Amends - Tseng

by Ale Sieben

For some reason, the Lifestream decided to return Aerith, Zack, and Sephiroth to the land of the living. This provides not only them with a second chance at life, but all their remaining friends and acquaintances with a precious chance to make amends.

Summary

For some reason, the Lifestream decided to return Aerith, Zack, and Sephiroth to the land of the living. This provides not only them with a second chance at life, but all their remaining friends and acquaintances with a precious chance to make amends.

—

Notes

This started as a one-shot to explore some of Tseng's feelings in regards to Aerith and Zack post-Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. But my mind works at its own merry pace so things developed in such a way that this is gearing up to be a multi-chaptered affair. I don't know how long it'll take me to work on the prequel to this and then its sequels given that I started another story not too long ago, so this might end up being a one-shot, after all.

I recommend reading On the Way to a Smile: The Case of Shinra before reading this. It's not a must, but it will make some of my short explanations about Rufus's whereabouts after Meteorfall and before Advent Children easier to digest.

Whatever comments you may have, please don't tell me so-and-so is out of character. This is my take on these characters and, believe you me, I love them all dearly so I would never do them a disservice by portraying them wildly out of canon. I just feel that not all of them are as angst-driven as the fandom makes them out to be, particularly not after the events of AC and DoC.

Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing but the plot bunnies hopping around. All characters and previous scenarios belong to Square-Enix, Nomura-sama and Kojima-sensei.

—

Amends: Tseng

If anyone understood how Cloud Strife felt about having failed to protect Zack Fair and Aerith Gainsborough, that was Tseng. In many ways, in fact, Tseng felt that he was even more responsible for their deaths than Cloud. The fact that he didn't allow himself to openly show just how tormented he was by their fate didn't mean that he suffered any less than the young blond. It was just that his job didn't allow him enough time to grieve, nor to beat himself up over it. The fate of the world may not have fallen upon his shoulders but his responsibilities weren't any less important or demanding.

Shortly before Zack died and for a long time afterwards, he'd had to take care of his Turks lest Heidegger, Scarlet, or any of the other executives decide to try to eliminate them—again. He also had to support Rufus, the man who had nearly single-handedly saved all their lives, including Veld's. On top of it, he was ordered to keep Aerith under surveillance, a task that was not easy for a number of reasons, chief among them the knowledge that he had failed to rescue Zack before he was massacred by Shinra's army. The letters he kept on the bottom drawer of his desk were a constant reminder of his failure not only as a Turk, but as a man.

The sheer determination to fulfil these duties, amongst many others, was what kept him going during the whole Sephiroth debacle. He forced himself to excel at them in a vain attempt to lessen the guilt he felt over Zack's death. Even when everything started falling apart faster than he was able to comprehend, even then he did not allow himself to wallow in despair. In a sense, he owed this to Aerith's presence in his life.

He was aware of his feelings towards the young Cetra and, even though he knew she would never feel the same way about him, he continued to care for her well beyond his duty to the company. In a way, his promise to Zack became more important than his mission and he found that he didn't mind. As long as she was alive and relatively happy, he deemed his pledge mostly fulfilled. But then she joined Cloud's ragtag team and left Midgar, leaving Tseng feeling apprehensive. He wanted her close by so he could keep an eye on her, wanted her away from the pandemonium that was brewing around Sephiroth, Cloud, and the company that had taken away Aerith's parents and her first love.

Deep within his soul, Tseng knew this was impossible, but still he prayed for her safety and happiness. He prayed to be strong enough to at least keep his promise to Zack. But, again, his prayers went unheard.

After Aerith's demise at Sephiroth's hands, he'd been too busy holding on to his life to pay attention to just how hollow he felt. He recovered in time to see the Planet nearly destroyed by Sephiroth and then everything was a blur. Shinra was in shambles, literally and metaphorically; they nearly lost Rufus in the Shinra building only to have him kidnapped shortly after. When they finally got him back, he was infected with Geostigma and, once again, they were all pushed into the middle of a battle to save the Planet from Sephiroth. They succeeded, but the aftertaste was still bittersweet.

Helping rebuild the Planet became the reestablished Shinra's priority. Moving in the shadows to avoid the public's outrage, they aided Reeve Tuesti and the WRO in any way they could. Even so, they had little to do with Vincent Valentine's clash with Deepground and the Tsviets, although they kept a close eye on it at Rufus's behest. In the end, things resolved satisfactorily for Shinra's allies and they returned their attention to the matter of atoning for the company's crimes against the Planet.

It wasn't until then that Tseng was allowed room to breathe and think. By then, too long had passed since Zack and Aerith's deaths, and yet he found himself mourning them deeply, crying for them and praying for their forgiveness. He'd heard from those close to Cloud that the blond had spoken to them during the Remnants's assault and had hoped to be able to speak with them, as well. He even visited the shrine at the old church in the slums where the two star-crossed lovers met and talked to them for hours.

However, they never came.

Disappointed as he was, he didn't feel slighted in the least. He hadn't been as close to them as Cloud, and he hadn't allowed himself to sink into despair as the blond had. All in all, they had no reason to stop by and humour the man who had so blatantly failed them.

So he mourned them in the fashion of his ancestors and then moved on. He decided that the best way to honour their memory was to make the most of whatever time he had left to live and to protect the ideals they tried to uphold during their shamefully short lives. After a while, the pain that always seemed to cling to their memory was gone and he felt lighter than he had in many years.

Two years passed after the Deepground incident and Tseng found himself thinking of Zack and Aerith more and more often, he didn't know why. He probably wouldn't have thought much of it if their memories hadn't been accompanied by a feeling of anxiety. It was there all the time, and it began to affect his work. When even Reno brought it up, he knew that things had reached an unmanageable level and he decided to ask for some time off. Rufus was only too happy to oblige, not liking to see the Director, his right-hand man, so distraught. They were a family, after all, and as such they took care of their own.

So it was that Tseng took two-weeks leave from work and decided to visit the reconstructed village of Mideel to take advantage of its hot springs and its technological seclusion. It was because of this absence from work that he missed the commotion caused by the return of three of the people who, at one point, were at the centre of the Crisis that nearly tore the Planet apart twice.

