Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Where the lost ones go ❯ As I sat sadly by her side ( Chapter 22 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

22. As I sat sadly by her side

Cloud scratched his neck with a sigh as he stood gazing at the soldiers marching from one end of Kalm to the other, wondering how long before the peace would cause the soldiers to get bored and trouble to lift his ugly head. These men did not join the army to enjoy vacations in quiet country towns. Cloud could sense the restlessness in the soldiers, but there was little he could do about it.
"You look tired," Jessie declared softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Get some rest."
Glancing over at her with a faint smile, Cloud shook his head. "I need to keep an eye on them. They know Rufus himself put me in charge, so they wont get into trouble as long as I'm here." He placed his own hand over hers. "But how about you? How are you feeling?" Since the incident in Midgar, things had fortunately stopped happening around Jessie, but Cloud knew better than to hope that it wouldn't start again.
Avoiding his eyes, Jessie gazed down at the ground. "I'm feeling just fine, thanks." In a way, it was a relief that she wasn't alone with her secret anymore, and it did bring her closer to Cloud that he was the only other person who knew. But there were times when Jessie thought she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes when something happened around her, despite it not being related to her at all. Those were the times that broke her heart. She couldn't stand the thought of Cloud being afraid of her, or even worse; Cloud being disgusted at her mere presence!
"Any word from Midgar?" Cloud was still shocked at the news of Tifa carrying Rufus ShinRa's child, but had to reluctantly agree it did bring a smile to his face. Tifa had always longed for a child and her happiness still mattered more to Cloud than his dislike for the brat prince.
Jessie shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself with a silent giggle. "No, not since yesterday." When she and Tifa had spent hours on the PHS talking about names and nappies; Cloud probably set a world record in fastest exit out of a room.
Frowning as he watched a colonel separate two soldiers arguing dangerously loud, Cloud scratched his neck again before shrugging. "I really don't know what to do about this. If something doesn't happen soon, they're gonna explode in each others face. Normally they're okay guys, but several of them had family in Costa del Sol and friends in Wutai. They want revenge."
"Jinrei hasn't given up," Jessie said distantly, her eyes dwelling on the uneasy soldiers as well. "He never does. He's merely planning. Preparing. Making sure you wont see the attack when it comes."
It was strange how it was possible that her words alone was capable of making a chill run down Cloud's back, despite the scorching sun above their heads. Somehow, it felt like they were fighting against something alien again, like Jenova. Jinrei might look human, but Cloud couldn't fight the feeling that the man had lost his qualifications to be called a human being a while ago. "I don't think he's given up either, but he's going to find it much more difficult to fight against towns ready for him instead of ambushing unsuspecting civilians!"
A silence followed, then Jessie turned to walk inside the inn again. "I think Jinrei is looking forward to fight against towns who think they're ready for him." She remembered him whispering in her ear as she struggled in vain against her restraints that he loved how she always fought back. That he found nothing more exciting than breaking a fighting spirit.
Cloud gazed after her, but didn't call her back. He knew Jinrei had tormented her, but still hadn't had the nerve to ask how badly. Jinrei struck him as a person who would go for any damage he could do, and preferably the kind that would leave scars that couldn't be seen with the bare eye.
Mako eyes narrowed and fists clenched tightly as Cloud swore he would make that man regret he'd ever put a finger on Jessie! The bastard was going to be brought down so hard that his ancestors would feel it!
Walking up to her room, Jessie curled up on her bed and gazed emptily ahed. She could already feel the tension building inside her like it had up until the eruption in Midgar, but wasn't sure if this was the right time to bring it up. Cloud had too much on his mind already, and didn't need more worries at this point.
Turning over on her other side and clutching her pillow tight, Jessie swallowed back tears. She'd never been someone who cried this easily, but ever since her captivity in Jinrei's hands; Jessie felt like crying all the time.
Jessie felt alone.

"Will you ever tell me what happened back then?" Rain asked as she gently adjusted the blanket over their sleeping daughter, not needing to look to know it was Vincent that had entered the room. It was only he who could move that silently. And this time she could feel the uneasiness radiating from him, like it had since that doctor man had appeared. Tifa had mumbled something about the ancients had brought that man here to help.
