SHELL SHOCK FINAL FANTASY VII

by TEKNAM

My take on what might have happened if Zack HADN'T Died at the end of Crisis Core. Enjoy!

Teck: Hey all, this idea has been kicking around for a while. What If Zack had never died at the end of Crisis Core? What do you think would have happened? Maybe it could have gone something like this… Enjoy this one-shot.

WARNING: contains adult themes later on, as well as some major characters acting OOC at times. Nevertheless... please enjoy! ^_^

Shell Shock: Final Fantasy VII

Previously, on CRISIS CORE: Final Fantasy VII…

Zack: Don't worry, Cloud. You know I wouldn't do that to you. We're friends, right?

Tseng: Cissnei, bring them back alive. I have letters to give him; Eighty-eight of them.

Zack: I'll be back, Cloud.

Cloud: Zack…

A lone man, by the name of Zack Fair, stood on a tall cliff side, facing a giant army of masked soldiers. But regardless of the army's size, the man, himself, was not without his intimidating, yet slightly childish, appearance. He smiled, his radiant bluish-green eyes sparkling with vast determination while his spiky black hair, a testament to his late mentor Angeal, blew in the wind. His face bore a single "X"-shaped scar on his left cheek. His physique spoke of extreme physical fitness, and, judging by the massive sword attached to his back, he had all the muscles he'd ever need. His clothes bore the mark of SOLDIER, a specialty organization of the much larger Shin-Ra Electric Power Company.

He'd been promoted to SOLDIER 1st class little over four years ago, before his fated battle against the hero-turned-villain Sephiroth, and his genetic experimentation alongside his friend Cloud Strife in the basement of the Shin-Ra Manor. However, while he'd emerged from his experimentation tube with little more than weak muscles and reduced reflexes, his friend had come out with a severe case of Mako energy poisoning, which meant that Zack would have to help Cloud out in almost every way possible. Zack had fought to keep Cloud safe until he awakened from his intoxication, but at this current juncture, he'd had to leave his almost identical, blonde, possible-twin behind in a rock formation to go and fight off the massive army before him.

"Boy oh boy," Zack said, his smile growing, "The price of freedom is steep." Zack lifted his mentor's sword from his back and held it to his forehead as his mentor had before Zack had inherited it. Although he'd had to kill his own mentor to save him, Zack had taken on aspects of his mentor's appearance to carry on his memory. Zack gritted his teeth, closed his eyes tight, and remembered his pledge:

"Embrace your dreams," Zack said aloud, gripping the sword as tight as he could, "And, whatever happens… protect your honour… AS SOLDIER! COME AND GET IT!" Zack shouted, swinging the sword to the side as he rushed in.

For twenty minutes, Zack's movements were like nothing he'd ever though himself capable of. A swing of the sword, a blast of dust and air, a dodging roll to avoid a missile, a raise of the sword to deflect bullets, a falling slice, a tornado of attacks; Zack had done all of these things before, but had never done them with the style and flair he was doing them with now. Somehow, he was chaining together every action into one constant barrage of motion and attack. However, toward half an hour of this, his muscles began to tire, and he found himself surrounded. Guns blazed, and in a single motion, Zack spun in a wide circle, blocking bullets with the flat edge of his sword. However, a few of them still got through, striking him with enough force to weaken his body substantially. One soldier ran forward and kicked, forcing Zack backward a bit. Zack grunted and hobbled at them. Swinging weakly, Zack managed to take several of them down before he found himself once more surrounded by gunmen.

~ IN A SHIN-RA ISSUE HELICOPTER APPROACHING THE SCENE ~

Two men piloted a large chopper while their lone passenger sat in the back, cursing himself for not having gotten there faster. The passenger, sporting a head of wildly unruly two-toned brown/green hair, glasses with clip-on shades, an open trench coat that revealed a set of highly toned abs, black leather finger-free gloves, and large black boots that were covered toward the bottom with a pair of loose-fitting black denim slacks, slammed his fist against the side of the chopper, swearing at himself vehemently.

The two pilots stared at each other for two seconds before the left-hand pilot said, "Wow, Boss X is really pissed, isn't he? Those retards down below aren't gonna get off easy for this one." The right-hand pilot nodded and grimaced as he thought of what those poor soldiers were going to be put through when X got down there.

"Yep," the right-hand pilot said, "Those guys are gonna wind up dead. Or maybe, goddess forbid, even worse." Both pilots shuddered, but snapped back to attention when the man in the back walked over to them.

""Maelstrom, Terran, I'm heading out. Take the chopper to the ground on Omega Pattern, and keep it close enough to keep our friend there from getting hurt. Got it?" The man said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders, then turned and leapt out of the chopper.

Both men nodded and began their slow descent, aiming to keep the chopper as close to their boss as possible, yet as far from attack range as they could. They knew how this man operated from several years of training under him. If they didn't do as they were told, doom would befall them swiftly and painfully. They landed several miles away from the action and set about disrupting the army's remaining rear-most infantry.

~ BACK WITH ZACK… ~

Zack stood ready to receive the kill strike and braced himself at the sounds of guns being aimed. However, just as he prepared for the worst, a voice rang from above, saying, "UNLEASH: PHASER HANDS!" All three infantrymen stopped dead in their tracks, looks of terror evident on their unprotected lips. All three turned and argued for several seconds before turning and opening fire. Zack braced…

…But the hit never came. Zack heard a whooshing sound and then nothing. Opening his eyes, Zack saw a large, fire-yellow phantasmal hand stretched out in front of him, with ten bullets caught inside it, swirling about in energy. Zack stared in awe as the hand shrank and returned to its owner, a tall man in black clothing with visibly toned abs.

"B-B-BOSS X-What are you doing here?" The soldiers shouted as they turned to run, only to be stopped by an unknown force, which forced them to turn around. The three men cowered in place as their boss approached, still holding the fired bullets in his ephemeral hand.

"Who exactly gave you asinine bitches the authority and privilege to open fire, when your orders SPECIFICALLY SAID to hold him off until the arrival of the Turks? You know those were our collective orders. And yet here you all are, breaking code of conduct AND direct orders from the Turks! I THOUGHT I TRAINED YOU THREE BETTER THAN THIS! FOR THIS, YOU'RE BETTER OFF DEAD!" X shouted loudly, spinning in place and launching the captured bullets at the helpless soldiers with the intent to kill them. Zack, however, found the smallest amount of strength inside and forced himself into a dash to stop the attacks. Getting in the way just in time, Zack deflected all the bullets, save for one, which managed to lodge itself in his left shoulder.

"What?" X thought aloud as Zack slowly planted the end of his sword in the ground and used the handle to lean as he said, "No one DESERVES to die. Not even spineless cowards who haven't got the decency to follow orders properly. They just need a little more reinforcement of proper values." Zack's strength quickly left him, and he fell to the ground unconscious. X looked at Zack for several seconds before smirking. The kid had guts, and X was willing to give him props for that. However, to interfere with his dealings with his subordinates, X would have to have a little chat with Zack later. In the mean time, he slowly bent over to pick up Zack, and then informed the three soldiers that their fates had only been delayed, and that they should head for the chopper. As the three defeated soldiers slowly trudged to the chopper, X pulled out his company cell phone and dialled in a conference call with the pilots.

