A/N: The soundtrack for this chapter is 'Lost Without You' by Freya Ridings for the first part. The last part is 'Daylight' by Maroon 5

Chapter 27

Earth

Dante looked down at his phone once again to verify the address was correct. He gritted his teeth as he thought once again about the sanity of this choice. He had gotten a text that afternoon with an address and a picture of Cheryl. She was bruised, tied up, and nearly nude, but at least she hadn't been killed. That was cold comfort next to all things that could have still happened.

The text said to be at the given address by 20:00 and not to let anyone else know. He was smart enough to know it was a trap. Even so, that didn't keep him from heading there at the assigned time. There was no way in hell he was going to allow whoever it was to keep Cheryl. He took a deep breath to prepare for whatever he might find. He was far from a trained fighter. The best he could claim was self-defense classes. Still, some things were worth it, and Cheryl definitely fell into that category.

He knew he should have called the police as soon as he received the text, but they would have stopped him. There wasn't enough time for them to put things together, and he didn't want to take the chance that whatever psychopath held Cheryl would kill her if it was the police that showed up and not him. Instead, he waited until he was almost there before calling the precinct and letting them know where he was. They hadn't been happy, but he didn't linger on the phone to hear it. He had no doubt that he would likely face charges of some sort, but again, some things were worth it. Now, the trick would be to stay alive and keep the kidnapper busy until the police showed up.

He got out of his car and looked the dilapidated house over with a critical eye. It was falling apart but still looked sturdy enough to not fall on his head. Now, where would the kidnapper be? He headed toward the front door and hoped that it wouldn't take the officers long to get there. Whoever had taken Cheryl had made damn sure to be as far from the city as possible without leaving the area.

Dante paused in the doorway to let his eyes become accustomed to the darkness. It was already night outside, but inside even the stars and moon were blocked by paper on the windows. He ducked instinctively when he heard shuffling from somewhere in the dark depths, but it didn't do him much good. A shot rang out, and the bullet clipped him on the shoulder.

He grimaced with the pain and put a hand on the wound without thought. He was too busy listening to the cursing from across the room. Thankfully, he had found an old chair to duck behind as it finally occurred to him that he recognized the voice. Rage pulsed through him, and he ignored the pain in his shoulder as he called out. "Lance. For some reason, I am not shocked that you are enough of a psychopath to think you can get away with something like this."

There was a derisive noise before Lance called back. "I have a mission. Just because society doesn't understand doesn't mean I can't follow through. It's a plus that it means I can take care of you as well. If it weren't for you and your filthy ways, Cheryl might not have gone so far astray."

Dante rolled his eyes at the man's obstinancy. However, he had also lowered himself to the floor and was trying to get as close to where the voice was coming from without making any noise. Since there had only been one shot, he didn't think Lance had seen where he hid, so he might get lucky. At least he could see better now. Although, his gut clenched when he looked around a rotting couch to see the only thing in that direction was an open door.

It was a choke point, and he would be exposed if he tried to go in there. He looked around frantically for anything. He had no desire to die that day, but he also wanted to make sure Lance was occupied when the police showed up. If he could do that, he knew they could find her and make sure she was cared for even if he was injured.

As he looked around, a plan began to form. The place was littered with debris and trash. Plus, there was another chair next to the couch he was hidden behind. He swallowed to steel his nerves because he knew this could go horribly wrong if he didn't time it right.

He took another deep breath before he silently picked up a piece of broken drywall nearby before he shuffled so that he was behind the chair. He then tossed the scrap to the other side of the room. He smirked when a shot rang out. That was good, as it meant Lance was on edge as well. Hopefully, he would be easier to take by surprise.

As soon as the scrap was out of his hand, Dante lifted the chair and charged toward the doorway. He knew it would not be enough to stop a bullet, but he hoped that between the shock and keeping himself hunched over behind it, then he would be less of a target.

A satisfied smirk crossed his features when he felt the chair collide with something that toppled over. He put all his weight on it to try and pin the other man while he looked around to find something that might help keep him from getting away. Unfortunately, he couldn't do both successfully at the same time.

Lance shoved the chair up enough to dislodge Dante, and he ended up falling to the side next to the madman. Lance immediately grabbed him, but Dante was fast. He knocked the hand with the gun to the side and rolled them both away from the chair. Now that Lance was no longer pinned underneath it, the thing was nothing but an obstacle.

Unfortunately, the gun had not been knocked out of Lance's hand, and he was once again trying to bring it around. It took all Dante had to keep that hand pointing away from his head as they wrestled around on the dirty floor.

