Sorry for the wait on this chapter, as a kind of "I'm sorry" this chapter starts off with a lovely shower lemon scene:) Enjoy DHT-
It took them some time to find a working shower, but finally when they did they discovered it was hooked into a natural hot spring. "Thank Gaia for small favors." Cloud said as he stood in front of it.
"You stay here with Cloud." Genesis said, "We'll go see if we can find him some clothing."
Sephiroth just nodded, as Genesis and Vincent left to go rummage through the old barracks for clothing. Cloud and Sephiroth entered the shower house.
Cloud just started to strip, he was long past being shy, and found no reason to be modest around Sephiroth.
Sephiroth however stood transfixed as more and more of Cloud's skin appeared.
"Don't tell me you've never seen another man naked before?" Cloud said a bit of a teasing tone in his voice. He wasn't sure what had taken over him, but he was still a bit disappointed that their night spent in bed hadn't brought about much more than a few heated kisses. His feelings may have been his own but thanks to their past lives he felt like he had been with Sephiroth forever.
"I have not seen you naked before." Sephiroth admitted.
"Why don't you join me in the shower?" Cloud said holding out his hand, the water was nice and warm.
"I-" Sephiroth wasn't sure what to say. He wanted Cloud he really did, but he had never been in a situation like this.
Cloud just leaned in and kissed him. "If you don't want to that's fine."
"I do, I just." Sephiroth said a bit frustrated. "I've never done this before."
"Sex with a guy is a little bit different, but as long as your partner is prepared properly it's not that hard." Cloud explained, as he helped Sephiroth remove his coat.
"I've never done that either." Sephiroth admitted, not sure why he felt so embarrassed.
"Your seriously a virgin?" Cloud asked surprised. He was pretty sure Sephiroth could have had anyone he wanted. Cloud had, had a few partners, both male and female. He had assumed even then that Sephiroth would be the experienced one.
"I never found anyone who interested me enough." Sephiroth confessed.
"Alright." Cloud said stepping back a bit. "Your first time shouldn't be in an abandon's shower."
"I don't care where it is, as long as it's with you." Sephiroth said looking down at Cloud. Sephra was still influencing him a bit, making him more emotional than normal. She wanted to be with Sky as much as Sephiroth wanted to be with Cloud.
Cloud wanted to resist. Sephiroth deserved to experience sex in a bed for the first time. But things were hectic right now, and he didn't know when they would have a chance to even sleep in a bed again.
"Alright." He conceded and helped Sephiroth rid himself of the rest of his clothing.
As they stood under the spray, Cloud leaned up and kiss Sephiroth again. The warm water coupled with Sephiroth's closeness felt wonderful.
"I should at least clean up a bit first." Cloud said as he pulled away.
"I'll help." Sephiroth said his voice a bit heavy, as he gilded his hands across Cloud shoulder and down his back, helping the water sweep the mako residue away.
Cloud shivered a bit at the touch. "Are you sure you've never had a lover before?"
"Very ." Sephiroth said but notice both he and Cloud were becoming very aroused. He twisted his body slightly causing their erections to brush against each other.
Cloud let out a hiss that turned into a moan. "Keep that up and I'm not going to care about the mako." Cloud said with a bit of a pant.
"Mmmm, the water is making quick work of it anyway." Sephiroth said, running his hand through Cloud's wet hair.
Cloud just kissed Sephiroth thoroughly, as he snaked his own hand around. He would teach Sephiroth proper preparation technique later. Right now he just wanted the man's cock buried deep inside him. As it was being a SOLDIER it didn't take much. A little bit of stretching and his body would erase anything else quick enough.
When he pulled away, he placed his hands on Sephiroth shoulders and pulled him down to a kneeling position. "This isn't the easiest. But I want to see you." Cloud said before placing another chase kiss on Sephiroth lips.
Cloud positioned himself, and then guided Sephiroth's cock to his entrance.
"Are you sure this is alright?" Sephiroth asked, he didn't want to hurt Cloud.
"I'll be fine, and don't hold back, we'll both enjoy more that way." Cloud said, he'd never been with someone as strong as Sephiroth and his cock twitched in anticipation. Deep down Cloud knew he was a bit masochistic.
Sephiroth felt his instincts taking over, and his drive to claim Cloud became strong as he trusted his hips forward entering the blonde.
