A/N: I have no knowledge about medicine so 'Grandia Disease' is purely fictional!

Chapter 11: It's About You

This ain't about the things I've done

Where I've been or what I've won

Stand on your corner a thousand times

Lose what I've got

Keep what I've found

It's about you

It's about you

It's About You – Train

Aeris couldn't believe it. She sank onto her bed, staring at the paper. She started to read the article.

Matthew and Infalna Gast are world renowned scientists, for their dedication to the medical world. The two acclaimed scientists were recently praised for discovering a cure for a harmful blood disease.

But their first discovery, and their most famous, is the cure for a harmful disease called Grandia Disease. The disease, discovered in 1786 by John Grandia of Nibelheim, attacks the body's immune system, making it unable to recognise bacteria and other harmful substances that enter the body. This causes the body to become susceptible to many dangerous diseases.

Aeris Gainsborough, Infalna Gast's daughter and Matthew Gast's stepdaughter, was diagnosed as having the disease when she was four years old. The Gasts had been working on a cure for the disease for many years, with the help of Doctor Richard Hojo of Midgar. When Aeris was found to be carrying the disease, her parents used an early, untested, version of the cure on her.

While the cure worked on the most part, for several years afterwards, Aeris' immune system failed to recognise bacteria and she was sent to hospital on several occasions for treatment.

If the cure had not worked, the possibility is that Aeris Gainsborough would have died as a result. Doctor Hojo died several years ago, but it rumoured that he was against the administration of the cure.

In the eyes of many, this practise is considered sick and immoral for parents to risk using an untested cure on a child. And it has recently been discovered that Matthew and Infalna Gast have not even told Aeris Gainsborough that she was used for this test.

Surely it is wrong, not only for this type of practise to be allowed, but also to hide the truth from the affected parties. Perhaps it is because of this cover-up that the Professors Gast refuse to allow the media into their home lives and this only makes us wonder what else these people have done.

By James Winters

"I don't believe it." Tifa said as she finished reading the article. Aeris touched the pictures. There were two. One of her parents, both looking deadly serious, and one of herself smiling. She recognised it as one that James had taken a few days ago in the park.

"Aeris? Are you OK?" Cloud said, putting his arm around her. She was shaking.

"Why did he do this?" she whispered. But before anyone could answer the phone rang. Tifa picked it up and then froze.

"Aeris? It's your father."

Aeris took the phone.

"Hi Dad."

"Aeris, have you seen it?"

"I saw it."

"Aeris… we're so sorry. And the worst part is that it's true… that's why you were sick as a child. The cure wasn't perfected. That's why you were in hospital so much. We did that to you. We saved your life only to make you repeatedly ill… I'm so sorry you had to find out like this."

He stopped. She could tell that he was crying. Then her mother spoke into the phone.

"Sweetie, are you there?"

"I'm here, Mom."

"Aeris… I don't know what to say…" She was crying too and suddenly Aeris realised that there were tears rolling down her own cheeks.

"Mom, it's OK. I know why you did it. It doesn't matter. You saved my life. I don't care what you had to do. I'm alive now and whatever happened back then doesn't matter."

"But the things he's written! Who is James Winters anyway?" Her mother sounded so angry Aeris almost couldn't bring herself to answer.

"Mom… its James. You met him."

"I don't know a James Win-" Infalna broke off. Then she said slowly, "Oh… THAT James."

Suddenly her father took the phone.

"It was your boyfriend who wrote this article?"

"Yes. I can't believe that he would write something like this."

"Never mind that for now. Aeris, I should have told you about all of this. But I didn't."

"Dad, I already said that it's OK. You did what you had to. You saved my life, both of you. Don't blame yourselves, because I don't. I'm healthy and I have a great life. And you gave me that. What James wrote, I don't care about it. It's absolute bull."

"Watch your language!" Aeris heard her mother snap and she laughed through the tears.

"Aeris, honey, the press are going to be all over this. They're going to want your point of view."

"What? You mean they're going to be following me around?"

"It's quite possible."

"Well, I'm not going to say anything. But what's this going to do to you? This is going to ruin your reputations…"

"Oh, forget about us. We'll manage just fine. What are you going to do about James?" Matthew asked in concern.

Aeris licked her dry lips and said,

"I don't know, Dad. I'll have to talk to him about this."

"Well, let me know. And remember, if things get too bad just come home, OK?"

"I will. I'll call you tonight, OK?"

"Alright. I love you so much, Aeris. We both do. You know that, right?"

"I know." Aeris whispered and then she hung up.

Tifa and Cloud looked at her. She wiped the tears off her face.

"How are they?" Cloud asked, putting his arms around her. She hugged him back.

"It's not good. They won't say much but I know this is going to be really bad for their reputations. Anything they do from now on is going to be judged and investigated by the press." Aeris told him. Tifa hugged her too.

Eventually Aeris pulled away.

"I'm going to get dressed. I need to talk to James about this."

"What are you going to say?" Tifa asked tentatively. Aeris shrugged.

"I don't know… what can I say? Well, all I know is that he is going to regret writing this article."

"That's my girl." Cloud said, ruffling her hair. She smiled and went to take a shower.

It was nearly eight in the morning when she arrived outside James' door. She opened the door without knocking and froze.

James was sitting in his computer chair, talking to a smartly dressed woman. There were several other people, holding cameras and with clipboards. James jumped as she came in.

"Aeris!"

"Aeris Gainsborough? What did you think of the article?" Said the woman, holding a microphone to her. Aeris blinked and then turned to James.

"James, what is this?"

"Aeris, I-"

"What is going on? Why the HELL did you do this?" Aeris demanded, forgetting about the cameras. James took her hand.

"Let's talk outside."

He pulled her out into the corridor. She pulled her hand away from him and held up the newspaper.

"Did you write this?!"

"Yes… Aeris, I did it for you. You deserve to know the truth."

"Oh my god…" Aeris said, dropping the newspaper to the floor and running her hands through her hair in despair.

"Aeris, I love you. When I found out about this, I knew I had to let you know."

"And the rest of the world along with it?" Aeris asked. James took her hands in his.

"I got published, just like you wanted me to."

"Not like this! Not for this…"

"Aeris, please. Try to understand."

Aeris looked up at him and pulled herself away from him.

"Understand? What exactly am I supposed to understand? What my parents did, they did it to save my life. I would have died. But you! You… you thought this was the right thing to do?"

"Yes, I did."

"Bullshit! You did this for you, James! You wanted to get published, well done! You got what you wished for!"

"Aeris, I don't understand. I thought you'd be happy!"

"Happy about you ruining my parents? Happy about you accusing my parents of being sick, twisted freaks? Surprisingly, no! No, I'm not happy about it!" Aeris shouted.

It was then that she noticed the cameras. The film crew had recorded the whole thing. To hell with them. She looked back at James.

"How much are you getting out of it? How much are they paying you? No, forget it. I don't want to know. I just hope that you get your money's worth. I just hope it was worth losing an idiot who actually thought that we were in love."

"We are, Aeris! We are in love." James said, moving towards her. She stepped away.

"No. No, we're not. There's not even an 'us' anymore. Enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame."

And with that she turned and walked away, leaving a shocked James and an excited camera crew behind her.

Cloud and Tifa were sitting on a bench outside James' building when she came out. They stood up and Aeris looked at them.

"It's over."

"Not surprised. Come on, let's get you a coffee." Cloud said, putting an arm around her shoulders. Tifa linked arms with her and they started to walk towards Barret's Café. It was closed at this it in the morning but Barret was inside and he opened the door for them.

"Hey. What's wrong with you guys?" He said, letting them in. Tifa showed him a copy of the paper. Cloud went to the TV behind the counter and turned it to the main channel.

Sure enough, it was all over the news.

"Aeris Gainsborough, a freshman at Midgar University, has not yet commented on the article and her parents have refused to meet with the press although they are expected to organise a conference in the near future…"

Aeris turned away in disgust. Barret gave her a cup of coffee and she drank it gratefully. They all sat down at the counter. Barret asked,

"Is the article true then?"

"It's true."

"Jesus… I'm guessing you broke up with James then."

"Yeah… about five minutes ago. Oh, God, and he was doing an interview when I got there and they recorded the WHOLE thing… it's going to be all over the news. I just can't believe he did this to my parents."

"Forget your parents for a minute. What about you?" Barret asked. Aeris looked at the article.

"Who cares about me? I'm made out to be this poor girl whose evil parents tested all this stuff on her. It's all rubbish."

"I'll make you all a fry-up breakfast." Barret said, going into the kitchen. Tifa leant on the counter.

"Are you going to go home?"

"No… not unless I crack." She suddenly gasped. Cloud and Tifa sat up.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"They recorded me breaking up with James! I swore on TV! My parents are going to KILL me!" Aeris whimpered. Cloud and Tifa burst into laughter.

"Aeris, don't worry about it."

"I'm sure your parents will understand just this once." Cloud reassured her. Aeris buried her face in his shoulder and he patted her head.

"There there."

"Cloud, what am I going to do?"

"Ask them to edit it?"

"Not about that… I screwed up BIG time. My first boyfriend and he turns out to be an egotistical bastard."

"Hey, we've all been there. Don't worry about it. In a few days everyone will have forgotten about it." Tifa said.

Cloud suddenly pointed at the TV.

"There's the egotistical bastard now!" They looked up and saw a shot of James. It was a photograph and he was smiling.

"James Winters is the reporter who uncovered the story. A student at Midgar University, he is also the current boyfriend of Aeris Gainsborough. We'll have a full interview with him at 6 tonight."

"Full interview?" