Hi readers! Here's the next chapter. Obviously. I want to thank you for coming back to read and for reading chapters multiple times and for reading my stories multiple times and for reviewing and just generally being great *takes breath*. Getting to update frequently lately has been awesome. I honestly always hated not having time to keep things moving in these fics with life getting in the way and such so it's been really fun being able to devote so much time to writing. I wanted to just also say in addition to your reviews, thank you for adding me to your alert and fav lists as well. It's amazing. I love getting those notices. That's it. I'm about to respond to your reviews for the last chapter now :D

~Forty-Nine~

Word of Cloud's return to Midgar reached the media quite quickly. He'd been brought to Shinra Headquarters late at night, a calculated move to avoid attention but by early morning word had been leaked that he had been seen in the tower and the information found a hoard of journalists crowding the building wanting to know if it was true and hoping to catch a glimpse of him. The company issued a statement a little later in the morning confirming the rumour but told them they'd have to wait to see him and arranged to have him make a short appearance that evening. Everyone wanted to see him but perhaps no one more than Zack and Tifa. There may have been a risk in trying to see Cloud in person, but it was a risk the two of them were willing to take and no one was going to tell them what they already knew or try to dissuade them from what they had to do.

They went alone, just the two of them. They were both bundled for the cold which helped to serve another purpose. It couldn't hurt for them to conceal their identity a little or at least make it less obvious who they were. As they walked from the train station toward Shinra HQ, Tifa broke a heavy silence.

"Is this a mistake?" she asked and he turned his head to look at her. "I mean, are we being stupid?"

Zack shrugged. "Probably," he said and she smiled. "Think we should turn back?" he questioned, turning back toward the station but still walking backward toward Shinra. She gave him a look that told him she really wasn't willing to give up the chance they had. He smiled and she pushed him playfully as they continued on.

They saw a crowd outside the main building as they rounded a corner. When they were close enough they could see there was a podium set up at the top of the stairs leading up to the entrance and a police barricade half way up the stairs to keep the public from getting too close. The sidewalk was so crowded that people were overflowing onto the road. Police had blocked off the one lane of traffic to accommodate the overwhelming presence. Two large light poles lit up the area and some speakers were placed at the bottom of the stairs. It appeared Zack and Tifa had arrived just in time as the main doors to the building were being propped open and several people were exiting to stand near the podium. They recognized the one as Bryan Lynch, the attorney and media relations guy who on behalf of Shinra had refuted the story Zack had told about what happened to him and Cloud at the hands of Hojo and the company.

Zack and Tifa nestled themselves into the crowd, waiting for the heavily anticipated moment they would see Cloud in the flesh. Lynch took the podium and spent a few moments fiddling with the microphones attached to it. People were snapping a few photographs as he did so.

"Good evening," he spoke finally. "This is going to be very brief. It's cold out here and I know you all must want to get back indoors. We appreciate your patience and the company apologizes for not being able to hold this short event inside the building. For security reasons and due to time constraints, this was the best accommodation that could be arranged." He paused then and cleared his throat before getting down to business. "Many of you will recognize me. I am Bryan Lynch and I've been the acting media relations contact for Shinra for all coverage related to the investigation involving former SOLDIER Zackary Fair and Private First Class Cloud Strife. As was announced this morning, Private Strife completed treatment at the company run facility outside the city where he has been staying as an in-patient and he returned to Midgar late last night. He arrived with his treatment team who are going to continue to provide support to him while he adjusts to life back in the city. He has been offered residence at Shinra Headquarters and there are no immediate plans for him to return to the military base where he was stationed prior to his mission to Nibelheim where he was previously thought to have been killed in action. I have been told that it was fairly recently that there was a medical emergency and that Private Strife underwent lifesaving surgery as a result, so we are fortunate to have him with us today. I'm now going to ask him to join me so that he may say a few things. We are not going to be allowing media or public to question him at this time but of course if you have specific questions for him you can send them along to my office."

