Disclaimer: All characters belong to SquareEnix, we just brought them out to play.

000

Suddenly Sephiroth gasped his eyes going wide as if he has just seen a ghost. He pushed Marlene back away from himself as he stood up, staggering back away from all of them. His eyes distant and full of fear like a child seeing a real monster come out of the closet. "Not again... Not Again..." He suddenly screamed again gripping his head as if someone were trying to break it open. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed completely, like a marionette cut of it's strings, limp and lifeless.

Cloud and Barrett lunged forward and managed to catch Sephiroth before he hit the floor. Meanwhile Tifa ushered the children out of the room as fast as possible, doing her best to comfort and assure them as she lead them back to Denzel's room.

"I don't believe it," Barrett as he helped Cloud lay Sephiroth down on his side. His flesh and blood hand accidentally brushed against the wing, the feeling of the soft very real feather startled him. "It's real, it ain't magic it's real."

"Blood never lies." Cloud murmured quietly, then turned his head to Barrett and spoke a little louder. "This is the first time I've seen it appear..."

"So what do we do now?" The other man asked.

"We wait."

Silence reined for a while, until Tifa came in from putting the kids to bed (and finally getting them to STAY there), her face tight and tired and braced for the worst. "Hey... they finally dropped off. How's it going in here?"

"He's still out but at least he seems calm... for now." Cloud informed her, even as Tifa dropped down next to him. A sigh, then Cloud got his shoulder snuggled into.

"I'ma kill Vincent later," She mumbled, only half-joking, "remind me."

"Be sure I will."

0000

At the same time miles away in a small apartment in Cost Del Sol a fashion model named "G" got out of bed and went over to his closet. He opened it up and stepped inside. At the back displayed prominently was a long coat of crimson fabric and below it a small shrine with a small statue of the Goddess Minvera.

"He's in so much pain, and I can't comfort him. I can't even find him..." G whispered falling to his knees in front of the statue.

"You want to save him?"

"I don't care about saving him. I want to see him smile again, I want to hear him laugh again."

"You still love him the same? It was not Jenova's call." the voice said more of a statement of fact than a question.

"My love for him was very human..." G said softly.

"I know... I had to be sure his feelings were as pure as yours. He has proven he can live as a human. His enemies have forgiven him and accepted him as part of their family. I can do no less..."

"My champion you have proven your devotion to me. You gave up the one you loved most and sealed yourself away to be cleansed to follow me. The time will come when you will be called upon as the Crimson WEAPON to defend this planet and take that burden from Cloud's shoulders. For now, Go back to sleep, you will see him..."

000

"Yo! Seph! Wakey-Wakey!"

Sephiroth opened blearry eyes and found himself surprisingly in the nurses' break room. He sat up a little startled as the memories of the previous flooded his brain. Vincent, jenova attacked, his wing emerged...

What was he doing at work? He did not remember coming. Wasn't he supposed to be off. His hand went to his right shoulder but nothing was there. No blood, no wing. Had it all been just a dream?

"Shoulder okay?" the person who had woken him spoke again and the voice sent chill down his spine. He knew that voice. He turned around to address the speaker and found to his utter shock Zack standing before him.

"Hello Gaia to Sephy," he said in response to the bewildered stare he was getting.

It was Zack all right, but something was off, what was he doing here at the hospital and alive and wearing Angeline's pink scrubs...?

It was then Sephiroth realized he had not woken from a dream, but he was currently dreaming.

Please don't be a nightmare...

Either way he decided to play along and see where this one went. Usually after a Jenova attack his mind seemed to be a complete void and he didn't dream.

"I'm fine, didn't sleep well," he answered Zack shortly.

Zack shook his head sympathetically. "Ah too bad well your lunch hour is about two minutes from being up, Raj is looking for ya', and ya' got a call from your folks."

Sephiroth blinked at him. "My...parents?"

"Yeah, they were double checking if you were going to visit them next weekend." Zack said.

"Okay..." This was getting weirder by the minute.

"Anywho, better get going before Raj comes hunting," Zack patted him on the back.

Sephiroth made his way back out into the main ER floor, at least that looked the same as it always was as did Raj who came walking over to him.

"Hey I've got this guy in bed four he needs some stitching up on his forehead." Raj said.

"What happened?" Sephiroth asked.

"A lighting fixture fell and hit him in the head, the gash isn't too bad." Raj explained.

"However his agent and others are freaking out because he's a model with a famous face, so they want the best and you're the man with the golden sutures. The last thing they want is for a cure to be applied and the skin to heal wrong and have his eyebrows crooked or something."

