Author's Note:

First of all, allow me to apologize for the late update. I'm visiting family in my home state and am having an immense amount of fun, so I completely missed it when update day came and went. As always, thank you to everyone that reads, reviews and favorites this story. I'm grateful for all of the support as well as extremely happy that so many of you are enjoying reading it. I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you think of this chapter!

And thank you to H-thar, my brilliant beta, for all your wisdom and insight!

Chapter 4

Too Short a Season

Muffled voices pulled me from my glorious, dreamless nap what felt like hours later. I yawned and flopped onto my back, lazily scratching an itch on the crown of my head, and laid there for a few moments just listening. I recognized Snow's exuberant voice easily enough, but didn't feel the need to take an interest in what he was talking about. In fact, I didn't even want to get up. Rolling over and going back to sleep was an appealing thought, but the fact that I hadn't taken a nap since I was eight or nine helped propel me off the couch.

I glanced down at my boots, considering putting them back on, but figured that no one would care if I went around barefoot. Frankly, I wouldn't have cared either way. It was one of those days, and I was hoping Bartholomew had some alcohol. I wasn't one to indulge very often, but I needed something a little stronger than pain reliever to get rid of the dull pounding that was still hammering incessantly behind my eyes.

I followed the voices toward the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and staggering down the hall as I went. It wasn't hard for me to everyone find since Snow's booming baritone was impossible to miss. I hid a yawn behind my hand as I casually stepped through the door, spying my sister and the rest of my friends – including Hope – gathered around the island in the center.

Hope was the first one to see me, and when our eyes met, it felt like I had suddenly been shoved into a spotlight. The intensity in which he was staring at me left me shifting uncomfortably, practically begging someone – anyone – else to notice my presence. Thankfully, the moment didn't last long. As soon as he lifted his hand to wave me over, everyone else's attention shifted to me and the conversation died immediately. I flexed my hands by my sides, my eyes flicking restlessly between all the faces turned toward me, and growled under my breath.

"About time you woke up, sleepy head," Serah teased, promptly breaking the tense moment. She plucked a glass full of a clear liquid off the counter and approached, handing it to me with a smile.

I smirked to myself at the contents of the glass while my sister grabbed my arm and directed me toward the group. I took a sip after Serah had positioned me between herself and Hope, sighing in relief when I tasted the familiar warmth of vodka along with a kind of citrus soda. I only hoped there was more where this had come from. I didn't want to overdo it, but I was going to need a few more until my tangled up nerves had any chance of unraveling.

"We didn't think you were going to wake up in time for dinner," Snow joked, bouncing his eyebrows at me.

I glared at him over the rim of my glass. "Oh, so were you planning on waking me up in some obnoxious manner to get a rise out of me?" I asked, taking a large swig from my drink.

Everyone chuckled at my comment and Snow even joined in. "Of course not!" he shot back, rolling his eyes.

I arched my eyebrow dangerously at him, not believing a word he said, and turned my attention to Hope. He was holding a beer and I was momentarily taken aback before I remembered that he was old enough now for that kind of stuff.

"So, when did you get off work?" I asked, taking another long pull from my glass.

"About an hour ago. Oddly enough, after all of you left the clinic, I got slammed with patients," he said, taking a sip from the bottle in his hand. "Horrible timing, really. My concentration was shot."

I chuckled before polishing off what was left in my glass. I hadn't been able to think straight while I was shopping with my sister either, so I could relate with him. "I can imagine," I replied, turning and handing the empty glass to my sister for a refill. She grinned at me before wandering off.

"So, Lightning," Bartholomew said, speaking for the first time since I had come in. "I hear that you've been promoted to officer."

"Yes, sir," I responded, nodding my head. "I start my training next week."

"Well, I believe congratulations are in order," he said, lifting his beer for a toast. I wanted to protest, but I knew he was only being polite.

Serah returned and handed my drink back to me, then gently touched the rim of her glass against mine with a smile. I turned to Hope and did the same with him before taking a drink.

Not half a minute later, a shrill alarm sounded that made everyone around me jolt in surprise. Bartholomew chuckled as he went over to the stove, and I frowned at the appliance like it had suddenly come to life. The stove's timer sounded more like a smoke alarm.

