Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Where the lost ones go ❯ Anxious heart ( Chapter 23 )

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

23. Anxious Heart

"So why are we meeting here again?" Cid tipped his chair back to balance on it's hind legs, gazing at Rufus with mild irritation. The pilot was allowed a precious few hours outside of the damn lab, and spending them sitting in front of Rufus ShinRa's desk like some naughty schoolboy at the principle's office was not his ideal way of occupying them!
Sighing, Rufus glanced up from his papers with an equally annoyed look. "Listen, all Hojo said was that he had some news and suggested you'd might want to hear it as well. Meeting here makes it easier for me, as I have towns and armies to run and no time to walze around in laboratories!" He flicked back a lock of firey hair before glancing at his watch. "But the good doctor is running late..."
No sooner had the words been spoken then there was a knock on the door, and Hojo entered. "There was a situation. One of the infected soldiers attacked one of the staff stupid enough to get too close. It's under control now." He didn't look at either Rufus or Cid as he wandered over to the desk, placing a file brimming with papers on it. "Though no cure for the virus has been found, I finally at least discovered why Highwind showed such a resilience against it."
Sitting up and letting the chair straighten as well, Cid tilted his head in an effort to catch a few of the words written on the file. "Yeah? Well, spit it out, man!"
Hojo closed his eyes for a second, telling himself to ignore the lack of respect that he so obviously deserved and just get it over with. Opening the file, he laid out a few papers and some x-ray pictures. "Despite appearance, Highwind is in amazingly good shape. Not his own doing, I assure you, but thanks to good genes."
Rufus forced a smile away at the offended look on Cid's face and merely cleared his throat. "So, the soldiers infected weren't exactly in bad shape either. They still turned into zombies!"
"Zombies doesn't exist!" Hojo snorted annoyed, taking off his glasses to clean them with a flick of his lab coat. "That's just old wives tales! Those soldiers have merely been exposed to a virus that turns them exceedingly aggressive with cannibalistic tendency."
"Yeah. Zombies." Cid deadpanned, then got up and fumbled out a cigarette. "Ya don't mind if I light up, do ya, Doc? I mean, yer dead already so..."
Rubbing his eyes, Rufus tried to get the focus back on the subject at hand. "I mind, Cid. Shut up and sit down. Hojo, you said you'd discovered something? All this we already know. What's new?"
Hojo tossed a x-ray picture over to the brat prince. "That." He waited with a smug smirk until Rufus gazed up at him for an explanation. Of course a layman wouldn't see anything interesting in the black and white colours. "Jinrei wants Cid Highwind dead because he believes that the pilot is the final descendant of the Wind tribe. That x-ray in your hands, Rufus ShinRa, confirms that very accusation."
Cid nearly choked on his unlit cigarette and jumped up to yank the picture over to stare at it, turning it at all angles. "W-what are ya babbling about? The hell do you mean?"
Frowning, Rufus felt a cold sensation spread beneath his skin. "Care to elaborate, Hojo?"
The scientist bristled satisfied and sighed with feigned resignation at their slow working minds. "I never cared much for those legends, but one of them claimed that the remaining members of the Wind tribe hid the Water materia and passed it down through the generations without revealing it's whereabouts to outsiders. No one really knows where they hid it. Well, at least, nobody knew until now." He gently pried the x-ray from Cid's trembling hands and placed it on the desk for them both to see. "At first I merely assumed it was because of the bumbling fools that operated the machine or the morons dealing with developing the film had messed up, but new pictures kept showing the same thing." Hojo placed a nimble finger at a brightly lit up blob, half hidden underneath rib bones. "At least no one can accuse you of having a heart of gold, Cid Highwind."
Rufus stared at the x-ray in disbelief, hardly noticing how Cid numbly sank into the chair again. "How... is that possible?" But it did make sense, in a macabre way, considering the news that the only other descendants were either murdered most brutally, and the one's already dead had their graves desecrated. "The materia is... inside him?"
Hojo shook his head, smirking. "Not exactly. The materia is actually a part of him."
"I don't believe it!" Cid got up on his feet, his face pale and damp with cold sweat. "You're lying! You've done some frigging mistake! I'm not...! It's some mistake!"
Turning to face him, Hojo eyed him evenly. "I didn't believe it at first either, so that was why I did all those tests on you. It's no mistake. Deal with it."
