Chapter 30

Gaia

When Cheryl woke, she looked around the unfamiliar room and felt a hitch in her heartbeat. However, any fear that she wasn't back on Gaia melted away when she turned over and saw Tseng sitting in the chair next to the wall. A smile spread across her face as their gazes locked. Tseng's eyes were the only thing that showed he was uncertain what was to come as he said, "How are you feeling?"

She sat up and stretched before she shot him a grin. "I'm feeling absolutely wonderful!"

Her words caused a slight furrow between his brows, but his voice was even as he said, "I had Professor Rayleigh check you when you collapsed. You have been out for more than a day, but she could not find a reason for your collapse. Are you sure there isn't anything wrong?"

Cheryl could tell that he had been worried, even if his eyes were the only things that showed it. She still wasn't sure if he believed her, but it didn't matter anymore. They had time to take it a day at a time, and now she would be there to back up all her claims and help him find what was needed. Plus, she was still Cheryl, but she also had all of Charle's memories. Even so, she knew his worry about her changing could be assuaged.

Instead of bringing it up again, she pushed herself off the bed and walked to where he was sitting. Her grin widened as she gracefully lowered herself into his lap and put her arms around his neck. His eyes widened before he put his hands on her waist to keep her from getting closer as he said, "May I ask what you think you are doing?"

Cheryl smirked and thought about leaning closer despite his forced distance. At least he hadn't pushed her off his lap yet, so she could live with that for now. Instead, she said, "Well, from what I have gathered, you distanced yourself from me because you are under the impression that once I got Charle's memories, I would not be the woman you had come to know. I want to make sure you understand that won't ever be the case. I'm still me, even if I do have her memories now."

Tseng froze for a moment as he looked carefully over her face. She knew he was probably wondering if she meant it. She gave him a moment to gather his thoughts before he finally said, "You have your memories back?"

Cheryl took advantage of his temporary relaxation and leaned in so she could put her head on his shoulder. She had missed this and was doubly glad that he didn't try to move her once she was there. Her voice was nearly a whisper when she said, "They were never mine, but when we both decided to follow our hearts and stay in the worlds we had been swapped into, the goddesses gave us the gift of having each other's memories. I'm still Cheryl, and she is still Charle, but I understand her a lot better now."

There was silence for several more moments before Tseng let out a resigned breath and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled at the gesture and didn't move. This was something she had wanted for a long time. She just hoped it meant he was going to quit trying to push her away. They needed to stick together now more than ever for more than one reason.

They sat there like that for nearly a minute before he finally moved to push her back enough that they could look each other in the eye. His brow was furrowed when he said, "Did you mean what you said before you fainted?"

Cheryl's brow furrowed for a split second as she tried to recall what he was talking about. However, it was gone quickly, and she smiled softly at him as she said, "I wouldn't have told you something so important if I didn't mean it. Yes, I love you."

Tseng's expression hardly changed except his eyes. He took a sharp intake of breath while his eyes widened slightly. That was his only movement for nearly half a minute while he watched her. Cheryl had no doubt he was looking for signs of deception, but he wasn't going to find any.

Finally, he cupped her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. It was soft but the most glorious thing Cheryl had felt in months. Barring the time he kissed her at Mr. Takeda's, that was. When he pulled back, his thumb glided across her cheekbone, but he was fighting a frown.

Cheryl had already known her relationship with a Turk would not be easy, especially this Turk, but she wasn't going to let him push her away. The only way she planned to stop was if he told her he no longer cared. Somehow, she doubted he would lie about that. Plus, his actions told her all she needed to know, even if he didn't say it back. Instead of getting upset, she leaned into his touch with a smile and said, "You know I'm not going to change my mind if you can't say it back. I've seen enough to know that you are a man of action, and your actions speak louder than your words. I may be stubborn, but I'm not impatient. I can wait."