"Maelstrom, Terran, come here and get the target. Put him in the chopper on life support, then get back out here and help me comb the area for civilians to rescue. There has to be someone out here the target was defending," X said, and closed the phone when he received acknowledgement from his subordinates. In minutes, his two loyal men had appeared from over a ridge and taken Zack to the chopper, placed him gently on a medic's cot on the life-support machine, and returned to their boss' side to help him comb the area. The three split up to cover more ground, but as soon as Maelstrom and Terran were out of earshot, he dialled in a second conference call. This time, he called up the phones of each individual member of the Turks.

"Attention Turks, This is Agent X from the Shin-Ra Extreme Cases Corps. We have found and retrieved the primary target, and are now searching for the secondary target. Target 1 has sustained heavy, potentially life-threatening damage from insubordination amongst the men, but should survive. The soldiers who broke orders will be dealt with when we return to base. As soon as Target 2 is located, mission completion will be relayed and all outstanding units will be issued the orders to return to base. That is all; any and all questions will be answered when both targets are returned to base and treated," X said, closing the phone before any questions could be asked. At that, he turned off his phone and continued searching, only to be alerted soon after by Terran that Maelstrom had found Cloud. The three headed back to the chopper and took off.

~ LATER, IN THE CHOPPER… ~

Zack awakened to a large sting of pain that tore through his abdomen. He tried to sit up, but found that it only amplified his pain. Looking around, he saw three soldiers next to him, all of them bearing dejected looks, despite the fact that their helmets were lowered. Soon, however, he saw a young man in a torn-up Soldier 3rd Class Uniform, complete with the helmet and identity-safe visor. Staring at the young man for several seconds, Zack could have sworn he knew this guy from somewhere. That's when he noticed the lack of a Shin-Ra belt on the uniform.

"Well, well, it's about time you woke up, buddy," the young man said, his mouth curving up in a smile, "It's been quite a bit of work to find you. You sure did put up a fight, didn't you? Quite a few shots nailed your shoulders and legs, and a couple went through you, but missed major arteries and internal organs. You're going to live, but it may take you a while to use your sword again." Zack looked at the young man and nodded. The man's mouth formed a smirk.

"Still don't recognize me, do you?" he said, shaking his head a little bit, "Well, that's perfectly understandable. Four years in a tank of Mako fluid and several weeks on the run from the army can kind of ruin the memory of, say… old work friends?" Zack looked at the man for several seconds before it clicked in his mind. The uniform, the casual speech, the friendly mannerisms…

"IS THAT YOU, KUNSEL?" Zack shouted loudly, and the man smiled. Reaching up and unlatching his helmet, Kunsel removed his headgear, revealing a head of short, wavy brown hair and a pair of piercing orange eyes with the signature green SOLDIER glow. His face was smooth and devoid of any deformity, and bore the look of a young child; naïve, innocent, and full of spirit.

"Well, Zack? What do ya think? It's the first time you're seeing me without my helmet, right? Not half bad looking, am I?" Kunsel said, smiling wide. Zack grinned. He hadn't been expecting this. It was always nice to get a surprise.

"So, what exactly happened back there, Kunsel? The last thing I remember is getting shot, and then everything is either hazy or not even there after that. I can't remember much," Zack said, lying back on the bed to allow the medic to do his work. Kunsel smiled and sat down.

"Well, all I can tell you is that my boss is extremely fascinated by you. Taking on the ENTIRE Shin-Ra army alone, and coming within two feet of being killed, he's intrigued to see how you fare on his training courses. IN any case, I'm more interested to hear about what happened four years ago? They listed you and Sephiroth as KIA, as well as several infantrymen. Just what the hell happened in Nibelheim?" Kunsel asked, and his face turned to one of worry as Zack's upbeat expression sank, tuning to a look of anger and despair.

"Well, since you asked, to put things bluntly: we went, we investigated. Then Sephiroth saw something that made him snap; he torched the town, hurt our mountain guide, almost killed me, and by all accounts, SHOULD have killed Cl-CLOUD! WHERE'S CLOUD? IS HE SAFE?" Zack shouted, bolting from his place in a heartbeat, only to be forced back down by the intense pain that surged through him.

"If you're talking about the blonde kid in the SOLDIER uniform, he's safe. The medic's already treated him for his Mako Addiction, and he should be fine," Kunsel said. Zack relaxed, then looked to his right to see his still hazy-eyed friend sitting on the pre-deployment bench. Zack heaved a sigh of relief; at least Cloud was safe.

"So, why exactly were you out here looking for me, Kunsel?" Zack asked, and his friend smiled again. Kunsel sat down next to Cloud and cleared his throat.

"Well, simply put, a certain other friend of yours has been taking special training with me under our new boss. However, our job places us under Turks jurisdiction. Basically, we're an extension of the Turks' long arm of company safety. We are an Extreme Special Forces Squad that tackles anything and EVERYTHING that the Turks are usually too shorthanded to deal with, but ONLY if it's of highest priority. One such job, you could say, was finding you!" Kunsel said slowly rising to leave. As Zack asked him why he was leaving, Kunsel simply smiled and told him to wait and see. Latching his helmet back on, Kunsel stepped back into the cockpit area and took control from one of the two pilots, who made an immediate b-line for Zack.

"So, how's it going Tiger? Having fun facing down the army and NOT returning my messages?" the second man said, wearing a uniform that was equally beat up as Kunsel's, but in the style of the SOLDIER 2nd classes. The helmet soon came off, without so much as a guess, revealing a head of shoulder-length, curly black hair and a pair of purple eyes marked green in the center from the Mako energy infusion trademarked by SOLDIER. This man's face was similar to Kunsel's, but lacked the youthful innocence. Almost as if this one had killed more people than Kunsel…

"Wait a minute, are you-?" Zack said, having trouble remembering him.

"What are you talking about, Zacky-boy? It's me! LUXIERE! I was your informant from the inside!" Luxiere said, and watched in silence as Zack's expression turned from a look of surprise to a look of rage. Suddenly, Zack jumped off the bed, IVs still sin his arms, and began choking Luxiere, who began squawking and sputtering for help. Several seconds went by before Luxiere got what he'd been gasping for, though it came from an unexpected source. Zack couldn't believe his eyes as Cloud, eyes now free from the miring fog that had covered them for so long, grabbed Zack by the shoulders and threw him back on the bed. Zack jumped up and went back for Luxiere, now with a look of feral rage in his eyes, only to be stopped again by Cloud, who simply held his arm out to catch Zack on the lower jaw, stunning and disorienting him. As Zack stumbled back to the bed and got under the covers, the look on Cloud's face, coupled with his first words since leaving the experimentation tank, caught Zack and startled him.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my friend Zack? Zack was always a nice guy who wanted nothing more than to help people, become a hero, and save the world! Whoever you are, you aren't my friend Zack, who was always more than willing to stick his neck out to help others out. You're an entirely different person; a nameless stranger. I don't trust nameless strangers," Cloud said, sitting back on his bench, and seemingly nodding off. However, upon closer inspection, Zack found that Cloud had fallen back into his Mako Addiction-induced coma. Zack looked up at Luxiere, who was staring at Cloud's motionless body as if heed just been shot in the head.

"Guess next time I should just say what's on my mind instead of acting on it, huh?" Zack asked, as he lowered his head in shame as Luxiere shook his head.

