A/N: I just wanted to add a note here about the timeline. I have tried to keep them at around the same amount of time passing in each world, and yes, Earth shoots ahead here, but don't worry. Gaia will be catching up in the next chapter. I'm sure you all know what that means, so I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 25

Earth

While the first half of the year Charle had been given on Earth seemed to have passed by in a slow haze of one event after another, the last half seemed to be slipping through her fingers faster than she wanted it to. Her new job as the deputy director of finance was going well. She did spend more time working with Mischa since the woman was the COO, but their work relationship was just as good as their personal one. She also continued to grow closer to Abby and the other secretaries. Her friend had even been promoted as well. She was now the secretarial manager.

As wonderful as all those things were, Charle still had to admit that none were as good as her relationship with Dante. She hadn't even known a man was capable of being that giving. All the ones she had ever known had only wanted to take something from her. Even Andrea wanted to keep her as a dance partner. Not that they weren't friends, but it couldn't begin to compare.

Not that she and Dante never had issues or argued. The first time had been when he found out she was still getting those letters and hadn't told anyone. That wasn't exactly true because she did still tell the police—if she remembered. In the end, she convinced him that it had been months and nothing had happened. She still kept them in a box under her bed on the off chance a break was made, but for the most part, she forgot about them.

Charle often wished she could make the time stop and let her opportunity linger. Her time was running out, and that was the only thing to mar her relationship with everyone, but Dante especially. She had considered telling him the truth several times but decided it wasn't worth what might be lost. Besides, it was unlikely for him to believe her anyway. In the end, she kept it to herself.

However, now that her year was coming close to ending, she wondered if she shouldn't at least tell him that she might not remember things after the next week was gone. She knew what her heart wanted, to stay on Earth, but she also knew her world was in danger. Since she was from Gaia, wasn't it her duty to stop the disasters from happening? Part of her wondered if that was why she was given this opportunity.

Every time she thought about it, her heart hurt. She had come to care for Brianna quite a bit. The girl was everything she could have asked for in a sister. Plus, she loved her job and the city. She had opportunities that she never would have considered on Gaia, and it was both thrilling and terrifying to wonder how far she could go if she had the chance.

Plus, there was Dante. She hadn't told him how she really felt because she didn't think it would be fair. That was also the reason she hadn't slept with him yet either. Though they had come close. At least he was a gentleman and didn't hold it against her. He reassured her that they had time. Every time he said that, Charle's heart constricted painfully, but she didn't contradict him. Despite her resolve, her heart still held onto the dream that it could become real.

Her time to make a decision on what the tell Brianna and Dante was running out. It made the joy she felt dim as she went back and forth and affected her day-to-day life. She had less than a week to figure it out.

She sighed as she opened the door to her apartment and called out. "Brianna, I'm home. I'm sorry that I didn't have a chance to get those apples you asked for. Maybe you can make a different kind of dessert. I'm sure we have something."

By that time, she had taken off her shoes, hung up her coat, and put her umbrella by the door. She was frowning when she went into the living room, and there had been no response. She looked over the counter that separated the kitchen from the rest and didn't see Brianna in there either. She took a quick peek into the girl's room and frowned even more when she saw it was empty.

It was strange for Brianna to not tell her if she planned on going somewhere. Although, maybe the girl had gone to get the apples herself. Charle had messaged her earlier to let her know she would be home late.

Charle smiled tiredly at the thought before she headed toward the couch. She planned to rest for a little bit after the day she had, but she thought better of it when she saw the time. It was already late to be starting dinner, but she didn't want to go without. She let out another sigh as she headed toward her room to change into something more comfortable first.

She wasn't even all the way through the door when it struck her that her light was already on. Not only that, but the room was already occupied. She froze and stared with wide eyes at the last person she ever expected to see. Lance was sitting in the middle of her bed, and he was surrounded by the letters she had been saving.

Her fear had her frozen when he looked up and smirked as he said, "I tried telling you. We are meant to be together, but ever since you came to this city, you've done nothing but taint yourself. It was even worse after you lost your memories."

He then gestured down at the letters and continued, "I even had people send you reminders. You should watch every action you make because they all have repercussions later. But you ignored them too.

"I've given you time to come around, but you refuse to. Not only that, but you are sleeping with that—that man. If he could be called that. You've given me no choice. I'll have to take you back myself and cleanse the taint of this city from your soul. Maybe if we work hard enough, it will be enough to make you worthy again."

