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Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance	By : JesABee Category: Final Fantasy Games > Final Fantasy XIII-2 Views: 1884 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: It's a work in progress focusing around FINAL FANTASY 13-2 AND 13-3 and I don't own FF or the characters. I do not make money off these stories.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
- 31
This part of town was not the safest and Hope knew that. Before his business took off, he had a tiny apartment not far from the motel. He had never been there but he heard bad things about it. Luke’s face was covered in worry as they parked.

“Sir, I don’t know what’s going on but,” He paused as he turned off the ignition. “Are you sure you want to be here?”

“Don’t worry, Luke. Yes. This is important. Let’s go.” His voice was more stern than usual.

“Hi! Would you like a room?” The peppy blonde behind the desk asked.

“Uh, no. Actually I’m looking for someone.” Hope informed her.

“Sure! I’ll help if I can!” She leaned over the counter, her eyes wandering up and down both of the men.

“He’s blonde, mid 30s, well built, good looking?” Hope tried his best to describe him to her.

“Oh I know who you’re talking about! Ugh, if I could get my hands on him…” She moaned thinking about it. “But! I don’t give information about our customers for free.” She smiled deviously.

“Fine, here.” He handed her 50 dollars.

She just raised an eyebrow. Clearly waiting for more.

He handed her another 50 and she accepted gleefully.

“Room 206, send floor.” She quickly put the money in her pocket and returned to whatever she was doing before they got there.

“Thank you.” Hope said as politely as he could. He wasn’t a fan of people like her but he knew the area enough to know people did what they had to make ends meet.

“So, we’re here for a…man?” Luke asked, implying something Hope wasn’t happy with.

“Shut up, man. It’s not like that.” Hope replied, punching him in the arm.

Here it was. Room 206. Hope took a deep breath before knocking.

Nothing. It was late enough that he was hoping the man would be there. He knocked again.

“I don’t need any room service! Thank you!” He shouted.

Hope’s heart was racing. That was Snow’s voice. He knocked harder.

“For the love of…fuck! I SAID I DON’T NEED ANY…” The door swung open. There he was. Standing in front of Hope in nothing but black pajama pants. His hair was shorter than the last time he saw him but still just as crazy. “Hope…” His eyes widened. They stood in silence for a moment before Snow doubled over in pain, his hands against his head. He fell to ground.

“Snow!” Hope shouted, rushing to his aid. Luke and Hope lifted him to his bed and shut the door. “Snow! Are you okay?”

“Ahh. It hurts!” He screamed, closing his eyes as hard as he could. He brought his knees to his chest as he clenched his jaw.

“I’m calling for help.” Luke said as he pulled out his phone.

“No, don’t.” Hope stopped him, noticing Snow’s grip loosening around the blanket he nearly tore apart. “It’s passing. Whatever it was.”

They watched him closely as his body began to relax. He was sweating but returning to normal.

“Snow?” Hope’s voice was just above a whisper. He didn’t want to make the situation worse so he treaded lightly.

“Ugh, Hope?” He asked, opening one eye at a time and sitting himself up.

“It’s me.” He confirmed.

“I can’t believe it.” Snow’s voice was hoarse but he was smiling as he reached out and hugged Hope.

“Me either. I really wasn’t sure if you’d be here.” He admitted, hugging Snow just as tightly. “But, uh, what the hell just happened?” He asked as he pulled away from him.

“Memories. Fitting back into place. I think. I don’t know. Fang warned me but, you know me, I’m kind of stubborn.” He joked while reaching for his water next to the bed.

“Wait, Fang?! You found her?” Hope was so excited he could barely contain himself.

“Eh, she kind of found me.” He laughed.

“And…Vanille?” He asked.

“Vanille, too.” He smiled, knowing that once upon a time Hope had a crush on her. “They own a little business not far from where I live.”

“…and Serah?” He carefully asked as he prepared himself for the answer.

“No. No luck there.” He answered, his voice was embarrassed. He felt like he should have found her already. He was mad at himself for not being able to.

“What…are you doing here?” Hope asked, looking around the room with a slight look of disgust.

