Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: I'm not planning to make this near as long as Nexus was. Whether I am able to keep that promise is up to the deadly creativity-swallowing dust bunnies under my bed and if they let me compose a fully functioning story. By the way, the events of this chapter are happening in roughly chronological order as I have them laid out.

(I was just wondering if anyone ever noticed the reference to Final Fantasy X-2 when I originally made Cloud's wings silver. If you noticed, let me know in the comments.)

"Should you ever find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, jealousy, lies and insecurities… Don't be mad. Remember, things could be worse: You could be them." – Anonymous

Nexus of Fate

Chapter 2

~Indentured Blame~

Aerith slowly lowered the phone back to the countertop. Sephiroth rounded the corner as he started for the sink to begin washing the dinner dishes, he asked, "Who was that?"

Distracted, she failed to hear him enter. She'd already called out to the lifestream, trying to find the mother that contacted her before. She needed to find answers, but her calls remained ignored. Her need to go to the church where her connection was strongest in this part of the world over-took her emotions momentarily. Turning to leave, she ran into Sephiroth's chest and bounced back into the counter with a squeak.

Running his hands up her arms, the silver haired man asked anxiously, noting her paled face, "Are you alright?"

"Umm, I just need to…" She didn't know what to say. Cid had put a question of doubt in her mind about what she knew of the lifestream and now she needed to pray. She needed to find answers where she didn't have any.

"Aerith?"

"Oh, umm I need to go to the church."

"Allow me to get my boots and I will accompany you."

"NO!"

Alarm and anger crossed his face as he shuddered at her outburst and insisted, "It is not safe for you to go alone at this time of night."

Knowing that Sephiroth would never let her leave the house without him this late in the evening, she reluctantly accepted his offer.

During the walk, Sephiroth tried again to find out what was bothering the woman he loved. After everything that happened, she had adjusted well except for the fact that she kept him under her watchful eye almost constantly. It was as if she didn't trust him, that the green-eyed version of him wasn't gone for good. He could understand on a certain level because he himself was scared that that part of Jenova hadn't been completely defeated. However the fact that she didn't let him go anywhere without a thorough survey of what he would be doing and who he would be going with quickly became a part of their routine – a routine that began to grate on his nerves.

Part of him hated that she didn't seem to trust him, but there was a part of him that didn't trust her either. It was a source of stress within their relationship. He wanted to move past what had happened and start a family with the flower girl if she would ever accept his proposal of marriage, but something within her couldn't seem to allow her to follow her heart.

Now, as they walked to the church at this dangerous time, he wondered what had spooked her into needing to talk to the planet so late at night.

"Are you going to tell me what has brought this on?"

"Huh?"

Pulling on her arm, he stopped her in her tracks, "I would like to know is happening that you need to go to the church this late."

Breaking eye contact with him for a short time, she answered almost too quietly for him to hear, "It's about… Cloud…? Maybe."

Thinking he'd not heard her correctly, he raised an eyebrow in a questioning glare, "Did you say-?"

"-Can we please just go?! I really need to see what is happening," Pulling her arm, his hand gripped tighter, but she still fought to free herself. Desperation crept up her back until she snapped, "Seph! Let me go!"

Releasing her, he followed her quickened pace to the church, "I trust that you will tell me as soon as possible?"

Not stopping until she reached the outer doors to the dilapidated building, she nodded to him as she entered and began to feverishly talk to the planet. Taking a seat close by, watching over her while she prayed, he tried his best to remain calm. His thoughts raced, was the lifestream in danger? Was Cloud's soul in jeopardy or was Cloud trying to warn them of an emergency?

Without realizing it, he'd wrung his hands so tightly that his knuckles cracked. Aerith's green eyes focused on him, filled with worry, "Seph. We have a situation that I don't exactly know how to deal with."

Rising to his full height, the impressive man pulled from his experience of stressful military situations and wound in his emotions. It was going to be a long night.