"No, I can understand why you just came after me. You didn't have to say a word. My last message to you was … far too materialistic of me. To be worried about money, power, and high standing in a corporation more than friendship and the well-being and safety of someone you used to idolize is not right at all. I was an ass in that message, and I'm very sorry. I really mean it Zack. But, in all fact, that message was sent a year ago, before I went into training with the boss. That's when I realized how asinine I had been. I want to help you more than ever now, so if you're willing to forgive me for my actions, I'd like to personally assist with your Ultimate Extreme Training. Of course, you'll have to change your name when we get you back inside Shin-Ra, so there's that to deal with before anything else; then we have to worry about whether or not your muscles will grow back enough for you to even undertake this training. And just so you understand, this is tougher training than anything you had to do in SOLDIER," Luxiere said, scratching his head slowly. Zack nodded and slowly passed out. Luxiere placed his helmet back on his head, sealed it, and went back to the cockpit to replace his boss at the helm.

~ LATER, BACK AT SHIN-RA HQ… ~

Zack awakened to find himself in the Shin-Ra infirmary, on the softest bed he'd ever slept in. Not that he'd ever really slept much, but it felt good to get a bit of rest. He looked over and saw Cloud fast asleep next to him. Soon, the door slid open with a large hissing sound, and two doctors stepped in. Seeing Zack awake seemed to confuse them, but one stepped forward and extended a hand to shake Zack's.

"Good morning, Mr. Fair, it's good to see you awake. Well, we ran some tests while you were sleeping, and it appears you'll make a full recovery in several days. You should be able to leave in about a week. We just need to monitor you for that time, because, for some strange reason, your DMW, or Digital Mind Wave, is broken. It's stuck on a single image of a girl with brown hair and a bright smile, while all the other images are blanked out. And you had quite a few. All those images must have been causing you mental stress. Only a really high level of mental stress could possibly overload your DMW frequencies and blank out the images," the doctor said, causing Zack to jump in place. That explained why he could only see her in his mind…

"So, you're telling me that I only have one image left from my entire Digital Archive? But I had so much in there!" Zack snapped indignantly. Soon, he settled back down. At least he still knew who she was, at least. And he remembered Cloud, which guaranteed him two images… Now all he had to do was figure out how to get back the other sixteen…

"For now, you need to relax and recover. And as for your friend over there," the doctor said, motioning to Cloud, "It would appear you did a more than satisfactory job of helping him work through his Mako Addiction. He's almost entirely coherent again, but not entirely up to par mentally. We know he was an infantryman, but he seems to think he was a 1st Class SOLDIER operative, just like you. We're letting him keep to his delusions for now, but he should eventually break through the fog that still mires his mind and remember who he is."

"Oh… Alright, that's good, I suppose." Zack slowly sat up and looked around. The first thing he noticed was how easily he could sit; back on the chopper he'd been unable to move without suffering a huge wallop of pain. Now he was sitting… and not feeling pain. He also wasn't feeling much of anything else, for that matter.

"Uh… I can't feel my arms and legs. What happened?" Zack asked. The doctors explained that several major muscles had been damaged and strained excessively in his final battle, and that minor muscular reconstruction had been performed to get him back up to fighting form. The anaesthesia would wear off in a couple hours, and as soon as his recovery time was finished, he'd be back on the streets in no time. Zack nodded. He wanted to find out what had happened in his absence. He certainly had a lot to work on if he wanted to go back to the way things were…

~A WEEK LATER…~

Zack walked out of the infirmary and headed down the hall and boarded the elevator. He'd only ever used four buttons in the elevator; the lobby, the museum, the SOLDIER floor, and the SOLDIER Director's floor. Now he'd been given a different one to use: Floor Thirty-Seven, the Turks' headquarters floor. Pressing the large button, he sighed as he leaned against the wall. Over the past week, he'd made a miraculous recovery, with almost everything that had been damaged now fully rebuilt and at ninety-five percent functionality. He was due to make up the other five percent with daily exercises, an idea he was all too happy to agree to. Cloud had gotten out a few days before him, but, like in the chopper, had been quiet, and hadn't been to see him since. He was wondering what had happened.

The elevator stopped and opened, albeit slowly and with a lot of loud creaking, which both relieved AND frustrated Zack. He'd never had problems with the sounds of battle, but now, for some odd reason, loud noises in civilian life seemed to get under his skin. Not that he'd ever had much of a civilian life… HE stepped off the elevator and walked up to the great, wooden double-doors ahead of him.

'Odd,' Zack thought, 'I didn't know the Turks get to pick their own choice of décor… this is almost archaic…' As he reached the doors, he stretched out his hand to grab the handle and open the door. However, he wasn't prepared for the tackling hug that took him right off his feet and onto the ground. His head hit the floor hard and his eyes clenched shut from the pain. When he opened his eyes again, He found himself sitting in a chair in front of a large desk, behind which a set of large, glass windows sat that offered a nearly panoramic view of the city below. His attention was drawn toward a larger chair directly in front the windows and behind the desk. Zack, almost about to laugh at how corny the situation seemed, sat still, waiting for Tseng to spin around in the chair and tell him that "a couple SOLDIER associates were going to take REAL good care of him". Instead, he was surprised when the chair turned around and he found Cissnei sitting in it.

"CISSNEI, YOU'RE HERE? And… when did you get promoted to head of the Turks?" Zack asked. Cissnei simply smiled.

"Oh Zack are you always going to be that naïve?" She asked, giggling a little as she walked over. Zack gave her a confused look.

"Tseng had to go on an emergency field job, so I was placed in charge until he returns. The better I do, the more likely I am to get a bit of extra vacation this year. That and I'll have a better chance of taking over for Tseng in a couple years when the President asks him to retire. Although… I'm still convinced that the job will either go to Reno or Rude, or that they'll hire and train someone else to do that job," Cissnei said, walking around behind his chair and slinging her arms around Zack's shoulders. Zack's eyes bugged out.

"Uh… C-Cissnei, what're you doing?" he asked. Cissnei stood there, smiling happily.

"You honestly have no idea how much you were missed?" she asked, "Well, aside from your fan club breaking up, which I'm sure you already knew about, being on their mailing list and all… Well, let's just say that you were very dearly missed by a certain flower girl in the slums? And also… by a certain Turks operative in DESPERATE need of a vacation after fielding all the work to locate you…"

"Wait… y-you missed me THAT much?" Zack asked, obviously stunned. Cissnei nodded.

"I have something very important to tell you…" she started, but was cut off by the audible vibrating of her company phone against her leg. With a loud sigh she excused herself, answered the call, and then hung up.

"It looks like what I had to tell you will have to wait. Tseng just called; his mission's complete and he's coming in from the helipad now. I'll send you a message later with details for a meeting place, alright?" She said, giving Zack one last hug from behind before ruffling his hair and walking to the door.

"Wait, Cissnei," Zack said, leaping from his seat to stare her down, "Is Tseng really THAT important, that what he has to talk to me about ABSOLUTELY HAS to take precedence over you and what YOU have to say?" Cissnei smiled; Zack had a habit of letting his emotions show just how innocent he was at heart. She turned around and walked back to him. As she got closer, she threw her arms around him in a full-on hug. Zack hugged her back, and smiled a bit as he felt her almost… melt.

"Right now, yes, Zack," she said, enjoying the feeling of his arms around her, "Tseng and his duties as Turks prevent me from doing much else. Like I said, I'll send you a message with details for our meeting later, alright?" She tried to push away from him, but found herself unable to; she'd only ever had herself for company never anyone else to help her in tough times. She couldn't count missions, because Reno and Rude weren't really true friends; they were colleagues, looking for fun and a good fight.

