So here is chapter three. I don't have much to say. Just read and enjoy!

Episode 3 – White maiden –Part III

Date: 19 027 A.D. December ...

Location: Outer space, army's 15th airship

Operation: Reaching Pluto in one week, or less if possible, to investigate over Jenova's doing

Soldiers involved: Cloud Strife, Yuna Albhed.

Warning: Right now, Yuna's been kinda cooperative with us and we could use this chance to ask her a few questions..

Message from Cloud's mind. End of transmission.

...

"Tell me Yuna. I've spill my darkest secret. Can you tell me something in return?"

He felt bad for asking that. But he hadn't much time before that Yuna go back to the shy and evasive girl she was. Right now, as she was lying in his arms, he knew he could have her melting just enough. Well, he sure hoped he could...

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice hesitating a little.

"About Christmas' day. You said... you hadn't time for love. How can that be?"

Yuna was surprised that he remembered. She was almost shocked in fact that he remembered now. Was this little nightmare just a trick to get her to talk? She couldn't believe he'd go that far. He would never make up something like that. She decided to trust him. She wanted to trust him since so many weeks already.

"It's kinda lame. But when I was just a little girl, my father left us. My mother said he had been chosen for something really important. But he never came back. And I saw my mom crying and suffering over his leave, whenever she thought I wasn't awake or looking. She died waiting for him, not knowing if he was still alive or not."

Cloud swallowed down the news. Suddenly, he had a slight idea about why Yuna was so shy and clumsy around guys. The first man in her life had betrayed her and her mother. But she had no right to give him the same traits.

"And you think I would be like your father?"

"I don't know. I'm not looking for my father, I don't need anything."

"That's called denying. Everybody needs something."

"Cloud..."

"..."

He wanted to talk, to say that he loved her. But he felt her moving back, pushing on his chest with her hands. She looked into his eyes.

"Don't..."

"I want real reasons, Yuna. If you don't like being around me, then, why would you still be here? Why are you holding on to me even now? Alright, we're stuck on the same ship, but you're still coming to wake me up from my nightmares. Like when you were just cleaning up my squad quarters."

She blushed, before to hide in his arms. And then, she laughed. Cloud frowned. Even Lightning was easier to understand.

"Yuna?"

"I'm sorry Cloud. I've been acting really weird lately. That night I asked you to stay with me. And then, rushing you out of my apartment as if nothing had happened. Or as if it could erase anything that had happened. The truth is... I'm pretty scared that you're interested in me. Usually, I never fell in love with the guys that liked me. I never felt this void in my chest when they left. But whenever you're not around, I feel like I'm missing something. I bet it didn't exist before that I met you."

Cloud felt his heart skipping a beat at that. She... She loved him? Had he heard right, or was he still in dreamland?

"So you're scared... But about what?"

"If I let you fill this void and get to know me more... Won't the hole in my chest grow if you leave me? I can live like this. As it is now. But if I needed you anymore than I already do... Will I turn out like my mother?"

Suddenly, the role between them had changed. She was the one needing comfort. And Cloud understood. Though she was almost as old as him, her heart was still young. Like a newborn, discovering another side of love. One that mattered above every others.

"I know that I can't predict the future. But if you don't give yourself a chance, you'll never know."

He gently brushed her hair. Thought that they would have to talk more. To explain things. That she'd ask him words, and promises and solemn vows. All the crap girls asked. But she shifted in his arms. Her face moved from under his chin to be right next to his own face. Her unique eyes got hold of his gaze. And suddenly, as if some holly branch was above their heads, she kissed him. Swiftly, as if she wanted to hide right after being bold for a second. But there was a smile on her lips. And this meant she would give him a chance.

"Don't move your hands," she warned him as he closed in.

She wouldn't let him drive her crazy another time. But she let him kiss her. And damn, was it good. They gently discovered each other, instead of rushing. She learned how to kiss him back properly. And as he wrapped his arms around her and as she gently took his face in her hands, Cloud could have sworn he couldn't have asked for a better way to wake up. She had him rolling on his back. And as she stopped, looking for air, she blushed, realizing just how turned on she was just from that.