Lance stood and the letters scattered around him. That action was enough for Charle to break out of her stupor and turn to run. She had no idea where she could go, but if she could at least make it out of her apartment, then surely she could get help. However, she hadn't even made it through the living room when Lance tackled her, and they both went down in a painful heap.

Charle's arm caught on the corner of the coffee table, and the pain instantly had tears in her eyes. She tried to choke out a scream, but Lance had already recovered enough to slap a hand over her mouth. He was sitting on her and pinning her down with his legs, while his other hand was tangled in her hair and had her head pulled back at an awkward angle.

Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against his hold. She barely heard him mumbling under his breath as he released her hair and fumbled for something above her. She hardly had a chance to wonder what he was doing before the hand over her mouth was replaced by the other holding a wet rag. His voice was right next to her ear as he said, "Now then, sleep like a good girl, and when you wake up, we'll make it all better."

It didn't take Charle long to realize the sickly-sweet smell on the rag was something to knock her out. Within seconds her vision started swimming. She didn't stop struggling until lethargy stole the fight from her limbs, and darkness swallowed her whole.

Gaia

After her talk with Tseng, Cheryl spent the next month just trying to hold herself together. Not that she didn't continue to work on complete her duties. She couldn't afford to lose her job. However, that was all she did. As soon as her day was done, she was back at her apartment. She didn't even go out with Zack and the others. It was hard enough just trying to keep her head straight for work.

During the day, it was no problem for her to focus on her tasks and not worry about anything else. That wasn't an option when she was alone. Not only did it hurt that Tseng really hadn't called her in the last month, but she kept worrying about what he said. Every time she thought she had convinced herself that she knew exactly who she was, she had a dream about Charle's life or a random memory would pop up. Each of those caused a chink in her proverbial armor and had her wondering again if Tseng had been correct.

It was the end of the day on Friday, and she was trying not to let those thoughts consume her before she left. It kept getting harder to do. As little as she was looking forward to sitting in her apartment alone again for the weekend, she was almost glad that the day was over. At least it meant she didn't have to worry about her distraction getting in the way of her job.

She had just turned off her computer and was gathering her things to head home when her office door was flung open. She nearly tripped over her chair when it caused her to jump. However, she managed a slight smile when she looked and saw it was Zack. Although it was tempered when Reno came in right afterward.

Her friend took one look at her coat and grinned. "Great! We caught you. Now, make sure you bring your purse because we are going out. Right now."

Cheryl gave him a confused look as she said, "I appreciate the offer, but I really don't feel like it."

Reno chuckled as he smirked and said, "See doll, the thing is, we ain't givin' ya a choice, yo. I don't know what happened between you and the bossman, but that don't matter. I may not be able to get rid of him being pissy and walking around with a stick up his ass, but I can help soldier boy here get ya outta this funk."

Zack rolled his eyes at Reno's explanation, but he still shrugged and said, "He's right. It's been a month, and you keep turning us down. I'm not saying you have to tell us what happened, but I want to see you smiling again. So, get your stuff, and let's go. My treat."

Cheryl had so many things going through her head at that moment that she almost turned them down anyway. She doubted they would force her, but did she want them to? Yes, she still had no clear answer about who she really was, and that had a lot to do with why she was avoiding them. If she was right, then her friends could end up in trouble if something wasn't done. However, if she was wrong, then why in the world had her imagination come up with something so awful about people she cared for? It was easier to avoid them than confront her whirling thoughts.

When she didn't answer right away, both men walked to where she was standing, and Reno snatched her purse. He smirked and held it away from her when she glared at him. That was expected. However, it shocked her when Zack nodded at Reno before he looked back at her and said, "You can have it back at the end of the night. You don't need it right now anyway."

Cheryl glared at both men for several seconds, but when neither of them budged, she sighed and held out her hand. "Fine, I promise that I will go with you tonight, but can I at least go home and clean up first? If you want, you can come and get me at 18:30. I give you my word that I'll be ready."

Both men shared a look, and Reno's was skeptical. However, Zack held out his hand for the purse. The Turk huffed but let Zack take it and give it back to Cheryl. However, he didn't let it go until he said, "I will be there a little early, so make sure you're ready."

Cheryl still wasn't behind the idea but didn't argue. Not when it was both of them. With Reno involved, there was no telling how far they would take it. Instead, she promised once again before they all headed out and toward their separate apartments to get ready for the evening out.

Zack was just as early as he said he would be, but at least Cheryl had been expecting it and was ready. It wasn't even 19:00 when they made it to the bar where they would be meeting the others. She was glad to see that several other people were there already, including Kunsel, Luxiere, and several other Soldiers. The shocking one was Rude. It was the first time Reno had been able to convince the man to join them.

