Author's Note: So, what did you guys think of Fang's... story?

Stuff goes DOWN in this chapter. But not the kind of stuff you'd think...

"Where?" She followed his gaze, "Oh."

Hope turned to her, "You go ahead, I'll catch up later."

Vanille didn't want to leave him, "I'll go with you!"

"Vanille, look at him, I'll be fine. And besides," he squeezed her hand lightly, "he can't kill me anyway, even if he tried."

"I know, but..."

"It's okay. You go join up with Light and Fang, I'll be there soon."

He kissed her on the cheek and tried to walk away, but Vanille kept her grip on his hand, "Hope..."

"It'll be alright, Vanille. Trust me."

She felt in her heart that it was wrong to leave him, even though her brain told her he'd be fine. She hadn't been sure things would work out in the past, back in Oerba. No one caught her eye, though she caught the eyes of many. She didn't think she'd ever find someone. And then, in another lifetime, when she met Hope, something about him... She'd been devestated when she had to leave him behind, though if it meant he could live, she knew it was worth it. Then there were those dreams... Six hundred years of reflection, six hundred years of watching him try to save her. She realized that she loved him. But it was different from the way she loved Fang. It was deeper. It hurt. Especially after the first hundred years, when she realized that he was probably dead, and that she'd never see him again. But in that last dream, when he held her. Something clicked. And then when she faded from crystal stasis a second time, and she saw him, still young, still alive... No words exist in any language that could express her joy.

And then their dream came true. He loved her.

And then they kissed.

In the beginning, Vanille had watched Fang and Kace with a bit of envy. They seemed to be perfect. She wanted that. She wanted someone to love her like she thought Kace loved Fang.

And then it went wrong.

Perfect, apparently, has a few imperfections.

When she got Hope back, Vanille thought that she had gotten her 'perfect', that all their imperfections had already passed.

But then... his brand...

She didn't want to lose him to this imperfection, she didn't want to lose him ever.

She looked him in they eye, "You promise you'll come back to me?"

"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere. I'll come back." He glanced up at Cocoon, "I swear on my mother's grave."

She believed him.

He sealed his promise with a kiss. "Go ahead and catch up. I'll be back soon."

"Okay." Vanille reluctantly released Hope's hand, and began to jog toward their friends. After a few feet, she turned back to Hope.

"I love you." she told him.

"I love you, too."

Vanille chewed her bottom lip for a moment, taking a few steps backwards. Hope nodded, and she ran after Lightning and Fang.

Hope watched Vanille for a few seconds, then turned to the building in front of him. He watched his enemy through the window for another handful of seconds, then proceeded to knock on the door.

The woman who answered looked tired, and on-edge. She had to look up at Hope, who was much taller than her. "Do you need something?"

"Yes. I'd like to see my friend Trip."

"You know him?" she said skeptically.

"Yeah, we go way back."

She glanced over to her right, "Does he have any family? He keeps mumbling about someone named 'Hope.'"

"That's me. And no, he hasn't had family since he was seventeen."

The wonam looked back up at him with a sad expression, "You'd better go in then, he doesn't have much time left."

It took Vanille a few minutes to catch up to Lightning and Fang. (They always had been faster than the rest of the group) When she finally did, Fang asked, "Where the hell have you been? And where's Hope?"

Vanille took a moment to catch her breath. She hadn't ran the whole time, but she did go faster than she normally would. "He saw Trip, and went to go talk to him."

"What!? And you let him go?" Lightning said.

"I didn't want to!"

"Wait a minute, hold up. Who's Trip?"

"The man who nearly killed him the day before you guys returned."

"Damn..."

"Vanille, where'd he go? I need to go check on him."

"He'll be fine. Do you think I'd let him go if I didn't believe that?"

"Lightning, he's not a kid anymore, he can take care of himself."

Boy was that the truth. "I know, but you weren't there when Trip- You weren't there when Hope stopped-" she shook her head, "I just need to check."

Vanille told her which building Hope went in, and she set off.

"Hey, Trip."

Trip looked horrible. His skin had a greenish tint to it, and was very pale. He was covered in sweat, his breathing slow and shallow. When Hope spoke he opened his eyes, they were bloodshot. He stared at the man he thought ha had killed for a minute, maybe two. Then in a weak, raspy voice, he said, "You come to haunt me?"

"That depends on your definition of 'dead.'"

Trip's hollow gaze took on a hint of confusion after a few seconds, "You me-an, I didn't kill you?"

Hope shook his head, "No."

"But, I-I felt... I-I felt your ribs br-eak. Under my kne-es. How?"

"Well," Hope took a few steps forward, "I'm not exactly human, not anymore."

"Then what... are you?"

"I'm... an ex-l'Cie."

Trip gave a weak laugh that turned into a coughing fit. When he got it under control, he said, "You, a l'Cie? Yeah, r-ight."

The woman who let Hope in poked her head in the door, "Is everything alright?"

"Fine." Trip told her. She left.

Hope held up his wrist, showing Trip his scorched brand, "Believe me now?"

The look of confusion returned to Trip's hollow eyes. Hope took a seat beside the man's bed. "I was born over six hundred years ago. I was branded when I was fourteen, along with three others."

"...Six?"

Hope nodded, "So you know part of the story. Two were already l'Cie. We all shared the same Focus: Destroy Cocoon. We found a loophole. We were turned to crystal. We gained eternal life, which apparently still applied when we were released."

"Tha-at's why I couldn't kill you? Bec-ause I can't?"

Hope could lie, say yes, and get away with it. He already had for so many years. But telling the truth here really wouldn't matter. Dead men are really good at keeping secrets.

"Actually... there is a way." Balancing his elbows on his knees, he said quietly, "My brand. If you shot me through the wrist right now, I'd be dead in a minute."

"Ho-w do you know tha-at?"

Hope made a face, "Believe me, you don't want to know."

Trip jerked into a coughing fit again, the violent coughs lasted longer than the last time. He coughed up a bit of blood.

"What happened to you?"

"I met the... business end *cough* of your kni-fe. Or do you not re-member?" He sighed, "Cut got infected."

"I'm sorry."

"What're you apologizing fo-r? You weren't the o-ne who went on a stu-upid rage." He coughed again, "I still ha-ate your guts."

"Can't seem to get away from that these days."

Trip coughed yet again, his bloodshot eyes stared at the ceiling, "I used to ha-ave myself a girl. Real pretty. Only pers-son that didn't hate m-e." He turned his head to Hope, "You think you're gon-na find your girl?"

Hope gave a small smile, "I already did."

"Good... that's good..." His breathing slowed a bit more, he shivered, "It-It's cold in here." He just stared at-no, past Hope, his eyes beyond hollow. Dead.

"Trip?"

He jerked back to reality, barely. "Hope," he whispered, "I'm sorry. Tell your girl I'm sorry, sorry I tried to take you from her."

"I will."

A hint of a smile crossed Trip's features. He slowly laid back and closed his eyes, took a breath.

And breathed no more.

In all his years, Hope had watched a lot of people die, many by his own hand. Sometimes he felt anger, sadness, regret, and even relief. But this time, he felt... inexplicably calm. Technically, he killed Trip, his blood added to the river of blood spilled by Hope's hand. But this time was different. Something told him he wasn't to blame for this death.

"So... the whole time, you knew we could die, just like him?"

Hope turned around.

Lightning.

This is far from over.