said. Hope nodded. Bartholomew left and Hope looked down at Éclair. He wondered if the cat really was as smart as he thought she was.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. She gave the same demanding response as before and he smiled.

"Ok then, let's go eat," he replied. She jumped up on his desk and then leaped onto his shoulder, balancing perfectly. He felt her tail brush his back occasionally. He was shocked but took it in stride. He left his room and went down to the kitchen to eat dinner. He set out some cat food for Éclair who jumped from his shoulder, looked at the food, and then turned her nose up at it. He shrugged and sat down to eat. His father told him that he had to go on a business trip and he would be back in three days. Hope was a little put out but once his dad mentioned that Éclair would keep him company, he felt better. He would leave tomorrow, then be gone through the weekend, and come back Monday. They finished their dinner but Éclair barely touched hers. Bartholomew retired to his study after saying goodnight. Hope returned it and retreated to his room. Éclair followed close behind. Hope got into his pajama pants and then got into bed. Éclair stayed standing by the door; her blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

"You can sleep up here if you want but if you find some other place that's fine. Good night Éclair. I'm glad I found you," he muttered, his speech shifting into a yawn. He rolled on his side so that he faced towards the wall. After a few minutes, Éclair jumped up on the bed and found a spot behind Hope's bent knees. She curled up pressed against him. By early morning Hope had gotten ready for his last day of school before summer and made sure Éclair had food and water in the kitchen. She watched him get ready while she perched on his desk. Her tail swung and curled once in a while when he talked to her. He remembered when he woke up, he was on his back and Éclair was sitting on his chest. He opened his eyes to intense blue ones. She leaped off as soon as he moved and then went back to watching him.

"I'll be back okay? Then we can sit and watch movies all week and eat to our heart's desires," he said with a laugh. She tilted her head and gave him a disgruntled expression. He kneeled down next to her and laid his hand on her silky soft head. He rubbed down her back and then scratched under her ear and on her neck. She leaned in and then continued forward. If he didn't stop when he did she would have fallen over. For the first time he heard her purr. When she realized she almost fell she fixed him with a grumpy glare. He just smiled and waved as he left with his dad. They had a longer good bye since his dad would next be seeing him Monday. School seemed to take forever. His friend Maqui and Yuj both called him a girl for fawning over his new cat the way he did. Hope ignored them. He knew he loved animals and was just happy for finally owning one. Their conversation then moved to activities to do over summer before they had to look into college and jobs. After school he walked home as usual. He entered his house and called out to Éclair.

"Where is she? Probably asleep I guess. Cats love to sleep," he said to himself as he put down his bag and searched for Éclair. He entered the kitchen and bent down to check under the table when he heard a bell on top of the table. He smiled and stood up quickly.

"There you are Éclair…" he began but his words died in his throat. He froze, leaning on the table to keep himself standing, because a woman was sitting on his table with a stare that made him feel like he was a mouse caught by a cat.

"I don't love to sleep but I find it does help regain my strength," she told him in a strong but smoothly cool voice. It reminded him of the demanding tone Éclair used. It was then that realization struck and his eyes began to take in the woman before him. Her eyes were an icy blue, her hair was pink, and most importantly she wore Éclair's collar except now it looked like a black ribbon that form fitted to her neck like a choker with the bell dangling from the middle. The only thing she had on was a bathrobe.

"You're-you're-" he tried to squeak out.

"The cat? Yes, I'm the cat you so aptly named Éclair, but my real name is Lightning. Now tell me Hope Estheim where did your father run off to?" she questioned, as she lightly slid off the table and onto her feet.

"He went on a business run. Wait, how do you know my name and why out of all the things you can say you ask about my father? What do you want with him?" he asked in a wavering voice.

"The Sanctum might want him dead. He's a threat to their plans," she replied calmly, walking around the kitchen and examining random objects. She had a stern expression but curiosity lingered in her eyes.

"Why?" Hope said. She stooped mid step and tilted her head in that cat like way that reminded him of Éclair. He stopped to remind himself that this was Éclair.

"They're already on watch. Come on," she said, swiftly walking past him and up the stairs. He followed her up and into his room.

"Strangely they can't monitor this room. I think your father may have set up some kind of device to keep you safe from them. Whatever he's doing, it can't be safe," she told him. She peeked out the curtains and watched the suspicious car drive away.

"Wait, wait, wait! Slow down! Tell me everything from the beginning, starting with you. How the hell are you a cat?" he questioned. She fixed him with her signature glare that still looked the same when she was human as when she was a cat. She sighed and then held the bridge of her nose.

"Ok then, get me better clothes to wear and I'll tell you all I know," she told him. He nodded and headed for the door. He entered his father's room and went straight for the back of the closet were his mom's clothes still hung.

"Oh, and it better not be a dress!" she yelled down the hall. He rolled his eyes and began his search. By the time he found a simple black shirt and black mid-thigh shorts did he realize that he was alone with a girl.

"Why do I have to think of that now? She's my cat for crying out loud," he muttered. He left the room and went back to his own.

"Here, hope they fit," he said, handing them to her. She inspected the clothes and then left for the bathroom.