When they all got seated, Cheryl had to laugh at the fact that the group as a whole made sure she was in the middle. She had Reno on one side and Luxiere on the other. She wasn't sure how happy she was with the arrangements, as the Soldier was just as big a flirt as the Turk, but there was nothing to be done about it, so she gave up and put in her order.

Talk around the table was just as lively as ever, and Cheryl was glad to see the interdepartmental rivalry was taking a backseat for the night. Not that she was part of the conversation unless they forced her to be. The only other person that didn't speak much was Rude, but even he was more talkative than she was.

The later the night got, the more Cheryl drank in the hopes that it would help her liven up. She hated disappointing her friends. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect. The longer the night waned, the less control she had over her wayward thoughts. All she could think was how much she would miss this—getting together with everyone and acting like they had no other worries in the world. Whether she got her memories back and her personality did a complete 180 like Tseng had implied, or she was forced to go back to Earth. Either way, she had a feeling things would never be the same.

She was pulled out of those depressing thoughts when Reno nudged her. She looked up with a slight frown that turned into a chuckle when he smirked and winked at her as he said, "Ya know, my offer still stands. I can promise to make ya forget. At least for a bit."

Instead of getting aggravated like she usually would have, Cheryl grinned at his attempt to get her out of the funk she was in. She patted his arm affectionately as she said, "Thanks. I really appreciate it, but I'm going to have to turn you down. Maybe another time."

Instead of accepting her response, Reno leaned away from her with wide eyes and said, "Are you that drunk? What the hell!"

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his head jerked forward, and he yelped before he turned to glare at his partner, who was sitting on the other side of him. "What was that for!"

Rude pushed his glasses up as he said, "Sometimes it is better to let it be. Besides, there are some people that not even you should provoke."

Reno scoffed at the reprimand. "If you're talkin' about the bossman, then I don't care. It's not my fault he let her get away. She can do what she wants."

Rude frowned slightly, but before he could respond, Cheryl put her hand up and smiled at Rude as she said, "Don't worry about it. I've learned to deal with him. Besides, it's time I head home. I think I've had enough."

There was a general outroar around the table, but she declined everyone's offer to buy another round. When she finally got to her feet, she saw several others giving her a concerned look, so she said, "Thanks, everyone. I hope we can all get together again soon."

Zack was on his feet before she could walk away. He didn't give her a chance to speak before he said, "I'll walk you back."

Cheryl thought about arguing as she was done with the company, but she could tell by the look in his eye that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Instead, she smiled and nodded before she waved to the others, and they left. At least he didn't try to make small talk on the way to her apartment.

When they got there, Cheryl paused with her hand on the door and turned to him. She managed a smile as she said, "Thanks for forcing me to come. I appreciate it. I'm really glad I got to know you."

Instead of grinning in return, Zack frowned. "You make it sound like you're going away."

Cheryl's heart thumped painfully because she would be—one way or another, but that wasn't something she could share. Instead, she let go of her knob and turned to give him a hug as she said, "Don't worry, I'll be at work on Monday, and you even have my word that I'll go out with you all next Friday as well. Okay?"

He pushed her back and looked into her eyes for several seconds. Cheryl was reminded that he was extremely perceptive despite his age and typical demeanor. At last, her smile must have convinced him, and he stepped away. Though, his voice was still worried as he said, "I'll hold you to that. And don't forget that I'd be happy to lend an ear if you need it."

She managed a smile as she nodded. "Thanks, I'll remember." That was all she could handle, so she waved him off and headed in to crash. She just hoped the rest of the weekend would be better. Though she had a feeling until something changed, that wasn't going to happen.

Tseng was coming back from lunch with Rufus. The young Shinra was still working out the plan to meet with Avalanche, and he had questions about the layout of their rendezvous point. Their conversation fell to silence as they got off the elevator on the Turk floor. However, Tseng only made it a few feet before he stopped in his tracks.

Charle was standing next to Reno's desk, and it looked like they were arguing. Typical for the two of them. He really had no idea how they were friends. Just thinking that caused a painful throb of his heart, but no one could tell just by looking at him.

Unfortunately, his stillness worked against him. She happened to look up, and her eyes widened when they caught his. They simply looked at each other for several seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity. He was so caught up in the look that when she frowned and turned away pointedly, the room around him seemed to snap back into place.

