A/N:

So, I was passed over for promotion... again. Even though I've been doing everything my supervisor told me to do to get promoted? And, I mean, I know it's not a reflection of my work and I know plenty of people have trouble getting promoted, but it still sucks. So, yeah, that coupled with the general stresses of work have just left me in a bit of a rut.

I'm feeling a lot better now than I was 4 weeks ago, I really am (thanks everyone so much for your kind words and continued support, it means the world to me). But I think for the time being, this fic will have no fixed update schedule.

Don't worry, this is not me going on hiatus. I will continue to update, it's just I'm doing a rather poor job of predicting how long each chapter will take me to write. My hope is to not take longer than a month for each chapter, but I don't want to set anything in stone and end up stressing myself out if I end up being slower than anticipated. Thanks for your patience and sorry to keep jerking your chains!

Cloud's not sure how long he stays gawking like that, his brain incapable of processing Vincent's revelation. But Vincent takes his floundering in stride, the man leaning back in his chair and observing Cloud silently as he recovers.

There's no saying whether it's hours or merely minutes that tick by – honestly, either was fair game with Vincent thinking of him like a son – but when Cloud finally manages to piece together enough brain cells for some semblance of normal coherent thought, his blush is still half on his face as he grumbles out, "So you never wanted to kill Sephiroth after that?" He swears he's not disappointed. Or pouting. Definitely not pouting.

He just needs to know the secret behind not wanting to stab Sephiroth through the ribs. Or shoot him point blank in the face. Yup. That's totally it.

But Vincent must be privy to his inner thoughts, because the man sends him a knowing look, his red eyes glowing under the fluorescent lighting above them. "I never said that."

"…But you didn't try to kill him?"

"No." Vincent shakes his head. "At first it was because he was still Lucrecia's son." The man tilts his head to the side, his expression thoughtful. "But then I really started to see him as my own son – the introspection, the awkwardness, …the complete lack of interpersonal skills." Cloud snorts (rather cynically if he's being honest) – burning a village to the ground certainly didn't count as great 'interpersonal skills'. "Eventually, as the days turned to weeks, I realized that Sephiroth was sincere about wanting to be better. That he truly regretted his failures."

"Yeah, right." Cloud scoffs. Wanting to be better doesn't change anything. Doesn't fix anything. Doesn't unburn Nibelheim.

Vincent's face betrays nothing, not a single emotion, but the man clearly measures his next words carefully. "I… presume you've heard by now that Sephiroth was being controlled by Jenova? Everything he did was entirely against his will."

"He doesn't get a pass for that." He probably shouldn't be snarling at his newfound father-figure, especially when said father-figure had devoted so much time to keeping him safe, both pre and post time rewind. But all of this was just so new. He doesn't exactly have much experience with making nice with Sephiroth (willingly), and even less experience with actually having a father…

But even though it would have been entirely appropriate, albeit unexpected, for Vincent to say 'Don't you take that tone with me', the man's actual response is something Cloud is even less prepared for. "Should you not get a pass for handing over the Black Materia then?"

Cloud's not proud of how he jerks in his chair, unprepared and ill-equipped to handle that sort of question, but it wasn't fair of Vincent to compare him to Sephiroth... Right? "…That's different."

"Is it though?"

What? Of course it was different. Sephiroth killed so many people, ruined so many lives, not just Cloud's and Tifa's. All Cloud did was hand over the Black Materia… that summoned Meteor… and nearly destroyed the world.

Still, it was different… Right?

"So… What? Everybody's making nice with Sephiroth now, is that it?" Cloud won't deny it. He's a little disappointed that Vincent wasn't taking his side, even though he knows the man isn't actually judging him.

"I wouldn't say that." Vincent's snort is rather intriguing, but even more so is the wink Vincent sends his way. Ok, Cloud's changed his mind – he does like this new cloak-less Vincent. "The first time Barret saw Sephiroth again, he tried to put a bullet through his head. Only problem was he forgot that he no longer had a gun for an arm." Vincent pauses dramatically, and honestly, did joining the Turks have that much of an effect on him? "He didn't actually realize his mistake until it became clear that the bangs he was hearing were those coming out of his mouth."

Oh Gaia. Cloud can't. The image of Barret going "Bang! Bang! Bang!" in Sephiroth's face is absolutely wonderful. He's just sorry he missed it. "Did he – ha – " he says, stifling his laughter in his sleeve. "Did he sing his victory theme afterwards, too?"

"Unfortunately, no. He was too embarrassed to do anything other than awkwardly apologize." There's a twinkle in Vincent's eyes as he continues, "Cid wouldn't let him live it down for months, though – not gonna 'bang bang bang' Rapunzel here again?"

Vincent's impersonation is duller than Cloud's was the other day, but that doesn't stop the grin spreading across Cloud's face. "Oh goodness. This is great."

"Cid wasn't too pleased to see Sephiroth again either. He… uh…" Vincent pauses, the man coughing into a fist, uncharacteristically embarrassed. "He threatened to… uh… shove his spear up Sephiroth's ass."

Shove his…? Oh. Cloud's not sure whether he should feel exasperated or amused, but he has a pretty good idea of what has Vincent so worked up. "He said he would f Sephiroth with his spear, didn't he?"

He receives no nod in response, but the grimace on Vincent's face is all the answer he needs. "Reno was rather fascinated with the idea – said it was only fair after Sephiroth sicced his 'children' on everybody."

Cloud sighs and runs a hand down his face – that definitely sounds like Reno… and Cid. "I'm guessing Reeve is the only one who showed any restraint?"

"Actually… I hear Reeve punched Sephiroth in the face... and then apologized profusely afterwards." That definitely gets Cloud's attention, the startled look on his face earning him another small, amused huff out of Vincent. "Keep in mind that it was Reno who told me that story, so the chances of it being embellished are rather high." Honestly, with all the trouble Reno gets up to, Cloud's pretty sure the chances of it being embellished are astronomically high. "From what I hear, Reno tried to punch Sephiroth himself, but ended up getting tossed across the room. He might just be bitter about that."