"It's-" he began but she cut him off.

"I know where it is. You would think I'd remember taking a bath in there," she snapped. He blushed but remained quiet until she returned.

"Well, I guess these will work but they don't fit in exactly the right places," she growled in agitation. He could see that the shirt was a little too short and the shorts ended a little higher because of her height.

"My mom was a small woman," he replied, trying to keep the blush from his face. She raised an eyebrow and then reclined on his bed comfortably. He may see her as a stranger but she already felt at home.

"Ok, I'll start at the beginning. You might want to sit, it's going to be a long story," she told him. He took a seat at his desk and waited for her to start.

"It started when I began working in the Guardian Corps. I was there for maybe five years because I started young to get money to support my sister and I." she began.

"You had a sister?" he asked. She nodded and continued.

"Soon PSICOM was beginning to get more recruits and were taking more control so the Sanctum decided to cut the Guardian Corps. They offered any soldiers interested in a position in PSICOM while others were secretly hand-picked to have a chance in a project they were starting. I was one of the few who were asked. Of course I agreed. I needed the money, but when I found out what the job entitled I couldn't do it. They were sending out trained soldiers to kill innocent people who defied the Sanctum. These elite left no trace and almost always left clues that framed someone else, usually someone that defied them as well. When I stepped down they let me without a fight but came crashing down my door two days later. They took my sister and dragged me back. I haven't seen her ever since and I hope she's alive. As punishment, they made me undergo tests and experiments. It was for their new assassin unit. With the help of the Fal'Cie they would fuse people with animals, mostly domestic animals, for the use of spying and then assassinating when the time was right. When I was deemed a success, they caged me like the animal I had become. They would only let me out to be trained and even then they had me on a shock collar. I let them see me as an obedient and tamed pet. Then when I had their trust I escaped when their backs were turned," she said with a triumphant edge to her voice. Hope briefly thought about what his dad had said about an escaped experiment and wondered if he really knew what was going on or not. Then he remembered his laptop had been on a Sanctum information sight and knew Lightning had been trying to find out their plans.

"I had endured enough of the shocks that they couldn't stop me once I got going. I was lucky to run into two L'Cie named Fang and Vanille. They believed me to be a cat for a year. I rarely got a chance to leave that form because they too were hiding and didn't go out often. When I decided to finally show them, Fang admitted she knew for the last three months while Vanille was shocked. I remember asking Fang why she hadn't said anything and she replied that I looked cute as a cat," she said with a sad smile. Hope agreed with Fang but he thought Lightning herself was pretty.

"By the end of the day, PSICOM found all of us. Fang and Vanille distracted them while I escaped since I was top priority over rogue L'Cie. I ran nonstop for days, afraid that they would find me. I stole to get by until you found me. I was wary at first because I had spent so much time in my animal form and humans felt like a threat. I guess I still sometimes act like a cat because that's just what I am but for some reason all humans were a threat except for you. It's bitter irony that I end up in a home still monitored by the Sanctum, but this time, I'll keep you safe. I failed Fang and Vanille but I won't fail you. I'm sure they wouldn't want an innocent kid on the Sanctum extermination list. I'll be your cat for however long is needed to keep you safe. All I ask is food, clothes that fit, and for you to never tell a soul what's going on. It wouldn't help any of us if outsiders know," she explained.

"All this happened to you and you still haven't been able to fight back so the obvious step is how you will do that. If I do this for you, how will it help me?" he questioned. She smirked.

"Smart kid, well I was thinking you get protection from one of the best soldiers the Sanctum has to offer while you give me a hiding place and provide me with shelter. I plan on getting back at the Sanctum but I have to lay low for now," she responded, crossing her arms and waiting for a reply from him. For Hope, everything about his new pet made sense but everything about this new ally did not. He sighed and ultimately agreed to help.

"Ok, I'll help you, but I have just one more question," he said, a slight blush rising on his face. She drew her eyebrows together questioningly but nodded for him to go ahead.

"Should I let you bathe yourself when my dad's not around, feed you people food no matter what my dad says, and let you use the bathroom like a normal person when my dad isn't near?" he said hesitantly. She gave him a stare that bordered on agitation but then she turned away.

"I suppose so," she replied flatly.

"I guess I can see why you didn't want to use the litter box but if you were on the run, how did you…" he trailed off.

"I found ways into people's home when I was a cat. Most of the time they weren't home so I ate what I could, use what I could, and then left," she explained.

"Oh, I see, well then there is only one thing to do. I'll let you live here and tomorrow we can go shopping for some clothes. I bought a leash with a harness just in case. I can put it on and…maybe not," he said when he saw her glare.

"I'll tag along without something as degrading as a leash. We have to be quick though. I don't want to be noticed," she told him.

"But you're kind of hard not to notice," he muttered. Her enhanced hearing caught the words and she was not amused.

"Listen kid, I know what I'm doing. Keep that in mind and this will work out," she said, her lips pulled back ever so slightly to show a fang.

"Look, I'm eighteen ok? I understand what's going on. I'm only trying to help," he snapped back, wishing the haughty soldier was a cat again. She growled, then realized what happened, and turned away with a conflicted expression.