Vincent gazed at her silently while she stood with her back towards him, eyes locked on Dawn. He didn't know what to say. Rain deserved to know, but he also feared that if she heard the story then she might realise what kind of monster he really was. The monster he had warned her about. The former Turk was ashamed to admit that he didn't want her to leave, but selfishly wanted her and their daughter to stay by his side. He didn't deserve it, he knew that, but his heart had never listened to him in the past and didn't look to start listening anytime soon.
Sighing, Rain shook her head. Sometimes when she was reminded of how Vincent didn't trust her it hurt beyond belief, but she'd decided to stay with him while knowing this. Even if he didn't love her, Rain couldn't imagen life without him.
"That man you met was Hojo. He was Lucrecia's lover." Vincent had to force the words out, staring down at his golden hand. "They worked together under Professor Gast's command in Midgar, and the three was assigned to the Jenova Project in Nibelheim. My group were ordered for the protection of the research." He felt Rain looking at him, but couldn't make himself meet her gaze. "When Lucrecia got pregnant, Hojo somehow persuaded her into injecting Jenova cells into the unborn child. That child was Sephiroth. However, the injections made Lucrecia sick and by the time of the birth she was hardly the person she used to be anymore." Crimson eyes were distant, as Vincent once again was lost in the nightmare of his past. "She collapsed when Sephiroth was a few weeks old, never seeing her child once. I was by her side at the end. Watching her last breath. So pale. Lifeless. Finally I ran down into the basement and started screaming at Hojo."
Rain hardly dared to breathe as Vincent had never spoken this much about what had happened, and she was afraid that any interruption would snap him out of it. Rain knew Lucrecia haunted Vincent's mind, but how can you fight against a living ghost when you don't even know what happened? It was impossible. Uncertain as to what kind of reaction she would get, Rain had never dared asking him straight out. But lately he'd been so distant that she'd figured that she had nothing to loose. Hojo's presence were wrecking havoc on Vincent like nothing else had.
"That was when he shot me and turned me into this... thing," Vincent mumbled, lifting his claw-like hand to gaze at it. "I thought I would finally find my peace when I'd ended Hojo's life and avenged Lucrecia, but... redemption is not to be had for a creature like me."
Blinking confused, Rain took a step towards the dark haired man. "But... none of what happened were your fault, Vincent! How can you blame yourself for any of it?"
Vincent closed his eyes with a harsh chuckle. "I didn't stop her. That was one of my many sins. I merely stood by and watched. Idleness is a sin too, you know." He drew a deep breath, drawing his human hand through his hair. "Many things happened back then that I could have stopped if I hadn't been so wrapped up in my own selfishness."
She knew there was still a lot untold, but Rain didn't press the matter as Vincent walked over to gaze down at the sleeping child. He would hopefully tell her in due time. She only hoped it wouldn't be too late for her to reach him by then. "Knowing you, you haven't slept for the last days, or am I wrong?" His silence all the confirmation she needed. Placing a gentle hand on his arm, Rain tried a faint smile. "You should rest a little, Vincent. Even if it's just to shut me up."
Vincent tilted his head absently as he didn't take his eyes of his daughter. It would never stop to amaze him when she looked back at him with eyes that once had met him in the mirror. Had he been that innocent once? Was it life that had mutated him into the soulless being that had found his home in the Turks, until falling into the hands of a mad man that made his appearance as hideous as what was within? Or had Vincent Valentine been born cruel? Whatever the answer was, he was going to make damn sure that nothing bad ever happened to the little girl that would reach out for him with no sign of fear. "Stay away from Hojo, Rain. He will not hesitate to hurt you or Dawn, just to hurt me."
Rain's eyes narrowed and she tensed angrily. "That man had better not go near my baby girl or I'll strangle him with that pony tail of his!"
The former Turk turned to face her, holding her gaze evenly. "Not just Dawn. You too. Don't go near that place again, Rain."
"But what about Cid? And Shera? She's my best friend, Vincent!" Rain knew she would never bring her daughter near that Hojo again, but also knew how much Shera appreciated her little visits. Even Cid had muttered something about it being nice to see a friendly and sane face.
Vincent nodded reluctantly, sighing with defeat. "Then at least don't go alone. Never alone. I'll come with you when I can, but don't ever go alone."