Lynch turned to look back toward the building and that's when Cloud finally appeared and the crowd applauded. Zack barely heard it. He didn't know what Tifa was feeling. He could easily forget she was even with him. Every cell in his body seemed entirely focused on Cloud. He was wearing a first class formal service army uniform and he looked surprised to see so many people in front of him. Following behind him was Rand. The man said something to him and when he turned back to the crowd he gave a small smile and he waved.

Zack felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. He felt like he could barely breathe. Tifa had grabbed his gloved hand in her own and was holding it tightly. It was a good thing too because he felt his adrenaline beginning to surge and his irrational mind wanted him to barrel through the people ahead of him, through the police barricade and up the stairs to where his friend stood.

Cloud seemed a little hesitant as he approached the podium. He shook Bryan's hand when the man offered it to him. They exchanged a few words. Zack took in every detail. He could see how nervous Cloud seemed, but he didn't seem fearful. He seemed...shy perhaps. He stepped in front of the podium and leaned forward a little awkwardly to speak into the microphones.

"Hi," he said and the sheer innocence of how he said it made quite a few people laugh. "I don't know what to say." He looked over his audience slowly. Zack waited to see if Cloud would notice him, recognize him. It would be a heart-stopping moment. He wanted what Tseng had told him to be a lie. He wanted the Turk leader to be wrong. He wanted the man to have misinterpreted what he'd seen at the Gongaga facility. He wanted Cloud to see him and to give some indication that he was still just Cloud. That he still felt the things Tseng believed he didn't.

Cloud's eyes finally passed over the place where he and Tifa stood. And that was it. There was no special reaction from him, no indication he had noticed or recognized them.

"It's taken a long time to get here," he spoke sort of softly into the microphones. "I just want to say it's good to finally be home," he concluded.

Zack felt like his ears stopped functioning at that point. He watched silently as Lynch spoke into the microphones. He asked a few obscure, meaningless questions that Rand answered for Cloud but Zack didn't hear any of it. He just watched Cloud as he stood by, a small shy smile fixed to his face, standing like a soldier at ease and looking like one because of the uniform they'd stuck on him. It was just so…surreal. It was odd, and it was frustrating. Tseng had used the word disconcerting, and he couldn't know how truly appropriate that word was until seeing for himself.

He was lightheaded as the short reveal of Cloud to the public ended. Cloud was ushered back into the building and the crowd quickly began to disperse. He wasn't really fully aware of himself and his own movements and he bumped into more than one person as he was walking with Tifa away from the building back in the direction of the station. He hit one person hard enough that it snapped him out of his trance. That's when he realized he knew the person.

"Fair," the guy said his name and as his eyes focused finally he saw who it was.

"Reno," he said in realization. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What? You think I'd miss this shit?" he replied. "It's good to finally be home," he said then, mimicking Cloud and the words he'd said. "What the hell was that?"

Zack just nodded, not knowing what to say about it in the moment and pretty sure he didn't want to talk about it right then.

"Is Johnny around here, somewhere?" Tifa asked Reno and he shook his head.

"He wasn't interested," Reno told them. "Said if he wanted to see it he could watch the news, which is true I guess. Just kinda wanted to get a look at Strife in person, you know?" Tifa nodded. "Not sure who the hell that was up there, but it wasn't Strife," he stated then.

Tifa looked from Reno to Zack. "I should get back to the bar," she said. "You coming back with me to pick Aerith up?" she asked and he confirmed.

"You know what?" Reno said. "I should come down there. I'm heading that direction anyway. We could get drunk! You look like you could use it, Fair, and we just so happen to have a friend here who can hook us up with free drinks," he said, looking from Zack to Tifa.

"Which friend is that?" Tifa asked him.

Reno released an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, I'll buy," he said as he put his left arm around Tifa and his right around Zack and started them walking toward the station again. "I'm making bank working for Six anyway," he commented.