“Calm down, rich boy.” He joked as he closed his eyes for a minute. It was obvious his head was still hurting. “This was the only place around with any open rooms. I’m assuming it had something to do with you.” He said playfully, lightly hitting his knee.

“Haha, maybe.” Hope was slightly embarrassed at the thought though he knew it was probably true.

“I came here hoping I could actually talk to you but, up until a few minutes ago, I didn’t have any real memories of you. I only knew what I saw on TV and what Fang told me.” He slowly got out of bed and searched his bag for a shirt.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know that seeing me would cause that sort of reaction.” Hope explained.

“Don’t be sorry. It was my fault for not listening to Fang and Vanille.” He laughed while putting a white tank top on.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” He asked, hoping it was Lightning but he was terrified he’d trigger another reaction.

“I was looking for Lightning.” He told him, rejoining his friend on the bed.

“Lightning…” He smiled and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt like all of his worries were gone. He remembered her.

“I saw her with you the other night at the red carpet thing. It was all over TV. Everyone kept wondering if she was your secret girlfriend.” Snow told him, scared of what his answer may be. He didn’t want to show it but, seeing them together definitely made him jealous.

Luke snorted but quickly regained his composure.

“We’re not dating.” He quickly replied. “She’s my security guard. I had to beg her to go with me that night.” He rolled his eyes at Luke. He could tell he was holding his laughter in.

“So, she’s…okay?” Snow asked.

“She could be better.” Hope answered.

“What’s wrong with her?” His voice grew concerned.

“She misses Serah...” He paused, noticing disappointment on Snow’s face. “And you.” He smiled.

“She…remembers me?” His voice filled with happiness.

“She does. She thinks about you every day. Wonders if you’re okay. If you and Serah ended up together. If you have a family.” He stopped himself before his voice broke. He now grew worried of what his next words would be. He knew he wasn’t with Serah now but, what about the rest? It would break Lightning if he did, in fact, have a family. He braced himself for the answer.

“I do have a family.” He answered. “Lebreau, Gadot, Yuj and Maqui and Lebreau and Gadot’s kids.” There was a small twinkle in his eye as he mentioned them.

“So, you’re…” Hope didn’t know how to ask him. “Single?” The words felt so weird.

“I am. I’ve never been able to find anyone to start a life with. Nobody made me feel whole.” Snow admitted.

“Or maybe you already found her.” Hope said quietly. “I’m having Christmas dinner tomorrow. Sazh and Dajh will be there. Light will be there. We can surprise her.” His face lit up at the thought.

“I’ll be there!” Snow exclaimed. “It’s good to see you doing so well for yourself, kid.” He smiled. “Nora would be so proud of you.” His eyes began to fill with tears as he put his arm around Hope.

“I like to think so.” Hope whispered, trying to hold back his own tears. “Listen, here’s my address. Luke will let you in when you get there.” He changed the subject before such a happy moment turned into something else. He stood up and wrote down his address and phone number and handed it to Snow. “Dinner will be around 5.”

“I’ll be there.” Snow accepted the ripped piece of paper and smiled.

He watched the men exit his room and was painfully excited at the thought of finally seeing her. Finally feeling her in his arms.

His head was still killing him, though. Throbbing the longer he kept his eyes open. He turned the lamp off that sat next to his bed and reached for his phone. He didn’t want to tell anyone what was going, not yet. He had to be sure everything was going to be okay before he did. However, he had to call Fang. He needed to know if this was one of the side effects of his impulsive decisions.

Fang: Hello?
Snow: Hey.
Fang: It’s been a while.
Snow: Yeah, I know. Listen, I’m calling to ask you about those side effects you warned me about.
Fang: Uh oh. What happened?
Snow: A massive migraine. I felt like my head was about to explode.
Fang: You’re still experiencing it. I can hear it in your voice.
Snow: Mhm.
Fang: I’ll leave now. Where are you?
Snow: I’m in the city. It’ll take you a couple of days to get here.
Fang: Just take it easy until we get there. Vanille has been working on a more powerful spell. It should be able to help you.
Snow: I’m not going to lay around for a couple of days. I have plans tomorrow.
Fang: What could possible be more important than your life? You’re an idiot if you risk it.
Snow: I found her, Fang. I found Lightning…and Hope.
Fang: …Let me talk to her.
Snow: I haven’t seen her yet. Hope found me tonight. That’s what brought this bullshit on.
Fang: I know you want to see her, Snow. But, it could make things worse. Just hold off until we get there.
Snow: Fang…it’s Lightning. I can’t wait any longer. I need to see her.
Fang: What use are you to her if you’re in some coma or worse! Dead! I told you before you left that it was dangerous. I wasn’t joking and I’m definitely not joking now, either! Don’t be a damn fool!
Snow: I’ll see you when you get here. I’ll text you the address and room number.
Fang: Snow, I’m serious!