"And that would be our dinner," Bartholomew said, pulling two large pans of stuffed shells out of the oven.

My mouth began watering as soon as the mixed aromas of baked cheese and garlic wafted by my nose, realizing how hungry I was for the first time in hours. Memories of helping my mother prepare this exact dish when I was younger began replaying in my head without warning, and I warmly recalled how I had always enjoyed helped her even though I was never very good at it. Serah had become just as good at cooking, if not better, than our mother had been, and I couldn't wait to taste the shells again.

My sister's face suddenly appeared in my peripheral vision, a concerned expression present in her gaze, and I couldn't stop myself from startling slightly. While I had been staring at the pan of shells lost in thought, our friends had vacated the kitchen. I was surprised that I hadn't even noticed.

"You okay, Sis?" she asked, resting her hand on my forearm.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to send my most believable smile her way. "Just thinking."

She grinned and looped her arm through mine before leading me into the dining room. Mostly everyone was already seated around the grand wooden table, except myself, Serah and Bartholomew. The table was so big that it was able to fit everyone comfortably with enough room left over for a few extras. Bartholomew came in a moment later, carrying a stack of thick cloth napkins.

"I knew I bought this ridiculously large table for something," he joked as he passed napkins out.

Serah laughed softly at Bartholomew's comment, breaking away from my side to go join her husband and daughter, and I spied an empty chair beside Hope. I casually made my way over toward him without making it look like I was in too much of a hurry to get closer. He smiled when he saw me approaching and pulled the chair out for me. The gesture made one corner of my mouth curl upwards as I sat down, placing my glass on the table in front of me.

I shifted my eyes over to him, still smiling just the tiniest bit. "Thank you."

"No problem," he replied, crossing his arms loosely over his chest.

I sighed and leaned into the padded backing of my chair, gazing up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. That first drink had done wonders for my headache and I was glad that my temples weren't pounding anymore. I hadn't consumed enough alcohol for me to loosen up all the way, but with Serah mixing my drinks, it wouldn't take much longer until I had a nice buzz going.

"Um, Light?" Hope said, pulling my attention away from the ceiling. "So, uh, are you…excited about being an officer?"

I cocked my head slightly as I considered his question, still looking up at the chandelier. "I don't think 'excited' is the word I would use," I began, narrowing my eyes as I tried to think of a better way to describe the complicated emotions I was feeling. "I guess I'm more apprehensive than anything. I'm going to have more responsibility than before, and I don't know if I'm ready for it yet," I answered, meeting his gaze and shooting him a half-grin.

Being able to carry on a normal, honest conversation with someone besides my sister was refreshing. Even though Hope's incessant whining had gotten on my nerves while we had been l'Cie on the run from the Sanctum, in retrospect, I was glad events had unfolded the way they had. Out of everyone that I had journeyed with, Hope was the only one that I had gotten so close to. And let's face it, me bonding with Snow is akin to a Cie'th becoming an interior decorator. No way in the burning pits of hell would that have ever happened.

Hope nodded, drumming his fingers on the surface of the table for a few silent moments before smiling at me reassuringly. "I think you'll do just fine," he replied as he propped his elbows on the table and stared down at the flatware before him. I was grateful for his encouragement; I was certainly going to need it.

"This almost feels surreal," he continued seconds later, chuckling to himself.

I frowned, confused by the sudden change of subject. "What do you mean?"

He chewed on his bottom lip as he tapped his finger rhythmically on his plate. "When I woke up this morning, the thought that I was going to see you again didn't even cross my mind. If someone had told me that you were awake I would've told them to go kick rocks. I never expected you to walk into the clinic, and after you left, I thought I was in some kind of strange dream. I could not focus," he explained, laughing briefly as he recounted his plight. "I nearly ended up giving an elderly woman a flu vaccination when she came in complaining about a sprained ankle, so then I really couldn't focus and ended up slamming my hand in the door when I went to get her an ankle brace. So, long story short, the afternoon was a mess." He paused and brought his eyes back to mine. "Completely worth it, though."

I smirked and chuckled under my breath as I reached for my glass. The rest of Hope's afternoon had certainly been much worse than mine. I'd choose grocery shopping over that any day. I definitely shared his sentiments, but once again, I would never admit that to him out loud. My pride wouldn't stand for it.

"Thanks. At least I didn't sleep for hundreds of years," I replied, instantly thinking of Fang and Vanille.

Hope nodded, his train of thought more than likely mirroring my own as his eyes clouded over. "Yeah, no kidding."

Our conversation ended then, and I finally noticed how quiet the room had become. I looked to the left to find out what was going on and saw my sister standing beside me, one hand propped on her hip and a whimsical smile stretched across her face. I frowned and instinctively leaned away, not expecting to see her right there.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling awkward.

"I was just wondering if you two wanted something to eat," she said, looking down at the matching empty plates in front of Hope and myself.

I glanced behind her, and when I saw that everyone else was already eating, my awkward feeling only worsened. I sunk into the back of my chair and rubbed my temples, wincing as my headache started to come back.

"Serah, you do know you could have told us to go get food," I muttered, pressing my fingers over my eyes.

"I know," she replied. I could tell she was still smiling even though I wasn't looking at her. "It seemed like you were having a nice conversation. I didn't want to interrupt."

I chose to look over at Hope then and frowned at the sight of him staring up at my sister with an oddly intense expression. His jaw was set, the muscles clenched, and his green eyes were hardened into emeralds. He looked so deathly serious, in fact, that I almost didn't want to know why he was looking at her like that. The thought of trying to decipher his expression instantly disappeared from my mind. When his eyes lowered to meet mine, that mask promptly melted off his face, and I was left feeling extremely confused.

"Anyways, um," Serah began awkwardly. "Let me have your plates and I'll get you two some food."

I wordlessly handed off my plate to my sister as I attempted to make sense of what had just transpired. I knew for certain that I would be questioning Serah about it on our way home. Hope had definitely been trying to communicate something to her with just his eyes, and the longer I thought about it, the more curious I became.

I narrowed my eyes as I turned my head to glance at Hope. He was staring down at the table cloth, looking like he was trying to bore a hole into it, and chewing on his bottom lip furiously.

"What was that about?" I asked him as Serah walked away with our plates.

Hope raked his fingers roughly through his hair and straightened. A forced smile was screwed onto his face when he looked back over at me.

"It's nothing," he answered, his voice strained. "Don't worry about it."

My frown deepened, but I nodded nonetheless. I knew that it definitely wasn't nothing, but if he didn't want to tell me the real reason, I wasn't going to push the issue. It wasn't necessarily any of my business in the first place.

Once Serah returned with our plates, I thanked her and eagerly began to eat. Having gone all day on just a bowl of cereal was something I never wanted to do again. I was halfway done with my shells when Aven suddenly climbed into the chair directly across from me, practically screaming my name. I frowned as I looked at her, still chewing on a bite of pasta.

"Auntie Cwaire, I fowgot to ask you! Why did you twit gymwastics?" the little girl inquired, her bright blue eyes wide.

Immediate silence enveloped the dinner table as I stared at Aven with wide, shocked eyes. The sudden appearance of Sazh's voice startled me and automatically turned my head to look at him. "Well, well, solider girl's a bonefide acrobat," he said, laughing. "I guess quittin' didn't slow her down!"

My mouth dropped open before I was able to swallow the food in my mouth, but I managed to retain some of my dignity and keep anything from falling out of it. I looked back at Aven, at a loss for what to do or say, and Snow's loud guffawing reached my ears. I snapped my head in his direction, leveling him with a fiery death glare.

"Snow…" I growled, gripping the edge of the table to prevent myself from jumping up and beating the laughter right out of him.

I shifted my gaze over to my sister, and the expression she was shooting at the back of her husband's head wasn't much different from my own as she rose from her seat to collect her daughter. "Honey, you could have waited until after dinner," she said, frowning disapprovingly at the small girl.

"But Daddy said – " she began before her mother cut her off.

"Don't worry about Daddy. Just eat your dinner and we'll talk to Auntie Claire later," she said, placing the girl back in front of her plate. Snow turned to his daughter and grinned widely, gently ruffling her hair.

That's when I knew.

I ground my teeth together as the realization dawned on me that Snow had been the one to send Aven over – deployed like an adorable little paratrooper. Serah had probably showed her the videos our parents took of my competitions at some point, and I instantly regretted not burning those wretched tapes years ago. Of course, the training had come in handy when I joined the Guardian Corps, but I never wanted anyone besides blood relatives finding out about that part of my life. Even though Snow had married my sister, that didn't quite make him family in my own mind.

"Huh, I had no idea you were in gymnastics, Light," Hope said.

I groaned as I reluctantly turned my head. "It's not something I go around broadcasting," I replied, unable to keep from sounding rather harsh.

Undeterred, a smug grin spread across Hope's face. "No wonder. Now I know your secret to pulling off all those impressive back flips," he retorted before continuing to eat.

I unceremoniously dropped my fork onto my plate and propped my elbows on the table, covering my reddening face with my hands. It wasn't possible for me to maintain my dignity in the grip of Snow's mischievous plot, not with Hope's comment as the kicker. Anything else that happened tonight would be mere collateral after the perfectly orchestrated attack.

My ass of a brother-in-law was definitely getting his later.

Once Snow stopped laughing and the excitement died down, dinner passed in relative silence, and I couldn't have been happier. Thankfully, I was still able to enjoy my meal even though my anger toward Snow's lapse in common sense had been dangerously close to boiling over. Everyone, including myself, went up for seconds on the wonderful shells. Serah had really outdone herself, and I made sure to thank her multiple times – once I was living on my own I wasn't going to be eating as good anymore.

I had the fleeting thought that deprivation from Serah's cooking might be a fitting punishment for Snow, but quickly decided that wouldn't be enough.

When dinner was over, all of us pitched in to help clean up and shorten the task. After everything was put away, I wasn't surprised that no one was in the mood for cake, but that didn't deter my headstrong younger sister.

"That's fine," she said with a confident smile. "We can wait."

We moved into the living room next, and I collapsed into an armchair, sighing as I sank into the cushions. I wanted to stay as far away from the couch as possible. Now that I was full, I knew that it wouldn't take very long for me to fall asleep again and open myself up to a whole new round of potentially awkward situations. In fact, sitting anywhere comfortable was potentially hazardous. As soon as I leaned my head against the back of the chair I could feel myself nodding off, and I immediately began wondering when we would be leaving.

I glanced over to where Hope was sitting on the couch, my previous thought suddenly feeling wrong.

I wonder when I'll see him again, I mused, frowning thoughtfully.

Moments later, Sazh, Snow and Bartholomew turned the television on and conversed about what they could watch to pass the time. I didn't really care what they put on. It was doubtful that any of the shows I watched while I lived on Cocoon were being played now, so I didn't even bother putting my two cents in.

I yawned and let my head fall back against the chair, figuring that no one would notice, let alone mind, if I took a short nap. Right before I fell asleep, Serah plopped down on the arm of the chair and leaned up against my shoulder, resting her head on top of mine. I opened my eyes and glared in her direction, not caring if she could see my expression or not.

"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to buy that cake," she said, casually crossing her legs. "No one really seems interested."

I chuckled in spite of myself. "Not much you can do about it now. Want help cutting it anyway?" I asked, knowing I probably wouldn't be getting anymore sleep until we were back in Oerba, so I figured I might as well keep moving.

"Sure," she replied, hopping up and standing beside me. "I can tell you about a few of my plans for your week off in the mean-time." Her eyes shone with hopeful enthusiasm then, and I groaned, suddenly wanting to make myself scarce.

I immediately regretted the decision to help her with the cake as I rose to follow her back into the kitchen. Hope glanced over, shooting me a puzzled look, and I mimicked pointing a gun at my head and pulling the trigger as I trudged away. He laughed, covering his mouth with one hand, and saluted with the other. I balled my hand into a fist and shook it at him threateningly, and he put his hands up defensively, still grinning ear to ear when I finally lost sight of him as we entered the kitchen.

"Oh, don't be sour, Claire," Serah said, smiling over at me as she gathered a stack of saucers from one of the cupboards. "I only want you to relax a little before returning to work. Is that really so bad?"

A resigned sigh pushed past my lips, and I shook my head as she handed me the plates along with a handful of forks. "No, it's not," I answered, going to stand in front of the center island.

Serah retrieved the cake from the fridge – how she even managed to fit it in there would remain a mystery – and set it down on the counter top beside me. "If you at least pretend that you're having fun, I'll be happy. I'm trying to make up for lost time here."

I smiled and spread the plates out on the counter so it would be easier for her to disperse the pieces once she had cut them. "What do you have in mind then?"

"Just a few things for now," she replied, uncovering the cake and getting to work with a large knife. "There's an underwater cave tour at Sulyya Springs that I've been wanting to go on for the past few months. I've heard from several friends that it's really interesting. There's even an underground hot spring we can take a swim in once the tour is over."

I nodded my head in contemplation, actually liking the sound of that. We did a great deal of exploring during our time as l'Cie, especially in those springs, but the presence of Bismarck had kept us away from the water. I watched my sister cut Snow-sized pieces out of the cake, letting the silence hang between us for a few moments before I answered.

"Alright, that doesn't sound too bad," I said as Serah transferred the squares onto the plates. "What's next?"

"The anniversary of Cocoon's crystallization coincidentally falls the day before you leave for officer training. It's kind of like a huge carnival," she explained, looking over at me expectantly.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep, calming breath in through my nose. "Anything else?" I asked, not exactly looking forward to that, but keeping my opinion about it to myself.

"Definitely clothes shopping. You need a new wardrobe, my dear."

"I think I can handle that," I replied, grabbing a couple of plates and bringing them out to the living room.

When I saw the men had put on a velocycle race, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I remembered Snow dragging Serah to a few of those after they started dating. I didn't hold much interest for them and neither did she, but she tolerated it because she wanted to make him happy. I could tell from the very beginning that things were going to get serious between them fast. I was just glad that he had kept all his promises, or else I would have done much worse than punch him a few times.

"Geez, Light, cut the pieces big enough?" Hope asked, chuckling as I handed him a plate.

"You can blame my sister for that," I said, passing the other piece to Sazh. "I think she's been living with Snow for too long."

"I'm definitely not complaining." He promptly took a large bite and smiled. "Mmm, thanks," he mumbled through a mouthful of cake.

The satisfied grin on Hope's face once again gave me the strange sensation of being under the spot light, and I quickly retreated into the kitchen before anyone could notice my flushed complexion. "Don't mention it," I called over my shoulder as I left the living room.

Serah passed me in the hallway with two more pieces in her hands. "I cut us both a piece," she said, pausing beside me briefly. "Let me bring these out and I'll join you."

I nodded, continuing on my way, and nearly ran into Aven when she came charging out of the kitchen.

"Oh, hi, Auntie Cwaire!" she announced, smiling sweetly at me and lifting her arms in the air to be picked up.

I stood there staring at her for a few seconds before finally leaning down and pulling her into my arms. As soon as I set her on my hip, she began playing with my hair like she had done with her mother's earlier at the clinic. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, feeling slightly awkward and unsure. I had never held a child in my arms before, so it wouldn't be something I was going to get used to quickly.

"You hair feewels just wike momma's," she said, carefully dragging her fingers through the strands.

I smiled as I set her down on the edge of the counter. "Well, we are sisters," I told her.

She giggled and nodded her head. "I know dat!" she replied, continuing to bury her small hands in my hair and slowly drag them back out. "Wiwl I eveu have a sister?" she asked suddenly, her voice becoming uncharacteristically serious.

"Um, I don't know," I replied, knowing Serah would be the only one able to answer that for her. "Maybe you should ask your mom next time you're alone with her."

"Ask me what?" the person in question inquired when she walked back into the kitchen.

"Nuffing!" Aven exclaimed, leaning away from me and giggling as Serah approached her.

"Oh yeah?" her mother questioned, tickling the young girl's sides and making her squeal.

"She just wanted to know if she could have some cake," I covered, figuring that the topic of a sibling wouldn't be appropriate right now.

"Yeah, I want cake!" Aven exclaimed, shooting her mother a pleading look.

Serah glanced at me and narrowed her eyes, shifting them back and forth between her daughter and myself. My sister was definitely not dumb; she knew there was something else going on, but after a moment of silence, she shrugged one shoulder, seeming to brush it off for the time being. "I'll share some of mine with you," she replied, giving Aven a bite. "You better not be bouncing off of the walls when we go home."

The small girl smiled. "I won't."

"We'll see about that," Serah said, smearing a dab of frosting on the tip of her nose.

Aven laughed as she wiped the fluffy white dot off and gladly accepted the next bite of cake that her mother offered her. I grinned as I started on my own monstrous piece, doubtful I would be able to finish it unless I wanted to get sick. My smile widened a small amount as I watched Serah and Aven. Despite how frustrating and stressful this day had turned out, I wouldn't have wanted to spend it anywhere else. I was thankful to be awake even though I didn't always feel like making a spectacle of myself to show it.

"So, Claire," Serah said suddenly, breaking me away from my thoughts. "How long is your officer training going to be?"

"Three months."

Her eyebrows lifted slightly. "Wow, will you have to live in Paddra the whole time?"

I shrugged. "I won't know until next week, but that's a definite possibility."

She nodded, taking a bite of the cake herself. Aven was attempting to braid a strand of her hair, her young face scrunched up in concentration. "Do you know what you'll be doing?"

"Besides kissing up to my superiors, doing mountains of paperwork, and getting slammed with extra leadership duties, I don't know," I answered, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "After I became a l'Cie, I didn't put too much stock in ever becoming an officer."

"That's true," Serah said, looking over at me. "I had my fair share of fears and concerns too."

My eyebrows twitched as I glanced away from my demolished piece of cake, a strange sensation slithering through my chest. I knew that this was the conversation we should have had after she came to me with the truth about being a l'Cie, but I let my anger get the best of me. No matter how many times that she said I was forgiven, I was never going to feel like I had apologized enough.

I pushed the plate away from me and slid across the counter top toward her, gently taking one of her hands in mine. "Like what?"

She squeezed my fingers and smiled sadly at me, briefly glancing at Aven out of the corner of her eye. The small girl was playing with her hair contentedly and humming a made up tune, so it was doubtful that she was paying attention to what we were talking about.

"A lot of things," she began quietly. "I was mostly disappointed with myself, because whether I turned to crystal or… something worse, I knew I would be leaving you alone. That scared me the most. Of course, I was scared about leaving Snow too, but you're my sister."

I pulled her into an impromptu hug – ending up pulling her far enough away from Aven that her hair slid out of her hands – and gripped her so tightly that my arms began shaking from the exertion. Aven looked at us questioningly for a moment, then just giggled happily.

"I wish we could have had this talk back then," I said.

She sighed and looped her arms around me, resting her chin on my shoulder. "It's in the past. Plus, you didn't know things would turn out so badly. It's not your fault. No one's perfect."

I nodded, but opted to remain silent. Her reassuring words didn't do much to console me, but I still appreciated hearing it. I deserved less than what I had been given, much less.

"What you talkin' 'bout, Momma?" Aven asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

Serah backed away from me and smiled over at her daughter. "Nothing, sweetie," she told her.

"Hey, babe!"

The sudden appearance of Snow in the doorway nearly made me scowl, but as soon as I heard Aven's joyful exclamation I kept my expression as guarded as I possibly could. I breathed in deeply and backed away from my sister, running my fingers through my hair and scratching my scalp. I knew that our conversation was practically over, but Snow always had an affinity for showing up at exactly the wrong moment.

"Hey there, shorty," Snow greeted as he lifted his daughter off the counter. He leaned down and kissed Serah on the forehead before turning back to his daughter. "How does going home sound?"

"Yep, sounds good," she replied, wrapping her arms around Snow's neck and laying her head down on his shoulder.

He smiled as he patted her back and turned to Serah and me. "It's almost time for us to catch our ride home. I just called a cab. It'll be here in about fifteen minutes." He paused, looking back and forth between us both with his eyes narrowed. "So, what were you two talking about?"

"Sister stuff," Serah answered with a grin, taking one last bite of her cake.

Bartholomew, Hope and Sazh came into the kitchen then and deposited their dirty plates into the sink. Dajh came in a few moments later, a wide yawn escaping from his mouth before he had a chance to shield it with his hand.

"Where have you been, Dajh?" Serah asked, cleaning up our plates as well.

Dajh grinned and glanced over at Hope. "When we got here earlier, Mr. Estheim showed me all of Hope's video games."

"Oh," she replied, smiling in Hope's direction. "I didn't think you had time for those anymore, Hope."

"My days off are fair game," he responded, grabbing a can of soda out of the fridge. "I need something to help me unwind after a long week at the clinic."

Snow turned to Sazh's teenage son, his signature grin on his face. "How were you even able to play video games with a broken arm?"

"Hey, my thumb works just fine," Dajh answered, lifting his injured arm and wiggling his thumb back and forth.

Everyone laughed at Dajh's comment, and I couldn't stop myself from joining in as well. Laughing like this with all the people that I cared about actually felt amazing. During our journey as l'Cie, I hadn't laughed once. I didn't think any of what we were going through was funny in the least, and I'm sure it showed. In all honesty, I couldn't remember how long it had been since the last time I really laughed. At least five years, maybe more. After my parents passed, it was hard to find much humor in anything.

"I really enjoyed this," Bartholomew said, leaning against the counter top. "We need to get together again sometime."

"Definitely," my sister agreed, starting in on the dishes as the conversation died away. With everyone still clustered together in the kitchen, I began to feel somewhat claustrophobic.

"I'll be right back," I said, pushing away from the center island and making my way back to the living room to retrieve my boots and gunblade.

I sighed as I sat down on the farthest end of the couch, grabbing my boots from under the coffee table. Right when I was about to start putting them on, I saw a flicker of movement in my peripheral vision and looked up. Hope was leaning against the nearby wall with his arms crossed over his chest, a strange expression on his face. I frowned as I met his eyes, mildly curious about what was going through his mind.

"Something wrong?" I asked, looking away from him long enough to put my left boot on.

He shook his head and slowly walked across the living room, collapsing on the couch beside me and resting his elbows on his knees. "No, not really," he muttered, not sounding very convincing. "I just had a lot of fun tonight. Kinda bummed that all of you have to go back to Oerba so soon."

I nodded in understanding as I put my other boot on, sort of knowing what he meant. In retrospect, I had missed so much more of Hope's life than anyone else's. Of course, having to miss out on my sister's wedding and first pregnancy were definitely significant events I would never get the chance to go back and take part in; looking at the pictures in her scrapbooks were all I had. But in all the years that I was asleep, Hope had gone from a child to an adult with his own dreams and ambitions, even a head start on a career. I only wished that I could have been there to see how he had been molded into the person sitting beside me now.

I took a breath to say something, words that would likely open up a whole other drawn-out conversation just when we were all about to leave, but paused when I remembered that I had transferred Hope's cell number into my contacts list – along with everyone else's – while I had been following Serah and Bartholomew through the grocery store. Having a lengthy chat over the phone with Hope at a later time, when I could really think things through, seemed like a much better idea. I quickly pulled my new phone from my leg pouch and typed Hope a short message, a split second decision that I would've ended up second guessing if I gave myself anymore time to think about it. I knew that it was highly unlikely for him to have my new number already, unless my sister had given it to him while I was asleep.

A mischievous glimmer flashed in Hope's eyes as I stood to put my gunblade back on. "What was that?" he asked, one corner of his mouth curling upwards.

"You'll find out," I answered, adjusting the straps on my gunblade sheath.

Mere seconds later, a quick succession of notes sounded from Hope's pocket. His silver eyebrows arched as he pulled the device out and flipped it open. A smirk spread across my lips as realization dawned on his face. He smiled and tapped on a few of the buttons before looking back up at me.

"Thanks, Light," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket and sighing, looking like he was relieved for some reason.

"During my officer training I'll more than likely have to stay at the base in Paddra. If you want to spend time with someone other than your dad on the weekends, just let me know."

His smile widened, and once again, I pictured his younger face. "Yeah, that would be great!"

After those words had left his mouth, though, his eyes widened and an expression like he had forgotten something appeared on his face. I was about to ask him what was wrong when a hover car horn blared from outside. I swore under my breath, cursing the horrible timing as Hope rose from the couch. The whole entourage poured out of the kitchen, and I started chewing on the inside of my cheek again, experiencing even more mixed feelings over leaving.

Our goodbyes were short, thankfully, and I volunteered to sit in the front seat beside the driver when no one else wanted to. We were all going to the same place anyway, so I didn't really mind where I sat. Once I was belted in, I realized that opting to sit in the front had, in retrospect, not been such a good choice after all. I couldn't keep my eyes away from the side mirror as the hover cab pulled away from Bartholomew's home and I watched Hope's form get smaller and smaller until I could no longer discern him from the surrounding darkness. My eyes slid shut of their own accord as soon as my head fell back against the rest, and the puzzling expression I had seen on his face after I gave him my cell number wouldn't stop flashing behind my closed lids.

I knew something was off. I just didn't know what.

"Serah, can I ask you something?" I inquired after we were seated and the airship bound for Oerba had taken off.

"Of course," she replied, smiling at me as she crossed her legs. "We have a while before we get home."

I nodded, taking a few moments to sort through my thoughts. That nap earlier had done wonders, but fatigue was beginning to set in again and I wasn't sure if I would be able to stay awake for much longer. I rubbed my eyes, hoping to eradicate some of my exhaustion so I could at least make it back to the bed in my sister's house before collapsing.

"During dinner, why did Hope give you that strange look?" I asked, turning to look her in the eyes.

Serah frowned and rested her chin in her hand as she contemplated my question, and it didn't take long for her to figure out what I meant. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she nodded her head a few times. "Right, I know what you're talking about," she answered before going silent once more.

The seconds passed by agonizingly slowly while I waited for her to continue. "Well?" I prodded, becoming slightly agitated.

"I'm sorry, Claire, I can't tell you. That's just – "

"Let me guess," I snapped, cutting her off. "Hope needs to tell me himself."

"Yes, exactly," she replied, sending me an apologetic look. "Sorry I can't help." She paused briefly as she leaned back in her seat and loosely folded her arms across her stomach. "There's something else I actually need to tell you, though. I haven't gotten a chance because of everything that's been going on."

I nodded. "What is it?"

"Hope's internship at the clinic in Paddra is coming to an end in the next couple of weeks. He's being transferred to a clinic in Oerba to finish up his training, so he's going to be staying with me and Snow after you leave for officer training. I'm glad you woke up before he moved in," she said, a relieved smile spreading across her face.

I fought to keep my face emotionless even though I wanted to start laughing. This had to be the height of all irony. "So that's why…" I mumbled, thinking out loud.

My sister was silent beside me for a few moments, more than likely confused by my vague statement, before she finally just asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Before we left, I gave Hope my cell number so he would have a way to get in touch with me. Once I told him we could meet up while I'm in Paddra, he looked like he had forgotten about something, and now I know why."

"Oh," Serah said, both her eyebrows arched in surprise. "I can't believe he didn't say anything to you."

"The hover car arrived before he got the chance," I explained, leaning my head against the back of the seat and catching a yawn behind my hand.

"Well, don't worry," Serah said, rising from her seat and stretching her arms lazily over her head. "You've got all the time in the world to get to know him again." She smiled sweetly at me, then went to sit beside her husband for the duration of the trip.

I sighed again as I leaned even further back in my seat, extending my legs in front of me as far as they would go. Serah was right – I would be able to get to know Hope on my own terms this time instead of being forced, and a part of me that I wouldn't ever admit to anyone was looking forward to the next time I saw him. A small smile pulled the corners of my lips up as I allowed my eyelids to slide shut, quickly falling asleep to the hum of the airship's engines.