{Authors note: Hi to anyone who is reading this ^^ I think this chapter will explain my views on Hope/Lightning, but he can dream can't he?}

Noel sat quietly on a bench and unwrapped his lunch, a delicious meatball sub. It took him a while to acquire this baby, the line at his favorite sub shop was unnaturally long and the lady behind the counter kept trying to flirt with him. Noel shuddered at the thought, he wasn't particularly shallow but he could have swore that she had a beard. Ignoring that thought he took a bite into the delicious sauciness when he noticed Mog flying by. He expected to see Serah following close behind but when she wasn't he began to wonder.

"Hey Mog!" Noel shouted and several people turned around to look including Mog who kupo'd in excitement and flew over.

"Hey Noel, whats up kupo?" Mog asked.

"Wheres Serah?" Noel asked with a mouth full of food. He wasn't exactly the most mannered person around.

"On a date with Snow, kupo. She sent me away!" Mog announced and Noel shrugged, he wasn't too friendly with Snow and didn't entirely agree on this wedding but would never say so, he respected Serah too much.

"That's great." He said not very interested wiping the sauce from the side of his mouth. Why couldn't she have kept Mog with her? Not that he was annoying Noel that much but deep down Noel sensed that something bad would happen without her weapon at her side. Maybe he was over thinking things. She would have Snow and be fine.

Lightnings cellphone buzzed to life and she flipped it open ready to speak when she heard a familiar voice, but not entirely the one she wanted to hear.

"Hey Light?" Snow asked too loudly into the device causing Lightning to bring the phone about six inches from her ear. She had been waiting for Serah where she said she would meet her for the past hour and a half and finally they decided to call and let her know she was going to be late?

"Who else would it be? This is my cell phone after all."

"Right well is Serah there with you?"

Light caught a slight hint of worry in his voice and added, "No when did she leave the restaurant?"

"She never showed up, I thought she decided to go shopping with you first at the last minute? So neither of us have seen her?"

"Right." Lightning sighed and looked up and down the street for the millionth time as if Serah would just come walking but she didn't. Snow swore and she could hear him begin pacing, she assumed he was at his house because she heard the cat in the background yelp as he stepped on its tail for the billionth time.

"So shes missing?" Snow assumed and Lightning shook her head slowly, Serah couldn't be missing she was an adult for crying out loud not a child. She couldn't imagine where she would be though and this city was full of strange people. Worry began to creep into her.

"Snow relax I bet shes fine, we just need to call around and see if anyone has seen her" Lightning tried to convince Snow but really she was trying to convince herself too. Serah the sister she tried so hard to bring back years ago then who had done the same for her could be gone again? The thought of going through another adventure to find her made her sick.

"Your right, you call Hope and ask when was the last time he saw her and I'll do the same for Noel." He said 'Noel' with a bit of an edge behind his voice, Lightning figured if Serah blew him off to spend the day with Noel then Snow would have a few not so kind things to say to him. She agreed and hung up to dial Hopes number.

Hope couldn't believe his eyes, it had only been a few hours since Serah had left and Lightning was already calling! He tried to contain his enthusiasm and answered as normally as possible. "Hello?"

"Hope hey." Lightning said not really knowing how to approach this, she didn't want to alarm him by jumping down his throat and asking where Serah is but she didn't really want to waste time either.

"So I'll pick you up around 8 on Saturday?" He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, he still couldn't believe she called this fast! She must be as excited about this as he is. Everything seemed to be working out perfectly lately.

"Pick me up?" She asked completely confused. Did she miss something? He also sounded a bit different, was he purposefully trying to make his voice sound deeper? Maybe he had a cold, it was a bit chilly out.

"Yeah or did you just want to meet there?" He furrowed his brow in frustration, was Lightning a feminist or something?

"Hope I have no idea what your talking about, it sounds like your trying to make a date with me or something?" She didn't mean to sound so angry but seriously? Serah's missing and all he can think of is dates? She couldn't even remember him asking her on one in the first place!

"I thought- Wait you not? My letter?" Hope stuttered, Lightning must have not read his letter! Then why was she calling, he didn't understand. "N-never mind I thought you were someone else!" He tried to cover it up.

She shook her head, Never in a million years would she date Hope, what was he thinking! She had more pressing matters on hand though. "Have you seen Serah today?"

A bright Light shined directly in her face caused Serah to groan and roll over in her sleep pulling the blankets over her head. What was Snow doing? She wondered until she began to remember. The smell was the first thing to snap her back to reality, a heavy aroma of cherries and cotton candy almost like some cheep perfume filled her nose it wasn't too bad though. Eyes wide Serah pulled the warm blanket off her face and looked around. She seemed to be in a simple room, white walls and she was on a bed. The thing that really upset her though was the fact that the room was split into two sections, separated by traditional jail cell bars. Her skin began to craw and she quickly stumbled out of the bed twisting her leg in the blankets causing her to land face first on the carpet. She quickly jumped up glad that her captures didn't catch her doing that, she didn't want them to think of her as weak and clumsy.

Now able to survey her surroundings a bit better, on her caged side of the room was a small table with a single chair, a stand with a neatly folded pile of clothes upon it she would almost definitely refuse to wear.

On the opposing side the only thing that sat was another similar stand with a small silver key on it. Serah's heart did a back flip, it was within reaching distance. She could get out? Her fingers twitched in anticipation as her legs moved toward the front of the cell. She then froze trying to figure out why they would make it so easy? It was a guaranteed trap. Not sure what to do next she stood in the middle of the room to organize her thoughts. First of all she knew she was being held hostage, second she knew they wanted Hope for a device to alter time, and third Snow and Lightning are probably tearing down the sky to find her.

That thought made her feel a little bit better, her biggest concern was her captors though. She had no idea what to expect. As if on cue the door handle turned and Serah nearly jumped. She was a bit glad it was Glory, the one who seemed to care the most about her well not exactly care but it was better than it being one of the other two. The girl entered the room holding a plate of food and Serahs stomach rumbled in anticipation. How long has it been since shes last eaten? Wait was that a plate of candy?

Glory gave Serah a sheepish smile and folded the plate in half containing the array of chocolates and sugary snacks before pushing it in between the bars, which Serah took. "I'm a horrible cook and all Sebastian ever buys is candy so.." She trailed off. It was pretty obvious there wasn't too much of a choice here for Serah, but who hates candy anyways. She bit a piece of chocolate.

"You didn't try the key?" She asked picking it up and putting it into her pocket. "Aria was trying to test you, it doesn't unlock that." Glory nodded toward the padlock rejecting Serah from the outside world.

"I guessed that." Serah said between bites of chocolate. People kidnap her, lock her in a room and feed her candy? What was the point of all this?