And it left Rain with an uneasy feeling as to why Hojo would be so set on hurting Vincent Valentine's family, when the crazed scientist obviously was the reason for the ruin of his own. Right?

Bare feet tapped lightly over the floor as the figure ran down the hall, eyes with enhanced sight constantly flickering to scout for anyone to discover the intrusion. Two soldiers were already slumped outside the building, and the hatch was still open from where the entering had been made. The people in this place were too confident in it's secrecy that security was surprisingly low. Screams and howls were muted from their origination several floors below, but few soldiers patrolled the halls.
The feet halted as a quick decision was made, and the trot continued towards a door. That door that was blocking the way to the final destination.
Nimble fingers punched in the code on the small keyboard on the wall and the door opened with a hiss, revealing the sterile laboratory inside. Files were piled up in towers on the desk, a computer was humming silently, containers filled with all sorts of odd liquids were countless where they were placed on display in racks, and in the far end corner were a huge tank with a small window. The floor felt cold, but it didn't affect the bare feet tapping towards the tank. Towards the goal.
The door hissed shut and silence fell for a few seconds.
"So you're actually alive?" Jinrei said with mild surprise, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the closed door. "Well, this is certainly a surprise, but you might be just as puzzled by finding me alive too. Still, what I really want to know, Lucrecia, is what are you doing here?"
Slowly turning to face him, Lucrecia tilted her head and tangled masses of chestnut coloured hair cascaded over her shoulder. "Me?" She smiled with child-like innocence, her hand slowly reaching backwards. "I came to play."
Too late did he catch her movement, but Jinrei started to life as her hand took a hold of the handle to Jenova's tank. "What are you doing? No, don't!" His eyes widened with shock as the door to the tank was flung open, and Lucrecia stepped aside with a light giggle as a tentacle flew out towards the scientist. For a moment, Jinrei was surprised at the lack of pain when the tentacle connected with him and he flew through the air. That corrected itself when he hit the wall beside the door, and the air was knocked out of him when the tentacle held him up against the wall with his feet not touching the ground. Jinrei barely managed to open his eyes to see the huge bulk of Jenova maneuvering itself out of the tank, her other tentacles like living snakes attached to her. Still, he wasn't afraid.
Lucrecia appeared unfazed by the monstrosity freeing itself behind her, her eyes mirthfully placed on Jinrei pinned against the wall. "Did you come to play too?"
Jinrei wasn't sure if this wasn't some cruel joke, seeing the once so proud Lucrecia in rags and dirt staining her skin. But her eyes told him it wasn't. There were no signs of malice or anger, Lucrecia's eyes were like the eyes of a child. No fear and no cunningness. Nothing like the once so razor sharp Lucrecia he'd briefly met all those years ago. "What did she promise you?" Jinrei choked out, reaching up to tug in vain at the tentacle pinning him against the wall.
Gazing back over her shoulder at the huge, pulsating creature towering over her with waving tentacles, Lucrecia gave a soft smile while glancing back at Jinrei. "We're going to get my baby back. They took him away from me, but Jenova will help me get him back."
"Sephiroth?" Jinrei squirmed as the pressure to his chest kept increasing. "You're going after Sephiroth? But he's not..."
Lucrecia tilted her head again as the reply was cut short by a pained sound, his ribs creaking under the pressure from the tentacle, and she stepped up to stand in front of him. "You know my baby too? I never got to hold him... I can't wait to place my arms around him..." She absently accepted the scalpel that was dropped into her hand from a small tentacle, lifting it up to see her eyes reflected in the sharp blade. "Everyone tries to keep me and my baby apart... Everyone..."
Jinrei drew a strained breath, fighting to stay conscious. "You can't trust her, Lucrecia."
Lucrecia silently hummed a few lines of a lullaby, testing the sharp blade with her thumb. "And all the games we're going to play... They took him away, but that's going to change now... My precious little baby..."
Whatever little doubt Jinrei had was now gone. The woman was clearly insane. She thought Sephiroth was an infant? Had she no knowledge of the time that had passed? Was she completely unaware of her surroundings? If the circumstances had been slightly different, Jinrei would have revelled in the prospect of peeking into Lucrecia's mind, but the object of his fascination were now gazing at him with a scalpel in her hand.
"Jenova did not like those tests you did on her," Lucrecia explained, like he was the naughty child she unfortunately had to discipline.