Dante had never been one to pray as often as his mother wanted him to, but he certainly sent up thanks when he heard the sound of several sirens in the distance that were getting closer. Apparently, Lance heard them as well. He tried to get away, but Dante refused to let go.

When Dante pulled him back down, Lance seemed to get a rush of adrenaline. The madman punched Dante hard enough to rock his head back where it bounced on the floor. It disoriented him enough that he didn't quite catch Lance's gun arm in time. At least he was able to deflect the aim so that when Lance pulled the trigger, the bullet hit near his collar bone instead of his face. Not that it was much better.

The pain was bad enough that he lost his grip on Lance. The man was immediately up and started to head toward the back of the house. All Dante could think was that Cheryl had to be back there, and Lance was still armed. Despite the blinding pain, he was able to get to his knees and thrust himself forward to tackle the running man into a face plant.

Lance yelled when he fell and twisted on the floor to shoot at Dante again, but before he could, the room suddenly filled with a half-dozen officers wearing vests and chest lights. Lance tried to twist away again, but Dante still held onto one of his legs. The man kicked out and managed to catch the gunshot wound, which made Dante yell and release him.

He reached out weakly to stop Lance again, but his vision started to darken because of the pain and blood loss. The last thing he saw was two officers tackle Lance to the ground and wrestle him into a pair of cuffs. He barely heard one of the other officers come up next to him and reassure him that things were under control, and a fourth one calling for a couple of ambulances.

He wanted to stay awake to see Cheryl was alive with his own eyes, but his body betrayed him. He barely felt it when his head hit the floor, and blackness wrapped around him and pulled him under.

Charle had been unconscious when the police arrived. She didn't wake up until she was already at the hospital. Once they finished the initial examination, it was decided they would keep her for a day for observation to ensure there were no complications from the repeated druggings or the head trauma. If everything looked good, the next day, she would be free to leave.

After that, a couple of officers came in and took her statement about everything that had happened. By the end, she was nearly in tears. That was probably the most harrowing time she had ever been through. It was even worse than when she managed to escape the Don, and that had been frightening enough to take a few years off her life.

Before the officers could leave, Charle asked them how they had managed to get her away from the psychopath. One of them was reluctant to tell her, but the other realized that keeping it secret would just make her worry more. In the end, they explained what happened with Dante and that he had just been in surgery. He was out and was stable but was sleeping again.

The one that told her was a young woman that gave her an understanding look when Charle nearly lost it. She even agreed to ask the doctor to let her see him so she could verify he was all right. Charle had the impression that was a big deal, but she wasn't going to turn the offer down.

She almost couldn't believe he had done so much just to find her. It made her heart swell with pain and love. Although, that thought immediately brought another one. They were still in the hallway when she stopped and grabbed the officer's arm and asked, "What day is it? What time?"

The two officers shared a look before they turned back to her with reassuring expressions. "Don't worry. You were only gone a few days. Today is June 28th. It's still early, maybe 08:30 or so."

Charle suddenly started to panic. Her year was up. She couldn't remember the exact time, but it had been early. She probably had less than an hour, and she still hadn't told Dante anything. She wasn't even going to get to see Brianna. The officers had kept her away until they were able to finish their questions. She was supposed to have been able to see the young woman after visiting Dante, but there was no time.

Obviously, some of her worry must have shown in her body language. The female officer took her arm gently as she said, "You seem a little shaky and pale. Maybe we should take you back for now, and you can come to see your rescuer later."

Charle frantically shook her head but immediately realized that wasn't helping. Instead, she took a calming breath and somehow managed to say, "No, I'm fine. I guess I was just shocked that all that happened in such a short amount of time. Please, I would really appreciate the chance to see him."

The officers shared another look, but the man shrugged. The female turned back to Charle with a smile and said, "All right, but you will only have fifteen minutes. That's all the doctor would agree to for now. You can come back after he wakes."

The whole ordeal had Charle twisted up inside, but she managed a nod. She barely paid attention to where she was going as her thoughts raced. She hadn't wanted to face this day. She had been putting it off because she wasn't ready to say goodbye. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and she wasn't even going to have the time or opportunity to do any of it properly.

The two officers stopped outside a closed door, and the female opened it for her. She smiled reassuringly again as she said, "All right, go check on him. I'll let you know when it's been fifteen minutes."

Charle nodded dumbly and went directly to the bedside. As soon as the door was closed, her tears started to flow. Part of it was her worry about leaving, but a lot of it had to do with how Dante looked with the tubes in his arm and across his face. He was here because of her. Part of her was guilty, even if she hadn't been directly responsible. She wanted to hold him close and never let go, but she was out of options.

