Hello! Finally got another chapter written, and trying to work on the rest of the story! I hope everyone is enjoying thus far especially those who been following forever; I am doing my best to see this one to the end! I know last chapter was pretty action packed, and a lot going on...but you know Shinra isn't going to take that lying down...and I got plans for that! For now, please enjoy my newest chapter and thanks for following! Reviews are appreciated!

"OW!"

Loz's whole body had recoiled from the pain when Tifa touched a painful wound on his back. He laid shirtless on his stomach, in his bed as Tifa sat on it's edge and was cleaning and medicating his wounds. Even with his better healing than most, the wounds were deep.

"Sorry!" Tifa said, freezing when he had shouted. His back was covered in a series of abrasions and burns from the blast, but she was relieved to know his internal organs and bones were intact. She was suspicious he might have some fractures in his ribs where some deep bruises had appeared, but she felt she could manage that. She would have to make a call later to the pharmacy and see if they would deliver some medications or potions that could aid in a quicker recovery. Tifa knew Loz enough that ordering him to rest for over a month would be pure torture for the man.

"This sucks," he whined, burying his face into the pillow. Loz was trying his best not to cry in pain, but even Tifa's most tenderest touch was excruciating on the deeper wounds.

" It does, but that's why I am going to take care of you and make sure you recover, okay?" she said. Loz didn't answer verbally, but gave a light nod with his head still in the pillow. A medicated cream and potion was rubbed with a light touch all over the wounds of his back. Tifa aided him in sitting up with his arms held above his head while she placed gauze over the wounds and wrapped bandages around the torso. Fearing his ribs were indeed fractured, the binding was very light, with just enough pressure to keep the gauze in place. Anything tighter might injure him further. The whines and hisses of pain had ceased but Tifa guessed it was the pain medication in the cream that was working its magic on him. Loz even seemed tired though he slept through the night and part of the morning.

Tifa was fastening the bandage at the front of him when she decided to thank him properly.

" Loz...that was nice what you did. Shielding me from the explosion. Thank you," she said, looking up to him.

Loz felt a swelling in his chest that he believed had nothing to do with his injuries. It was warm, and expanded through him, making him warm. Those Mako eyes didn't leave hers, studying her own chocolate eyes and noting now things he never noticed like the red tint they held in certain light. How warm she appeared when gazing to his eyes.

"I...uh," he stuttered, looking away. " I just didn't want you hurt and it was a snap decision, I guess. Only thing I could think of doing."

Tifa noted how humble he was trying to be about it. The wounds spoke for themselves. It was a strong blast and he taken the brunt of it just for her. Tifa reached up to slick his hair back, catching some strands that were falling forward over his eyes. It was a movement quicker than her eyes...before she could pull her hand back, his own had captured hers. His hold on her hand was gentle, his thumb rubbing into the palm of it. His eyes were caught by her gaze, unable to look anywhere else but at her.

"Thanks...for...bandaging the wounds, and...stuff," he said, the gentle hold of her hand lessening for her to pull free. There was more he wanted to say but an odd tug in his throat prevented him from wanting to say those words. Tifa held his hand when she felt him slackening his grip,

"I will anytime you need me," she said, seeing those sea green eyes fill with relief and gratitude. Neither realized how close their heads were drifting toward one another, captured in a powerful, magnetic attraction neither knew or understood. There was however, a singular power that could disrupt the gravitational pull they felt toward each other...and that was someone knocking on the closed bedroom door.

Loz sat straight and brushed himself off while Tifa bolted to her feet and twirled on her heel to face the door.

"Come in!" she said, her tone holding a nervous note.

Cloud opened the door to see Loz sitting up on the bedside, covered in bandages. Tifa was standing near the bed with an open medical kit on the night stand, nearly depleted of its supplies. Cloud hadn't realized how bad the damage was when they carried him the other night, but being conscious was a good thing in his opinion. Being able to wake up and stay conscious meant you had good chances to recover.

Seeing it was Cloud, Tifa moved to stand between his view and Loz, folding her arms and fixing him with a daring stare.

"Did you want to start more trouble in my place?" she demanded. She was not over the trouble Cloud started in her bar downstairs, and being uncaring enough to use fire spells inside it. Cloud knew she was not going to forgive him any time soon for that lack of judgment when challenging Loz. Sensing the anger, Cloud put his hands up to her to show he meant no harm. He had stayed around, desperate to question Loz about that phrase he used in the car before he passed out. It meant he was linked to Aerith in some form and he wondered how that could be given his origins.

