Disclaimer: Clearly, I do not own FFVII and anything related to it or else I wouldn't be making a fanfic. If I did own them it would be nothing but…well naughty stories involving big swords. XD eye rolls I'm not worth suing anyways.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry that chapters have been so few and far between. ( hearts )

The Houseguest

Chapter 3: Spread the Word

August faded into September and little Aeris continued about her everyday life. She doted over her garden and kept up around the house. It had only been two weeks since Zack's homecoming and his departure and Aeris's mind was starting to adjust to the fact that he was gone. He had promised her he'd be back in month and she believed him. The only word from Zack, since their goodbyes, Aeris had was a short letter:

"Aeris,

I arrived safely. No worries. I'll be home as soon as possible.

Take care,

Zack"

She wasn't surprised at the length of Zack's letter for two reasons: one Zack probably couldn't say much for security reasons and two he disliked writing letters. Aeris giggled at the last reason because if he disliked writing them so why didn't he "just call?" she had asked Zack once. Zack had respond with, "If I call you, I'll hear that beautiful voice of your's and all I'll be able to focus on for the rest of the mission is how much I wish to hear it again."

He had a knack for charming Aeris like that but after reading his letter for the tenth time in the past two weeks something hit her. Once it did, she immediately felt foolish for not recognizing this the first time she read the letter. Moreover Aeris wondered why she didn't notice it before. "Just how long had it been since he stopped saying 'I love you'?"

"Zack wants to marry me and he can't even write the worlds I love you?" Aeris wasn't one to get overly emotional but everything had happened so fast over the past few weeks that she was in need of a good cry. With bowl of ice cream in her lap and the television flipping through chick flicks, Aeris let all her built up emotions loose.

"Aeris, I don't think you should worry too much. I mean the man obviously cares about you." Tifa called out from the kitchen. She was making her own bowl of black walnut ice cream, Aeris's favorite. "You think?" Aeris sniffled. Tifa perched herself beside Aeris on the small love seat and smiled. " I know so." She said with a wink and then briefly hugged her friend who was now drying her deep emerald green eyes.

Tifa felt it would be best to say with Aeris for the night. She had never witnessed Aeris so distraught in the entire time she had known Aeris. Tifa not wanting to impose too much on Aeris, slept on the love seat in the living room. She fell asleep to long after Aeris went to take a nice long and much needed bubble bath.

Aeris soaked in the warm floral scented water until her skin was red. Her long soft hair was let loose and floated freely around her. "Mmm...I should indulge myself a little more often." Aeris thought to herself. After what seemed like an eternity of soaking, her peace and relaxation was disrupted.

Aeris had opened her eyes and looked upward. The frosted glass window above the bathtub did not allow for anyone to see in or out for that matter. She jolted forward as she saw a sillhoette move past the window. Aeris's heart raced and she quickly reached for her fully pink bathrobe. Aeris hid herself from the view of the window after draining the water out of the tub. "Had someone been spying on me? I mean they couldn't really see in the window. Was someone trying to break in?" Aeris tried to gather her thoughts.

She opened the door to the bathroom and tried to avoid the few windows her small house had as she traveled upstairs towards her bedroom. Aeris dressed herself in a comfortable pair of pajamas and decided that waking Tifa wouldn't be necessary. Her friend had already done enough for her tonight and besides contrary to what people may think, Aeris wasn't any push over. She wasn't about to let some phantom figure scare her out of her wits.

Aeris nestled herself under the cool cotton of her blankets when once again her body jolted in fear. This time a noise startled her. It sounded as thought it was coming from her garden. Aeris craned her neck towards the single window in her bedroom. What ever that noise was it didn't happen again. It was probably just a raccoon or opossum nosing around her garden. "Yeah that's it." Aeris thought to herself.

Aeris tried to curl up and close her eyes but her mind didn't want to turn itself off. She kept picturing some looming monster trying to break it's way into her house. "That's crazy. It was just an animal and the shadow was probably just a bat flying by the window. Yeah that's it." Aeris tried to reassure herself. It was just a bunch of wild animals having a party out side of her house. Aeris giggled at the thought of animals wearing party hats. While her thoughts were filled with nonsense visions, her heart still raced inside her small frame.

