Chapter III: Cologne

Lightning's head cocked to the side. "Isn't… here?" she repeated slowly.

"Then where is he?" Serah pressed.

Nora only shook her head. "We don't know. We've looked around the immediate area as much as we've been able, but there's no sign of him yet."

Lightning's brow furrowed once more. She had known something was missing from this otherwise perfect home, and only now did she realize that something was Hope's presence. "Have you found anyone around who might know?"

"Not yet," Bartholomew admitted. "We've made some calls, but so far, no luck."

Serah watched her sister in her periphery, empathizing with how she and the Estheims must have been feeling. She was still sans her fiancé, after all. Still, it was strangely comforting (though not without an edge of guilt) to know that Hope had not awoken on this world with his parents. She had thought Snow, of all people, would have shown up next to her here, but if Hope hadn't appeared with his beloved mother and father, it made some sort of weird sense that her hero was nowhere to be found in the short time since she had opened her eyes. After some time in silence had passed, she broke it with another burning question. "Mr. and Mrs. Estheim, do you know what this place is called?"

"The planet itself is called Earth," Bartholomew explained. "The country in which we find ourselves is France, and the town is Alsace."

"Okay," Serah nodded, committing the information to memory.

"How do you know that?" Lightning asked with an edge of suspicion she quickly regretted.

"Sis!"

"We get the paper," Bartholomew grinned, holding up a roll of crisp newsprint. He handed it to a sheepish-appearing Lightning, who quickly opened it, only partially as a distraction, and began flipping slowly through the pages. As she did, a beeping sound interrupted the silence in the room, at which Nora stood and headed back into the kitchen.

"We've taken out an ad in the Classifieds asking for any information about Hope," she told them over her shoulder before disappearing once more into the kitchen.

"We figure, as much as that boy reads, he's bound to find it sooner or later and call us." Bartholomew motioned to the Classifieds section as Lightning turned to it, her eyes wandering the page. She was a little surprised to find that almost every ad in the section was somebody looking for somebody else.

So many people are separated that aren't supposed to be, she mused apprehensively, just as the name Estheim caught her eye on the page before her.

LOOKING FOR: Hope Nolan Estheim, former Director of the Academy;
please call Nora and Bartholomew Estheim with any information-

"Could I borrow a pen and paper, Mr. Estheim?" Lightning asked, and the older man near immediately produced the items for her. She wrote down the number in the Estheims' ad and stuffed it in her pocket.

"Just call me by my first name, Lightning," the man insisted as he settled back in his seat. "I can understand why you would question the information, though," he admitted, watching her as she copied the number.

"I shouldn't have done that," Lightning said apologetically. "I'm just… not used to trusting people."

Bartholomew chuckled, rising from his seat in order to assist his wife in the kitchen. On the way, he placed a hand on Lightning's shoulder as she looked up at his wistful smile. "You've spent centuries being tricked, taken advantage of, persecuted, and in constant danger. I'd be wary, too." The seasoned father squeezed the young woman's shoulder supportively as she dropped her gaze. "Poor thing. You've had it rough." Then, removing his hand, he told the sisters to relax and look around while he and Nora finished preparing breakfast. "Our home is your home so long as you wish to stay," he had said before joining his wife beyond their line of sight.

Lightning said nothing for some time as she stared at the paper, and Serah, who had had enough with fidgeting beside her, stood to investigate. The younger Farron took the opportunity to scan the many books propped up on built-in shelves along a wall a few steps behind the couch, occasionally removing one or another from its perch and flipping through to find out as much as she could about this new world. She figured she could at least do that and give her sister some time to process the information they had just been given. Truth be told, Serah was a bit shell-shocked after learning of Hope's psychologic torture at the hands of Bhunivelze, and she didn't even see the physical variety Lightning had seen during her battle with the old god. A large part of her wanted to be angry, but what was the point? What was done was done. Bhunivelze was dead, trapped in crystal for all eternity, and they had this beautiful new planet to call home. The god had intended for this to be a place of perfection, so while she was sure there were still dangers, she was confident no one would come across anything they couldn't handle. Besides that - and she couldn't explain why - she knew that Hope was okay, as were Snow and the rest of their friends. She was positive they would all find each other again. If only she could figure out when.

"Sis?" Serah pried after noticing her sister had finally stood from the couch.