But all Cid could sense was how hard his heart was beating in his chest. A materia hidden within the tribe to hide it from outsiders, leaving the one carrying it to guard it with his life.

Marching through the hallways, Sephiroth did not bother to make sure he didn't walk into someone. Everybody who valued their lives moved aside, he didn't. Aeris had more or less chased him out of the room, demanding he'd get some fresh air and food. The silver haired man had a suspicion that it usually wasn't allowed for patients to have sleep-over guests, but nobody would dare to ask him to leave from anywhere. Good thing his reputation could be used for something that benefited him for once. But leaving the room did not mean he managed to leave behind all the thoughts that were troubling him, and it was really only one person he could, somewhat, talk to.
Thus Sephiroth found himself on his way to Rufus ShinRa's office. The man had proven himself capable of listening in the past, and was currently in a simular situation as Sephiroth!
He was almost by the door when it opened, and Sephiroth snorted surprised when he saw Rufus exit the office. Think of the devil...
The brat prince had a flicker of mild surprise at the sight of him as well, but there were no signs of the visit being unwanted. "Sephiroth! How's Aeris?" The news of the flower girl's collapse had caused Tifa great concern, and Rufus didn't want her upset in her condition.
"Pregnant," Sephiroth stated shortly, coming to a halt in front of Rufus. He grinned slightly at the baffled look on the younger man's face, like Sephiroth had just claimed Rufus was the father. "That's why she fainted. Aeris has been working too hard lately and it got a little too much with her current state. So now you're not the only one who's having a kid." The smile on his face froze for a second before vanishing and Sephiroth's gaze turned hostile.
Rufus blinked startled, then glanced over his shoulder and saw Hojo standing there. Glancing back at Sephiroth, the firey haired man could feel the air grow thick with tension and promises of violence. "Hojo was just leaving, Sephiroth. He was just bringing news about Cid's condition." The pilot had fled shortly after hearing about the secret residing inside him, but the scientist had dwelled a few minutes longer to point out a couple of more facts about the virus. Rufus felt like he'd just been placed between a dragon and it's prey. Not a very comforting feeling. "Why don't we step into the office, Sephiroth?"
The news of the Cetra's pregnancy caused a flicker of interest in Hojo's oddly golden brown eyes, and he automatically wondered what the child would turn out to be. Combining human, Cetra and Jenova cells? The result would be MOST interesting indeed! But the silver haired man almost appeared to be able to read his mind as he took a step closer and reptile eyes were narrow with fury.
"You keep away, you hear me?" Sephiroth knew Hojo was probably already dissecting the unborn child with his mind and the thought sickened him beyond belief. This child was NEVER going to go through what Sephiroth himself had. "Crawl back to you lab, and stay there with viruses and zombies, the only kind fit for your presence!"
Lifting his chin, Hojo forced himself to give a little smile. "Do tell the Ancient that I'll be thinking of her and her child." He stared firmly ahed as he sauntered off, barely catching the motion when Rufus ShinRa quickly took a hold of Sephiroth's arm as the Masamune was about to be unsheathed. For a second, when Hojo had seen Sephiroth outside that office, there had been the strangest feeling. A stranger and a test subject, Hojo hadn't considered Sephiroth as anything else for many years, but for a moment; Hojo saw the flawless features of Lucrecia in the silver haired man's face. Pain? Regret? Loss? Hojo wasn't sure what the fleeting feeling had been, but he was determined to bury it and make sure it didn't happen again.
Breathing strained, Sephiroth glared after the vile Hojo as long as his shape was within sight and only after he'd vanished did he return his focus to Rufus, still with a firm hold of his arm, by his side and a wary look in his blue eyes. "You let him wander around like he pleases?"
Rufus sighed and released the general, motioning for him to follow him into the office. "It's complicated." He closed the door behind Sephiroth and the two walked over to sit in their usual chairs. "I'm not too fond of him myself, but we need him. For now." Opening his mini-bar, Rufus smirked slightly as he grabbed a hold of a soda can and tossed it over to Sephiroth. "But what's this about Aeris?"
The anger vaporised and Sephiroth smiled sheepishly as he opened the can. "Yeah... Can't see myself as some diaper-wizard though..."
Laughing, Rufus moved up to sit on the edge of his desk while he opened his own can of soda. "Good thing we each got a decent woman to help us then!" He lifted his can in a salute, "To Sephiroth, the most powerful General in the ShinRa army and a father to be! Congratulations!"