Cloud arched his back a bit, Sephiroth inside him was defiantly the best thing he'd ever felt.
"Don't stop, I'm not made of glass." Cloud said as Sephiroth sat still, not sure if that was how he should continue. A quick thrust from Cloud was all he needed to break whatever had been holding him back.
Before long he was slamming into the blonde with all his might, and Cloud was screaming in pleasure underneath him. He felt something building deep within him, but he didn't want this to be over yet. Something like a switch was flipped and he thrust faster and harder. Vaguely he realized the tile under Cloud was cracking but he didn't care.
"Don't you dare fucking stop." Cloud said breathlessly as he reached out managing to grab some of Sephiroth's hair.
Sephiroth couldn't even respond, at least not verbally. Sex was the best damn thing in the world. Why had no one ever told him?
Finally a damn broke deep inside him as he pushed as deep as he dared into Cloud, when his body stopped spasming he realized that he was covered in something sticky and white, thought he water was quickly washing it away, as he pulled out of Cloud more of the white substance came rushing out of the blonde.
"Are you alright?" Sephiroth asked, Cloud looked slightly dazed.
"I don't think I've ever been better." Cloud said before sitting up pulling Sephiroth into another heated kiss.
"If you're like me and other SOLDIERs I'm going to assume you're up for that again?" Cloud said as he reached down to touch Sephiroth's cock.
It twitched in his hand and Cloud smiled.
"Again? So soon?" Sephiroth said a bit of surprise.
"It takes a lot to wear out a SOLDIER's stamina." Cloud said with a bit of a smirk. "But I would only risk once more before the others show back up."
"More." Was all Sephiroth said in a short breath. More of the most fantastic thing he'd ever experienced. "Of course I want more."
"Good." Cloud said kissing Sephiroth again, glad that the water was tied to the hot springs.
They had actually managed a third time, when Vincent and Genesis showed back up. Cloud was bit tender, he hadn't figured how much damage Sephiroth's thrust could actually do. He imagined he'd have had a broken pelvis if he wasn't a SOLDIER. He wasn't complaining though, sex with Sephiroth was something he intended to repeat, a lot.
Genesis had actually managed to find replacement clothes for him though the man had a bit of a smirk when he held them up. Cloud had should his head while looking at the Second Class Uniform and put it on.
Now they were on their way back to the ship.
"Had to be purple didn't it?" Cloud said with a sigh.
"Just be glad you didn't have to wear the thing for real." Sephiroth said.
"You never had to wear one did you?" Cloud looked up in surprise.
"We all did," Genesis acknowledged. "Not for long though."
"Zack had to the longest I think." Sephiroth said thoughtful.
"At least purple didn't clash with him, do you remember how horrid it looked with my hair?" Genesis said.
"You looked like a clown." Sephiroth said, chuckling at the memory.
"You looked like a girl." Genesis chided.
"I did not then, now or ever have breasts." Sephiroth insisted.
"That's not entirely true." Genesis said with a smirk, "Though I'll give you that you looked like a flat chested girl."
Cloud just shook his head, and walked on, Vincent was a good 20 paces ahead already. As he walked he felt a spike of pain lace through his right eye. He covered it with his hand, stopping for a moment.
"Cloud are you alright." Sephiroth said noticing his distress.
"Yah," He said blink his eyes as the pain dissipated. "There must of been some mako still on me somewhere that got in my eye." The ship was coming into to view.
"Vincent." They heard a feminine voice say.
"Lucrecia." Vincent replied breathlessly.
Sephiroth surged past Cloud and almost ran the rest of the way back to the ship. Genesis came to Cloud's side.
"Mother?" He whispered, standing on the loading dock was Lucrecia, supported by Yuffie.
"She woke up not long after you went after Cloud. She wanted to wait here for you, I wouldn't let he leave the ship." Yuffie explained.
Sephiroth couldn't help himself, he swept past Vincent who was just staring at the woman and hugged her. She just returned it as Yuffie stepped aside.
"I missed you." He whispered.
"I'm so sorry." She said tears in her eyes.
Sephiroth just didn't want to let her go, she seemed so frail, but she was his mother and he finally had her. "How much do you know?" He asked.
"I heard everything Vincent told me," She said taking a glance at the man, he heart again panged with guilt. "The three of us, we have a lot to talk about." She said solemnly.
