A/N: I don't like Barret. But I certainly can't fault him in his reasoning.

Part III: Father of the Planet

I swallow as I watch her, my baby sleeping there on the bed Elmyra made up for her. It chokes me up, this kind of thing. Sure, I act tough, but put me in a position where I have to think deep thoughts and I'm nothin' but a cryin' slum drunk.

I'm not drunk, though. Marlene doesn't like it if I drink, and I don't like anything that my baby doesn't like.

I know why I'm fighting already - it was always for Marlene, and for her future. So that my baby could have a clean world to live in, and a nice house and a nice garden - all that stuff, y'know? But right now I'm scared. I'm scared of losin' her, and I'm scared of losing myself in this battle.

And it's gonna be hard. I ain't scared of hard work, but I am afraid of dyin' and leaving my baby alone. I always promise her I'm gonna come back safe, and damned if I'm gonna lie to her. I haven't promised her anything yet, though, and I know she's gonna sleep late tomorrow because I stayed up late reading to her as long as I could. We read her whole book of fairy tales.

I think she knows what might happen tomorrow. She's a smart kid, after all. But she still says that the flower lady is coming, and even though I wish that was true, God knows Aeris ain't comin' back.

But I guess we gotta do our best without her. This is our Planet, too, after all. My baby's Planet. I'm not sure I can promise her to her face that I'm gonna come back alive. It's Sephiroth, fer God's sake! I can't promise anything when it comes to that foo', 'cept I'm gonna try my hardest, and he's not gonna win.

I always knew I was too goddamn stubborn fer my own good.

I'm gonna leave Elmyra a note. She can read it to my reason for living in the morning.