Author note: Ok Folks! Here it is! My very first attempt at a Fan Fiction so go easy on me. I have tough skin though so don't be afraid to give me some constructive criticism just don't be mean about it!

As of right now, I have a few chapters in my mind for this story in particular. The rate in which they get posted is up to you! I need feedback to motivate me! So comment even if it's just to say "hey I read it" haha.

As of right now the characters are Cloud and Aerith but this WILL be a CloudxTifa story line. Cloud just has a few personal matters to attend to first...some old unfinished business to take care of. It will eventually go on to include the entire bunch of main characters that we know and love including my personal favorite, Zack Fair :)

Hope you like it! Enjoy and don't forget to review!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or the characters unfortunately. Otherwise I would be rich and spending my time on my personal island, not writing fanfics online...

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Fenrir growls loudly as I skid to a halt, sending gravel and dirt into the air. I cut the engine but do not dismount. Now that I am here I wonder why I came. I close my eyes and hear Tifa's words clearly in my head, "Which is it? A memory or us?" The broken look in her eyes still lingers in my mind, and the pain and pleading in her voice tugs on the very core of my heart. That's why I'm here; I'm here to make the pain end.

I put down the kickstand and lift myself from my bike. I can see my breath each time I exhale into the cold morning air and the pink light of another sunrise can barely be seen along the horizon. Slowly, as if trying to keep my presence unknown to invisible people, I begin to walk forward. With every step I take towards my destination I feel the lump in my chest grow. This isn't going to be easy. Then again, saying goodbye never is.

Of course, the place hasn't changed at all; it's only been about a month since I was here last, cleansing infected children and ridding them of Geostigma. When I finally reach the large doors, I pause and take a deep breath. This is for the best. It has to end. With shaking hands, I push open the doors and step inside letting them close quietly behind me. Immediately, I sense her presence as if she has been waiting for me.

I look around, taking everything in. I look to my left and see the pile of splintered wood where Tifa had thrown Loz into the pews. A little farther ahead and to my right I see the broken column where the bastard had made his final, nearly fatal blow before throwing her aside, leaving her unconscious.

My fists tighten at the memory. If only I had been here…I could have—I cut myself off mid-thought. If there was one thing I had been trying to learn, it was to live in the present not the past. Tifa's voice echoed in my mind again, "Stop running!..Maybe something will happen that can never un-happen; that scares you doesn't it? But you need to think about now! Really take it in!" Tifa's alive. That's all that matters.

I relax and look ahead to the small puddle of sparkling water in the middle of the church, the only reminder of the disease that once tainted the city. Her flowers surround the puddle and as I walk closer, her presence gets stronger.

Finally, as I come to a stop at the edge of the water, I feel a hand on my shoulder and hear her soft cheerful voice. "Back so soon?"

I sigh and reflexively reach my hand up to rub the back of my neck. "I'm not staying Aerith. I…" I can't find the words to finish the sentence.

She giggles quietly and walks around to my right side before kneeling down to smell a yellow flower. "Cloud, do you remember the day we met?"

I think back to that day in the slums. I had recently joined AVALANCHE and completed our first mission when I saw a beautiful girl selling flowers. "Yes, of course." I reply, almost in a whisper.

She smiles but doesn't look up. "And then, when we met again, after you fell through my roof?"

I am confused as to where her questions are leading but answer simply, "I do."

Aerith stands and looks at the hole in the ceiling of the church. She stares at it for a few moments before continuing, "Did you know that about 5 years before you, someone else fell through that same hole?"

I remember, vaguely, the story Zack had told me about how he and Aerith had met. "Zack…" I let my voice trail off. It was almost as if she knew why I had come, as if she were setting up the conversation I was avoiding.

"That's right. He fell and landed right here at the edge of my flowerbed. The look on his face was priceless when he finally woke up. He thought he was in Heaven." She giggles and turns to face me, looking at me for the first time. "He told me I should sell my flowers and helped me build the flower cart I sold them out of." She walks toward me and stops inches from my face before cocking her head slightly to the side. She stared at me for a while before sighing and walking away.

"Aerith…Did…" I look at the ground and rub the back of my neck again.

"Yes, Cloud?"

"Well…Did you love me?" I close my eyes and wait for her answer.

"Yes, Cloud. I loved you very much. I still do." She turns and peeks at me through her lashes before bending to pick a flower.