"No, I just want to talk to him," he claimed.

"Oh...now you want to talk," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Loz glanced to Cloud and then reached out to touch Tifa's arm. " Hey, Tifa, it's okay. I don't mind."

Tifa turned to listen to him and the uncertainty showed in her face. The unwavering trust she always had in Cloud was broken after the day he decided to fight Loz in her bar against her pleas. It had taken a lot of arguing and threatening in order to convince Cloud to assist her in rescuing Loz from the same people Cloud had just delivered him to. It also took some phone calls to acquire some back up, knowing the two of them going alone may not be enough.
What Loz had said while Barret and Cloud were talking about the reasons for rescuing him had shocked her just as much as them. It only solidified her theory and belief that Loz wasn't here on Sephiroth's terms or any other malicious terms...there was only one way to have ever learned that phrase, unique to their friend in the Lifestream; Aerith. Uttering those words had silenced the whole ride back to Edge.

"Seven minutes. Not a second longer," she conceded. " But if I hear one slam, one yell, one-"

"Tifa. I won't harm him," Cloud interrupted. He placed a hand on her shoulder and felt the quaking worry in her frame. "I promise."

Tifa was silent. She chanced a glance to his eyes to see them resolute and calm, void of that fire to fight. She gave a single nod and left the room without another word, closing the door behind her. Both men were silent after she left, as both had never behaved amicably toward one another before.
Cloud took off the sword from his back, resting it against the wall as his way of proclaiming his peaceful intentions. Loz took note of it and wondered what 'brother' wanted with him. Cloud's whole attitude was different and having him be part of the party to rescue him had him dumbfounded. Cloud stared at the floor, not meeting Loz's eyes as he struggled to gather his wits and thoughts together to speak to him. There was so much he wanted to ask, but all the questions were nothing but a swirling pool of words he couldn't quite sort out.

"You could just finish me off," Loz suggested in his attempt to break the silence.

Cloud lifted his head to see Loz forcing a smile on his face. As much as the offer was tempting, he meant what he said to Tifa. He was here for answers.

" Don't think so. Tifa would kill me shortly after, trust me," he said, folding his arms.

"...It's about Mother, isn't it?" Loz asked.

Cloud's body tensed at the question.

" I suppose I have some questions about that," Cloud confessed, "Along with some other ones."

"Well. What do you want to ask first?" Loz asked, wondering how difficult these questions might be. Would he ask about Tifa too? What should he tell him? Should he tell him how she had cried and been angry at him?

"Well...I want to know where you learned that phrase you used last night...you said Mother would have said it," Cloud started, unsure what Loz would say or if he would even wish to talk about the subject.

Loz stared at Cloud when he asked that question. It was a difficult one. What he learned from his dream last night, from those labs, had shaken him. It was hard to tell apart what was real and unreal. The only thing that was keeping him centered was Tifa and her limitless generosity and unexpected friendship. He hadn't spoken a word to Tifa about his dreams, about seeing the girl named Aerith, or the visions of Sephiroth. As much as he trusted her and was fond of her, he was too scared to tell her...but now was expected to tell Cloud about it.
Would he even believe him?

"...Yeah. Mother said it to me. Said I was worrying too much...and I couldn't give up," he admitted.

" What was...her name?" Cloud asked.

Loz looked to the floorboards of the room, eyes focusing on the grain and debating if he dared to speak her name.

"Why do you wanna know?" Loz asked.

" Sake of curiosity," Cloud claimed as an excuse. "And confirm a theory of mine."

Loz remembered what Rufus said. That 'Mother' as he and his brothers had known her was named Jenova. That wasn't this woman. Her words were kind. She was nothing like what Rufus described and Aerith had confirmed what was told to him. Could he be mad? Aerith had treated him well, had given him this second chance. Even when the visions of Sephiroth came, he felt no connection to the man, despite being told he was part of him. Loz felt too selfish to tell Cloud about Aerith and how nice she'd been to him. How he understood it from Tifa, this was the girl that Cloud couldn't get over.

