DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FF7 OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

Chapter Eighteen

"How long will it take, Red?" asked Cloud excitedly, unable to keep still.

Red XIII shook his head, "I do not know, Cloud. That is the third time in the last hour you have asked me that question. I did not build this cloning machine and I know nothing about it, besides what little I have been able to glean from Hojo's private notes."

"But it's working? Everything is going OK?"

"As far as I can tell."

"We're going to bring her back – over the last two months I've dreamed of so many situations, so many ways in which we might resurrect Aeris. I can't believe it's actually happening."

"I'll be glad when it does finally happen," Cid yawned. "If it means you might sit down and shut up for a change."

"But I'm just so excited! Aren't you?"

"Sure, but I'm not acting like a kid over it."

"More like a cynical old man," Vincent decided.

Cid pretended not to hear, and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms, "So, what? This whole thing's over? Hojo's dead and things are back to normal?"

"That's about the size of it," Cloud nodded.

"Perhaps not," said Red. "There are still some things that remain unexplained. For example, who was following us through the Forgotten City. It was somebody with access to the Flower."

"Probably the same person who poisoned Barret and me in the Nibel reactor that time," said Tifa. "We still don't have any idea who it is?"

"Isn't it just one of Hojo's flunkies?" asked Barret.

"Possibly," Red shrugged. "But whoever it is, they're still at large. And with enough of the Flower's poison to cause a lot of damage. Tracking them down will need to be one of our priorities."

"Sure," Cid agreed. "Shouldn't be too hard. Getting rid of Hojo was the difficult part. Now we just have to mop up the remains of the mess he made."

"Right. This time we will make sure the Nibel reactor is deactivated," Cloud said. "That'll stop anyone else from coming back and continuing Hojo's 'work'."

"One thing will never be the same again," said Vincent morosely. "Reeve will no longer be among us."

The others fell silent at the mention of their dead friend.

"He gave his life for us," Cloud said eventually. "We'd have been finished if he hadn't intervened. We'll have to hold a proper ceremony for him, and notify his family."

"He doesn't have any family," said Tifa.

"Probably just as well. I hate bringin' good folks bad news," Barret said.

"We also have to get in touch with the Turks and tell them what happened," said Red. "We still do not know what made them split from our group. It may be a problem that they need our help with."

"Huh. Screw 'em," Cid grunted. "They didn't help us against Hojo when we needed them – I say we just return the favour."

For a while, nobody could think of anything to say. Then Tifa turned to Cloud and said quietly, "Cloud? Can we have a word? Alone?"

"Sure."

He followed her out of the room that contained the cloning chamber, and into the relative cool of the corridor outside. Tifa closed the laboratory door behind her and faced him.

"OK, Cloud. First of all, I just want to say that I want to have Aeris back just as much as you do. But there's still something I need to know. I don't know what, if any, feelings you might have for me, but I'm going to tell you one thing right now: I love you. I was ready to settle down and make a future with you, when this Hojo business erupted. Now that Aeris is coming back, well…"

"What?"

"I just want to know where I stand. If you'd rather be with her, then I won't get in your way. I'll do whatever makes you happy. If you'd rather be with me, then that's great. I just don't want there to be any misunderstandings, and I don't want anybody to get hurt."

Cloud had raised his eyebrows and was looking at her in surprise. He'd never known her true feelings for him before, and it was a surprise – though a pleasant one – that the affection he had for her was reciprocated. It was several moments before he trusted himself to open his mouth without stumbling over his words.

"Tifa," he began, searching for the right words. "I do like Aeris. She's a great friend and she's special to me in a way that nobody else is. But I don't love her in the way I love you. If I am going to settle down and live my life with somebody, I want it to be you."

Tifa's face spread into a delighted smile, and they drew together for a kiss. When they parted, she said, "I only hope Aeris understands. I know she liked you a lot. In a way it feels wrong to be bringing her back, only to tell her that you and I are in love."

"It shouldn't be a problem. There were – are – plenty of other things Aeris likes other than me."

"Yeah, I suppose."

They kissed again, then Tifa gave him a little smile and said, "We'd better get back inside before the others start to get suspicious!"

She went back inside the cloning laboratory, and Cloud was about to follow when he spotted a movement in the shadows. Frowning, he moved over to investigate.

"Yuffie!" he exclaimed angrily. "Were you listening to our conversation?"

"No!" she said hurriedly. "I was just – I was going – and I – "

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

"No, I wasn't! I was just standing there! It's not my fault if you two decide to talk within hearing distance!"

He looked at her suspiciously, but said nothing. She gave him a coy grin and said, "So – you and Tifa, huh?"

"If it's any of your business – yes."

"Of course it's my business! You're my friends! Don't you trust me?" she asked. "Cloud, don't you?"

Cloud looked at her, judging how serious the question was. There was no sarcasm in her voice, and her face showed nothing but innocent curiosity. He almost laughed at the thought of it: Yuffie, actually asking if he trusted her.

"Yuffie, if I dropped a Materia on the floor, would it still be there when I turned around?"

She hesitated, "Well, it would depend what kind it was."

"How am I supposed to trust you if you're still obsessed by collecting Materia?"

"I'm not obsessed!" she snapped. "I wouldn't steal it off you, either! I'd give it back if you asked for it! I've tried so hard since that one time I stole all your Materia, but you still won't trust me! I give up!"

"Yuffie…"

"I made a mistake, all right! You can't make me spend the rest of my life paying for it! I thought you might have forgiven me by now!"

She turned away from him and he heard her crying.

"Yuffie," he said gently, touching her shoulder. "I have forgiven you. I wouldn't have let you back in the party afterwards if I didn't trust you."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not. It's true. The party wouldn't be where we are now if it wasn't for you. I'm – I'm proud to have you as my friend."

"Huh. Then you're the only one. If you're even telling the truth."

"I am. What about – "

He was cut off by excited shouts from inside the laboratory. The door was thrown open and Tifa appeared, "Cloud? Oh, hi, Yuffie. Cloud, we think it's almost ready. Hurry!"

Cloud forgot about Yuffie and followed Tifa into the cloning room. Red and Vincent stood by the machine, carefully watching various data screens, and pushing buttons and switches left, right and centre.

"Is it working? Is she – " Cloud began.

"Please do not distract us!" Red implored. "This requires the utmost concentration! Vincent, on my mark, begin the final sequence! Three…two…one…now!"

They began hitting more switches, scanning the screens even more intently than before. Cloud felt Tifa's hand grasping his own, and he squeezed her palm gently. I love you, she mouthed silently. Cloud smiled.

"That is it!" Red declared, hitting the last button with a suitable flourish, and turning his attention to the small window that looked inside the cloning chamber.

"Is she in there? Is she all right?" Cloud exclaimed.

"I cannot see. I must wait until the gas clears. Various gasses were used in the cloning process, and they should dissipate – ah – any moment now."

He pressed his front paws against the chamber's outer door and peered through the window. His eyes widened and he stepped back.

"Did it work?" Cloud yelped.

"Um – sort of. Take a look for yourself."

Cloud let go of Tifa's hand and hurried forward to glance through the window into the cloning chamber. The naked figure inside the chamber was conscious, and looked up at him. Cloud stared back into those brilliant emerald green eyes.

Emerald green eyes. The figure stood, long silver hair flowing around their upper body: a lean, well-muscled figure that most certainly did not belong to Aeris. The figure looked around the inside of the chamber, and pressed a hand experimentally against the chamber wall.

"Cloud? Did it work? Is she OK?" he heard Tifa asking.

Cloud sank to the floor, a sick feeling washing over him, along with a horrific, paralysing sense of failure and disappointment. He held his head in his hands and couldn't speak.

"Cloud?" Tifa asked. "Did something go wrong? Didn't we bring her back?"

"We brought somebody back," Cloud said in a flat, toneless voice. "But it wasn't Aeris."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we've been had. Hojo tricked us to the last. We haven't resurrected Aeris. We've resurrected Sephiroth."

The End

A/N: well, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story; if so, please leave a review. Thanks to those who have already reviewed! The story took a long time to write and if you liked it then it was time well spent.

There will be a sequel, whenever I get around to writing it (unfortunately I'm rather busy right now). It will follow on directly from this story, and will clear up all the loose ends as well as introducing a new enemy. The Turks will be back (naturally) and Sephiroth will have a part to play. Until then…