He shifted under her for a moment, but she grinned wider when he didn't say anything to deny it either. Instead of pushing him to tell if she was right or not, she changed the subject. "I don't know if you are worried about me getting in your way or about how what I've told you might affect the company, but I promise, none of that is going to scare me away. I am not a fighter, but that doesn't mean I can't help. Plus, I don't want to think of you trying to handle all this alone. Let me stay by your side."

Tseng only paused for a moment before his lips thinned, and he said, "This will be dangerous to navigate. There is no guarantee that I will be able to find proof of the information you shared, and even if I do, there is a chance that I could be killed for looking. This involves a great many secrets that those in power would prefer to remain that way, I'm sure."

Instead of showing her fear or backing away, Cheryl squared her shoulders and frowned at him. "I am aware of all of that. None of it will change my request. It's not like I want to put myself in the crossfire, but I want to help any way I can—even if it's providing you information or compiling data you find. I have too many people I care about to sit idly by, not knowing what is going on. Please don't ask me to."

His frown grew as he watched her for several seconds. She could tell he was still not entirely convinced. Though, his next words were not what she was expecting. "I suppose that Mr. Takeda will be pleased to hear that you have finally broken me down."

There was a half-second pause as Cheryl's mind scrambled to realize that he wasn't just changing the subject. She then grinned at him as she leaned a little closer and said, "I'm not breaking you down. I'm here to help build you up. It might be hard to see now, but I have no doubt you will."

Tseng let out a long breath before he smirked at her and leaned in for another kiss. Cheryl didn't need any grand statements or gestures. For him, the way he held her and the electricity that passed between them at that moment was more than enough to show her how he felt.

When he finally pulled back, she laid her head on his shoulder once more as she soaked up the feeling of him next to her. It was several seconds before she finally said, 'While I would love to hear what Mr. Takeda has to say about all this, I will give you fair warning that if I ever see Kotch or Scotch while we are down there, I might end up putting a bullet into them both. Not enough to kill, but they won't walk away unscathed."

Tseng sat back with a furrowed brow. Not that she blamed him. He was probably wondering about the apparent change of subject. However, to his credit, his brow smoothed, and he quirked a brow as he said, "You don't carry a gun."

He pulled away from her and gave her a wary look as her smirk took on a feral edge, and she said, "No, but I doubt I'll be down there without you, and you do."

Instead of castigating her idea or refuting her assumption, he only said, "And what good does that do you?"

She leaned in a little, and her eyes flashed as she said, "Because, I know where you keep it." Instead of waiting for a rebuttal, her hands slid under his jacket and around his waist.

However, before she could reach her objective, he sighed and grabbed her arm. She lifted a brow as she looked at his face. His expression was stern when he said, "You've made your point."

She chuckled as she leaned back and smirked again. Despite the circumstances and all the doubt that lingered on the horizon, Cheryl was positive that she had never felt happier or more alive than she did at that moment. Even if Tseng still seemed a bit unsure, she already knew that she had won him over once—if she had to do it again, so be it. At least this time, she knew she wasn't starting from scratch. It helped that when she leaned in for another kiss, he was willing to meet her halfway.

Cheryl knew there was a lot to face still, but for the moment, she had never been happier. Instead of letting her go or pushing her away, Tseng was content to let her remain on his lap while they kissed. She had no idea how long they had been there like that, but she was not inclined to move. At least not until she heard the door open.

Both she and Tseng looked over to see Professor Rayleigh standing just inside the doorway. She had one brow raised at the position they were in. However, the two people standing behind her were far more expressive. Reno looked absolutely traumatized, and Zack was blushing bright enough that his ears were red.

Before the professor could say anything, Reno had pushed past her and was glaring at Cheryl as he said, "Here I was worried about what happened, and I come and find this? What the hell? I need eye bleach. It's one thing to know you're datin', and a whole other one to come in and see this shit."

Cheryl could not stop her laughter at his outburst, even if it made him glare at her. She only stopped when Tseng pushed on her waist so she would stand. He made sure she was steady before he joined her. She almost laughed again when she looked at him and saw his eyebrow twitch, even if she sympathized. Reno had a way of doing that to people.

Thankfully, Rayleigh stepped in to stop the shenanigans. "I am glad to see you awake. We were worried after you fainted for no apparent reason. Do you remember what happened or what might have caused this?"

Cheryl's grin finally faded. She knew exactly what happened, but Tseng was the only person she dared tell. Instead, she shook her head and said, "I can't say why I passed out, but I do have good news. Whatever that was, I have my memories back."

There was silence in the room for several heartbeats before an explosion of sound erupted. Cheryl laughed again when Zack grabbed her into a tight hug. Even Reno was grinning as he patted her shoulder when she was finally released.

Professor Rayleigh was the only one that wasn't smiling. Though her frown cleared as soon as she noticed the others were looking at her. She managed a tight smile as she said, "I'm glad to hear your memories are back. I suppose the shock of them all coming at once could explain why you fainted. Though that doesn't seem like a good reason for you to have been out for so long. I think it would be best if you remain here for at least another day for observation, just in case the two incidents are unrelated."

Cheryl wasn't surprised by the request. At least the professor also told her that the general had been apprised of the situation and only expressed concern. She still felt a little guilty for being out two days right after she returned from vacation. Not to mention she probably had a ton of backlogged work to finish. Just because she was working to prevent the destruction of the world didn't mean she could let her duties slide in the meantime.

Thankfully, she wasn't given long to worry about it. Rayleigh shooed everyone out of the room so she could complete another exam, and Cheryl promised she would let them all know when she was released. There was general grumbling from two of them, but they left without much fight. Tseng was the last to leave. He didn't attempt to show some public form of affection, but she saw enough in his eyes that it didn't bother her. After a few seconds, he gave her a curt nod before he followed the others out. Cheryl was still grinning as the door closed, and the professor turned to finish the exam.

The rest of the week passed by in a strange blur for Cheryl. Yes, she never quit thinking about what she had told Tseng, and there were several times she began to worry. Especially since she didn't get to see him much. He had his own duties, but the rest of his investigation took up even more of his time. At least he didn't object when she visited him in his office after she was done for the day.

On the flip side of that, her job and friendships had not changed. Not that she had expected them to, but it was still strange to know that something horrible was looming, and yet she still went out with everyone on Friday and was able to forget for a little bit. It helped that she was in a better mood than she had been in for months. A fact that did not go unnoticed. Even Zack got involved in teasing about her rekindled relationship with Tseng and her evident happiness about it. She was thrilled enough that their prods didn't embarrass her at all.

It wasn't until the end of the second week that Tseng finally had a breakthrough. Cheryl had never seen him look so tired as he did when he visited her office that Friday afternoon. The smile she shot him when he walked in faded quickly when she caught sight of his expression. She didn't even ask anything before she got up and walked past him to lock her office door. He raised one brow at the action but didn't stop her. Neither of them wanted someone to step in during this conversation.

Once she was back by his side, he held out a folder and said, "This is the only copy I printed, but it is all the evidence we need to prove that the Firsts were indeed part of experiments before their births. I also found evidence of Hojo's plans for Aerith, as well as—" He cut off and clenched his jaw, but it only took a moment for him to regain his composure and continue. "I also found evidence of what became of Ifalna. Though Aerith might have escaped him, Hojo found Ifalna's body."

His eyes narrowed for a moment as he caught her gaze. Something like sympathy passed through them as he said, "It is in the report, but I would ask that you skip that section. You don't need to see it."

Cheryl felt tears spring up. She had never known Ifalna, but she knew Aerith now that she had Charle's memories. She didn't need to know what the report held to be absolutely sure that what it contained would break the girl's heart. Somehow, she was able to blink them back and take a deep breath to calm herself. Once she was sure she could speak without crying, she said, "What now? Do you think it is enough to go to them and tell them the truth?"

Tseng looked uncharacteristically uncertain. He even went as far as running his hand down his face to try and erase the haunted quality in his eyes. Finally, he faced her again and said, "Not yet. I believe they will want to immediately take action, and it would best if we have a plan lined out. I think we should talk to Rufus first, and it would be best if we can get Veld and possibly Director Lazard involved."

Cheryl had to swallow thickly. The idea of confronting all of those men made her break out into a cold sweat, but that wasn't the worst part. She didn't need him to explain why he had chosen those men. People were going to die, and it would be up to their discretion when and how. Things were suddenly much more real, and despite her resolution, she wasn't sure she was ready.

Still, what would happen if no action was taken, was far worse. She finally managed to nod and said, "I understand. We do need to talk to the Soldiers soon, but I agree that it would be best if we have some plan of action in place first."

Tseng sighed as he took the folder back and laid it on her desk before he pulled her into an embrace. For the first time, Cheryl wondered if it was for his own peace of mind as much as it was hers—not that she planned to ask. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and held him while he said, "You aren't a Turk. There is no need for you to be involved further. I can handle this."

She pushed back enough to frown up at him. "I am not suggesting that we tell them who I really am, but wouldn't it be prudent to let me help? I'm sure there are things that we don't have reports on yet that they need to know. Proof will come, but we don't have time to dig it all up before we set things in motion. Tell them I'm psychic or something, I don't care, but I need to be part of this. I don't want you to face it alone."

Tseng sighed before he gave her a wry smile for her suggestion as he said, "I am unsure if that is any more believable than the truth. However, I will set up a meeting, and you can be there as my aide." He then paused for a moment, and his brow furrowed. It was several seconds before he looked back down, and she could see open concern as he said, "I believe it would be prudent to appraise Rufus of the situation first. There are things—" He paused and shook his head before he continued, "I cannot tell you why, but once I show this to him, I am sure he will have questions. I will try to convince him to hold them until we meet everyone, but it would be wise to be prepared."

Cheryl cringed internally at the idea of meeting Rufus, but she had a feeling she knew why Tseng had suggested it and didn't argue. Instead, she nodded and said, "I won't push. Just let me know when."

His brow was still furrowed when he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and said, "You should make the most of this weekend. I am afraid things will be falling apart soon."

Cheryl felt a lump in her throat at his suggestion for several reasons. First, she knew he was probably right, and it hurt to think of the confusion and pain that was likely coming for a lot of her friends. However, more than that, she hated seeing Tseng come to the point that he was willing to admit that aloud. It hurt to see him like this, but she took comfort in the belief that it would be temporary and far better than the alternative.

Instead of saying any of that, she gave him a nod as she said, "I will, but you should take some time and rest too. Please don't kill yourself for this. That is the last thing I want."

He gave her another wry smile and shook his head. "I cannot make that promise. Though, I will agree to take a long vacation when this is all over."

Cheryl couldn't hold in a chuckle. That was just one more thing she never expected to hear from him, and she had a feeling she was the only one that ever would. It made her heart lighter and renewed her hope that they could handle it. She hugged him a little tighter and put her head on his chest as she said, "I'm going to hold you to that."

Her smile widened when he kissed the top of her head. Unfortunately, he didn't let it linger. He pulled back and stepped away as he said, "I have all of that on a disk as well. I'll leave this copy for you, but you should put it somewhere no one else will find it. If the wrong person saw you with it, your life would be forfeit before I could do anything to help."

Cheryl knew he wasn't wrong. Her jaw clenched, and she looked into his eyes as she nodded. "I will, but you be careful too. I don't—" She couldn't bring herself to finish that statement. Luckily, she didn't need to. Tseng flashed her a tight-lipped smile before he gave her a curt nod and turned to leave. For a split second, she thought about calling out to stop him again, but she refrained. They both knew the danger, and if anyone was equipped to handle it, then it would be Tseng. She only hoped things didn't get too bad before they got better.

A/N: This is the calm before the storm. There will be a lot coming at these guys, and not a lot of time to prepare, so let's enjoy the little fluff before things get hairy, lol. At least it's good to see Cheryl won't be putting up with his 'I'm too stoic for this' bs anymore 😅 I almost feel sorry for him, but only almost. We all know he likes it 😂 Thanks for reading and cheers!