"I'll do the best I can." Sephiroth said coolly.

"I know," Raj fetched him a smile.

Sephiroth made his way over to bed 2 with the neccessary supplies. He pulled back the curtain and nearly dropped the supplies at the site that lay before him.

There on the hospital bed was Genesis.

Sephiroth shook his head to clear it. This was a dream remember? Damn. He just prayed that this one didn't end badly, he didn't need that right now.

As Sephiroth got the sterile field ready his familiar patient opened his eyes and looked over at him.

"Oh great another one of you angels of supposed mercy. What do you have in store for me this time?" The red head grumbled, sitting up.

he seemed to give Sephiroth a look over and then smirked. "though with your looks I might actually enjoy it. What's your name?"

Sephiroth froze for moment. Genesis didn't know him? This was something new.

"Sephiroth." He replied simply.

"Sephiroth," Genesis let the name roll off his tongue as smooth as silk. At least that hadn't changed. "that's a name you don't hear too often."

"Genesis is not a name you hear too often either," Sephiroth retorted automatically at the familiar line of banter before he realized, Genesis had not actually given his name yet.

"Ah, so you've heard of me?" The red heads smirk turned sly. "Didn't think someone like you watched Kalm's fashion week."

"I saw your name on your chart." Sephiroth rescued himself.

Genesis deflated a little. "Oh well then it's just "G" to you."

"G?" Sephiroth quirked and eyebrow.

"My public name if you will." Genesis said his voice becoming a little icy, as he lay back down. "Only my friends get to call me by my given name."

"And what does it take to be your friend?" Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow.

The coy expression returned to Genesis' face. "You really want to know?"

Sephiroth almost smiled at the familiar ploy. And said non-commitally, "Perhaps."

The smirk on Genesis' face broadened. "Perhaps, we can discuss it over dinner after I am released from this place."

"Are you asking me out?" Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow.

"Inviting someone to dinner generally is I believe," Genesis grinned winking at him.

"I am not sure that is appropriate for our current position as provider and patient," Sephiroth said.

"Well after I check out and you get off work we won't be anymore will we?" Genesis said undetered.

"Maybe, but it will have to wait until after I put your head back together." Sephiroth said with a small smirk of his own.

Genesis' face fell into a pout. But lay back and kept quiet while Sephiroth sealed the wound. Though Sephiroth noticed Gen's eyes never left him the whole time.

When he was nearly finished Zack peeked around the curtain, "Hey Seph, Raj says the MRI on this guy is good so once you're done he can check out."

"Thank you Zack, dismissed," Sephiroth said automatically.

Zack let out an amused scoff. "psh, whatever "general""

Sephiroth briefly felt a string tug on his heart, at the familiar moniker spoken by someone lost who hadn't said it in years and might never say it again except in dreams.

"all right you're free to go." Sephiroth said shortly.

Genesis raised an eyebrow at the slight saddening change in demeanor. "Are you all right?"

Sephiroth flinched inwardly, even now Genesis could still read him like a book.

"Well I should check in with my supervisor and see if there are any other patients that need seeing," Sephiroth said evasively.

Since the bond had been broken at Nibelheim Sephiroth felt the same awkwardness at Genesis spotting cracks in his stoic as when they first met. It was a little disconcerting to say the least.

However, Sephiroth noticed a change in Genesis too, when he said in so many words that he was leaving. Genesis too was assure at putting on a facade and hiding his true feelings, perhaps in some ways better than Sephiroth. With his over the top manner of speaking and acting, he made you believe what were seeing were the real emotions on his sleeve, when actually they were only the emotions he carefully selected to show.

But like Genesis with himself, Sephiroth had learned to read in-between the lines. And he could see the touch of sadness and disappointment in those blue eyes.

"I will try to make around back to see you once more before you leave." Sephiroth said getting up.

Genesis brightened up considerably. "All right. See you around, Moonbeam."

Sephiroth froze. If this Genesis didn't recognize him when he walked in how could he know his special name? "How do you know that name?"

Genesis froze as well. His eyes shifted frantically for a moment as he looked physically for an answer. He seemed to come to a decision. He let out a breath, looked at Sephiroth his eyes serious. "Because I used to call you that years ago."

Sephiroth's eyes widened at first, so this Genesis did know him, after all. His eyes then narrowed suspiciously, was this just another precusor to a nightmare? "Why the ruse...?"

"I wanted to see if we met in another time and place we would still have a connection, I wanted to see a happier future with us. I didn't want the past to drag us down just yet." Genesis answered softly, the serious gaze in his eyes softening.

Sephiroth felt the ability to breathe growing hard, so many emotions were hitting him at the same time. This was no ordinary dream, the other figments of Genesis in his dreams were just projects from his own mind reflecting both his hopes and fears, mostly the latter. But this Genesis seemed to operating on it's own, had it's own plan. The eyes were different too, in his other dreams while the eyes were warm like his songbird's it was a false warmth like looking at it indirectly through a photo or a drawing, rather than the real this? Could it be the real Genesis...? Words were leaving him as they always did when his emotions were frazzled, all he could bring his lips to utter were the words he had longed to say since that day at Nibelheim 10 years ago.

"I'm sorry..."

Now Genesis' eyes widened at first and then drooped and he bowed his head. The closest thing Genesis' proud beautiful face could get to shame. "You have nothing to be sorry for..."

in that instant , with that short statement spoken so softly. Sephiroth felt as if a giant weight on both his shoulders and his mind was finally lifted, Genesis was not angry with him, even if it was just a dream, it felt good to hear.

Sephiroth reached out and placed a hand under Genesis's chin and turned his face back to him. Once again words came out only in simple phrases , but for once seemed to express exactly what he was feeling. "I missed you."

And for once Genesis was at a complete loss for words. He gave Sephiroth a trembling smile as his eyes grew wet. He just leaned his face into Sephiroth's hand and wrapped his own hands around it. They leaned in closer to touch foreheads, each caressing and tracing the others faces as if trying to discern if this indeed was real or a dream.

"I missed you too," Genesis whispered tilting his head and leaning in. Sephiroth tossing all logical thoughts and explanations out the window followed suit as the prepared for their first kiss in 10 years. 10 long, hard, bloody wasted years. They could save the hows and whys talk for later, if there was a later, they might only have this moment alone.

Sephiroth could almost taste the flavors of Cinnamon and vanilla from Gen's breath they were so close, only millimeters.

Suddenly a terrible ringing sound echoed through the ER, startling both former SOLDIERs. They both glanced around wondering what could have possibly happened, The ER around them seemed calm.

Seph turned back to Genesis and his chest clenched with fear found his Songbird's body growing transparent

"Oh dammit all!" Genesis screamed at the "ceiling" that now faded into sky. "My alarm clock, I'm waking up."

Seph felt like his heart might crack in two, when he reached out for Genesis and only touched air. "Songbird?"

"Moonbeam!" Genesis shouted, both desperation and determination in his eyes. "Don't worry,. I will find you, no matter how long it takes I WILL find you."

No sooner had those words been spoken, then red songbird faded completely, as did the world around Sephiroth. But instead of feeling empty like he usually did when happy dreams of Genesis ended, he felt a strange sense of hope filling the empty space. He felt an even stranger excitement, the kind when one was about to start a new journey. Sephiroth looked up at the sky now turned black.

"Not if I find you first..."

0000

Hours passed by, until Tifa's time to stand watch came, allowing Cloud and Barrett a nap. However the day had been a long one, and now Tifa was threatening to nod off.

Suddenly the silver haired man stirred and opened his eyes.

Tifa felt her stomach flip slightly and uncomfortably, before she nudged the two sleeping men awake.

"Huh... it was just a dream." Sephiroth said softly as his vision focused.

The other three took a moment to let out breathes of relief that Sephiroth seemed to be his usual self, before approaching him.

"Seph... you might want look on your left." Cloud tried to keep his voice casual.

Sephiroth slowly sat up, his limbs shaking with fatigue and yet to be replenished blood loss. He turned his head and found the source of the latter problem. "So you're back hm...? I suppose there is now no point in trying to hide you this time around."

"So... you're okay?" Barrett demanded.

Sephiroth blinked still a little dazed, his brain going every which way between Jenova, Genesis and the people before him. "Huh...? Oh... Yes. I've had my wing long before Nibelheim."

"You have?" Tifa was surprised.

"I don't remember ever seeing it till... the Northern Crater." Cloud mused.

"Because I never showed it. I've had it since I was a child."

"Damn, talk about growing pains" Barret scoffed.

Tifa made a sympathetic noise, "And I thought growing.." A quick glance down at her ample bosom, "was bad... At least it was normal."

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes a giant wing is not so much. And it was just as painful and bloody back then as it was now."

"Is it always that way when it comes out?" Cloud wondered.

Sephiroth shook his head. "No after the first time my body adapts and forms a seam, as long as I let my wing out regularly from now on it won't hurt."

"And if you don't let it out regularly?"

"The seam will close and I would have to go through the bloody mess again." Sephiroth said with a weary sigh.

"Lovely..." Tifa groaned.

"Badlands are a good place ta do that..." Barrett offered up.

Sephiroth suddenly let out a bitter laugh. "Back then during the wars I would have to sneak out of camp to let it out so the seam wouldn't close. I was to show it to no one outside the labs."

"Why? I thought they wanted you to be above everyone else." Just when Tifa felt she had FINALLY figured ShinRa out...

Sephiroth shook his head. "They wanted a superhuman, not a freak." He said softly his wing drooping slightly in reflection of his mood shift.

Awkward glances were exchanged before Tifa place a gently hand on Sephiroth's shoulder, the one opposite his wing. "You're not."

Sephiroth offered them a soft smile. "Thank you..." He curved

And don't worry the wing itself is not evil, it has always come out involuntary when I have been under extreme emotional or physical stress, a defense mechanism if you will. this has been the first time I have experienced such stress since my rebirth.

Sephiroth curved the wing around himself and rested his head against the plumage

"I'm sorry Seph..." Tifa sympathised, "This sucks."

"Yes... She came very close..." Sephiroth said darkly, ashamed that he had allowed her to get that close.

"But she failed. That's the important thing." Tifa made sure Sephiroth kept it in perspective.

"Yes... I would not have succeeded without my family..."

Cloud moved closer, his hand slipping into Tifa's, "Real families are good for that."

"Ya wan' us to stick around for a while?" Barrett offered, as he would for Marlene after a terrible nightmare

Sephiroth was about to say no automatically and insist he was fine, but the thought of being left alone with murmurs of Jenova still in the back of his head, chilled him. "If you don't ...mind."

"We don't mind." Cloud reassured as they resettled. "The children at settled in bed so we're free for the rest of the night."

It was then Sephiroth remembered that in the darkness of Jenova's shadow he heard marlene and Denzel's voices cacophony of the voices screaming at him inside his own head. It was their voices that he had followed back to the light, given him something to cling to, something to protect, something worth fighting off Jenova for. But if they had been there, they would have seen him as the monster, he might have hurt them without knowing it. "I did not hurt the children, did I?"

"Not a scratch on them,' Tifa reassured, "They were more frightened for you."

"For me or of me?" Sephiroth asked, just to be sure.

"We had to pry Marlene away from you, so I don't think she afraid of you, 'Sephy'." Tifa grinned at the memory, "Still thinks you're the dragon."

Sephiroth's lips twitched upward slightly.

Just then the door subtly (or not-so subtly, really) creaked opened and the familiar face of Denzel peeped into the room, and seeing the adults just opened the door and stepped inside.

"Denzel!" Tifa's voice hit an impressive octave, "I thought you were asleep!"

Denzel stiffened for a moment, before explaining, "Marlene wanted to know if Sephiroth was all right." And... I did to..."

"Come on in, see for yourself." Tifa said, with a sigh and shake of her head. But she could hardly blame them.

Denzel smiled and opened the door a little wider to reveal Marlene standing behind him.

"You little sneaks, c'mere." Cloud encouraged waving them in.

Sephiroth folded his wing up, suddenly feeling self conscious around the children, which was unusual, he almost always felt the most comfortable around them. He feared seeing them recoil at his alien appendage.

Instead though, Marlene raced straight for him, jibbering hysterically in the way only a little girl can, wrapping her little arms around him in a hug.

"I'm all right Marlene," He said wrapping an arm around her, unfortunately it was his wing arm and his wing unconsciously unfolded and encircled them.

Marlene was a little startled at first of the movement of the big black thing, but then giggled as the feathers encircled her and tickled the very end of her nose. Curious, she reached out to brush some, "Do they hurt?"

"a little" Sephiroth answered, relieved that she didn't seem to be afriad of the wing at all. "The whole thing is a little sore, sort of like when you run and play too hard and your muscles are sore the next day. It's all right to touch them, just don't pull the big ones."

Marlene nodded and considered the feathers, before gently stroking a few that seemed particularly soft, releasing a soft 'oooooh!' sound at the sensation against her fingers.

"Yeah! They're so soft... and pretty! But are you sure you're okay?" She said looking back at him, her eyes full of concern.

Sephiroth nodded. "Just a little tired now that's all, growing a new wing is hard work."

