Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ My Happy Ending ❯ Making Progress ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12: Making Progress

“I walk out of this darkness

With no sense of regret.

And I go with a clear conscience;

We both know you can't say that.

Here's to show for all the time

I loved you so.”

-Kelly Clarkson “Low”

Raye left Cid behind in Rocket Town and hurried down the highway as fast as she could go while keeping reasonably around the speed limit. Brad had to be waiting on her, and she had no idea if he was going to be aggravated at her or not. The girl decided that she would give him a call and at least let him know she was on her way.

“Hello?” he said.

“Hey, I just left,” Raye replied.

“Okay.”

“What, you're not pissed?” Raye asked.

“Nah. Dad called me and told me what happened.” Brad's voice changed to a taunting tone. “Besides, I'd hate for you to miss your quality time with your favorite person!”

“SHUT UP!” Raye yelled, only for the reply to be fits of laughter. “You just WAIT until I get there, you asshole!”

Brad continued laughing and hung up the phone with his sister.

Shera turned around and said with a smile, “Brad, you shouldn't be so mean to your sister!”

The younger brother's laughter died down and he said, “Ah, I just do it to get a rise out of her. It's just funny to see her get mad.”

“Still, you are so mean. Even my brother was never that mean to me.”

“Oh, it's all in good fun.”

Brad and Shera returned to their work in Shera's store. They had gotten much done the previous night, and now they were painting the rest of the walls. Shera had no idea what color she wanted to paint them, but she decided that white would be best for now because it was easy to paint over. Brad put up the dressing rooms and dry walled them, and Shera was actually relieved that he did that because it was much more complicated than she anticipated. The next thing he was going to do was have her pick out the doors, and he would hang them later. Brad already spackled the nails and the corners, and now he was sanding them down until the spots were smooth and unnoticeable. The next thing he had to do was prime and paint and the rooms would be finished.

Shera sighed and looked around. Everything was shaping up as she hoped. The night before, she and Brad stayed up most of the night talking and working on the shop. Shera wanted to get as much done as she could, but it was hard when it was just her. She was grateful to Raye's brother for taking the time to lend her a hand, and Shera wanted to make it up to him in some way. Because of Brad, Shera got many things done that she either didn't have the time to do or was too tired to do.

Brad built the dressing rooms the night before, and helped her paint. The rooms were a long and tedious process of measuring, sawing, and making sure everything fit properly. Once this was finished, she and Brad headed to a café and had a bite to eat. Shera insisted that she pay, but Brad wouldn't have it. The man was so kind and thoughtful of her, and Shera really enjoyed his company. The female didn't feel so alone when he was around, and he was always so open, honest, and easy to talk to. They were still working on cleaning things up to begin another project of building a counter when his sister called to inform him of the trouble she was having with her vehicle. Brad wanted to stay at the inn so that he wouldn't impose on Shera, but since he had been such a huge help and a good friend, Shera allowed him to stay with her free.

Shera didn't have much for an apartment, yet. She managed to set up her sewing machine and find a few used pieces of furniture at a flea market somewhere on the outskirts of the tropical city. The most important things she needed were a bed, blankets, and a table. She obtained the table and the blankets first, and she slept on the hard floor with one comforter folded under her for padding, one pillow, and another blanket covering her body. With the money she earned down at the marina, she was able to pay the landlord her first month's rent along with the rest of the security deposit. Once Shera caught up on this, she went to the market again and haggled prices for a bed, something that wasn't too big or small, but enough for her to have room and be comfortable. When Shera wasn't working at the marina or inside the shop during the day, the woman would spend late into the evening making clothes to stock her shop.

When Brad stayed, he noted the lack of some necessities in her place, and bought a few things for her as a gift and because he didn't want her to do without. He bought her a cookware set because the poor woman only had one pot, one frying pan, a few pieces of silver and cookware, a glass, and a plate, all of which Shera found at the flea market. The other thing he bought for her was a dishware set, complete with bowls, cups, and plates. Shera offered her new bed to sleep in and she would sleep on the floor, but Brad said that a floor was no place for her to sleep, so after a little arguing, they agreed to share the bed. The engineer knew that Brad wouldn't try to take advantage of her or anything, and she wasn't sure why she knew that; it was just a feeling she had about the man.