Jinrei swallowed hard, tugging at the tentacle with renewed strength with the same result as before. "She gave me no choice! She would not speak to me! Hojo was worthy, but I wasn't? She made me do it!"
Hesitating briefly, like she was struggling to remember something that was beyond her reach, Lucrecia fastened curious eyes on Jinrei. "Hojo?" But then a tentacle gently stroke over Lucrecia's shoulders and she nodded to whatever was infused into her brain. Taking a step closer, Lucrecia smiled brightly. "She says I get to play with you first!"
And suddenly Jinrei was afraid.

The alarm was blaring at an almost painful level when the door was finally pried open, and the soldiers were shoved aside as Joy ran into the room. "Sir?" He called out at the top of his voice, but came to a scudding halt as the thick steam were finally lifting due to the ventilation created from the open door and the sight that met him stole any words he might have had wanted to utter.
Lee stumbled up beside him, staring wide eyed at the older man. "General? What's wrong? Where is the Professor?" Then he followed the frozen man's gaze and the dark haired Lee started violently. "Is that...?"
Joy carefully stepped closer, not wanting to slip on the blood covering the floor, but unable to keep from moving closer to really see if it was true.
Two tentacles were rammed into Jinrei's stomach, impaling him to the wall, while several scalpels were driven into his chest.
Swallowing down nausea, Lee turned his face away only to discover the second shock he was to have that day. Jenova's tank was open! Open and empty! "General Joy! Jenova! It's gone!"
Gritting his teeth, Joy cursed himself for not dealing with the giant blob earlier when he knew it would create trouble. "We'll deal with that later." He pulled a desk over, jumped up on it and started to tug on one of the tentacles. "Give me a hand here, Lee!"
Lee slowly climbed up on the desk as well, reluctantly taking a hold of the tentacle. "We should focus on securing Jenova again before it does more damage, sir!"
"Fool!" Joy sneered, tossing away the tentacle as it finally loosened and made sign for them to start on the other one. "He's not dead."
The second tentacle loosened almost at once, and the blonde general quickly caught Jinrei as he fell, but Lee was shaking his head in confusion. "He? I thought Jenova was a 'she', sir?"
Joy eased Jinrei down to lie on the desk, yanking out the scalpels one by one with a concentrated look on his face. "I'm not talking about Jenova!" He stared intensely at Jinrei after throwing away the last blade, ignoring Lee climbing down to stand beside him. "Professor Jinrei? Can you hear me, sir?"
Several of the soldiers sent worried looks between themselves, and even Lee got a look of concern. "General? Don't you think..." Then his last shock hit him when Jinrei drew a sharp breath and sat up abruptly.
Exhaling relieved, Joy closed his eyes briefly before glaring at the man panting for air. "With all due respect, sir, didn't I warn you about that thing? Jenova should have been destroyed! I'm going to order out a team to deal with it immediately!"
Jinrei shook his head, holding a hand to the gushing wounds in this stomach. "No, Jenova has... amazing powers... We can use... those powers... Need her alive..."
The ground shook from an explosion that sounded from a few floors above them and the soldiers began milling about while clutching their guns nervously. It took General Lee several attempts to gain their attention and even had to raise his voice to make them settle into order.
Jinrei painfully moved over to place his feet on the ground and was able to stand up when supported by Joy. "Let them go. We're on... an island. They can't get... very far."
"They?" Lee asked puzzled as he gazed over at them, "but our surveillance revealed no intrusion!"
Snorting, Joy sent the younger man an annoyed look. "Of course Jenova had help! If that thing had been able to escape this easily on it's own, then it would have done so long ago!" He tried not to stare as he saw the tendons inside Jinrei's wounds were slithering over to attach themselves with their separated halves. "Sir, did you see the culprit that freed Jenova?"
Chuckling, Jinrei nodded his head slowly. "I actually did not see that particular person as a threat, mainly because I thought she was dead. One would think a person who has played dead for over thirty years wouldn't be surprised to find other supposedly dead people alive? Ah, the lovely Lucrecia was the wild card I hadn't calculated, but she will be dealt with too!"
"Lucrecia?" Joy tried to find some connection to the name, but came up blank. "You know this woman?"
Jinrei gazed at his blood stained hand, a distant look in his eyes. "Barely. She was my brother's assistant once." He closed his hand tightly, forcing the pain away and clearing his mind. "Jenova wont escape me. Her powers will be mine, and no one will stand in my way and survive!"
"Let's just get you to a medic, sir," Lee pleaded nervously, sickened by the suckling noises that appeared to come from Jinrei's increasingly smaller wounds. Suddenly he had a bad feeling that he just had received his answers as to how General Joy had survived many of those wounds Lee had thought would be the end of the blonde man. Was this going to be his fate as well? But being just about immortal was exactly what he wanted, right? No matter the cost.

"I'm perfectly fine, Sephiroth!" Aeris tried to reassure him once again, but the silver haired man didn't look like he was going to come over the shock of having her faint at the sight of him any time soon. She had awakened in a hospital bed, where a nurse had explained that she had collapsed and Sephiroth had brought her there. The General himself had entered the room a few moments later after the nurse had left, and she was pained to see the stress she'd caused him by her little swooning act. Aeris remembered working on some blood tests, when suddenly she had heard the voice she wanted to hear the most in the world, and she'd spun around to see him. The light behind him had given his silver hair an angelic shimmer and his eyes were glowing with the colour of the very lifestream. Aeris remembered the intense happiness, then suddenly everything turned black.
Walking back to sink down on the chair beside her bed, Sephiroth took the hand she offered him before sighing deeply. "Tifa said you haven't been feeling well lately. Why didn't you tell me?"
Making a mental note of getting back at Tifa, Aeris placed her other hand over his as well and sent him a mild look of resignation. "It was no big deal. I've been working a lot lately, that's all. And, yes, I will take it easier now! You don't have to worry so much about me, Sephiroth! I'm not made out of glass!"
How could she say that? Sephiroth gazed down at her petite hands trying to cover one of his, before studying her slender form almost disappearing in the white hospital bed. How could he not worry about her? "Just... promise to really take it easy instead of just saying it, ok? Aeris, you're not some machine. You need to take care of yourself or you wont be able to help anyone."
Aeris smiled softly, feeling the warmth from his concern fill her from head to toe. "You're so sweet. I promise, ok?" She gave his hand a little squeeze. "I'm so glad you're back. I've missed you so much!"
Unable to keep from smiling as well, Sephiroth placed a light kiss on her hand. "Actually, I've gone A.W.O.L." He chuckled at the worried look on her face and shook his head. "It's not that bad. Rufus said it was okay."
"People are going to say I'm having a bad influence on you, you know!" Aeris mused, playing with his fingers. "The saucy flower girl makes the great General go A.W.O.L. and abandon his loyal troops!"
The laughter was cut short as the door opened and the two gazed over to find a doctor entering with his nose deep into a file, miraculously avoiding bumping into every obstacle in his way over to circle the bed to the opposite side of Aeris. A few second passed in silence, two puzzled gazes resting on him, before the doctor lowered the file and grinned widely. "Hello, hello! I'm bringing news! How are you feeling, Miss Aeris?"
Aeris tried to ignore Sephiroth's grip tightening nervously on her hand, but put on a bright smile to the doctor. "Just fine. Like I'm telling Sephiroth here; I merely fainted. Nothing dangerous!"
The doctor laughed and scratched his neck. "Well put, young lady! Yes, fatigue can be a clever enemy! Sneaking up on you when you least expect it!"
"Then... Then nothing's wrong?" Sephiroth slowly got up, his heart hammering with hope. If something was wrong with Aeris, then his world would collapse. His world was built around her and he would gladly give up his life to save hers. "She's going to be alright?"
Nodding cheerfully, the doctor gazed into his files again. "Certainly! Of course she is going to have to take it a little more easy, but there is nothing that nature wont deal with itself. It's been happening since the dawning of time and to tell the truth, sometimes it's harder for the boyfriend than the girl in question!" He gazed from Sephiroth's relieved face to Aeris. "But you will have to come in for a real check up. Just to make sure things are coming along as they should, ok?"
Aeris frowned. "What do you mean? How long before I can start up on my work again?"
"I suggest you rest for a day or two now, then you can go back to work if you remember not to push yourself too hard again. As time goes, I suggest you ease down a little at the time." The doctor shrugged, knowing girls these days were almost more obsessed with their jobs than anything else. "As for how long it should take, I figure it will be about the usual nine months or so."