He ended the call. He wasn’t going to miss tomorrow’s dinner. He couldn’t. He was willing to risk anything to see her again. Even his life. He just had to hope his head would hold it together until Vanille could get there. Until then, he needed to sleep. He was excited as hell for the dinner and, if his head wasn’t pounding, he probably wouldn’t sleep but it seemed like his only option to escape the pain. He plugged his phone into the charger and turned off the TV. The room was completely silent with the exception of the air conditioner humming. Even the total darkness was welcomed at this point. He just needed the pain to stop.

He woke up to find that his migraine had stopped. He still had a minor headache but nothing he couldn’t handle. He wasn’t sensitive to light or sound anymore. Now, all he could feel was excitement. He checked his phone for the time. It was 3pm. He had slept for nearly 14 hours.

He hurried to the shower, quickly trimmed his facial hair and brushed his teeth. He didn’t have a lot of options for clothes but he picked out the best things he had. A red, form fitting v-neck t-shirt and his hip hugging, boot cut blue jeans. Maybe it was a little too casual but he honestly didn’t care. He slipped on his black boots, grabbed his wallet and black bandana and ran out the door.

He made it just in time for the train. He had no idea how long it would take him to get to the northern part of the city but he didn’t care. He’d run the rest of the way if he had to.

The train was mostly empty due to it being Christmas. Normal people were with their families but not Snow. He was on his way to finally see his again. Lightning and the others. They made up almost the other missing half of his family. He was nervous and excited but, also scared. He wasn’t sure how his brain would react to seeing anyone else.

For close to two hours, he sat in silence as he thought about every possibility. Especially the one where he dies but, he kept telling himself Fang was just exaggerating to scare him into listening to her. He wasn’t going to die. He survived the literal end of their old world. He’d be fine. Right?

As he exited the train, he took in the beauty of the holiday decorated streets and businesses. This place was the total opposite of the area he was staying in. The streets were spotless, the people were dressed in fancy clothes as they hurried from store to store for last minute gifts before they closed and they were laughing and waving to one another. The part of the city he was staying in was full of people avoiding each other or yelling and littering.

“Snow!” A voice yelled in the distance and waved.

“Uh, Luke is it?” He asked as he neared the parked car.

“Mr. Estheim asked me to come pick you up. To avoid you being any later than necessary.” Luke informed him as he opened the passenger door for him.

“I over slept.” He said laughing. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

Hope was on pins and needles all morning. He wanted to tell Lightning everything but he couldn’t. He wanted to surprise her. It was Christmas, after all. What better time for a giant, life changing surprise? He tried to keep himself busy. He even helped Chef prepare dinner. Anything to avoid being around Lightning alone.

He had left her a note on her door telling her to wear something pretty. He decided last minute to make them have a dress code. He texted Sazh the same thing. He told them both he wanted their first Christmas together to be special.

“Did you seriously buy me a dress?” Lightning asked him as she entered the kitchen, clearly frustrated at the thought. “Why a dress? I hate dresses, Hope.”

“I know and yes, I did. Please, just wear it.” He laughed while he cut vegetables. “You’re going to look beautiful.”

“Hoooope!” Lightning stomped her foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Both Hope and Chef laughed at the sight. She’s usually so put together and proper. Seeing her throwing a tantrum was just funny.

“Fine. I’ll wear it but, the second dinner is over, I’m changing. I don’t care if they’re still here.” She stormed out of the room.

“Does this have something to do with the extra plate you add me add to the table?” Chef asked quietly.

“Shh, it’s our secret.” He whispered, winking at Chef with a giant grin as he popped a piece of carrot in his mouth.

Chef nodded and went back to preparing their meal.

After Hope ran out of things to assist Chef with, he made his way to his bedroom to take a shower and get dressed. He didn’t have much time left before Sazh would be there with Dajh.

About a half hour later, the door bell rang. Hope hurried to answer to see Sazh and Dajh dressed in their nicely fitted black suits with matching blue shirts and black ties. Hope smiled and welcomed them in.

“Sit anywhere. There are appetizers on the bar over there.” He pointed to the nicely decorated area with various dishes displayed. “I’ll be right out. I’m sorry. I got distracted helping with dinner and lost track of time. I’ll tell Light you’re here.” He hurried down the hall. “Light, they’re here!” He yelled as he ran past her door to his room.

“I’ll be out in a second.” She yelled back. She put her final pink diamond stud earring in before standing in front of the mirror examining herself. She looked great but she just didn’t see a point. It’s just Sazh and Dajh. She rolled her eyes and headed toward the door.

“Did Luke give you any trouble getting in?” She asked as she came around the corner of living room.

“Luke? Who’s that? The gate was open.” Sazh answered her, his back facing her as he loaded his plate with anything that could fit.

“Wow, Miss Lightning! You look beautiful!” Dajh exclaimed as he ran up to her to give her a hug. “Merry Christmas!”

“Thank you, buddy. Merry Christmas!” She smiled as she hugged him back. He was definitely older than he was the last time she saw him but he would always be the easily excited little boy she once knew.

Sazh turned around and was at a loss for words. His son was right, she was beautiful. She stood there in a light pink dress that went just above her knees. It had shimmering sequins placed randomly adding just enough glam to the dress to make her look like she was going to some fancy dance. It was snug around the upper half of her body but had a loose skirt around the lower half. She wore a white thin jacket over it made of some sort of soft fabric. Her hair was down and off to one side with beach waves. She had very little makeup on, just enough to emphasize her best features.

“Damn, Light.” Sazh said as he choked on his snack. “You look hot.”

“Dad!” Dajh scolded his father, hiding behind a smirk. “Don’t be rude.”

“My bad. Light, you look beautiful.” He corrected himself as he laughed.

“Thank you, Sazh.” She laughed with him as she made her way to the bar to make herself a drink.

“Sorry about that, guys.” Hope apologized, fixing his black tie as he entered the room.

“You clean up well, kid.” Sazh informed him.

“You look nice, Mr. Hope.” Dajh agreed with his father as he shook Hope’s hand.

“You can just call me Hope, Dajh. No need to be so formal. We’re friends. Some might even say we’re family.” Hope smiled as he gave him a surprise bear hug, making Dajh’s laughter echo throughout the house.

“You guys both look very handsome.” Lightning added, taking a small sip from her martini.

“We know!” Sazh said as he did a small twirl to show off his look.

Light laughed and rolled her eyes.

“Dinner is served.” Chef announced to everyone.

Hope was disappointed that Snow wasn’t there yet but he hid it well. He chased Dajh into the dining room as Lightning and Sazh followed behind them.

Their plates were all set out and filled with delicious food. As they took their seats and admired the work Chef did, Sazh noticed the extra plate.

“We expecting anyone else?” He asked as he reached for his silverware.

“Oh! That’s for, uh, Luke. He’s on his way back from some last minute shopping I forgot to do. I figured the least I could do was feed him as a thank you.” He nervously laughed, pleased with his last minute story.

“I thought he was vegan.” Lightning said as she took a small bite of her dinner.

“He, uh, makes exceptions on holidays.” Hope had no idea if that addition would raise any flags with Lightning but he couldn’t take it back.

“That’s weird. He’s weird.” She said, shaking her head.

Their dinner was coming to an end and Snow still wasn’t there. Hope kept nervously checking the time. 5:36. He excused himself to go call Luke.

Luke: Hello?
Hope: Are you guys almost here?
Luke: Yeah. We had to make a couple stops and then we hit traffic. We should be there in a few minutes.
Snow: Calm down, Hope. We’ll still be earlier than I would have been if I had to walk. Thanks for sending Luke.
Hope: No problem. Please try to hurry. Dinner is almost over. I’ve done all the stalling I can.
Luke: Just stall a little longer. We’re maybe five minutes away.
Hope: Okay.