After a few hours, Raye finally made it to Costa del Sol. The redhead went straight to the ferry landing to see when the next one out was scheduled to leave, and found that it wasn't going to be around for a little over an hour. The girl left her truck at the dock and went to find her brother. She walked into Shera's shop and found the two of them hard at work.

“Knock, knock,” Raye said, stepping in from the sidewalk.

Shera and Brad turned to her.

“Hello,” Shera said. “How was your trip? I hear you had some trouble.”

“Oh, it was okay, but that truck is going straight to the scrap yard when I get back to Midgar,” Raye replied.

“Now you know Dad would get pissed off if you actually did that,” Brad remarked.

“Oh, no. I mean it this time. I am sick and tired of one of us getting stranded somewhere in that thing. It's going, and Dad will just have to get over it.”

Brad laughed, but Raye was serious. “Oh, man, you're not kidding are you?!” Brad said when he realized his sister truly wasn't jesting.

“Nope.” She turned to Shera. “So, what's going on here? You just going to leave it white?”

“Well, um, no, I really don't want to, but I don't know what I want to paint it, yet,” Shera explained. “For now this is just easier.”

Raye looked at Brad. “Hey, I am kind of hungry. Are you hungry, Shera?”

“Uh, actually, I am a little.”

“Go and get some food, will you, Brad?”

Brad asked them what they wanted. The redhead had eaten when she was at Cid's house, but that was almost three or four hours ago. Raye and Shera both decided they wanted some Wutaian food, and Brad left to get the take out, leaving the two women alone.

“Where you at? I'll be glad to help for a little while,” Raye offered.

“You don't have to do that,” Shera said. “You should be going as soon as your brother gets back.”

“Boat doesn't arrive for over an hour,” Raye replied, picking up a brush.

“Well, alright, if you really want to…”

Raye and Shera painted and talked about ideas for her shop. Shera had no idea where she wanted to go as far as the interior decorating, and she hadn't even chosen a name for it.

“Well, if you ever go shopping at other stores, like say, down in the shopping centers in downtown Midgar, there is a different theme for each store,” Raye explained.

“Theme?”

“Yeah. Like if a store sells mostly gothic styled clothing, it usually has sort of a darker theme to it. If a store is selling, say, the trendy crap that preppy people wear, the store has a tendency to be brightly painted with bright lighting.”

“I see,” Shera said thoughtfully.

“Oh, and another thing, too. Most stores play music, too. The music playing also depends on the theme. You wouldn't want to hear tropical music in a store that specializes in selling gothic or grunge wear. In a place like that, you'd hear some really hard rock, metal, or industrial.”

“Wow, you really know a lot about this!”

“Not really. That's just what I notice whenever I go shop.”

Shera stopped painting and decided to take a break. Raye stopped and sat down on the floor with her. The engineer sighed.

“Something wrong?” Raye asked.

“No. It's just that…well, I just never felt so free,” Shera explained. “I can't believe that I am actually on my own and working to establish myself in the world.”

“Oh,” Raye said. “Just so you know, Brad told me about what happened to you.”

Shera looked shocked, and Raye couldn't tell whether she was pissed off or not. “He…he did?”

“Yeah, but don't be mad at him - he tells me everything. We are very close,” Raye explained.

“Ah, I see.”

“Listen, I know exactly how you must have felt, so you're not alone because there have been others in the same situation,” Raye assured her. “Believe me, I was one of them.”

“You went through a similar situation?”

“Yeah, a long time ago, only in my case it was physical, too.”

“Physical? You mean he hit you?”

Raye looked down to hide the shame in her face. “…yeah.”

“I…I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry for me,” Raye replied. “I know this is cliché, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Sure, it's hard to forget shit like that because it leaves a lasting impression on your mind and your memories, but don't ever let it get you down.”

Shera smiled and Raye continued.

“I know you've been working hard to make things happen, and they will in time. Brad and I will be glad to help if you ever need it.”

“I know, and I thank you for your advice and for your brother helping me out so much here. I always can't help but to wonder what would happen if I saw him again.”

Raye shook her head in disapproval. “I say kick him in the ass and tell him to go to hell for treating you the way he did. You are working too hard and too long to recess back into the old habits. Dude, your life has just begun, so live it!”

Shera had to admit that Raye was right. Her mornings were spent at the marina, her afternoons spent working on her shop, and her nights were spent on her sewing machine. The woman was working long, tedious hours to get her life back on track, and she knew it would be worth it once the store was open.