"That does sound like Reno." Both the attacking Sephiroth part and the joking about other people attacking Sephiroth part. Besides, Cloud did have first-hand experience to know exactly what Reno was like when he held a grudge. And, honestly, while Reeve apologizing does sound legit, Cloud can't say he can imagine the man punching anybody. "Where is Reeve anyway?" Cloud asks, looking around the conference room as if he would find the man hiding in the shadows. Silly thought, of course – hiding in the shadows was Vincent's thing. "He didn't want to come say hi?"

Vincent shakes his head. "He's off stressing about work, no doubt. He thought it would be bad optics for someone in his position to be searching for a 14-year-old cadet."

"But you didn't care about the optics?"

Vincent smirks. "I'm a Turk. People are afraid of me."

"…To be fair, people were afraid of you before you became a Turk."

"Ahh… right."

The look on Vincent's face can only be classified as awkward, and Cloud does feel a little guilty for embarrassing his friend. "Sorry… I distracted you." Not guilty enough, though. "I think you were just about to tell me how Nanaki tried to claw Sephiroth into ribbons."

His words are more hopeful than he was trying for, but Vincent just shakes his head, amused. "Actually, he probably would have bitten him if his grandfather had let him. But Master Bugenhagen made him promise to be on his best behavior, so he had to settle for glaring at Sephiroth instead." Cloud's a little disappointed Nanaki didn't bite him. Only a little. "And Reno said that Tifa… 'tore Sephiroth a new one'? …Yeah, I think that was the phrase he used."

Cloud can't help his goofy (yet fully-vindicated?) grin. "I love Tifa."

"I can tell."

"But wait…" Cloud says, blinking owlishly up at Vincent as the rest of his words process. "Are you and Reno bffs now or something?"

Vincent groans, frustrated. "He seems to think so."

"…That's so weird."

"Tell me about it." Vincent shakes his head, a slight grimace on his face. Cloud finds he totally understands the sentiment – he still has no idea what to make of Reno wanting to be buddy-buddy with him either. "But, where was I? Oh, right. Aerith." Cloud definitely perks up at that, his body tensing unconsciously at the thought of Aerith dealing with Sephiroth alone… again. "She was the only one who didn't try to attack him. Even though she had more reason than most."

"Why didn't she?"

"Because she's Aerith." Vincent shrugs noncommittally. "She was understandably nervous to see him again, but insisted that she wasn't going to break her promise."

"Her promise?"

Vincent nods, the man shifting in his chair once more, something Cloud feels he isn't even aware he's doing. "Rufus asked for her help with Deepground and the 1st's degradation. And, well, you know Aerith. She agreed on the spot, of course, without a single thought to the pain it might cause her."

Cloud smiles sadly – she had done that with him, too. "Sounds like her…"

"It does…" Vincent returns his smile with a small, rueful one of his own. "Aerith… all it took was one look for her to realize that Sephiroth was sincere." Sighing softly, Vincent stares at some point over Cloud's shoulder, the look in his eyes reminiscent. "But Sephiroth wouldn't even look at her. He was too afraid to. Too ashamed. He blamed himself for everything that happened." Cloud bites his cheek to keep from grousing – he's tempted to blame Sephiroth for everything himself, but he doesn't want to be reminded of the Black Materia fiasco again. "It didn't stop Aerith, though. She just got up in his face and asked if he wasn't even going to say hello."

Cloud frowns. "She always did see the best in people… even if it wasn't there." Even if it got her killed…

But Vincent can read him just as well as he can Vincent. "Or perhaps she sees the good in a person when they can't see it for themselves."

"Whatever you say…" He knows neither of them are talking about Sephiroth anymore.

.

.

.

"I'm surprised you never asked me if I remembered," Cloud points out, sliding his chair back under the table as they get ready to leave the conference room. "Seems like everybody else and their brother did…"

"I could tell you didn't remember and I know how imposing I can be. I didn't want to make you nervous."

Cloud raises an eyebrow at his friend. "I had a Turk stalking me everywhere I went. How was I not supposed to be nervous?" But his words only serve to embarrass Vincent, the man wincing unintentionally, shame already starting to claw at him. "Now don't you start feeling guilty, mister." Oh, wow. Hello, inner-Aerith. "I really appreciate you looking out for me."

"…Oh. Sure."

"What I don't understand, though – why did you let me notice your presence if you knew I didn't remember?"

Vincent's Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, the man staring at anything but Cloud. Well, this should be interesting. "I had… hoped that seeing me would trigger your memories."

Oh goodness. Vincent is adorable.

Before the man can react, Cloud has shot forward, pulling him into a rather one-sided hug, Vincent frozen and unmoving in his grasp. "You're the best, Vincent."

Vincent lets out a shaky breath, the man lifting a hand slowly and ever so awkwardly to place on top of Cloud's head. "It's good to have you back."

"Thanks… Dad," Cloud returns, winking up at the man.

"Hello?"

"Stormcloud, where have you been?"

"M-Ma?" Cloud probably should have checked the caller id before answering. Then at least he would have been a little more prepared to hear his mom's voice again.

Gah, who was he kidding? Of course he never would have been prepared. At least not enough for this. Not when her death was all he could think about. Not when the guilt of forgetting her still gnawed at him. Sure, Hojo was at least partially responsible for that, but how could he tell the woman that raised him, that gave up so much to keep him safe, how could he honestly tell her that he couldn't even remember her face until two months ago?

"Baby? What's wrong?" Perhaps if he had checked the caller id, he could have kept the croaking out of his voice. Could have avoided worrying his mom again so soon after everything with Johnson. But, no. The waterworks had already started.

"Sorry, Ma," he half-whines, wiping messily at his tears with his free hand. "I'm just… I-it's really good to hear your voice again."

There's a weighted pause on the other end and then his mom sighs, somewhat exasperated. "What did you do this time?"

"What? Nothiiiing."

"First you butter me up and now you're whining? I know it's not nothing, young man."