"Can I feel them Sephiroth?" Denzel, having approached while Sephiroth was distracted by Marlene, called out.

"Certainly, same rules apply"

Denzel grinned and followed Marlene's example, liking the feel of them, until he realized, "Um... Sephiroth... that was you fighting cloud in the last battle wasn't it?"

Sephiroth's eyes widened a little and then they look down. "Yes..."

"It's not that simple denzel," Cloud felt it was best to squash Denzel's doubts now, "it was somebody else, using Sephiroth like a puppet to fight."

"Did the Jenova person do that?" Marlene asked with wide eyes.

"Yes."

"But you're a good guy now right Sephiroth?" Denzel asked.

"Yes I want to be." Sephiroth answered honestly.

"Of course he's a good guy! Don't be dumb Denzel!" Marlene cried, dipping down so her face appeared just under the higher part of the wing, fierce frown in place.

"Just asking! I've met a lot of people that seemed like they were good guys but weren't." Denzel's explanation did nothing to soften Marlene's look.

"You're right Denzel. But Seph's not a stranger like the other three guys, right?" Tifa reminded.

"He's a good guy." Cloud agreed.

"Bet on it, kid."

Denzel nodded, then pledged with a grin, "Don't worry Seph! We'll protect you from Jenova."

"I am comforted by that." Sephiroth, feeling his heart beginning to beat at a normal relaxed pace again. He looked down at the bloodstains on the floor. "I'm sorry Cloud, I'll fix that in the morning"

"Don't worry about it, Seph." Cloud shrugged. "

"Alright, alright you squirts get back to bed!" Barrett finally took charge.

"But we want to make sure Sephiroth's okay!"

"He's fine. Now off with ya, girlie! you too, Denzel! There's school tomorrow, even if it's almsot summer break. I'm sure Seph'd agree we don't want ya falling asleep on your teacher."

"It's not advisable..."

"Yeah my teachers never appreciated it much." Cloud recalled.

"I remember." Tifa dryly told him.

"Marlene, Denzel would you mind terribly if I broke into your candy stash?" Sephiroth asked. He needed fuel, lots of it. No better source of instant sugar .

"No!" Marlene cried, wiggling out from underneath the wing and heading for the door.

"Take as much as you need Sephiroth!" Denzel said.

"Now hold on there you two! I'll bring it to him, you're both to go. to. bed! Hear?" Barrett snapped following the two to make sure he was obeyed.

"Why the sugar?" Cloud couldn't help but ask once the children had darted off to get their stash, "I know you had a sweet tooth and everything but..."

Sephiroth It also provides an energy boost for my body which helps it heal from massive bodily trauma and keeps me conscious." Sephiroth explained before surprisingly letting out a soft laugh. "It's been battle tested when I have lost serious amounts of blood, you could hear Trauma Surgeon Raker yelling "Get the General a lolipop"

Cloud snickered as did everyone else.

"In other words the more sugary and caloric, the better."

"I think I have some rock road in the freezer." Cloud offered.

Tifa snapped her fingers, "I have peanut butter! I could make Peanut Butter cookies!"

"Protein and calories, good thinking." Sephiroth said getting up a little shakily to follow them down to the kitchen.

Barrett came into the room with a slightly a harassed looking expression, but with the kid's candy supply in hand. "Sit down, fool! the last thing we need is you passin' out and crackin' your head open on the floor!" Barrett snapped.

Seeing Barret's logic Sephiroth obeyed the command without protest and had a seat on on the cot and began nibbling the most sugary thing he could find from the kid's stash... a fruit roll-up.

"Even still it will take a couple of days for the seam to form, before I can make my wing fold back in."

"Good thing you called in sick, then." Tifa mused.

"I will probably be well enough to go back to my apartment tomorrow, if I go at night I don't think I will be seen." Sephiroth said

"You're welcome to stay for a few days." Cloud told him

"It's really no trouble Sephiroth!" Tifa enthused.

"In fact you ARE staying at least until the wing goes back in and that's final." Cloud concluded, and his face showed the fruitlessness of any arguments, "With everything you might need some support mentally as well as physically, even if you feel fine and deny it now."

Sephiroth thought about it for a moment, just hearing the friendly voices of the members of his little family... even Barrett, was comforting to his jumbled psyche. It grounded him, kept him steady and focused even in the darkest of moments. Even when he had lost faith in his love for Genesis, his family had pulled him back from the edge of madness and ruin. "If... If it would not be a burden... I... I would like to stay."

"Then the cot is all yours." Tifa said, grinning.