"Daaaaaamn, Bossman. I haven't seen you act so ruthless in a long time," a redheaded man laughed as he viewed the recording of the 'fight' with Daniel. A wide, lazy grin was spread across his face as the fight concluded with the flower girl screaming in the video. "Why'd you let him go, anyway?" He asked in a lazy drawl, "She threatened to bite her tongue off if you took him, but the good doctor doesn't need her mouth."

Tseng adjusted his suit in the front, his nimble fingers adjusting the tie that was already perfectly placed. "The Ancient must come willingly to lead us to the Promised Land; otherwise, there's no point at all. Thus, the President has decreed, based on the Cetra tablets we possess." It was a flimsy justification to accede to the girl's wishes.

"Hmm. You should know that, Reno," the bald man spoke, shifting his sunglasses with his right index finger. The man of few words had noticed in the video that the fat man was learning with every attack from Tseng. No mistake was made twice, and he seemed to have been listening to the Wutian's words during the fight.

"Bah!" Reno, the redhead, waved off the man's words, "Who cares? Did you see how pathetic that kid was, Rude?" Reno's words hid his true thoughts. While Daniel was weaker than Tseng, most people in Midgar were. They all knew what was really going on. Tseng was testing this man. Did he have what it takes to grow enough to defend Aerith while they 'completed their mission' to bring her in? Were his intentions honest? Like every fighter, they all knew that you could grow to understand someone through combat. Daniel might suck, but he had potential. He had a lot of potential. So for now, they tentatively gave him the stamp of approval. They would let him live, and take as long as they needed to in order to bring in both him and Aerith.

Meanwhile…

Fuck Tseng. That was the first thought to enter my head when I woke up. Then I noticed the surface I was on was soft, and my body twitched when I realized that meant I wasn't in Hojo's lab. That twitch sent sheer agony through my body, making me groan. "You're awake!" a sweet voice shouted near me. Opening my eyes, I watched pools of green stare into my brown eyes, filled with worry for me. "I'm so happy. You're going to be fine," Aerith's eyes teared up and I did my best to smile at her.

"Can you hit me with a cure?" I asked. I know why she hadn't yet. It's not safe to use cure or potions on someone unconscious, especially with potential head trauma. Cure wasn't what you'd think it was, anyway. Sure, it closes wounds and knits flesh together, but it's not that detailed at low levels. Mainly, it relieved pain and fatigue, which made you think you were better. It was made for war efforts, not as a device to save your life. Cura did it better, but it's not until you can cast regen for the sustained effect and curaga that you actually do anything deep in the body. Aerith would have used a phoenix down or revive, if we had anything like that. I figured out before that it doesn't raise the dead. Only the unconscious. It actually relieves brain trauma and other major issues. It can help restore the near dead too. I guess that's why it never worked on… I have to force that thought down. I'm not thinking about that scene.

Aerith uses my materia on me. The healing energy sweeps my body, and the fatigue, pain and low leveled injuries fade away. The ache in my muscles remains, however, even if I don't feel the fatigue from it all. It's hard to describe. I sigh in relief, and slowly get up. "Be careful," she whispers, "You really took a beating out there. He's gone though, so you need to relax." I just watch her lecture me with a kind smile on my face. It's nice. "You've been out for three whole days." She finally adds.

I freeze. "What?" I ask. There's no freaking way. Tifa is going to kill me. "Ah, shit," I mutter. I'm still pretty weak. I'm not tough enough to get up from beatings like that yet. Maybe one day. I sigh. There's so much I want to know about what's going on right now. I also realize I can't get home myself. "Fuck, Aerith?" I look at her.

She smiles, finding humor in something I just said, like she has plans or something. "Yes, Danny?"

"Can you help me get back to sector 7?" I hate asking her this, but I can't fight right now. I can walk and move, but combat? No way. She smiles and nods her head rapidly. She must still be in shock over all of this too.

"Sure. You're my friend, Danny. I'll always help you," she says and giggles. "I guess this makes me your bodyguard, huh?" She's my bodyguard… A corner of my mouth lifts up. This is a bit of a reversal. She made Zack and Cloud her bodyguard and now she's mine? She must have a fetish or something.

"If that makes you feel better, then sure. What do I owe you for it?" I tease. It occurs to me after I say it that it's actually flirting. I didn't mean it that way, but I can't take it back.

She laughs, "I don't come cheap, you know?" She winks at me and I blush a bit. She pulls my arm over her shoulder and helps me up. Slowly, we make our way out of the house. Her mom isn't here right now. "Hmm… Let me think," she then says, putting her other hand up to her face, one slender digit on her lips as she ponders on it. "I know! You'll owe me a date." She seems so smug.

I stumble a bit, coughing. "A date?" My heart beats a little faster, "I have a girlfriend, you know?" She just giggles gain as we make our way forward. She's quiet.

We don't encounter any monsters as she helps me back to my sector. Occasionally, we talk about this and that. Different flowers she sells, my item shop. I confide in her, "I'm actually about to give up the item shop. Well, I'm going to hire one of the kids to run it. I'll teach them and pay them, but I can't keep spending so many hours in it." I clench a fist, "I need to get stronger, for you, for Tifa, for the Planet itself." I keep walking with her, my head looking up at the plate, "I'm involved in some weird stuff, I wanted you to know."

She shakes her head, "I know. I figured. I don't mind. Really!" She's adamant about it. We get quiet again as we approach the Seventh Heaven. "So, is Tifa your girlfriend?"

"Yeah," I reply as we reach the doors. "She runs this bar. You'll get to meet her." I'm honestly really worried about it. I don't know if this is a good idea, but I wouldn't have made it home without Aerith. Well, here goes nothing.

I push the doors open.