Hello! If you are reading this, hopefully it's because you wanted more Doppelgangers, and of course Mary and Angeal drama. I'm posting to start out the new story, though this section is pretty short. Can't get any farther until the main story is started, which will hopefully be soon! Let me know what you think, feedback is always welcome.

Ff7 belongs entirely to square enix

"How do you feel?" Angeal asked as he and Mary returned to the apartment. It had been a few days since the Cosmos Canyon incident, and Angeal was finally able to pull Mary out of the bed and get her into the training room.

"It is good to be back." Mary said, as she tried to stifle a yawn.

"You sound tired. Did I push you too hard?" He teased her.

"Never." She replied. "My body is just confused because I slept for three days and then didn't run this morning. Hopefully it will realize I mean business when I start running again."

"You are the one who wanted to keep sleeping." Angeal pointed out.

"I know." Mary grumbled as they entered the apartment. As she and Angeal made their way to his room, Angeal's phs vibrated.

"Looks like I have a meeting. Will you be alright by yourself?" He turned to ask her. Mary nodded and yawned again.

"It will give me a chance to actually get some crafting done." She replied as she made her way to her own room. "You always distract me." She added. Angeal chuckled as he made his way back to the SOLDIER floor.

xxxxx

Mary quickly changed out of her uniform and into comfy clothes, before grabbing her yarn and making her way to the living room. She was actually glad to have time to craft. Every time she had tried since starting to date Angeal he had distracted her in one way or the other. The only chances that she got to make any progress on her projects were when he was away on a mission, or when she was away on a mission without him. Mary smiled as she plopped onto the couch, glad that she was home.

Mary was almost done with the square that she had started when Zack returned from training with Cloud and plopped down on the floor, leaning back against the couch with a sigh.

"What's the matter Puppy?" Mary asked, noticing that his usual happy glow was missing.

"Nothing." He said, as he inched his way over for Mary to pet him, which she gladly obliged. She had missed Zack, and felt a little guilty that she had been spending so much time with Angeal that she really hadn't spent time with Zack at all, other than Buster sword training. "I'm just bored. Everyone is always too distracted to play with me." Zack whined.

"You do know you aren't really a puppy, don't you?" Mary teased as she gave Zack a noogie.

"Hey!" Zack yelped as he tried to get away.

"What? I thought you wanted someone to play with you?"

"That's not what I meant." Zack said, as he pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry Puppy. Come back, I promise I won't do it again." Mary said sweetly, holding out her arms for a hug. Zack gave in and launched himself onto the couch, almost tackling Mary as he went in for the hug. "Now, will you talk to me about it?"

"I don't know, I just feel left out, I guess." Zack started, sounding a bit shy for him. "Cloud is always with Tseng, and now you and Alanna are always with Angeal and Genesis. And the last few days I haven't been able to get Piper away from Matti except to train. Even Seph is always off with either Vincent or Chloe. I feel left out."

"You feel like an odd wheel?" Mary asked, Zack nodded. "I'm sorry Puppy, we don't mean to."

"I know, but it still sucks."

"Sorry, I know how that feels. I went through that all of high school and a large portion of college." Mary replied, remembering how awful that had always been.

"You did?"

"Well yeah. My friends were always hanging out with their boyfriends or girlfriends, and I was always the odd wheel, forever alone." Mary said, rolling her eyes.

"But now you have Angeal." Zack pointed out.

"Yeah, I finally found someone who likes me." Mary said jokingly.

"I like you." Zack said, sounding offended by her comment.

"That's not what I meant Zack." Mary said, rolling her eyes.

"I know. Angeal likes you in that special way, the way that makes you two so perfect together."

"Don't say that, you'll jinx us." Mary replied with a push against his shoulder.

"Okay, maybe not perfect, but you obviously have something special." Zack said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I wish I could find something like that."

"Aww, Puppy." Mary said as she hugged Zack again. "You will find that special someone." She tried to reassure him.

"I haven't found her yet."

"Have you even looked?"

"Yeah, I go on dates all the time. They are fun, but there is nothing there, no spark."

"Who are you going on dates with?" Mary asked.

"Just girls I meet around. I just go up, ask them out, and then we go see a movie or something." Zack said with a shrug. It was obvious that he hadn't had a meaningful time with any of them.

"Well that is your problem." Mary said.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

"You won't find someone special by just asking out any girl you meet. You need to go out with someone you like, like, really like."

"I don't get it."

"Do you get nervous when you ask these girls out?"

"Nope." Zack replied, still trying to figure out what Mary was getting at.