Aeris drew a slow breath. "What...?"
The doctor blinked puzzled then blushed deeply. "Oh goodness... You didn't know? I thought... I mean..." He gazed over at the blank faced Sephiroth, "You didn't know either?"
"Know what?" Sephiroth snapped tensely, feeling there was something important he was missing out on.
"I'm pregnant...?" Aeris whispered half to herself, numbly placing a hand to her stomach. Suddenly the last week was making sense. All the signals had been there, but she'd been too wrapped up in work and missing Sephiroth that she'd completely overlooked them. "Dear Planet... I'm pregnant!"

For a moment she was completely wrapped up in her own thoughts, but then Aeris became aware over the deafening silence coming from the silver haired man by her side. Glancing over, she started at the frozen look on Sephiroth's face and how every touch of colour had drained from his skin. "Sephiroth?" Aeris nervously reached out and took his hand again. "Sephiroth, are you okay?" Her anxiousness didn't lessen when he didn't reply, but she drew a sharp breath as she saw him sway unsteadily. Managing a faint smile of gratitude to the doctor as he rushed over and managed to push the chair in place just as Sephiroth's knees gave in, Aeris sat up and waved a hand lightly in front of Sephiroth's frozen gaze into nothingness.
The doctor scratched his neck sheepishly and grinned. "Like I said, sometimes it's worse for the father."
"Sephiroth?" Aeris tilted her head, biting her lower lip nervously. "Can you hear me? Are you okay? Sephiroth?" Reaching out to touch his cheek, she gasped startled when suddenly his hand shot up to grasp her wrist and his eyes focused intensely at her.
He had no doubt that the child was his, Sephiroth didn't doubt that for a second, and in a strange way it made matters even worse. A child? What did he know about children? The silver haired man was still struggling to deal with his own warped mind, so how was he to take care of a child? And a child with his genes? When Sephiroth had come into the world, he'd taken his first life; Sephiroth's biological mother. Would that be Aeris' fate? Would it be his fate to turn on his child like Hojo did?
Seeing the panic raging in his eyes, Aeris tried a faint smile while telling herself not to panic as well. "Sephiroth? Talk to me." He looked like he was either about to faint or run screaming out of the room. Neither appealed to her.
Drawing a few sharp breaths, Sephiroth shook his head. "You can't die! I wont let you!" He got up abruptly, ignoring Aeris' shocked expression, to glare at the doctor. "You said she would be fine! You said she was going to be alright!"
The doctor took a step backwards while stuttering something.
Aeris reached out and took a firm hold of Sephiroth's wrist while her eyes met the frightened doctor's gaze. "Would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?"
Shaking his head, the doctor apologized before darting out most happily.
Sephiroth wouldn't look at her, but didn't pull away from her. Sighing, Aeris got out of bed and walked up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist and rest her cheek against his back. "Who said anything about me dying, Sephiroth? I'm having a baby. Our baby. It's not some deadly disease, but news that made at least ME very happy." She felt him shiver, but merely tightened her grip slightly to keep him in place. "Why are you so upset?"
Feeling stronger by her mere presence, Sephiroth closed his eyes as he forced his racing heart to calm down. "Face it, Aeris, I'm not some ordinary guy. My birth meant the death of my mother. I refuse to let that happen to you!"
Aeris closed her eyes as well, starting to feel calm and confident again. So that was the reason for his distress. "A lot of things are different now, Sephiroth. You're not Hojo and Jenova no longer has a part in our lives. Trust me, I have no intention of letting you get rid of me anytime soon!"
Managing a faint smile, the silver haired man shook his head. "Aeris..."
Aeris walked around to face him, reaching up to take his handsome face between her hands. "I love you, you idiot."
Sephiroth closed his eyes with a faint laugh, trying to resist the beauty in front of him. "You're not playing fair."
Grinning, the flower girl leaned up to place a light kiss on his lips. "I know." She took a step back to make him look at her, and tilted her head. "I also know that you're going to be a great father."
Sephiroth closed his eyes with a groan, and he heard Aeris giggle again as she guided him back to sit down on the chair once more before loosing balance. Hanging his head, he drew a few deep breaths before gazing up at the girl that had curled up in the bed again to gaze gleefully at him. "Seriously, Aeris... Kids scare the shit out of me..."