He ended the call and tried to think of something he could do to keep them distracted for five more minutes. Gifts. He could give them their gifts early.

“So, I know we all said no gifts but,” He walked in carrying three boxes. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“Damnit, Hope. I knew you were going to do this.” Lightning sighed as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Sue me.” He laughed as he handed them their boxes.

“Why don’t you go first, Dajh.” Sazh told him. He could tell he was itching with anticipation.

Dajh tore away the wrapping paper and tossed it to the side. It was one of the inventions Dajh had showed him but fully functional. His eyes lit up with pride and joy as he turned it on.

“Dad! LOOK! It’s my design!” Dajh yelled. “Thank you, Hope!!” He jumped from his seat and hugged him.

“There’s more.” Hope looked to Sazh to open his gift.

“More?” He asked, confused. Once Sazh opened his gift and read what was inside, tears filled his eyes. He couldn’t speak.

“With your permission of course, I’d like to produce more of these. Maybe even look into creating other projects of his in the future. For now, I’d like to offer you one of many payments for this one.” Hope was fighting back his own tears of joy as he watched Sazh. “What do you say?” He asked.

“Hope...this…this is a lot of money.” His words finally came out.

“It is and, honestly, there’s going to be more. Dajh’s inventions are amazing. People are going to love them. With a few small changes, you might make enough to be my neighbor.” Hope joked.

“Th-Thank you, Hope. This is…I can’t even find the words.” Sazh was overcome with love. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Merry Christmas and congratulations.” He said proudly as he looked in Lightning’s direction. “Your turn.”

“I swear if you make me cry in front of people, I’m ending you.” She said as she cleared her throat. She had been fighting back her own tears as she watched Sazh’s life change before her eyes.

“Just open it.” He laughed at her words.

She tore away the paper to find a small, rectangle box hidden inside. She shook her head, knowing it was some sort of jewelry. She was right. It was a necklace with a light blue and pink lightning bolt charm hanging on it.

“Thank you, Hope. It’s beautiful.” She smiled as she took it out of the box and hang it around her neck. “I love it.”

“Good. I was hoping you would.” He smiled.

“What about you, man? None of us got you anything. I feel awful.” Sazh added with a frown.

“Sir? I have your delivery.” Luke’s voice interrupted them. He quickly excused himself and hurried to the door. Leaving the others to talk amongst themselves.

“Perfect timing. We just opened gifts.” Hope whispered as he motioned for them to follow.

“I have one more thing for you, Lightning.” Hope said, stopping the guys from being in their line of sight.

“Hope. You got me enough. I don’t want anything else.” She whined.

“Well that’s just rude.” Snow interrupted as he stepped around the corner.

Everyone went silent.

“S-Snow?” Lightning could barely speak. She slowly stood up and walked toward him. The closer she got, the more real he became.

“Well, shit. You sure know how to change people’s lives, kid.” Sazh broke the silence, making Hope laugh.

“Hi, Lightning. It’s been a while.” He said as he sat his gift bags down and stepped closer.

“Is…is this for real?” She asked Hope, tears filling her eyes. Her legs were going weak. She felt like it was all a dream.

“It’s real. Merry Christmas, Light.” Hope said as a lump formed in his throat.

She approached Snow and placed her hand on the side of his face as his hands met her hips. She stared into his beautiful blue eyes, waiting for herself to wake up from this dream. He smiled at her and pulled her closer, kissing her. Her whole world had frozen in place as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her.

“Dajh, cover your eyes. You’re too young to see this.” Sazh told his giggling son.

Snow laughed at Sazh between kisses and Lightning soon followed, pulling herself away from him and turning her face from everyone else. Snow lifted her up and spun her around, making everyone cheer.

“Put me down!” Her voice was shaky at best. She slapped his shoulders as he sat her down.

“It hasn’t even been ten minutes and you’re already hitting me.” He said playfully as he kissed her again.

“At least I’m consistent.” She replied quietly, placing her hand on his chest.