"I'm going to see if the Estheims need any help in the kitchen. I can't just sit here or I'll go crazy." And with that, Lightning took the tray Nora had brought in with all but Serah's glass on it and left the great room. Serah remained, but left the book she had been reading about the geography of the French countryside in lieu of reading the paper, the L'Alsace-Le Pays, that her sister had left on the coffee table. She was curious as to how there could even be a paper so soon after the new world's creation, but she supposed Bhunivelze would have made sure anything and everything necessary for some utopian lifestyle would already have been in place for its inhabitants. She scanned the front page, noting a story about some new hospital opening up in Alsace proper. She flipped through subsequent pages, reading about an upcoming wine festival, some sort of riverboat tour of the town, updates on the local cathedral rehabilitation project, and several smaller stories on latter pages about the latest reunions thanks to classified ads in the paper. She vaguely noted as she read that the language the paper was written in was quite different from that used on Pulse and Cocoon, but somehow she understood it perfectly. Must have been another weird god thing or something, she figured, and decided not to question it further for the time being. Settling on the classifieds, which spanned at least six pages, she sat forward with the paper spread on the table in front of her to look for any familiar names.

In the kitchen, the Estheims turned away from the biscuits Nora had just pulled from the oven as Lightning strolled in with the tray.

"Oh, Lightning, you didn't have to bring that in! We'll take care of everything," Nora admonished, moving to relieve Lightning of her burden. She paused, however, as the younger woman smiled and shook her head.

"Please, Mrs. Estheim, I'd like to help. I don't really like sitting around when there's work to be done."

Bartholomew chuckled and Nora conceded. "Of course. And call me Nora. 'Mrs. Estheim' makes me feel like an old woman when you're how old?"

"Twenty-one," Lightning droned, and then paused. "Though I think technically I'm something like… what, over five-hundred years old? Over a thousand? Maybe even older…" She pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to figure it all out. There was so much that she just knew, which she assumed was a side effect of Bhunivelze's design. He had intended for this world to be an established domain for its incoming residents, but one thing she wasn't sure about, after everything that had happened, was her age.

"Works for me," Nora said with a glint in her eye, and winked at Lightning. "I decided I'm still thirty-nine, since that's how old I was during the Purge."

"And I suppose I'm still forty-two, even though I lived a few years beyond that," Bartholomew added, grinning at his wife. "Nora and I were always only three years apart, so that's what we're going with."

"You certainly don't look like you're in your fifties, honey," Nora said innocently, though the hip-check she gave her husband as she passed by him suggested the same mirth her eyes shone with. She steadily carried a platter piled with the fresh biscuits and eggs to the table. "Get the ham out, would you? It should be done now."

Bartholomew dutifully acquiesced, pulling the delicious-smelling breakfast meat from the top compartment of the double oven and placing it atop the stove to allow for slicing and plating. At Nora's instruction, Lightning took the tray she was still holding into the attached dining room beyond the kitchen, a feeling of contentment rising within her thanks to the view offered by the room with more window than wall.

"Your home is beautiful," she commented as she gazed out the windows. Paying unnecessary attention to her hands as she set the tray on the long maple table, she added quietly, "Hope is going to love this place after being cooped up in the Ark for so long."

Nora smiled gently. "Yes, I think so, too. He always used to complain that our home in Palumpolum was too dark."

Lightning grinned in spite of the guilt she still harbored after their earlier conversation and continued setting the tray's contents at each place setting. She took the empty tray to Bartholomew for the ham. Nora followed to assist in the transfer, but quite suddenly drew Lightning into a warm embrace. The young woman tensed in surprise.

"Lightning…" Nora wavered as her husband placed a hand each on her shoulder and Lightning's, "thank you. Thank you so, so much for taking care of our son."

Lightning softened as she heard Nora's breath hitch, bringing a hand to Bartholomew's arm and the other coming to rest awkwardly on Nora's back. "It was my pleasure."

Nora inhaled sharply as she let go, shaking her head until her sunny disposition replaced the sudden display of raw emotion. "We have faith that he's okay, wherever he is. You taught him well." The Estheims nodded in gratitude once more, returning to the issue of their meal. Nora took the tray of ham from her husband and turned towards the table. "Honey, would you mind getting Serah? I'll set this out for us."

"It's okay, I'll get her," Lightning interjected. "I want to get the pa-"

"SIS!"

"…or nevermind." The younger Farron was already rushing into the room, waving the newspaper in her hand. "What did you find?"

Serah beamed as she spread the paper out on the kitchen island. The other three adults crowded around as she opened the paper to the middle of the classifieds. "Look there, on the right," she instructed after she found the exact page she was looking for.

Lightning leaned over, looking through the countless "LOOKING FOR" postings. She couldn't see what Serah was so excited about, though. "…Where?"

Exasperated, Serah tapped a slightly larger general advertisement repeatedly with her finger. "There." The older of the sisters scanned the ad's contents quickly, her face brightening all the while.

"No way," she breathed. "A mechanic shop called Katzroy's!"