—

When he realised that the pilot for the chopper that picked him up from Mideel was neither Reno, Rude, nor Elena, Tseng felt that most of the anxiety that he had managed to wash away at the hot springs climbed back unto his shoulders in a second. The man behind the controls was a relatively new addition to the company and the Director didn't know him well enough to let his guard down so he didn't. Instead, he nodded politely to him as he got on the aircraft and thanked him for his service before moving to the seat farthest from the cockpit and taking out his phone. He had to wait for about half an hour before getting a decent enough reception to call Reno and demand an explanation.

"Yo, Director," came Reno's playful drawl. "How were your first vacations in… well, ever?"

"They went well. Any reason why you sent a virtual stranger to pick me up?"

The slight pause on the other side of the line made his stomach clench.

"Ah, well… That was the Boss's decision, yo."

"Is he close by? Could you hand him the phone if he is?"

"I swear y'all're telepaths or somethin'. Hold on a sec."

There was a bit of static followed by hushed voices and finally Rufus's smooth voice picking the call.

"Tseng. Hopefully your vacations helped ease your mind."

Strange choice of words. "Indeed, Sir. I was just asking Reno—"

"I know. Listen, this is not something I want to discuss over the phone, and I didn't want Reno or Rude to try to explain it while they were piloting. As for Elena, she's on assignment. You probably don't want to hear this, but it's an order: remain calm and don't start creating complex scenarios in your overactive imagination. I know you well enough to know you do have an imagination and I know how crazy it can get, so don't even go there. I will personally explain everything once you get back."

Tseng frowned and nodded even though Rufus could see neither gesture. "I understand. Just to be sure, though: you are all fine?" Please, no more tragedies…

"We're fine. Everyone is fine. These are not bad news, it's just… delicate."

"I see. Well, if everyone's all right then I have no reason to worry."

"Excellent. Take a nap for the remainder of the flight or something. We'll be waiting for you."

"Yes, Sir."

—

The new Shinra Headquarters were nothing like the huge Shinra Building back in Midgar. Located on the new commerce square in Edge, it was a three-story office building with a white exterior and a small Shinra logo on the door. The logo had been there only for about a year—before that they'd been using the WRO seal but then Reeve decided that it was time to let the world know that much of the financial backing for the WRO came from Rufus Shinra and that the young President had no plans to take over the world by any means. It had been difficult for the general public to accept that Shinra wasn't the villain they had come to believe but Tseng had to admit that Reeve had made a very good job of painting Rufus and his company in a whole new light. When he was fairly sure they would not be bombed or mugged, Rufus decided to switch the logos. So far nothing disastrous had happened but they had upgraded their security just in case.

When Tseng arrived to the building, he noticed Cloud's motorcycle was parked out front. After facing the Remnants together, Cloud's crew and Shinra had been on acceptable terms. Reno and Rude saw more of them than Rufus, Tseng, or even Elena, but whenever they met on official business or in their spare time, they were civil enough to make the encounters bearable, even pleasant. However, given the contents of his phone call with Rufus, plus his own feelings previous to his vacations, Tseng couldn't help the knotted feeling in his gut.

He entered the building after passing two security checkpoints and, with barely a greeting towards the receptionist, took the elevator to the third floor, where his and Rufus's offices were. He got strange looks all the way there because he wasn't wearing his customary black suit but a pair of fitted jeans, a navy blue button-up shirt and black loafers. He'd called Rufus as soon as the helicopter landed on the small airfield outside of Edge and told him he'd be at the office in under half an hour; Rufus had tried to talk him into going home first to change but by then Tseng was so curious about the whole deal that he insisted on going to the office straight from the helipad. The fact that Rufus hadn't tried harder to change his mind did nothing to assuage his growing worries.

By the time the elevator made it to the third floor, Tseng had forgotten his boss's orders and had begun to imagine worst-case scenarios. Even if he kept going back to Rufus's words ("These are not bad news, it's just… delicate"), his mind wouldn't relent. He strode towards Rufus's office and had to stop outside to collect himself. After taking a few deep, long breaths, he knocked on the door and managed to wait until the President told him to come in.

Whatever his mind had concocted on the elevator ride evaporated as soon as he took stock of the people in the office. Rufus was sitting behind his desk, leaning back on his chair with his arms resting on his lap; his usual white-and-black suit had been replaced by a less formal light blue one. Sitting in a chair in front of the desk was Cloud, wearing faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt with the WRO logo on the sleeve instead of his usual modified SOLDIER attire. Vincent stood by the window, dressed in his usual leather pants but sporting a burgundy turtleneck and black work boots; as every time Tseng ran into Vincent outside of battle, he was acutely aware of the fact that the man wasn't wearing his characteristic golden gauntlet. A part of him had been childishly disappointed when he found that the 'claw' was not a replacement for a lost limb but a weaponised fashion statement.

It was strange to see those two men wearing anything but what he came to think of as their trademark attires but, in a way, it made him feel more at ease. They wouldn't be dressed so casually if there were a crisis at hand.

Still, the fact that both of them were at Rufus Shinra's office looking like they'd been waiting for him to arrive was slightly unnerving.

"Tseng! Welcome," Rufus said with a smile. "Come sit down. You must be a bit tired still from the helicopter ride."

"Not really, Sir," he said.

All the same, he took the empty chair next to Cloud. On his way there Vincent nodded in his direction but said nothing else in way of a greeting. Tseng hadn't really expected the taciturn man to be very effusive so he just returned the nod.

"Hey, Tseng," Cloud said. He smiled, too, but there was something guarded in his expression.

"Hello, Cloud. How are things going?"

"Business is good. Tifa and the kids are fine. Uh…" He fidgeted in his seat for a moment before looking to Rufus. Tseng could've sworn there was a bit of pleading in the young man's eyes.

