A/N: I don't own FFVII, but I do own Ellone and this neat Cloud concept...and also every single mistake here. No beta for me!

X Angeal X

We knew Cloud would be a special case when it came to pediatric care, but I'd never expected him to be growing at the rate he was. My son was only three months old, but every developmental milestone he'd passed weeks ago and he resembled a healthy six month old. All of Hollander's findings pointed to accelerated growth, which the mako and Jenova cells had done in utero.

The conversation over coffee this morning was difficult, my heart still felt heavy as I sat behind my desk. We were still on the hunt to find someone trustworthy to join us in Cloud's care, but another more pressing topic was nagging me. If his growth was accelerated, would his lifespan be shortened? How were we going to bury our son if he passed before us?

"Commander Hewley," Peggy's voice on the intercom pulled me out of my thoughts, "your student has a guest he'd like you to meet, he's on the other line. Should I patch him through or just send them to your office?"

Zack's pleasant demeanor would be a most welcome distraction, "tell him to head on over," I replied, "the door will be open."

"Yes sir."

Within moments, my office door swung open to reveal Zack and a female acquaintance of his. I'd seen her before, on the screen of his PHS.

"Good afternoon," I greeted, "and who might this be, Zack?"

"This is Aerith," he introduced, "my girlfriend and possibly your new pediatrician?" She balked at him, a shy blush coloring her cheeks.

"My pediatrician," I parroted, raising a brow before looking to Aerith, "can you tell me a little bit about your medical training?"

The shy girl before me straightened herself slightly, "I graduated at the top of my class at MU with a double major in biology and medical science."

My brows raised, "how did you afford your tuition?"

"Selling flowers here in the slums," She admitted, causing my brows to knit together. "And I mean I sold a lot of flowers."

"Flower girl turned physician," I mused, crossing my arms in thought. "Have you got much experience around infants?"

"My mom and I used to watch a lot of the children in the slums because their parents worked," Aerith's answers were all that I'd been wanting to hear, "it's been a little while since I last held a baby, but it's like riding a bike."

"I'd like for you to meet my wife," I told her after a moment of deliberation, "and my son, to see if things go over well."

X Ellone X

I held my squirmy child as still as I could while Aerith listened for his heartbeat. The boy made a noise of complaint, trying to wriggle away from the chilly stethoscope trying to press onto his chest. His small hands curled in my shirt, lower lip wobbling in discontent.

Aerith cooed softly at Cloud, soothing him after making a quick note of his heart's beats. His wide smile made my heart melt in my chest, feeling comfortable with this young woman examining Cloud.

"His heart sounds strong and his lungs are clear," she continued, "temperature is perfect and he's very smart." Her pause told me we weren't done here. "But now it's time for the worst part..."

"What's that?"

"Getting a blood sample and then administering shots," Aerith glumly stated, "to check his mako levels and to see how the J cells are interacting with his own natural ones."

I was impressed with how much of Cloud's file she remembered, knowing that Angeal had been working to find us someone just like her. Cloud seemed to understand the unease about the shots portion, starting to whimper in my arms. Aerith's big green eyes looked like they welled up at the sound.

"I'll make this as quick and painless as I can," she promised, though it sounded more for my son than myself, "poor guy doesn't even know what he's in for."

I held him close to me during it all, my heart breaking as he wailed in pain from both the draw and the injections. The small office was filled with the sounds of my son's pain and fear, Aerith and myself drowning in the guilt of it.

"It'll be just a few moments before we get the results," she said after Cloud's cries quieted enough, taking small notes on the machine swirling the vile of blood around.

"Angeal told me that you're Zack's girlfriend," I noted, "how long have you two been together?"

"Almost three years," Aerith lit up with her answer, "he helped me get my flower cart and the rest was history."

"He's always been so helpful."

"He told me that he tries to be a little bit like Angeal," she mused, "how did you two get together?"

My heart soared and I felt a smile take my face, looking down at the blond child in my arms as the memory flooded me.

"We met when we were cadets, both in the same sparring block," I began, "I knocked him down and when he got up, it was the best match we'd both had. We were both a little shy I think, when it came to how we felt about each other."

"I can't picture Angeal as the shy type," Aerith admitted with a giggle.

"He was so shy, but so sweet," I gave a dreamy sigh, "he asked me out on a date only a few days before an investigational mission to Rocket Town, which we were both selected to attend."

"That must've been a little awkward."

"He was awkward," I continued with a laugh, "but our first night there, is decided that a date in another part of the world would have been a great first. And they had the Rocket Festival, a perfect activity."

"Awe," Aerith gushed, a warm look in her eyes, "that's adorable. And now you're married with such a beautiful baby boy."

X Angeal X

"So he's going to be fine?"

"Yeah," Came Ellone's relieved reply, "he won't degrade and the accelerated aging will slow down before he's too old."

A long pause passed as I deliberated my next question, "can his cells prevent the degradation of my own?"

"That's something we'll have to discuss with Aerith sometime," she replied, then wondered aloud, "you're not gray anywhere?"

"Not yet," I chuckled, "why?"

Ellone glanced at Cloud, sleeping in his swing before zeroing in on me. She slowly stood from her place and slunk like a cat toward me. Her eyes were hungry in a way I hadn't seen in too long. Ellone slid herself onto my lap, her small hands sliding just barely under the hem of my shirt.

"I needed to know if we had to be careful," she purred, "I'm sincerely missing you."

I curled my arms around her, pulling the heat between her legs over myself and rolling my hips up.

"I've missed you too," I growled lowly into her ear, a hand curling at one of her sculpted cheeks, "let me show you how much."