Author's Note: Rewrites are all done. First new chapter. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Chapter 21

Annya sat up in a panic. She looked around her wildly only to relax when she realized she was on the couch in her living room and not in immediate danger. She had been having a nightmare but now that she was awake again she couldn't remember a single thing about it. Parched, she stood up and went in search of water.

She entered the kitchen and screamed when two pairs of glowing eyes were watching her out of the darkness.

"Sorry, Ay."

She could hear the smirk in that familiar voice. She quickly fumbled around in the darkness for the light switch and only breathed a sigh of relief when she could actually see again.

Sephiroth and Zack were sitting at the kitchen table. Sephiroth was still smirking at her. Zack looked the least amused she'd ever seen him.

"Zack?" she asked, worried.

"I was just asking Sephiroth if he knew what was happening earlier. What lies Mom was accusing you of telling about Lucian. Why Dad said he'd be watching him."

"I was hoping you'd forget about that."

"Does Lucian hit you?"

She needed that water more than ever. Anything to stall. She slowly walked over to the cupboard, removed a glass, and filled it at the sink. She could feel Zack's eyes on her back the entire time. She threw her head back and drank it in one gulp. She cringed as Zack's stern voice interrupted her from refilling the glass.

"Annya."

She turned to face him. She forced a smile, "Seph already told you, right? It's not a big— "

"Does he hit you?" His austere expression did not change.

She quickly glanced to Sephiroth for assurance. He gave her a single nod. She slowly looked back to her brother and took a breath.

"Yes," she answered, much more quietly than she'd anticipated.

The second the word was out of her mouth Zack was on his feet.

"Zack. Where are you going?" she asked, alarmed by the sudden movement.

He didn't answer, just closed the distance between them and pulled her into an embrace. Sephiroth slipped out of the kitchen unnoticed.

"We're going back to Midgar."

She was startled. "Right now?"

He smiled for the first time that night. "No. After Christmas. And we're staying there. Both of us. No matter what Mom and Dad say. This might be our last Christmas with them."

"But Zack— "

"I'll try to resolve this peacefully one last time sometime tomorrow. If they still insist on letting Lucian marry you after that, despite what you've told them then I have nothing more to say to them."

xXxXxXx

"Breakfast, Ay?"

Annya stopped dead in the kitchen doorway and stared, open-mouthed, at her mother. "Did you just all me 'Ay'?"

"Come now, come. Sit, sit, and sit!" Mrs. Fair goaded as she prodded her daughter into an empty chair.

A steaming plate of food was set down in front of her a few seconds later and she looked in alarm at the table's other occupants.

All of the men were already half way through their own plates of waffles, eggs, and bacon. Her father, brother, and Sephiroth were all refusing to let her catch their eyes, very intent on their breakfasts and looking very solemn indeed. Only Cloud waved cheerily and said good morning.

"Is this poisoned?" she asked the blond, who just shrugged in return.

She pushed the food around with her fork for a bit before picking up a piece of bacon and sniffing experimentally at it.

"Annya, don't play with your food. It's not lady-like," her father chastised softly.

She snorted and pushed her plate away, glaring at it distrustfully.

"If you're not hungry, give it to your brother," Mrs. Fair chirped.

Annya eyed her mother warily. "Why are you being nice to me?"

Mrs. Fair giggled. "You're my daughter. Do I need a reason to be nice to you?"

"Yes," she replied bluntly.

"It's the holiday season. We shouldn't stay mad at eachother. Let's just call it water under the bridge and move on." Mrs. Fair kissed her on the forehead and Annya immediately recoiled, falling out of her chair in the process.

"What did you do?" Annya demanded, as she picked herself up from the floor.

"Do, dear? I haven't done anything," Mrs. Fair replied, sounding hurt.

"Yes, you did. You did something and now you're being nice to me in hopes that I won't be mad later," she accused.

"Since when have I cared about your approval?" A dangerous edge was beginning to work its way back into Mrs. Fair's voice.

"Then you must want something from me," Annya said.

Mrs. Fair paused for a long moment. "The Christmas Dance is tonight. We'll all be in front of the whole town. All I ask is that you be cordial and try not to make a scene."

Annya glanced at Sephiroth once before answering. "Fine. I'll try."

"Good," Mrs. Fair said shortly.

They gave each other wide, fake smiles before returning to their separate business.

xXxXxXx

After breakfast, the Fair siblings decided to take Sephiroth and Cloud to their favorite childhood spot, a dilapidated bridge over a creek in the forested outskirts of town.

Zack and Cloud were seated next to each other on top on the railing. Sephiroth was standing on the banks leaning against one of the piers a little ways from Cloud, who was covertly sticking as many twigs as he thought he could get away with into his silver hair. Annya was crouched next to the creek playing with stones.

"Did you talk to Dad?" Annya asked, tossing a stone into the water.

He looked down at her. "I did. It didn't go the way I wanted it to. I wanted him to just call off the engagement right away. Unfortunately he made a good point."

"What point?"

"That there is no way to call off the engagement without insulting Lucian. I really don't care about insulting Lucian given the circumstances but Seph told me you're strongly against that."

She smiled thankfully at Sephiroth before answering, "I don't want you ending up destroying all your relationships here because of me."

"You're more important to me, Ay."

"And you're important to me, Zack. That's why we have to think of something that won't mean you can never show your face in Gongaga again."

The First Class frowned. "Dad said he'd be more than happy to call off the engagement. He just needs proof in order to break it off and still save face." He hesitated before finishing. "He said your word doesn't really mean much around town."

Annya rolled her eyes.

Sephiroth snorted derisively. "Perfect. Proof. You hear that, Annya. At the Christmas Dance tonight all you have to do is egg Lucian on till he beats you in front of the whole town."

She cringed.

He looked at her apologetically. "Sorry. That was insensitive." Next, he addressed them as a whole, "I think we should just threaten him. Tell him to call off the engagement or we will kill him."

Zack looked horrified. "We're not the bad guys here, Seph. We can't just kill people like that."

"We do not actually have to kill him just threaten to. Not many people would take the two of us on."

"Oh. Well that's all right then," Zack said. "Sound good to you, Ay?"

"Honestly, I just think that would make him harder to get rid of. He's very much the spoiled rich kid. Telling him he can't have something— "

"Will just make him want it more," Zack finished for her.

She sighed. "Exactly."

"Look, I am just going to call the Turks and have him assassinated. Then no one is the 'bad guys' because we would not be the ones killing him and the Turks would just be doing their job," Sephiroth said, running a hand through his hair.

Before Zack could protest, Cloud decided to speak up. "Why don't you just get Lucian to want to break off the engagement himself?" He jumped off the railing and walked over to crouch next to Annya, putting her between him and the man who had just discovered that his hair was trying to imitate the forest floor.

They all stared at the blond.

"How?" Zack asked finally.

Cloud considered it. "You told me he wanted to marry Annya because she was a challenge, right?"

Zack nodded.

"Then take the challenge away." He looked down at Annya. "You need to act obedient and loving. Then he'll get bored of you and dump you."

Sephiroth smiled. "I think will forgive you for the twigs this time, Cadet Strife."

xXxXxXx

Sephiroth glared at the brown-haired man in front of him. With everyone else preoccupied elsewhere, he had been left alone with Lucian.

Mrs. Ate and her son had arrived a few minutes ago and she had since joined Mrs. Fair in her crusade to try and accost Annya into dressing up.

The corner of his mouth twitched upwards at the memory of Mrs. Fair chasing her daughter around the house for a solid hour, holding an especially frilly, white dress, pleading and shrieking for her to wear it.

Meanwhile, Mr. Fair had shut himself up in his study doing Ramuh knows what, and Zack and Cloud had run off somewhere. The First Class had made sure to pull him aside before he left and give him leave to stab the man if he tried anything.

The two men had been glaring at each other for the past two minutes, neither willing to be the first to blink.

"So, you're staying here for the next two weeks?" Lucian asked with false politeness.

"Yes, I am," the General replied coldly. There was no way he was going to waste effort by putting on appearances for this miserable excuse for a human being.

Lucian looked smug at the coldness in the General's tone, as if he knew he was the one who caused it. "One must wonder how a house this small can accommodate not only one but two houseguests for a full two weeks. Shame really, the Great General having to sleep on a couch."

"Actually, I am staying in Annya's room." He smirked as the smugness and color flooded from Lucian's face.

"You lie," the brunette hissed.

"Are you all right? You are looking a bit pale, Lucian." He knew he was being childish but the glare he received signaled a victory far too sweet to pass up.

Lucian pursed his lips. "Very well. I'll get to the bottom of this." He ran to the base of the stairs. "Mother!"

Mrs. Ate was at her son's side so quickly, Sephiroth was sure she must have teleported there.

"What's the matter, Sweetie?" Her voice was sickeningly concerned.

"I just heard some very interesting news. Apparently, he," he pointed at Sephiroth, "is staying in my fiancée's room during his stay here."

"Don't be silly, Lucian. Victoria would never allow such a thing," Mrs. Ate said.

Mrs. Fair had appeared to see what the commotion was.

"Is this man really staying in Annya's room?" Mrs. Ate asked.

Mrs. Fair looked very offended. "Not at the same time as her, of course not. Annya is staying on the couch."

Mrs. Ate breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi failed to mention that part." Lucian glowered at Sephiroth, who still looked fairly smug. "Perhaps it would be best if Annya stay with us for the holidays. That will free up some space for you, Mrs. Fair."

It was Sephiroth's turn to pale.

Mrs. Fair's eyes lit up. That was the answer to all her problems. Lucian could knock some sense into the girl and it would get her away from the General "That would be perfect! You two have hardly gotten any quality alone time. Annya will be so happy."

Mrs. Ate was aflutter. "Oh, Lucian, you're such a smart boy. What a splendid idea. I'll go call the housekeeper to tell her to prepare a room. May I use you phone, Victoria?"

"Go right ahead, Shannon," Mrs. Fair said.

Mrs. Ate headed for the kitchen and Mrs. Fair headed back upstairs to resume Annya's dressing leaving Lucian and Sephiroth alone once again.

"Looks like I win this round." Lucian smirked as he headed after his mother.

Sephiroth cursed himself. He had messed up badly. He had to get someone who could stop this. That meant Mr. Fair since he didn't know where Zack was. He rushed to the study and knocked. Annya and Zack had both warned him that Mr. Fair was never to be interrupted while in his study. It just wasn't done. But this was important.

The door opened. Mr. Fair looked at him sternly. "Yes, General?"

Sephiroth put on his most polite tone. "I am sorry to bother you, sir. This is important."

"Come in then. It's rude to talk in doorways."

Sephiroth stepped in and took a seat when he was told to.

"Now what's the problem?" Mr. Fair asked.

"Lucian has invited Annya to stay at his home for the next two weeks."

There was a commotion from outside the study. People were thundering down stairs and women were screaming incoherently.

"I think my daughter has also just heard the news."

"I do not think it is a good idea. It will not be safe for her there."

Mr. Fair laughed at this. "Of course you don't think it's a good idea. Lucian is your competition."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed dangerously as his fingers flexed. "This is about Annya's safety, not some stupid dick measuring contest."

Mr. Fair peered at him. "I've tried to be as reasonable as possible with you, General. I did not kick you out when you showed up holding hands with my spoken-for daughter. Nor when you kissed her under my roof. I promised I would watch Lucian for evidence of misconduct. Yet you still feel it is appropriate to come into my study and intimidate me."

Sephiroth said nothing.

Mr. Fair continued. "Now that there has been an invitation the only option is to accept it. Anyone can see that staying with her intended is the preferable option to staying in a house with two strange men. My hands are tied. I have to look after what's best for this entire family, not just Annya. Do you understand?"

He didn't understand but nodded anyway. There was no changing this man's mind unless he was willing to carry though on his threat.

"Good. You may go."

Sephiroth stood and left without another word, feeling helpless.

He spotted Annya instantly, sitting on the couch with her hands clenched in the skirt of her dress, positively bawling. Mrs. Ate was sitting next to her. Lucian was lounging on an adjacent chair, looking bored.

"It'll be all right, Dearie." Mrs. Ate said, patting her gently on the back.

He felt so guilty. He figured she would be upset but she was taking it much harder than he'd anticipated. He'd gotten her into this mess and then failed to get her out.

"Where's Mrs. Fair?" he asked quietly.

Mrs. Ate looked up at him, just realizing he was there. "She's on her way to the hospital, dear. Zack's been shot."