Sephiroth lifted his can almost hesitatingly, an awkward question on his mind. "Hey, ShinRa... Is this... Could this be categorized as they call a friendship?"
Rufus blinked puzzled at the question, but was once again reminded that Sephiroth hadn't really had any friends to speak of. Not that Rufus had too much good experience on that subject either, the fate of being rich and famous drew gold-diggers and traitors. Another thing they had in common. Grinning again, Rufus nudged his can against Sephiroth's. "If you drop the annoying titles and formalities, then yes; I would."
Sipping his soda, Sephiroth fought to erase the smile threatening to break free. Hours would pass before Aeris would learn about Sephiroth's new experience that so many other took for granted; His first friend.

Rufus woke with a gasp, sitting up abruptly in the bed while he panted for air.
Trembling, he stroke away sweat soaked bangs clinging to his forhead while tossing a discrete glance towards Tifa. She was still asleep. Good.
The young man carefully slid out of the bed, pulling on a pair of plain jeans and a white shirt. It was in the middle of the night and those clothes would make sure he could move through the ShinRa tower without being bothered. Nobody looked twice at a pale, ruffled haired man with common clothes. Glancing back a final time at Tifa, Rufus walked quietly out of the room, closed the door stealthily and leaned heavily back against it without a sound. For a moment, he merely raised his trembling hands and pressed them to his eyes.
Finally calm enough, he pushed himself away from the door and slowly made his way through the halls. In some strange way Rufus was almost worried that his pounding heartbeats might be loud enough to attract attention, but the drowsy guards by the doors barely bothered sending him a glance. They had quickly learned to mind their own business when they'd first inquired about his destination on his nightly wanderings. Knowing them, the guards probably thought he had a mistress hidden away somewhere. Rufus pushed open the door to the stairs leading to the ceiling and allowed himself a small exhale of relief when it closed behind him, leaving him to his solace beneath the stars. Sometimes he just needed to breathe.
Ten entire minutes passed before Rufus turned his gaze over to the shadow cast by the annex. "You can come out now."
Out of nowhere, a figure appeared to materialize from the darkness and footsteps broke the silence as the one who'd been watching the brat prince came out of hiding. "I never could sneak up on you. Not even when we were kids."
"Paranoia is a part of the ShinRa gene. It keeps us alive," Rufus managed a faint smile before turning to gaze out over Midgar again. "How is Uncle?"
Reno shrugged, hands hanging loosely by his sides as the trademark nightstick were nowhere to be seen. "Dunnow. Hasn't spoken to that man for weeks. Who gives a shit anyway?" He walked over to gaze out at Midgar by Rufus' side as well. "This town hasn't changed at all, you know? It's the same god-forsaken dump as when we were standing here 15 years ago."
"A lot of things hasn't changed," Rufus commented amused. "You're still a very angry young man, Reno." All those years ago, Rufus had been too young to understand the harsh fate that awaited the son of his mother's brother, but later he'd learned of how Reno had been forced into the Turks by a father that wanted nothing more than to impress his brother-in-law, the mighty ShinRa president! Fighting against his fate, kicking and screaming, Reno had finally admitted bitter defeat and the Turks became his home. Rufus had no doubt that his cousin was still alive thanks to the silent man called Rude. Aside from Rude, it was only Tifa that knew of the blood relation between Rufus and Reno, but the current ShinRa president sometimes wondered why people didn't react at how Reno always got away with his antics without any great punishment.
"Yeah, well, got a lot to be pissed about," Reno muttered, crossing his arms annoyed.
Nodding, Rufus flicked back a lock of fiery hair. "What are you doing here, Reno?"
The Turk shrugged again, turning to lean against the railing. "Got a report about an unknown person wandering through the halls. Had to check it out. Vincent has really tightened up the security and the jerk got me on the graveyard shifts! What's the deal with that spook? Can we trust him?"
"Vincent probably knows that you don't sleep unless you're drunk, Reno," Rufus stated, frowning absently. "As for trust... You tell me. That was why I placed him with you guys to figure out where his loyalty lies."
Sighing, Reno gesticulated faintly. "Just tell me one thing... What the hell are 'you' doing up here in the middle of the night?"