"We have time." He said softly. "Don't push yourself."
"I've waited for 30 years to tell parts of this story." She said with a sigh. "It's time I told it."
"Take her to the briefing room, after that you can rest." Cloud said."We'll head back to Edge." He and Genesis had finished their trek back.
Vincent simply walked up the ramp. When he walked next to her, she placed a hand on his arm. "I-" She started with a stammer.
"It's ok." He said gently.
"Thank you," She said head turned down, Vincent led them to the room, with Sephiroth helping her along.
"I'll go check on Tifa and the kids, Yuffie can you please tell Cid we are ready to depart." Cloud asked her, she nodded and bounded off.
"I'll come with you." Genesis said, looking over at Cloud. He had to look again, were Cloud's eyes strange? No it was just his paranoia, Cloud's eyes were normal not cat slit at all.
"Alright." He said before turn to head to the make-shift med bay.
Sephiroth helped his mother into a chair, as Vincent sat on her right side, then he sat to the left of her.
"How are you feeling?" Vincent asked, voice low and neutral.
"Weak, but I will be alright it won't be long before I'll be standing on my own fine." She explained.
"I'm just not sure what to say." Sephiroth said looking to her.
"I always loved you." Lucrecia said, "Even if Hojo wouldn't let me near you."
The words meant everything to him. The love of a parent is something Sephiroth had always longed for and now that he had it, he didn't know what to do. "I'd kill that man again in a second if I had the chance."
"None of us, save maybe you Vincent, knew what that man was capable of." Lucrecia said somberly, looking to the man she mentioned.
"I didn't realize until too late" Vincent acknowledged. "But like I said back in the cave, you need to stop letting your guilt weigh you down. Everyone on this ship has things they wish they could change. Big things."
"It's hard, but I'll try for you, and for Sephiroth." She acknowledged. "I can't believe I can finally touch you." She said with tears in her eyes putting her hand on Sephiroth's arm and turned to him. "I would dream about it."
"I've asked Vincent about Hojo, I can't believe he is..." Sephiroth trailed off, unable to say the words.
"Your father?" She said though it sounded painful. "It's true, I married him. Though I never loved him. It was a marriage of convince, of Science. I was never more than test subject for him."
"Then why...?" Vincent asked the question that had plagued him.
"Because I didn't think myself worthy of you. I did love you Vincent, but I never thought we could be together, with what happened to your father." She closed her eyes. "So I decided if I would never marry for love, I would marry for Science."
"So Hojo was my father." Sephiroth said, he felt so defeated.
"I told you that was the case. I never was intimate with Lucrecia. It was impossible." Vincent replied.
"Not impossible." Lucrecia said in a whisper. "I was too afraid to tell you."
"Lucrecia?" Vincent said, "We never, I would have remembered."
"Hojo, wanted a child, and intercourse with the man was not pleasant." Lucrecia started her explanation. "After a few months of turning up nothing, I discovered the man was actually sterile. He didn't know it however. I decided to artificially impregnate myself to get it over with. It was selfish but I at least wanted a part of you with me. "
"You used my DNA?" Vincent said, almost floored.
"Yes, Sephiroth is your son Vincent." Lucrecia was almost crying "I'm sorry I never had the courage to tell you before. I thought Hojo would kill him if he knew. I never imagined that he would have put Sephiroth through what he did. I've managed to take both your father and your son from you."
Vincent remained silent, and Lucrecia knew this was the last straw for the man. He was about to break, but the look on Sephiroth's face perplexed her.
"I knew it." Sephiroth finally said with a breath of relief. "I know I couldn't be related to that madman."
Cloud slipped into the room Tifa and the children were sharing. Jadak was curled up on her lap already asleep. Angeal was sitting in the corner. Genesis walked in behind him.
"Are you all alright?" Cloud said quietly.
"I don't know." She said looking down. "I need to see a doctor, or at least Aerith when we get back."
"You think something happened to the baby?" Genesis asked, unaware that Cloud didn't know.
"Baby?" Cloud said eyes going wide in surprise.
"That's right, with everything I didn't get a chance to tell you." She said biting her lip. "I only found out the other day. Aerith actually told me."
"Your pregnant?" Cloud asked coming and sitting next to her.
"Yes, we had went to the doctor right before everything." She said remembering "OH Rude! I hope he's ok." Tears were in her eyes.
"We've had some contact with Edge. Rude was injured pretty bad but he's still alive, just recovering in the hospital." Genesis explained.
"Thank Gaia." She said in relief.
"Are Zack and Aerith ok?" Angeal asked tentatively.
"They are fine, they are helping everyone else in the city." Genesis explained.
"Is that why Zack didn't come to save us? He was saving other people?" Angeal asked, he almost seemed hurt.
"Zack wanted to come, the moment he knew you were in trouble. But he also understood that he was just too far away. We were close to you when we found out. It would have taken Zack several more hours at best to get here. We wanted to get you out as soon as possible." Cloud explained.
"Thank you for saving us." Angeal said looking up at Genesis. He seemed to have accepted Cloud's answer. "Are you a Hero too?"
"No," Genesis, said averting his eyes. "I've never done anything deserving of the title."
"You saved us." Angeal said. Genesis just looked away, not able to find the words to reply.
"Congratulations are in order I suppose." Cloud said with a small smile on his face.
"Thank you, it's all still pretty overwhelming." Tifa admitted. "Rude even wants to make everything official and all."
"Do you?" Cloud asked.
"I love him I do, but I don't trust myself right now. I'm pregnant and my emotions are all over the place. I don't want to make a decision like that when it feels like I'm drugged." She looked up at Cloud.
"Then tell him that." Cloud said too her placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't want to hurt him, or run him off." She said tears forming in her eyes again.
"Rude will understand. If he doesn't then you don't belong with him anyway." Cloud said hugging Tifa.
"Thank you." She said hugging him back. Cloud just held her, as another jolt of pain laced through his eyes. This time however he didn't even flinch.
"Yes, I'm fine." Yuffie sighed into her PHS. "I didn't even go near them."
"Good, I told Cloud you shouldn't even have gone. Yazoo alone is much too dangerous, look what he did to Reno." Tseng said through the phone.
"I'm a big girl." Yuffie shook her head. "I can handle myself."
"You're a big girl with a penchant for getting in over your head." Tseng replied.
"Like I said, the worst thing I had to deal with was a guard dog. What about you? It sounds like you got closer to them then I did. You even got attacked by Ifrit!" Yuffie turned the question back on him.
"That's different. I'm a highly trained Turk." Tseng said.
"And I'm a highly trained Ninja. Your point is invalid." Yuffie shot back. Who would have thought Tseng was the over protective type?
"Just make sure you make it back here safely." Tseng stressed.
"I'm fine, I fine, I promised." Yuffie emphasized. "Take care of yourself."
"I need to talk to Cloud about what happened as well. Do you know if he's busying?" Tseng asked her.
"He's down checking on Tifa and the kids." Yuffie replied.
"Alright, just have him call me when he emerges." Tseng asked.
"No problem." Yuffie said.
"Alright I need to go check on Rufus, again stay safe." Tseng stressed again.
"I will, like I said don't worry about me. See you when we get back." Yuffie said before ending the call.
Yuffie knew she should be frustrated with Tseng, she had been pampered and fussed over by the royal guard her whole life. But for the first time she felt someone was doing it because they were honestly worried about her, and not the Princess of Wutai. It was a good feeling.
"I don't know what to say." Vincent finally spoke. "I never dreamed, even when the others pressed." He shook his head.
"I knew you would hate me if I told you, that's why I fought waking for so long, even after everything else happened. I knew if I woke I would have to tell you." She said wiping her eyes. "Then I would truly loose you forever."
"I could never hate you." Vincent said, but his mind was swimming with thoughts.
"Vincent." She said softly placing a hand on his claw.
"I always thought you wouldn't wake because I had failed you, I wasn't worth your attention." Vincent said, guilt still laced in his voice.
"I-" She stuttered. "Where do we go from here?" She finally asked.
"I don't know," He admitted. "But we'll do it together. Like we should have done in the first place." He looked to Sephiroth. "All of us."
She finally allowed herself a smile, knowing that while she may not deserve the two men in front of her, they wanted her anyway, and that made all the difference. She just wished she had realized it 30 years earlier.
Reno made his way towards the hospital. He had heard from Zack about Rude, and his heart sank. Rufus was fine, but Rude had taken an assault from Yazoo, and had his girlfriend stolen. Reno's hate for the spawn deepened with every step. At least if Rude was awake he could give him the news Tifa and the kids were safe.
The damage to the city wasn't bad, really only Seventh Heaven and the Shinra building had been damaged, and while Seventh Heaven, was in bad shape, the Shinra building had been fine. It had been built to with stand the earthquakes that occasionally rocked the planet after Meteor, and much of the physical damage from Ifrit had been superficial on the outside of the building.
He walked through the halls of the hospital, where he himself had been less than a week ago. And opened the door to Rude's room. The man was still out of it, wrapped in several bandages, wirh an IV running to his arm. Not long after one of the nurses stepped in with him.
"Is he gonna be alright?" Reno asked her.
"He's in pretty rough shape when they brought him in, he's stable now, and other then maybe a scar, he won't have any lasting injuries."The nurse explained.
"That's good." Reno sighed in relief. He had hoped that Rude wouldn't have to follow in his footsteps so to speak. He acted calm, but the whole Mako-robot things scared the hell out of him. They really didn't know what was going to happen, tomorrow or 5 years down the road.
"Are you his next of kin?" She asked.
Reno had wanted to say yes, for the longest time he had been the one closest to his friend but then he shook his head. "No." He said "That would be Tifa. She's not available right now."
"Alright, point her our way when she shows up. It's not too important we just have a few things to go over with her." The nurse explained.
"I'll let her know." Reno said with a nod, fighting back the urge to argue he was just as good.
Reno just moved next to the bed and took a seat. "You better hang in there man, cuz I' ain't Interested in Tifa. This ain't gonna be one of those things where your best bud takes care of your woman and all." Reno said putting his hand behind his head and kicking is feet up on the edge of Rude's bed.
Aerith was sitting in the middle of her Church, after what happened she had come here to calm her nerves. Right now she was alone. Zack had gone to help more with the clean up. She just stared into the water she had helped create.
"There is something wrong isn't there?" She asked the water, trying to speak with the planet. Now that she was alive its voice wasn't as clear as it had been in the Lifestream.
The water just rippled. "I don't know what you're trying to tell me." She said with a sigh.
It rippled again only larger. "I don't understand." She wanted to cry she knew she needed to know what it was trying to tell her.
Finally a voice pierced her thoughts, it sounded suspiciously like her adoptive mother. "Calamity, Moving." Was all she made out. After it was gone the ripples stopped.
"Jenova is moving? How, what is she doing?" Aerith pleaded with the water but nothing happened. In her frustration she threw a rock in to the pool, and even then as it sunk no ripples appeared on the water.
She never thought she'd wish she was still dead, as she hung her head in frustration.
Cloud left Tifa to rest, and had decided not to rejoin the others, his eyes hurt. He wished he had, had soap to finish cleaning out his hair. There was probably residual mako elsewhere on his body. Though Sephiroth had been rather thorough. He laid down in Genesis's hammock to rest a bit himself. It hurt less when his eyes were closed.
He hadn't been there long before another bout of pain laced through his back. He really didn't think he could have injured himself during his earlier activities, but it seemed he had. He shifted in the hammock adjusting to lessen the pain. But as he moved he was hit with it again. Cloud was no stranger to pain but it felt like he was been torn apart from the inside out. Still he bit back the cry of pain.
A third wave hit him, in both his back and his eyes and he couldn't help but scream as he fell to the floor. He struggled to stand, but the pain was to intense. He heard someone coming and fast.
He looked up to see Genesis staring at him, a horrified look on the man's face before his world went dark.
Genesis was motivated out of his shock when Cloud collapsed. He rushed forward and looked him over. Blood was everywhere and Cloud was shaking slightly. Cloud felt like he was on fire and a large black wing protruding from Cloud's back kept Genesis from being able to roll the man over. The blood was thick and dark and sticking to everything. He ripped his coat off and removed his shirt trying to use it to stop the flow.
"Help, now." He screamed at the top of his lungs, before continuing to apply pressure to the base of the wing. He didn't even want to process the look in Cloud's eyes when he had seen Genesis.
"What's going on Gene-OH MY GOD." Yuffie said rounding the corner then sprinting the rest of the way to Cloud falling to his side.
"Go get the others, and towels and whatever bandages you can find ." Genesis ordered the ninja.
She just took off down the halls of the ship yelling "Guys! Come quick its Cloud!"
Genesis turned his attention back to the man in front of him as he thrashed again in pain, and more blood spilled from his wound. Genesis barely remembered when his own wing had appeared but it hadn't been this traumatic he was sure.
Genesis ripped the rest of Cloud's shirt off of his body and noticed the blonde's skin had taken on a porcelain tone, though he still felt hot. "Cloud stay with me." He said moving the man's head to his lap.
Sephiroth, Vincent and Lucrecia came up behind Genesis and Cloud. "What happened?" Sephiroth said moving to Cloud's right side. He took his lover's hand into his own.
"He's gone into shock." Lucrecia said moving to his left side. Lucrecia had known about people sprouting wings thanks to Vincent's words too her. "From what Vincent told me, I can only assume that the purified Jenova cells and the ones he was just introduced to are fighting each other within his body."
Cloud's body arched in pain, and fell back down. "We have to get him a sedative, or his body is going to completely tear itself a part." She said.
"I have a dazer." Vincent said handing it too her.
"Total paralysis will work for now." She said taking it from the man and using it on Cloud. He went stiff, he was frozen with a painful expression but he had at least stopped thrashing.
"So what do we do now?" Sephiroth asked, a bit panicked. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Not now.
"We should take him back to the cave, maybe Minerva can help him." Genesis said as Yuffie came back with Nanaki and an arm full of towels.
"I imagine she's already doing what she can for him." Lucrecia said. "This really is a contest of who's stronger."
"It can't hurt to take him there." Sephiroth said, not wanting to argue with his mother, but wanting to give Cloud every advantage he could.
"I suppose not." She acknowledged, she knew about Cloud and Sephiroth, though it had surprised her a bit.
"So the fight for the world is taking place inside Cloud's body right now?" Genesis said, but all sense of cockiness and confidence was gone.
" A little dramatic don't you think?" Sephiroth asked his friend.
"Think about. If Jenova wins this fight we've lost." Genesis said shaking his head. "Either she uses Cloud to complete her original plan, or Cloud dies, where he either continues to get resurrected until she succeeds, because the lifestream won't accept him, or the Lifestream accepts him and because of his Jenova cell count, she wins anyway."
"We have to trust in Cloud, and trust in Minerva." Sephiroth said looking down at the blonde. Lucrecia had taken some of the towels and started to clean him up. The paralysis had managed to stop the blood flow as well.
"I never thought someone else would tell me to trust in her." Genesis said shaking his head.
"Aerith" Zack said slipping into the church. He hadn't seen her in several hours. " Are you alright?"
He took a few steps further in and found her sitting at the edge of the water.
"Aerith?" he said continuing his trek, but she didn't acknowledge him. Then he heard her quiet sobs. "Aerith!" He yell rushing the rest of the way to her.
"Zack!" She cried burying her head in his chest. "Zack something's wrong, something's horribly wrong. The planet is panicking, and I can't make any of it out! It wants to tell me something, but I can't make it out."
"Shush," He said rubbing her back trying to calm her."Have you tried focusing?"
"Yes!" She wailed a little louder. "I have a headache, it like Gaia is trying to tell me a thousand different things at once. It can't calm down long enough to make it clear."
"You'll figure it out." he said holding her.
"No, I won't not like this." She said sitting up and looking into his eyes. "Zack its important."
"Wait what? I don't like that look." Zack said a little panicked himself.
"When I was in the lifestream I could hear the planet more clearly. The planet's desperate, if it's this important." She trailed off.
"No" He said pulling her close. "There has to be another way. You're not leaving me not now."
"Zack." She said through her own tears.
"I don't know maybe we can just dunk you in a mako pool or something. " He said "Anything, I'm not loosing you now that I have you again."
"Zack, you're a genius." Aerith said, a smile on her face. " Mideel."
"I don't care what it is, as long as it doesn't involve you dying again." Zack said still not willing to let her go.
"It's a town that was destroyed on the southern continent not far from Banora. The lifestream, not just mako is close to the surface of the planet. Cloud fell in it. If I can somehow get into it physically, long enough to figure out what the planet wants." She said still trying to put things together.
"Wait, didn't Cloud survive that because he had a high mako tolerance?" Zack said looking at her.
"I do too," She said shaking her head. "Hojo tried pumping me full of the stuff as a kid. It never stuck though because he didn't use Jenova cells."
"Well, then to Mideel it is." Zack said hugging her.
Reno sighed, he was bored out of his mind. Usually when one of them was in the hospital for a prolonged period of time, Tseng would come sit with them. But Tseng was busy trying to get everything in Edge back in order. He'd resisted the urge to draw funning faces on Rude for over an hour, but his resolve was thinning quickly. The nurses wouldn't even talk to him since he had told them about Tifa. At least they weren't willing to run him out either.
Reno didn't even look over when the door opened expecting one of the nurses.
"How is he?" He heard a soft voice and turned to see Elena.
"Hey Laney." Reno said waving at her. "He's stable but they won't tell me nothing cuz I ain't Tifa. How about you?, figured you'd be out assisting with the recovery in all."
"I tried, but Tseng said Rufus had given me the day off, and wouldn't hear of it so I checked on Rufus, then came here to check on Rude." She said taking a seat across the room.
"How is the Boss?" Reno said moving his feet off Rude's bed and sitting up a bit.
"He's awake. The first thing he did was ask about the civilians in the safe room." Elena said.
"Who could of imagined that the cocky brat we kidnapped in Junon would turn out like him huh? " Reno said looking up at the ceiling.
"None of us have been unchanged by what's happened in the last 10 years." Elena said shaking her head. "Do you ever wonder where your life would be if it never happened?"
"Sometimes, tho I imagine I'd probably be face down in a gutter somewhere." Reno acknowledged.
"I'd probably still be at the bar, hating my sister." Elena said shaking her head.
"She never came back with the others did she?" Reno said looking over to Elena.
"No, though that's fine. I don't know that the new company would suit her very well. I still hear from her every now and then though." Elena acknowledged.
"Tell her, I still remember she owes me 50 gil." Reno said with a grin. Gun really did owe him money but he wasn't as interested in claiming it as he was in ruffling her feathers.
"I'm sure she'll hurry right over to pay the debt off." Elena laughed a little.
They sat in silence a little while longer until Rude let out a groan.
"You waking up buddy?" Reno ask standing looking over his partner.
"Tifa." He groaned out.
"She's alright." Reno said. "Cloud saved her. You just relax, your worse off then she is."
"Baby," Was the next word out of his mouth.
"Baby?" Reno asked confused.
"Baby ok?" Was what Rude managed to get out in his haze.
"Do you know what he means?" Reno asked Elena.
"No," She said shaking her head. "I'll go let the nurse know he's waking up."
"Rude, you hit your head pretty hard I think. What do you mean baby?" Reno said.
"Tifa, baby," Was all he would say but it was obvious he was stressed.
"Wait, Tifa has a baby?" Reno said trying to figure out what Rude meant.
Before he could get any kind of answer out of Rude the nurse entered.
"You should leave your upsetting him." The nurse said glaring at Reno,
"It's not me, he's asking about some baby. I don't know what the heck he means." Reno said throwing his arms up.
"Shooh for now, when he stabilizes I'll let you two back in." The nurse said.
Reno wanted to protest and knew he would win, but Rude was obviously upset. He just decided he'd have to ask Tseng about it. "Alright, I'll be out in the waiting room."
Weiss sat in the front room of the orphanage trying to keep the children calm. He knew the recent attack had something to do with the fight against Jenova, but so far his phone had been silent.
He and Shelke however had decided to keep the kids inside and safe for now. They had both agreed that they would wait for answers rather than go asking questions.
Weiss didn't want to go join the fight if he didn't have too. He knew now he was really needed here to protect these children. They had no one but him and Shelke. In less than a week they had become his new life and he wasn't going to give it up easily.
Rufus sat in his bed. He had heard from Tseng that the others were alright, and that his assessment that Yazoo would leave the civilians alone was correct. Tseng had also told him how incredibly stupid he had been. Of course he would have been a higher priority target. People depend on him just to be alive. His life might not be worth more when compared to another, but his life meant a lot to thousands of people. What would Shinra Inc be without someone to lead it?
He was just thankful Reno had stopped his abduction.
He pulled the covers back from his bed where he had been resting, and got up, slowing making his way over to his desk. It was time he took care of some of Tseng's concerns. He had no fantasy about living forever after all.
Yuffie bit her lip and pulled out her phone. It had been left to her, to inform the others of the change of plans. Cid was already en route to Banora.
"Yuffie," Tseng's smooth voice sounded form the other side of the line. "What's going on?'
"We've had a problem, a major problem." Yuffie said still biting her lip.
"What's wrong, are you alright?" He asked, the concern in his voice showing through.
"I'm fine, but Cloud." Yuffie paused for a second. "Apparently the junk he got hit with in the lake was Jenova cells, is done something to him."
"Yuffie I want you off that ship and away from him as soon as you can you understand me." Tseng said, his tone left no room for discussion.
"I'm not leaving him." She fought back. "We are currently heading to Banora. Genesis thinks the goddess Minerva might be able to help him from there."
"I'll head there now. But I'm serious. I know you know what he can do if he's been tainted by Jenova again. He won't be your friend." Tseng said, leaving off 'Or mine.'
"I know that, but he's not gone all bat shit yet. Sephiroth's mom woke up, and she's pretty sure the purified cell's are fighting off the new ones. Cloud's not gonna lose." Yuffie said full of confidence.
"Doctor Crescent is awake?" Tseng asked. "She's probably the best defense you have."
"She sounds like she knows what she's talking about." Yuffie admitted, hoping that it would at least calm Tseng a little bit.
"Look, I'm serious though, if he even appears to be taking a turn for the worst, get off that ship the fastest and safest way possible. Don't turn back. Leave him to Genesis and Sephiroth, do you understand me?" Tseng demanded.
"I love you too." Yuffie said before hanging up on Tseng. She had no intention of going anywhere.
Tseng sighed looking at his phone, realizing that Yuffie wasn't going to get herself out of harm's way. He left his office and started down the hall making his own phone calls.
"Hey Tseng, buddy what's up." Reno said into the phone.
"Sorry but I'm going to have to take you off watch duty. Go find that SOLDIER I assigned to you and meet me at the helipad in a half hour." Tseng instructed.
"Alright Director, I'll see you in a few." Reno said and hung up.
Tseng didn't miss a beat as he dialed another number.
"Tseng what's going on?" Zack asked in a hesitant tone.
"I need you and Aerith to come to the helipad in a half hour." Tseng instructed Zack like he had Reno.
"What's going on?" Zack asked, he wasn't as keen on just following orders.
"I'll explain on the way just please hurry." Was all Tseng would say.
He heard some shifting and muffled talking, then Aerith's voice filled the phone. "It's Cloud isn't it?" She asked, a sadness in her voice.
"Isn't it always?" Tseng said. "I promise I'll explain what I know on the way."
"The planet's worried." Aerith said to him . "We are at the church, we'll get there as soon as we can." And she hung up the phone.
That didn't sit well at all with Tseng. He contemplated calling Weiss, but at this point the man was probably better off where he was. Not that Tseng ever really trusted him to begin with. And that left explaining things to Rufus. He hit the button on the elevator he knew would take him to the man's personal floor.
He stepped into the man's apartment, and saw him sitting at his desk. "Rufus, Sir."
"Tseng," Rufus acknowledged. "How is everything going."
"Not well Sir." Tseng said walking up to him.
"What's happened." Rufus said sitting his pen down and standing.
"Apparently on the rescue mission Cloud was drowned in mako contaminated with Jenova cells. He's had a bad reaction, and they are on the way to Banora at the moment to find a way to help him." Tseng explained. "Dr. Crescent has awoke and is currently helping to suppress the cells within him."
"I suppose your heading to Banora then too?" Rufus said.
"I believe my efforts would be better there. I plan to leave things here to Elena, I know you gave her time off, but at the moment." Tseng explained.
"I understand, you have my permission." Rufus said standing and placing his coat on.
"We'll be departing soon. I just need to contact Elena and let her know she's in charge while I'm gone. I'll make sure she knows to report to you." Tseng explained.
"That won't be necessary." Rufus said shaking his head.
"Sir?" Tseng just asked curiously.
"I'm coming with you." Rufus said grabbing his shot gun from behind the desk.
"I would have to advice against it." Tseng stressed.
"I know, and it looks like I'll be ignoring your advice for the second time in 24 hours. I'm sorry, but I have to go." Rufus said.
"Just because he's your brother?" Tseng sounded a little terse.
"My brother, my friend, and my employee. I'm tired of sitting on the side lines while others risk their lives for me. If I can help him I will." Rufus said with a determined fire in his eyes.
Tseng knew that look, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop Rufus no matter what he said.