Right now, Shera was broke and living day by day, but the most important thing to her was that she was happy and free. Sometimes, she would treat herself to an afternoon relaxing on the beach or swimming in the ocean, and it felt so good to be able to do that. She would eat ice cream as though it were going out of style, and she decided she wanted to take scuba diving lessons when everything died down. No, she wasn't going to let Cid try to convince her to return, and she decided that she had washed her hands of the Captain. He was going to live his life without her, whether he liked it or not. Shera was gradually living an independent life, and nothing would stop her from doing that.

The engineer felt as though a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The woman wasn't over Cid just yet, but now she was ready to take bigger step toward getting on with her life. She looked over at Raye and gave a small smile.

Shera found the redhead to be lovelier than her. The young woman had dark green eyes and a shag haircut that naturally framed her heart-shaped face. Raye had a petite figure, and Shera assumed she must wear at least a size five in jeans. The girl was lightweight, trim, yet she had a slight muscle tone due to her work in a machine shop for so many years. Her nose was small and perfect, her lips full, and even her smile was pretty.

“Raye?” the former engineer ventured.

“Yeah?”

“Your hair…it's so pretty,” Shera said shyly. “Is…it…natural?”

Raye looked at Shera. The girl wasn't used to being complimented on her hair, or on any part of her for that matter. In fact, Raye didn't care much for her hair color because she thought it made her stick out like a sore thumb.

“Yeah, it's natural,” Raye replied.

“Really? I…I never saw such pretty red hair before - well, er, natural red.”

“It's a Cosmo Canyon thing, I suppose,” Raye explained. “A lot of women in Cosmo Canyon have red hair.”

“You're from Cosmo Canyon?”

“Well, no, but my late mother was from Cosmo Canyon, and my grandmother lives there. I used to spend my summers with her when I was younger.”

“Oh, I see.”

Brad returned with the take-out and handed everything out to Shera and Raye. Raye held a set of chopsticks in between her fingers and picked up a piece of General Tso chicken.

“Oooh, this is nice and spicy!” Raye happily said between bites.

“Spicy?” Shera inquired.

“I love spicy food,” Raye explained. “The hotter the better!”

“I dunno how she can eat such spicy junk!” Brad exclaimed. “I mean, you are looking at a girl who can eat cayenne peppers and not even flinch.”

“Wow…” Shera said. How could someone eat so much spicy food and not get heartburn?

Raye giggled. “Yeah, I make 5-alarm chili into 50-alarm chili.”

“I couldn't do it ,” Shera said with a giggle. “It would just kill me!”

Raye laughed. “Not a fan of the spiciness, eh?”

“Well, I like spicy foods, but they don't like me.”

“Ah, I see.”

Brad piped into the conversation. “Hey, Shera, have you thought of any names for your shop?”

The former engineer looked thoughtful. “Well, I have thought of many names, but nothing that sounds very good…”

Raye and Brad pondered this a moment, and finally the redhead spoke. “Well, you ought to think of a name pretty soon and maybe get some advertisement fliers out now so that people will know when you're opening.”

“Mmm…she makes a good point. If people don't know you're moving in here, then your first day won't be successful. So what ideas have you had?”

“Well, one was `The Closet',” Shera pointed.

“Nah, too…common,” Brad said.

Raye agreed. “Yeah, you need something catchy.”

“Well…how about `The Attic'?” Shera offered.

“No…it sounds like a name for a vintage clothing store,” Brad replied.

Shera sighed. “I am just no good at this kind of thing. I didn't think that choosing a name would be so hard.”

“Don't worry, Shera, you'll get it!” Brad told her.

“Yeah, I'm sure you'll think of it, just don't think about it so hard,” Raye suggested.

“Maybe you're right.”

Raye glanced at her watch. “Oh shit!” Brad! We gotta go!”

“Oh, already?” Shera said.

Brad stood up with his sister. “Yeah, we don't have much time to get to the docks.”

“Oh, well then, I won't keep you!” Shera got up and hurried the two out the door. “And don't worry about the mess - I'll clean it up.”

“Thanks, Shera,” Brad said.

“Yeah, thanks for babysitting my little brother,” the sister teased.

“Raye!”

Raye grinned, and the two of them said a hurried goodbye to Shera. They made their way to the docks, drove their boat into the cargo hold, and paid their passage fees.