000

Seeing Cloud had been, for lack of any better word, traumatic for Zack. He didn't regret going up to the plate to see him in person, but it had really hammered home what Tseng had warned him of and all in one night he found himself running through stages that felt like grieving. He'd been in denial. He'd been angry. He'd tried to rationalize what was going on and explain it as what it wasn't and by the end of the night he'd found himself sinking into what felt like a stifling depression. Acceptance didn't come until the morning after he'd seen his friend and it was the most painful of all the possible stages. He hadn't wanted to believe what Tseng had told him about Cloud and the reality that it was safer for him to be where he was then anywhere else at the moment. But, as Tseng had also noted, Cloud seemed okay. Physically, he seemed okay. He was smiling. He seemed oddly content, just as Tseng said. Thinking back on it, with Cloud dressed in that army uniform Zack almost felt like he had witnessed his friend in some alternate dimension, where he'd never actually been a part of Cloud's life at all.

He accepted he was over his head when it came to Cloud's current condition, if he believed everything Tseng had told him. Aerith telling him he should trust what Tseng had told him and that the man was on their side and had the best chance of figuring out how to help Cloud was one thing. Aerith always liked to believe the best. But it wasn't just that. His own gut told him the same thing. So all he could do was…accept. And wait.

The holiday season had arrived. It was the first time he felt like he could actually celebrate since the year he went to Nibelheim. With his new goal to embrace acceptance, he also had to accept being comfortable with being uncomfortable. He didn't really want to celebrate but going through the motions was the best option he had to keep his sanity. He felt like Tifa was very much in the same boat as he was but she was more motivated to be upbeat. She had other interests to consider. Marlene's. Barret brought the little girl to stay with Tifa only a few days after Cloud's return to the city. Tifa was always determined to make sure Marlene could enjoy life and stay innocent as long as possible, which was something Zack could appreciate the heck out of. He quickly decided that having Marlene around was something of a blessing. She brought a sense of normalcy to their lives.

For the first time in years, Zack found himself doing things he never thought he'd be able to again or even wanted to do. Things like picking out and decorating a holiday tree, and hanging festive lights, and shopping for gifts. It was bittersweet. There was no denying the happiness he felt waking up Christmas day next to Aerith, remembering how the day always used to feel so special, or how fortunate he felt to be able to spend the day with something that felt like family. Tifa had everyone over to her place, including Johnny, Reno, and even Rayna. Zack was able to video call his parents and spend an hour talking to them. He'd mailed a parcel to them weeks earlier so that they'd receive it in time for the holidays and they had done the same for him so they were able to see each other open the gifts. He had been able to laugh, and eat good food and experience the day the way everyone should. At the end of the night, he took a moment to himself to pray, to any god that wanted to listen, that Cloud was okay and that he'd had a day like he had. That even if he wasn't capable of it, that by some miracle he'd get to feel a bit of joy.

000

Tseng was awake early the day of the Shinra Holiday Banquet. It was the second year that the party would take place the day after Christmas, rather than the actual day of, which had always caused some problems when it came to attendance. Low attendance wasn't going to be an issue that year. The president had been so determined in his plan to have Cloud at the banquet that he'd already informed guests the day after he'd been to the Gongaga facility that there was going to be a special guest and that the company would be making an official announcement about a new specialized SOLDIER program. That meant the attendance at the banquet was expected to be the highest it had been in years. Tseng suspected though that the New Years gala event may see even higher numbers as members of the public were also allowed to attend so long as they could afford the steep price of the tickets.

The morning of the banquet Tseng took a car over to the hall to meet with the security team and do their checks. When he entered the main dining room he encountered Rand with Cloud. He had only caught the odd glimpse of Cloud over the days he'd been in the headquarters building leading up to the banquet. Never had Cloud not been in the company of Rand or Hojo. As he came upon Cloud with Rand now, he could see they were seated at one of the tables that appeared to have been set early, perhaps at Rand's request just for them. Tseng was sure he knew why after observing them just a moment.

"Preparing for this evening?" Tseng asked as he approached. Both Rand and Cloud looked his way. Rand held a piece of silverware in his hand and was obviously giving Cloud a quick course in dining etiquette.

"Indeed," Rand confirmed simply.

