Warnings: Violence, language, suggestive talk

Chapter 12. My Happy Ending

Cloud shuddered and pulsed, crying out in ecstasy and wonder while Jenova's still living corpse flamed green-yellow-white.

Her scream rose to agonizing heights. Not just in their minds but audible and echoing in the huge chamber. It didn't matter that they'd cut her out of the machines, fire sparked out of circuits and screens blew. The odd flames buried themselves deep inside her.

The screaming stopped – blessed silence.

Then the fire exploded out of her, disintegrating her body and flinging still smouldering bits throughout the chamber. Most fell into the mako but the Sephiroth's stunned eyes could see that they still burned. There were pieces of her on the platform flooring. The smaller bits of her popped and exploded with colours just like fireworks. The larger parts burned with those odd green-yellow-white flames, flaring in time with Cloud's choked moans.

"Did he– did Cloud just... cum?" Zack sputtered, feeling incredibly uncomfortable but turned on, which made him even more embarrassed.

Sephiroth, who'd gathered the still rocking body into his arms, had a better view down the front of his lover. "Indeed he did," he answered, thankful that his lower half was hidden, unlike the Commander.

Zack whistled, determined to make a joke of it while he tried to force his own erection away. "I've heard of getting off on danger, but this is a little extreme, don't you think?"

"Look at the flames," Sephiroth suggested and Zack did, noting absently that Cloud had been right about the mako-soaked flesh exploding, "That's not normal for a Firaga."

"Are you saying that Cloud's, um, y'know," Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, daring his blushing SiC to actually say it, "his orgasm had something to do with it?"

"I will have to wait until he rouses to ask him but, just as I cast it, I felt an incredible burst of energy passing from Cloud into me and then out again, joining with the Firaga."

"But that's..." nuts, he was going to say but couldn't quite. He'd felt something too.

"Magic?" said the silver-haired warrior.

Sephiroth returned his attention to the small blond warrior who was still in his trance, still shuddering but he seemed to be calming somewhat. Zack was watching things go boom, not just Jenova, although watching her burn was the most satisfying. No, he was looking at the control panels that were popping and the pipes and wires that were sparking. He couldn't be sure, but he didn't think cutting the Psycho Alien Bitch out of her harness had lessened the damage to the reactor.

Neither one of them was paying any attention to the chamber entrance, thinking that the immediate danger had passed. That was a mistake.

"What have you done, you foolish child? You've spoiled everything!" The voice that howled at them in outrage was horrifyingly familiar.

Sephiroth was trapped by Cloud's comatose form. Zack wasn't. He leapt to his feet, drawing his Buster sword and preparing to defend his companions from Dr. Creepy. It would've worked except that Hojo had brought troopers with him. They rightfully perceived the charging SOLDIER as a threat to their assignment and the troop captain allowed two of them to fire. They were supposed to be warning shots, but the angle was bad and Zack was moving fast. Some of the bullets caught him in the legs, forcing him down. He was ready to get back to it when Sephiroth's smooth voice stopped him, "Hold, Zack. Look after the corporal."

There was a long look between them. Hojo was his to deal with, but he needed Cloud protected. Zack nodded abruptly. He'd look after Cloud, let the mako heal his wounds, and Seph could finally confront the twisted man who called himself his father.

The General walked calmly down the thick pipe that had led to Jenova's special chamber. His very calmness caused the troopers to relax. They knew the silver-haired warrior was in complete control of himself and wouldn't let the situation escalate. They knew it because that was the atmosphere Sephiroth was consciously projecting. He needed them to trust him.

"I was sent here to check out a problem with the reactor. I fixed it," he waved a hand at the smudge spots that had once been Jenova. They still smoked and sparked, and they smelled awful which would certainly help convince the soldiers that something bad had been killed. A common prejudice and one Sephiroth had no hesitation in exploiting in this situation.

"You didn't fix it!" he screeched, "You've ruined everything." Sephiroth looked at the burnt and wrecked banks of equipment. He couldn't argue with Hojo on that point. "You killed her; how could you do that? Didn't you hear her call?"

Sephiroth froze at the words. "Whose call?" he queried, even as his mind whirled in speculations and possibilities. "What should I have heard?"

"Her voice, her call," Hojo was enraged. "You were designed to answer her call!"

"I heard no call." Technically, she had been raving – not calling.

"It was them!" he spat venomously, "They did something that perverted you. You weren't supposed to bring them!"

The troopers around the scientist started to shift uncomfortably. They'd been assigned to Hojo but none of them had any idea what their mission actually was. Most of them had thought they were going out on a bug-hunt, collecting samples for the weird professor; they'd certainly done that before, they hadn't been expecting... whatever this was. So they shifted their weight, exchanged silent messages where the scientist couldn't see, and subtly backed away from him.

Sephiroth, who wasn't the youngest general ever appointed by Shin-Ra for the publicity alone, saw the soldiers' movements, gauged their reactions to being here, and knew they would hesitate to shoot again. Hojo appeared barely sane; he was muttering and braying out that spine-chilling laugh of his. The General needed to find a lever that would push Hojo beyond merely creepy and into the 'threat' category so he could kill him.

"I was sent here to deal with an influx of monsters as well as check on the reactor. Since I was given no details on what kind of monsters – they could have been mutated Nibel Dragons, I thought bringing an extra SOLDIER merely prudent."

"You should've let the puppy," Hojo's voice dripped scorn and Zack winced at hearing Angeal's pet name for him coming from those contemptuous lips, "continue killing monsters while you came here to find her."

"It's just as well I did not," Sephiroth coolly replied, "When we came to the reactor there was a thing imbedded into the machinery – a monster. It was likely causing the problems so we killed it."

"She wasn't a monster, you idiot boy, she was a god!" He was so irate that spit flew from his mouth. Sephiroth had never seen the professor so irate. However, he was still a long way from being a threat.

Sephiroth hesitated delicately, knowing the watching soldiers would interpret this as him offering a chance to the senior staff member to reconsider his bizarre statement. "A god," He said neutrally, knowing Hojo would consider both the tone and the words a sign of contempt.

"Yes, yes!" he shouted, "A god! It's obvious, or should have been especially to you. I was so careful constructing you. Where could I have gone wrong..." he trailed off going back to his internal debate.

"Why would you consider that thing a god?" Although that answered the question of who had built the beautiful lie.

"Because it's obvious!" he cackled a moment then drew himself up, preparing to lecture the ignorant, "Millennia ago she arrived on the planet–"

"It's not Gaian?" Sephiroth interrupted.

"No she's not," he said deliberately, "no more than you are. She is a higher being. Now be quiet, boy, so you can learn your true purpose. When she arrived here, two thousand years ago, the planet was populated by a race called the Cetra–"

"The Cetra are a myth," Sephiroth interrupted again.

"Be quiet!" He practically jumped up and down in his agitation. Hojo hated to be interrupted when he was showing off his superiority. Something Sephiroth knew very well. "She offered herself to the Cetra but they rejected her. Those people – those people took everything. The planet was taken from her. They destroyed all who worshipped her, except for one. Jenova was too powerful for them to destroy so they trapped her in mako and buried her. Intending her to be forgotten for all time."

"You found it," Sephiroth already knew Hojo hadn't found Jenova. It had been in the notes, but it would encourage Hojo to rant while the silver-haired warrior listened to what was happening behind him. He'd heard Cloud stirring, taking deep breaths, making small noises. He hoped his little blond lover was returning fully to them with no damage from the prolonged fever or any other side effects from his odd trance state..

"Oh no," he cackled, "I didn't find her. That fool Gast did in the Northern Caves. Cetra used to live there. That's all he cared about, the Cetra. He thought she was a mere Cetra. He had no appreciation for what she was, what she could offer him. With her strength and knowledge, she should have been this planet's ruler, but he was too wrapped up in that pathetic female of his," he waved dismissively. "She tainted Gast's mind against Jenova so he couldn't hear her voice."

"Could you hear it, Professor?"

"Of course, I could hear her!" he chuckled, "How else did I know to create you?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and didn't notice Sephiroth drawing closer. "I'm sure I followed her instructions most carefully and yet you destroyed her..." he muttered.

"What did it tell you, Professor?"

"How to sail the darkness of the cosmos with this planet as our vessel – you'd have known that if you'd been listening," he scowled accusingly at his 'son,' "and ruling the planet, although it's much more efficient to have someone gullible to take all the blame. Witness Rupert Shin-Ra…" he cackled, "No, no. Let someone else do all the work, I say. I'd rather work on how to be immortal, like a god. I wonder…" he stopped speaking out loud, his thoughts drawn to another puzzle, "Maybe that's why her genetic structure didn't adhere to me as well as it should have..."

"You injected yourself with its cells?" Sephiroth managed to sound shocked although he wasn't. Injecting himself with what sounded like a deadly alien virus in hopes of gaining immortality was something Hojo would do. Now Hojo would appear to the troopers as insane, seditious and at least partially a monster, Sephiroth thought with satisfaction as the soldiers shuffled their feet miserably.

"Of course I did! It was the quickest way to become a god myself," he laughed, not happily, "except that it didn't work and I had to build you instead. And you didn't work either!" He flung out his hands, "How did you block her voice?"

"I did nothing." The absolute truth, it gave the impression to the soldiers that Sephiroth hadn't needed to block her voice because he hadn't heard it. Sephiroth was therefore sane and a potential ally. If he did this correctly, he would have a dozen impartial troopers to back him up on the necessity of killing Shin-Ra's head scientist although, if they interfered, he would kill them as well. He had already decided that Hojo would not leave the reactor alive. He was conscienceless, had his own agenda, and was too powerful within Shin-Ra; therefore, he was a threat to Gaia's security – and his own.

He felt the tingle of a materia cast nearby then heard a soft, metallic 'plink'. He didn't have to look to know that Cloud had cast Cure on Zack and it had pushed a bullet out of his leg. Cloud had returned to his senses and Zack was healed. He had back-up if things turned sour.

He was almost within blade range of Hojo. The scientist either didn't know or didn't care that he was so close to being in Sephiroth's kill zone. He was still obsessing about Sephiroth's lack of 'proper' response to Jenova.

"Impossible! If you did nothing then you should have heard her," he screeched, "I designed you to fulfill her destiny. I followed her instructions absolutely. It's inconceivable that I failed. Maybe I should deconstruct you. Start again. Yes, that might be a good idea. Or perhaps you are lying? Yet why would you lie? She offered to make us gods; we would rule this planet, use it to sail the universe and live forever. Why would you turn that down?"

"Professor, you're getting agitated," Sephiroth said calmly, sliding a step closer

Either Cloud or Zack must have shifted position. They pulled the professor's attention back to them, not where Sephiroth wanted it. "It was him, wasn't it – the jungle boy. He had a hand in it somehow. Why did you bring him? There was no need for you to bring him. He shouldn't be here! However, when we get back to Midgar I will put him to good use. Yes, yes, I can think of many uses for a SOLDIER First Class even one as flawed as that one." He cackled some more

His response was instinctual, "Commander Fair is my friend and I won't allow you to touch him."

"Friend? FRIEND? You don't have friends. I created you, raised you, trained you to be above those foolish interactions. Gods don't need friends!" Hojo was vibrating in his fury. Only the troop captain was standing near him now, all the rest had retreated to the very edges of the platform. That none of them had slipped out the entrance was a testament either to their discipline or their fondness for their captain.

One more push, Sephiroth decided, "Professor, perhaps we should take you back to Midgar; have somebody look at you," and he reached out his right hand knowing Hojo would interpret it as a threat, hoping that he would charge and allow him to pull his weapon in defence. "You are unwell."

Hojo's greasy hair was coming out of its tie and was floating around him as if possessed by an evil force. "I am not the one who is unwell. It is you who need help. You turned down godhood for what? For a friend? I will show you what to do with your friend. Shoot him!" he ordered the captain.

The officer protested, "Sir, he's not a threat."

Hojo turned on the man, "I decide who's a threat, you imbecile. Shoot him!"

"I'm sorry Sir, but I must refuse that order." The captain took up a stance that denied Hojo's authority. It was almost at-ease, thinking that his refusal would be enough but he underestimated the professor. Most people, looking at the scientist, saw a skinny, eccentric lab geek. One who worked at a desk and rode a computer all day. They forgot that Hojo routinely wrestled conscious and semi-conscious specimens on and off of his examining table all the time. Specimens that were usually larger and heavier than he was and often were desperate to escape. There were muscles under that grimy lab coat.

Being crazy just gave him the speed and determination to go with it.

Hojo reached over and casually slapped the captain hard enough to rock him back, "Imbecile!" He grabbed the weapon and ripped it off his shoulder. The scientist automatically gripped the trigger, pulling it back, and the bullets shot out of the gun and nearly cut the captain's legs off.

The professor knew nothing of firearms and despised those who used them. His knowledge was limited to 'pull this and bullets come out there'. The captain was lucky, Hojo was unprepared for the recoil, and so he missed the man's torso – which is what he'd intended to hit. It also forced the doctor to fight for his balance, but he kept his finger on the trigger so that bullets and ricochets were flying all over the chamber, endangering everyone in it.

As fast as the bullets were, Sephiroth was faster. He had Masamune drawn and was moving the final distance between himself and the professor before the officer finished falling to the floor. It took only a moment more for him to bring the blade down and to cut through the arm holding the weapon. Unfortunately, that didn't loosen Hojo's hand from the gun so it continued to fire even as it fell. Sephiroth spun and kicked both of them over the side of the platform. It was enough to dislodge the finger from the trigger and the noise of gunfire ceased.

Hojo was screaming. Sephiroth wasn't ashamed to admit that he enjoyed the sound. It echoed the screams he had made as a child while this man poked at him and cut him open. He could let him continue to suffer and scream but the wound he had was one he could survive and that was unacceptable. He reversed his swing, raising Masamune so it was parallel to the floor. He kept the blade extremely sharp, in fact, its edge was unmatched by any in Shin-Ra. It had no trouble slicing through the thick muscles, strong tendons, and heavy bone of Hojo's neck. The screaming changed to a liquid gurgle.

Later the troopers would all swear they heard Hojo's creepy laugh as his head rolled off his shoulders, across the platform and over the edge. They would tell the wide-eyed new guys how his laugh echoed in the chamber as it fell, hair flying out and around the fleshy orb. They'd follow it up with description of the blood fountaining out of his severed neck like something from a cheesy horror movie, and they'd speak with awe at how General Sephiroth didn't get a drop of blood on him.

Right now they were frozen. It had happened so fast the troopers didn't know how to react. Zack was watching Hojo's body topple, both fascinated by it and worried that it would somehow reanimate and attack them all. Sephiroth was lost in the realization that it was over, he was finally free of Hojo; free of the reluctant loyalty he had given the man who raised him. They were safe now.

Cloud, fully recovered, was the only one who was moving. He was running to the injured officer with his pack full of potions. Zack's wound was healed, Sephiroth wasn't damaged; they could wait. The concern now had to be the injured. The captain wasn't enhanced and wounds like those he'd sustained could easily kill him. He could bleed out or go into shock and, if the soldiers had brought a medic, he was as frozen as the rest of them. There was no time to think, he had to get to the captain, so he ran down the pipe to the injured man as fast as his strong legs could take him. He'd planned, vaguely, to drop and slide over to him when he got close enough. He hadn't counted on how slick fresh blood would make the platform's flooring.

Instead of the pace or so he'd intended to glide, he just kept going. Past Hojo's empty body that was already starting to dissolve into the Lifestream, past the wounded officer, past the stunned troopers and right toward the edge.

Forget screaming. He grabbed at the grating; fingers sliding as his legs shot over. 'Grab, grab, grab,' he ordered himself, tearing off nails in his desperation. He wasn't going to get a grip. His waist was over the edge. This was it, he was going to fall. He shut his eyes so he wouldn't have to see it.

Long hands gripped his forearms, strong hands, and stopped his slide with a jerk that was almost painful. Long hair flowed out and back, falling over him like a silk blanket. He knew those arms, that hair. He opened his eyes. Sephiroth was there, "As I told Fair, I've just found you, I won't be happy if you die before I can get you home. Do you understand, Corporal?"

Cloud could look down through the grating at the roiling lake of liquid mako that was the heart of the reactor. It was a long way down. It was a much nicer view to look at cat-slit eyes and that small secret smile that Sephiroth showed to so few. Cloud smiled widely in return, "Yes, Sir."

Sephiroth was lying stretched out on the floor, as if he'd dived to catch the blond. He could see Zack, crouched over the General's legs, a nice strong grip bracing him. "Moving a little fast weren't ya there, Spike," the First commented with a relieved smile. "I guess all that training you've been doing with me is starting to pay off."

"If you call having to run from Tseng because you put Limburger cheese in his heater, training." His voice was a bit shaky but that was from happiness not fear. They'd caught him and saved him. It'd be all right now. Except that his legs were still dangling over the edge of disaster. "Um, what now, Sirs?"

"Climb up me, Cloud," Sephiroth ordered. That was an interesting order, Cloud thought, one that deserved exploration later. For now, he had to figure out a way to pull himself, and the twenty kilos or so of potions in his backpack, up the slick leather-covered body of General Sephiroth.

He was so going to pull out the man's hair.

He needn't have worried. Although not granted SOLDIER speed, the troopers did move to save him. They braced each other so that two would hold the legs of one as they reached over to grab Cloud's legs and belt. It didn't take long for them to pull him up so he was laying along the edge of the platform. He looked down at the noxious looking lake and was tempted to stick his tongue out at it, as if he'd defeated an enemy.

Then he remembered the injured officer. "I've got potions in my backpack," he announced and shrugged out of it.

"Fucking, great. Bring'em here, stat!" ordered a voice. Cloud guessed it was the unit's medic.

Zack grabbed the pack, moving in a SOLDIER blur. He didn't slip on the grating, Cloud noted resentfully but his musing was cut short by being grabbed and dragged to lie next to and almost under, Sephiroth's long length.

"We nearly lost you." Bare fingertips ran down a soft, blushing cheek. "In the future, you must be more careful," Sephiroth said. Cloud couldn't help but lean into that touch. Sephiroth was alive, and he was safe. His eyes closed in contentment. Then he realized his position, what it would reveal to the troopers, the gossip it would engender, and he struggled against the arms holding him. "Sir! You should let me go."

"Hush, Cloud," the General responded, completely ignoring the young man's distress. "I am enjoying your survival – and hiding your wet spot," he purred in teasing mockery, "Whatever were you thinking of in your trance?"

His... trance? Cloud's eyes widened, cheeks went pale then red, not pink, but boiled lobster red. Hands nervously moved to the front of his pants to, y'know, check. Sure enough, "Oh my god."

"Well?" Sephiroth was more than smiling now, he was anticipating. Based on his little lover's reaction, he definitely wanted to know what Cloud had been experiencing.

"Umm," Breathing is good, he thought to himself, "We should check on the captain... Sir."

"Hmmm," he purred, running fingers down those hot, hot cheeks. "I will find out eventually." Then he stood up, one smooth instantaneous motion. He held out his hand for Cloud and pulled him to his feet with equal ease. "But you are correct. We should tend to the wounded. You could use your Cure on him." He didn't release Cloud's hand.

"Sir," he whispered, tugging discretely on his hand, trying to release it, "only authorized personnel are allowed to use materia. That rule hasn't changed yet."

"I'm authorizing you. Use the Cura, Cloud."

Sephiroth put his free hand on a broad shoulder and turned the youth to face the injured man, knowing that it was easier for neophytes to direct materia when the target was in sight. Cloud concentrated on the power stored in the green orb, so warm and almost alive, they seemed much sharper now. He released it and the captain was surrounded by a dense green cloud that swirled around him. They could barely make out the bullets being ejected from the man's body before the holes closed without a scar.