He wanted to groan when he saw Rufus giving him a contemplative look. Why did that happen when Rufus was around? Although, he didn't give the younger man a chance to speak. Instead, he headed straight for his office. Thankfully, Rufus shut the door behind himself before he said, "So, she really does get you distracted."

Tseng took a deep breath to keep his mask in place as he sat and said, "I'm sure we have better things to discuss, sir."

Rufus smirked as he took the other chair. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready to let it go. "Though, it seems to me that I was correct in that she is working her way through our ranks. Were you not good enough?"

Tseng felt his eyebrow twitch, and he tried to keep it from happening again as he said, "I would appreciate it if you did not cast aspersions on Miss Valliere. She is a model Shinra employee."

Instead of being upset, Rufus chuckled under his breath. "You really are in the palm of her hand. How does that feel?"

Instead of answering, Tseng pulled a sheaf of papers from a locked drawer in his desk and started going through them. His silence prompted more laughter from the younger man as Rufus said, "Tell me, why did you defend her this time and not the last?"

Tseng realized Rufus would not let this go until he had the answers he sought, so he took a deep breath to keep calm as he responded, "Because, sir, the last time she was here to defend herself, and I had no doubts that she would be able to." He then held a few of the sheets out and continued as though it was all part of his job. "Now, would you like to discuss these locations and the possibilities for them all?"

Rufus was still smirking, but he took the papers and let the subject drop. Despite that, Tseng could not get Charle out of his mind. It had been more than two months since he had walked out of her apartment. Even though he had been the one to say he wasn't going to call, he found it harder each day to stick to that resolve. He hadn't realized how much the woman had come to mean to him until she was gone. It was far too late now, and he knew there was no point in delusional fantasies about what could have been. Instead, he refocused on Rufus as they started to discuss troop placements and the possibilities of a double-cross.

Earth

It was just after six on Wednesday, and Dante was frowning as he made his way up to the apartment Cheryl shared with her younger sister. He was more worried than angry, but he did need an explanation. His knock was terse, and a smiling Brianna opened the door as the smell of apples and cinnamon wafted out.

He ignored the appetizing scent and focused on the younger Villagran as she said, "Oh! Dante, what are you doing here?"

He managed to keep his voice even as he followed her in and said, "I am looking for Cheryl. She didn't show up for work today and didn't call in either. That isn't like her. Was she sick?"

Brianna had been checking the oven, but she stood slowly and turned to him with a furrowed brow. "I thought you said she stayed with you last night? Wouldn't you know where she is?"

Dante's frown became pronounced, and he slowly shook his head. "She hasn't stayed with me in almost two weeks. Why would you think that?"

The pie in the oven bubbled over slightly, causing a hissing sound that made Brianna jump. She quickly removed it, but she still had a worried look when she pulled out her phone and scrolled through it before she held it up for him to see. "I thought this was you. I don't have your number, but I don't know who else would send something like this."

Dante took the phone, and his jaw clenched as he read, 'I have a surprise for Cheryl tonight, so don't worry about coming home. She'll be staying with me.'

He forced himself to hand the phone back before he threw it. As soon as it was in Brianna's hand, she set it down and said, "Since I got this, I stayed at Stefano's last night."

Dante took a deep breath to calm himself as he asked, "Ok, let's be logical. I'm guessing you just got home this afternoon, correct?" When Brianna nodded, he said, "Have you checked her room?"

Brianna nearly scoffed as she shook her head and said, "We stay out of each other's rooms. Privacy, you know?"

Dante had to take another calming breath so he could ask, "Which one is hers?"

Brianna pointed to the room on the left, and he immediately went to open the door. Despite her talk about privacy, Brianna was right on his heels. Dante stopped dead as soon as he saw the state the room was in, and Brianna gasped. The bed was made, but the coverlet was rumpled. There were also letters scattered across the room.

He bent to pick one up, and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. His voice came out shaky as he said, "Shit! You need to call the police immediately and tell them she has likely been missing since last night. We don't have time to waste."

Brianna jumped but ran to grab her cell phone. Dante could hear the near panic in her voice as she talked to the responder, but he was too busy looking at just how many letters there were and wondering who the hell had done this. His worry for Cheryl was nearly enough to make him sick. Hopefully, they would find something out soon.

A/N: Yikes! Things are getting out of hand on earth, and here we were worried about Gaia. Things on both fronts will be coming to a head in the next two chapters(not the end, but close), so I hope you are excited to see it. What do you all think about the twist about the letters? What do you think is going to happen? Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this and are looking forward to the rest! Thanks for reading and cheers!