Apparently he was right, because Rufus gave Cloud the same kind of smile he reserved for Reno when the redhead asked for a change in schedule whenever it was his turn to have an early shift during the weekend. It was a smile that said, 'sure, but you owe me'. And being in Rufus Shinra's debt was usually a very serious matter.

"Cloud and Vincent are here because there has been an… unexpected development, should we say, in your absence, Tseng. I would like to make it perfectly clear that, other than the people in this room, only a handful of others are aware of this situation. I don't need to tell you that we would like to keep it that way, at least for the time being."

That snapped Tseng to attention. He sat up straighter in his chair and adopted the serious expression he slipped on during work. "I see. Who else knows?"

"Cid, Tifa, Reeve, Reno, Elena, and Rude," Vincent said. "There is a chance Shelke might have felt something, although given the circumstances, it is highly unlikely. All the same, we won't know until Cid, Tifa, and Elena manage to track her down."

So that was Elena's assignment. It wasn't weird that she had been ordered to work with the pilot and the bartender, but to send them to find Shelke was, particularly if it was only to confirm if she'd 'felt something'.

"Felt something?" Tseng asked.

The three other men in the room took turns looking at each other as if trying to decide who'd explain. In the end, Vincent nodded and walked towards the desk. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the desk before taking a deep breath.

"As you know, ever since Meteorfall I've been keeping an eye on the Forgotten City. Not a lot of people know this, and I'll appreciate it if you would not talk about this with anyone outside this room, but Chaos stayed with me after the Deepground incident."

Vincent paused for a moment to see if Tseng would comment on this but the man had no intention to pry, at least not at the moment, so the gunman continued.

"He's able to feel the fluctuations in the Lifestream and there's always been something strange in that area, something that can't be easily explained. It's not like the Northern Crater, where we know that the wound left by Jenova's impact is still healing. So he asked me to patrol the Forgotten City on a more or less regular basis in case something strange happened, even after we took care of the Remnants. And about two weeks ago, something did happen.

"I was resting at the Lake House when I heard a commotion outside. By the time I made it out to the lakeshore, I found three bodies had been washed ashore. They were Zack Fair, Aerith Gainsborough, and Sephiroth. They were all alive, albeit unconscious."

Tseng heard the words but they made no sense. He blinked slowly twice before looking at Rufus as if asking for confirmation of what Vincent had just said. All he got from his boss was a slow nod, which was mimicked by Cloud when Tseng looked at the man sitting next to him.

He brought his attention back to Vincent and asked, "I'm sorry… What?"

"The three of them are alive again," Vincent said calmly. Apparently, it wasn't the first time he had to repeat the facts. "The Lifestream brought them back uninjured and with all their memories intact. In Sephiroth's case, Chaos says his mind and body were cleansed of Jenova and he's been permanently and irrevocably cut off from her. He's the same as he was before the Nibelheim incident, although he retains all memories of what he did afterwards."

Tseng's head began to spin and he felt strangely nauseated. He tried to stand up but he fell to his knees and knocked his elbow on the edge of the desk in the process. The pain helped him focus and he was able to keep the contents of his stomach down. He felt Cloud helping him back on the chair and was peripherally aware of the fact that Rufus stood up and was offering him a glass of water. He thanked him, his own voice sounding distant and alien, and sipped at the water for a moment. He handed the glass to someone, he wasn't sure whether it was Rufus or Cloud, before focusing on Vincent again, trying to make sense of what the ex-Turk had just said.

Zack, Aerith, and Sephiroth—alive. They'd all returned two weeks ago, around the time he had taken his leave. The leave he took because the mere thought of Aerith and Zack made him nearly ill with anxiety. It had to be a coincidence, except that he didn't believe in such things. Not after everything he had gone through in the last ten years or so.

"Are… are you sure it's really them?" He managed to ask after a while. "They're not… like Kadaj and his brothers?"

Vincent shook his head slowly. "No, they're not remnants or copies or anything of the sort. Like I said, Chaos can read the Lifestream and he's positive the three of them are the originals, so to speak. Before you even ask, neither he nor Aerith have any idea as to why they came back. They think it has something to do with Deepground summoning Omega, that maybe the Lifestream got rearranged somehow and decided to revert certain events to compensate the unexpected influx of energy. Sephiroth and Zack, though, having more of a military take on things, feel it might have something to do with the fact that Genesis and Weiss are still out there."

"What do you mean?" Tseng asked. His mind was thankful for this last bit of information, as it allowed it to work on far more familiar territory. "That since those two are still out there the Planet decided to bring back people who might be able to find and defeat them if necessary?"

That both Genesis and Weiss were alive was a conclusion Shinra, the WRO, and Cloud's crew had arrived at separately but more or less at the same time. Although they had no solid proof of anything, their strongest lead was the fact that Shelke could 'feel' both men; after all, other than Cloud, Shelke was the only other person they knew who retained Jenova cells in any capacity, having been part of Deepground. Cloud had only developed a link with Sephiroth because he had been part of Hojo's Project S and because the ex-General had developed a strong rivalry with him after Cloud managed to take him down at the Nibelheim Reactor. That being the case, it made sense that he remained unaware of Genesis and the Tsviets. Shelke, on the other hand, was part of Project G, which meant she was connected to anyone who was part of that program. Unfortunately, her link to them wasn't strong enough to pinpoint their location—all she could do was tell they were around, and even that came and went.

Even having this information, with much of the world still on the mend after Meteorfall and Geostigma, neither group had a lot of leeway to go looking for two men that made an art out of staying off the radar. They kept the investigation open, so to speak, although it was nowhere near the top of the priority list.

The gunman shrugged. "It's a possibility."

"But then… what about Angeal?" Tseng asked.

"Zack asked the same thing," Cloud said, "but we really have no way of knowing if he turned up somewhere else already, or if he's not going to return at all. Aerith and Zack never found him while they were in the Lifestream."

"According to Chaos," Vincent added, "it could be that he assimilated with the Lifestream and has no desire to return. At this point, however, it's all conjecture."

"Which is why we've decided to let events unfold as they will while we focus on the practicalities of the issue," Rufus said. He was back at his chair, looking serious. "That doesn't mean we won't continue to keep an eye on things or that we won't find the manpower necessary to jumpstart the investigation on Genesis and Weiss's whereabouts, but we still don't have a lot to go on as far as that matter is concerned. In the case of Angeal, all we can do is keep our eyes open for further disturbances in the Lifestream."

Tseng nodded. He was still trying to wrap his mind around everything that had been said so far but he found it difficult. In a way, he supposed he wouldn't be really convinced of any of it until he saw them.

"Where are they now?"

"Here in the building," Rufus said.

Tseng felt dizzy again but he held himself in check this time. Not only were they alive but they were in the same building as he?

"Here? How did you manage to bring them here without attracting attention?"

"It wasn't easy," Cloud said, sounding amused. "Particularly because neither Sephiroth nor Zack wanted to be anywhere near a Shinra building. This was the closest, safest location, though, so they eventually agreed. We had to dress all three of them like Turks recruits and wait until nightfall to bring them in. It was… interesting," he ended, a small smile curving his lips.

"Before that, though, we took them to the Seventh Heaven," Vincent said, "but it wasn't safe for them to stay there for long. After talking it over with Reeve and Rufus, we decided it was best to bring them here. The senior staff is trustworthy and there isn't a lot of movement in the building, whereas the WRO is teeming with activity practically 24/7."

"They can't stay here permanently, though," Rufus chimed in. "It's only been about a week and already the people in the first two floors are wandering who we're keeping in the adjoining apartments up here. It's already been established that they're all who they seem to be and that Sephiroth is not a threat, so it's time to find a place for them to stay.

"Do you have somewhere in mind?" Tseng asked.

Rufus grinned, his blue eyes shining with mischief as he glanced sideways at Vincent. "Well," he said, "we've already made arrangements for Sephiroth."

Vincent sighed and rolled his eyes, then shot an exasperated look at the blond president. "You and Reeve pulled rank over me, more like."

Tseng looked between Rufus and Vincent a few times before settling on the gunman. "He's staying with you?"

The ex-Turk rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. "Yes. Like I said, your boss and mine pulled rank over me and pointed out a few reasons why it would be best for Sephiroth to live with me."

"I get how Reeve pulled rank on you," Cloud said, "but I still don't understand why you say Rufus did, too."

"Strictly speaking," Rufus explained, still grinning, "Vincent was never released from Shinra's employment; he was only marked down as MIA. So, technically, he was back in our payroll the moment you woke him up."

"Not that I ever got a pay check from them, mind you," Vincent added icily.

"That's all been arranged, too," Rufus said, waving his hand dismissively. "We accepted your resignation and we'll be paying for all of Sephiroth's expenses, after all. The same goes for Zack and Aerith, even though she was never in our employment. We owe her a lot, though," he added with a hint of remorse.

"Did Sephiroth and Zack agree to return to Shinra?" Tseng asked incredulously, choosing to disregard Rufus's comment about Aerith as it hurt too much to dwell on that.

"No," Rufus said. The grin was gone but he couldn't help but sound amused. "Unlike Vincent, both of them were reported as killed in action, so we have no way of getting them back unless they volunteer. And neither of them wants to, of course. It seems like Zack might join the WRO while Sephiroth… Hmm. I'm not quite sure how to put it."

"He'll be mooching off me and Shinra," Vincent said. "Even if we could find a way to reveal to the world that Zack and Aerith are alive, we can't very well let anyone outside our inner circle know that the man that tried to take over the Planet twice is back from the death. No matter how sane he appears to be."

"If you don't mind my asking," Tseng said, "why did you end up being responsible for him, Vincent?"

"There's one excellent reason and plenty of really poor excuses," Vincent said, clearly annoyed. "Some of the poor excuses include the fact that I knew his biological parents and I've managed to piece together most of the research that ended up making him who he is, so I can understand him better than most. Another excuse is that Reeve and Rufus seem to think I have the right temperament to deal with him, and they say this mostly because the man is infuriatingly fussy and would probably drive anyone else insane within a few hours."

Tseng couldn't help the puff of laughter that escaped his lips. "'Infuriatingly fussy' is perhaps the best and most accurate characterisation of Sephiroth that I've ever heard," he said.

Vincent rolled his eyes, although Tseng could've sworn he saw a tiny smile tug at the corner of the gunman's lips. "Zack and Cloud share the sentiment."

"Zack adopted Vincent as his new best pal as soon as he heard him call Sephiroth that," Cloud said with a grin. "Oh, oh! Vincent, tell Tseng what Chaos's nickname for Sephiroth is.

"Chaos has a nickname for Sephiroth?" Tseng asked.

Vincent shook his head and shoved Cloud playfully. "Tattle-tale," he chided. Cloud shoved him back and Vincent turned to Tseng. "Chaos has a nickname for everyone I know, and even some for people I never met. I won't tell you what he calls anyone in this room, but the day it was decided that Sephiroth would be staying with me, he dubbed him General Fussypants."

Cloud burst out laughing while Rufus sniggered behind his fist. After a beat, Tseng laughed out loud, too. It took them all a moment to recover and Tseng was thankful for the reprieve.

"Chaos calls Sephiroth General Fussypants?" he asked, trying to even his breathing. "I really can't see him calling him that."

Vincent scoffed. "You all have this image of him as a ferocious demon but, really, he's kinda loopy. I say it's because he's almost as old as the Planet itself but he seems to think of himself as some sort of ethereal comedian.

"Anyway, my loopy comedian of a roommate is the excellent reason for me to put up with Sephiroth. Like I said, Chaos can read a person's Lifestream and know right away if something's wrong. So it's better for me to be close to Sephiroth in case he reverts to his psychotic ways."

"I guess that makes sense," Tseng said. "What about Zack and Aerith?"

"I talked it over with Tifa and I'll be getting an apartment with both of them," Cloud said. "But it's going to take a bit. I have to find a place they'll like and that isn't too far from Seventh Heaven since I'm not planning to drop my responsibilities as far as Denzel and Marlene are concerned. Also, it's best if the delivery service stays at the bar, so I have to take that into account, too. So, for the time being…" He paused and looked intently into Tseng's eyes before nodding decisively and continuing. "They would like to stay with you, Tseng."

The simple statement threw him for a loop and, for what felt like an eternity, all he could do was stare at Cloud as if the man had grown wings à la Sephiroth.

"I'm sorry… They want to stay with me?"

"It's only temporary," Rufus interjected. "Like I said, the company will take care of all their expenses so it wouldn't set you back or anything."

"No, it's not that," Tseng said. He shook his head and brought a hand to his forehead, clearly distressed. "I just don't understand—why me?"

Cloud looked at Tseng for a moment, clearly not understanding the man's reaction, and then it sunk in. Of course Tseng would feel that way—after all, hadn't Cloud been on the man's shoes for a very long time? It made perfect sense for Tseng to think that neither of their friends would want to see him, let alone stay with him for an indeterminate amount of time. After all, Tseng had tried to save both Zack and Cloud from Shinra's army but had been too late. Afterwards, he had been in charge of looking after Aerith for many years; in fact, Cloud knew Zack had asked Tseng personally to take care of Aerith before he left for Nibelheim never to return. It was not a long shot to assume, then, that Tseng felt every bit as guilty for their deaths as Cloud had some years ago.

Sometimes he forgot that just because Zack and Aerith had given him the strength necessary to move on that didn't mean that everyone else who knew them had been so lucky. He remembered seeing Tseng at Aerith's church, sitting by the Holy Water and talking to Zack and Aerith for hours on end. He'd never stayed to listen to what the man said but he could guess, anyway. Not too long ago, he'd spent hours tending to Aerith's flowers while talking to her. He knew how much it must've hurt Tseng never to get a direct answer, to not have the opportunity to apologise and ask forgiveness from his friends.

He smiled a bit ruefully and placed a placating hand on Tseng's shoulder. "I think you should talk to them. I could tell you that they don't blame you and that you need to forgive yourself, but I know firsthand that it wouldn't do you any good to hear it from me." Turning to Vincent, he said, "Would you mind making sure Sephiroth's in his room? I think it's best if Tseng meets with Zack and Aerith in private."

Vincent nodded and left the office. Rufus stood up and walked behind Tseng's chair; he placed his hand on Tseng's free shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"You asked for that leave because of them, didn't you?" He felt Tseng flinch and squeezed his shoulder again. "Tseng, we've known each other for almost ten years now. It would be shameful if I didn't know you well enough to at least have a clue as to what could be important enough as to affect your work."

Tseng nodded slowly. "I'd managed to put their memory to rest and move on with my life. I promised myself I'd make them proud and that helped me, but… not too long ago I started thinking of them almost constantly, and I always felt anxious when it happened. That's when my work began to suffer and I decided to ask for leave. When Vincent said they came back around the time I left… I don't know. It felt too big to be just a coincidence."

"I don't think it was," Cloud said, leaning back on his chair. "It was more or less the same for me. I even started spending more time at the church lately, but I just couldn't feel them there anymore. I'd begun to seriously worry when Vincent called and told me to meet him at the Forgotten City. I think I would've gone there even if Vincent hadn't found them."

"I thought about calling you," Tseng said. He'd almost forgotten about it because the thought of calling Cloud had been a brief impulse that he easily dismissed. "But I really didn't know what to tell you so I asked for time off work, instead."

"I think it was a good thing Vincent found them, anyhow," Rufus said as he returned to his chair. "No offence to either of you, but I'm not entirely sure you would've known how to handle things on your own."

Cloud shot Rufus a slightly annoyed look before breaking into a grin and shrugging it off. "None taken. I probably would've gotten into a fight with Sephiroth as soon as I saw him. Even now that I know that he's the same man I once looked up to and not the psychopathic maniac he turned into, I still can't look at him without feeling like breaking every bone in his body."

"Hopefully we'll all get past that soon," Rufus said. "Even if he won't return to Shinra and the WRO won't officially hire him, the truth remains that he's a valuable asset and we might need to persuade him to work with us in the future. It might go much smoother if we can all refrain from wishing him bodily harm."

Tseng's right hand immediately went to his torso and rubbed the scar left there by Masamune. He'd been too caught up with reuniting with Zack and Aerith to even think about the implications of facing Sephiroth again. The thought both chilled and incensed him and he inwardly thanked Cloud for asking Vincent to make sure Sephiroth wouldn't be there when he saw Aerith and Zack.

As if on cue, Vincent returned to the office but stayed close to the door. "They're ready to see you, Tseng. They wanted me to make sure that you know they won't hold it against you if you decide to do this another time.

Tseng smiled—that small comment was all the reassurance and courage he needed.

"It's all right," he said, standing up. "I really can't wait."

—

Tseng stood outside one of the adjoining apartments on the third floor. After setting up his and Rufus's office, there had been four large office spaces left. One was furnished as a lounge, another as a kitchen, and the remaining two were outfitted as small apartments to be used by senior staff when going back home would be too inconvenient. Tseng himself had spent a lot of time there when they first moved into the building and Rufus spent more time there than at his condo.

The Director smiled when he realised that the current living arrangements for the newly returned meant that the President would have to relocate to his luxury apartment, which meant he'd likely recruited one of the three senior Turks to keep him company—possibly more than one of them whenever they could be spared. Because, as much as Rufus hated to admit it, he didn't like being alone. Not since Diamond Weapon's attack on the Shinra Building had led to months of hardship for him. Reno would often tease him about it but the redhead knew where the line was drawn; they all did, and none of them felt the need or curiosity to cross it. Some people might think it weird but they really had a pack mentality, but none of them minded. It had kept them alive through what was possibly the worst decade of their lives. For Tseng, that was enough to pledge himself to Rufus and the other three.

That thought brought him back to the present with a shudder. He raked a hand through his hair, messing it up rather than fixing it. With an exasperated sigh, he combed his hair with his fingers until his scalp began to throb and then he made himself stop. He smoothed over his shirt and patted imaginary dust off his jeans before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Zack's voice wrapped around Tseng and he nearly lost his nerve. Thinking about Reno mocking him openly and Rufus doing so covertly restored his resolve and he opened the door.