"It's going to be a big evening for you, Cloud," the Turk spoke to Cloud directly.

"Yes, sir," he said with a small smile and a nod.

"How have things been? Since being back in Midgar?" Tseng asked him and Cloud looked at Rand.

"They've been fine," Rand answered for him, looking up at Tseng. "We have a lot to cover in a short amount of time though, so..."

"Of course," Tseng replied. "I'll see you both tonight," he said in farewell before leaving them to continue with his security checks. He tried not to think so much about how strange the interaction was and Cloud's reaction to being asked a simple question. Was he not even allowed to answer for himself? It could be he just didn't know how to but whether that was the case or he felt he wasn't supposed to, it was disturbing all the same. He was interested to see how Cloud would behave that night.

The president wanted to make his entrance to the banquet in the company of Hojo, Rand and Cloud which meant Tseng found himself in the same limousine with the three of them as well as Rufus on their way to the hall later that evening. Rand and Cloud were seated together on one bench seat across from where Tseng sat next to the president. Rufus was sitting next to Hojo at the side bench, adjacent to them. It was the first time Tseng could recall Professor Hojo attending the yearly affair in years and it seemed like the first time he'd seen the man not dressed in the lab attire he'd grown so accustomed to seeing him in. He couldn't tell if it was purposefully planned by the man but Hojo donned a white suit jacket in place of what would normally be a white lab coat. Cloud was sitting next to the one window with Rand to his right and Hojo in front of him to his left. The window he gazed out of was on the professor's right. Cloud had been dressed in a very nice, presumably custom-made suit and the tie must have been uncomfortable for him as he pulled at the collar of his shirt multiple times in a motion that seemed to be mostly made unconsciously. Rand had been engaged in conversation with the president nearly the entire trip. As they were nearing their destination, Hojo reached next to him and clutched Cloud's arm, stopping him from tugging at his shirt and forcing him to sit still again. When Cloud looked at him he received a displeased look from Hojo.

"Sorry, Professor," he said quietly.

Rand seemed a little confused, having missed what had gone on and Tseng exchanged a look with Rufus who expressed what he was feeling with a subtle eyeroll.

"We're here!" the president announced than as the vehicle rolled to a stop.

Just as Tseng had expected the hall was busy and people were eager to rush upon the president as well as Hojo and Rand, who was now well known as being a key member of Cloud's treatment team. He didn't know what plan Hojo and Rand had devised to ensure Cloud stuck to the story that had been crafted to explain his and Zack's absence for so long. Perhaps Cloud actually believed the story to be true, even though he apparently still had some memories that would tell him otherwise. But maybe the plan was to have Cloud not actually answer questions at all and that Rand would be the one instead to do the honours. He'd seen for himself earlier in the day how Cloud had reacted to a very simple and benign question.

"Tseng." A voice called his name and he turned around to see Kunsel approaching. He smiled politely and offered his hand in greeting when the SOLDIER reached him.

"Evening, Kunsel," he said and Kunsel just nodded. His eyes were drawn where Tseng's had been.

"You came with the president?" Kunsel asked him and he nodded.

"Of course," he stated softly.

"You were in the car with him?" the SOLDIER questioned.

"The president?" Tseng asked back and Kunsel shook his head.

"Cloud," he said.

"I was," the Turk confirmed.

"I can't believe he's here right now," Kunsel commented. "They must be keeping him pretty confined in the tower. Hardly anyone's caught sight of him since he was brought here."

"It's possible," Tseng agreed.

"They made me sign something, you know, saying I wouldn't contest any of what has been relayed to the media by the company about what happened to him and Zack," Kunsel told him. "Guess I'm not allowed to have an opinion about it," he said with a bit of a dry laugh.

"Do they know you've been seeing Zack occasionally?" Tseng asked him and he nodded.

"I think so. I haven't made it a secret. They outright told me they didn't care if I did so long as I don't support his claims publicly or bring him near the campus or main property," Kunsel said. "They never really said anything about Cloud though."

"In terms of…?" Tseng questioned.