"I… I just had a bad dream is all."

"…Did you want to talk about it?"

"It w-was…" Cloud chokes on his tears again – no, he doesn't really want to talk about it, but maybe it would be good. If only to get the shame of forgetting his mother off his chest. Tifa always was talking about how he needed to get some closure. "You died, Ma…" he says, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "I couldn't even remember your face… What kinda son does that?"

"…Don't you do that."

"Ma?"

"Don't you dare blame yourself for that, sweetie. None of that was your fault."

"…Ma?"

"It was all a dream, little Stormcloud, you said so yourself. Don't you let it get you so upset."

"I…" Cloud releases the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. He swore for a second there that she remembered… But how could she? Tifa's dad didn't remember and it wasn't like she was one of the planet's 'warriors', either. It was probably just his mind playing tricks on him again, since all he wanted was her forgiveness. "Yes, Ma."

"Oh, so I'm 'Ma' again, huh?" Cloud can practically feel the mirth in her voice. "I thought 'Ma' was for little kids?" She then drops her voice and proceeds to make a frustratingly accurate imitation of his stupid teenage self. "I'm not a baby anymore, Ma – I mean Mom. Nobody in Midgar will take me seriously if I talk like that."

"…You're not funny, you know that right?"

But his mom just laughs at his complaints, and… well, what right did he have to be upset about that? He had longed to have this conversation – any conversation – with her for so, so long.

"Do I really hafta leave?"

Aerith sighs – she loves Yuffie, she really does, but they had already had this same conversation yesterday when Cid picked up Godo. And then again the entire trek from her house to the church. Not to mention the full-grown temper tantrum she had thrown when they first woke up this morning.

Aerith had tried to coax her out of it, of course, but she wasn't prepared. At all. Not when faced with a side of Yuffie she had never seen before. Sure, she knew Yuffie was physically a child, but it had never fully dawned on her that she was mentally one too. Not with her memories back, and certainly not with her acting like the same trouble-loving goofball.

Luckily, her mom had been there to help, a firm hand and soothing words all that were needed to ground Yuffie once more.

But Aerith was alone now, she would just have to calm Yuffie herself. "Your dad didn't come all this way just to take in the sights."

"But I don't wanna gooooo…..!" Yuffie whines, the girl crumpling face-first to the church floor. "I wanna stay here with you and Cloud and everybody!" Her legs kick back and forth through the air as her hands grapple with the dirt in front of her. "It's not like anybody in Wutai would really notice that I was gone!"

She knows that they had just gotten through one tantrum, but Aerith can't help herself. "I think the fact that he's coming to pick you up is proof he did notice," she teases.

"That's only cause Rufus was a jerk-a-dee jerk jerk again and ratted me out!" Yuffie lets her legs drop to the floor with a loud clatter, her arms coming up to wrap over the top of her head. "Don't make me go…" she whispers, not lifting her head from the floor. "I love it here. I'm not all alone like back in Wutai…"

"Yuffie…"

"Daddy's always busy, anyway! He never has time for me! And when he does make time, it's only for stupid stuff like – Yuffie, get off the table… Yuffie, no playing with the knives while you eat… Yuffie, no clambering up the pillars. Use the stairs like a normal child."

"We just stopped one war, are you really going to start another?"

Yuffie gasps at the sound of the unexpected voice, the girl cartwheeling from the floor and whirling around to find their intruder. "Y-You…"

"Hello, Yuffie."

Aerith should have realized he would be arriving any second now, but she's still just as surprised as Yuffie at the sight of the Turk standing in the doorway. She had forgotten how quiet he was.

"V-Vincent!" Yuffie chokes out, her cry the only warning any of them get before the girl has launched herself at their friend.

Vincent, for his part, remains completely stationary, even as Yuffie barrels full force at him. His face does scrunch up a bit, as if he doesn't entirely grasp the reason behind the girl's actions. But that doesn't stop him from catching her as she jumps into his arms and buries her face in his neck. "Not angry at me anymore then?"

"Shaddup. I missed you," Yuffie grumbles, the girl curling her hands into Vincent's collar, perhaps in a childish bid to keep him from putting her down.

"…I missed you, too."

"Of course you did!" Yuffie proudly proclaims, but her quiet sniffling belies just how affected she is by the man's admission. "So, are you finally done playing the vampire in a coffin card?"

"You know… Cloud asked pretty much the same thing."

"It's a valid question!"

Vincent is amused, Aerith can tell, from the slight crinkling to his eyes and the small huff of air that passes his lips. "I'll be better this time… I've found a reason to be better." To live, Aerith can almost hear him say.

Pulling back with one last sniffle, Yuffie searches his eyes for any sign of deceit. She must like what she sees, though, because she smiles wide and pats his head. "Good boy." Unfortunately (for Aerith), Vincent's reaction at being treated like a dog remains a secret, the man only able to raise an eyebrow at Yuffie before the girl's hand has frozen in mid-air, Yuffie seemingly at a loss over whether to pat him again. "Gak! I got dirt on you! And on your nice suit!"

"It's alright, Yuffie…"

"No, no! I'll fix it!" Aerith can't help but giggle at Yuffie's frantic attempts to clean Vincent's hair and collar, and at Vincent's look of tired resignation – the girl had forgotten she still had dirt on her hands. "Oops! I got more dirt on you!"

Vincent sighs. "…Seriously, Yuffie. It's fine."

"No, it's not fine! You hafta look perfect if you're gonna meet Daddy!"

"Meet…? Yuffie, it's not like I'm asking for your hand in marriage…" But Vincent's words go unheard, Yuffie still absorbed in her rather single-minded attempt at swatting Vincent's now dirt-speckled hair clean. "Besides, if I know Rufus," Vincent shakes his head at the novelty of that phrase, "he'll probably have you standing with Cloud. Your father shouldn't even see me."

That seems to get Yuffie's attention, the girl pausing in her ill-fated cleanup efforts to frown at some point behind them. "Where's Cloud, anyway? Didn't that meanie come to say bye?"