Laying the baby down in his bassinette, Tifa strained a grin as Junior finally slumbered. Stretching her back, she tried loosening her muscles that were tight after fighting for well over two hours to get the fussy baby back to sleep. She'd fed him, burped him, walked the floor with him, bounced, patted, sung and rocked him until she just wanted to pass out from exhaustion.

Glancing at the clock, she noted that it was almost time to get up, so as usual she had another sleepless night. Falling like a limp mess on the large bed, she lay on her stomach thanking Gaia that Zack wasn't home from picking Cid up after his plane crash yet. This way, she had the entire bed to herself and she didn't have to pull a pillow over her head to drown out his snoring. She silently noted to herself that Cloud's snore had been quieter and… she missed it.

Feeling the deep calling of sleep, she sighed and allowed herself to drift off until the sound of the downstairs door slammed shut.

Deep down, she cringed. She knew it was Zack, back from his over-night rescue. She tried not to grit her teeth and yell at him as he noisily made his way up the stairs in their small house above the store they operated. She told herself that it was just his boisterous nature.

It wasn't that she didn't love him, the whole situation was just weird to her after seeing her blond lover at the wedding ceremony in ghost form. She couldn't help but feel her skin crawl when Zack touched her. She would smile, she would say that she loved him, but she just couldn't make her emotions give herself completely over to him. She made up various reasons and many excuses that she couldn't be with him intimately, and she was quickly running out of stall tactics. Sure, he would sigh and turn the other cheek, but she could tell that he was beginning to resent her and that was something that she couldn't make herself accept. His friendship was one thing she wasn't willing to lose.

However, to her, the whole thing just felt wrong, forced and… false.

This morning though, Zack's notion of tip-toeing was like a large dog fetching a ball that it's owner just threw. Of course the baby began to rustle and as he opened the bedroom door, she instinctively shhh-ed him… right before the wailing began again.

Rolling over to her back, she covered her face with her hands and fought the urge to cry and scream at the same time. However, she couldn't stop the frustration that built up and she yelled, "Damn it Zack!"

Seeing the error he'd made, he began to apologize upon her deaf ears, "Oh, crap Tifa. I thought you'd be awake since the store opens in ten minutes."

Throwing her hands to her sides, she stayed laying on her back as she let out a tirade, "He's been up all night! I just got him to sleep and now I have to work to earn money for this family!" Sitting up, she glared at him, "And you come back here all noisy and wake him up! I've had it!"

"Tifa I'm sorry that-"

"Shut up! I can't take this anymore!" As her emotions began to bubble she let the words fumble out in a tense stream, "He won't sleep, you won't leave me alone and I still have the books on the new stock to do for the store."

"Tifa-"

"No Zack!" Picking up the baby, his fussing seemed to worsen as she bounced him on her shoulder and he began to cry louder.

"Here, let me try so that you can go wash your face." Taking Junior into his arms, his fussing seemed to abate which only gave Tifa a deeper level of bitterness as she ran for the bathroom and slammed the door. Standing there with the infant in one of his arms, Zack glanced down to the bright blue eyes that resembled his father identically. Swallowing a lump, he smiled at the infant and spoke through the door, "I'll take care of the shop. Just try and get some sleep. Me and the little guy will get that stock put up and everything." Not getting a response, his fingers ran down the rough wooden door as he spoke just above a whisper, "I'll make everything okay again, I promise."

In the bathroom, Tifa tried to ignore the silent baby and the pleading man. Leaning on the sink, she watched as a few tears dripped to the porcelain. Waiting until they went back downstairs, she finally exited the bathroom to get out of her sleep deprived pajamas. Zack wasn't incompetent, but his kind nature would often get out of hand and he would end up talking to people for hours instead of working. The duties of running a business and household would never get done unless she did them. The weight of responsibilities and the past burdens of memories pulled her down further than what she was willing to let Zack know.

