(smiles in embarrassment) Eheh, hi everyone! I'm so sorry, it's really been a pretty long time since I last updated huh? To be honest, I had little time not to mention not the best of inspiration to write for FF7 lately . Ugh, but I still hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll try to update more often!

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:

Anonymous: Hi there! Ah, I'm really sorry about the delay! . Like I said, school took up most of my time as well as another one shot collection I had running at the time. But your review gave me a bit of inspiration to (finally) update this chapter! So thanks a lot for it! :) ;)

Enjoy reading!

Chapter 11: His Voice, Her Prayer

"Hey, Zack?" Aerith asked tentavly, her back turned to him as her eyes were drawn to the light shining through the cracks up in the ceiling, into the flowerbed she cherished so much, "Kinda scary...but the flowers might like it..maybe," she herself didn't sound too convinced, but she was willing to think positively on this.

She turned around and she felt a pain in her heart, Zack was sitting on the floor a few feet away, his back turned to her as his quiet sobs filled the usually peaceful church.

She rubbed her arm uncomfortably, biting her lip. She didn't know what happened, he hadn't tried to convey it to her.

She only noticed that when he finally came to see her, he didn't grin or smile at her usual cheerful greeting upon seeing him, he didn't ask her about her day, didn't suggest making a flower wagon, nothing.

She had sensed something had been amiss, but she didn't know what. She only noticed that aside from looking awfully distressed and pale, he wielded a large, wide sword upon his back. A sword she never saw before. He usually wielded those smaller, longer swords.

Could it have been connected to his dilemma?

Aerith gathered her courage and slowly started walking towards Zack, his sobs getting louder and clearer and she briefly wondered how he was able to create the noises when he couldn't speak.

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, by this point, she was following what her heart was telling her to do.

Whatever had happened to Zack must have been very serious, she never saw him really upset before. Annoyed at work coming up in between their dates or looking pretty formidable while fighting enemies or protecting her, but never truly upset. He was the type of guy that was always cheerful, optimistic to a fault but now...

She kneeled down on the floorboards just a bit away from his back and wrapped her arms around him, hearing his sob louder at her offered comfort in his time of need.

She hugged him tighter, hoping to at least ease his pain a little, whatever it was.

"It wasn't him...i-it...it wasn't his fault..." Zack whispered quietly, his deep voice coming hoarse from crying and he released another sob.

Aerith momentarily didn't register the sound of his voice, or the fact that he spoke at all. At least for the first few seconds.

Emerald eyes shot open in surprise and she quickly moved to Zack's front, gazing upon his miserable, tear stained face. She knew it was a horrible time, but she...she had to make sure, make sure that she didn't imagine his voice just now like she often imagined it to sound like.

"Z-Zack?" she cupped his face, his strong jaw and gently lifted it up to look at her. Sad, electric blue eyes stared up at her, the mako in his body hiding the usual redness that would appear in the eyes after a person was crying.

Zack had understood what she meant, because he sent her a tiny smile and nodded, "Yeah, I...I can speak...finally huh?" he chuckled humorlessly and Aerith was reminded just how much he cried before.

She tried to hold in her emotions and curiosity of what happened but Zack beat her to the punch, "It's a long story but...you know the beginning so after I went on a mission, my...my mentor had given me a red cherry bomb, after I swallowed it I regained my voice back," Aerith smiled, gently rubbing at the tear tracks on his cheeks with her fingers.

She was happy to know he could speak again, even more so at finding out how he sounded, he sounded even better than she imagined him to sound like. She decided, she really liked his voice. Definitely.

Suddenly, realization dawned on Aerith.

Past tense.

He had used past tense to refer to his mentor, who had given him that cherry bomb to heal his inability to speak.

Wait...but that meant...

Her eyes watered and Zack's sorrow came back after he noticed she realized why he was in this state, "Oh Zack...I didn't...I...w-why didn't you tell me s-sooner? I would have stopped talking about flowers!" Aerith threw her arms around his neck again, trying to offer him the much needed comfort he desperately sought right now.

Zack sighed long and hard, wrapped his arms gently around her smaller frame, feeling a bit better knowing she was here with him, at least someone who stayed with him. He chuckled lowly at her earlier words, "You know, you can still talk about flowers...it's just..Angeal...he had been a dear friend and mentor to me...almost like a father away from home I guess..."

Zack lowered his head to rest his forehead against her petite shoulder, taking a deep, shuddering breath in to try and calm himself, to get at least a hold of his emotions but it didn't work, nothing did.

His heart was crying out for the death of his mentor and his eyes shed the tears of sorrow he felt at his untimely death and the circumstances related to it.

"I killed him...I...I killed him Aerith," Zack's body was wracked with tremors, shaking to gain control over emotions he knew were desperate to show themselves in his direst moments.

Aerith froze, before she gently broke apart and cupped Zack's face in her hands again, sternly looking in his mako blues, "No you didn't! I don't believe you for a second Zack! Good people don't kill other people, you're a good person Zack and I don't believe you would ever kill anyone you hold so close to your heart," she smiled warmly, hoping her words reassured him and quenched the demons in his head.

But his expression only darkened and his gloved hands clenched into fists, "But I...I am not a good person...I...killed before...on missions...I had to but...I still did..." he grit his teeth, turning his head away in shame. He couldn't look at her, he just couldn't.

She was such a nice, sweet person. Like the pure flowers that grew here in this church, she was just like them, full of life, beautiful and pure.

In the middle of the slums this church stood out as a holy place to guide the lost, or so people often talked about them and Aerith was similar in that respect.

She was the light that guided him, away from the darkness, away from his dark, lonely thoughts he was sure he would succumb to and do something stupid if he listened to them.

His thoughts were cut short when he felt soft fingers gently guide his head back in her direction, instead of an accusing glare, he only saw open understanding and kindness even a little sadness behind her emerald eyes.

"I know this isn't easy for you Zack but...please, promise me you won't do something you will regret alright? Please. I know you will miss him, I may not know the full story but...whatever happened, I know you weren't to blame ok?" she offered him a soft smile, gently stroking his cheek, "And if you ever find yourself in a pinch you know where to find me right?" she grinned softly.

Zack paused for a moment, left utterly speechless at the kindness she overwhelmed him with and the beauty of her heart. Before he knew what he was doing, Zack encircled her in his arms tightly and Aerith released a startled yelp at the sudden motion.

Her heart sank slightly when she heard him sob and felt his body shake but she hugged him back just as tightly when he whispered in her ear, "I promise,"

She smiled, she knew he would keep his promise. She just knew.

Because he was Zack, because he was her Zack, the guy she grew to have feelings for and with whom she felt safe.

As they stayed like this, time was meaningless to both of them, none of them knew how much time passed, but Aerith made a small prayer for Zack when the sun ceased to illuminate the church anymore.

She prayed he would be safe and that nothing bad would happen to him.

She prayed he would overcame this and any other obstacle thrown his way, because he was that strong in her eyes.

She prayed she didn't make a mistake by letting him leave her the next day.

Sorry this one is so short! But the next one will be longer! I hope you all enjoyed it! Suggestions for future chapters are welcome though! :)