She didn't want to say it just yet, but she had realized about two years ago that she needed this tall, strong man. His outlook on life, his trials and hardships… everything about him had given her a new perspective. She'd come to understand in the past couple years that life wasn't what she'd been conditioned to believe it was. She couldn't wait to be able to tell Zack later…

"AHEM," a cold voice called from the door, "I thank you for taking care of Mr. Fair while I was away, Cissnei, but I don't think I meant this. And Zack, if you could remove your hands from my subordinate, that'd great. She has a mission coming her way in a matter of seconds." Tseng walked around to his desk, a manila folder in one hand, and sat in the chair… then flew to the floor seconds later as a sharp slap to the face sent him sprawling, dropping the folder on the desk. Zack, having been pushed aside by Cissnei moments ago, stood stock still, frozen in place with a stunned look on his face.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, TSENG?" Cissnei shouted, drawing the attention of Reno and Rude, who'd just walked into the office in time to witness the slap, "I told you as soon as I finished this job I was taking my vacation, and now you're going to override my right to personal time by slapping another assignment one me?" She strode over and swiped the folder off the desk and turned sharply, crumpling the folder and its contents in her hands out of frustration. As she neared her colleagues, she thrust the baled-up mission briefing into Reno's hands.

"REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, I'M TAKING A WELL DESERVED VACATION, AND YOU AREN'T SAYING OR DOING ANYTHING TO RUIN IT! Should I see either Reno OR Rude during the next two weeks, you're going to find yourself walking into this office to find a VERY NASTY SURPRISE!" Cissnei shouted as she walked out. Zack, Reno and Rude stared at the empty doorway while Tseng sat up, wiping a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth.

Over the next few minutes, Tseng regained his composure and informed Zack that he'd be undergoing training with Marco Helios, the man he'd come to know during his visits in hospital as "Boss X". However, as Zack turned to leave, Tseng made a comment about reprimanding Cissnei and denying her vacation for several years that caused something to visibly snap in Zack's head. He whipped around and punched Tseng in the face, sending his chair backwards with enough force to thoroughly crack the thick glass window behind him. Zack grabbed Tseng by the throat and slammed him THROUGH the window, causing it to break. Tseng gasped for breath as he dangled over the open window's edge, holding onto Zack's arms as if for dear life. When Reno and Rude failed to move, Zack nodded.

"What is your problem? Do you enjoy screwing with the people you also seem to enjoy ordering around like your own personal slaves?" Zack asked calmly, "What is it about Cissnei suddenly wanting some alone time to do things she couldn't before that's got your skivvies all knotted up? Cissnei isn't a machine like you like to think she is, Tseng. Like you, like me, HELL, even like Reno and Rude, she's human. She's a person, just like we are, and she has needs and feelings, just like us. Once in a while," Zack turned and dropped Tseng onto the office floor, "You may want to log some actually care and concern for your "SUBORDINATES" as a necessary act. Being a nice guy isn't all that bad, you know…" He turned and vaulted the desk, landing half-way to the door.

As he walked out, pulling out his phone, he looked to Reno and said, "Enjoy the job." He took off in a sprint, looking for Cissnei, while Reno and Rude stared at their commanding officer. Tseng slowly crawled back into his chair, regained his composure, and asked Reno for the folder back. He got it moments later when Reno threw it at him and said he was taking his vacation too. He was followed out the door by Rude, who simply grunted.

For twenty minutes, Zack ran around the Shin-Ra building in his uniform, catching the eye of many an employee. He paid no mind to any of them, his only thoughts being finding Cissnei and visiting Aerith. As he ran out into the streets of Midgar, he looked around, wondering under his breath where she could possibly be. His answer came moments later when he heard a loud, manly voice screaming… and then saw the owner of the voice flying off the balcony connected to the only train that went to the Sector 5 Slums. Looking up, he caught a glimpse of a black formal suit… and a black backpack almost hidden under short, curly locks of reddish-brown hair.

"That's Cissnei!" Zack muttered under his breath, taking off for the stairs at full tilt while shouting her name. She seemed to look back for a moment to see who was calling, but upon seeing Zack in hot pursuit, she took off at a sprint. By the time Zack had managed to get to the train terminal, he'd lost sight of her.

"Damn it, Cissnei! This isn't the time to be playing hide-and-seek!" Zack said to himself. A soft giggle met his ears and he turned to find her crouching on top of a train.

"But maybe I think it's the perfect time to be playing! I AM on vacation after all!" she taunted, giving him a small wave as the train set off for Sector 5.

"Cissnei, Come on, NOT NOW!" he shouted. The train was getting off to a healthy start now, and he knew if he wanted to catch up with it, he'd have to do something he hadn't done since a training mission about five years ago. He took off running, as fast as his legs could muster. Just at the edge of the platform he hopped, landed in a squat, then leapt, full force, toward Cissnei's position on the train.

Cissnei was sitting calmly on the roof of the train's caboose when she heard what sounded like a low rumble behind her. She paid it no mind, thinking maybe she was hearing the sounds of the train. She heard it again, accompanied by a short growl and turned in time to be tackled to the roof. She struggled for a moment with her eyes shut tight before opening them to find out who was on her.

"ZACK!" she shouted, suddenly relaxing. Zack noticed that she seemed to melt around him. As it was, he was holding one of her hands by the wrist in each of his, and she wasn't fighting back at all. In fact, with a closer look at her face, he found she was blushing, an extremely innocent-looking expression on her face.

"SO MR. SOLDIER-MAN, WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO WITH ME?" she asked, a touch of fear playing into her voice. Zack quietly pondered it for a moment before realizing what she was doing. She was on vacation. She wanted to play around and have fun. He smiled.

"WELL, MS. TURKS AGENT, I WAS THINKING..." he shouted as he let go of her hands and pulled her off the roof of the train car into a tight hug. Once again, as her arms wrapped around him, Zack noticed her relaxing in his arms.

"You know Zack..." she said as the train stopped at a security checkpoint, "Ever since the day the Turks took me in and trained me, I've only ever thought about the mission. The mission, and its perfect completion, was my sole focuses in life. Never once did I think about anyone or anything else. But then... that day when we met came. That day when Genesis attacked the Shin-Ra building...When you rushed to my aide and took out that copy, I got a feeling inside I'd never felt before. I'd always only relied on myself, never anyone else. Not Tseng, not Rude... and I'll be damned if I ever trusted that goof-off Reno."

"From that moment on I looked forward to any and every chance I got to see you. I relished the chance to see the person that brought feeling back to my life. The machine that Tseng had tried to construct to cage me in was breaking down rapidly... and I loved it. I'd never liked the idea of being a man's toy... But with Tseng I couldn't say no. He's... almost like an older brother to me. He "raised" me, in a sense. I felt I owed him everything... But now, that feeling's passed. I don't owe him anything now. I don't even care about being promoted anymore."

"Don't worry about that," Zack said, "I doubt he'll be promoting you. As I was leaving he mentioned chewing you out and denying you vacation for a good long time for that outburst in the office. I punched him through the window and dangled him out of it by the neck. Hopefully that taught him a lesson. As far as I recall, Reno and Rude walked out after me..." Cissnei smiled.

"Well, he can scold me all he wants," she said, "he's not going to turn me into him. And to answer your earlier question, Zack, YES. I did miss you that much. The day you disappeared, I did the mission I was asked to do. After that, I went to the Shin-Ran Manor to find out what had happened. I stayed in the Ruins of Nibelheim for three months, scouring everything I possibly could for any trace of you, any hint of what happened... and clue to where you might be now. They kept the basement doors locked at all times, and not even Turks agents were allowed down there. No matter how many times I asked where you were, or what had happened to you, no one gave me an answer. I never stopped looking. That's why..."

"That's why, back in Gongaga..." Zack continued, "You seemed happier. In Gongaga you seemed downright overjoyed."

"Exactly..." Cissnei said, "After the first year I started losing hope, but Kunsel kept up the hope that you'd return our messages and tell us where you were... after that first year, I'd cry myself to sleep every night, quietly praying that you'd come back. Every time I saw a star shoot, I'd stop what I was doing and quickly wish for you to be right behind me... But..." At that, her voice trailed off, and moments later Zack found his hug turning into a comforting embrace as silent sobs racked Cissnei's body. He held her close, ignoring the tears that soaked through his shirt. He didn't care about any of it now. His absence had hurt Cissnei. All he wanted was to let her know he wouldn't leave again.

About fifteen minutes later, when she finished crying and calmed down, she looked up at him with a beaming smile, and Zack saw his chance. As soon as her eyes closed, he leaned down and drew her closer, capturing her lips in their first mutual kiss. Cissnei almost tried to pull away, but stopped when she felt his arms release their hold on her. Her hands reached up to wrap around his neck mere moments before he pulled away. At the sight of her confused expression, Zack smiled and placed his forehead against hers, so their eyes met.

"Cissnei, I promise I won't leave you again. I don't want to you to have to suffer that pain again. So, what more can I do to make it up to you for putting you through all that?" he asked, only to be silenced completely a moment later as she leaned back up to kiss him again. This time, when SHE let go, she smiled and winked at him.

"Maybe... you could continue playing along with that game we were playing before?" she suggested, a playful look coming over her face. Zack smiled and moved carefully, putting them right back where they'd been before. Cissnei blushed crimson as she lay under Zack, her arms pinned over her head. Zack stared at her, waiting for her to say something. As he stared, he began to carefully examine her face. He hadn't ever really seen past the fake smiles and steely work ethic, but now, staring directly at her like this, he was able to look into her eyes and see what he hadn't been able to see in her before:

Within her eyes Zack saw PAIN, FEAR, CONFUSION, WORRY, AGONY, TERROR, TURMOIL and ANXIETY.

He hadn't ever thought a Turks agent could harbour any of those emotions, let alone any emotion... but he should have figured Cissnei would. Despite what he'd seen of her, she'd never seemed like the soulless robot Tseng was. She always seemed... a little out their league. Where Reno wanted to have fun, Rude wanted to do his job, and Tseng was a robot... Cissnei hadn't known anything else but training and the mission for most of her life. Zack realized what she'd been trying to say.

"Zack..." Cissnei said, scared. Zack leaned down and kissed her nose, making her crimson blush turn a slight shade of red toward scarlet. Two minutes in, she groaned and he let go. She took a breath.

"I ... I didn't realize until two years ago how much I need you, Zack. You showed me what being human was. You showed me where my life was headed if I stayed where I was, living only for my job, only for the mission. I was doomed to become the female incarnation of Tseng... and I don't want that. Your constantly upbeat attitude, despite all your hardships and trials, is like a bright light, shining through darkness in the lives of people who have none. People like me, for instance... Zack, I want to thank you for being you. Thank you for everything you've done for me up till now... And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you'll end up doing for me in the future. Not because I intend to make you do things for me... just in case they happen, you know?" She asked, as his lips caught hers for another kiss. A single tear fell from her eye, and Cissnei knew she was truly happy. She felt freer than ever before. She felt she would either melt through the roof of the train car, or else start floating off right now. When Zack let go, she stared into his eyes and smiled. He was the same Zack she'd fallen for... the same Zack that had stolen her heart several years back.

"Zack... I never thought I'd say this about anyone, but... I love you. I really, truly love you. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but... I just-" Cissnei squeaked in surprise, and then moaned happily when Zack kissed her again. This time, when he let go, she was ready to continue her game.

"So... Mr. SOLDIER-Man... What do you intend to do to me?" she asked coyly, her eyes half-closing as the ever deepened scarlet blush on her face crept farther and farther across it. Zack smiled and placed his face close to hers.

"Well, Ms. Turks Agent," he said, his voice getting deep and almost guttural, "That entirely depends. You see... I prefer to let the ladies choose what they'd like for me to do. So, the question is... What would you like for me to do to you?" He winked at her and kissed her. When he let go, she smiled.

"Well, regardless of my plans, they won't go anywhere if you don't remove some of these garments, don't you think?" she teased. Zack smiled.

"As you wish," he replied. He took his hands off her wrists and moved one to her chin and the other to the top button of her shirt. He kissed her deep this time, netting him a pleased sigh from Cissnei. He kept his other hand going, slowly and teasingly undoing the buttons of her shirt, allowing his fingers to glide across the fabric every time he moved to another button. Each time he did this, Cissnei moaned a little, making Zack smile. Once he finished with the outer shirt, he loosened her tie and pulled it off.

"I wonder..." Zack said in his deep voice, "Should I let this go and give them something to chase after, or...?" he held her tie in one hand while giving her a quizzical look. She smiled, took it from him and slung it around the back of his neck to pull him down for another kiss before letting it fly away in the wind.

~BACK AT SHIN-RA~

Tseng sat at his desk, fuming.

"RENO! RUDE! GET YOUR SLACKING ASSES IN MY OFFICE IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES OR ELSE!" he shouted through the intercom. The two summoned employees arrived moments later.

"I want you two to go after our runaway comrade. FIND HER AND BRING HER HERE AT ANY COST, understand?" Tseng demanded. Rude took off his shades and narrowed his eyes at his boss.

"Tseng, what is this about? Why do you want her back do desperately? Is this meant to be punishment for her lashing out at you?" the bulky man asked. Tseng narrowed his eyes at Rude in response.

"You are not privy to that information, Agent Rude. You have your orders. DO NOT GO AGAINST THEM, or you'll be spending time in Solitary Confinement, considering VERY CAREFULLY how you'll be conducting yourself around me from now on, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Tseng snapped. Reno jumped and apologized for anything he might have done to piss off his superior, then darted out of the room at faster than break-neck speed. Rude simply nodded and put his trademark shades back on, and then walked out of the room, making sure to punch a nice hole in the middle of the door on his way out. He smirked as he heard Tseng's voice turn into a low growl.

"I'd like to see you dock my pay for that one, Tseng. I'll be reporting your conduct to the President as soon as we're back," Rude said, stopping his superior cold, just before he screamed in rage. Rude smiled a bit and walked out of the room. He'd never thought threatening Tseng would make him smile that way... But now he had something over the man. He was going to enjoy this.

~BACK ON THE TRAIN~

Things were getting hot for Zack and Cissnei, even though the train was in full motion and taking multiple turns frequently. No amount of cool, rushing air would cool them off now. Without them even knowing, the train had made its rounds from Sector 8 and Midgar to the Sector 5 Slums twice, and they still weren't done. Zack smiled as Cissnei gasped in anticipation. She knew what was coming next; Zack had just removed her rather plain panties, but made no comment. She figured he would save that for after. During the last run, Zack had let Cissnei have some fun, exchanging places and smiling as she slowly took care of his clothes, making sure to pack them carefully inside a backpack they'd found, conveniently wedged underneath a pair of support rods. Soon, they were both naked, and Zack had quietly enjoyed taking his time to get the feel of her small form etched into his hands. Every time she gasped or moaned, he logged it away as a spot to go after later. Now, Zack once again lay on top of Cissnei, her eyes staring into his with a combination of fear and desire.

