A.N. Here's chappy 7. enjoy

Éclair Returns

Chapter 7: PSICOM

Lightning and Hope remained in his office until late afternoon. The pink-haired woman passed her time by polishing her gunblade. Very thoroughly. "Hope when are you finally done?", asked Lightning eventually. "Soon...", he mumbled. "You say this for hours. It's getting late, we should go now."

"Yeah...", he mumbled yet again. Lightning stood up, pocketed her gunblade and went to him. Then she stole his pen. "Hey!" Before he could react, she also stole the note he was writing on. "Hey!" Hope immediately stood up and tried to get his things back, but she held them out of his reach. "Lightning! Give that back!"

"No.", she said, while Hope pressed himself against her to get his stuff. Lightning's heart stopped for a moment before it raced. Hope apparently didn't care. The pink-haired woman cleared her throat loudly to get his attention. And got it. He looked into her eyes and finally seemed to realize how close he was to her.

In record time, his face turned red and she suspected that hers didn't look much better. He immediately went back a few steps and looked away from her. "I'm sorry.", he muttered. "It's okay.", said Lightning and put his things back down on the table. "We go now. You can finish this tomorrow."

"But..."

"We. Go.", she growled and silenced Hope instantly. Then her gaze went over his desk and noticed a certain photo. "Where'd you get that?", she asked and pointed to the photo where she was on. "Oh, uh..." Hope blocked her view by barging in between her and the desk and pushed her away. "Forget about it, ok?"

"Where'd you get that?", she repeated. "Serah gave it to me, but that's not important.", he said, as he pushed her out of his office and closed the door behind him. Lightning snorted and pushed him away when he tried to push her further. "I can walk by myself!" Then the two went out of the building. "Is there a good place to train?", she asked then. "Uh, yes, why? You want to train at this time?"

"No. We'll train at this time." Hope wanted to protest, but she cut him off. "Come on, let's go! Show me the way!" The silver-haired man sighed in resignation and followed her. Hope was far too slow, so she pushed him. "Come on, run!" Hope didn't even try to contradict her this time and ran. Lightning followed him and had to push him quite often, so that he continued to run. Hope led her to a small forest on the outskirts of the city. There was also a large clearing, which gave them plenty of space to train. "Good, then let's get started.", said Lightning and turned to Hope, who leaned against a tree and was totally out of breath. "Come on, Hope!"

"Wait...Give me...five minutes...", he panted. "Get ready!" Hope sighed and pushed himself off the tree and got ready. "Attack.", commanded Lightning, but Hope hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean..."

"Now come on!" Hope took his boomerang and attacked her with a huge fireball. Lightning raised her gunblade to block the fireball, but was pushed back. Lightning fell to the ground, but it wasn't over. "Light, you okay?", asked Hope worried and ran to her. When Hope was close enough, she tripped him up and pushed him to the ground. "Don't let your guard down.", she advised, as she let him go and stood up. "Got it...", murmured Hope and stood up as well. "We continue the training without magic."

"What?"

"Your magic is strong enough already. You have to get physically stronger." Hope wanted to protest, but apparently he didn't find the right words. "Okay.", he sighed. "But without weapons, okay?" Lightning nodded and put away her gunblade. He wasn't ready for training with weapons anyway. "Okay." Hope also put away his boomerang and got ready. Lightning watched Hope, who went a few cautious steps towards her and thought for a plan, how to attack her. "Are you really sure Light? I mean...I'm a man now, I'm stronger than you—" Before Hope could finish his sentence, Lightning ran up to him and tossed him to the ground.

"What did you say?", she asked and looking down at him. "Oh, forget what I said...", he muttered and stood up again. Lightning went back a few steps and got ready. "Attack." Hope nodded and ran towards her. Lightning dodged his fist with ease, took a step toward him and twisted his arm behind his back. Hope cried out in pain and tried to free himself. "What is it, Hope? I thought you're stronger than me?"

"No, you're stronger! I said nothing!"

"Hmm..." The pink-haired soldier acted as if she was thinking and squeezed his arm a bit. "Light, please! Let go! Please!" Lightning grinned triumphantly and let go of his arm. Hope immediately went to his knees and rubbed his shoulder. "I thought you wanted to break my arm...", he said as he healed himself, while Lightning rolled her eyes. "You know that I would never seriously hurt you, Hope."

"I know..."

"I just wanted you to never underestimate me again." Hope slowly stood up again and looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Lightning nodded and got ready again. "Get going."

"I don't know, Light...", he said, while still rubbing his shoulder. "Do you wanna stay weak forever?", she asked and raised an eyebrow. "You've promised me to take care of me, right? How are you supposed to keep that promise if you're weak?" Hope's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe that she still remembered their promise. However, before she could say anything, he shook his head. "I still want to keep that promise..."