"...She told me her name was Aerith," Loz mumbled. " A girl in a frilly dress and red jacket. She told me I had a second chance. And...I couldn't give up. That I didn't have to search for her, she was perfectly fine. She only told me her name last night in some dream...she liked those weird smelling flowers, didn't she?"

The more Loz explained, the more an unsettling sensation roiled in his stomach. Loz never knew Aerith but was able to give enough detail for Cloud to know it was her. Aerith sent him back, a remnant of Sephiroth...but to what purpose? What was there to gain from it? More importantly, could Sephiroth still influence him through the Lifestream, if it was Aerith that allowed him to manifest back into being? These were questions he was certain Loz could never answer...

"...Loz. Does Aerith visit you in your dreams then?" he asked, wondering if this was another way to communicate with those in the Lifestream. Cloud was almost dead when he saw Aerith but was given the chance to come back.

" Sometimes...I don't have any say or control in it or anything," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

It was interesting to Cloud...but then, Loz was not a 'born' human being. Maybe he had a more stronger connection to it due to being a remnant. Wouldn't she have visited him if she had the chance? Then Cloud wondered about another issue.

"...Do you see a man named Sephiroth? In visions?" Cloud asked.

There was nothing Loz could do to hide the shock and anxiety that bloomed inside him. Mako eyes widened and his heart began to beat like a war drum. How did he know? How could he have guessed he had been having these visions? Loz tried to rein in his surprise but it was not unnoticed. Cloud's eyes narrowed at him, demanding an answer.

" You do, don't you?" Cloud pressed.

Loz felt tears welling in his eyes. It was a subject he didn't want to talk about. Those visions of that man haunted him and bullied him more than his brothers ever did.

"Just get out," Loz said, rubbing the tears away with the back of his hand.

Cloud was prepared to believe him as dangerous as Rufus claimed if Loz was seeing visions of Sephiroth. The tears and his sudden withdrawal from the conversation caused Cloud to rethink his next words. They were going to be harsh, but he noticed how emotional Loz was. He wasn't proud or glad. Mentioning the visions brought the grown man to tears. Was that not a sign that these visions were stressful on him and not a source of strength or pride he drew from?

"Please...don't tell Tifa," he said, looking to Cloud. "She doesn't know...I don't want to worry her."

It was a strange request. Cloud crossed his arms tight over his chest, considering what he should say. Tifa had informed him how Loz had jumped in front of a blast to save her, which was the reason he was as wounded as he was. Now he was worried he would frighten her if she knew his secret visions. He was doing everything he could to try and be good, was that not worth respecting or acknowledging? Wasn't he hesitant to tell anyone about the visions when he suffered them back in the day, fearing they'd believe him insane?

" I won't say a word. I...used to have visions of him too. Long time ago," Cloud admitted. It was a level of trust Cloud was showing him and it stopped Loz from crying. There was a sense of fear and awe in his eyes. If Cloud had had these visions too of this man, then maybe he was not destined to bring calamity to the world. Maybe it was just due to the power of Sephiroth...it didn't have to mean his fate was inescapable.

"Y-you...did?" he whispered. " Why?"

" Long ago...in Nibelheim, I had killed Sephiroth. Since then, I was plagued with visions of him. They don't happen anymore after what happened in Midgard, but," he looked away, trying not to think about those tormenting times. " Well. You aren't exactly the same as me, anyway. May effect you differently."

What Cloud had told him given Loz a mixture of relief and worry. He wasn't the only one to have visions of this man! But...he was right. He was different. He was not 'born' in the sense humans were. He was a manifestation of a part of Sephiroth, a remnant broken apart from the main source. Could there be hope? Aerith seemed to believe there was for him.

" Thanks...brother," Loz finally said. " Mother said that he was...manifestations, I think the word was...of fears in my heart. Something like that. He wasn't real. That I shouldn't worry too much. But I do, 'cause of what Rufus said, you know?"

Cloud studied Loz. This was a very different man than he had fought in the Forgotten Capital and in the streets of Edge. There were still vestiges of that same person, but they had changed. It was a curious thing. It appeared no one would ever come to understand the full capabilities and will of the Lifestream. Cloud wondered if Loz's personality itself was changed due to the fact it was Aerith that allowed him to manifest into the world this time and not Sephiroth's will.
There were other nagging questions Cloud had that found its way to the forefront of his concerns. The last time he ran away from Tifa and the kids was due to his having Geostigma and his lament for Aerith's passing, always believing it was his fault. This time, it was his depression creeping up on him. Even if Aerith never did blame him, the guilt of what happened still weighed heavy in his conscience, and wanted time to reflect and try to come to terms with it on his own. In his absence, Loz had somehow managed to win Tifa's protection and the approval of the kids. Tifa had told him everything that happened after the remnants had been dealt with, and what happened in the church. It was more reason why he found the situation so confounding.

" Loz. What is Tifa to you?" he asked, a defensive anger roiling just under the surface of that question.

Loz was perplexed by the question. Their conversation had focused on his current existence and understanding of Mother. It had taken an abrupt turn into a subject that Loz didn't quite understand in its entirety...but his instinct told him Cloud wouldn't be happy if he were to lay everything out in detail for him. The shift of Loz's defensive behavior was more immediately recognizable than when Cloud brought up the subject of Sephiroth's appearances.

"I don't understand what you're asking," Loz said in a bid to deflect the question.

"What does she mean to you?" Cloud asked again with a tone more demanding than last time.

Loz knew of Tifa's romantic involvement with Cloud, and how the other night she had said it would be over. That the two of them could only be friends because of how selfish and aloof Cloud was all the time. Part of him questioned how they could be together, if Cloud couldn't get over a woman that was dead. It was a situation that caused frustration cause it was difficult for him to understand the complications of the three.

"Loz-"

"Look, she took me in, patched me up and helped me to adapt to this...this life! And I'm thankful for it. I don't know what else to tell you," Loz snapped and looked down. "...I'm tired and wanna rest."

It wasn't a lie. The creams and potions that Tifa used were beginning to fully exercise their medical properties. Drowsiness was clouding his thoughts and shortening his temper. The pain was easing up but his body was crying for sleep. The conversation was draining on what energy he had waking up, and if Cloud pressed more, it would only make him lash out.
Cloud could sense how tired Loz was but also believed he was avoiding the question on purpose. Cloud stood and grabbed his sword, strapping it back on. Loz didn't look up or say another word and Cloud took that as his cue to leave. He closed the door behind him and went downstairs where Barret was having a beer at the bar, and Tifa was manning it.

"He is tired and wants to rest," he told Tifa.

"Good. He needs it," she said without looking up, concentrating on the glass she was cleaning.

"What he told me though...there is no doubt he somehow does know Aerith. That she is the reason for his return," Cloud said as he leaned on the wall and folded his arms.

" Well, that just confirms what Tifa had thought all along," Barret said.

"Barret!" Tifa gasped, glaring at him.

"Aw shit..." Barret said, realizing his mistake.

" Wait," Cloud said, looking between the two. "...You knew he was here all this time, Barret? Why didn't you tell me?"

"...Well. Tifa didn't want me to tell you," he admitted, shrugging his big shoulders. " She knew you'd cause a scene. Which you did do, matter of fact."

Cloud felt betrayed. He narrowed his eyes, feeling his blood pumping. The only reason he acted as he did was because of what concerns Shinra brought to him about Loz's existence. But was that the only an excuse? What if Tifa had contacted him about what happened? Would he have acted any differently than when Reno had approached him about it? No, he thought. I would have not trusted him and drew the same conclusions...he will always be part of him.

"I'm leaving," he said suddenly. He made towards the door and didn't stop despite Tifa and Barret calling for him to settle down. He needed time to think, away from the city and away from them.

Once the door slammed closed, the two of them stopped shouting for him to come back. Tifa's eyes were narrowed down at the glass she was cleaning. In a swift, angry motion, she clutched it tight and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered with a noisy explosion, its hundreds of pieces bouncing off quite far from the wall. Barret remained quiet as she gripped the counter's edge, trying to rein in her fury.

After some time, Barret decided to speak up but use his much softer tone of voice.

"You like him, dont'cha?" he asked, setting the empty beer bottle aside.

Tifa looked up to him, but didn't immediately answer. Barret remained calm and quiet, giving her time to respond. Tifa gave a silent nod of her head before looking away.
Barret had that feeling. Cloud was their good friend, but he had his own set of issues and problems none of them could hope to understand nor find a way to help with. Barret was more than willing to help anyone that needed it, but sometimes, outside help could only go so far. Sometimes, it was up to the individual to help themselves...and Cloud was terrible at that.
Barret had seen what the Remnants had done to Edge before and knew how dangerous they were. It was a surprise to him when he first learned about Tifa's harboring of one who just happened to have landed in front of her bar. As much as he was against it, Tifa felt differently and was too stubborn to agree with him. He was glad he had been wrong. When they had rescued him, he got to see how happy Tifa was to run into his arms, how relieved she'd been to find him alive. It wasn't one sided. Barret saw how quick Loz was to use his speedy abilities to grab Tifa and shield her from the perimeter bombs that were set off.

"...Marlene said he was supposed to help learn how to braid her hair before he got into that fight with Cloud. That right?" he asked.

Tifa gave another nod. "The kids really warmed up to him."

Barret gave a nod to that. Marlene had been so concerned about 'uncle Loz' and if he would be all right when she caught a glimpse of them bringing in his unconscious body. Marlene was a growing girl but she was smart and a good judge of character. If she was really worried about Loz's well being, it meant he had been a good person to her.

" He may be a remnant of that calamity, but...somehow you got him to get his heart in the right place," he finally said, taking a second beer from her. "I say go for it...if I ain't mistaken, I think he likes you too, but is too much of a baby to admit it."

Tifa stared at Barret and blinked in shock. Was Barret...condoning that she should be with Loz?

"What about Cloud?" she asked.

Barret scoffed. " Forgive me for sayin' it, but...it looks like you made that decision a while ago, don't it? You two are childhood friends...Spikey may be hurtin' and don't get me wrong, I care for the idiot, but...he brought this on himself. It's your duty to yourself to make yourself happy. If this guy makes you happy, and he ain't being a danger to anyone anymore, then why not? We all done everything we could for Cloud, and we can all be there for him still, but he's got to do his own soul searching and figure some shit out for himself."

There was something about Barret's casual acceptance of Loz that made Tifa finally let loose of the anguish inside her and smile. She wasn't abandoning Cloud and she would always be there for him...but as his best friend. That she could still do, and would insist on.

The afternoon melted into the evening, until the sun began to set. Loz opened his eyes, his whole body feeling too sluggish to do much more but look around his room. They fell upon his clock and saw how late in the day it was. Didn't he have to work? He usually was ready to go around this time of the day, that it felt wrong to be lying in the bed and staring at the clock's digits. He sat up in bed with a loud groan, the pain in his wounds all hitting at the same time. It was an itching, burning kind of pain, and in some places of his torso, sharp and stabbing. Loz didn't move as he sat up in bed, waiting for the pain to ebb away enough for him to get up and try to get dressed.
Slow, shallow breaths helped calm the pain in his chest and he felt steady enough to stand. Once on his feet, some of the pain came back but it was not as bad as when he woke. He took a few steps towards the dresser with the mirror and turned around. Craning his neck, he could see his backside in the mirror and saw the extent of the damage. His whole torso was covered in the bandages and some of the wounds had leaked through, staining the gauze varying shades of red. It looked worse than it felt. Loz looked through his closet for a plain black shirt to put on that would hide the extent of his wounds well.
He picked one out and was trying to put it on, his arms through the sleeves and trying to tug it on without tearing at his wounds with any sharp movements.

"Loz!" came a shocked, female voice.

Loz froze and felt hands taking hold of the shirt and pulling it back off of him. Tifa had the shirt balled up in her hands, her grumpy face glaring at him.

"Just what do you think you're doing? You need rest!" she said, throwing the shirt to the floor and folding her arms.

" Getting ready for work? What about the bar? I thought I work today," he said, confused about her mood.

" Yes, you would if you hadn't been severely injured," she said with a sigh. " Come on, sit on the bed. I got to change your bandages. I also had the pharmacist drop off a more potent remedy to help quicken the healing process. But was told it might make you drowsy."

Loz listened to her and settled on the edge of the bed. A scent caught his attention and he looked to a steaming hot plate of food on his nightstand. Seeing he was looking at it, Tifa smiled as she undressed the bandages and threw them on the floor to discard later.

"I brought you dinner for after I'm done. You won't be working for a few days. You need bed rest and time to heal. If you keep re-injuring yourself, you won't ever heal right," she explained.