"Well, he's here in front of us and there's people here who had contact with him at the Academy. Are we supposed to stay away from him or…"

Tseng watched Cloud a moment. He must have shaken at least a dozen hands in the few minutes he'd been in the building. And he was smiling. Always that innocent smile.

"I shouldn't think so," Tseng responded to Kunsel finally. "Most, if not all of them, have no reason to doubt the official record of what happened."

"Zack told me what you said about him, about what happened to him and how he's…different," Kunsel said in a quieter tone. Tseng just nodded in return, looking around a little to be sure their conversation wasn't going noticed by anyone. "Is it really bad?" the SOLDIER asked him and he looked at him straight. He nodded once more and Kunsel shook his head at that. "What should I say to him?" Kunsel asked him then.

"Perhaps something of little consequence," Tseng told him softly. "Excuse me, I must go with the president to the dining room," he said, noting the man's indications he was heading in that direction.

When he'd first encountered Cloud with Rand earlier that day, Tseng hadn't thought of the fact he would have something of a literal first row seat to the so-called show. Being as his position had him in close proximity to the president at nearly all times, he found himself witness to much of what Cloud experienced that night. He did well remembering most of what Rand must have taught him in the morning while they sat to eat dinner. Only once did Rand take a piece of silver cutlery from his hand and replace it with what he should be using.

At the end of dinner when people had been ushered into the adjoining ballroom for drinks and desserts, the president took the stage at the one end of the room to make his much anticipated announcement. Standing just off the stage were Hojo, Rand, and Cloud.

"I want to thank everyone for coming this evening," the man began. He had a piece of paper that he'd made some notes on and he glanced at it as he spoke. "It was over five years ago that tragedy struck a small mountain town and among those we thought we lost was a boy of fifteen years old, who even at that tender young age had decided to devote himself to our company and was prepared to give his life in defense of it and the people the company serves. Over these past five years, this boy has endured the unimaginable and he has persisted and thrived despite his trials, despite his trauma, and despite the odds that said he would not make it. He has emerged from tragedy a strong and capable young man who has never second-guessed his passion for one thing. To serve as a member of our specialized SOLDIER team. While we would certainly be honoured to have him take up a position in SOLDIER, it is with great pleasure that I may offer instead a position as the first member of a new elite branch of the program. He would be the first of those we know of as the Canaries. Members of this team will be greatly honoured for their sacrifices that they made and the pain they endured in voluntarily submitting themselves as participants in experimental scientific procedures to enhance and harness capabilities like nothing we have seen before. All so that they may be better soldiers and guardians and better serve the company, the city, and our allies. I ask that this young man join me now."

The president looked back to where Cloud was standing. After being encouraged forward by Hojo and Rand, Cloud ascended the few steps to the stage to join the president who had a small black case in his hand. He opened the velvet covered lid on the case as Cloud stood in front of him. There were two pins inside that glistened under the lights overhead. "As President of the Shinra Company, I am proud to present you, Private First Class Cloud Strife with a medal of honour and heroism for actions you took to protect the SOLDIERs you served with and the civilians of the town during your mission to Nibelheim and officially extend an offer to you to join the ranks of SOLDIER with special designation as a member of the Canary Branch."

Cloud took the case in his hands and nodded at President Shinra, displaying a smile that came close to appearing proud or indicative of actual happiness. Tseng couldn't help himself from smiling a little as well as he looked on. It was just a show. A small part of one very elaborate cover-up. But Cloud really did deserve recognition and praise. It was the least the company could offer.

"Is that a yes?" the president asked Cloud who nodded again and although the audience couldn't hear it well, the man's microphone clipped to his suit jacket did pick up a quiet 'Yes, sir' from Cloud. They exchanged a handshake as the room broke into applause. The president shook the hands of both Hojo and Rand and Hojo did the honours in attaching the pins Cloud had been awarded with to his lapel. Quite quickly there were people wanting to talk to them, including the few journalists who had been invited exclusively to the event to be able to report on it.

Cloud had a hard time keeping straight who was who after he'd left the stage. He stayed close to the professor and Rand and although most people were talking to them, so many people were trying to shake his hand. He tried to block out their thoughts when he made contact with them. It was so hard to focus on what they were saying with their mouths at the same time. It was so loud in the room. Rand had to keep repeating questions to him that he was asked but most of the questions the Keeper answered for him. When it came time for him to talk to the journalists, though, he needed to answer for himself and tried to do his best to remember what he'd been told to say. This is a dream come true for me…I grew up wanting to be a SOLDIER…The company is a family I've cherished being a part of even when I wasn't able to join the SOLDIER ranks right away and decided to join the army instead. I just wanted to be close to what I care about most…I never regretted my decision to submit myself for participation in experimental procedures with the science department. It saved my life…

He had a few brief moments to himself in the bathroom after he was interviewed by the journalists and when he came out he saw Rand was standing near but talking to someone. He was stopped suddenly as he went to return to his Keeper. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he turned around to be met by a wide smile from someone younger than most of the people he'd been approached by that night so far. Dark brown hair. Bright green eyes. About his height. The guy didn't attempt to shake his hand. He was probably the first person not to.

"Cloud, I've been dying to talk to you, you have no idea," the guy told him. "It's just so crazy. I never thought I'd see you again, and then we found out Officer Fair is alive and then you as well."

He looked back at the person in front of him, trying to decide what he should say. He looked toward Rand to see he was still talking to the same someone from moments ago.

"Uh," he started to speak and someone else, someone he did recognize approached the two of them. It was Kunsel, Zack's friend from SOLDIER.

"Oh man, Cloud, it's a relief you made it back," Kunsel told him before the man wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. "I've been trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. If Zack can't do this, I guess I'll do it for him." Cloud just stood still until Kunsel let him go. "Hey, Paul," Kunsel said to the person next to Cloud.

"Paul," Cloud repeated the name. There was something familiar about it but if there was a memory somewhere he couldn't get to it.

"Paul Tousa," Kunsel told him.

"Guess you don't remember me, huh?" Paul asked. "From the Academy. Guess it was a long time ago."

"Uh," he started to try and speak again but he found himself turning around instead, away from both of them. He found himself turning directly into Rand who grabbed his arms and stopped him before he ran too hard into him. "Sorry," he said to the Keeper, not realizing at first that it was Rand and thinking he'd just walked into another guest.

"It's fine," Rand said, looking past him at Kunsel and Paul. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Randon, right?" Kunsel said to him.

"Yes, I'm sorry, we haven't met I don't think," Rand told him and offered to greet him with a handshake. Kunsel just looked at his hand for a long second, to the point it was obvious there was tension. When Rand began to lower his hand again Kunsel shook his head and went to take it quickly.

"Sorry, I forget my manners sometimes when I've had too many glasses of wine at these events," Kunsel told him. "I'm Kunsel. Zack Fair's best friend," he said when the man's hand was in his own. The declaration must have surprised Rand but the man tried not to react in any particular way. "Cloud's my friend too," he added, squeezing the man's hand a little tighter.

"I am?" Cloud asked Kunsel and Rand jerked his hand from Kunsel's grasp then. Cloud looked at the Keeper. He was getting that painful feeling in his head and things seemed a little fuzzy when he looked around. "Can we go home?" he asked.

"Very soon, I promise," Rand told him. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen," Rand said to Kunsel and Paul before taking hold of Cloud's right arm above his elbow and turning him to leave with him. "Give my best wishes to Mr. Fair," Rand told Kunsel.

Cloud looked back over his shoulder at Kunsel as he was being led away. "I never used him," he called to the SOLDIER.

Kunsel just stared back at Cloud in confusion until he disappeared with Rand back into the ballroom. "What the hell's he talking about?" he asked Paul then.

"I think he was talking about Officer Fair," Paul told him tentatively. "You kind of accused him of that once," he said and Kunsel looked back at him doubtfully.

"What?" he said, trying to understand.

"Remember at the Academy when Johnny Six found out his brother had died and took off and Cloud and I went to the slums looking for him? Cloud called Officer Fair for help and you both came?" Paul reminded him and Kunsel nodded slowly. It was a long time ago. "You accused Cloud of dragging Officer Fair in his issues and I guess targeting him as someone he could use to break rules if he needed to."

"I did?" Kunsel replied in shock. "I said something that harsh to him?"

Paul nodded uncomfortably. "It was pretty awkward. Made me kind of scared of you for awhile, not going to lie," he confirmed lightly. "But you were worried about Officer Fair getting it trouble. It was understandable." Kunsel was quiet then as he thought about it. "Guess he does remember some things. I must just not be one of them," Paul concluded.

000

Cloud hadn't been back in the city long but he'd already spent hours staring out at what he could see from the windows in the apartment at Shinra Headquarters he was given to call home. When he stood with his hands and forehead pressed to floor-to-ceiling panels of glass he felt like he could be flying. It was much later than he would have normally stayed up. A little after midnight. Rand had brought him back about a half hour after he'd seen Kunsel at the party. He had felt strange after seeing the SOLDIER but it was better now that he was alone and it was quiet. Rand had left him in the apartment, telling him he had to go down to the floor where his new office was to get something he'd left there.

Cloud had left the lights off in the apartment and decided to spend some time looking out at the city. It was snowing. Strings of multicoloured holiday lights were lining the rooves of some of the shorter buildings and the balconies on the taller ones. Around the windows and doors…With his hands on the cold glass he found he could normally hear the sounds of the city as well. The traffic. But it was quiet now. Distracted by the view, he didn't see that Rand was coming toward the apartment before he heard the door being unlocked. He lowered his hands from the glass as the Keeper entered.

"Why are you still in the dark?" the man asked him, pausing at the door a second before turning to shut it and bolt the two interior locks.

"I'm looking at the lights outside," Cloud told him and Rand smiled.

"I see," he replied. He dropped his keys onto the counter that was nearby along with a folder he'd had with him. There was something else in his hand that he brought over to where Cloud was standing.

"What do you think?" Rand asked him as he stopped just behind him and placed a hand on his right shoulder.

"Bright," Cloud told him simply. He felt Rand's hand move to his head and the man ran it through his hair that was starting to get some grippable length back.

"You did well tonight," the man told him.

"Thank you," Cloud said back softly.

"Everyone's very pleased," Rand added. "I know it was probably a little overwhelming for you. All those people…the New Years Gala is going to have a lot of people as well, but I think you'll be okay. I have something for you," he said then and reached around to place something in front of Cloud, between him and the window. Cloud looked down at what the man was holding. It was rectangular in shape and wrapped in gold coloured paper.

"What is it?" Cloud asked him as he took it in his hands slowly. Rand told him to unwrap it to find out so he did carefully, trying not to tear the paper. It was another sketchbook. It was different than the one he'd had before in Gongaga. He couldn't remember doing it but Rand had told him he'd destroyed it one night when he was upset. This one looked different. It had a leather cover and there were two letters stamped into the lower right corner. C.S.

"I think you should draw again," Rand told him.

"What if…I don't know how anymore?" Cloud asked back in a quiet voice.

"It'll come. I don't think talent like that can really stay hidden," Rand assured him.

Cloud smiled a little. "Thank you," he said again. He held the book to his chest then as he stared back out the window.

"You're welcome," Rand replied warmly. The man's arms wrapped around his from behind him, holding him. "Nicer view than you had from your room in Gongaga, isn't it?" he asked and Cloud nodded. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now," the man told him. "You're the last Charge I ever want in my care as a Keeper," he said gently.

"Why?" Cloud asked him.

"Because," the man told him. "I don't need anyone else," he said.

Cloud didn't really know what he meant. He didn't ask.

"You must be tired. I'm tired," Rand spoke through a sigh then. "I need to shower before bed. So should you," he added as he urged Cloud away from the window. "Come on, let's get you out of that uncomfortable suit now," he said and Cloud followed him toward the bedroom, glancing back just once more briefly at the city lights.