Bartholomew pointed further along the text over Lightning's shoulder. "And it's in Strasbourg! That isn't too far from here. I'm assuming Sazh Katzroy owns the place?"

"Judging by the chocobo in the logo, I'd say it's a safe bet," Serah grinned.

Nora clasped her hands together. "Perfect! We were going to take you girls into town later for supplies anyway!"

"But for now, breakfast is getting cold," Bartholomew chimed in, ushering the three ladies to the table. "We'll get everything taken care of later."

The group sat down together, Nora and Serah eagerly planning out the rest of the day with the lone man in the house interjecting here and there. Lightning smiled to herself. It had been a while since she had eaten at any table where she felt like she belonged, much less one where she felt like part of a whole family. She just hoped she could find some way to get all three Estheims back together. She would get them all back together. She owed them that. She really owed that to Hope.

"That ham isn't getting any warmer, Lightning," Bartholomew chided, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Judging by how long those two have been planning, you're gonna need your strength." They cast wry looks in the direction of the constant chatter, resuming the clearing of their plates.

After a pleasant end to breakfast, Nora guided the girls upstairs. "There's a guest suite there, Serah, and Lightning, you can use this suite here," she instructed as she lead them to two doors down a long hallway. "Each suite has its own bathroom, so you'll have some privacy. There are fresh towels, linens, fully stocked toiletries, everything you'll need in the rooms already. Both of you get freshened up and rest for a bit while I get those clothes washed. Just leave everything you need cleaned outside the bathroom doors and I'll collect it in a bit."

Lightning and Serah tried to tell Nora she didn't have to do that, but Mrs. Estheim would hear none of it. She shooed the girls to their respective rooms and turned on her heel to retrieve a laundry basket. The sisters grinned at each other before Serah turned and entered her room, commenting on how a shower would be nice after having woken up outside. Lightning stepped into her own temporary quarters, stopping short as she took in the surroundings. The room was meticulously clean, but was very obviously meant to be Hope's. Textbooks and other reference books lined a tall shelf propped against the wall to the left of the door with a simple desk positioned below it. A full-size bed with plain blue linens stood under a panoramic window spanning the wall directly opposite the door with a nightstand to the side of the modest headboard. She could see a couple picture frames arranged on top of it on either side of a lamp. On another wall hung a few different boomerang models. Lightning ran her fingers along the familiar Airwing model fondly as she inspected them. A few diplomas were displayed on the wall near the desk, which had another picture frame propped on it next to a small laptop computer.

Stepping to the bedside, Lightning picked up one of the picture frames. It held a copy of the Estheim family photo she had seen both downstairs and in Palumpolum. She replaced it on the nightstand and examined the other frame, which, to her surprise, held a picture of her, Hope, an injured Snow, and Fang at the Estheim residence just before they had left with the Cavalry. The vantage point looked like the photo had been taken from one of the airships, and the quality appeared to be that of a security camera, but it was unmistakably the four of them.

"Captain Rygdea gave that to Bartholomew after the Academy was founded."

Lightning jumped at Nora's voice. She hadn't heard the woman enter the room, carrying Serah's laundry in the basket propped on her hip.

"I'm sorry," Nora laughed, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, Mrs. Est… er, Nora. Not to worry," Lightning dismissed with a wave of her hand. It's just... how is all of this here?"

"I suppose the same way everything else was here when we woke up," Nora shrugged, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "It's almost everything Hope owned back in the old world." Placing the basket on the foot of the bed, Nora retraced her steps and picked up the frame on of the desk. "This is mine, though. Don't know where it came from, but I'm not complaining"

Lightning took the frame as Nora offered it and softened on seeing the photo's subject. It was Hope, in his office at the Academy Headquarters, likely around the time he was in his later twenties. His jacket was slung over the arm of his chair, his tie undone and loosely draped around the back of his neck, and his white dress shirt unbuttoned halfway, revealing a black undershirt. He had apparently dozed off in the midst of examining a holographic blueprint of the New Cocoon, head resting on one arm splayed across the desktop. He looked fairly peaceful, but Lightning had a nagging suspicion that was due more to pure exhaustion than a sense of contentment.

"He might be a grown man there, but sleeping like that, he might as well still be my little man passed out in his crib," Nora sighed. Lightning traced the edge of the photo gently as Nora reminisced, then handed the frame back to her and turned to the bed.

"I'll just put everything in the basket for you, Nora," Lightning stated as she removed her leg pouch. The older woman nodded and turned to leave the room.

"I'll be back for it in a few minutes. There's a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door as well," Nora mentioned. "It's Hope's, but his father gave it to him when he was nineteen so it might be a little big. Shot up like a weed after his sixteenth birthday."