Wiping her face, she pulled a brush through her hair and tied it back at the base of her neck. A deep breath and a few push-ups got her mind in a less tormenting place and more to business-as-usual. She would have to accept her fate to be married to her lover's best friend, a man she did love, but was not in love with, despite Cloud's best efforts from beyond the grave. Zack just wasn't the man she wanted more than anything else. However, they would raise Cloud's son together and she would have to allow a marriage consummation eventually.

Making her way down the stairs, Tifa's eyes rested on her husband and her son. While unlocking the door to the store, the baby squealed when Zack winked at him with his large smile that always brightened the room. Watching for a moment, she swallowed down her feelings for Cloud and made her way to her husband, surprising him with a quick kiss, she said solemnly, "I'm sorry."

Patting the back of small blond in his arms, Zack said slowly and heart-felt, "No, I'm sorry."

Clearing her throat, Tifa strained to get the words out that seemed to stick in her throat every time she tried to say them, "How about we get a babysitter this weekend and take some time for o-ourselves." Although she knew what the weekend would end up meaning for Zack, it would mean something completely different for her - finally saying good bye to her one true love, Cloud.

With a smile, Zack beamed, "That sounds great. I'm sure that Shera wouldn't mind watching little Cloud for a couple of days."

The sound of her lover's name on his lips set up a fight for her to keep her tears at bay. Turning away just in time so that Zack wouldn't see her face of disappointment and anger, she grit her teeth and replied as cheerfully as she could while rounding the counter, "Then it's a d-date."

Shera rustled restlessly in the garage while she heard Cid argue with the silver-winged Cloud. Although she never really met Cloud before, this newer version of him weirded her out on a deep level of her gut. He was nice and never touched her, but the way he stared at nothing in particular and the way he just stood in place while she moved around the room made her nervous. Perhaps she'd mention it to Cid, she knew he felt the same, but after knowing the real Cloud shortly before the happenings here in town would make him understand why she wanted him to order the blond away permanently.

After being on the phone with Aerith, Cid's demeanor changed and so she sought refuge out and away from both men. Tinkering on the airship, or the buggy, always cleared her mind and so the sound of the phone ringing jarred her from her contemplation. Quickly wiping her grease-covered hands, she reached for the receiver, "Hello?"

"Hiya Shera!"

"Hello Zack. How are you?"

"Hey I have a question. Are you busy this weekend?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Well me and Tifa are planning a little alone time for a couple of days and need a baby sitter. Interested?"

With a small smile, she nodded and said with a fair amount of giddiness, "Of course!"

"Great, I'll come drop him off with his bag and bottles on Friday afternoon. So that gives you a few days to get Cid ready for the idea."

"Okay, I look forward to seeing the little guy and I'm sure that Cid won't mind." To say that she was excited was a bit of an underestimation. She loved babies almost more than being an engineer and master mechanic. It was only a matter of time that she would wear her own husband down so that she could have her own child. Until then though, she took every opportunity to watch over baby Cloud that she could.

After hanging up, she was startled by a voice behind her, "Who was that?"

Jumping and turning, Shera almost slapped at the man before he could touch her, but stopped herself before her hand could make contact. Noticing that it was only Cid, she signed in relief, "Oh, it was just Zack. He and Tifa are taking a weekend off and he asked me to babysit."

Cid suddenly paled and reached up and rubbed at his shoulder, "Oh…"

"It won't be so bad. You know I love watching the baby."

"It's not… It's not the baby… It's just that I just got off the phone with Aerith."

"Oh, does she want to watch the baby instead of me?"

Shaking his head, Cid muttered, "No, it's, ah, nothing… never mind, forget I said anything."

Watching as Cid fidgeted in place, the hair on Shera's arms rose as the silver-winged blond walked in to the garage and asked politely, "Before I leave, is there anything that I may help you with Shera Highwind?"

With a glare, Shera spoke a little more harshly than she intended, "No. I don't need your help."

Reviews, critiques, and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I utilize good constructive criticism to help my writing and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination!