NM: Okay, this is it. As of November 12, 2004, this is the last chapter. As in, the end. As in, no more. As in-

Vincent: Get on with it!

NM: Geez, you're grumpy.

Vincent: ((skulks off))

NM: Anyway, I hope you all will read this chapter nice and slow. But I do promise this: There will be a sequel! I hope you all enjoyed my sneek peek chapter posted just before this one. I have the beginning mapped out so to speak, so expect it within the next month.

Kadaj: A month? Are you that lazy?

NM: ((moan)) Can I help it if high school is a lot of work? Oh, yeah… You didn't have to go to one.

Kadaj: ((sticks out tongue)) NYAH!

NM: GO AWAY! ((calms)) Anyway, I will put up the sequel as soon as I can.

Sephiroth: ((enters)) Aren't you forgetting something?

NM: ((thinks)) Oh, yeah!

Soul Vagabond: Yes, it is getting repetitive.

Kadaj: Sorry, but I like my sword. You're welcome, though, and I'm glad you feel better.

NM: Hey, whose author notes are these, anyway? (I'm glad, too, by the way, and I hope this and the peek make having to go to school today better)

Kadaj: Sorry…

Master of the Dark Trio: Thank you very much. I am SO sorry I haven't read your fics yet. I will as soon as I have mega-free-time (If I read a fanfic, I like to read it in one sitting if possible so I don't forget anything!).

Trance: Actually, it was early in the seventh month. That's awesome about the twins. As I said above and in the chapter before this, there WILL be a sequel.

LadyKadaj: Yeah, it was a little mushy, but did you notice what the genres were? 'Action/Adventure' and 'romance.' Anyway, thank you for the feedback. ((glances around)) By the way, I don't like Cloud or Barret that much, either. As for the eye, Cloud got (I think it's called) a bionic one before battling Seph. I thought Vince was already a hero, or at least a good guy… Don't say ANYTHING! I just got him in my party, so I don't want to know ANYTHING about him. Other than what Soul Vagabond let slip and what I've accidentally stumbled across online ((grins)).

NM: Thank you all so much for being there through this story, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter of For the Love of an Angel.

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Chapter 10-2:

For the Love of an Angel is Lost

4:47 p.m.

Me: We stood like that for a long time. Vincent finally took me back to my room. I don't know-

I pause as I lie in bed, coughing violently. Vincent stands against the wall, watching and listening silently. Anima and Luben stand in the doorway. A fifteen-year-old girl with skin as pale as Vincent's when he was locked away in Nibelheim sits in a chair next to me. The girl has short, silver hair with black bangs. Between her shoulder blades she has two wings tattooed, the left one white, the right black. She wears a grey tank top that exposes her midriff and very large black cargo pants being held up with a silver-studded belt. Her hands are covered with gloves that have the fingers cut off, and black leather bracers cover half the length of her lower arms. A long, black leather trench coat lies across the back of the chair. Her odd looking eyes are grey, but her pupils are slits, similar to a cat's eyes. She gets up from the chair and sits next to me. As she stands, her pant legs lift slightly to reveal black leather, steel-toed boots. She swallows nervously, making the studded collar around her neck move slightly. I calm down and take a drink of water before speaking again. I have been talking for nearly five hours with no rest.

4:48 p.m.

Me: As I was saying, I don't know how, but the baby lived. I was finally allowed to bring her home about two weeks after her birth. I kept her here for a few months while I decided what to do. After a lot of thought, Vincent and I finally took a trip to leave her at the orphanage in the town where I last saw her father.

Kali: Kauko.

Me: ((nod)) Yes. I wrote a letter shortly before we left, and explained to the director that if she was adopted, she was to take the letter with her.

Kali: But I never was.

Me: No, my child. You weren't. It's just as well. I would rather your history be kept between the five of us standing here than a strange family.

4:49 p.m.

Kali: I always felt like I was different, but I thought it was because I'm such a Goth ((chuckles slightly)) and obsessed with learning all I can about the mysteries of death and darkness. ((lowers eyes)) Now I know how different I really am..

Me: ((holds Kali's hand)) You are, Kali. You are so different from anyone else in the world.

Kali: My father… is there no way for me to see him without dying?

Me: ((shakes head)) No. Not until you die, which won't be for a long time. Until then, you have to wait for him to visit you in a dream. I hope he doesn't. None of his visits to me ended happily. Although the first visit was to tell me that you were coming, so I guess that wasn't that bad.

Kali: ((nods))

4:50 p.m.

Me: Over the past fifteen years, I've come so close to going back for you. At the same time, I was so afraid that you had been adopted and I would be unable to have you back, or you would be unhappy with me for leaving you.

Vincent: ((glances at clock and walks over to me)) Michiko, it's almost time.

Me: I know. I only have a few more things to say.

4:51 p.m.

Kali: ((looks from Vincent to me)) What's going on?

Me: You remember that I told you about when Sephiroth visited me in a dream six months before your birth? He pulled me to the Lifestream again two weeks ago. He told me that I would soon become very ill, and would die at exactly five o'clock on the evening of your fifteenth birthday. My illness struck three days after I last saw him. It's four fifty-one p.m. now.

Kali: ((jaw drops)) No! I only just met you!

4:52 p.m.

Me: ((nod)) We did just meet each other. But there is a reason for this. I'm not sure what, but I suppose you will find out someday.

Silence follows. Anima and Luben don't look right at me when they finally speak.

4:53 p.m.

Anima: Michiko, why didn't you tell us?

Me: I didn't want you to worry. I have only six minutes now.

4:54 p.m.

Kali: ((tears in eyes)) What's going to happen to me? I was hoping to live with you from now on.

Luben: We'll look after you.

Me: No. I have already made arrangements.

4:55 p.m.

Vincent: I'll take care of you. ((glances at gauntlet)) I'll be around for a long while. ((looks at Anima and Luben)) You won't be. Another thirty or forty years for you two, eternity for me. ((looks at Kali)) There's no telling how long you're going to need somebody.

Silence.

4:56 p.m.

Me: ((breathy voice)) Vincent, you know the safe combination. Bring everything to me, please.

Vincent: ((nods and leaves the room))

4:57 p.m.

Vincent: ((returns with Sephiroth mementos and hands them to me)) Here you are.

Me: Thank you. Kali, among these items are portraits that Anima drew, the game that introduced me to your father, newspaper articles from when he was here, and his ring from when we were wed. I want you to have all of this. When I'm gone, I want you to take my ring, too.

Kali: ((slides ring on thumb))

4:58 p.m.

Vincent: Michiko-

Me: I know. Vincent, take her out of the room. I don't want her to watch me die.

Vincent: Of course. I understand. ((lays a hand on Kali's arm))

Kali: ((shakes Vincent's hand off)) No. I don't want to leave you.

4:59 p.m.

Me: Kali, please leave. I don't want you to see this.

Kali: ((hugs me)) I want to stay.

Me: ((hug back)) If you think you can handle it…

Kali: ((nods))

Me: ((look around room)) I'm going to miss all of you deeply. I love you all.

4:59:50 p.m.

I close my eyes. The last image I'm going to see is the face of Kali and I'll seek some solace in knowing that our daughter now knows what I did for the love of an angel.

4:59:59 p.m.