"When you like someone, when that person is someone special, you will be nervous. Just the idea of being in a room alone with them should make your heart race and your stomach feel funny." Mary explained. "I felt that way about Angeal from the first day we were here, and I still do."

"But what if no one makes me nervous?"

"There are really no girls that make you nervous?"

"Nope." Zack replied with a grin, before seeming to remember something and looking away to avoid Mary's questioning glare.

"What about that girl from the church?" Mary asked, remembering how he had drooled over Aerith when they were found in the Church in the slums. Zack blushed and looked down at his hands. "See, there is a girl who makes you nervous. Why don't you go ask her out?"

"She seems so sweet, and innocent. What would a girl like that want to do with a SOLDIER like me?" Zack asked, his insecurities becoming apparent.

"You may be SOLDIER, but you are as sweet as they come, Puppy." Mary said reassuringly. "And who couldn't like you? You are fun, playful, kind, and quite cute. Just like a puppy. Girls love puppies."

"You really think so?"

"I know so." Mary said. "If it wasn't for Angeal, I would be all over you." Mary teased.

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll ask out the flower girl." Zack said, standing up and heading to the door determinedly.

"Uh, Zack." Mary said before he made it to the door. "You don't know who she is. You should wait and ask Reno to find out more about her. She may not always be at the church."

"Oh, good point. I'll find out who she is, then I'll ask her out." Zack said with a smile, earning a smile in return from Mary.

"Come here, I need a cuddle buddy until Angeal comes back." Mary said, patting the cushion beside her. Zack returned and plopped back down on the couch, putting his arm over Mary's shoulder. It was only a few minutes before Mary leaned into Zack and fell asleep.

xxxxx

Angeal returned to the apartment to find Mary asleep on Zack, who seemed to be lost in thought. He made his way to them and gently shook Mary awake.

"Hi." Mary said sleepily as she pulled herself away from Zack and reattached herself to Angeal. "Goodnight Zack. And good luck." She said as he carried her back to his room.

"What was that about?" Angeal asked as he sat down on the small couch in his room.

"Zack is going to ask out the girl from the church." Mary said with another yawn.

"Who?"

"The girl who helped us in the church. Aerith. Don't you remember her?"

"I guess I was distracted." Angeal replied.

"Huh. Well, when Zack fell through the ceiling he met her, and practically drooled over her. It took some convincing but I think he is going to ask her out."

"Since when do you meddle with other people's love lives?" Angeal asked.

"I didn't meddle, not really. We were just having a conversation. He has been feeling lonely and neglected recently." Mary replied. "We should spend more time with him." She added.

"I know, but I much prefer spending time with you alone."

"We have plenty of time to be alone. It would do us some good to spend more time with the others." Mary said, curling into a ball on Angeal's lap. "Starting tomorrow, right now I'm comfy here."

"Would you be more comfortable on the bed?"

"Probably, but then I'll fall asleep."

"You're falling asleep out here." Angeal pointed out.

"Shhh…" Mary said, as she faded into sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ouch." Mary yelped as a shock went through her crochet hook. "Reno!" She yelled, as she turned around and tried to locate the Turk who had zapped her crochet hook with his EMR.

"Patience." Angeal lightly scolded her as he pulled her back down to the couch when she got up to chase him.

"But he zapped me! It hurt…" Mary whined.

"It didn't hurt that bad. And you need to practice your patience. He just wants a reaction anyway. Ignore him and he will stop." Angeal replied, going back to his book. Reno snickered from the kitchen, while Ryu shook her head.

"I wouldn't make a habit of pissing Mary off. Angeal can't protect you forever." Ryu warned.

"She forgets her anger quickly. As long as Angeal is around, she won't do anything." Reno replied. "Plus her reaction is hilarious, yo."

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" Ryu said as she left the kitchen to plop on the couch beside Morgan.

xxxxx

For two days Mary gritted her teeth as she was repeatedly shocked through her hook. She didn't know why, but Angeal would not let her retaliate. Great time for him to stop being protective. She grumbled to herself when Angeal sent her a scolding look as she swore at the recent shock. She hadn't been reacting, or had at least been trying to not react, but Reno would not stop. He seemed to find the situation hilarious. Mary decided it was time to do something about it.

xxxxx

"Hey Ryu." Mary said to her friend as she walked in on the end of her training session with Reno.

"What's up?" Ryu asked.

"Nothing, just curious as to what you two were doing today." Mary replied with a smile. Ryu raised an eyebrow, and then shook her head as she walked to the door.