"We're skipping a lot of steps." She observed.

"Hey, there aren't rules in love."

"Love," she repeated, looking at him with disbelief.

She had admitted what she felt. But as she sat here, right on his stomach, ready to lie back on him, to taste his lips again, she felt doubts invading her mind. She was giving up on her reason over this. She wanted him too bad. But wasn't he just using her? Why did she have the impression she should resist him? He wasn't forcing her. His hands were merely touching her hips.

"What's wrong, Yuna?"

"It's this really love?"

Wasn't she just running after some wild fantasy with him? Were all those emotions in her heart a simple mix of animal instincts?

"Let's see."

Cloud raised himself up on his elbows, pushing her on his lap.

"The first time I met you, I've found you quite interesting. You're cute. And pretty. And you're bright. You care a lot about other people, even people you don't know anything from. You're shy, but at the same time, you're bold when you forget yourself. Though you're a girl, you're not angry about ending up covered with oil and grease if it means you can do any engineering work. When you're around..."

As he saw her blink and realized how much he had said, he felt his confidence failing. Love words were hard to say. They burned his throat. For a moment, his breathe was cut short. She was looking at him with such concentration. Her eyes seemed to pierce right through his soul. And though his heart was beating fast and he felt happy about being this close to her, he was scared too. Wasn't he going to ruin everything?

"Whenever I try to tell you what I feel, I don't... know what to say anymore. I..."

He looked away, ashamed of himself.

"I panic inside. I'm not a big talker. I'm better when I act. That's why..."

"Cloud, it's okay. Tell me what's in your heart."

His throat felt tighter as she said that. Her voice was so sweet. The way she said his name. The fact she was here, with him. Her smile. He didn't owe that much. How could he ever owe anything like that? Any happiness, after all the evil he had already done? Why couldn't he take his chance, after trying so hard to get it?

"You can reach me deeper than anyone else can, Yuna. I'm not sure why. If I... if I love you because of that, or if it's happening because I love you."

Her smile grew wider. And Cloud felt stronger and weaker at the same time.

"That's... that's the cutest thing I was ever told."

He felt like a kid for an instant... But then she kissed him. And as soon as she parted from him, she asked him:

"Does this mean that we're together now?"

He frowned. What was she getting at now?

"I mean, as a couple?"

He decided he had enough of being used as a chair and gently brought her to lie on the bed, next to him.

"What, you want this to be official? Then alright, as soon as we'll be back on earth, how about we go out together, Yuna?"

"But what about the army?"

"Forget it, Yuna. We'll go one day at a time."

She accepted. And resumed kissing him. Cloud had hoped things would come to this along the trip, he just hadn't thought it would have happened so quickly! Or that it would have gone so well. Then, they were brought back to reality by Bunkle's barking. The young electric Carbuncle needed to be feed. And they should get back to their mission, even if they only wanted to have time together right now. Pluto was slowly growing closer. And with her, Jenova's shadow seemed to cover any hope. But for once, the light in Cloud's heart was stronger than any demons he could have from the past. And he was ready to thank Jecht for sending him on this mission. Even if it meant facing or fighting Jenova along the way.

...

Date: 19 027 A.D. December 28, morning

Location: Boston, American States, Cloud's apartment

Mission: Leaving Aeris Gainsborough with Lightning

Agents involved: Lightning Farron, Squall Leonheart and potential agent Aeris Gainsborough

Warning: Aeris may have manifested her powers lately. Warn Lightning to investigate this discreetly.

Message from G.I. eight. End of transmission

...

Lightning had barely received a message from Squall to warn her of Aeris coming when the doorbell rang. She dropped Raine in Noctis' arms to answer, to greet her best friend. The brown haired guy standing in the door frame looked almost grumpier than the Squall she was used to. But the scar and blue eyes were all the same, and as he replied to her smile with a weak one, she understood it was really him. Aeris was standing next to him, keeping a good distance, holding a suitcase in her hands.