"Well, Ms Agent," he said, his deep voice coming out again, "Are you sure this is what you want? There is still time to back out and act like none of this ever happened." She closed her eyes and placed her hands on the back of his neck.

"I'm one-hundred-percent sure, Mr SOLDIER. Please... before my squadron comes looking?" she asked, a slight hint of urgency in her voice that seemed lost on Zack. He nodded.

The next twenty minutes was a complete blur for both: once Zack had lined up and pushed through Cissnei's virginity, they both seemed to lose track of themselves. When they both seemed to be nearing a mutual climax, they snapped back to reality.

"W-where?" Zack asked, hoping she'd understand the nature of his request. She showed him she did a moment later when her legs wrapped up and around his back, holding him in place. He looked her in the eyes...

"CISSNEI!"

"ZACK!"

As both unleashed years of pent-up need in three shots and one powerful deluge, Zack collapsed next to Cissnei, smiling a bit as she pulled herself up onto his shoulder. He looked around and found the corner of a blanket under the support rods, and pulled it out to cover them. And just like that, they fell asleep, without a care in the world.

Until...

"YO LOVEBIRDS! WAKEY, WAKEY, EGGS AND BAKEY!" came the annoying sound of Reno's voice in their ears. Zack swung around to turn off the alarm clock that wasn't there. Suddenly, his eyes shot open.

'Wait a minute... Why would I be hearing Reno's voice on an alarm clock? Why would I be hearing Reno at all? And... When did I get a visitor in...? OH CRAP!" Zack screamed in panic as he shot straight up, forgetting about Cissnei's head on his shoulder.

He remembered when he heard a loud *THUNK* and a cry of "OW!" followed by Cissnei's voice asking, "Hey Zack... What's the big idea...? OH MY GOD! GET OUT RENO! GET OUT!" Unable to find anything to throw at Reno, Cissnei covered herself with the blanket, leaving Zack high and dry.

Reno took one look at Zack, whistled, and then said, "Wow. No wonder she seemed to want you instead of anyone else! I guess those Mako injections do more for a guy than we initially thought!" Zack looked around and Saw Rude with a look of shame on his face.

"What's wrong Rude? Zack's got one over on you, doesn't he?"Reno said with a laugh. Rude pushed up his shades and turned around, holding his head high.

"Maybe so, but I know I'll always have one over you, Reno. Don't forget that time in the showers when you fell and twisted your ankle!" Rude said, a small semblance of a smirk coming over his lips. Reno's laughter stopped, his face now twisting into a combination of rage and disbelief.

"DUDE! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY BETWEEN US!" Reno shouted angrily, chasing Rude off the train. Zack located the backpack and pulled out Cissnei's clothes. He reached under the blanket and handed them to her, only now noticing the absence of her company tie in the pile.

"Looking for this?" Rude asked. Zack turned around to see him standing on the train again with Cissnei's tie in his hands. He asked where he'd found it, and then noticed several rows of track marks on it. He winced.

"Looks like I won't have to answer that question. But I will, along with what surely is your next question. Right now, we're at the Sector 8 terminal in Midgar. We found the tie on the return trip and told the conductor to delay his next pass to the slums until we'd found two passengers that were probably riding for free where they wouldn't be found. Needless to say, as soon as the train docked, we roped the area off from public eyes. No one's seen this. You should feel lucky. If the train had run over it one more time... It'd be shreds. As it is, we'll have to keep Cissnei off duty until we can get her another one. She'd look really unprofessional without it..." Rude said, followed by, "Not that I'd really care much for being professional at this point..."

"Whoa, whoa... what's that mean?" Zack asked, getting his own clothes out of the bag.

"That means that as of the moment Cissnei's back in the Shin-Ra building, Reno and I are taking our vacations. I get the feeling Cissnei will be getting hers too, considering I'll be taking Tseng's conduct to the President's attention. I don't believe the Turks should be led by a man who takes his employee's relaxation time away just for doing ONE thing wrong. It's about time we had a change of leadership..." Rude said. Zack nodded. Soon, Cissnei emerged from the blanket fully clothed, her hair all over the place and her clothes wrinkled in places. She didn't act like anything was wrong, but as she passed she locked eyes, only briefly, with Zack. HE could see from that one glance that she didn't regret what they'd done. And by the look that came into his eyes, she knew he didn't regret it either. They smiled to each other and, as Zack finished by snapping his belt into place, the two joined Reno and Rude on the trek back to the Shin-Ra building.

After a week, things had gotten dark for the Turks. After his actions were brought to the president's attention, Tseng had stormed out of the building announcing early retirement. From that point on, all missions had been placed on stand-by until a new leader could be appointed. Now, Zack, Cloud and Cissnei strode from the President's office, all three smiling. All three would undergo Helios' extreme training, after which Cissnei would take over as leader of the Turks. Zack would take over as director of SOLDIER, with Cloud as his Vice-Director. Both would be placed in charge of retraining the SOLDIER units, as well as recruiting new ones to replace those killed over the past few weeks, and both would return to active field duty as well. In addition, as a bonus for enduring what they'd been through, Zack and Cloud would be dubbed heroes and given medals for their outstanding services. Zack's dream was coming true... just not the way he'd always envisioned it. Sure, he'd be alive to enjoy being a hero... but he was a hero for the wrong reason. He wanted to be known for something other than surviving being one of Professor Hojo's lab rats... He wanted to be known for winning a war, or something equally heroic...

Zack's expression fell, and almost in a mutter, he said, "This feels wrong..."

"What do you mean, Zack?" Cloud asked.

"I always wanted to be a hero... but to become one for surviving that creep Hojo's experiments? That's almost like a kick in the teeth..."

"As a matter of fact, that's not the reason you're being crowned a hero at all," came a condescending voice from behind the three. Zack wheeled around on his heel to find Rufus, the president's son and VP, was standing behind them. All three immediately saluted; to their shock, Rufus sighed.

"At ease, people," he said, "And to make this clear, Mr. Fair, you're not being made a hero because you survived Hojo and his... tools of the trade, so to speak, but because you defied all odds and fought the army until you were nearly killed, and still managed to live. ANYONE who can stand and challenge the ENTIRE Shin-Ra Army AND almost won deserves praise. What better praise than declaring you a hero of Midgar and Shin-Ra?" Rufus waved as he walked away. Zack slapped his head. He'd forgotten about fighting the army.

"You forgot about your little tussle with the military?" Cissnei asked. Zack nodded nervously. She shook her head.

"You're childish and naive sometimes, you know that Zack?" she asked, walking around to kiss him on the lips. Zack smiled; it hadn't been much, but over the past week it had always only taken one kiss to lift his spirits. Suddenly he jumped away and punched himself.

"DAMNIT! With all that's been going on, I forgot to go see Aerith!" Zack shouted out loud. HE soon realized a moment later he shouldn't have when Cissnei walked past him, looking hurt. Zack slapped himself. Cloud just shook his head and walked past.

"Nice one, Zack..." Cloud said as he left the hall. Zack hit himself again and then turned on his heel, tearing down the hall after Cissnei. When he caught up to her, she whirled around and slapped him across the face.

"Don't come near me, JERK!" she screamed, bringing her hand back for another hit that crossed over the original path. Zack took the next three hits that came his way, then stood up and looked her in the eyes.

"Thanks... I need another one, please..." he said dejectedly, hanging his head. Cissnei considered punching him in the head, then thought better of it. Instead, she walked over, propped him back up, and kissed him. Zack was confused.

"Just so you know," she said, her voice shaking, "I don't hate you. I still love you, Zack. You need to learn to think before you speak, though." Zack nodded.

"I'm sorry, Sis," he said, calling her by the nickname he'd given her, "You're right. I should have thought about it more. I just wanted to go and check in. See how things are doing for her. But that doesn't mean she replaces you in my heart. It's just going to be a friendly visit. I'll even bring Cloud with me to be safe, alright?" Cissnei looked him in the eyes and nodded.

"If Cloud comes backs and tells me something happened that shouldn't have... You're going to be in for one HELL of a rough night, alright? Go, and make it quick," she said with a smile. Zack smiled back and kissed her again before taking off to find Cloud. Cissnei smiled as she watched him go.

"How do you still have all this energy, Zack?" she asked herself under her breath. She turned and walked away.

~TWO HOURS LATER...~

A young woman with curly brown hair tied back in a long ponytail knelt next to a small flowerbed in a church in the Sector 5 slums. A bright pink bow was tied around the top of her ponytail, a perfect match for the pink dress she wore under a red vest. She was known to the people of the area as one of the happiest, brightest people around, and the fact that she only charged one gil for a single flower spoke wonders for her character; never one to overcharge for a simple thing that brought an equally simple form of light to any abode. As her hands moved, her senses took their leave, leaving her deaf to the sound of a motor getting closer to the church, then shutting off, followed by the sounds of two sets of feet closing in on the door. She completely missed hearing the door open, and paid no heed to the single set of feet that slowly padded their way to her.

Being enraptured with the tending of her flowers left her at the mercy of Zack when he silently walked up behind her and slung his arms around her from behind, as she had done for him years ago. Shortly after he'd been forced to execute his mentor Angeal Hewley in battle, he'd spent weeks sitting on the floor of this girl's church, releasing his emotions in a seemingly endless stream of tears, while she had held him close in comfort. They'd met shortly after he'd met Cissnei, and had become fast friends. Their relationship had almost hit another level before Zack's departure for Nibelheim.

"Yoo-hoo!" Zack said, mimicking her voice as best he could, "Remember me?" He smiled and waited. Sure enough, Seconds after he finished speaking she turned around and tackled him to the floor in a big hug.

"ZACK!" she cried happily, "I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!"Zack smiled and hugged back as best he could, trying to figure out how to talk her down when he explained Cissnei...

"Zack? Everything alright in there? Should I come in?" Cloud asked, walking around the corner. Zack looked up and waved for him to walk out of the church quickly. Cloud read the motion and walked out fast. Aerith smiled and let go of Zack.

"What happened? The TV reports said that you'd died!" She asked. Zack bit his tongue for a moment.

"You certainly don't waste time after so long, do you Aerith?" Zack said, "Well, simply put, my team mate Sephiroth went crazy and burned down Nibelheim, and then tried to kill me. A friend of mine managed to kill Sephiroth, but we wound up being unknowing lab-rats for an insane scientist for the past four years. The past few weeks I've been through quite a fair bit. I was almost killed coming to see you, I'm getting instated as a hero AND the head of SOLDIER, and I'm set to undergo extreme training as of tomorrow. However, there's... something else I have to tell you." Aerith gave him a shocked look, but as they looked each other in the eyes, she smiled sadly and nodded.

"I see. You found someone else. That's alright," Aerith replied, a small tear rolling down her cheek. Zack stood up, lifting her up to keep her in his arms.

"Aerith, I'm so sorry," Zack said, "I want you to know something, though. During the couple weeks I spent on the run from the army, I never once stopped thinking about you. In fact, even today when I was told I was being made a hero, you were at the forefront of my mind. For the short time we were together, you were the only one I thought about. Even after today, there'll be times when I won't be able to keep from thinking about you."

"Zack..."Aerith said, "I understand. Really. Don't worry about it. As long as we can stay friends after all this, I'm happy." Zack smiled.

"Aerith, really?" Zack asked, giving her a look that said "NO". Aerith's eyes welled up with tears.

"I'd have to be the biggest jerk on the planet to tell you no!" Zack said, a smile suddenly replacing his previous look. Aerith's eyes widened in shock and, as Cloud peeked around the corner to check on Zack, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit at what he saw: Aerith chasing Zack around the small church, a beaming smile on her face as tears flew from her eyes and her hands hammered down over and over again on the taller man's back, shoulders and head in a comical fashion. Cloud had never seen anything so cute in his life, barring his friend Tifa as number-one on his list. To Zack and Aerith, it was as if nothing had happened between them.

During their moment of merriment, Aerith's foot caught on a stray nail in the floor, and with little more than a yelp of surprise, her comical beating turned toward the floor. Zack went into full-tilt SOLDIER mode, sliding underneath her center of gravity and catching her with one arm.

"Hey!" he said. They smiled. She stood.

"Thanks for telling me, Zack. Things could have been a LOT worse if you hadn't," Aerith said, leaning up to place an innocent kiss on his cheek. Zack smiled and returned her kiss with one of his own, to her forehead.

"If you're ever in need of aide, you know who to call, alright? I'll come barrelling through the door the moment you tell me there's trouble," Zack said. Aerith nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Zack, for everything. That includes being such an incredible friend and a credit to men everywhere," she replied. Zack smiled. The alarm on his phone went off and he jumped.

"Aw man... Sorry, I've got to go. They're going to send someone to get me if I'm not back soon! I'll call you soon to catch up, OK?" he asked, running past Cloud. Cloud turned to go when Aerith, hot on Zack's tail, bumped into him and unexpectedly pulled him to the ground with her.

Zack turned around to see what happened, only to smile moments after. When Cloud and Aerith managed to get into sitting positions, they looked at each other. Zack watched as both gained star-struck expressions and deep red blushes. They both tried to stammer out a simple greeting, but neither managed more than a mumbled "Uh..." Zack stifled a laugh as he smirked and took a deep breath.

"HEY! EARTH TO CLOUD! WE'VE GOT FIVE MINUTES TO BE BACK AT TEH BUILDING, OR WE'LL BE ALL BUT SKINNED ALIVE! LET'S MOVE IT, LOVER-BOY! THERE'LL BE TIME FOR THAT LATER!" he shouted, barely able to hold back hysterical laughter as his friend and soon-to-be number two in SOLDIER scrambled over himself. The boy finally managed to get to the bike and clambered into the sidecar. Aerith got up as well and walked to the door of the church. Zack got in and waved goodbye, but when he turned, he couldn't help but smile again.

Cloud was leaning out of the sidecar, his right arm reaching out toward Aerith, who was grasping the handle of the open church door with all her might, trying her best to grasp his hand... with a close five feet between them. Zack turned back, started the motor and the small bike began its trek back towards the empty train tracks they'd taken to get there. The whole way there, he kept glancing at Cloud... whose eyes didn't leave the sight of the church, door swung all the way open with Aerith hanging on for dear life, watching as this entrancing new stranger rode away staring back at her. Zack could tell things could only get better from here.

~FOUR YEARS LATER~

Zack sat at his desk on the SOLDIER Director's private floor, swinging the revolving name plate on the desk over and over until his name became a jumbled, spinning blur. It was five-thirty; quitting time.

"Come on... two floors by elevator takes five minutes, and the walk from the desk through the door to the elevator is less than two... she said she'd be here fifteen minutes ago!" Zack mumbled to himself. A sudden "WHOOSH" sound caught his ear and he looked up to see Cissnei sitting on his desk.