Rufus hesitated, then cleared his throat as he turned his gaze back out to the few lights shining in Midgar. "I want you to promise me something, Reno..." He closed his eyes briefly, drawing a deep breath. "If something... happens to me, I want you to take care of Tifa and the kids. Make sure they'll be alright."
"Aw, man!" Reno whined, stomping a foot as he waved his arms in frustration. "The last time you started talking about weird things, we found ourselves with a Meteor over our heads! You gotta stop dreaming this weird shit, Rufus!" But the solemn look on his cousin's face made Reno sigh in defeat, hanging his head. "Fine! I promise!" And the Turk didn't move while Rufus gave him a light pat on the shoulder before walking back inside, only afterwards did he raise his face with a slight grin. The guy had said 'kids', and not 'kid'. Sounded like the ShinRa President was more of a family man than his father, but so would any other creature with a pulse. However, when Reno thought about it, most furniture was more family-inclined than the late ShinRa. The guy was as mean as Reno's own old man, and that was saying something!

Yuffie crouched down and gingerly let her hand stroke over the dry and dusty ground. The tracks were still fresh, but they almost appeared to vanish where they entered the desert. Glancing up, she saw Hawk and the three others scouting for any other clues. The Wutai ninja had spread into several groups, and followed the tracks of the Jinrei army in hopes of finding the heart of the operation. So far, no luck.
Yuffie could have sworn they had been so close many times, but they'd only found burned out barracks and countless signs that the people dwelling there had left in a hurry. She was getting mighty tired of being lead around by her nose by Jinrei. When she got her hands on that old fart, she was gonna...
"Lady Yuffie?" Hawk's voice suddenly interrupted her violent thoughts and the young man was standing beside her. "We just received reports from the other teams as well. Dead ends."
Cursing, Yuffie straightened and gazed out into the dry desert. "The old fool keeps slipping through our hands, Hawk! He's really starting to piss me off!"
Hawk smiled slightly, placing his hands behind his back while gazing into the desert as well. "You and me both, my lady." He nodded towards the dry landscape. "It appears that the tracks lead into the desert. Do we plan to follow?"
Most likely, it would prove to be another dead-end, but what if it wasn't? Yuffie knew she couldn't take that chance. "I could go alone, you know!" Being in charge was a cool thing when you could order people to get your drink, but it was a completely different thing when people could die because of what you said. Somehow, that wasn't as fun.
Nodding, Hawk didn't take his eyes of the desert. "You could. And I could take care in making sure you didn't notice when I followed you."
Yuffie raised a dry eyebrow, glancing over at the other Wutaian. "You couldn't even sneak up on me in Midgar!"
"The intent was not to sneak up on you, my lady, but to gain your attention," Hawk said softly, gazing over at the miffed Yuffie. "To venture into the desert will be a highly dangerous mission, Lady Yuffie, and it is my duty to protect you."
Drawing a sharp breath to yell that she was perfectly capable of taking care of her own damn self, Yuffie failed to utter a word as Hawk went down on one knee in front of her.
"I humbly request that you allow me to join you on this journey to protect you with my life, Lady Yuffie!" Hawk bowed deeply, his hands resting on the ground.
Yuffie turned beet red, waving her hands frustrated. "Fine! Ok! Just get up! Jeez! It looks like you're proposing or something! Get a grip!"
Straightening, Hawk turned back to gaze at the other ninjas. "As you wish. I guess I cannot advice you to bring the rest of the group along?"
"Don't tempt your luck, buddy!" Yuffie declared, poking a finger at Hawk's shoulder. "I'm in charge here, and I say we go on our own! If you're stupid enough to wanna waste your life in some desert, then fine with me! But the others are staying behind!" She crossed her arms firmly, trying to ignore the sneaking feeling that she had just implied that she was stupid as well as she was entering said desert too.
Hawk smiled and merely nodded.
Stalking over to the other awaiting ninjas, Yuffie ordered them to return to Midgar and report to Rufus ShinRa. There they would make themselves useful while awaiting further instructions from her!
Then she and Hawk set course for a small spring near by to fill up on water before entering the desert. Glancing over from where she was kneeling by the small river, Yuffie studied Hawk's face. "So... when are you going to tell me the real reason for you doing this?"
Frowning confused, Hawk lifted his bottle and turned the cap on. "What do you mean?"