"Then get going and attack."

"Okay." He nodding and thought for a plan again. Lightning sighed. "Hope just move on instinct. Remember how you fought back then." Hope took a deep breath and then looked at her firmly. "Okay." Lightning got ready and waited for him to attack. The silver-haired man ran up to her and this time when he tried to attack with his fist, she grabbed his arm again and threw him over her shoulder to the ground.

Hope looked up at her and pouted playfully, while Lightning grinned slightly. "Now that you're an adult, I don't have to hold back so much as back then.", she said. "You held yourself back?", asked Hope surprised and stood up. "Yeah. Now I still have to hold back myself, but not as much as back then."

"Well thank you, Light...", sighed Hope. "You just had to train more."

"You're right...", said Hope and sighed once again. "Come on.", commanded Lightning and got ready. "Right..."

They trained until late into the night, before they went back to Hope's house. "I surely get sore muscles tomorrow...", Hope muttered more to himself. "You've hardly done anything.", said Lightning. "No, you've hardly done anything. I've tried everything to score a hit."

"This was everything you've got?", she asked and raised an eyebrow. Hope pouted playfully, but remained quiet. Then he stopped suddenly. Lightning also stopped and looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong?" Hope looked around carefully before he answered. "I just have a strange feeling." Lightning was immediately alarmed. "Do you think something happens?", she asked and looking around too. "No. I'm sure it's nothing.", replied Hope and faked a smile. "I don't think so. Do you remember back then? Whenever you had this feeling, something attacked us."

"That was just a coincidence." Lightning shook her head. "No. Not when it happened so many times in a row. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you back then." Hope looked at quite surprised when she said this. "It's okay, you don't have to apologize.", said Hope quickly. "Just be careful.", said Lightning and went ahead. Then Lightning felt something, too. Hope was right, as always. She should've started to listen to Hope sooner. After all, Hope was a small, spoiled child. His mother protected him from all evil, that's why he could detect threats better than a trained soldier, where danger is a daily routine.

But of course she was too proud of her own abilities to listen to a child. Since the road was dead silent, she could hear the smallest noises. Such as the sound of someone who cocked a gun. Then she immediately pushed Hope against the wall with her back and protected him from the bullet. The bullet bore into her shoulder. They wanted to hit his heart. "Light!", called Hope horrified and wanted to examine the wound, but she pushed him against the wall and tried to ignore the pain. Then they were surrounded by five men who aimed their guns at them.

They wore white-yellow uniforms and masks. PSICOM. "Out of the way!", shouted one of them, but Lightning would rather die than failing Hope! "No.", she said and raising her left hand slightly, even if the movement hurt like hell. The soldiers aimed at her immediately, but they weren't prepared for her next attack. "Thundaga!", she cried and summoned a powerful bolt, that defeated them all at once. Lightning held the wound, that bleeded like crazy. "I'll take you to a hospital!", said Hope and wanted to go, but she grabbed his arm with her blood smeared hand "No. I just need to get this bullet out of the wound and heal it." Hope looked at her worried, but gave in. "Alright...Let's go home then." The pink-haired woman nodded and followed him to his house.

Once there Lightning went directly to the bathroom to treat her wound. "What are you doing here?", she asked Hope, who followed her. "I want to help you. Let me do it."

"That's not necessary. I can do that myself." But when she saw his pleading look, she sighed and gave him her survival knife. "Get the bullet out.", she commanded as she took off her jacket and her shirt. But Hope did nothing. He just stared at her breasts. Or maybe just her brand that was on the next level. "Your brand...", he muttered and touched it. Lightning flinched, but let him touch her brand. Her heart was beating wildly as he touched Etro's symbol and she also felt her face became increasingly warmer.

"Just get the bullet out.", she repeated and looked away from him. "Of course. I'm sorry...", he said and treated her wound. Lightning gritted her teeth, as the blade cut into her flesh and dug around in it. Reflexively she grabbed his left arm with which he held her and clung to it. A few agonizing seconds later Hope had managed to get the bullet out of her shoulder. Immediately, she put a hand on the wound and healed it. But all she could do was to stop the bleeding and restore a bit of her flesh. When her magic stopped a larger hand went to this place and continued the healing. This magic was much stronger and her wound healed completely. Lightning leaned her head on Hope's shoulder, as the warm feeling shot through her entire body. The last thing she noticed before she fell asleep from exhaustion was something gently stroking her hair.

A.N. This was one of the chappies that got lost when my pen drive died, that's why it's so short. Please review.