"I-It's been a while. Cid." Shera stammered, a shy smile on her face.

"Yeah," Cid said slowly, shoved into his pockets. Dammit, Shera, why now? Just after I'd found someone, just when I got over you, just when I was happy. WHY NOW?? He said "What happened to the Golden Saucer?"

Shera shrugged. "Thought that five years of university would be better spent working the WRO rather than trapped behind a bar wearing a Chocobo suit." She said. This roused a warm chuckle from Cid, as he lit a cigarette. "It's - it's good to see you again, Cid."

"Yeah, likewise." Cid said, trying to avoid the undeniable hurt that threatened to blossom out.

After a brief, awkward silence, Shera finally mustered up her courage. "Cid, can we," She said softly. "Can we take a walk?"

"Sure." Cid shrugged, hand coming out of their hideaways to sway by his sides as he walked.

Shera led the way out of the kitchen tent, out into the brush of Mideel. Cid caught sight of Tifa, playing with Cait Sith. The cat rolled around, scratching an itch on his back. Tifa looked up, a smile on her face.

When she caught sight of Shera though, her face turned to one of horror and betrayal. Cid shook his head violently as if to say Tifa, it's not what you think. Please love, don' be mad. It's not what you think.

"Well," Shera began, her voice betraying just how awkward she felt. "How have you been, Cid?"

"Well, not bad." Cid said. "Considering." After some deliberation, Cid decided to say what he actually felt. "I missed ya, Shera."

Shera nodded, not even looking Cid in the eye. "I've missed you too." She said. "Listen, there's something I need to…"

"Shera," Cid said. "I'm gonna be perfectly honest with ya. I can't take you back just like that."

Shera blinked. "What? No, Cid. I'm not asking you to take me back."

Cid shot her a quizzical look. "Then what --"

"Cid, I'm engaged."

Only then did Cid notice the particular hand Shera was hiding. When she noticed his perception, she took her hand away, revealing the diamond ring that resided on her third finger.

"Shera…" Cid said, thunderstruck. "I- I dunno what to say. Congrats."

Shera smiled. "Thank you, Cid. You're not going to -"

"The only thing I'm gonna do is be at that wedding to cheer ya on." Cid said, visibly relieved. "And if he treats you even remotely like I did, I'll break his legs."

Shera smiled, wide and beautifully. "Thank you, Cid." she hugged him tight and wiped a tear from her eye. "How about you? How have you been holding up?"

"Well, actually, I've been keeping OK." Cid said.

"You don't happen to have a lady friend, do you?" Shera asked.

Cid chuckled. "Funny you should say that." When Shera cocked her head the way he knew showed her curiosity, he knew there was no stopping her from finding out what she wanted. "You remember my old friend Tifa Lockheart?"

Now it was Shera's turn to blink. "You and Tifa? Since when?"

"Couple days ago, now that I really think about it." Cid said. "I still dunno just what we've got, but, we're both happy, whatever it is we got ourselves into."

"Well, I'm glad for you Cid." Shera said, just before her watch beeped. "Oh, I'm on duty in fifteen minutes. I guess we best head back."

Cid nodded. "Sure."

The trip back to camp took a lot shorter than Cid thought. Then again, it wasn't too far into the bush they went. After scraping the local tick off the hem of his pants, Cid was suddenly face to face with a far more dangerous being.

Tifa stood in front of him, hands on her hips, murder written all over her face.

"Cid Highwind, who the hell do you think you are?" She demanded.

"Oh, hell, Tifa." Cid said, rubbing his eyes. "It's not what you think. Honest."

"Oh yeah?" Tifa snarled, her eyes starting to brim. "I show you my deepest insecurities and feelings, and this is what I get? You getting my innocence and then running back to Shera and going about bragging how you got me in bed with you? You're no different than Cloud!"

"Tifa, that's enough!" Cid barked, loud enough that Tifa visibly recoiled. Cursing himself for making her jump, he continued softly "Shera wanted to talk about how we both were holdin' up, that's all. It was a long relationship and we both wanted to know the other was doin' OK. I guess we both wanted to be sure we were over each other. Nothing happened between us in the short time we were away."

Tifa's voice broke with her next sentence. A silver tear came down her cheek. "How can I be sure of that, Cid?"

"She's engaged, Tif." Cid said. "To someone else, not me. And I'm a man of honor, I'd never ask her to cheat on her fiancée, and I would never, ever cheat on you."

With that, Cid took Tifa in his arms and held her close. "I love ya too much to do that, Tif."

"Cid…" Tifa whispered. "You said that you--"

"I know what I said," Cid said. "An' I meant it. Now don't you worry. After we're done here in Mideel, we're goin' back to Edge and figurin' out just what it is we have here. All right?"

Tifa nodded, that smile he loved so much coming back onto her face. She rubbed her eyes and said to him. "You mean that, Cid? I mean, you wouldn't--"

"Never." Cid interrupted her. "That's what sets Cloud and I apart; I finish what I start. Now c'mon, let's get back to camp."

Tifa nodded, but not before wrapping her arms around Cid's shoulders and kissing him softly. Cid responded by holding her close, and prolonging it as much as he could.

As they made their way back into camp, Cid retrieved another cigarette from their perch on his goggles and lit it. Tifa simply shook her head, remarking on how some things never change.

However, the excitement picked up, when during the crimson sunset, did the seismic reading pick up.

The WRO squads rushed to their stations, their filtering devices at the ready.

For not ten minutes later, the sickly-green flow of the Lifestream erupted out of the earth. Even cid was able to marvel at its beauty. The last time it had done this, the Lifestream was almost lifted off the planet itself by Omega. And when Vincent had saved the day, it filtered back down onto the planet in a lovely green snow.

Now, to see its mighty currents flow, all of the eddies and streams of life, each strand an individual consciousness, from the Ancients of old, to the recent deaths of various causes. It was awe-inspiring, seeing the pure essence of life, in this river. Never slowing, always shifting, just like existence itself.

Cid cast a glance at Tifa, who squeezed his hand, a physical reminder of just how much life changed.

"Commissioner!" Shera called "That life form reading is approaching the surface."

"Lower the filters." Reeve said. "We don't want the life form killed. Re-establish filtering process after it has cleared the range of our filters."

Shera gave her affirm Tory answer and several readouts went dark.

Everyone watched in anticipation. What sort of life form could survive in this stream, let alone retain full consciousness? Whatever it was, it was surely a feat beyond science, a fantastic new realm of research.

As the Lifestream rocketed out of the earth, the life form made itself clear. A navy blue hue, intermixed with some black and yellow, surrounded by a blur of soft pink and brown.

As it reached altitude as the Lifestream thinned, it became clearer. As it was, it wasn't just one shape but two. Both human looking, their features becoming clearer with each second.

They floated lazily along, holding relative position as recognition dawned on the old AVALANCHE crew.

Cid cursed softly as Tifa turned away, face in her hands. Cid couldn't exactly blame her, with what was evident.

There he was, after all this time. He evidently found what he sought, that much was clear.

There above Mideel, Cloud Strife lazily floated in the Lifestream, Aerith Gainsborough firmly in his arms. Their lips pursed together, arms roaming about each other like they were just discovering each other.

Cid couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn he heard a stifled sob from Tifa. He turned away, placing a comforting arm around her.

What is with the timing today?? He thought heatedly. First Shera, now Cloud. Don't we--

"Don't we just have all the luck??" Tifa hissed.

Cid hugged her. "Dun worry. I'm not letting' you go without a fight."

Tifa smiled, just as Reeve's deep voice filtered across the meadow.

"Shera, have we missed any Jenova cells?"

"Yes." She replied. "The ones that lie dormant, inside of Cloud. I'm reinitiating our filters now."

"Keep filtering." Reeve said. "Drop the fields again if we should encounter them again."

Reeve walked over, putting a warm hand on Tifa's shoulder. "You all right, Tifa?" He asked, softly.

Tifa nodded, not saying anything. Cid Highwind's eyes, however, told him exactly what he wanted

Don't worry, Reeve. I'll take care of her.

An alarm brought everyone to alert, Reeve's long legs carrying him to the offending console in record time.

"We're coming up on a wave of particles!" One of the WRO men shouted. "Force ten and climbing!"

"Full power to containment fields!" Reeve shouted. "We've got to keep it under control!"

Not moments after the words escaped Reeve's lips, one of the containment modules ruptured, cleaved clean in half. The dark green of Jenova matter leapt into the air, crossing miles in mere seconds.

"Get that under control!" Reeve demanded as the next few containers broke in similar fashions, each bit of alien matter going in different directions.

After the havoc that had been wrought settled, Reeve asked for a status report, his normally immaculate hair messy and matted.

"L-Lifestream purged…" One of the men said, sheepishly. "We got about forty percent of Jenova contained."

"What about the rest!" Reeve demanded. "The rest are loose in the world, raising all sorts of Cain! What parts got away?"

"Mostly volatile cells, one containing large amounts of G substance, and three containing S substance."

"Genesis." Reeve hissed. "And the remnants as well. Of all the…"

"Reeve, calm down." Cid said. "Here, siddown." He pushed Reeve back into a chair. "Alert all stations, lock them down and go to condition red alert. Report any unusual sightings or happenings."

"Yes, Fleet Captain." came the response from several of the WRO crew, thankful to have someone, anyone tell them what to do.

"You got a plan, Cid?" Barret called, an excitement he hadn't seen in years dancing in his old friend's eyes.

"Damn right, for once." Cid said. "We're goin' after these bastards. I for one am sick and pretty damn tired of all the hell they've been causing all of us for all these years. An' by my line of thinkin', it's high time we finished this fight."

Maybe it was just that it was every one of the old AVALANCE crew was tired, or getting sentimental as the years went on. It was a total of four years since Sephiroth had originally been defeated, but there was just something about how Cid's conviction roused that fighting spirit once again.

Tifa however, was more concerned with just how to go about defeating four Sephiroths. One was bad enough on all of them, and she had an idea about just how to do it.

"Shera," she asked. "Just how long until the Lifestream goes back under?"

Shera was indeed puzzled, but checked her console. "Forty-five minutes." She replied. "Why?"

"I've got a plan." Tifa said. She looked up onto the Highwind's deck. "Hold on, Cid. I'll be right back."

With that, Tifa began to walk straight for the main stream. "Whoa, Tif." Cid called, vaulting over the railing. "What do you think yer doin'?"

"We're up against some of the most powerful beings on the face of the earth." Tifa said. "There's only one person I'd bet on who would stand half a chance."

Cid frowned, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Fine," he said. "But I'm going with you, like it or not."

Tifa nodded. "Ok, Cid." She said, leading the path into the Lifestream.

--

The netherworld of the Lifestream was warm, his heart thumping hard against his chest. Simply being able to be here, to feel her against him once more, was worth all the hardship and strife he had endured for the past four years.

Ever since the Forgotten City.

Her hair, though, was so soft, her skin so warm. The lips that pressed against his always seemed to light up his soul. This possibility he had never faced was now his and his alone.

Aerith, I've missed you.

I know, Cloud. I've missed you too.

"Cloud?"

Both sets of eyes, whether they be grass green or Mako blue, shot open.

Cloud's stomach reached the soles of his shoes when he saw just who it was who had spoken his name.

"Tifa…"

Tifa remained silent while Cid (where did he come from?) crossed his arms and grunted "Cloud."

"Hello, Captain." Aerith said, not forgetting Cid's rank.

"Hi, Aerith." Tifa said, looking down. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has been." Aerith smiled. "Nice to see you two again. And yes, before you ask, I'll leave so you two can talk to Cloud."

Tifa and Cid exchanged glances. Aerith cocked her head, but then let out a warm laugh. "Oh, sorry. It's just that all thoughts and intents are known to all of us in the Lifestream." Her smile still intact, she waved to her old friends and said. "I'll be back."

And with that, Aerith vanished, leaving only the blank white backdrop that signified the border between life and death.

Cloud let out a low chuckle. "Guess it's some kind of Cetra trait." He said. His tone was self-reproachful, but his smile lingered. "Can't say I can read anything from you two."

Cloud gazed longingly at where Aerith had vanished. He also took note of Tifa's reaction, her arms crossed over her chest, looking down. Cloud felt a pang of guilt for hurting Tifa by having her see Aerith again, but his mind was made.

But since his two old friends were here, Cloud figured he might as well help them.

"Well, are you two here looking for someone?" Cloud asked, turning to face them. "I'm still getting the hang of moving around in the Lifestream, but I can help you find who you're looking for."

"It's kinda like that." Tifa said, still looking down. "Cloud, we're here to see you."

"Me?" Cloud blinked. "Why me?"

"Cloud, we got a big problem up on the surface." Cid said. "Ya remember those files we found on that G fella?"

Cloud nodded and Cid continued. "Well, our buddies at the WRO tried to evict Jenova, try to keep her under wraps. They bungled it, badly. Now that G guy's on the loose as well as those incest freaks we fought two years ago. Whaddya call 'em… Kazoo, Yoz, and what's-his-face."

"Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj." Cloud said. "What's it got to do with me?"

"We need help to take them down once and for all." Tifa said, finally getting her comeuppance. "Cloud, please come back with us."

"What?" Cloud said, his eyes going livid. "N-No, I can't. Aerith and I just…"

"Look, Cloud." Tifa stabbed an accusatory finger at him. Cid recoiled from the force in her voice, and cloud could feel those now blood red eyes of hers boring into him. "You walked away a year ago when I needed you. And now, it's not just us who need you now. We've got four Sephiroths on the loose. You're the best chance we have of stopping them."

"And that's it." Cid said. "After that, ya can do whatever the hell ya want. Much as I hate to admit it, we need yer help, Cloud."

Cloud's head bowed, his eyes squeezed shut. "I can't." He whispered. "I - I can't go back, not just yet."

"Cloud, it's not as if we have a choice." Tifa said. "She'll still be here when we're finished."

"I-" Cloud began, casting a backwards look to where Aerith was. He shook his head and looked both of his friends in the eye. "I won't let you down. I'll be there. Just, let me say goodbye. And I'll be back soon." As an afterthought, Cloud added "I promise."

Tifa and cid nodded, and then faded from view, much of the same way Aerith did.

Cloud sucked in a deep breath and turned to face Aerith's direction, to find her standing there.

Cloud instinctively smiled, looking into those lovely green eyes of hers.

"Do you have to go away?" she asked.

Cloud nodded. "Only for a little bit, Aerith." He said. "Once this is done, I'll be back. I promise."

Aerith nodded, kissing Cloud on the cheek. "Go help your friends. I'll be waiting."

Cloud smiled and turned to go.

"Cloud." Aerith called. He turned to see her waving. "I love you."

Cloud beamed at hearing her say that. "I love you too, Aerith."

And with that, Cloud left the Lifestream, finding his feet on the damp red mud of Mideel.

"All right," he announced after checking if his First Tsurugi sword was still in place on his back. "What are we waiting for?"

Sorry everyone for the long wait. I'm working two jobs at the moment and 12-hour days. So my updates will probably be confined to weekends. Thank you all for your continued support and reviews.