He thought he was ready to see them again. He had assured himself that he could handle it; he had every confidence in his training and discipline. Then again, all that had already failed him one and a half times at Rufus's office so, in the end, it wasn't such a big surprise that he was completely disarmed as soon as he laid eyes on them.

Aerith was wearing a green dress and cork sandals, her long, brown hair braided loosely and held with the pink ribbon Zack had bought for her a lifetime ago. Her metal bangles were replaced by a braided leather one on her left wrist. Tseng noticed Zack was wearing one, too, except his was on his right wrist. He was wearing black jeans, a charcoal t-shirt, and leather boots but no gloves. Tseng was momentarily fixated on the scars on Zack's face; for some reason, he'd assumed his body would have been completely healed upon returning from the Lifestream. But Zack got those scars long before dying so maybe that was why he still had them.

Moving past Zack's scars, Tseng had to steel himself before looking into his eyes. For some reason, it seemed easier to focus on him than on Aerith. As soon as his black eyes managed to lock with Zack's sky-blue ones, Tseng knew what he had to do.

He took two steps into the room and fell on his knees before leaning forward with his hands palms-down on the floor; he rested his forehead on the backs of his hands and his hair curtained around his face.

"Tseng!"

Two voices echoed throughout the room at the same time and it only steeled his resolve to finish what he started.

"I am sorry. I couldn't keep my promise to you, Zack, and I couldn't deliver your letters to him, Aerith. I couldn't make sure he returned to you and, in a way, that contributed to everything that happened to you afterwards. I am overjoyed to see you two alive and well but that doesn't take away any of my responsibility… of my guilt. I know I probably don't have any right to ask, but… Please, forgive me."

He heard heavy, determined footsteps approaching him but he didn't move. Then there were two strong hands wrapping around his upper arms and gently helping him up. Zack stood little over an inch taller than him which meant that, when he hugged him, Tseng's head ended up tucked under the younger man's chin. He could feel the brunet's breath tickling his hair, one of his strong hands cupping the back of his head while the other wrapped around his back. In that position, Tseng was left with the side of his face pressed against Zack's shoulder and his arms pinned to his sides, not knowing what to do or say.

Zack took care of that, though.

"You did what you could, Tseng. We never blamed you. When I… well, it's a long and complicated story but after Aerith found me in the Lifestream, I learned what happened after I died. I saw how hard you tried to keep Aer safe and how consumed with guilt you were. I wanted to reach out to you and tell you to stop tormenting yourself but, well, I wasn't really allowed. And you seemed functional, at least compared to the mess Cloud was, so I wasn't really all that worried about you. Not even when you spent hours and hours talking to us at the church. Well, at us."

He stopped talking and chuckled, shaking his head. "You know how Cloud was certain it was really me back from the death, even before Chaos did his Lifestream reading trick? I couldn't stop rambling, just like now."

He held Tseng at arm's length and was shocked to see tears on the man's face. He fumbled for words for a minute before looking over his shoulder towards Aerith.

"Aer… I think I might've broken Tseng."

The young Cetra walked up to them with a warm smile on her face. She gently patted Zack's shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"You're out of practice, Zack. And poor Tseng came in here expecting the worst. Kind of like Cloud."

"Well, you should know how to comfort him, then."

Aerith smiled and gently shoved Zack aside before wrapping her arms around Tseng and hugging him tight.

"You can cry if you need to, Tseng. There's no shame in it and we won't judge you."

Whether he'd been waiting to hear those exact words from her or if it was just the sound of her voice that did it, Tseng finally snapped out of whatever stupor he was in and brought his arms around Aerith, pulling her to him as a ragged sob wracked him. He thought he'd cried all the tears he possibly could for them but apparently there was a fresh well within him in dire need of being emptied. He felt Aerith's soft hands caressing his hair and back, heard her kind voice whispering reassurances, and whatever was left of his walls crumbled down as he clung to her.

He wasn't quite sure how it happened but he suddenly found himself sitting on the couch, still holding on to Aerith while Zack sat behind him and rubbed his back in wide circles. There was a voice apologising and it took him a while to realise it was his own. Even then he couldn't stop doing it, not until his tears finally stopped and he felt oddly relieved.

With an undignified sniff, he pulled back from Aerith's arms and took a handkerchief from his jeans to dry his face. He briefly struggled with Aerith when she tried to take it away from him to clean him herself but eventually relented. He took the opportunity to look into her bright green eyes and knew there was something he needed to hear from her directly. From both of them, actually.

"Please say you don't hate me. I know it's selfish but I need to know that… that we're really all right."

"Tseng, you dummy," Aerith said, playfully swatting his arm. "We wouldn't have asked to stay with you while Cloud finds an apartment if we hated you."

"Yeah, man, I just told you: we don't blame you for anything. There's nothing to forgive and we want you to stop blaming yourself. We don't know how long we'll get to stay, whether this is a permanent thing or not, but whatever time we have we want to spend with our friends. And you're one of them, Tseng."

"If it would cause you any sort of trouble to have us with you, though, just say so and we'll figure something else out," Aerith offered.

Tseng took her hands in his, running his thumbs over her palms. He shook his head slowly before managing a small smile.

"It won't be a problem at all," he said. "I… I'll keep both of you safe this time."

"Tseng…" Aerith said, frowning.

"I know you don't blame me and that you don't think I failed you. I still feel like I did, but instead of wallowing in self pity I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you remain safe this time around. I am not losing you again."

Aerith smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Tseng."

As soon as she pulled back, Zack wrapped an arm around Tseng's neck and pulled him into a hug. "I knew we could count on ya!"

Tseng's smile grew and he found himself truly relaxing for the first time since getting on the helicopter at Mideel.

—

He spent the next hour or so talking to Zack and Aerith before remembering Rufus and the others were at the president's office. He promised Aerith and Zack he'd be back to arrange the details of their move and left with the intention of returning to Rufus's office. On the way there, however, he stopped at the other apartment's door. Vincent had told him that's where Sephiroth spent most of his time and where he'd been while Tseng talked to the other two.

Now that he'd sorted things out with Aerith and Zack, Tseng felt he was ready to face the ex-General. With a huge sigh, he knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened and there stood Sephiroth, looking bored in his black dress pants and a dark grey button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was barefoot and his hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. His green eyes still had pupils like a cat's but they lacked the mad glint that shone in them the last time Tseng had faced him.

As soon as he saw Tseng, the boredom was gone, replaced with a remorseful look.

"Tseng…"

"Sephiroth. May I come in?"

Without a word, Sephiroth nodded and moved to the side so Tseng could enter the apartment. He led him to the couch and they sat on opposite ends of it. For a long while they said nothing and Tseng began to think it had been a mistake to visit Sephiroth so soon. He really didn't know what to tell the former General and the scar on his torso began to feel warm and uncomfortable. He was even considering getting up and leaving when the silver-haired man cleared his throat and turned to look at him directly.

"Valentine said he and the others explained everything to you. So by now I suppose you know I'm not the same homicidal maniac bent on world domination/destruction that attacked and nearly killed you. I mean, I am technically the same man, but I'm not homicidal or manic and certainly ruling or destroying this world holds no appeal to me anymore."

Tseng couldn't help the amused smile that tugged at the corner of his lips, nor the slightly exasperated shake of his head. "I don't remember you ever being this talkative, Sephiroth. You're beginning to sound like Zack."

Sephiroth looked insulted for a second before breaking into a small smile. "I've spent the majority of the last two weeks locked up with him and the flower girl. Some of his personality was bound to rub off on me, I suppose.

"What I'm trying to say, Tseng, is that I am truly sorry for everything I did. Particularly for attacking you at the Temple of the Ancients and then spurring on the Remnants that tortured you and Elena. I won't hide behind Jenova because it wasn't her—at least, it wasn't just her. She started it but I took the reins along the way and…" He sighed and rubbed his temple. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear this and it's not like I can explain it very well. Bottom line is, I am sorry. Even if Chaos vouched for me I know none of you have much reason to trust me yet. All the same, I hope you'll believe me when I say I mean you no harm whatsoever."

"What about Zack and Aerith?"

"I mean them no harm, either. Actually, to be honest, I don't want to spend a lot of time with them. They're too… cheery."

"Good. Because I promised I would look after them and I'm not about to fail them again. So if you lose a screw again and become a threat to anyone I hold dear, I will not hesitate to end you. Or die trying."

Sephiroth gave him a sardonic smile. "I'm afraid you'll need to get in line if that happens, Director. Valentine, Cloud, Highwind, your senior staff, Zack, and even Rufus and Tuesti have already warned me of my imminent demise if I step out of line. All I can tell you is the same thing I told them: I don't plan to succumb to another psychotic breakdown."

Tseng nodded and stood up, extending his hand to Sephiroth. "Welcome back, General."

Sephiroth stood up and shook Tseng's hand. "Thank you, Director."

—

By the time he returned to Rufus's office, Tseng was mentally and emotionally exhausted. At the same time, though, he also felt excited and with a renewed sense of purpose.

Vincent and Rufus were the only ones in the office; Cloud had taken time off work to meet with Tseng and had to return shortly after the Director left to talk to Aerith and Zack.

The ex-Turk was sitting on a chair in front of Rufus's desk while the President talked on the phone. Tseng took the free chair and waited for Rufus to finish the call.

"Did they find her?" Vincent asked once Rufus hung up.

"Yes. They didn't explain the situation to her but Shelke said she did feel strangely uneasy a few weeks ago, but the feeling disappeared around the time Sephiroth and the others reemerged. She can't feel him, though."

"Won't she become suspicious that we're asking her about him?" Tseng asked.

"I had Elena make it seem like we're worried about Genesis and Weiss," Rufus explained. "She only mentioned Sephiroth as a 'for instance' so it should be all right. They did make it clear that she should report to us or Reeve if she feels anything odd."

"Are you planning on letting her know Sephiroth and the other two are back?"

"At some point," Vincent answered. "We'll also have to let everyone who was in Avalanche know at some point, just in case they accidentally run into Sephiroth. Also, since we don't know what their return means, we all need to keep our eyes and ears open. There's no knowing if anyone else will return or if Genesis and Weiss will make a move if they manage to get a read on Sephiroth. Although that's highly unlikely."

"You mentioned something like that before," Tseng said. "What do you mean?"

"I explained it before, didn't I? Sephiroth is Jenova-free."

Tseng frowned and tried to remember. Eventually he just shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I probably didn't register it properly back then. I was a bit shocked to learn they were back at all."

"It's understandable," Rufus said.

"Indeed. Anyway, that's how it is," Vincent said. "As far as Chaos can tell, Jenova was wiped out of Sephiroth's system before he was brought back. It's a bit complicated—I'm really not sure how it worked out. Since both his parents were injected with her cells before he was conceived and then he received a cocktail of mako and Jenova cells through most of his life, physically there's still some of her left in him. Her influence, however, is gone. He can't hear her, and he has no power over anyone who has her cells. We had him try it with Cloud and he failed every time."

"I imagine both of them were relieved," Tseng said with a wry smile.

"Yeah," Rufus said, grinning. "Cloud was glad to be rid of those strings and Sephiroth was overjoyed to not have any sort of connection to him, either. Mostly, though, I think Sephiroth was relieved not to have Jenova's voice inside his head anymore. Even if he did explain that after the Nibelheim incident it was him pulling her strings, he said it took too much out of him."

"He tried to explain it to me when I saw him a little while ago but he didn't seem to be able to find the right words."

"You talked to him?" Rufus asked. Tseng nodded and he said, "How'd that go?"

Tseng shrugged. "Well enough—we didn't hit each other and he apologised. I warned him that I won't hesitate to take him down if he goes off the deep end again but it seems like all of you beat me to it."

