Author's Note: Well, if you like friction, this is the chapter for you! *evil laugh* But seriously. . .
"Hey!"
Hope blinked himself back to her.
"You okay?" Vanille asked.
"Yeah. . . I just, can't believe it's you. You're back."
"What am I then? Behemoth meat?" Fang joked.
Hope laughed, "It's good to see you too, Fang."
"It's been too long." Lightning agreed.
"But it's a little wierd, isn't it?" Fang said, "You two reuniting, and then us showing up. All in the same place?" she folded her arms, "Bit more than a coincidence if you ask me."
"You shouldn't be so negative." Vanille scolded, "We're here, we're alive, isn't that what matters?"
"Tsk. I guess."
The group didn't end up going anywhere that day. They spent it catching up. Spent it listening to Lightning tell them about what had happened in their absences. She told Fang and Vanille about Snow and Serah's wedding, told them how she'd stayed in the army since it was all she knew. And she told them all, about the aftermath of Hope's departure.
"Snow was angry all the time. Started this bad habit with Gadot, they went out and got drunk every weekend. That is. . . until Gadot died." her voice grew steadily more solemn, though her expression remained neutral, "Sazh tried to stay positive. For Dajh. But once Dajh matured, it was easy to tell that his smile was just a mask. And Serah-" she gave Hope a serious look, "She felt like she owed you something. Because you lost everything from your old life, and she got a second chance at hers. She told me, how every time she looked at you, all she could see was pain. That's why she tried so hard to be friends with you. Remember?"
Hope nodded, "Yeah, I remember."
"She cried a lot after you left. When she thought we weren't looking. Snow told me that sometimes, she'd dream that you'd come home, only to wake up and realize that you were still gone. She felt like it was partially her fault that you left."
"I-" Hope started. But he couldn't finish. Did I really hurt them that much?
"What about you?" Vanille asked Lightning.
"Me?" she clenched a fist. "I was. . . angry. Hurt. I couldn't believe you'd left us!" she suddenly spat at Hope, who flinched at her sudden anger, "After all we'd been through!"
"Hey now, that's enough." Fang said sternly.
"NO!" Lightning shouted. She stood furiously, fire in her eyes. Her blood boiled with mixed contempt and love* for the silver-haired man sitting before her. All the anger and pain she'd kept bottled up for so long came spewing out of her like red-hot lava from a volcano, "Snow and I spent weeks searching for you! Months! Years! And every day we came home without you was another day that Serah cried, another day that Sazh had to hide behind a smile!" she stopped shouting, but the anger in her voice did not drop one bit, "Eventually, we- I, gave you up for dead."
"Light, I-"
"And when I finally found you I-" her anger cracked, and sadness seeped through, though she fought it, "And when you nearly died, I-" she lost her resolve, and she felt hot tears begin to form in her eyes. She turned away from the others, refusing to let it show. Hope stood, but she spoke again before he could do anything.
"We're a family, Hope. But you broke it."
Shame entered Hope's heart like a deadly poision, "And I told you, I'll regret that forever."
Lightning turned back to him, angry again, "You don't get it! It was bad enough losing Fang and Vanille, but when you left. . ." her heart twisted. "We're not half of what we once were."
"Don't you think I felt that?" Hope said softly, "That's why I left, for them. I wanted- I wanted to find a way to bring them back. So we could be together again."
"Did you?" Vanille asked, "Was it you that brought us back?"
Hope shrugged, "I don't know. I don't think so. But something happened. Whatever it was, we're together again."
"Listen, Lightning," Fang said, "The kid here might've done some dumb stuff." she stood, Vanille along with her, "But he has a point. We're all here. Now all we gotta do is go home and we'll be a big happy family again."
Hope cringed a little at the suggestion, no one but Vanille noticed. She eyed him curiously.
"Yeah." Lightning said, "Home."
*Ok, again, just to clarify, Lightning loves Hope like a brother, nothing more.
If I was Lightning, I would have yelled at Hope a long time ago. But with him nearly dying and all, I feel like this was a good time to let her explode. Hope you liked this chapter, please review!