Taking his hand and gingerly placing it to her stomach, Aeris smiled softly. "You're going to be great, Sephiroth."
Sephiroth stared at his hand, knowing that somewhere underneath it was a life that would either destroy him or confirm his humanity. Suddenly he gazed abruptly up at Aeris. "You have to marry me!" It sounded almost accusing, and the flower girl blinked amused as he felt himself turn crimson. "I mean..." Sephiroth mumbled embarrassed, staring down at his hand again. "It's just that... It should... Would you...? I mean... Do you want to...? Would you consider...?"
Giggling, Aeris yanked him up to a blissful kiss. "Yes!"

The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon and everything had quieted down as Midgar prepared to go to sleep. The tension in the city awaiting an attack made the nights even more quiet than before, but inside a hospital room there was no concern about the world outside their window. Aeris barely opened her eyes from where she was lying next to Sephiroth, his arms around her and her head resting on his chest. It had taken her some time to persuade him to share the bed, telling him she just needed to hold him close and make sure he didn't run off on her. He'd given her a weak smile as she tugged on his hand, only barely giving in to her wish. But the silver haired General was holding her firmly as if to protect her from some unseen enemy, and Aeris let him. He was still working on accepting the news. Instead of mulling over the possibilities that anything might go wrong, Aeris savoured the fact that he had indeed asked her to be his forever. If she had a flicker of suspicion that it had merely been brought on by her carrying his child, then Aeris would have declined. She didn't want to force Sephiroth into anything! A soft smile came over her lips and Aeris closed her eyes again while nuzzling closer to the man beside her. No, she knew Sephiroth had wanted to ask her for some time. She'd caught him talking to Rufus for advice and the two men had stared red-faced and startled at her when she'd accidentally bumped into that darn vase. Luckily Aeris had specialised her green gaze into open innocence, and she pretended not to have heard anything. Still, who knew if Sephiroth had ever gotten the courage if this hadn't happened? For a fearless general, he sure turned shy when it came to non-army dealings. Everything was going to be alright now. Having been alone all his life, a family was just what Sephiroth needed and Aeris wanted. Yes, sometimes fate could be kind as well!
Sephiroth noticed Aeris was lost in her thoughts and allowed himself to go over what had just happened once again. He'd snuck off from Junon to see Aeris before he forgot what she looked like, and within the sun set; Sephiroth was going to be a father and had more or less commanded Aeris to marry him. He mentally cringed at his own incredible inarticulateness. All his planning had gone down the drain and he'd botched the moment big time! Sighing, Sephiroth had a sneaking feeling that she knew he'd been looking for the right time to ask her anyway, but it hadn't turned out anywhere near what he'd pictured. He absently played with a lock of her hair, enjoying the warmth of her so close. Trust. She trusted him to keep her safe, but Sephiroth wasn't sure if he deserved that trust. Aeris was happy about the news, and Sephiroth wanted to be happy as well. But the truth was; Sephiroth was afraid. Terrified. What if Aeris would suffer the same fate as his true mother? The thought of her dying almost made it hard to breathe, leaving him to wonder if he would be capable of living on without her. Not to mention that it would be his tainted blood that would kill her, leaving him behind with a child that he would be unable to either love or hate. He could never love the one responsible for Aeris' death, nor could he hate a part of her. Swallowing hard, Sephiroth hugged her a little closer and met her quizzical gaze with one that he hoped showed calm. But she must have seen through him, as always, as Aeris smiled lovingly and leaned up to place a light kiss on his lips. Smiling as well, Sephiroth felt a little of his uneasy lift and he followed her example when she closed her eyes again. It didn't HAVE to turn out all bad, did it? It COULD turn out alright? He would make sure the doctors kept a close eye on Aeris, suddenly realising that if given a choice; Sephiroth wanted both mother and child to be alright. Waiting until Aeris' breath revealed that she'd fallen asleep, Sephiroth sneaked a hand over on her stomach with a fragile hope. When he finished up in Junon, he would return and arrange a perfect evening where he would ask her to stay with him forever once more, this time he hoped to sound better than a bumbling idiot. Yes, the General decided, that was exactly what he was going to do! He didn't care what took place, he was never going to let anything happen to Aeris!