A/N: hey guys! This might not be the chappie you expected, and I'm dreadfully sorry about that, but I have writer's block, and while I was watching NCIS LA with dad (guy with apparent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder kills his two friends) I got inspiration to write this…

So, enjoy :)

Reunion

Nothingness.

That's all she felt. Sweet nothingness. It's like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders, blinders lifted from her eyes, and suddenly she could see.

Where am I? This question kept repeating itself over and over in her mind, until she couldn't take it. The sweet peacefulness she'd been under disappeared, and suddenly she was scared, so scared. Where were Fang and Vanille? Serah and Snow? Sazh and Dajh? Hope? Where was she?

Visions flashed underneath her eyelids – her eyes were closed? When did she close her eyes? But the visions kept flashing, disjointed, sending her already weakened mental state spiralling out of control. She was losing it, and fast. She had to break out, but break out of what? Wouldn't it be easier, far easier, to let the sweet nothingness and gentle peacefulness take her, to bring her under again? Mmm, that sounded like such a good idea, like warm breakfast in bed on a cold Saturday morning.

Maybe she should just let the nothingness take her away to a far more peaceful place, a place that didn't have an Eidolon or Focus to conquer, no Orphan or Barthandelus to defeat, and no fighting to save the world.

Before she could close her eyes again, she heard something that brought her to the brink of consciousness. A name, just a name, but the person that called to her had so much compassion in their voice, so much love. Then another voice, then another, and another, until her mind was filled with the voices of people that, until now, she thought were the creations of her mind, but no. She could hear her younger sister, screaming for her, could hear Snow trying to comfort her, and then she could see it. Like colour on a blank canvas, suddenly everything was in focus.

She was standing under the huge, previously floating crystal shell of Cocoon, held up by a crystal pillar. She was floating just above the grassy, flattish expanse of Gran Pulse. She could see Serah, on her knees, screaming for her Claire to come back, come back. Was that her name? She could see Snow, big brute that he was, leaning over her, kissing the top of her head, running his hands through her bright cherry locks, telling her that everything would be ok. She could also see Hope, looking completely and utterly dejected, standing alone, and it broke her heart.

This got her wondering. How did she know these people? Why were they so sad? Why was Serah screaming for Claire? Was she Claire? But the only name that came to her mind was Lightning.

Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away.

It cannot protect, it can only destroy.

Lightning. Lightning.

…

"Lightning!" Hope screamed. He sat up abruptly, taking in his surroundings, and then sighed. Just one more useless nightmare. When would it end?

When she awakes.

He was tired of waiting for her. He'd waited for seven years, and still she hadn't woken from her crystal stasis. Eventually she would, though. She had to. She'd promised she would protect him, and he promised the same. She had to come back, to Serah, Claire and Snow. To him. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, taking as much time as he could. Seven years was a long time to wait.

Ring, ring! Ring, ring! The bright light and loud ring of his phone distracted him. He leant over, picked up the phone, and said in a monotone, "Hello?"

"Hope! Good, you're up! Why don't you come around to breakfast at our place today? We have news!" Serah was a cheerful person, but this was over-the-top, even for her. What could make her so happy? Realisation hit him, almost like a blow. Was it Lightning or Vanille?
It was then he realised that Serah was still waiting for a response. He shook his head, and cleared his thoughts. He didn't want to entertain the hope that she was back, and then face disappointment. Not after a seven years' long wait. It would kill him.

"Yeah, sure thing. Will Sazh be there?" Hope replied.

"Of course!" she said, and then pausing to hear something, she added, "Claire says hi."

"Hey, Claire." Hope bit his lip to stop from smiling. "Tell Snow hi from me, will you?"

"Sure! So, you're coming to breakfast?" Serah was not giving up.

"Yes, I'll be there," Hope replied, "I gotta go, alright?"

"Alright, see you soon!" Serah chirped, and then hung up.

Hope sat there, listening to the slow beep, beep, beep of the dial tone for a while longer before he fully processed everything, and every possibility.

Would it be Lightning this time around? Or Vanille? He hoped to the Maker it was Lightning. He didn't think he could live another seven years waiting for her. It would be madness, torture.

Hope stood up, stretched, and then hunted around his room for something suitable to wear.

"Alright, see you soon!" Serah chirped, completely beside herself with joy. Vanille was coming home! Although she was disappointed it wasn't her beloved sister, it was certainly better than nothing.

"Hey, babe, was that Hope on the phone?" a deep, husky voice called from behind her, and strong arms circled her from behind. Snow.

"Yeah, it was." Serah turned around in his arms, then, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek, added, "He says hi."

"He's coming then? Excellent!" another voice rasped from the couch. Serah and Snow both turned to see that Fang was awake, and looking rather pleased.

Fang had only awoken from her second crystal stasis two days beforehand, and her body was still covered in grainy crystal in some places, making her body achy and her voice raspy, yet she smiled through her pain. She'd been smiling non-stop ever since they'd gotten the call from the Pulse Crystallis Centre (PCC), telling them that the other l'Cie that had previously been holding up the crystal pillar before being carefully removed had awoken. As the assistant listed the features of the girl – green eyes, bright-orange hair, Oerban accent, sunny disposition – Fang had grabbed the phone and agreed that they knew her. Then they put Vanille on the phone, and Fang and Vanille had talked until Serah kicked her off, saying that both of them had to rest, reminding Fang that Vanille would come to live with them once she'd been discharged from the lab, since she'd have nowhere else to go. Serah had immediately called the others, organising a breakfast 'welcome-home party' of sorts, to welcome the Oerbans home. Of course, Hope and Sazh don't know that yet.

Serah laughed. "Yes, he's coming, so we're going to have a full house tonight – all except one," she added a little sadly.

Snow grasped her shoulders and turned her around to face him gently, and smiled. "Hey, you never know, she might wake up today! You need to have hope, for Claire at least."

Serah bobbed her head. "Right."

"Momma, momma!" a high-pitched voice called from the hallway. Serah turned, beaming, and picked up her daughter, spinning her around in a circle and kissing her cheeks.

"Hey, sweetheart!"

"Good, all my girls are here," Snow boomed, taking Claire from Serah and placing her on his back. Still in this position, he proceeded to carry her around the living room and into the kitchen.

"Whaddya want for breakfast, baby?" he asked her.

"Pancakes, pancakes!" chanted the little girl on his back.

"Sorry honey, you're going to have to wait until Uncle Hope and Grandpa Sazh get here, ok? They should be here soon," Serah called just before the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that'd be Sazh!" She whirled around to open the door, and Sazh Katzroy stood on her doorstep, smiling, with Dajh on the back of a chocobo.

This was the same chocobo chick that had once lived in Sazh's afro. How times change, for now she was big enough for Dajh to ride, though she couldn't go far before she would let out an indignant "kweh!" and abruptly sit where she was, almost throwing the rider off.

"Pappy, Pappy!" Claire chirped, running and hugging Sazh around the legs. Sazh chuckled and hugged her back as best he could, as his back was a little frail. Evidence of his age consisted of lines around his face, streaks of grey in his afro and the fact that Dajh, who was six when the whole l'Cie thing started, was now 13 years old and growing swiftly. Serah was now 25, Snow was 28, and Claire was just 4. Hope was 21, Sazh was 48, and nobody even wanted to guess Vanille and Fang's ages, though they said that physically, Fang was 21 and Vanille was just 18. Really, they were 529 and 526 respectively, though that had become an inside joke of sorts to them.

"Um, where did you think you were going to put the Chocobo, may I ask? She's a little big to fit through the door," Serah noted, looking the former chick up and down, biting her lip.

"Do you think she could go in the garage? That way she would be able to hear us, and she wouldn't feel too alone," Dajh asked.

"As long as she doesn't scratch my Velocycle, she's fine there," Snow interrupted from the kitchen, which made Dajh laugh.

"Don't worry Snow; I've trained her myself," Dajh explained before his mount gave an indignant "kweh!" and sat herself down on the doorstep. Only holding on to the rope around her lower neck and chest saved Dajh from falling off of her and landing inside.

"Now I'm worried," Snow joked, and added, "Did you teach her to sit and almost throw you off?"

"No, that's just what she does when she's tired. She doesn't do it on purpose, I don't think."

"How do you get her back up, Dajh?" Serah asked.

"Oh, that's easy: just coax her up with a Gyashi Green and she's up in no time," Dajh replied, grabbing a Green from his pocket. "Observe." He carefully dismounted the Chocobo and put the Green in the palm of his hand in front of her. She immediately got up, shaking out her feathers and letting out an expectant and happy "kweh!" as she followed Dajh to the garage.

"Hey Dajh, that Chocobo have a name?" Fang rasped from behind Snow, making him jump. In seven years he'd forgotten just how sneaky and silent she actually was.

"Jeez, Fang!" Snow complained. "Don't do that!"

"Ah, stop whining, Snow-globe! Back to my question. Dajh, what's 'er name?"

"Uh, I actually haven't thought of one yet," Dajh admitted from behind Sazh, making him jump.

"Why don't you guys come inside, and I'll make some tea?" Serah offered. "It's a little chilly out there."

"Don't mind if I do, Serah," Sazh agreed, stepping inside and shutting the door after Dajh, who had picked up his cousin-of-sorts. Giggling, Claire pointed to the couch and said, "Over there!" Dajh complied, setting her down on the couch next to Fang, who had sat herself back down, sighing heavily.

"Aunty Fang!" Claire greeted happily as Fang pulled her close in a hug.

"Hey there, beautiful," Fang replied, kissing the top of her head as the door rang again.

"Oh, that's Hope! I'll get it!" Serah ran to get the door, opening it wide, and there stood Hope, bundled up in a grey coat with his signature green neckerchief around his neck.

"Hey, Serah," Hope said as Serah gave him a hug.

"How're you holding up, Hope?" Serah asked. "You sounded a little distracted on the phone earlier."

Hope smiled as best he could. "I'm alright, thanks. Long time no see, Fang," he shot lazily over Serah's shoulder at the Oerban in question, who smirked in response.

"Hey, looks like the kid's grown up! Good to see," Fang replied, absent-mindedly brushing yet another handful of crystal grains off of her arm, where her brand used to rest. She was dressed in her usual blue sari, though Serah had forced her into one of Snow's coats earlier, simply because she didn't have anything else to wear, but she'd doffed it while Serah was preoccupied with guests. Seeing this, Serah said, "Fang, its cold, and you need something other than just that sari you've been wearing for Goddess knows how many years! Put on the coat!"

"It's cold outside, not in! And I'm sure as hell not wearing his coat," she jerked her thumb in Snow's direction. "Anyway, I don't get cold, not with parts of me still crystallised."

Serah knew Fang was stubborn, but not this stubborn. "This is not over."

"I bet," Fang remarked dryly.

"We having breakfast or not?" Hope intervened, interrupting the two's argument. "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving, and I don't really feel up to being a referee."

"Momma, momma, I'm hungry," Claire whined from her place on Fang's lap, effectively ending the spat between the two women.

How long she'd been watching their lives continue, she didn't know. She'd watched Serah give birth to Claire, and before that, she'd seen Hope brought ever closer to the brink of despair, hopelessness and depression because of her absence.

Was it her absence he was so sad about? She wasn't quite sure anymore, and she still didn't remember who she was, and why she was there, but something kept pulling her along, almost like a dog on a leash, pulled away by its master. She could feel something tugging her away from the circle of friends below her, ruthlessly pulling her away from the people she knew she used to know, and still loved. It was pulling her towards a huge city, and towards a large complex right in the middle of the sprawling city. She was dragged through people, through walls; seeing people in white lab-coats working over crystals, until finally she stopped.

She was now in a room reminiscent of a morgue, similar but yet different. Morgues, she remembered, were places for dead people. This room, however, was filled with life, and a tangible energy she could feel with her entire being. There were more people in white, working over one crystal in the centre of the room. This crystal – and its workers – was surrounded by other body tables. She counted seven tables altogether, including the one the crystal was resting on. She could see a body suspended in the crystal, like it was a slow-morphing butterfly in its cocoon, waiting to be set free, spread its wings, and flutter away; but this wasn't a caterpillar. It was a human body. Hers.

She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that she was tied inexplicably to the body encased in crystal, and felt an overwhelming urge to meld herself with it, just to see what would happen. She wanted to have a body again; she wanted to feel the sun on her skin, the warmth of human contact. She wanted to see how she knew the people she had just unwillingly left behind, she wanted to live. Suddenly she was pulled even further along; right above the crystal she now knew without a doubt was her. She was suspended above the crystal with her real body encased inside, lengthways, as if she was lying on top of it. She was pulled down, into the crystal, into her body, and a shimmering light surrounded her. She smiled for the first time in seven years, for she was home.

Ring, ring! Ring, ring! Serah could hear the phone ringing again. What was it this time? She whirled away from her friends, who were now consuming a warm breakfast and catching up, and picked up the phone that was, as of now, an annoyance to her.

"Farron Villiers residence, to whom am I speaking?"

"It's Dr Beaudonte, from the PCC. We have another l'Cie that has just awoken from crystal stasis, the last one from the day of the Fall seven years back. We just want to know if you know her."

"Describe her," Serah commanded, daring to hope. Was it Lightning at last?

"Um, she has blonde-pink hair, pale-blue eyes, Cocoon accent, cold-as-ice disposition. Any of this sounds familiar?"

"Oh, Maker," Serah muttered. "That's my sister!"

"Lovely. Tell me your name and address, and we'll send her to you along with the Oerban, Vanilla, is it?"

"Vanille, actually. My name's Serah Farron, and haven't I already given you people my address? You know, when you called about Vanille?" Serah intentionally stressed the Oerban's name.

"Let's see. Farron, Farron," the woman at the other end muttered to herself, probably checking through her database. "Ah, Serah Farron. 42 Wilson Drive, District 12, New Bodhum?"

"That's us," Serah stated weakly. She leaned over onto the back of the couch for support, as her knees currently felt like jelly, and she wanted to pass out and throw up simultaneously.

"Alright, then, both your sister and Fanny will be brought to your house within the hour."

"It's Vanille!" Serah snapped into the phone before the dial tone could be heard, signalling that Dr Beaudonte had already hung up.

"Oh, Maker," Serah repeated, finally processing what had just happened and moving into the kitchen.

"Snow! Hope! Emergency meeting; now!" Serah's voice from the kitchen cut through the conversations of the men in question. What had happened this time? Both men excused themselves from the table and hurried into the kitchen where Serah waited, tapping her foot impatiently against the tiled floor.

"Who called, babe?" Snow asked. Serah's face held a mixture of emotions, the most prominent of which was pure joy.

"It was Dr Beaudonte, from Pulse Crystallis Centre. Both Vanille and Lightning will be coming home today, within the hour!"

Hope's eyes widened. No. This must be a dream! A very good dream, but still...Well, he'd find out in an hour, wouldn't he? For a few wonderful moments, he entertained the hope that Lightning was coming home to him, and he was happier than he'd felt for a very long time. But then doubt seeped its way into his mind again, and he didn't know what to think.

Snow, however, had no such qualms. He'd already lunged forward to pick up his fiancée, spinning her around in his arms.

"Sis is back!" he whooped joyfully.

"Who's back?" Fang asked from out of nowhere again, causing Snow to very nearly drop Serah in surprise.

"Haven't I told you not to do that?" he replied.

"Sorry Snow-globe, but I heard you whooping around and I wanted to see what all the fuss is about." Fang smirked. "It's not my fault your hearing's shot."

"What all the fuss is about?" Serah repeated. "Well, if that's all...both Vanille and Lightning are coming home! Within the hour!"

"Sunshine's back? Awesome, I've missed her," Fang put her hand on her hip, dislodging more grainy crystal from her elbow. "I'll tell the others."

…

Hope was pacing around the living room as they waited for Vanille and Lightning. He hoped this was no joke, that it really was her, because if it wasn't...how could he survive waiting for seven long years for her to be told she was finally back, and then be faced with disappointment when she didn't?

No, if this was a dream, he wouldn't second-guess anything; he'd just enjoy it while it lasted, then wake up to the reality of the cold and uncaring world that he lived in. His mother was gone, his father was gone; he could not, would not, lose Lightning as well.

They all jumped when they heard the doorbell ring. They knew; they all knew who was waiting for them just outside that door, but even so, they still let Serah answer. She needed time with her sister. Fang followed close behind, she needed to be the first to welcome Vanille home. The rest of them waited anxiously, Sazh, Dajh and Claire on the couch, Snow on a chair from the kitchen, and Hope, still pacing in the centre of the room.

They heard the door open. They heard Serah's shriek of joy and Fang's deep tones. They heard footsteps from the hallway. They all turned to see Vanille skip happily into the living room first, flame-coloured hair tipped with blue crystal, with Fang close behind, grinning from ear to ear. They saw Serah step into the room next, face alight with joy. And, right behind her, was the person Hope had been longing to see for the past seven years.

"Lightning," he breathed, wondering if he was dreaming after all.

The corners of her mouth twitched. "Long time no see."

She was exactly the same as he remembered her after they'd defeated Orphan, and before she turned to crystal. She was even wearing the same uniform she'd worn throughout their journey. He was a head taller than her now, even though they were technically the same age now. He could see she was taking him in, and as her eyes raked over his tall frame, a small frown appeared on her face.

"When did you start growing?" she asked.

Hope laughed slightly. "A couple years back." He wanted so much to walk forward, put his arms around her and never let her go again, but since he was her age now, he knew he probably wouldn't get away with it without being punched in the face. As if seeing what was going through his mind, she smirked slightly, walked forward and flicked his forehead. She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, seeing the desire in his eyes. Even being this close to him, she was still surprised when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, and held her tight. After a few moments of hesitation and surprise, she lifted her arms to hug him back. She wasn't altogether surprised to feel something wet fall onto her collarbone. He must have missed her a lot. She pulled back to wipe his tears away, like she used to when he was smaller.

"Welcome home," he breathed, pulling her towards him again. Unable to stop himself, he pressed his lips to her collarbone, right where his tear had fallen, and was surprised to feel her shiver slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by Serah, who asked, "Are you cold, Claire?"

Lightning pushed away enough that she could say, "Yeah, a bit." Only Hope could see the tiny blush on her cheeks.

Serah quickly grabbed a blanket from one of the guest rooms and gave it to Hope, who draped it over Lightning's slender frame. Her fingers poked out to wrap it tighter around her, and Hope smiled. It was the first genuine one he'd given in years, and Serah noticed it. She smiled too, thinking, I knew he had a crush on her.

"Ok, who's hungry?" Serah announced, to be met by the cheer of Snow, who immediately made a beeline for the dining room table.

Lightning shook her head. Same old Snow, he hadn't changed a bit. The only person that had really changed was Hope. She could still remember when he was a fourteen-year-old boy, struggling to deal with the loss of his mother in the Purge. Before Odin had first appeared to her in the Vile Peaks, she'd seen him as someone to slow her down. Now she saw him so differently, and not just because he'd gotten older and dropped the lanky build he'd had as a kid, though that only served to distract her. If possible, he'd matured far more mentally than he was along their journey when he had started. He'd been forced to grow up so quickly.

The object of her curiosity turned to look at her, and smiled like he'd read her mind. She fought to contain a blush. What was this feeling? As he turned back and headed for the kitchen, she shook her head, dislodging crystal grains from her hair and neck.

She hardly remembered anything between her transformation into crystal and breaking free from crystal stasis. All she got were hazy little flashes, and they were usually nothing but emotions: desperation, despair, confusion, doubt, fear. There were some good feelings that came to mind too, but only those had an image to go with it. Serah holding her newborn child paired with joy, Hope's graduation from college paired with pride, etcetera. Everything else was a blank canvas.

To think, if I had believed Serah, if I hadn't walked into that Vestige to save her, I would never have met these people. The journey was tough, yes, but it was worth it, in the end. The Primarch was gone, politics were governed by the people; the way it should have been long before. Everyone she loved was safe; nothing would torment them anymore, other than occasional nightmares and life's general trivialities. That had to count as a victory.

It had to.

A/N: I'm thinking of continuing this as a fully-fledged story, so PM me or review and tell me what you think.

The next chapter for New Beginnings will be up sooner than you think it will.

Until next time! Bye, Kupos!