"Everyone lost something back in Wutai, but your eyes reveal that you're even more set on finding the ones responsible. Why? What happened?" Yuffie saw her question hit a tender spot as Hawk's grey eyes grew dark and he turned his face away. "What is it that drives you to enter a desert with someone you don't even know or truly acknowledge as your leader?"
Smiling, Hawk met her eyes again and he straightened. "For a young and loud girl, you're smarter than you seem, Yuffie." He laughed silently at the outrage in her face, but merely hoisted his bag up on his back. "My reasons are my own, but your heart tells you that you can trust me. Yes, I might consider you a bit young for the leadership of Wutai, but you have you father's blood in you and it shows. In time, you may be even greater than him, but for now we should focus on our enemy. Wutai must be avenged, and the ones responsible... they must die."
Yuffie felt a chill run down her spine at the harsh anger in Hawk's eyes when he uttered the final words, but she didn't comment. If he wanted her to know his reasons, he would tell her, for now she was just glad she didn't have to enter that darn desert alone!

There was a knock on the door and Aeris glanced over, expecting to see reptile eyes and silver hair, but blinked surprised when she saw dark chocolate coloured hair and deep wine coloured eyes. "Tifa?"
Giggling, the brunette slipped inside the room and quickly held forward a bouquet of small flowers. "Hope you like them!"
Aeris sat up and eagerly accepted the flowers, drawing in their lovely smell. "They're beautiful! Thank you!" She gazed over as Tifa sat down on the chair beside the bed and tilted her head. "With a certain danger of sounding ungrateful and impolite, and it 'is' nice to see you, but what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry but Sephiroth told Rufus, and he accidentally slipped it to me!" Tifa was smiling non stop, "I had to run over and congratulate!"
Blushing, Aeris automatically placed a hand to her stomach. "Oh." She giggled sheepishly, then glanced over at her friend. "I feel so stupid! I should have noticed it weeks ago, but I've been so busy..."
Tifa leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Don't know how you managed to miss it. I mean, one morning I just woke up and I had to run to reach the bathroom. That's when I knew. The test only confirmed it." She straightened to reach out and take one of Aeris' hands, squeezing it gently. "But now we get to grow fat together! Hold each others hair while throwing up! Nag the heck out of our men in the middle of the night with cookie demands!"
Now Aeris was laughing as well, realising she was glad to have someone else in the same situation too. "And Sephiroth will have Rufus to whine to. We couldn't have planned this better!"
The next few minutes were spent giggling and wondering about the future, until a thought came to Tifa and she had to gather her courage before daring to ask. "Aeris? Does... Have you told... Cloud?"
The smile vanished from Aeris' face and she paled. "Cloud..." In the middle of everything, she had completely forgotten about the one who probably would not rejoice at the news. Ever since that incident where he'd kissed her and she had just about shouted at him that she was in love with his nemesis, they had been on polite distance. The flower girl had tried several times to make him talk to her, but Cloud had every right to be hurt. She had treated him so badly, and now she'd done it again. Aeris knew she had to be the world's most horrible and selfish person! Gazing down at her hands, Aeris swallowed hard. "No..." She forced herself to meet Tifa's eyes with a faint smile. "You don't think there's any chance he'll be happy for me, do you?"
Tifa returned the faint smile, reaching out to place a gentle hand over Aeris' nervous ones. "He will be. Eventually. But he needs to hear this from you."
Nodding, Aeris knew Tifa was right. After everything she had put Cloud through, he should at least hear it from her. "He's still in Kalm, isn't he? I would have preferred to have told him in person, but I'm not allowed to leave for at least two days. Telling him over PHS is cruel, but hearing it from others would be worse..."
Watching as Aeris leaned over to find her PHS, Tifa felt bad for the other girl. They both knew how much Aeris meant to Cloud, and that the blonde still had hopes that the flower girl would 'come to her senses'. The news of Aeris carrying Sephiroth's child was bound to break Cloud's heart.
Like she had suspected, Aeris heard her PHS ring merely twice before there was an answer. The pink button on Cloud's PHS lighting up would catch his attention like a fire to a moth. "Yeah, Aeris?"
Cringing, Aeris bit her lower lip hard. Cloud sounded so hopeful. "Hello, Cloud..." She drew a shivering breath. "How are things in Kalm?"
"Fine," Cloud dismissed her question easily and she heard the worry in his voice. "Aeris, what's wrong? You sound... strange."