Vincent smiled but there was something grim in his expression that made Tseng really glad he hadn't done anything to get on the gunman's bad side.

"Sorry about that, Director. But it's as he says—there's a waiting line to return him to the Planet if he misbehaves, and it starts with Chaos."

"He didn't mention Chaos when we talked, but I do recall the Commissioner and the President being on that list."

Rufus shrugged. "I know I don't really stand a chance against him, but I'm not about to stand idly by if he tries to reduce our world to ashes again. Reeve felt the same way so it just felt natural to let him know. Anyway, I take it you talked things over with Aerith and Zack before paying the General a visit?"

Tseng nodded. "Yes. I told them I should have everything ready in my apartment in a day or two. I still have to unpack from my leave and make sure the guest rooms are ready for them. They said they only have the clothes they were wearing when they arrived and a few other things Cloud and the others got for them so I'll see if I can get them a few other things for the next couple of days while we figure how to get them to shop for what they really want."

"You have it easier than I do," Vincent said. "They can easily disguise themselves or you can take them to Kalm and they won't attract attention. It's impossible to hide Sephiroth."

"Online shopping," Rufus offered with a smug smile.

"Perhaps I should leave it up to you to find something General Fussypants will find agreeable, Sir," the gunman said, shooting an icy glare at Rufus.

"I'm willing to foot the bill but I'm not going to try to satisfy his finicky sensitivities," Rufus said. Tseng sniggered and the blond man shot him a questioning glare. "Anything you want to add, Tseng?"

"Only that it might serve you right to try, Sir. I still remember the first time you took us out shopping after the doctor cleared you to leave the wheelchair behind. My feet and head ache just thinking about it."

Rufus glared at him and pointed an accusatory finger his way. "I'm willing to let that slide because you're still technically on leave, but you've got some nerve calling me finicky, mister. I'm not the one who owns nothing but designer or high-end garments."

Vincent laughed as Tseng stuttered. The gunman shook his head and said, "I should let both of you handle him, then. Sounds like you'd have a lot of fun shopping whereas I just pick whatever looks sturdy and affordable."

He regretted his admission as soon as it was out of his mouth. Both men scanned his attire with laser-like precision and he felt painfully exposed.

"I can see that," Rufus said. "However, it's an improvement from that gothic getup Cloud and the others found you in. Seriously, what were you thinking, Vincent?"

The ex-Turk rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not a whole lot, really. Chaos was calling most of the shots back then because I was pretty out of it due to the experiments and the drugs. I know the cape was my idea—my father used to wear a similar cloak, although the colour was different. The rest was all Chaos; like I said, he's kind of loopy and has a really twisted sense of humour. It was his way of making his presence known without having to take over my body. Galian and the others seemed to like it, too, and I was apathetic enough to let them do as they willed."

"Okay, I can sort of understand that," Tseng said. "But what about afterwards?"

Vincent shrugged. "Too much of a hassle to bother changing my attire in the middle of a world crisis. After Meteorfall it had sort of become a part of me, and…"

He sighed. He wasn't used to talking so much about himself, particularly to people like Rufus and Tseng, but he supposed that if they were going to be working closer than before, there was no harm in letting them know a bit more. Goddess knew he wouldn't be this talkative around any other Shinra employee, though. But Tseng was trained by Veld, so Vincent could be relatively certain of the man's code; as for Rufus, the young man had really turned over a new leaf and had been of great help to Reeve over the past few years. If the Commissioner trusted him, Vincent had little to no reason to feel differently about him.

"It became a physical manifestation of the mess I was inside. Since, unlike Cloud and the rest, I hadn't found a way or reason to leave my past behind, I clung to it. The clothes were a part of that. But after Deepground I realised that there was still a lot to fight for, a lot that I wanted to protect, and holding on to my past wasn't helping matters any. So I made my peace with those events and I ditched the getup. I still use the cloak and gauntlet on the more dangerous missions but I don't feel like carrying them around everywhere. Besides, I spent a lot of time with Cloud and Tifa before moving to Junon, which meant a lot of time around little kids, and wearing the gauntlet around them was rather dangerous."

"I used to think the gauntlet was a prosthetic," Tseng confessed. "I was a bit disappointed the first time I saw you without it and noticed your arm was intact." Vincent and Rufus gave him odd looks but he just shrugged. "I grew up with penny dreadfuls and the likes, and I still have a soft spot for horror stories."

The ex-Turk jokingly punched his shoulder with his left arm. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Director, but my body is 100% flesh and bone. In addition to that, I can walk in the sunlight, I like garlic, can't drop fang and, even if I could, I dislike the taste of blood with a passion, and no longer sleep in a coffin. I can transform into three monsters and the most ancient Weapon of all, and my cape trick is the delight of little children around Halloween, but I don't transform into bats."

Rufus was laughing and Tseng stared at Vincent like he'd gone insane. Laughter eventually won him over and all three men ended up chuckling together. They tried to pull themselves together when there was a knock on the door but Reno and Rude still caught them sniggering.

"What the hell?" Rude said. He looked genuinely surprised, if not a bit weirded out.

"Walked into a parallel dimension, yo," Reno said; he also looked very confused. "'Cause, really, when was the last time you saw the Director andValentine and the Boss all chummy and laughing?"

"Sorry," Tseng said, "it's just that Vincent thought it necessary to dispel any rumours about his being a vampire."

"Yep, parallel dimension," Reno said as he did an about-face and tried to leave the office.

"Stop that," Rufus said, wiping a tear off his eye. "You make it sound like we never have fun."

"There's fun and then there's… whatever, yo," Reno said, giving up. "Just came over to say our shift's over and we're heading out for drinks. Wanna come?"

"Why don't we drink here?" Rufus suggested. "I still feel bad leaving those three alone most of the day."

"Fine by me," Vincent said.

The rest agreed, as well, and Rufus nodded. "Good. I'll order some food."

—

End notes:

So, there it is. Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated. Also, if you find typos or grammatical errors, in the name of Holy let me know! English is my second language, and although I've been studying it since I was five, I still muck up now and again.

Thanks for reading!