All right, I will warn you now... This is going to be long because I fail. It also sadly won't be posted as fast as With Me since I have to go back to work... But I hope you enjoy it just as much!

Hope was standing at the head of the control room like usual as he glared at the screen in front of him, looking over the new plans for the Cocoon project and deciding if things were going well or not. His sub plan, which everyone seemed very accepting of gave him heart to continue his work. As did his slightly secret co-workers. Serah and Noel, two time travelers.

One a girl who he'd sought to save as one of many over 400 years ago and the other, a mysterious boy from the future. Who's memory they were unfortunately destroying as they did their work. It was odd he thought as he stared at the read outs of the finishing of his projects barebone's structure. It was something that dwelled on his mind and it was uncomfortable. If things continued the way they were and that was the plan.

Changing the timeline to what it should be should kill Serah if they change it... Wrong? Right? He wasn't sure what it was that she was seeing since she didn't tell anyone not even Noel. And although he hadn't shared his thoughts with anyone he was sure that it would kill the other young traveler as well. He hadn't said anything, but it was troublesome that Noel's memories were being erased, not changed. The young man had confided in him such information and it drew parallels to Hope's tenure as a l'cie.

When he and the other 5 had been tasked with the decision of what to do. It hadn't been an easy to make a choice. But it was assumed, and the assumption was rather sad, that any choice they made... They wouldn't really bear the consequences of. The only goal at the time had been to not turn into cieth. The crystal sleep was their goal, but that was only because Fang and Vanille had proven that you could wake up.

But they had woken up 500 years later. The only one to wake up sooner was Cid Raines and he had been merely a tool of Barthandulus to be used again and again. It was pretty much assumed that Anima would have no use of them again. They had most likely killed the Fal'cie in the battle that turned Lake Bresha into crystal.

Hope signed and was about to dive deeper into his thoughts when the room exploded into motion. As he turned to see the cause of such actions. He was not surprised to see Snow Villiers at the heart of it. Several members of the Guardian Corps were behind him. And idly Hope regretted giving him the ability to be recognized by the Guardian Corps as one of the time traveling leaders. Like he was with the Academy, like Lighting was.

"Arrest her!" He called in his impressive hero voice. Making Hope feel like he was trapped in a bad movie. Snow loved his theatrics while Hope had mostly enjoyed his quiet background position.

"Snow, what is the meaning of this? You never change do you?" He asked as he marched through the scattering scared scientists. Alyssa being appended by the squad. He squared his shoulders as he always did as he prepared to go toe to toe with is old friend. Certain parts of Snow's personality would never stop grating his nerves. "I hope you have a good reason for bursting in here, and arresting my assistant without greeting an old friend first."

"Well, I knew if I came here without something good you would have tossed me out on my ass kid." Snow replied as he clapped the Director on the shoulder. Serah and Noel, he noticed were sitting in the background, neither quite sure of how Hope would react to all this. Or really even what was going on. Even Serah, use to and amused by Snow's antics was unsure of where she stood in all this.

"And that is?" Hope asked as he lifted a hand to command the guard to release Alyssa.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. She's working with Caius." Snow cautioned and Hope stopped dead, what little color existed in his pale countenance drained. "The gate on the end of town is a trap set up by him to way lay our duo over there. Through my travels and Sis' guidance I learned that that one was being used to get them out of the way."

"I see." Hope looked at Alyssa carefully and then back at Serah and Noel. Noel's hands had clenched into fists. He thought no one knew, but it was easy to tell that Caius meant a lot to him. And this betrayal was probably deeper then anything else, to look for such coward's way to remove him. He turned to Alyssa again and knelt down to look at her. "Do you want to explain yourself?"

"I was there." She growled low and angry, he was quite taken aback by her tone. He had never heard such a sound from his companion. "I was there when it all began. I wanted to hate you so much. You were the reason I died. L'cie scum."

Hope pulled back from her as if burned. Although everyone knew about his history, it was something that still stung. Such a slur was meaningless now. 400AF was a long way from the ideas of Cocoon under Fal'cie rule. He was about to dismiss her when she spoke again.

"But then I got to know you. To know the truth about the Fal'cie. I came to believe in you. And you just decided that it's okay to let us all be a sacrifice? To die when we could live!" She shouted.

"If you're really going to believe the lies of the guy who's causing the paradoxes and trying to destroy the world... Then I'm not sure we should believe anything you say." Snow growled and waved at the Guardian Corps to take her away.