When Tifa took a gentle hold of her free hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze, Aeris smiled gratefully for a brief moment while trying to make herself say it before her courage left her completely. "N-nothing is wrong. I just... I wanted to be the one to tell you, as the news are already spreading like wild-fire."
"News?" Cloud sounded puzzled, and a little wary. "What's happened?"
Aeris hesitated for a heartbeat, wanting nothing more than to just hang up and hide underneath the sheets forever, but she knew she had to break his heart again. This time maybe for good? "Cloud... I'm... To tell the truth, I'm very happy right now. In fact, I was told something that only someone as ditzy as me could fail to notice herself." She drew another deep breath, her heart hammering like crazy. "Cloud, I'm going to have a baby. I'm pregnant."
Utter silence.

Cloud slowly lowered the PHS, staring emptily ahed. He'd barely managed to choke out a few words, apologizing that he had to go now and quietly hung up. Aeris had called his name, but this time it only hurt like hell to hear it.
He couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it!
Cloud had been sitting at his desk, staring at maps and whatnots when the PHS had started ringing. His heart had jumped when he saw who it was trying to contact him, but the second she'd spoke, he'd heard in her voice that something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
Gingerly placing the PHS on the desk, Cloud slowly covered his eyes with his hands and exhaled.
For a long time, he did not move, almost appearing like frozen in time.
Countless thoughts were racing through his mind until he couldn't take it anymore and got up from his chair abruptly, barely taking his time to grab a hold of the Ultima sword before storming out of the room. Cloud needed to breathe. He needed to vent out the frustration that was tearing him apart inside.
Puzzled looks followed him, but the blonde ignored them on his march through Kalm and he didn't stop before he'd exited the town and found himself facing several monsters a small distance away. Breathing hard, Cloud was barely aware of the creatures as they attacked but it was not his blood that was shed.
Aeris. Aeris was alive. She had been alive all this time. Aeris had been with Sephiroth all this time. She was in love with the man who'd burned down Nibelheim and destroyed everything Cloud ever had. Aeris was in love with the man who'd summoned Meteor to destroy the very Planet.
With a scream, Cloud swung the Ultima sword so hard it cut deep into a monster, decapitating the second creature.
Aeris was having a child. Sephiroth's child.
Cloud heaved for air as he drove the sword through the monster still unfortunate to be alive, quickly ending it's wails.
A few more seconds passed, then he slowly sank to his knees and dropped his sword. Cloud shook his head, almost like he was telling himself that it had all been a bad dream. He'd thought untrue things to be reality before, why couldn't this be like that?
But Cloud knew, deep down inside, this was no dream. He couldn't help but to wonder what he'd done wrong? What had he done or said to loose Aeris like this? Was this his punishment for failing to protect her in the Lost City? For letting Sephiroth's Masamune pierce her heart? Was that what killed her love for him, turning her towards his nemesis? Could Cloud have done something different? Was it a simple action or word that had destroyed his future?
Cloud closed his eyes as he remembered the frail flower girl asking him to buy a flower, and he knew ShinRa soldiers were hot on his trail but bought one anyway. There was something with her eyes that just made the world fade away.
Shivering, Cloud forced himself to recall the concern in those eyes as he woke up in the church with the flower girl gazing down at him. For a second he had actually thought he'd died and there was an angel kneeling beside him. Later, he realised he hadn't died, but he hadn't been wrong about the angel. She had smiled and given him strength, staying by his side in the darkness. His angel.
Nibelheim burning was actually not as painful as when Aeris had died in front of his eyes, her blood-stained form resting limply in his arms as Cloud had waded into the waters to her final resting place. Cloud felt his heart die that day. And he felt the loneliness even sharper.
But she hadn't died, had she? No, Aeris was very much alive.
A flicker of anger rushed through Cloud and he clenched his hands into tight fists. It wasn't fair! Dammit, it wasn't fair!
Tifa had turned to Rufus ShinRa, finding the brat prince's company more attractive than her childhood friend's. And now Aeris was going to carry Sephiroth's offspring. If it hadn't hurt as much, Cloud might have laughed.
He let his tormented mind dwell on the painful reality for a little while longer, then Cloud slowly got up again. He numbly picked up the Ultima Sword as well, wiping the blood off on the dry ground. Back when they were fighting against Sephiroth, Cloud had asked them all to find their reason for fighting. His reason had been Aeris.