"I'll just go check the window." Aeris thought. "That's how I'll calm my heart. And when I see that there is nothing there, I'll finally be able to get some sleep." Aeris slowly crept over to her window and pulled back the lace curtains. She looked at the garden and saw nothing but her beautiful flowers smiling back at her in the darkness. Something moved just below Aeris's line of sight. She naturally looked more closely. There just beyond the flowers was a tall figure, dressed in dark colored clothing. Aeris's eyes widened and she threw herself against the wall. "Who was that outside her window?" She mustered up all her courage for a final peek out the small window and saw nothing.

"Oh Aeris, get a hold of yourself. It's just your imagination." Aeris looked over at the clock on the wall. 2:35 AM. No wonder. "It's late and your eyes are sore from all those wasted tears, it's only natural you're starting to see things. Aeris made sure her curtains were fully shut and then returned to her inviting bed. Aeris fell into a deep dreamless sleep and even though she finally went to sleep so late, she still awoke with the sun. Aeris put on her standard work clothes and went out towards the backyard to tend to her garden. Tifa wasn't even awake yet. Aeris noted as she carefully walked past her sleeping friend.

Aeris opened the door and set her right foot on the first step leading out of her house. Her foot slipped and she fell. Tifa stirred in the other room. Aeris looked around to see what she had slipped on after she quickly brushed herself off. The stairs weren't wet and it was September so they weren't icy either. Something caught her eye just off to the side of the stairs. There littered over the ground where what appeared to be photos. Aeris scrunched her brow in confusion and reached out for the five pictures. What she saw shocked her. Aeris hadn't even realized she let out a small scream until she heard Tifa coming towards her.

"Aeris, are you okay? I heard a thud and then you screamed." Tifa's voice was scratchy from sleep but the concern was visible. "Oh I'm alright." Aeris lied and quickly hid the pictures under her tools in her garden basket. "I just saw a snake and it made me jump. That's all." Aeris lied again. Tifa looked at Aeris funny. Aeris had never been one to freak out over a snake though, Tifa supposed, sometimes anyone can be caught off guard.

Tifa had left her friend sometime around 11 o'clock. Tifa made a nice breakfast but had to get ready to open her bar in a few hours. "Happy hour is always such a madhouse." Tifa joked. Aeris didn't mention the pictures to her friend or the strange shadowy figure she witnessed outside her window the night before. Aeris wondered if the pictures she held in her hand as she sat at the small table in her kitchen were from the mysterious visitor. She spread the pictures out on her table and unwillingly forced herself to look at each one.

All the pictures were dated sometime in the last two weeks. The first one was of Zack with a group of about five other men and one woman. Aeris assumed they worked for ShinRa as well. Zack had a cheesy grin on his face and if it hadn't been for the other four pictures, Aeris might have laughed at the first. The second was a picture of the blonde haired woman, who had been in the first picture, and Zack. This time though, Zack's lips were too busy to make a cheesy grin. He had the woman wrapped up in his arms and she had her fingers running through his hair. The two were locked in very passionate kiss.

The third picture had the same woman sprawled out in her underwear on a bed and Zack was tugging at her bra with his teeth. Zack himself had only a dark blue pair of pants on but it was clear from the angle of the picture that the pants were becoming rather tight and confining. In the fourth picture Zack was the one on his back. His legs were spread apart like the woman's had been in the previous picture. The blonde haired woman had seemed to be devouring Zack's manhood with her mouth as she sat on hands and knees between Zack's legs. Zack's expression disgusted Aeris more than the act that was being portrayed in the picture. His head was thrown back and his eyes closed. "That bastard was enjoying this!" Aeris yelled out in her empty house.

The last picture was just as damning as all the rest but to the virgin flower girl, it hurt the most. She knew Zack was no novice in the bedroom but she had always believed him to be faithful to her. She had hoped that on their wedding night she would find herself in a similar position the blonde hair woman was now in with Zack. A big fat tear fell on the picture only magnifying the horrific image of Zack exploring the dark depths of his female companion. Aeris began to cry harder and she pushed the pictures off the table in a fit of rage.

Aeris was overwhelmed with a mix of foolishness, doubt, anger, and sadness. Aeris fell out of her chair and curled up on the floor sobbing for some time. She finally cried herself to sleep and wouldn't awake until she heard another noise coming from outside her house.

A man who and been in the group picture with Zack stood outside Aeris's house for a second night. His blue eyes were just as overly confident as the rest of his stance as he looked on at the unsuspecting flower girl's residence.