"Wait!" Serah stated and she approached Alyssa even as the girl glared at her with the angriest look she's seen in ages. "You died didn't you? In The Purge."

Alyssa growled and tried to launch herself at the girl. Startling her. The Corps strengthened the blond's restraints and pulled her away to take her to the detention cells. The room state quiet for a while and then Hope straightened up.

"Clear the room." He ordered carefully looking back at the other scientists. No one spoke as the begin to file out leaving their Director with the three time travelers. Once the room was empty, Hope deflated and leaned against a wall. "So what now?" He asked quietly.

"Right now kid, you continue this great project of yours... Can't believe you grew up so smart." Snow stated as he looked over at the hologram of the new cocoon. "But ya gotta be careful. Alyssa's not the only danger. Light told me that she's seen an assassination attempt on your life in about 3 days." Snow scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I had hoped you wouldn't have been pulled into all this crap."

"It's all right Snow. I don't think I could have stayed out if I wanted to." Hope rolled his shoulders and looked at the other two. "What about you two?"

"Well, that was supposed to be our lead so I don't know what now." Noel admitted quietly. "If the gate across town is a trap then we probably shouldn't open it... But if we don't that's a paradox unsolved."

"The paradoxes don't really need to be solved though." Snow commented as he leaned against the wall. "At least that's the way Lightning explained it. She said there are two fixed points in time... The fall of Cocoon and the 2nd act when the pillar finally gives out."

"So then what? The pillar will fall in 500AF. And then what happens?" Serah asked as she stared at her fiancee. "Will Light come back? The paradoxes are important."

"Well, that's the thing." Snow scratched his head and looked at them a little sadly. "Light wasn't so sure we could go back. Hope can't... Either way. If we stop Caius... We can only stop him in the future."

"Which means what?" Noel asked rolling his eyes. "Are you telling me that by default Caius has already won?!"

"Well kid... It's not the winning that's the problem." Snow looked contrite for a moment. "We can win. It's just that... There's a large price coming up."

"And what would that be?" Hope asked as he glared at the taller man.

"She didn't say. I didn't ask." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like it matters right? Could any of us sit back and let the world be destroyed?"

Hope laughed shallowly and bitterly as he shook his head. He glared at Snow fitfully and then looked at Serah and Noel. He swallowed hard, so this was what it all was then. They risk and they give up so much for the world. They drag others into this mess and all for what? To suffer more, to lose more? He'd have rather stayed crystal then. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, smoothing his features down and taking control of the situation.

"All right. Then what is important here is the raising of the new cocoon correct? Humanity has to live on." He nodded stiffly at them. "I'm going to assume that if I am assassinated that it will cause problems so I will do my best to stay alive. What will the rest of you do?"

"Serah and I will go along the timeline and fix the paradoxes that Caius has created to waylay Noel and Serah." Snow stated much more upbeat. He was a man of action and having a game plan was much, much better. "She was not meant to see the Timeline and the sooner we fix that the better I'll feel. 13 eras have been warped to ensure that this happens and I'd like to fix that."

"And what about me? Noel asked as he looked back and forth between the three. The guardian, hunter felt out of place in this meeting as if he wasn't quite being considered as one of the team.

"Light asked that you guard Hope. I know it doesn't seem as exciting but well. He means a lot to the future. And a lot to us. She also said it was 'the place you need to be to survive.' Whatever the hell that means." Snow looked back and fort between them. "I know it's not the greatest game plan... but that's what she gave me."

Hope nodded stiffly and then glared down his old friend. "I would totally disregard everything you'd said... but since Light said it I guess I can go with it." He looked to Noel. "I'm sorry that I don't have much for you to do. But I'm sure that I can change that."

"Er... According to idiot hero over there I'm supposed to protect you." Noel replied awkwardly. Hope was a friend, but distant. He'd never spent more then a few days near the other man and he wasn't sure of what to make of him or what to do with him.

"I suppose so." Hope rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty safe here though."

"Come on Hope. Sis' orders."

"You know she hates that." Serah teased, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. She squeezed Noel's arm. "I know you don't get it, but for Snow and the other's Hope is still a child."

"I heard that." Hope groaned and stared Snow down for a few seconds. "I hope you soon realize that I'm older then you now."

"Please kid. Time might be fucked up, but you will always be younger."