Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Really sorry for the late update! I've been on a bit of a hiatus for a while. It's been hard to find time to edit the story, but I've put in as much free time as I could to make sure I could post it today. I still haven't gotten a chance to update a few of the things I wanted to, but I'm hoping to soon.

Hope you'll like this chapter of the story!

Chapter 26: For My Family's Sake:

Seeing that Alyssa was getting ready to corner them, another idea formed in Lightning's mind. Quickly she handed Charity over to H.J. which surprised him. "Go. Take Charity somewhere safe. Don't tell us where. We'll contact you as soon as we can."

H.J. was worried about leaving them behind. "But-?"

Lightning placed her hand on his cheek comfortingly. She hoped that he would listen to what she told him. "Listen. Don't be afraid. It will be all right. We'll get out of this." H.J.'s eyes lowered unsure, but then he felt Lightning lift his head up a little by his chin. His eyes returned back to her. As much as she tried to assure him, he could see the concern in her eyes. "We'll all go home okay. Our future will be okay." He still remained silent and unsure. A serious look appeared on her face. They didn't have much time. "Now go!" Finally H.J. listened and ran off with Charity.

Hope handed Lightning a gunblade. "I figured that you might need this."

"Thanks." She stood with her back pressed against his. Both of them stood ready to fight. The thought crossed their minds that it might be their last stand together, but neither one of them would let that be the case.

H.J. tried to run out with Charity, but was suddenly stopped when he saw more of Alyssa's men halt in front of him with their guns pointed. "Stop right there!" one of them shouted.

H.J. stepped back. He placed Charity down at his side. Worried, she hid behind his leg as she kept her eyes on the men ready to attack them. Tighter she grabbed onto his pant leg. "Big brother..." she cried quietly enough for him to hear. H.J.'s mind raced. What could he do without getting either one of them hurt? His hand was tempted to reach down for his gunblade. Slowly he tried, his hand shaking uncontrollably as he did so, but it wasn't enough. One of the men noticed. "Don't move!" H.J. stopped, afraid that they would shoot. The man signaled with his gun by tilting it back and forth. "Let's go." Their mission to capture the Director's children like Alyssa ordered was complete. The men were about to walk away with them, but then suddenly all three of them fell.

When H.J. and Charity looked back, surprised by what happened, they saw Lightning. She had shot all three of them from behind. "Go! You don't have much of an opening. Get out as soon as you can. I'll cover you."

"You're not going anywhere." The three turned their heads to see Alyssa. H.J. was concerned, but Lightning stepped forward passed the two children. She clutched her sword in her hands in front of her, indicating that she was ready to take her down. Alyssa's expression changed to serious. "I see. You want to fight me then." She knew that Lightning had her reasons for taking her on personally. Without a word, Lightning rushed toward her, but Alyssa fought back. She was able to match Alyssa's attacks. She managed to move the sword away from Alyssa and knock her down to the ground. Quickly Lightning glanced back toward H.J. and Charity. "Go! Now!"

H.J. listened and grabbed onto Charity's hand. As H.J. ran, Charity was falling behind. His longer legs were too much to keep up with her little, shorter ones. Charity's hand began to slip out of his little by little until it slipped out completely. She fell down to the floor. Afterwards, she managed to sit up on her legs. Her eyes traveled up worried to see Lightning still fighting against Alyssa. She didn't want her to get hurt. "Mommy!"

Alyssa noticed Charity alone, staring toward her. An idea came into her mind. Lightning looked back and saw Charity sitting on the ground. When she looked forward again, she didn't spot Alyssa in sight. Quickly she turned her head and saw Alyssa heading toward Charity with her sword in hand. She knew that she had to move before she could hurt Charity. Lightning rushed in as fast she could. Charity looked scared watching Alyssa approach her. Her body wouldn't respond. It was frozen in place. Lightning stepped in quickly. She grabbed onto Charity's arm, pulling her up and pushed her along so that she could get out of the way. Soon after, Lightning turned her attention to Alyssa heading toward her. With her sword in hand, she tried to raise it up as fast as she could to meet Alyssa's sword.

Charity stopped herself from walking and turned around. Once she looked back, her eyes widened as a scared look came on her face. Once H.J. looked back, realizing that Charity was no longer running behind him, his eyes widened as he became scared as well.

Lightning's breath began to stagger. It had become harder to breathe as her eyes narrowed. Blood dripped from the side of her lips. When her eyes traveled down, she saw a sword sticking through her stomach. As H.J. watched, his body froze. He wanted to move to help her, but his body refused to, still in shock. Finally, he broke free of his stunned state. "No!" In anger and fear, he rushed forward to do what he could.

Nearby Hope overheard the cry as he was helping the soldiers fight against Alyssa's men. His eyes traveled over in the direction of the shout. Once he saw the scene, his eyes widened in shock. His breath shortened. H.J. went to attack Alyssa, but Alyssa pulled her sword out from Lightning and blocked his sword. There was anger clear on his face. Alyssa struggled against him. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain cross her back. Alyssa's eyes widened. She fell forward and hit the ground. When H.J. lifted his eyes, he saw Hope standing with his sword in hand. He was breathing hard. His eyes went over to Lightning who was lying down on her back. Blood began to stain the ground underneath her. Her eyes were closed as she still struggled to breathe. "Light…" He dropped his gunblade and rushed over to her. As he ran passed Alyssa, she struggled to lift her head and open her eyes. She could feel pain coursing through her from the strike she took.

Hope kneeled down beside Lightning and placed his hand on her shoulder and one near her wound. "Light! Come on Light. Stay with me." H.J. rushed over and kneeled on the other side of her. Hope looked at H.J. "Heal her! Quickly!"

H.J. held his hands over her wound and tried to heal her. Lightning placed her hand against Hope's as she stared up. "It's too late. It would take all the magic that he had… and even then… that wouldn't be enough." She knew that the damage she suffered would need more than magic to heal her.

A worried look came across Hope's face. "Then hang on! I'm calling for help! They'll be on their way soon."

"Too much blood is being lost," Lightning told him.

H.J. pressed his hands against the floor as his despair set in. "This wasn't supposed to happen. We changed the future so it wouldn't!"

Hope looked at H.J. saddened. "How did this happen?"

H.J. shook his head a little. "I-I don't know. Charity got left behind and all of a sudden-."

Lightning looked up at Hope. "She was getting ready to attack Charity so I had to do something."

H.J. lifted his eyes to Hope as well. "She saved her life."

Hope breathed out as he closed his eyes. He wished that it didn't have to come to this. Lightning turned her head to H.J. as much as she could. "H.J. go… You have to...go."

H.J. looked concerned. He didn't want to leave her behind. Not like this. "But-."

Lightning didn't want him to argue with her. "Go!"

H.J. turned silent to her request. Soon he got up and went over to Charity. He tried to pull her along, but she refused to move as she stood staring at her injured mother. She loosened her arm from her brother's grip and slowly stepped closer toward Lightning. Her eyes were filled with fear with each step along the way. "Mommy...?" In response, Lightning smiled as best as she could at the young girl. Inside she didn't like that Charity had to see her like this. Finally H.J. was able to pull Charity along so that she couldn't watch. He picked her up off the ground and let her rest against his shoulder. "Mommy!" she cried out in desperation. Her hand reached out toward Lightning with her eyes widened, but she was just moving further and further away from her. "Mommy!"

Lightning closed her eyes, a little strained. Besides the physical pain she felt, there was the emotional side she felt as well. It hurt to hear Charity crying out for her and that she couldn't move to go to her. "Hang on. You're going to be okay," she heard Hope's voice above her. As much as he tried to sound confident that she would, she could hear the waver in his voice. He helped her to sit up in his arms. He had to get her somewhere that could help her.

Lightning leaned her head against his chest, resting. Her body had grown weak from the blood loss. "Hope. You go with them too."

Hope became concerned. "I'm not leaving you here."

Lightning closed her eyes. "I'm as… good as dead…"

"Don't say that!" he raised his voice a little anxious.

More her body began to relax against him. "Look after them… okay? Make sure that they…are safe…"

Hope was getting worried that he was losing her. "Claire…?" he whispered.

A faint smile came on her face. She opened her eyes and lifted them up to him along with her head a little. "The first…few years…weren't bad…and neither were…the last…"

It made him smile a little hearing that. He breathed in deep, letting out a quick, silent laugh. "What about…the in between…?"

Lightning smiled a little more. At that moment, she looked as if she was truly happy while reflecting on what they've been through. Slowly her eyes began to close as she lowered her head. Her head rested against his chest. She felt herself losing consciousness. There was one more thing she thought she should say and she would try her best to get it out. "I…" her voice began to fade out into a dying whisper. Soon she had become completely still.

Hope noticed the silence. "Light?" There was no answer. He took a deep breath in fearing the worse. He placed his hand on her cheek, lifting her head so that he could see her face. There he saw her eyes closed and her body unmoving. "Light," he called again. Another idea came into his mind that he thought might get her to wake. "Claire!" Usually that had got her attention, but not even that could wake her. Hope closed his eyes tightly as he leaned down. He moved her head forward, pressing her forehead against his. The emotions of devastation and grief came to the surface. "No!"

The shout made H.J. look over. He saw the scene ahead of him. His fist baled at his side as his eyes lowered to a close. "This wasn't supposed to happen again," he spoke under his breath. "No one was supposed to die this time."

Alyssa had finished healing herself as she sat on the ground. When she lifted her head, she saw Hope's face buried on the side of Lightning's face and hair. He was holding her very close to him. "She did that just so she could save that little girl?"

Hope lifted his head still keeping his eyes on Lightning. "That's because she cares about others other than herself."

Alyssa shrugged, unaffected. "Wasn't a good move on her part. Sacrificing your life for someone else? Where does that get you?"

Hope looked over at her with anger in his eyes. "Why do you care? Wasn't that your plan all along? To make me suffer?"

Alyssa stood up ready to fight again. "It's still not over yet." Hope stared at Alyssa before he returned his eyes back to Lightning. After all of the suffering he had gone through so far, he wished that this was over.

Inside of Faith's hospital room, Faith took a sharp breath in as her eyes shot open. On the wall behind her, there was a hole where Alyssa shot earlier. Hours earlier, once she saw Alyssa pull the gunblade on her, she ducked as quickly as she could. She managed to make it through unharmed. She remembered Alyssa looking at the gunblade before tossing it on the floor. "I guess you are quick. You must want to live a little longer. All right then." Afterwards she left the room. Faith was relieved that Alyssa left her alive, but soon fell unconscious after she left.

Once Faith caught her breath, she closed her eyes. Things were getting worse. Not only did Alyssa have her mom, but a part of her family as well. With her plan, it would only be a matter of time before she caught her whole family and got rid of them. She wanted to do something to help, but she wasn't sure what she could do in her condition. Her own life was giving out as well. Her eyes opened a little to see the gunblade on the floor. Nothing still came to mind. Then her eyes traveled over to the dresser. Her eyes lifted a little surprised. There she saw the time travel device. With that came one last chance to stop all of this. She just hoped that it would lead her to the right time she needed. She only had one shot. She struggled to stand up and get dressed as much as she could. She grabbed her time travel device and gunblade. She hoped for her family's sake that she landed in the right time.

Thank you for reading! I'll try to update as soon as I can for the next chapter.