"Sure you were." She said. "Just don't hurt him too badly. I don't think Tseng would appreciate losing his second in command." Ryu added as she left the room. Mary smirked as she turned back to Reno, who was leaning casually against the wall. He figured Mary had come to get revenge, but he didn't think it would be that bad.

"Need a break from Angeal, yo?" He asked her.

"In a way." Mary replied, as she made her way over to him.

Reno pushed off the wall and made to attack Mary, sensing that she was in the mood to fight. Mary dodged the first two kicks he aimed at her head, but was unable to avoid his punch. Reno smiled in satisfaction, not realizing that Mary had grabbed the back of his coat. By the time he realized it, it was too late, and Mary spun around and threw Reno to the ceiling. As he neared the ceiling, he felt the bitter cold of a blizzard materia.

Reno closed his eyes and prepared himself for impact, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes to try and figure it out, and found himself suspended to the ceiling. "What the hell, yo?" He asked.

"I thought you needed a break, some time to chill." Mary said, giggling at her own lame pun.

"Did you freeze me to the ceiling?"

"Yep. I feel better now. Bye bye." Mary replied childishly, as she started to skip away.

"Hey, come back! It's cold up here, yo!" Reno yelled after her.

xxxxx

"What are you so happy for?" Alanna asked as Mary skipped into the elevator.

"I froze Reno's butt to the ceiling." Mary said proudly.

"You did what?" Alanna asked, trying to process what she said. "How did you manage that?"

"Blizzard. Well, a variation of blizzard. Sometimes when I get bored I go to the VR room and mess with my materia." Mary replied with a shrug. Alanna gave her a funny look. "What? I know you do it too."

"Yeah, with Fire. I didn't know you could do stuff like that with Blizzard." Alanna said. "So how long did you leave him there?"

"He's still up there."

"You just left him there?"

"Yup."
"With his butt frozen to the ceiling. You do know he is probably freezing in some other areas by now."

"Like I care." Mary replied.

"You don't? I thought you wanted that as a backup." Alanna teased. "Either way, that is very mean."

"And your point?"

"It is mean, and awesome. I can't believe you came up with it." Alanna said arrogantly. Mary stuck her tongue out at her in response. "You know, I bet he really wants to come down now. I'm going to go check on him."

"Have fun." Mary said as she got off the elevator. Entering the apartment, Mary launched herself onto the couch next to Angeal.

"Where have you been?" He asked her.

"Practicing blizzard." She said, avoiding his eyes. She wasn't really lying, but she knew he would be angry with her, so she didn't tell him everything.

xxxxx

"HEY! Someone, anyone? Kinda freezing up here." Reno continued to yell. It had only been five minutes, but it felt like much longer since he was freezing. The cold from the blizzard had spread up to his core and down his legs, and he could feel the blood pooling in his feet and hands as he hung from the ceiling.

"Get yourself in a bind?" Alanna asked as she walked into the training room.

"Are you going to laugh at me or are you going to help me?" Reno asked, frustrated.

"Oh I'll help you, as long as you don't mind a little fire." Alanna said impishly.

"Just get me down." Reno replied.

"Gladly." Alanna said, charging a fira and sending it up to melt the ice. Alanna grinned as the ice was quickly melted and Reno dropped to the floor.

"Ouch. I think you burned my butt, yo." Reno complained as he pushed himself up off the floor.

"Whoops, guess I made it a little strong." Alanna said with a mock innocence.

xxxxx

Alanna followed Reno into the apartment, still laughing after seeing that she had burned through Reno's pants, and seeing that his boxers had chocobos on them.

"Shut up already." Reno complained as he lowered himself onto a loveseat.

"What happened to you?" Genesis asked, as he pulled Alanna into his lap.

"Mary froze him to the ceiling, then I had to save him. But I accidently burned his pants in the process." Alanna explained to Gen, who laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Accidently?" He asked her. Alanna nodded with a devilish smile. Meanwhile Mary had tucked herself into a ball and had worked her way behind Angeal to avoid his disapproving glare.

"Mary, is this true?" Angeal asked. Mary hesitantly nodded her head, still hiding. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"It was funny." Mary said, coming out of her hiding place and giggling. Angeal shook his head. "What? He deserved it."

"I thought you would be above such childish things."

"Well that was silly. You should know better." Mary replied, snuggling under his arm. "It was really funny." She added.

"Yeah, unless it is your butt that is frozen to the ceiling." Reno muttered from across the room. Mary stuck her tongue out at him.

"Did you learn anything, Niisan?" Ryu asked as she leaned against the arm of his chair.

"Probably not." Reno replied. Ryu rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Sorry it was so short, hopefully the next chapter is able to be longer. Thanks for reading!