"Whoa... Please don't tell me you were there waiting to jump me from fifteen minutes ago?" Zack asked.

"Haven't you heard, Hun?" she asked, a coy smile creeping across her face, "A working, married woman working in the same company as her husband has ONLY ONE effective weapon against him: The element of surprise." Zack smiled. He couldn't believe how fast things had gone. Three years and eight months ago, he, Cissnei and Cloud had completed their extreme training. Zack winced at the thought, drawing Cissnei's attention. Her coy smile became a look of worry.

"What's wrong, Zack? Forget a late meeting? Did you hurt yourself?" she asked, hints of motherly worry showing on her face. Zack smiled.

"No... nothing like that. Just remembering our days in that psycho Helios' special training... talk about a crash-course on weight training and building muscle! I can't believe it nearly ripped all of mine in half the first few weeks in!" he replied, cringing at how weak and tired his body had been after going into what Helios had described as being "Muscle-building at its maximum". He hadn't mentioned he'd be strapping them all to boards in their underwear for three weeks straight while leaving them in a sauna room that had been cranked up so far past maximum heat that the dial broke off and the heat welded the door shut. For three weeks, the ropes holding them kept pulling them tighter and tighter, the only time to rest coming when Helios used the magic of his specialty Phaser Hands spell to literally PULL the door out of the wall after the full three weeks. They hadn't wanted to do anything after that... but the "FUN" was only just starting.

Zack's recollection of those hellish four months was cut short, much to Zack's relief, by a surprise kiss from Cissnei. His eyes closed, the memories of his most painful days vanishing to the back of his mind. When he opened them again, the only person in front of him was her. He still couldn't believe that after that, it'd only been six months of dating before he'd slipped an engagement ring in the pocket of her slacks with a note that asked to call him. He remembered clearly the look of joy on her face when she showed up in his office not fifteen minutes later. It had taken them only two months to prepare, the ceremony being very small. After that they'd spent an entire month in a villa in Costa Del Sol... that he'd bought just for them. That had been the best month of his life, bar none.

"What're you remembering now?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her back.

"I was remembering the day I asked you to marry me. After that was the day we got married, and after that was the moment I told you that I'd bought the villa we stayed in for our honeymoon. Those, and every day since, have been the best days of my life," he said, a goofy grin on his face.

"That only? What about the day our twins were born?" She asked. Zack's mind shot backwards again. Two years ago, on the eve of their anniversary, Cissnei had walked into Zack's office and told him she was two months pregnant. It was four months later that they found out she was carrying fraternal twins; a boy and a girl. Three months after that, Cissnei and Zack were in a hospital room holding their new-born twins. Zack felt that he owed his late mentor for all their time together. Thus, they'd named their daughter Angel; at Cissnei's request, they'd named their son Snow, after her second most treasured thing; snowflakes in Icicle Village, falling and floating free in the air.

Zack's mind came back a moment later, and with tears in his eyes, he said, "I remember that like it was just yesterday... In a way, it still feels like it was only yesterday, you know? I mean, months of only being able to feel them kicking your stomach... now, they're nearing their second birthday and they still haven't a clue. They'll always be adorable... even after they grow up..."

"That reminds me," Cissnei said, "We should probably go check on Aerith in the company daycare center, shouldn't we? Get her and Cloud and take them home?" Zack snapped his fingers.

"My lady wills it, and for my lovely lady, it is done in a flash. Let's go! We can have a nice almost quiet night together tonight, if you catch my drift..." Zack said, mingling a subtle hint into his voice as he got up from his seat and headed for the elevator. Cissnei's look of surprise made him smile as he passed.

"Zack Fair! Are you saying that two isn't enough for you?" she asked, waiting until he was turned around to throw herself into his arms, planting a soft, tender kiss on his lips. Before he could speak, she placed a finger along his lips.

"We'll see what happens in that respect. But a semi-quiet night together sounds divine. Let's go!" she said, taking her finger from his lips and kissing them passionately. Zack smiled as they broke apart and took off.

Several hours later, after dropping Cloud and Aerith off at the church, Zack and Cissnei were back in their home in the Sector 7 slums. Despite the president offering them an apartment on the plate, they'd rejected the offer in favour of finding their own place to live. They'd found it in a small house close to the train station, distanced from the hooting and hollering that went on in a bar deeper into the slums.

"I can't believe Cloud!" Zack said, hanging his head, "He knew he'd have to explain everything to poor Tifa, but kept her in the dark until tonight... Aerith won't be letting him back into the bed for a while..." Cissnei walked over and sat across his lap, resting her head against his shoulder as she handed him a glass of red wine.

"I know," she said, taking a sip, "I'm just glad you had the guts to tell Aerith before you made the same mistake. Even if, as you've said before, all you did was look into each other's eyes and she could tell."

"Well, in any case," Zack said, taking a sip himself, "I think we should toast to their relationship getting back off the ground. To Cloud and Aerith: That they can find a way to fix things with Tifa, then kiss and make up like all couples should be able to."

"Here, here," she said, taking a long swig, "I can drink to that. I hope they patch things up soon... It's going to be rough in the car on the way home from work if they can't!" Zack nodded. He rested his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it gently. She moaned happily.

"A little to the left," she asked. He moved over a little as requested and captured her lips in a kiss. When he let go, they smiled at each other.

"So... when do we REALLY have fun, SOLDIER Director Fair?" Cissnei teased, running a finger lightly down the side of his neck.

"Well, that depends, Turks Director Fair..." Zack replied playfully, smiling before kissing her again, "How would you like to play tonight?" And without further thought, they locked lips in a heated kiss that led to their bedroom... and a night neither would forget.

~And so Zack and Cissnei lived a long and happy life. Zack, learning from every mistake he witnessed Cloud make along the way, never strayed from his loving wife's side, not even when Tifa threw a few flirts his way after work. Angel and Snow grew up to follow in their parents footsteps, becoming members of BOTH SOLDIER AND the Turks, causing the two departments to one day create a sub-group for those with their talents: ALPHA-SECTOR, an elite team of guerrilla fighters who worked more on secret agent rules than those of the battle zone, preferring to take their targets down alive from the shadows.

As for Cloud and Aerith, though their relationship was rocky and filled with rough patches along the way, they managed to lead a happy life, their marriage held together by mutual agreements and their eventual children, their daughters Ifalna and Elmyra. They also had a son that they named Genesis, hoping he would be the rebirth of the almost great hero. While his sisters helped their mother with her old flower bed, Genesis went off with his father to become a SOLDIER operative, and was among the best, always preferring to give a target a chance to repent before either sparing them or finishing them. Between the two girls, they managed to make their mother's dream come true; within a few short years of picking up Aerith's old business, Midgar's plate, as well as the slums below, was filled with radiant flowers. In fact, at the behest of Cloud, Zack, and Genesis, the president agreed to have the plate lifted an extra two hundred feet from the ground, allowing more sunlight and fresh air to reach the slums.

In Tifa's case, she and her friend Barret eventually married after four years of dating. In addition to adopting children from the street and raising Barret's young foster daughter Marlene like their own, they also managed to have a child of their own: a son named Thane, who was the spitting image of both his parents, and, later in his life, a proud and accomplished public speaker who helped with the rebuilding of the slums into a paradise below sea-level.

THE END!~

^_^ I hope you enjoyed. R&R, CONSTRUCTIVE FLAMES WELCOME. That applies to roasts on my choice of pairings. ^_^