"I think he's training right now. But he'll be there to see you off."

"He better!"

"You'll never catch me!"

It's certainly a bold statement coming from the blond teenager dashing through the labs, but even more so considering who his pursuer is. Especially when the guard hound chasing him takes his words as the challenge they are and, in a single, smooth bound, tackles the boy to the ground.

"Ughhh…" the kid groans, though probably more from embarrassment at eating metaphorical dirt than any actual injury sustained. Besides, Verdell is quite convinced that Darkstar wouldn't purposefully harm the young blond still pinned under him anyway. "Ok, fine… You win, D."

Darkstar barks in agreement, his head tentacle wagging back and forth enthusiastically, the dog not showing any inclination whatsoever to relinquish his hold over his captive. The blond tries to wriggle his way out, of course, but that only serves to excite the hound more, Darkstar plopping his full weight down on the boy – "Oof" – and licking the back of his neck, his ears, and any other skin he can reach with the blond still sprawled face down on the floor.

"Ok, ok! That's enough!" The blond – this young Cloud Strife – laughs and somehow manages to wiggle his way onto his back, the boy wrapping his arms somewhat clumsily around the still vibrating guard hound above him. "I love you too, Darkstar, but don't lick me to death!"

Verdell won't deny it, it was amazing the impression Strife had made on Darkstar. Their first meeting couldn't have lasted more than 10 minutes tops (not to mention that the hound barely tolerated anyone other than the President). And yet, Darkstar had honest-to-Gaia been moping these past few days, big red eyes staring forlornly at the elevator the boy had disappeared into. But all it had taken was a simple wave of Strife's hand and a "Heya, D" for Darkstar to shed his melancholy like the fur he didn't have, and to be all over the blond once more – figuratively and now quite literally.

Verdell just hopes the President doesn't get jealous.

Though, perhaps he should be focusing more on Strife's strange reaction upon entering the labs instead. Entire body pulled taut, the boy's eyes had flickered almost frantically between the mako tanks, the glass chamber on the other side of the room, and over his shoulder as if he was thoroughly expecting a monster to jump out of the shadows at him. Which, ok, Verdell can actually understand – with the tarnished reputation R&D still has from Hojo's time in charge, no wonder the boy was uncomfortable here.

Verdell swears he will change that, though! He had worked far too hard to make R&D a respectable place, had cleaned up far too many literal and figurative skeletons that bastard Hojo left behind, and had lost far too much sleep to give up just because one boy was (understandably) concerned. If anything, it was just more motivation to do better.

Still, Verdell was surprised to see the boy here. Sure, he had assumed the President wouldn't mind him visiting – there was no denying the resemblance. And there was no denying the effect Darkstar had on him too, the lines disappearing from Strife's face as he ran laps around the labs, Darkstar barking happily at his heels. And yet, Verdell honestly hadn't expected to see him again so soon. And accompanied by one of the President's own Turks, no less.

But perhaps even more confounding was the extent of the relationship between the boy and the red-headed troublemaker who had sauntered off the elevator with him.

"Now, you behave yourself, yo! I don't wanna hafta worry about you razing R&D ta the ground. Imagine the headache it would give me havin' ta cover up the fact that Sephiroth's cute little blond tw— I mean tyke was responsible."

"…Call me a twink, Reno. I dare you."

"D'aww, is somebody pouting? You're absolutely adorable, yo. I just wanna pinch those widdle cheeks of yours."

"Imagine how adorable I'd be if I shoved you from the Sector 7 plate."

The red-head had dissolved into a fit of childish giggles at that, which honestly was a new one for Verdell, too. "Oh, I do so love our interactions, yo! No wonder dear ol' Sephy looks so miserable now."

"…We're not talking about that."

"Right, right. I'll be back in an hour to pick ya up, Blondie."

"Great… Can't wait."

Verdell couldn't entirely believe what he had heard (and was a little concerned that the two didn't even realize that they had an audience, one-man though it had been). Heck, even with his unexpected promotion (and the complete backing of the President?), Verdell still knew better than to mess with the Turks. Lest he wanted to disappear, of course. But it seemed like disrespecting the Turks came as easy as breathing to this young Strife boy. Then again, he supposes the blond was in quite the unique situation – he can't imagine the President (or the General) would take kindly to anybody harming a hair on the boy's golden head.

"Uhh… Director Verdell? Why is there a kid down here?"

Raising an eyebrow at the petite woman next to him, Verdell tries to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Sulwyn was a brilliant scientist, sure, especially for someone of her age, but she was supposed to be on the next floor down, working on the new SOLDIER serum. She did so love distractions, though. But he can play along. He still doesn't have the full backing of R&D, anyway (his quick promotion, no doubt). It would cause quite the scandal if people thought he let uncleared children roam the halls and experiments of the labs. "You don't recognize who that is, Dr. Sulwyn?" She should, honestly, what with her proclivity for gossip.

"Wait. Is that…?!"

Verdell nods. "You must have heard the name Cloud Strife by now."

"But why is he down here?" Sulwyn asks, one hand coming up to cradle her chin, as if she were trying to work through some tricky hypothesis. "And where's Sephiroth? …Do you think it's true what they're saying?"

Verdell can't help his sigh – just like he had said, she had quite the proclivity for gossip. "I don't think young Strife really needs the General's permission to be here."

"…How do you mean?"

"Are you telling me you can't see the resemblance?"

It's not until the young blond has managed to distance himself from Darkstar's affectionate mauling that Verdell's words finally sink in, Sulwyn's eyes widening almost comically. "Oh crap."

"That's one way of putting it, I suppose."

"But why haven't they said anything?"

"I would presume it's for his protection. The boy is still a child, General's student or not, and there are sure to be many who wouldn't hesitate to use him against the President."

It's not until Strife and Darkstar having started racing further into the recesses of the labs that the dazed look on Sulwyn's face starts to morph into something more like excitement. Shaking his head, Verdell starts off after the blond and his eager companion, his hands clasped behind his back. "Dr. Sulwyn?" he calls over his shoulder. "I hope I don't need to remind you to keep this conversation to yourself."

It had taken some time, but Vincent had finally convinced Yuffie to stop swatting at his (now dirt-covered) head and let him place her back on the floor. He had then made simple, silent work of wiping his hair, his suit, and Yuffie's hands clean, the latter of which was all the encouragement Yuffie needed to latch back on to Vincent and refuse to let go.

Even when it meant having to enlist Aerith's aid to strap her oversized shuriken to her back.

Nope. The girl had kept their fingers twined together, even as they descended the stone steps and worked their way through the rubble and back up the abandoned pathway to where Vincent had landed the helicopter – "Gotta make sure you don't try to sleep for ALL eternity again!" Aerith had naturally joined in, telling Vincent that he would make a lovely Sleeping Beauty. (She couldn't have Vincent think she was ignoring him, oh no.) Vincent had been predictably, but no less hilariously unaffected, the Turk offering a rather apathetic "Thank you, Aerith."

And Aerith? Well, she was just content to follow quietly and happily – oh so happily – behind the two. She would miss Yuffie terribly, of course, once the girl got on the helicopter and left. But it had been so wonderful to see her again. To know that she remembered, too.

"Ya know, you look lighter somehow." Yuffie observes, the girl ever so carefully avoiding her shuriken as she swings her and Vincent's hands between them, Vincent unmotivated to stop her. "But I can't figure out why…" She taps her mouth with her free hand, her cheeks puffed out like a bloated Blugu.

"Reno keeps pawning sunscreen off on me… I can get you some sometime."

Aerith giggles at the man's dry humor – that was definitely something she wasn't entirely used to with him, but that seemed to be becoming more commonplace after this time rewind. "Is there something going on between the two of you that we should know about?" She doubts Vincent can see the way she waggles her eyebrows – not unless he really can see out of the back of his head like Yuffie is entirely convinced – but there's no way he missed the evidence of it in her voice.

"Not at all. Reno just seems to be concerned with the… uh, 'pasty-ass' sheen to my skin. Something about being afraid I'll burn to a crisp in the afternoon sun."

"You really listen to Reno?"

"…It's the quickest way to shut him up."

"Hey! Hey!" Yuffie breaks her temporary silence, the girl coming to an abrupt halt and letting her and Vincent's hands fall limply between them. A frown has already started to stretch across her face as she pokes the index finger of her free hand into Vincent's stomach. "You're my bestest bud! Carrot Top can't have you!"

There's the slightest quirk to Vincent's lips as he nods in agreement. "As you wish."

"All I'm sayin', Blondie, is you're rather good with swords."

"Keep sayin' it, Turk, and I really will shove you from the plate."

Sure, perhaps it wasn't the most appropriate conversation to be having in public. Especially not as they entered Rufus's office. But it wasn't like Lord Godo was there yet. And besides, Reno had started it. Cloud was just finishing it.

But even in his agitated state, he doesn't miss the way Rufus cocks his head in their direction, the man waiting for them at the end of the plush red carpet leading to his desk. And perhaps even more surprising than the fact that he had kept the carpet – Rufus was just as ostentatious as his father, apparently – was the fact that Rufus was casually lounging against the desk, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. If anything would convince Cloud that Rufus was actually sincere about everything, that he really didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, then the man practically sitting on top of and covering the Shinra logo on the front of his desk would definitely be it. He knows Rufus well enough to know that his positioning wasn't just a careless mistake.

"Should I ask why you're threatening bodily harm to one of my Turks?"

"Cause he deserves it." Cloud's being childish, he knows he is. But he can't help himself. Not after what Reno had said.

"What did he do this time?"

"Nothing."

Yes, Cloud knows he answered entirely too fast, and the smirk on Reno's face certainly doesn't help things. But by some stroke of luck, all Reno says is, "Just talkin' 'bout alternate ways to kick that alien freak's ass, yo."

"Oh? Do elaborate."

"Eh, well…" Reno scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "It seems like Blondie here doesn't care for my ideas, so back to the drawing board I guess..."

Rufus doesn't believe him, Cloud can tell, not from the way he raises an eyebrow and definitely not with that unimpressed look still on his face. But luckily, the man doesn't press.

But even more fortunately, Cloud finds himself entirely too surprised by Reno actually having his back to do much of anything else. Like give the subject of their conversation away by glancing unconsciously at Sephiroth. Having to hear what Reno suggested he do was bad enough, he definitely doesn't want anybody else finding out. Especially not Sephiroth. Sure, Sephiroth, Rhapsodos, and Reeve might not be able to connect the dots with as little to go on as 'good with swords' and a nervous glance at the silver-haired man, but Rude, Tseng, and Rufus definitely had an intimate understanding of Reno's particular brand of humor.

Nope. Time for a distraction.

"Reeve, you're here too?" To be honest, Cloud is curious about the man's presence there – Reeve was still technically just the Director of Urban Planning – but he knows that's not the real reason he changed the subject. And from the way Rufus's eyes trail him as he makes a controlled and hopefully nonchalant beeline straight to Reeve, he knows the President can tell he's hiding something too.

But he can worry about that later.

Luckily, Reeve takes the bait, the man taking a step forward and away from Rude – who he seems to have been casually conversing with – to clasp hands with Cloud, a big smile on his face. "Cloud! Look at you!"

Cloud frowns. "Yes, I know I'm shorter…"

"That's not what I meant!" The man laughs, his free hand coming up to clap Cloud on the shoulder. "It's just so good to see you!"

"You know, you could have just visited me yesterday." Wow, that teasing tone was definitely something he had learned from Aerith.

But perhaps even more surprising than Aerith's lasting effect on him is the remarkable shade of red that Reeve turns at his teasing. "I-I… I didn't want anybody to think I was taking advantage of you."

"Ah, come now, Reevie. I'm pretty sure half of Midgar thinks Blondie is sleeping with at least one person in this room." Cloud was going to tell Reeve not to worry about it – there were plenty of crazy rumors swirling around about him, what was one more? But no, not now. Not with the way he's currently glaring at Reno. "I'll give y'all one guess who that is, yo."

Cloud tries to warn the red-head to watch his mouth, he really does, but all he manages is a sharp "Reno" before Rude cuts in with his own unsolicited remark. "Why don't you tell us, Reno? Rod was just saying you could barely keep your hands off our friend here."

"Hey! I was just happy to see him, is all!" Cloud's not sure whether he's bothered more by Rude calling them 'friends' or at the revelation that people thought he was sleeping with Reno. But whichever it is, he must do a terrible job at masking his disgust, cause Reno complains again, "Oi, Blondie, wipe that look off your face! I'm a good lay!"

Ok, Cloud's nose definitely does wrinkle up at that. "No. Just no."

"Rude, yo!"

"Reno. Rude. Please do remember that Cloud is still only 14 years old."

Cloud knows they're technically allies now – he's not ready to say 'friends' yet, no matter what Rude may think – but he's still somewhat taken aback at the assistance Tseng provides. And he's left to stare somewhat flabbergasted at the man who stands tall and prepared next to the still lounging President.

Huh. Well, there was a first time for everything.

Shaking his head, he ignores Reno and Rude's equally pitiful "Sorry, Boss", as he turns back to Reeve. "You're here to see Yuffie off too, then?"

Reeve nods, the man crossing his arms in front of him, a somewhat melancholy look now on his face. "I'm sure it must be difficult being the only person in Wutai who remembers, especially given her age. I just… I wanted her to know that there are still people that care a great deal about her, even if they're on the other side of the world."

"You're a good man, Reeve."

Reeve chuckles. "The President's the one who offered to introduce me as his advisor so I could say goodbye."

"What?" Cloud's a little surprised he doesn't get whiplash from how fast his head turns to Rufus. "…Why?"

"Contrary to what you might think," Rufus says, his face revealing no hint of what he must be thinking. "I'm not the boogeyman you need to be afraid of."

"Huh." Well, he guesses Rufus does have a heart… as weird as it may seem. He guesses Zack was right.

Wait. "Where's Zack?" Cloud scans the room, body tense as he realizes Zack isn't the only one missing – why had it taken him so long to notice? "And Hewley? Did something happen?" He would have thought that Zack would want to say goodbye to Yuffie – the two definitely got along together famously.

Waving a hand dismissively – as if that would calm him down – Rufus responds, "They're packing for a mission to Banora."

"…Uhh, that seems a little last minute."

Rufus sighs, the hand that he had just waved coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Scarlet insisted the situation was urgent – something about rabid Behemoths and her troopers not being able to handle things."

"That broad's an idiot," Rhapsodos sniffs distastefully, and Cloud's not sure whether the man's more offended at the thought of the woman or at the loss of his… partner. But at least it looks like he's already recovered from Hewley's 'rough' treatment. "She just loves to throw her weight around." Cloud nearly snorts – he's pretty sure Scarlet just loves to throw her breasts around. "But Angeal was worried about his mother. And the Puppy was worried about Angeal."

"Aren't you from the same village, Rhapsodos?"

Rhapsodos scoffs, the man brushing his coat out of the way as he turns to Cloud. "I was raised as a failed experiment in that village. Believe me, there is no love lost there."

Faced away from Reno as he is, Rhapsodos doesn't see the vicious smirk that crosses over the red-head's face. Luckily, Rude slaps his partner before he can say something he would regret like "So, you're Loveless then?" No. Instead, it gives Cloud the chance to grimace uncomfortably and offer a somewhat awkward "Sorry…"

His apology is enough to break through Rhapsodos's deteriorating mood, though, the man blinking sharply at him. "My apologies, little bird. It is not you who I resent."

But though the ire has faded from Rhapsodos's eyes, the gloominess remains… and, well, apparently Cloud doesn't like that. Guess that's what happens when the man was your (slightly eccentric) mentor. "For what it's worth… I hear failed experiments are the coolest people." The twinkle that appears in Rhapsodos's eyes is all the encouragement he needs. "Like ever. Successful experiments don't even come close."

"Oh? Is that so?" Rhapsodos casts a quick, conspiratorial look to Sephiroth, the man obviously highly amused. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

Cloud knows he should nod and tell Rhapsodos to do that – that is probably what a good student would do. But he doesn't. Not when he makes the mistake of letting his eyes drift to Sephiroth and finds the soft smile on the man's face. The soft smile directed at him.

He tries to convince himself to turn away, really he does – this certainly wouldn't help the awkwardness nor the mixed feelings – but he can't. Even as the smile on the man's face turns into a concerned, questioning frown, Cloud finds his head locked in place, his eyes riveted to the man in front of him. Was he getting enough sleep? It certainly doesn't look like it… though he's not entirely sure why. The man's appearance was flawless as usual.

Perhaps his mind was just playing tricks on him again because of what Reno had said earlier. Or was Cloud just more in tune with Sephiroth because of all the time they had spent together? …Was Sephiroth really miserable without –

"We're back."

Thankfully, the new voice is enough to jolt Cloud from his horribly ill-timed reverie – what was he thinking? Him, worried about Sephiroth? Really? The man so did not deserve it. Not after what he had done and certainly not with what he was planning to do. Without Cloud's consent, he might add. No. If Sephiroth was going to use him, he didn't deserve any of Cloud's sympathy.

Right?

Ripping his eyes shamefully away from Sephiroth's (still concerned?) face, Cloud tries to tamp down on the blush already creeping up his neck as he turns to face the figure of Vincent in the doorway.

The doorway that leads out to the helipad.

Huh.

"Vincent can fly, too?" The words are out of his mouth before he fully realizes it, coincidentally doing a wonderful job at masking Reno's whining – "It was just getting good, yo!" – and Tseng's reprimand – "Reno. What did I just say?"

Vincent shrugs as he glides through the doorway, Yuffie following morosely behind. "Apparently, it's a requirement for the job."

"So cool."

"Hey! Me and Rude can fly too, yo!"

"…Do you really want me to think you're cool, Reno?"

"Well… I mean, I wouldn't say no."

Cloud sighs at the red-head – of course he would be acting like a child – but he doesn't get any further than that. Not when Yuffie raises her red-rimmed eyes from the floor and gasps at the sight of their friend. "Reeve!" Her mood changes almost instantaneously, a bright smile now spreading across her face. And yet, before she has a chance to launch herself at the man, Vincent has a hand clamped down on her shoulder, holding her fast. "Ugh, Vincent! What gives?"

"Your shuriken."

"…Huh?"

Vincent sighs and makes quick work of confiscating the shuriken still strapped to Yuffie's back. "I figured you shouldn't stab anybody with this."

"Oh! Good call!" With that taken care of, Yuffie spins back around and throws herself at Reeve, the girl jumping into his arms and holding on tight. "Missed you, Reeve."

"Oh, I missed you too, little one." Reeve cradles her to his chest, careful not to drop her even as she shifts around to get a better look at his face. "But will your father really be alright with a grown man hugging you?"

"Of course not!" Yuffie rolls her eyes. "That's why I'm hugging you now! Duh!"

Reeve chuckles fondly. "That's good enough for me."

Looping her arms around his neck, Yuffie looks content enough to stay there, at least until she peers over Reeve's shoulder and frowns. "Hey, hey, Reeve. Where's your kitty cat at? I wanna play with him."

Cloud's not entirely sure what he was expecting, but Reeve's smirk definitely wasn't it. "Cait Sith is currently keeping a watchful eye over Cloud's bullies."

Cloud had met Lord Godo before, of course, when they were still chasing Sephiroth all over Gaia. It was a bit of a pre-requisite when Yuffie had stolen all of their materia. But the man back then, the one he remembers, had been one ravaged by both war and time; a lazy, defeated man whose neglect ended with Wutai as nothing more than a tourist trap.

The man who follows Cid across the helipad today is not that man.

Sure, he may look like that man – the same blue kimono, the same gold obi – but this man, the one who holds himself tall and strong as he enters Rufus's office, flanked by several masked warriors, had obviously not lost his pride. No, the turning into a shell of his former self, as Yuffie liked to put it, must have come after his sound defeat by Rufus's father.

Well, his sound defeat by Sephiroth and Zack, that is. Nobody could fool themselves into thinking that the former President knew how to wield a sword, much less defend himself with one.

"Got 'em here in one piece, Bossman! Just as promised," Cid manages around the toothpick hanging out of his mouth, his words meant for Rufus, though he sends a jaunty wink over the President's shoulder to Cloud and Yuffie.

Or it would have been for Yuffie too, if she wasn't so busy half-cowering behind Cloud's leg. "He brought the Saints?" she whispers, the girl clinging to Cloud's pant leg tighter.

"Saints?" Cloud asks just as quietly, though all he receives is a shaky nod in return. Oh well. It doesn't take a genius to realize that she's talking about the five warriors lined up behind her father. Nor does it take any real deductive work to recognize from the way they hold themselves (and the fact that Godo brought them along), that they must be the best Wutai has to offer. Not to mention that the half-plate of silver armor, full helm and nape guard, and the golden dragon emblazoned across their pants were all rather intimidating to behold. And that was saying nothing about the black, full-face masks that concealed their every thought and emotion.

But his and Yuffie's stilted conversation fades into obscurity, Rufus offering their friend a curt nod and a simple "Thank you, Cid" from his spot in the middle of the room, arms now clasped behind his back. Cloud's still a little disappointed that the man had pushed himself up and away from his desk when the airship first appeared through the smog. But he supposes a slouching President is not the image he wants to set for Godo.

Shame. It would have been terribly amusing for Cloud.

Not that Godo would have any room to judge – Cloud distinctly remembers him trying to sleep through the first conversation they ever had. Sure, he was a different man and wouldn't remember that now, but still.

"Ah. President Rufus." Godo greets as he strides forward, the barest flick of his hand all the sign the Saints need to release an impressively synchronized "ha!" and pound the black marble floor with the butts of their gun-lances, the five falling into parade rest behind their leader. Well, no wonder Yuffie was concerned… "What a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure's all mine," Rufus responds smoothly, easily, the man accepting Godo's outstretched hand.

Oh, Gaia. Kill him now. Did Cloud really have to watch this drivel? He's just debating the merits of sneaking out the back door with Yuffie when Tseng takes a small step forward, dipping his head in respect (reverence?) to Godo. "Tennō Heika. I trust you have been well?"

"Ah, Tseng. I didn't see you there," Godo responds, the man barely glancing in Tseng's direction, even though he stands directly next to Rufus.

And, oh… scratch what Cloud said earlier – this was getting good. Apparently, Yuffie wasn't the only one bitter about Tseng 'betraying his country', if Godo dropping the honorific and refusing to respond in Wutaian was anything to go by.

"Not a problem, Godo-dono." Tseng makes no outward reaction to Godo's slight, but his change in honorific is telling. It's just a shame Cloud doesn't have any popcorn. "You are a busy man."

Godo twitches at the new honorific and the perceived lack of self-humbling – Tseng definitely used -dono for a reason – but he keeps whatever complaint he has to himself. And, honestly, Godo had no right to be offended. His disrespect by not adding an honorific to Tseng's name was far worse. Even if Tseng wasn't a Wutaian citizen. Not that Cloud was about to call Godo out on it – he was still a little bitter with Tseng for handing Aerith over to Hojo. Sure, the man was just following orders, but still.

Sizing Tseng up for a moment more, Godo must decide he's not worth the effort as he turns back to Rufus... and notices Cid still standing off to the side, the man cleaning out an ear with his pinky. "…I will admit that your associate was not at all what I was expecting," he says, the man still side-eyeing Cid.

"Cid is quite the… acquired taste, but he's the best in the business."

"Damn right I am!" Cid exclaims as boisterously as ever, the man swiping a thumb (and thankfully not his pinky) across his nose enthusiastically. And then just stands there. Even as Rufus raises an eyebrow expectantly and Godo looks down his nose at Cloud's irreverent friend.

Fantastic. Looks like Cloud would be getting some more amusement today after all.

But then, for some unknown (and completely entertaining) reason, Rufus does nothing at all, the man seemingly forgetting that Cid has absolutely no filter whatsoever. At least until Cid yawns, loudly, and scratches at the stubble on his face – the stubble that was far more pronounced than when Cloud saw him a few weeks ago. Had he forgotten to shave?

"Cid, that will be all."

Rufus's words are clipped and his tone brooks no argument, but that might contribute to the sneer that crosses over Cid's face. "Are ya dismissin' me?"

"Cid."

"…Fine, fine." It's not like Cid to give up so easily, especially when being ordered around by Rufus of all people – honestly, the man had problems listening to Cloud's orders ("It's a dumb idea, that's why!"). But Cid had glanced at Vincent before responding; perhaps he saw something there to convince him to dial it down around 20 notches. "But Imma go raid your cafeteria, pretty boy!" Cid hops jauntily away, waggling his eyebrows as he passes Cloud and Yuffie, and lumbers down the stairs towards the door to the rest of the Tower. "Bill's on you!"

Oh goodness, Cid does not disappoint. And from the way Yuffie stifles her laughter into his side, Cloud knows she's of the same mindset.

Rufus sighs. "Well, Lord Godo. It looks like you won't be the only one facing embarrassment today."

Godo looks like he wants to ask more about Cid – the man's absolute lack of respect, no doubt – but grimaces at the reminder of why he was here in the first place. "Ah, right. Where is that errant daughter of mine?"

Well, that was their cue. Cloud tries to move forward, even as Tseng backs away and Rufus steps to the side, but Yuffie squeaks and pulls him back. "Don't wanna…"

"Yuffie. Come here, girl." Godo's eyes are hard and his tone aggravated – which, after everything Yuffie had done, Cloud supposes he has every right to be angry. But still, it doesn't sit right with him. Especially not with how tightly Yuffie was still clinging to him.

"I-I…" Her voice quavers, her balled fists shaking against Cloud's leg even as her eyes never leave the reddening face of her father.

"Yuffie. Come. Here." Godo repeats, the man slipping effortlessly into Wutaian.

"I-It's fine, D-Daddy. I-I'll be g-good here, p-promise. D-don't hafta worry b-bout me."

"Miserable girl." Cloud bristles at the insult, especially with how Yuffie stiffens against him. "Are you really going to make a mockery of me again?"

Ok, Cloud's had enough. "With all due respect, sir." He hadn't meant to put so much stress on 'sir', but whatever, he's mad. "Yuffie's behavior was a cry for attention." Cloud had learned that the hard way with Denzel. Perhaps if he had paid more attention to the boy, he wouldn't have run off with Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. Not to mention that Cloud would have had more time with the kid before this frustrating excuse for time travel (did he really have to be 14, unenhanced, and around Sephiroth again?).

Godo pauses, curious, for all of a second. But as quickly as it came, the moment is gone, and Godo turns his ire to Cloud. "Do you honestly expect me to indulge her then?"

Cloud's vaguely aware of Yuffie tugging at his pant leg, Rufus watching entirely intrigued, and the Saints staring him down, emotionless, through their iron masks, but Cloud has no time for that now. He's pissed. "Yuffie's a child. Not some statue for you to ignore until it's convenient for you. You can't expect her to be mature or to understand what's wrong with her actions just by yelling at her."

Godo frowns and raises himself to his full height. "Are you scolding me, boy?"

"Yes, sir."

A/N:

- For the Tseng/Godo/honorific thing, in Japanese culture, it is rather disrespectful to call somebody by just their name (since it's a sign of informality), unless you've been given permission to do so. So, there are a lot of honorifics, in differing levels of respect, that are added to the end of a name (-san, -sama, -kun, -chan, etc). Since Tseng is of Wutaian descent (at least in this fic), he starts off being super formal with Godo, calling him Tennō Heika (Your Imperial Majesty - I think it literally translates as Emperor of Heaven/God); Heika being the honorific for sovereign royalty. But, when Godo disrespects him by not adding an honorific to his name, Tseng switches to -dono. -dono by itself isn't a bad honorific, it roughly translates to Lord or Master, and used to be higher in terms of respect than -sama. However, while it implies that the person you're addressing is of high rank, it doesn't necessarily imply that the speaker is of lower rank, like -sama does. So, Tseng, being the subtle BAMF that he is, still shows Godo respect, but implies that he's of the same rank at the same time (hence Cloud's comment about lack of self-humbling). I know it was very subtle, but I thought it would be cool to add it in. Also, I'm not an expert on Japanese culture/language in the least, so if somebody knows more, feel free to correct me if I got something wrong!

- This might have been a little subtle, too, but Verdell is the scientist Cloud ran into in the labs back when Heidegger was causing chaos. He's also the new Director of R&D. At first, he was just going to be a faceless/nameless scientist, but I decided to make him important! My head canon is Rufus knew him after Meteorfall and that's why he specifically was promoted (he doesn't remember though). Also, I wanted his name to have meaning, something that would imply that he was a honest, respectable person (in direct contrast to Hojo). I knew that truth in Latin is veritas, so I was searching for names that started with 'Ver' and I came across Verdell. And while I like the name by itself, what I like more about it is that the name means 'green, flourishing' which I thought was appropriate since he's trying to get R&D "flourishing" again.

- I think Sulwyn's name was supposed to have meaning, too, but I've since forgotten XD. I just like the name.

- Oh, oh! Before I forget - I meant to say a couple chapters ago that I left Sephiroth's "Tseng owed me a favor" vague on purpose, but my personal thoughts are that Sephiroth accidentally walked in on Tseng and Rufus before lol.