Instead, she gently took his closest hand and swallowed a few times before she said, "I had so much I wanted to tell you. I really had planned on eventually explaining everything before I had to go back. I never meant to fall in love with you, but I did. And I doubt you would have done this if you didn't love me too. It isn't fair to either of us, and all I can do is apologize. I promise that if it were up to me alone, I would be back. However, Cheryl has to decide to, and I don't know that she'll want to give up her sister."

She paused and wiped away the tears that were flowing down her face and made a choking sound that might have been laughter if she hadn't been so close to sobbing. "I guess that would make more sense if I told you my real name. I'm Charle Valliere. I'm sure that makes no sense, and I don't really have time to explain it all, but I want you to know that no matter what dimension I end up in, I have faith that I'll see you again someday. Even if it is in our next lives. Maybe then, we'll be born in the same dimension."

She paused long enough to brush a strand of hair off his face and grimaced at the pain that wracked her entire body. This hurt more than she thought it would. Her voice could barely be heard through her hiccups as she said, "I love you so much. I hate that you may be faced with her when you wake up and not me, but don't ever doubt that I love you. I am sure that even if she can't remember the last year, you can make her fall for you too. We are supposed to be parts of the same soul, so don't give up. I want you to be happy. I—"

Whatever Charle had been about to say was cut off when a wave of lethargy hit her. She almost fell to her knees and probably would have if she hadn't been able to catch herself on the rail of the bed. Her eyes were wide, and her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest. Panic was evident in her voice as she said, "No! I'm out of time. Dante!"

She barely had time to see him stir and open his eyes before the ground seemed to rush up to swallow her whole. She heard the sound of his voice echo as he called out to her and then for the doctors. A desperate wish passed her lips in a whisper, but she had a feeling he never heard as the world around her disappeared.

Gaia

It was late Saturday night when Cheryl remembered that she had promised to bring dango for Reno on Monday. She sighed as she sent him an apology and a promise to make it up to him when she got back. At least she had everything packed.

The next day, she was thankful that the general usually worked the weekends. She was shocked that Tseng asked to go with her when she asked for the time off, but it ended up working in her favor. Sephiroth wasn't pleased with the late notice, but when Tseng said that part of it was that he needed her help on a simple assignment, the general allowed it. Although she had to admit he hadn't looked convinced of their reasons.

Once that was taken care of, Tseng drove them to her apartment to gather her things before taking them to an equipment yard in Sector 5. Cheryl had no idea how he convinced Veld to let him take a helo, but she wasn't going to ask. No point in rocking the boat, as they say.

It was still relatively early by the time they got into the air. Since they were able to fly, the trip to Icicle Inn only took four days. Most of the time, there was little conversation. Since Tseng had to fly, she didn't want to distract him. The nights when they stopped were the only time they spoke.

Things between them were slightly awkward. Tseng made a point of not asking about what they were looking for, even if she could tell he wanted to. She wasn't sure if he was respecting her wish to wait until they got there or if it was something else. Either way, it made conversations stilted.

Not only that, but she couldn't forget the way he had kissed her that night at Mr. Takeda's—or what the old man had said. However, Tseng made no move to get close to her again, and it only confused her. She couldn't deny that he probably did care for her—not with what he was doing to help her, but that didn't keep doubt from creeping in on the nights that he had them turn in early instead of talking about things between them. Maybe he wouldn't be so distant once they got to where they were going.

It was late afternoon when they finally arrived. Thankfully, the tourist season for the area was waning, and the hotel had plenty of rooms. After they checked in, they headed down to the common area to get a meal. It was even better that the innkeeper was there and was happy to sit with them when Cheryl said she had some questions.

She knew Tseng was watching like a hawk, despite his seeming interest in the stew. Not that she cared, as this was the perfect opportunity to put her knowledge to the test. She smiled at the woman as she asked, "We are actually here to find someone, and since you are familiar with most that pass through, I thought you could help."

The older woman smiled in return and nodded. "Of course! There's not many that pass through that don't come here first. Even the handful that end up moving to these parts come and say hi."

Cheryl was glad the woman seemed amiable to the idea of talking about people and hoped it stayed that way as she asked, "This would have been maybe thirteen to fifteen years ago. An older gentleman named Gast and a woman came, and I believe they settled here, right?"

Tseng sat a little straighter at her question, and she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head, but she ignored it as the woman's expression fell into a sad frown. The innkeeper patted her hand as though she was trying to console her as she said, "Yes, those two were the sweetest couple. Kept to themselves mostly. I hate to tell you this, but they aren't here anymore. I don't know what happened to that sweet Ifalna or their daughter, but—"

The woman cut off and squeezed Cheryl's fingers as she gathered herself again so she could continue, "Well, let's just say we found Gast a few days after those Shinra people came. We gave him a proper burial, but I've kept the place locked up since then. No point in letting the needlessly curious have their way."

Cheryl felt a mix of anxiety and elation. So far, everything was exactly as she had expected it to be. Somehow, she was able to keep herself from shaking as she asked, "Would it be alright if you let us in? We won't take anything. I just need to—I need to verify something."

The old woman gave her a kind smile and patted her hand before she stood and said, "It's late tonight. Why don't you and your beau get some rest, and I'll have the key ready for you in the morning?"

Cheryl instantly felt her ears heating at the woman's assumption. She was just thankful that Tseng didn't try and correct the woman. That would have been horrible. Instead, she managed to stumble over her thanks before the woman left them.

The silence at the table was thick and almost unbearable until Tseng stood and held a hand to help Cheryl to her feet. She knew he had questions and had a feeling that he wasn't going to let her off this time.

Even though they had separate rooms, he followed her into hers. As soon as the door was shut, Cheryl turned to him and said, "If you're wondering, yes, that incident was when Hojo came and took Ifalna and Aerith back to the labs. The proof I am looking for is the video of him coming with a bunch of infantry and having Gast shot. It should still be there."

Tseng was not able to erase a frown before Cheryl could see it, but his voice held no trace of it when he said, "You do realize that even if we find that video, it doesn't mean you are from another dimension. You know Aerith. She could have told you all of this."

Cheryl sat back with wide eyes. That was something she hadn't considered, but it didn't keep her down for long. "I think you are overlooking a few things. First, Aerith was barely a month old when she was taken. Even if Ifalna told her about their capture, you and I both know she wouldn't be sharing that information with anyone. Not even Elmyra knows it all, and that child loves her with all her heart. Aerith always denies being a Cetra, which is why you haven't taken her in yet. She has to go willingly, or it won't work, right? She remembers enough about Hojo's labs to never want to go back. Not that I blame her."

Tseng took a step forward, and his brow furrowed. His eyes flashed for just a moment before he asked, "How did you know that was my order?"

Cheryl sighed and slumped back into the chair. "I've already told you. Believe me or not, it's the truth. I know that now. I can even tell you everything we'll find. Gast and Ifalna weren't always a couple. He helped her to escape because he didn't want her to continue being treated like nothing but a specimen. They were here for a year, maybe? During that time, Gast recorded many interviews with her as they delved into the history of the Cetra and the information about the Calamity. The thing Shinra calls Jenova and Hojo is allowed to play god with. All that information should be on the tapes. If it is, will you give your word to sit down and listen to everything I have to say, even if it might be difficult?"

Tseng suddenly sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand down his face before he clasped them together in his lap. It was the most emotion she had seen him use in a long time, and she didn't blame him. He was where she had been when they first broke up. Questioning everything you ever knew was not an easy thing.

Instead of gloating, Cheryl stood to then kneel in front of him. She covered his clasped hands with hers and waited until he was looking at her to say, "I know this is hard to believe. Trust me. We don't have to go over everything tonight. As a matter of fact, it would probably be best to wait until we have the chance to see everything in Gast's old house. Why don't you take some time tonight to think about it, and we can talk again tomorrow. Please?"

Tseng managed to get his expression under control, but he didn't answer right away. She had no idea what he was thinking as he sat there and stared at her. Although she nearly jumped when he reached out and cupped her cheek for just a moment before he stood and said, "Perhaps you are correct. It might be best to see what we find first, then we can discuss our next steps."

Cheryl felt a little guilty at how confused he probably was. She understood better than most, but now that she was almost certain she was correct, keeping everyone alive and sane was more important.

He left without another word, and as soon as he was gone, Cheryl slumped back onto her bed. No matter what the next day held, someone was going to get hurt, and she wasn't as pleased with the idea that it wouldn't be her as she thought she would be.

A/N: We will be facing some major shake-ups and decision time in the next chapter, so I hope you are all excited to get there. All of our heroes are going to be faced with the possibility of being severed from each other as they try to figure it out, and they are out of time. Plus, that will just be the beginning for two of them. We shall see how they handle it. Thanks for reading and cheers!