"That feels Mastered," Zack said, holding his hands out as if to a fire, before swaggering over to the couple. "In-fucking-credible, Cloud. What exactly were you doing in that trance of yours, anyway? Playing with little balls?" The grin was sly and knowing, especially when the blond's blush returned as red as before. "It sure sounded like fun."

Sephiroth hummed agreement, "I am also very curious, and very patient."

Cloud opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to come up with a suitable response. A change in topics was obviously called for. "Hojo's really dead?"

Sephiroth laughed lightly, recognizing the tactic. "Stop pulling, Cloud. Your hand is perfectly fine where it is."

It was Zack who answered, "Very, very dead."

"And Jenova?"

"Oh yeah, she blowed up real good. The little bits burned nice too; pretty colours and everything, just like you said." He smiled again, his sly, teasing grin and Cloud braced himself," Seph says something you did in your trance had a part in it, so you're not going to be able to get out of answering."

"I just, um...yeah. Are you going to get into trouble, Sir?"

"For killing Hojo? No, at least not much. Hojo was mentally unbalanced and a threat to all our safety as I'm sure the captain will corroborate. The damage to the reactor is another matter. The President won't be happy about it."

The captain, hearing himself mentioned, walked over on unsteady legs. They were healed but his mind had to catch up to his body. He kept expecting them to collapse under him. He saluted briskly, "Thank you, General. I believe we all owe you our lives. I know I certainly do."

"At ease, Captain. Your men are all well?"

"Yes, Sir. Murphy threw up but this is his first mission." The officer tried but he couldn't quite keep his eyes on Sephiroth's. Part of it was the oddness of them – green cat slits, but the greater part was the way the General was holding the young corporal to him. The young soldier was blushing so hard the captain was surprised he had enough blood in his legs to stay upright.

"It's to be expected then. I won't concern myself with it. Where are you and your men stationed?"

"We've got rooms at the Inn in town, Sir, the second and third Shin-Ra rooms. I understand you and your SiC and, uh, the corporal have the first room." Sephiroth ignored the hesitation.

"Very good. I'll be calling Midgar and extending your orders. There is a lab under the Shin-Ra mansion that needs to be investigated and inventoried. And we may be moving someone to Midgar or Kalm, although I'll have to confirm her wishes in the matter." He looked down at the soldier in his arms. "Do you think your mother might like to finally leave Nibelheim at Shin-Ra's expense?"

"I don't know, Sir." Cloud could barely bring himself to look at anyone.

"Buck up, Cloud, you're a fucking hero," Zack stated. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Unlike the dark spot on your pants," he added low voiced.

"But the General's reputation..." he protested.

"It's not my place to say anything," the Captain stated, "I'll make sure the men don't either."

'Yeah right,' Cloud thought, once the troopers got back to Midgar they'd be gossiping as bad as Nibelheim's elders ever had. The whole world would know General Sephiroth was involved with a lowly corporal.

"Let them talk, Captain. I'm not going to try to keep my involvement a secret. In fact, I feel honoured that such a brave young man has chosen me to be his companion. He was the first to act to save you, you know."

"Atta boy, Seph," Zach murmured in approval. He'd never liked the idea of hiding Cloud away like a guilty secret.

Cloud turned to face his silver haired lover, "But, Sir, you said–"

"I don't care," he placed one long finger on full, pouty lips then Sephiroth bent down and kissed his young lover softly but passionately. He lifted his head, almost purring in contentment – Cloud had come back to him. "I don't care. We'll make it work."

AN: Well, that's it. My thanks to purefoysgirl who gave me a much-needed nudge in a better direction; I'm much happier with this chapter now.

For all those who wondered, and even if you didn't, all the titles are taken from songs. Some are old favourites, some I went looking for to match the chapter; all of them are on my music player. I'll post the list in my Master Fiction List on my LiveJournal account if you're interested (etrix/ livejournal. com)