"Hello, you too. It's been some time." Lightning observed.

She was happy to see Squall, but somehow, she had no idea how she should greet Aeris. And the woman was supposed to come to live in her place for a few weeks. It wasn't what she had in mind when she was thinking about having a vacation with Noctis. Then again, she had never expected she would get back her little girl and be a mother for real.

"It sure has been. I hope I... won't be too much trouble for you." Aeris whispered, staying on the doorstep.

"Oh, come in, come in, both of you. Do you want something to drink?"

"I don't really have time," Squall whispered. "My rocket is launching in two hours."

"You should have come before then. We could have talked a little."

Lightning clearly wanted to comfort him for everything that had gone wrong in his life lately. And he clearly didn't want to be cuddle again. Aeris had already been motherly enough with him. He was back on his feet, or so he thought. Now, he needed to grieve for Rinoa properly. To prove to himself he was still the same man as before, when Rinoa was still alive. He had to wonder over his feelings for Aeris. To understand them. And most of all, he needed to find a way to control his powers. Right now, as Lightning dragged him inside, saying he had to meet with Noctis, he felt all kind of things that weren't coming from his own feelings. There was Noctis' troubled mind. Now, he could ascertain who he was sensing. Aeris was a pale ghost, keeping her emotions to herself, and it saddened him to realize that she didn't trust him to sense her. Lightning was true to herself for once, for some unknown reason, under her few doubts, she was beaming with joy. And soon, as he stepped in the living room and saw the baby girl who was walking around the living room with Noctis' help, he understood.

"Before that you go out on your mission, I wanted you to meet Raine."

He flinched at the name. The baby looked at him. Giggled. He looked at Lightning, to chase away the sudden pride he was feeling. Her best friend had named her child in honor of his passed mother. His heart was all moved just for this.

"I was wondering if you would accept to be her godfather, Squall. What do you say?"

Noctis looked as surprised as him, so Squall understood this had just come to her mind. But still, the intention was good and really touching.

"I…"

"You don't have to make a decision right now. Just think over it. You'll tell me when you'll get back from your mission."

He nodded with a smile. Exchanged a brief gaze with Aeris, as she walked in the living room. The Cetra looked the other way and Lightning noticed the uneasiness between them. But at this moment, Raine tripped and fell on her butt, which made them laugh gently.

"She's really cute! You hadn't told me you had a little girl!" Aeris interfere, kneeling down to look at the baby child.

"Well…"

Lightning hesitated to tell her it was a surprise for her too. She didn't want to repeat her harsh story one more time.

"Raine is the greatest pride and joy of my master!" Odin exclaimed, as chivalrously as he used to be.

"Odin?"

"Lady Aeris? You've grown to such a fine lady!"

"Wait a minute, you two know each other?" Noctis asked.

He hadn't been presented yet and he was starting to feel pretty out of place. The Black Faction had some nerve, forcing them to take this Cetra with them for an unknown amount of time.

"We met on another planet, a long time ago."

"She was a very young girl back then. And the world used normal phones and horse, as they should."

Squall frowned and Lightning turned her index finger in a circle next to her head, meaning the guy was a little crazy.

"Well, Aeris will be staying with us for sometime Odin. It's nice to know you're already acquainted."

"How wonderful! How about I showed her around the place, master?"

Slightly surprised, Lightning agreed, wanting to talk with Squall before that he leaved. Noctis took Raine with him, exchanging a brief nod with the brown-haired spy.

"Okay. Tell me who you are and what you've done to my friend Lightning?"

"Don't be silly. You haven't stepped into another dimension. Things are just… kinda wild here. I'm back with Noctis, I got myself a summoned spirit who remains in our world all the time, and thanks to Odin, I've gotten back my little girl. She wasn't dead. The Feds had stolen her from me."

"Those bastards…"

"Don't waste your anger on them. They'll pay in time. And we hurt a good batch of them when we went to get her back. I'm just glad that she's alright."

Squall nodded. He had no idea what he should tell her. Congratulations didn't feel strong enough, and all the other words coming to his mind were too cheesy for him to say.

"Seems a lot happened to you."

"Not much more than all you had to face on your side. Seriously, Squall, how are you doing?"

"Fine," he replied.

His voice remained strong this time, and Lightning barely spotted a glimpse of sadness in his cold eyes.

"With what happened to Rinoa…" she started.

"It's okay. I'm getting over it. Maybe a little faster than I'd wanted to."

She raised one brow and he looked away, biting his lower lip.

"Let's just say that Aeris and me got a little too close. She's glad to see me going away right now. Said we both needed to think on our side."

"Oh… I see. Well, I'll try to have a woman talk with her on that."

"Don't get me wrong on this, Lightning. I'm not asking for your help. I made a mistake and I'll correct it myself."

"I hope that you do. If you really made a mistake. Girls get mad over small things sometimes."

"Don't play my sister on this, okay? I'm really responsible and it ain't some small stupid matters."

"Okay. I won't pry, this ain't my business. But don't you go mourning over this while you're alone out there. Whatever you did, I know you had good intentions."

"Well, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, huh? I really have to get going."

"You can't leave after saying stuff like that!"

"Don't worry about me, Light. You said it yourself, I gotta give you an answer over the godfather question when I'll be back. And even if I mourn on the road, you know I can get through anything."

"Lying is a bad thing, Squall Leonheart."

"Talking from experience, Light?"

"Oh, alright then, what are you waiting to leave if you take it like that!"

He walked away before that she really get mad and Lightning realized that somehow, she had managed to have him relaxing a bit. Otherwise, he wouldn't have started teasing her like that. This eased her heart over his case. All hope wasn't lost for Squall. But still, what he had mentioned was on her mind now. What could have happened to have a woman as goodhearted as Aeris backing away from Squall? Lightning knew he was a real gentleman. But maybe the loss of Rinoa had him crossing the lines? Sometimes, losing someone really close could change a person. And even if as her friend, he hadn't changed, he could be a different man. It was a side of him she had never known. And she didn't expect to get to know it either. There was already one man in her life and he was giving her enough headaches and heartaches as things stand, even if all of it brought all the happiness she could have asked for in her life.

"And this, as you must have understood already, is the living room! This conclude the visit of Lady Lightning's apartment." Odin declared with his bright voice.

Aeris was smiling, until that she realized that...

"Squall has already leaved?"

"He had to catch his rocket." Lightning retorted.

She noted to herself that the Cetra's voice had trembled as she asked her question. Her bodyguard was away. And somehow, even if she hadn't meant to, she was scared about this absence. She had grown really attached to him. And if she was true to her heart, he'd never scared her. She wanted him to stay away so he wouldn't see anymore of her memories. So that he wouldn't know everything that had happened to her in her life. But staying away only meant keeping his distance. Now that he was gone, she felt lost. She barely knew Lightning. Her boyfriend, Noctis, reminded her of a man she had seen killed years ago.

As she wondered, she remembered Titan. After leaving her home, she had been brought to Titan. With the terrorists. She closed her mind to the memories, to hear what Lightning was telling her. Her throat was tight. Squall was gone. And she already missed him so much, it was hard to tolerate it. What a fool she had been!

Your mission will be to infiltrate the Antlion. Some parts of this spaceships are still in construction, but most of it is complete and we have reason to believe that people are kept hostage or simply against their will in there. Spot the prisoner, don't get caught and bring us back the more intel possible.

Squall was shocked by his mission. His reputation was big enough to earn him something this difficult to do on his own. He was supposed to do this alone? Being alone wasn't the main problem about this; the worst was the length of this operation. He had received the spaceship plans to memorize them. Now, he was sitting in his own spaceship, flying out in space, all the way to the construction base where the Antlion was stationed. His vessel was hidden with the latest reflection technology. He was the only one onboard. Which meant that nobody would save him if something went awry. And for some reason, he had the feeling this mission was going to turn out the wrong way…

Time: Unknown

Location: Antlion's whereabouts

Mission: Infiltrating the ship and getting the more intel possible without being caught.

Agent: Squall Leonheart a.k.a Leon

Warning: Seifer Almasy has been spotted in the region, if the two men should meet, things could get hairy.

Message from G.I. seven. End of transmission

Squall had traveled for three days before to reach the Antlion construction' base. He had stationed his ship next to it and had entered by the backdoor, or well, the security exit. As the artificial gravity dragged him to the floor, he swiftly removed his astro suit. He was wearing a grey overall –the maintenance members of the ship were all supposed to wear it and it was the best cover he could have and a single gun was waiting on his hip. His gunblade was stuffed in another of his capsule. It made it pretty easier to have a whole arsenal around without having other people seeing it.

He wandered around the place, a small case in his hands –the case being supposed to hold his tools as a maintenance member of the crew-. He met a few people, even a few alien, but everybody was busy ordering people and being ordered around. He got through those few meetings, his ears wide open for any hints on where the hostages were kept. His briefing mentioned that the persons held prisoners here would surely be used as fuel for the ship. And Squall had decided he would help them if he could, instead of just passing by. He had started questioning his orders and mission since the day Rinoa died. Obeying in bringing Aeris to this ball should be his last mistake. He had to wonder over what his boss asked from him. And he had to understand what the Black Faction wanted. When he had entered this job, his first objective was to be a mercenary, more or less. He hoped that he could help some people, if he couldn't help himself.

But now, the Faction seemed to scheme just like the Feds were used to. And he started to believe that they would really consider selling Aeris to the best buyer. And he couldn't have that. She wasn't a thing. Seeing her treated like that reminded him of the way Ellone had been chased around before to vanish from his life. As every woman who had abandoned him, she hadn't done it on purpose. And still, the pain lingered today, as strong as the first day he had realized that she was gone. He tried to chase the thought away, but was surprised when he saw Ellone's face from behind some glass door. She was sitting on an operation table, talking with some scientist. He froze on place, before to find something he pretended to fix with some tool, to be able to stay here and listen up. The voices barely reached him, but he could read the feelings of the people behind the glass doors. Ellone was nervous. And scared. Though her face didn't show it.

He tried to expand his powers, to hear what they were saying. And to his own surprise, it worked.

"We'll try doing the first ceremony today, in two hours." An old woman said.

The man talking to her nodded and exchanged a brief look with Ellone.

"Do you feel up for it, sorceress?"

"Don't call me that." She retorted. "I won't do it!" she added, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh, you certainly will."

Squall flinched. That was Seifer voice. That bastard. He was grinning at Ellone, who had jumped as he spoke.

"Seifer, don't tell me you're involved in… in any of this?"

"I'm not. I'm just supervising everything."

His voice was so cocky, Squall had to bit his tongue to retain his desire of jumping at his throat. Had that jerk been around Rinoa in her last moment? Had he understood her plan and abandoned her to die? Had he comforted her somehow, when Squall had been denied too? The thoughts hurt. He had tried to forget Seifer's involvement in all of this. And now, he had no choice but to admit, he was dying to know.

But as some scientists move, he realized he had lingered here for too long. He had to find the prisoners and to identify some of them. To find a way to get them out if it was possible. As he turned the corner of another corridor, he started to believe he had gotten lost. He wasn't sure on which floor he was. But then, he realized his extra sensibility was still deployed and he could hear something.

"Doodle, doodle, come and get some bread and butter;"

There was a child voice singing. The song sounded creepy and old. Any people that he met around didn't seem to hear it, or at least, they forced themselves pretending that they couldn't hear a thing. Somehow, Squall felt as if he already knew that song and followed the singer's voice, listening carefully to the words, for maybe they hold a secret meaning.

"Doodle, doodle, come and get a barrel of sugar."

This sounded childish alright. But then, the next sentences had him understanding what this was all about.

"Doodlebug, doodlebug, come up and get a grain of corn.
Your house is burning up."

So this was as creepy as he had excepted…

"Doodlebug, doodlebug,
Come out of your hole;
Your house is on fire,
And your children will burn."

The voice sounded really small and frail, but there was a laugh in it, which made it sound even creepier. If the kid knew that he was imprisoned here to be turned into fuel, he had every reason to sing something like that. But still… Squall remembered the orphanage, back when he was a child. There had been child songs, but never any like this one.

"Doodlebug, doodlebug, come out of your house;
It's burning up with your wife and all your children,
Except Mary—she's under the dishpan."

Was that a secret code? Ellone was playing a part in the sacrificial ceremony. Or so, he thought he had understood that much. He wanted to run in direction of the song now. He could hear it clearer with every steps that he took. The thoughts and feelings are it were all blurry, but fear and fright were the strongest among them.

"Doodlebug, doodlebug,
Come out of your hole;
If you don't,
I'll beat you black as a mole."

He heard doors cracking opened and had to stop his running, since robots were rolling down the corridors. He had really started running. He was getting all worked up over this crazy song. He tried to remember how he had gotten here. He had taken lots of stairs. Turned many times. He had no idea where he was anymore. But he located a few things around. He was on the escape pods floor. This could come in handy if something turned bad. He checked the few control panels around. Guado technology. He would get through their codes easily. But he needed to find the prisoners.

"Doodle, doodle, doodle,
Your mother and grand-daddy are dead."

Squall sighed. Where was this song coming from?

He turned around. The robots were going somewhere afar. They were a recent trend of machines. Pretty tough to destroy, unless you knew their weak spot. And Squall knew it, of course. Heck, he seemed to know everything but the right things for his own personal life! He had a gift with machinery. He typed on buttons without knowing what he was doing, and it always worked. Lightning was pretty jealous of him. With codes, she managed all right, but she had no gift. Except the mutated mako in her veins, which made her almost invincible.

Squall sighed again. The song was over. How was he supposed to find the prisoners now?

"Hey, you! Where have you been?" A soldier dressed in blue asked him.

"Huh…"

"Come on, already, we need you for the ceremony!" the guy added, grabbing his arm and dragging him in the elevator's direction.

Squall would have protested normally, but he realized he had been mistaken for someone else. And this could turn to his advantage. If not, he would be captured, or something, but he hadn't any other leads. A moment later, they stopped on floor eight, where a soldier dressed in a red armor was waiting, next to a tall and fancy door.

"Ah thank god, Wedge, you've finally found him!"

"Of course, Biggs! I'll never fail you."

"Somehow, I doubt that, but nevertheless. Come on, boss. The ceremony couldn't start without you!"

As they pushed him into the room behind the grand door, Squall suddenly wondered if he hadn't been discovered and if he wasn't going to be used as a sacrifice. He heard Biggs doubting behind him.

"You're sure it's really the good guy? Something about him looks different."

"Well, the scar is the same, ain't it?"

So he had been mistaken for Seifer? That was grand! Fortunately, Seifer wasn't the one to be used as fuel. Unless the Feds were really mad at him. Unless this was all a trap and that Squall wasn't really getting paranoid. He braced himself. Looked around him. And what he saw was so incredible and terrible, he thought about turning to god for the second time in his life.

To be continued.

Reviews are welcome, as always. This one is shorter, because I had trouble finding the right inspiration to write and I've been playing FFVIII like a crazy girl. I hope that you liked the part with Cloud and Yuna. I edit it a lot before to get on writing the rest of the chapter. Squall's mission should be completed with next chapter and I'll get back to Cloud and Yuna. More Lightis should come too. ^^