"I'm sure it's fine," Lightning insisted with a smile. Nora returned it, and as she left, Lightning thanked her again for their hospitality.

"Like my husband said," she reminded, "our home is your home." And with that, she closed the door behind her. Lightning finished disrobing, leaving everything in the basket as promised, and retired to the spacious bathroom. Nora had come in after she turned on the shower and had called to Lightning to tell her not to worry about how much hot water she used, since "tankless water heaters never run out." Whatever that was, Lightning made a mental note to make sure wherever she ended up living had one.

She still showered relatively quickly, though, afterwards drying off and donning the expectedly oversized dark green robe. She was shocked to find that it still smelled like Hope. Well, what Hope must have smelled like as a young adult, since the slightest hint of cologne remained in the midst of his natural scent. Breathing deeply as she burrowed further into the soft terry cloth fabric, she laid back on the moderately firm mattress. I guess I know now how he could always sleep on the ground without much trouble. Lightning found his scent comforting, almost as if her long-time partner was physically there next to her, just like the countless times before. Resting her head on the contrastingly soft down pillow, she continued inhaling deeply and slowly, remembering the days with Hope and the rest of her companions until her consciousness faded.

Light…?

Lightning opened her eyes at the sound of the familiar voice, but saw nothing but a gray mist. She couldn't even see the ground on which she sat. "…Hope? Where are you?" She paused. "Actually, where are we?"

Not sure. Hope's voice echoed through the mist, but it seemed more like it was coming from inside her head. I don't think I'm awake yet. Do you know where you are?

"With Serah and your parents. We woke up not far from their house."

You did? Are they okay?

"Bartholomew and Nora are both lovely. They're taking Serah and me into town later to pick up some things."

She felt rather than heard Hope's mirth. Sounds like them. What town are you in?

"We're in…"

…in…?

"I…"

Do you not know what it's called?

"No, I do know… I just… can't seem to remember. The hell?"

Hm. Noel couldn't remember, either. He just knew he was with Yeul, and that they'd been awake for a couple of days.

"Noel? You talked to him?"

Yeah, not too long ago. …I think…

"Your robe is really comfortable, Hope," Lightning blurted.

…huh? My robe?

"The green one your dad gave you."

Where did you get that old thing?

"It was just here at your parents' place. Most of your stuff is, actually. Including your Airwing."

Is my Nue there?

"…Not that I could see, but I may not have recognized it. There are, like, six models on display, and I'm much better with gunblade models. You know that."

That I do, Hope laughed. It's odd that it's all there, though. I wonder if we all have places already prepared for us here.

"I'm not sure why we wouldn't all wake up in those places, though. Your parents did. Even all your family pictures from your old house are here."

Yeah… well, I'm sure we'll all end up where we're meant to before long.

"We know where Sazh is, Hope. I'm assuming Dajh is with him since there wasn't anything in the paper asking his whereabouts-"

The paper?

"The local paper here has a huge section for people to post for information on anyone they're missing. Your parents have an ad there for you."

Huh.

"I didn't know your middle name was Nolan. I thought it would have been your dad's name or something."

Hah, yeah. Mom wanted it to be, but Dad thought it was a mouthful. Hope sounded wistful and Lightning felt that familiar pang of guilt in her stomach. Where is Sazh?

"He runs a mechanic shop in the town we're going to later… ugh, why can't I remember any of these places' names!?"

I suspect it's a byproduct of this dream state, Hope theorized, the scientist taking over. We can somehow communicate in real time, but we can't see each other, we can't discern direction, and we can't do a thing as far as letting on to our respective locations. We also don't seem to be able to choose who we want to talk to at will. I'm not sure how Noel contacted me, or I contacted him or whatever, but I haven't been able to communicate with my parents at all. There was that wistful tone again. I've been trying for days to find you.

Lightning swallowed hard. "D… d'you want me to pass anything along?" She decided against commenting on how he seemed to always be searching for her. There would be time for apologies later.

That's okay, Light. I'm sure I'll be able to tell them soon, and I'd rather they heard it straight from me.

"I'll at least tell them you're okay."

Thanks, Light.

"No problem." She said nothing further for a time, but then a thought occurred to her. She couldn't remember the name of where she was, but she could remember what it looked like. Maybe that would help them figure out where they were.

"Hey, Hope?"

No response.

"…Hope?"

Still nothing.

"Hope!"

And now you're all caught up with what's been posted on tumblr so far! Feedback is much appreciated! :)

Except for con weekends (looking at you, DragonCon), new chapters will be posted on Sundays on my tumblr, and Mondays on here. Many thanks again to RainbowSerenity for her beta services! She's awesome and you should definitely check out her work on here and tumblr (I posted the links in chapter 1). See you next week!