Shera was left behind alone in her shop after the two left. The woman cleaned up the leftover take-out and the rest of the mess in the store. The engineer took a step back, examined the space through her glasses, and finally decided that it was shaping up very well. The main projects were done, except for building the counter, and all that really needed to be done was to order the clothing racks and hangars, decide on a name, and paint the walls a different color. Shera smiled at her work and retreated to her apartment to work on her sewing projects for awhile.

The woman climbed the narrow stairs and entered her living space that was slowly shaping up as well. She sat down at the table before her machine, clicked on the light, and looked over a pattern for a shirt. There was one article of clothing already under the foot of the sewing machine waiting to be hemmed, and she just bought a few bolts of fabric to make more items.

Shera put down her pattern, placed her foot on the electric pedal on the floor, and gently pressed it down, making the machine hum and the needle move in an up and down motion. The thread was carefully fed through the needle, and the hem was delicately stitched as Shera's small hands guided the fabric through.

As the machine hummed, Shera thought more about what she and Raye talked about. The engineer had never felt freer in her life. Even when she was child, she wasn't allowed to just do as she pleased. She had to wear dresses, mind her manners, and sit properly as a young lady should. Shera was always interested in how things worked and why, and she would often ask her father to explain to her how different components of a car's engine worked. The little engineer would try to help her father whenever he fixed the family car, but her mother did not want Shera to have anything to do with those kinds of things because the grease would stain up her dress.

As a young woman, just on the edge of seventeen, Shera decided to leave for Midgar to train in Shin-Ra's engineering program. She excelled in their classes and graduated from the engineering school at the top of her class, along with Cid. When Cid was chosen to be the pilot for the rocket because of his exceptional skills with airships and planes, Shera was chosen to be one of the head engineers to design and build the prototype rockets that would eventually become Shin-Ra Number 26 - the rocket that sealed the fate of Shera's relationship with Captain Highwind.

The two worked closely on the plans for the rocket, working late into the night, drinking tea, and he smoking the ever present cigarette. Shera was a shy woman by nature, especially around the Captain, and inevitably, she began to develop feelings toward Cid that was more than friendship. If he had those feelings toward her, the Captain never showed it, and Shera assumed it was because he wanted to keep things strictly professional. Still, she couldn't help but to fall for her Captain, and his dream became just as important to her as it was to him. That's why she worked so hard to make everything perfect for the launch, and even when she could have died down in the engine room while fixing the Number 8 tank, it would have been worth it to her for the sake of his happiness.

Instead, Cid chose to abort the launch to save her life. For that, she was thankful, but in another sense she wished that he would have just let her die down there because anything was better than having to live the next five years bearing the weight of his grudge and the guilty feelings toward one another on that regretful day. Still, those five years later, the rocket was successfully launched, and she wound up saving Cid's life in the rocket when the Number 8 tank blew up and trapped him underneath just before its collision with Meteor. Shera smiled at the thought of sharing his dream with him on that day, along with Cloud and Tifa, of going into outer space and seeing the Planet below them, small and floating in a starry oblivion. Cid changed his tune a little toward her, or so she had thought. The Captain continued on his adventure for the Planet, and even though she could have left, the faithful assistant stayed to await his return.

However, after his homecoming, there was nothing said about what happened on the day of the first launch, no apology, no anything. Cid slept a lot because he was tired from his endeavors, and he seemed to be kinder toward Shera, but the more he went without his airplane and being in that beautiful, endless blue, the crankier he became. Even after he found the little Tiny Bronco floating in the ocean, the two gradually recessed back into their old habits, and before Shera knew it she was again Cid's doormat.

Shera paused for a moment, removed her glasses, and rubbed her eyes. She replaced them back onto her face so she could see and glanced at the clock; it was almost ten! The woman stopped her sewing, got up, and peered out her small window toward the ocean. Night had fallen, and she realized that she had been sewing for hours. A basket of finished clothes next to the table was fuller than it was before, and Shera decided that she had enough for the night. Her eyes hurt from staring at the sewing machine's small light and from examining patterns, measuring and cutting fabric, and reinforcing some stitches by hand with a standard needle and thread.

Physically pooped from all the work she did in the store and mentally exhausted from concentrating, Shera decided to turn in for the night. She slipped into a nightgown, turned out the light, and before falling asleep, she decided she would reward herself with a little afternoon swim after working at the marina in the morning for all of her hard work.