“So what’s for dessert?!” Sazh asked, happily pulling the focus away from the two lovers.

“Dessert isn’t for like,” Hope looked at the clock that hung on the wall next to them. “Another hour. Do you have a parasite or something?” He joked.

“I just love food!” He replied with a smile that filled his face.

Hope looked over to see that Lightning and Snow had disappeared. He smiled and shook his head before returning his attention to his guests.

Lightning led Snow to her bedroom. She wasn’t planning on anything adult themed, really. She just wanted to be alone with him. Without everyone watching their every move.

“Wow, you have a nice room. It’s so open.” He walked around her room, examining everything.

“Yeah, Hope insisted that I take this one. He said it was the nicest.” She was nervous. She didn’t understand why, though. She had wanted this to happen for so long. She felt like he was a stranger almost.

“What’s wrong? Why are you so nervous? It’s just me.” He calmly told her as he approached her, placing his hands on her waist.

“I-I don’t know. I’m not good at emotions, Snow. You know that. I’m feeling so many at the same time. It’s just overwhelming.” She turned her face away from him.

“Stop over thinking it.” He whispered to her, guiding her face to his. “I finally found you.”

“I don’t feel like this is real.” She whispered back. “I feel like I’m going to wake up and you’re going to be gone again.” Her eyes started to fill with tears.

“I’m right here. This is real. I love you, Light.” He said as he kissed her softly.

“I love you, too.” She replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the passion.

He lifted her up and carried her to her bed, carefully laying her down. He climbed into the next to her and smiled as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. Her hand rested on top of his.

“God, I had no idea how much I actually missed you until this very moment.” He admitted as he ran his fingers through her hair and gazed into her eyes. She smiled at him as she pulled herself closer to him. He laid back on the bed and wrapped his arm around her as she laid her head on his chest and rested her hand on his stomach.

They laid in silence as he played with her hair while she listened to his heart beat. He was really there. She didn’t want to leave that spot. She could finally feel him with her and it wasn’t just in her head. She felt like almost of the weight she had been carrying was lifted from her shoulders.

“Light,” He whispered. “Shouldn’t we go back to the party?” He asked.

“In a few minutes.” She said as her had slid up and rested above his heart. She looked up at him and, though her mouth had been pressed up against the side of his chest, he could see she was smiling by the way the corner of her eyes slightly wrinkled.

“Come here.” He said as he pulled her up to him.

She forgot how strong he was. He moved her with almost no effort and laid her upper half of her body on top of him.

“You’re trying to bring back your bandana, eh?” She asked him as she brushed some of his stray hairs to the side.

“Maybe. Is it too much?” He asked, his hand now resting on her upper thigh. He gently ran his fingers back and forth against her soft skin.

“I like it.” Her smile was suddenly a little more devious than he had remembered. “A lot, actually.” She bit her bottom lip seductively as she leaned in to kiss him.

“Then I guess it stays.” He said softly, welcoming her lips to his. His hand now relaxed against her bare skin, slowly making its way up the back of skirt to her backside and down again.

“We really should go back to the party.” She said between kisses. The way he was touching her leg was driving her wild. She knew that if they didn’t leave now, they weren’t going to.

“Probably.” He said in agreement, his hand now massaging her behind.

“Okay, okay. We have to go back.” She said with force, quickly rolling off of him and standing up. Readjusting her dress and checking herself in the mirror.

“I need a minute.” He laughed, covering himself. He was embarrassed by his growing bulge.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed.” She smiled as she approached the bed and leaned over to kiss him. “It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.” She whispered, kissing him again.

“You’re making it worse.” He whined. “Go. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Seeing him on her bed, aroused by nothing more than her kisses and light touches made her heart race. The last thing she wanted to do was return to the party as she was just as excited as was but, it was Christmas. She had to. She closed her door behind her and made her way back to everyone.

Snow laid in her bed, trying to calm down. He was overwhelmed with arousal. All he wanted to do was make love to her but now definitely wasn’t the time. He didn’t want everyone to hear them. Well, honestly, he didn’t care but he knew she would.

He pulled out his phone to text Gadot and finally tell them he found her. As he scrolled through his contacts he couldn’t help but notice the increasing headache he was getting. He refused to let it ruin his day, though.

Snow: Gadot! I DID IT! I found Lightning.
Gadot: WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
Snow: Yeah. I can’t believe it either. It’s really her. I’m with them now. Light, Hope, Sazh and Dajh. Please tell everyone I’m okay. I’ll call you guys as soon as I can.
Gadot: I’m so happy for you, man. Lebreau is, too. She’s screaming right now. She can’t believe you did it.
Snow: Merry Christmas, guys. Tell the kids I love them and I’ll see them soon.

Snow tossed his phone on her bed and got up. After readjusting himself, he left her room to join everyone else. They were all sitting in the living room now playing games and laughing.

“Finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh?” Sazh joked as he rolled his dice and moved his game piece.

“The star of the party is never late. You are just early.” He joked as he sat on the end of the couch a few feet away from Hope.

“You wanna play?” He asked.

Lightning walked over and handed Snow a drink before she sat on his lap and brought her legs up to the couch. Her feet were just barely touching hope. She leaned her back against the arm of the couch as Snow wrapped his arm around her, resting his hand on her waist. She laid her head on his shoulder and tucked one of her arms behind him as the other was placed on his stomach.

“Nah, I think I’m good for now.” He smiled at Hope and took a sip from his drink. “I think this is exactly where I want to be.” He looked down at Lightning as she watched the boys play their game, softing drawing small shapes on Snow’s stomach which were creating goosebumps all over his body. Every time she touched him, he felt like a hormonal teenage boy all over again. Thankfully, her thighs were covering him well enough that nobody would notice. Hopefully, not even her.

“Dad.” Dajh whispered something into Sazh’s ear.

“Hey, guys. We need to get going. Dajh is tired and it’s going to be a long drive back.” He said as he finished the rest of his drink.

“Why don’t you guys just stay here? I have spare bedrooms. Besides, with it being Christmas and all, it’s probably safer if you stay off the road.” Hope offered.

“What do ya, little man? Want to just stay here tonight?” He asked his sleepy son.

Dajh nodded and rubbed his eyes.

“C’mon, I’ll show you to your rooms.” Hope said happily.

As they left the room, Snow looked down at Lightning to see she had fallen asleep. He smiled and brushed her hair out of her face, kissing the top of he head. He had never really seen her sleep before. She was always so busy saving the world. She almost didn’t look like the same person. So at peace and relaxed. He reached for a blanket on the back of the couch carefully as not to wake her up. He draped it over her cold-to-the-touch legs and rested his hand on her thigh. He loved this moment he was having with her.

“Is she sleeping?” Hope asked as he returned to his spot on the couch only now he was facing them.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Snow chuckled.

“Good. She hasn’t been sleeping well.” He told him, scooting himself to the corner of his big sectional.

“She hasn’t?” Concerned was written all over his face.

“I don’t know for sure but no, I don’t think so. She missed you, Snow. A lot. More than I had known prior to her breaking down and telling me a few nights ago. She was worried she’d either never find you or, when she did, there’d be some other stupid obstacle in her that preventing you guys from being together. She was scared she lost you forever.” Hope’s words tugged as his heart. He had no idea she missed him that much or that she had been that worried.

“Well, I’m here now and I’m not leaving her again. Ever.” He assured him.

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear that. If you break her heart, though…” Hope grew very serious as he got up from the couch and walked in front of him. “I will kill you. She has been through too much.”

“Woah, relax. There will be no heart breaking on my end. Trust me.” Snow knew Hope had been protective of her. He always had been but the seriousness in his eyes was different. He really meant what he said. “Hope, I love her more than anything on either plant we’ve lived on. I’d die for her.”

“Okay, just so we’re clear.” Hope turned down the lights and turned off the TV. “Good night.”

“Good night, kid.” Snow said quietly.

The room was silent. All he could hear was Lightning breathing and the quiet humming of various devices that sat below the TV across from him. He closed pulled Lightning closer and closed his eyes. He felt her bury her face into his chest as she squeezed his tightly with the arm she had wedged between his back and the couch. Within a few short minutes, he was asleep.
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Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance