Disclaimer: You know I don't own it so I'm not even going
to bother.
Summary: Aeris begins to doubt her marriage.
Rating: PG.
"My dad used to tell me, 'It's not who wins or looses,
it's who takes the worst beating that counts.'"
-Robert Patrick, The X-Files
Seth had noticed something stranger than usual
going on with his wife since they had rejoined Avalanche last week. Aeris
would glance pensively over to Cloud as he conducted the morning briefing
aboard the Highwind. She would tug at the bottom of the white shirt she
wore all the time or she would shoo away invisible dust from her black
pants or stare at her sneakers as the tap danced under the table. Seth
was not only confused by her seemingly nervous actions, but also curious.
Whenever he would ask his darling wife she would simply say that she had
not even realized she had been doing it.
"Just because she acts weird doesn't mean she
is," Cid told Seth as they fed a gold chocobo in the Highwind stalls. The
beautiful creature had been a gift from Seth to Aeris when he had thought
that she had been acting different because she was angry at him. She had
named the male chocobo Cain the day after Seth had given it to her. He
had been sure that would have smoothed over the reason she was mad at him,
but the odd behavior continued. In fact, it had gotten worse.
No longer did she seem at peace with herself.
She would have a guilty look on her face when he saw her and she would
not look him in the eye when she spoke to him, on those rare occasions
she did speak with him. It seemed that she was either upset with him or
had something incredibly distracting on her mind. He began to realize it
was the latter. Perhaps she had some sort of bad news to tell him? However,
Seth still did not understand why Aeris felt she could not share this distraction
with him, her loving and devoted husband.
"I'm telling you, leave it alone. Nothing bad
will happen if you don't dwell on something that shouldn't be taken notice
of," Cid argued once again with Seth, this time in Reeve's office inside
the new Reeve building, which stood in the burnt out ruins of the Shinra
building.
"What if I'm right and there is something wrong
with her?" Seth questioned the pilot. Cid sat in Reeve's office chair behind
his large oak desk, Seth sat in one of two chairs placed 5 feet away
from the front of the desk. For a moment Cid studied a picture that sat
atop Reeve's desk. The picture was framed by silver with etched swirls
of gold. Behind the glass was a group picture of Avalanche and their close
friends: Reeve, Reno, Elena, Rude, Shera, and Marlene.
"Are you willing to find out the truth. What if
you find out what's really going on with her and it scares the shit out
of you. I know you love the girl, but what if she's going to die again?"
Cid asked, leaning forward thickly padded black chair.
"Than I'll do whatever it takes to make her better."
Cloud stood at the end of the aisle that lead into
the city of Midgar or what was left of it, anyway. Everyone of his friends
was there cleaning up outside the church Aeris gardened and was married
at. Kneeling in the flower bed, hands clasped together as if in prayer,
was Aeris McGregor. She looked amazingly the same way she did just before
Sephiroth plunged his sword through her, not just into her, through
her. Right through her back and out of her stomach.
"Aeris?" Cloud said attempting to receive her
attention. She opened her eyes to look up to him, quickly standing up on
her feet and forcing a smile onto her lips. She brushed lightly at the
mud that stuck to her pant legs and gave up a soft sigh when only part
of it came off and fell to the floor.
"I didn't know you were here. What's up?" Aeris
asked innocently. Cloud stepped in front of her, grabbing her hands in
his and looking directly into her eyes, taking his time to get lost in
them.
"I wanted to see you," Cloud answered. He leaned
carefully forward to kiss her, but she moved away so fast Cloud barely
had time to comprehend that she had moved away.
"Not here. I can't here."
"Why?"
"This is where I vowed to love Seth forever. This
is where my soul became one with his," Aeris explained looking at Cloud
from half was across the chapel.
"This is also where we first met. Are you going
to let Seth dictate your life forever?"
"Well, he is my husband, Cloud."
"Maybe you made a mistake marrying him. Did you
ever think of that?"
"Of course. Then I would realize that I love him."
"Do you love me?" Cloud asked as Aeris moved closer
to him. From the light streaming in the whole in the roof, Cloud could
see tears attempting to escape the sides of Aeris's eyes. This was clearly
tearing her up inside, a hard decision for her to make and the question
Cloud asked only seemed to make it worse. The tears held hostage now trickled
freely down Aeris's face, leaving trails for the ones proceeding to fallow.
"I..I..." Aeris stumbled over her words, "Yes,
I do."
"I love you, too. So, tell me why we can't be
together," Cloud challenged. Aeris sat on the pew in the first row, Cloud
stood in front of her, waiting for any kind of answer she was willing to
give him.
"Because I chose to marry Seth, not you. It's
too late. I never go back on my word. I can't do this with you," Aeris
answered. She looked up to him, he knelt down to her and took her hands
in his once again. He caressed them softly, not wanting to let go. He stared
down at the floor his knees were placed upon.
"It's never to late when it's true love," Cloud
whispered looking up into Aeris's eyes. Before she could reply a noise
sounded from the doorway startled both she and Cloud. They stood up to
see Seth standing between the door frames. Aeris gave a terrified look
to Cloud, wondering how long Seth had been there and how much he had heard.
"Seth," Aeris began, but was cut off by Seth storming
up the isle toward them.
"Shut up!" Seth yelled harshly as Cloud opened
his mouth to defend himself. Aeris stood between the two men as Seth moved
closer and closer to them until he was standing less than a foot from Aeris.
By the look on his face both Aeris and Cloud could tell that he had heard
most of what had been said.
"Seth, calm down," Aeris pleaded. Seth violently
shook his head in protest to her demand.
"Listen to me good, boy. You had your chance with
Aeris and you blew it.."
"How did I blow it? Did I blow it when your
psychotic brother killed her or when your stole her away from me and married
her?"
"She chose me over you. Now just get over it!"
Seth yelled, upset beyond words now. The hollering caught the attention
of Reno outside, blabbed to the others, who piled into the church just
in time to see Seth push Cloud hard on his shoulder. Aeris quickly moved
out of the way as Cloud jumped on Seth, hitting him with a right hook that
landed square on his jaw.
"Hey!" Cid yelled from the back of the church.
Barret, Cid, Vincent, and Rude ran to the alter where Cloud and seth threw
punches. Cid and Vincent grabbed a hold on Seth while Barret and Rude grabbed
Cloud. They pulled them apart by at least six feet. Aeris immediately went
to Seth to see if he was all right.
"Why the hell did you do that?" Aeris asked Cloud
and Seth as the rest of the Avalanche clean up crew gathered near the alter.
The four men let go of the two fighters, but everyone kept a close watch
to make sure there would not be another fight breaking out.
"Tell me you don't love him," Seth suddenly asked
Aeris. She turned to face him, casting a glance around to her friends.
She looked upset and tired, not wanting to discuss the matter in front
of her friends.
"I think we should talk about this somewhere more
private, don't you?"
"Hell, no! I want an answer now, Aeris," Seth
demanded. Aeris's eyes pleaded with him to stop, but she saw that he needed
to know. He would have to find out anyway, he might as well find out from
her. Aeris took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and let it out.
"Yes, I love Cloud, but..."
"There are no buts, Aeris," Seth said. He walked
out, purposely bumping into Cloud on his way out. Aeris stood in shock
for a moment, but quickly got her barrings and chased after Seth, not even
giving Cloud so much as a glance as she passed by him on her way to the
door.
"He kicked your ass so bad," Cid chuckled as Tifa
place an ice pack on Cloud's eye. Cloud shot the pilot a warning look that
shut him up almost immediately.
"You probably would be in worse shape, old man,"
Yuffie said and stuck her tongue out at Cid when he looked in her direction.
Cloud smiled to himself, but was still upset as he wondered if Aeris was
okay. Every person in the room was wondering what had happened after Aeris
had chased after Seth. No one had seen where either one of them had gone
to, all hoping they had not run off again.
"Do you think he can forgive her?" Tifa asked.
The group sitting in the vast lounge of the Reeve building looked at her
as they all began to ask themselves the exact same question.
"He doesn't deserve her anyway. To be honest,
I don't either. Nobody on this entire planet is good enough for her," Cloud
admitted to his friends. He could not even bare to look at them. Instead
he just stared down at his big black boots.
"Awww," The group said in unison. Cloud lifted
his head to show that he held a wry smile and threw a nearby object to
the nearest person, which unfortunately for him, was Cid. The smile was
soon to fade from Cloud's handsome young face and a worried look replaced
it. In a split second, he was on his feet headed toward the door.
"Where the hell are you going?" Cid asked after
crushing his cigarette with his boot against the marble tiles. Cloud reached
the door and twisted the knob. He turned to face the group again.
"To find the woman I love most in life before
it truly is too late," Cloud said and swung the door open. Nobody followed
as he left the lounge without so much as telling them how he was going
to find her.
"Boy better not steal my damn ship," Cid mumbled.
In the distance the group could hear the steady sound of a motor belonging
to the Highwind start and they noticed at the same time an annoyed look
cross on Cid's face as he swore silently under his breath.
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: Fight, fight, fight! Whoopee! Okay, so
I'm not exactly sure who won the fight. You can make it up for yourself
according to which one you like the best. I'll get the fourth chapter up
as soon as possible. Review!! I've been very inspired by the ones you've
sent. They keep me writing. So, thanks to those who wrote reviews and for
those who read my stories. :) Until next time