"But…Did you love me or the part of me that reminded you of him?" I had thought a lot about my love for Aerith and come to a final conclusion but I needed to hear her thoughts too.

For a split second, so short that I can't be sure it actually happened, Aerith's ever present smile faded from her lips. She turns away from me and slowly walks toward the puddle. She kneels down and places her fingertips in the water, creating many tiny ripples. "Isn't it strange the way life works, Cloud? One person's actions cause several other things to happen and those things cause more things to happen and so on…It's like the ripples in this puddle."

She stands and walks to the other side of the puddle and stares down at the water. "Actions and reactions keep going until they finally reach a barrier and bounce back and then collide." She giggles quietly and clasps her hands behind her back looking up at the hole again. "Zack fell through my roof, which led me to sell flowers in Midgar, and ultimately led to our meeting. Our meeting led to us fighting side by side against Sephiroth, which led to my death and his defeat. It's strange…if you think about it."

She looks at me and sighs. I can feel the puzzled and somewhat annoyed look on my face. She still hasn't answered my question; instead she decides to talk in metaphors? Why can't anything ever be easy with Aerith? As if hearing my inner question, she walks over to stand directly in front of me and takes my hands in her own. "You never loved me, Cloud." She doesn't ask, she states it as a fact.

I'm frozen. I suddenly wish I wouldn't have come. I'm not ready to do this yet. She sees the fear and reluctance in my eyes. "It's okay, you know. I think…I think part of me knew it all along but chose not to notice." She smiles again and squeezes my hands before beginning to pull away.

"Aerith…I…Let me explain?" She stops and turns back to look in my eyes and nods. "I did love you Aerith. Part of me still does. You mean a lot to me. You were there for me when I needed you. But… I don't think I was ever… in love with you. That was just the part of me that thought I was Zack. I had heard him talk about you so much. He told me everything about you and how much he loved you. And then when I came to Midgar using his memories as a basis for my life, I…I just picked up where he left off. It doesn't make any sense but…I think that's what happened. I'm sorry if I hurt you." Hurting people is just what I do…

"Hmmm…" She seems to consider my explanation for a moment before her smile grows even wider and she giggles again.

"Why are you laughing? You don't seem the least bit upset…" I drop my gaze, suddenly hurt myself, but she lowers her eyes so she can continue to look into mine.

"Silly Cloud. Of course it makes me sad that you and I didn't share what we both thought we did, but I am happy as well. I'm happy because you are finally ready to move on. You have finally decided to live your life right now instead of in the past. You can finally be happy again and you being happy makes me happy. That is why I'm laughing."

As she continues to look at me, her emotion changes before my eyes. While her mouth stays fixed in the same ever-present smile, it ceases to reach her eyes, which begin to show signs of sadness. Before I can fully read her face, she turns from me and walks to the back corner of the church where my lantern and blanket still lie from the nights I had lived here.

She stands there silently looking down as I approach. "I'm not sure if your lantern still works after getting wet and your blanket is a little molded but Tifa might be able to get it clean…"

Confused, I stay quiet and wait for her to finish her sentence, hoping there is an explanation to follow. Instead, she turns to face me again with that smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "They have no use here anymore; you won't be returning."

There she goes again, reading my mind. "How did you know?" My voice was low and remorseful. She simply nodded as I bent down to gather my belongings.

"It's for the best. It's time for me to move on too. I stay here because I miss all of you just as much as you miss me. I miss seeing everyone, Cloud. But most of all I wanted to make sure you were well. Now I know that you are safe and happy. You don't need me to be here anymore…You all have my memory and my love…that should be enough."

"Will I ever see you again?" Even as the words escaped my mouth, I can feel her presence slowly starting to fade. I keep my eyes locked on her face, trying to make sure it is fully memorized. Her smile finally reaches back up and shows in her eyes.

"Of course you will. I'll be the first one there to greet you when you join the lifestream; until then, until your time comes, please be safe and try to live, really live your life to the fullest. Goodbye, Cloud." And with one last smile, she is gone.

Immediately I feel relieved. Instead of feeling guilty and burdened like I had expected after this much-dreaded trip, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, like a small part of the guilt and sorrow has been taken a way.

As I turn to head for the doors, I look down at the blanket in my hands. There, on top of the folded fabric, lay a single yellow flower. I smile to myself as I open the large door and step outside into the morning sun. "Goodbye, Aerith."