Three days later, Cid wasn't feeling so sure anymore

Three days later, Cid wasn't feeling so sure anymore. "Dammit Shera, isn't there ANYONE who would bother coming down to check when they see a GOD DAMNED FOREST FIRE???" He threw himself down on a log, and downed some of the tea Shera had managed to make from leaves she'd found on the island. Shera, quite wisely, said nothing, and sipped her own tea, watching the flames of the fire before them. Cid sighed. "'M sorry. Not your fault. Shouldn't be givin' you all this crap about it."

Shera shook her head, and smiled slightly to herself. "That's alright. It's partly my-!" "NO IT'S NOT!" Cid lunged to his feet, and paced back and forth in front of her. "It's MY fault. I got you into this, I crashed the ship, and I got us in this situation. NOW DRINK YOUR GODDAMN TEA!" He sat down again and glared resolutely at the fire. Shera watched him for a while longer, then gazed back into the fire, apparently unperturbed. "Dunno how you do that," Cid muttered. "Do what?" Shera asked.

Cid looked back at her. "Listen to me yellin' and rantin' at you, and then just sit there and drink your tea like it don't matter. Shouldn't be takin' all this from me. Should at least be sayin' something. Dunno how you live with me. Wouldn't live with myself if I had the choice." It's getting to him, thought Shera. He's never doubted himself before. Cid continued. "If I were you, I'd just up and leave." Shera looked amused. "Nowhere to go, Captain." He sighed again. "Yeah, that's true."

"But still," he went on, "When we get out of this, you should get away from me. I'm nothin' but trouble. I always get you into problems like this, riskin' your life for no good reason. You should just leave. That is...if we ever get out of this. Which it doesn't look like we will, does it?" He hung his head. "Dammit, Shera, I'm just a no good-!" "Stop it!" Shera rose from her seat.

"Stop putting yourself down, and insulting yourself! Just stop it! Do you know why I'm here? Am I here because I think you're a no good worthless failure, like you keep calling yourself??" Cid looked dumbfounded. "Shera?" "Yes, I am angry. And yes, I am tired," she said. "I'm angry at those people for telling you that you ruined their dreams. For telling you that you're a worthless nothing. And, yes, Captain, I'm angry at you for believing them. Captain, you could do anything, anything if you really wanted to. And those idiots just can't appreciate you, can't see in you what I do. But don't you DARE believe them for a moment. Because you're..." she trailed off, and sat down, staring at the ground, "wonderful."

Cid stared at her for a long time, then hazarded to say, "Shera?" She shook her head. "You've always been wonderful. You've always been my hero, going off to help save the planet...trying so hard to be the first man in outer space. And you will be, too. You will be." Her voice got much softer. "And I wish..." she didn't say anything. Cid leaned closer, but didn't say anything. "I wish...I could be there with you...just to be with you, for as long as I can."

No one said anything for a few moments, and Shera just stared at the ground, eyes closed. Cid stared at Shera, a million different thoughts running through his head, none of which he found himself able to vocalize. "Shera," he said for the third time, "I..." he stood up, and walked over to sit beside her. "Lemme tell you a story." He sat up straight, and stretched. "When I was off helping to 'save the world,' I kept thinking about something I'd done a while ago. When I'd had that chance to go and be the first man in outer space, I wasn't thinking of anything else. I was a selfish idiot." "You were never-!" "Lemme finish." He put a finger to her lips. "Then you came along and got everyone in that mess." He said it kindly, without any disgust or malice. "I think, Shera, that that was possibly the best thing you ever did for me." She looked up at him. "You opened my eyes to the real important things in life."

"Shera, as long as you believe in me, as long as you think the things that you just said, yer right, I'll always be able to do anything I want. Because you think I can. Because you believe in me. And that's all that matters." Slowly, he took Shera in his arms, and she rested her head against his shoulder, her eyes closed. Then, he kissed her, warmly and passionately, for a long time.

"I love you Shera. I always have. We'll get out of this together. Don't worry. We'll get out of this together." Shera smiled up at him. "I know, because...I believe in you."

(Will they get out of it together? Make sure to check for the next installment tomorrow!! Please review!)