Hanging the oversized sword on his back, Cloud slowly started his walk back towards Kalm.
What was he supposed to be fighting for this time?

"Sephiroth!" Aeris snapped a little harsher than she really meant to, closing her eyes to calm her temper. For the last week, ever since she was allowed out of the hospital, Sephiroth had been, to put it mildly, a little over-protective. He hardly let her do any work, hovering close by to make sure she didn't do anything to strain herself. Aeris could have KILLED that doctor who let it slip that her blood-samples were not completely satisfactory, knowing the silver haired man was doomed to ignore the statement that followed about how it would most likely prove to be nothing and it would straighten itself out. Of course, after that, Sephiroth had acted like Aeris was near-death and just about anything could cause her to keel over.
Sephiroth froze halfway on his beeline towards the blanket folded on a chair, having declared the room was a bit chilled and Aeris should be careful of colds. Glancing guiltily back at her, the silver haired man gesticulated faintly towards the blanket. "But I..." He'd promised a few hours ago to stop fuzzing, but one should never underestimate the dangers of cold rooms!
Aeris pointed firmly to the place beside her on the sofa. "Get your behind back here, Mr General, or I'm going to carry you back here myself!"
Giving the blanket a final glance, Sephiroth sighed and wandered back to sit down. "Aeris, the doctor said for you to take it easy and look after yourself."
"Yes, I know," Aeris confirmed in a gentler voice, lifting his arm to sneak up against him and smiled satisfied when it settled around her. "But you worry too much. I'm not made out of glass, you know." She closed her eyes to listen to the steady heartbeat, savouring the warmth he provided much more than any blanket.
Smiling resigned, Sephiroth placed a light kiss on top of her head. "You're as stubborn as a chocobo, you are!"
Aeris giggled and ran her fingers along his side, feeling a twinge of satisfaction of his startled yelp. "Stubborn as a chocobo, huh?" How she loved the fact he was incredibly ticklish!
Grumbling good-humoured, Sephiroth hugged her closer. "And just as devious as the damn birds, as well!"
Giggling again, Aeris settled peacefully before her smile slowly faded. "Sephiroth...?" She stroke a hand over his chest, never tiering of the feeling. "You're leaving for Junon tomorrow, right?"
Sephiroth sighed, not particularly fond of the thought. "Yeah... I've been away longer than I should already, but..." Though he hated the fact that he was going to be separated from Aeris again, he found a little comfort in the fact that Rufus had promised that he wouldn't have to stay longer than a few days before he could return to Midgar again. Good thing Tifa was in the same situation as Aeris as Sephiroth had a sneaking suspicion that the brat prince wouldn't have been all that understanding. His return, however, was supposed to be a surprise for Aeris, so he hadn't told her yet. "Listen, I'm going to have people spying on you, so you'd better not get any ideas about running marathons or start practicing weight-lifting!"
Slapping his chest lightly, Aeris fought back a laugh. "I adore the way you trust me, Sephiroth! I really do!" She stroke the chest again, apologetic this time. "Rufus is going with you this time?"
"Yeah, we're going by helicopter tomorrow morning," the silver haired man tilted his head to glance down at her. "You're awfully informed, aren't you?"
Aeris hesitated, then met his eyes. "Me and Tifa are taking a trip to Kalm." She could feel him tense, and quickly raised a hand to gingerly touch his cheek. "I have to talk to him."
Nodding, Sephiroth still turned his face away. He understood, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
Aeris felt a little relieved that he didn't object, but also a little sad that the moment had been ruined. She considered it for a little while, then took a hold of his hand and daintily placed it to her stomach. Just like she figured, Sephiroth started and stared wide-eyed at her. Giggling, she reached up and placed a kiss on his lips. "Get used to it, Buster. That's your child too!"
Sephiroth managed a faint smile, wanting to be as optimistic as Aeris, but not quite able to. He was still so scared that something might go wrong. That Aeris would share his mother's fate, or that the child would not see the light of day. He knew better than to voice his concerns to Aeris, but the doctor had been duly informed what would happen to him and his family if he didn't keep a really watchful eye on Aeris. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Aeris. You know that, don't you?"
Seeing the intense determination in his eyes, Aeris realised that he would indeed go to the Lifestream and bring her back. "I know," she whispered and leaned up to kiss him. "And I love you too."