She was cleaning his back with some cleaning wipes to remove the wounds' leaking fluids and the residue of the medicated cream she used earlier. She had to do so tenderly, and noticed they looked to be healing well. Loz was whining in frustration.

"Ugh. So I can't do nothing but lie in bed until the wounds go away? That's boring," he complained.

"Boring, but necessary," Tifa added, slathering the new potion onto the wounds with a gentle hand, and putting clean gauze over the areas. Bandages were wound around his torso to keep the gauze in place and the creamy potion on his skin. She instructed him to sit up in bed to eat his dinner while she collected the discarded, used bandages together and threw them in a nearby metal garbage can. She had fixed him a large plate, considering he hadn't ate much due to all his sleeping.

"Made sure you had the best cut of meat," she said, sitting next to him. She didn't hesitate to lean in and kiss the corner of his lips when he was listening to her. The energy about her was positive and upbeat, that Loz chalked it up to her being happy he was alive. He wasn't aware why she actually was.

"Thanks, it tastes great," he said, flashing her a smile. The pain was fading to a slight tingle, abating into a numbness that was more than welcomed by Loz. The small kiss she given him boosted his mood as well, that despite being so injured, he felt the happiest he'd been in a while. "As do those kisses."

Tifa's cheeks flushed red...she hadn't expected him to flirt! But her shocked face soon changed as she smiled wide and giggled at his attempt. "When did you become so smooth?"

Loz was internally pumping his fist in victory. He always read about how people flirted with one another using clever words and responses, and his seemed to hit the nail on the head.

" Smooth? Isn't smooth if I am stating a fact, is it?" he said, much to her delightful laughter.

" I suppose so, if that's what your tastes are," she said and leaned in, giving him one more. " I need to get ready for tonight. Eat up and rest. Don't let me catch you out of bed, got it?"

" Understood," he said, watching her leave the room but not before flashing him a smile.

The combination of the heavy plate of food and the medicated potion she put on him had him drowsy within the hour just when he was hearing the first customers coming in downstairs. He slept on his stomach to avoid putting any weight on his wounds, hugged up to his pillow. It was silent and dark when he woke up in the middle of the night. It was two in the morning and he knew by now Tifa would be cleaning up and all the customers would be gone. It meant she would be alone. Something tugged at him from the inside, an urge to go check and see how she was doing. When people were around her, he noted she was good at keeping herself collected and held together. It was when she was alone she broke apart, like that night when he saw her in the kitchen. Loz willed himself awake and to get out of bed, moving carefully not to disturb the wounds.
He peeked out of his room to see the hallways silent but hearing the faint sound of metal clinking downstairs in the bar. He moved quietly down the hall and the stairs, peering around the corner to see her standing at the sink full of water and washing dishes. The jukebox was playing a soft, acoustic song he wasn't familiar with. Tifa paused what she was doing, and stared into the tub of soapy water. There was a sadness in her face he grown to recognize. Loz winced at the pain when he moved, but ignored it as he stepped off the landing of the stairs and went to her.

He came to stand behind her, his heart racing at the thought of what he was going to do. Arms slowly wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close against him. He didn't think dancing would be appropriate, but he decided that rocking back and forth with her in a slow, gentle manner might help as he held her. His steps was in sync with the song's chorus, feeling her begin to shake in his hold.

" I thought I told you not to let me catch you out of bed," she said.

Loz smiled and shrugged. " Sometimes I don't like to listen."

Tifa smiled and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against his chest and let him rock her to the song. His arms were warm and snug around her waist, his front flat against her backside. His head was nestled against the top of hers. Tifa settled her arms around his and just sunk into the comfort of him. All her worries melted away as they swayed back and forth without talking. Loz could feel how relaxed she was with him, and how precious it felt to have the privilege of soothing her sorrow this way. He doted a soft, gracing kiss to her temple, wanting to try and make her smile. If Cloud was really out of the picture with her, then he had no restraints to hold back or feel he was overstepping boundaries.
He felt Tifa shifting in his hold, her head turning to look up to him. He stopped, wondering if she wanted to tell him something.

"Loz," she said, her tone hesitant. " Don't...let me go, okay? Can you promise me that?" she asked, with a small smile.

Loz smiled back and promised he wouldn't. He resumed rocking her to the song and settled his head atop of hers, keeping her close. He could do that...he could hold on.