Genesis, much to Cloud's surprise had managed not only to not burn his kitchen down, but make a rather nice lunch, though honestly it would have made a much better dinner. There was rosemary baked chicken, oven roasted red potatoes, homemade dumplings and even an apple pie. Cloud didn't think he even owned any apples but there it was.

Thankfully Cloud had a large dining room table. He had never had a need for it before now, when ever his companions usually got together it had been at Seventh Heaven, but he was thankful for the table now. Sephiroth, Vincent, Genesis, Zack, Aerith, Tseng and himself all sat at the table. Tifa and Barrett had gone to pick up the children.

Genesis had informed him that Weiss apparently had ran into Shelke at the orphanage and was staying there for now. Cloud was slightly surprised the two would be on speaking terms, but if Weiss really had changed then maybe it was for the better. The two had once been comrades after all, and Weiss had seemed the only thing out of place in the group.

Zack finished his plate. The man had been abnormally quiet since they had gotten back to Cloud's apartment. It was even more evident for the simple fact that no one else in the room was all that talkative. Finally he looked up at Tseng.

"You said you were trying to save us? What would have happened if I had gone with Rude when he asked that night then?" Zack asked. He wanted the answer more than anything else right now.

Tseng put his silverware down and thought about how to answer the question for a moment. With all eyes in the room on him he started. "Most likely we would have brought you and Cloud back to the Turk's headquarters at the time. We weren't on the best terms with the company at then, and having the both of you there mostly likely would not have harmed our standing anymore than it already was. You would have under no circumstances been returned to Professor Hojo. If push came to shove I'd probably have left with you myself to evade the man and any team to sent to take you back. I however don't blame your behavior at the time. I mostly would not have taken the offer either given the same circumstances. "

Zack just looked down and Aerith slipped her hand into his. If he'd just listened then things could have been different. Cloud wouldn't have gone mental, he would have seen Aerith himself soon, and she may not have had to die at all. But Tseng was right, he had no way of knowing that the Turks' offer was legitimate.

Cloud surprisingly spoke first. "Zack, I've spent a lot of time second guessing how things happened. So has Tseng. There were things we all could have done differently, but that doesn't mean things would have worked out better. The biggest regret I had was that you had to die and that Aerith did too. Now your both here with us. And Sephiroth is too. We've all been given a second chance. We'll stop Jenova once and for all and then live the lives we were meant too."

Zack just wiped away the tears that were starting to form in his eyes, as he did so words rushed from his mouth."Cloud I've been worried about you. I've missed who you use to be. I know it's not fair but you've had 5 years to change, while I've stayed the same. I look at you now and you just passed me by. And I don't know where I'm going with this but I thought maybe you didn't care anymore and it scared me, but your speech it just-"

"Zack" Aerith said softly squeezing his hand and cutting off his rant.

"I'm sorry if it seemed I've been distant. I just don't know what to say. I've became who I am today because of what we went through. You are one of the most important people in my life. I've tried to get stronger, but I've failed a lot along the way. I'd failed you both. While most of the guilt I had dragging me down for so long is gone, it's still there to some degree. For it to be completely go I'd have to forget what happened, and I'm simply not able to do that." Cloud said hands folded in front of him and Zack was hit by how similar the gesture was to the one Rufus had made earlier. "I need to address my men soon, but when that is finished we should head to the church."

"I'd like that." Aerith's soft voice replied.

"I should go check on Weiss and Shelke, " Vincent said standing. He still felt protective of the small former Tsviet even though he knew she could handle herself.

"I'll come with you. A change of clothing a pair of glasses and a hat, and no one will look twice." Genesis said. He didn't trust things not to go south when Valentine and Weiss were involved. Plus meeting the girl who also carried his DNA interested him.

Vincent just nodded and Genesis retrieve his duffle bag, slide his red coat off, and put on a small leather jacket, sunglasses and a leather, cowboy style hat. It didn't all work together, but that was common enough in Edge that no one would give him a second glance. Without another word the two exited the apartment.

Zack didn't feel much like talking after his last outburst. He just ended up feeling like a foolish kid again. He'd always felt that way around Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis, and now it seemed he had fallen back into the same role. He did look up to Cloud now, he was impressive. He had to admit though that part of his problem with Cloud's current attitude wasn't that it reminded him of Sephiroth, but that it reminded him of Angeal and thinking of Angeal hurt. Was that how Cloud felt when he looked at him? It would explain why he had been acting the way he had. Angeal had died thinking himself a monster and it wasn't fair, he should have been here with them. But Zack had seen him dissolve into the lifestream himself. He hadn't left Angeal's side for hours after he had been forced to kill him, when he had stood to leave the only thing left of his mentor had been the sword in Zack's hands. Apparently the Jenova cells he had inherited from his mother weren't enough to keep him from the lifestream.

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Sephiroth just felt slightly out of place at the moment. Sitting around doing nothing was not his thing but at the moment he was stuck in this infernal apartment. In short order he had been alone for the first time since he awoke in the cave. Cloud had left to speak to his men, and Tseng, Aerith and Zack had retreated to Tseng's quarters to speak a bit themselves.

Although the time alone wasn't completely unwanted, after all he had a lot to think about. He knew Valentine had been lying to him and it had silently angered him. But why would he have lied? Sephiroth didn't know much the subject but it was obvious even to him that Valentine had loved his mother dearly. He had always thought it was wrong to think of Hojo being related to him what so ever. It was like a giant cosmic joke. He had to admit on many levels the idea of Valentine being his father was more appealing than Hojo. He knew you couldn't choose your family and he hardly wanted the man to play the typical role of a parent but it was still a seed planted in his head. Thinking that this man was his father instead of Hojo, if just in his head, wouldn't hurt.

Even if Valentine was present when he was conceived that didn't change the fact that his mother had apparently been married to Hojo. At the moment he decided he would wait till he had concrete proof of the man's lies before he pushed the subject again. The lie may have just been a simple way to quiet questions, and if Sephiroth was right, it had been practiced on his friends. If Vincent's companions believed he was Sephiroth's father there had to be something to the idea.

Sephiroth wasn't one to day dream but as the time wore on he found himself picturing Vincent as a young man with the woman he had described as his mother, sitting outside a modest house as himself as a child played in the yard. Phantoms of a childhood he never had.

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Rufus sat quietly outside the waiting room as the surgery doors opened and out walked an exhausted Dr Rayleigh. She faltered for a second upon seeing the President, having expected Tseng before she walked up to him.

"I assume the process is over?" Rufus asked standing to meet her.

"Yes sir, and he did rather well. We won't know until he walks up if it was 100% successful but we ran into very few complications." Dr Rayleigh stated.

"Complications? What kind?" Rufus asked, he didn't like any complications when Reno was involved.

"Nothing serious sir, we had to give him a blood transfusion at one point because of his previous injuries, and he became a little sick from the Mako at first , even through the anesthesia but like I said nothing serious." She stated. "You can go back to the recovery room if you like, he should be awake shortly. "

Rufus just nodded and followed her to Reno's room. She excused herself, she needed rest or she was going to fall over. Rufus just turned back to Reno as she left the room.

This was the first Rufus had seen Reno since he had returned from Fort Condor. His father once stated that you couldn't get close to your employee's it was just a mistake and they would only ever want more from you. Rufus decided that it was another fault his father had had, Rufus treasured these people. He couldn't even call them employee's anymore, they were his honest true friends, family really. Rufus still remembered Reno changing his bandages when he'd been suffering from Geostigma and had been just too weak to do so himself. Even when he was nothing, and thought to be dead they had remained loyal. It was loyalty he had bought at first but it eventually grew into more.

Rufus could already tell that Reno was different. The nanobots and Mako were doing their job. Reno was already in shape, but Rufus could see that his muscles were more defined and his face was a bit firmer. Rufus couldn't help it and pulled back one of Reno's eye lids slightly before letting go. He'd known what he would see but it was still hard to accept seeing Reno's already bright green eyes glow.

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Cloud hit the elevator button to return him to his and Tseng's shared floor. The meeting with the regular army and the few SOLDIERS who had managed to return to base had gone fine. At first the room had been dead silent when he reveal that Zack, Genesis and Sephiroth himself were back in the halls of Shinra. The silence had only lasted a minute as the hall then exploded in chatter. He had finally quieted his men back down and issued the same order before, and stated that the men were currently under his personal protection.

He had given his men a highly edited version of events. Zack had not died but had just been weakened. Genesis and Sephiroth's betrayals he had blamed on a mysterious illness that had been cured. It was mostly true both Degradation and Sephiroth's insanity were both spawned from Jenova and she defiantly qualified as a disease in his book. He found no opposition to his words, and had ordered his men to spread the information to those that couldn't attend. In his mind Genesis and Sephiroth could now walk free if needed.

The hard part was now coming up. Facing Zack again was not something he was looking forward too. It was obvious that he had disappointed Zack. Zack wanted the fun cadet who had been a country boy like him, not a failed experiment, turned war veteran. Cloud knew he could never be that person again. He truly wanted to be Zack's friend, to reconnect with him, but when Zack had seen the darkest side of the world he had managed to come out of it much the same as he had going in, Cloud had shattered and only broken pieces remained to repair the puzzle. Zack had been stronger than him in that way, but it didn't change the fact that Cloud actually liked who he was now.

Riding on the elevator his thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. He looked at it seeing Cid's number he was slightly confused.

"Hey Cid, what's going on" He asked.

"That damn brat(Brat! I'm 21 years old, I'm an adult!" Cloud be heard in the background)meet me halfway and damnit she can't sit still for nothing and she knows I know something, Cloud she won't shut the fuck up ." Cid exclaimed.

"Put her on Cid, I know I didn't want to tell anyone over the phone but it might be best this way. If you've got Nanaki with you put him on too please." Cloud said with a sigh, stepping out of the elevator on to his floor.

He heard a bit of muffled talking then he heard Yuffie over the speaker phone. "Clouuuuuuddd! what's going on, the old man won't tell us anything. Did someone steal my materia again?"

"Hello Yuffie, hello Nanaki" Cloud started.

"Hello Cloud." Nanaki's voice came through the speaker this time.

"Don't be too horrible to Cid, I didn't want to tell anyone over the phone, but the current situation doesn't allow me to be gentle anymore. " Cloud started and told him as much as he could, Genesis visiting him, Zack and Aerith being alive, Weiss's involvement- something Yuffie protested, she like the man about as much as Vincent, she was just more vocal about it. And lastly Sephiroth's return to sanity and the living. And about planned Jenova's war.

"That is quite a story Cloud." Nanaki replied.

"No wonder you wouldn't let him say anything. I'd have taken him off to the loony bin, But Aerith is really alive now? She's with you?" Yuffie sounded hopeful. Everyone had like the Centra and had been devastated when she died.

"Yes they all are, but I have to go. Please don't pester Cid too much, he doesn't know any more then what I've told you. He can confirm what I've said though he's seen them. " Cloud said

"Alright Cloud be careful and stay safe. We'll be there shortly." Nanaki said and the call was over.

Cloud pocketed his phone and walked into his apartment, surprised to find it empty, save for Sephiroth who was currently looking out the window.

"They left you alone?" Cloud asked as Sephiroth turned to meet his gaze.

"Afraid I'd do something to your apartment? I thought you'd realized I was above that by now." Sephiroth replied.

"No I just figured it was rude. Although, while it may still cause a scene, your status is now considered publicly known. There is no reason for you stay here on your own if you don't want too." Cloud stated and Sephiroth looked away.

"I'll be out of your hair shortly then. " Sephiroth said, taking Cloud words as a kind "get the hell out."

"I didn't mean it that way. Your welcome here, really." Cloud said, even slightly amazed by his own words. But he knew he meant it. Sephiroth's presences had somehow become comforting to him."You should come to the church with us."

Sephiroth held his gaze out the window. "I do not take pity well, I know that, that place is special to the three of you, even Tseng to an extent, I do not wish to intrude."

Cloud at first took it as a slap in the face, but he knew from his earlier conversation with the man, that Sephiroth was struggling to find his place in this world. Then he pulled something deep from Zack's memories. The Buster Sword, had not always been Zack's, it had been his mentor's cherished sword first, Angeal, who had also been one of Sephiroth's only friends. It may have been a weak reason but it was still a reason for him to come.

"I mean it, I have hazy memories from Zack, but I vaguely remember that the sword he carried, the Buster Sword, belonged to a friend of yours . It's in the church, it's also a place where the planet is close. It's a special place for everyone. Besides you saw lunch. I don't even know how to act around Zack anymore." Cloud said the last part more to himself then to Sephiroth.

"But you know how to act around me?" Sephiroth said honestly surprised.

"Zack and I were friends, because we were alike, I'm not that person anymore. I feel like there is this giant void between us. Ironically no, with you I don't feel that void. I was once angered when people would compare me to you, but I can see it, and I know you can too or you wouldn't have spoken to me the way you have. I accepted you so easily as you are now because of that. If I am wrong however feel free to correct me." Cloud said, expressing himself had always been hard, so he'd been blunt and hoped it hadn't back fired.

Sephiroth simply looked back at him. "I won't argue your points, but are you saying that you would rather be friends with me, then Zackary? Or really friends with me at all? Neither one of us are the social type."

"I'm saying that its easier for me to be friendly with you. I'm not constantly worried I'm disappointing you or offending you. Zack means the world to me, I will always be his friend. There are things however he will just never understand, it's the same reason I get along so well with Vincent." Cloud said, though the oddity of the situation was going to him. Was he really "making friends" with Sephiroth?

"There aren't many I counted as friends. Genesis and Angeal were all I had for the longest time. And even Zackary, became friends through our mutual loss. While I'm glad to have Genesis back, our friendship ended poorly before and it is mending, but it's not the same. And as with you I feel I've lost any connection I had with Angeal's student." Sephiroth started looking thoughtful. "And your right, to a certain extent I feel like I can be myself around you. It feels almost like being with Genesis and Angeal back before everything happened, and I miss those days dearly. I can't say I understand why you've forgiven me, and accepted me so easily but I am truly grateful for it, and I do believe I can count you on my small list of friends."

"Alright then come with us, though we should get moving soon, we only have a few hours of daylight left, and while I doubt anything would bother us, I'd rather not fight off a pack of monsters if I didn't have too. " Cloud said heading for the door.

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HOORAY FOR FRIENDS! Man this was another hard chapter to write, so many awkward scenes . Also I will never promise when a chapter will be out again, we had a major storm that took out the power, and even when that came back up we lost internet. Sorry for the delay.

Anyway the next chapter is the trip to the church, after that things should be picking up pretty quickly. The calm before the storm is pretty much over for our beloved characters. Though the church promises to be interesting :) Anyway please review, they make the plot bunnies happy.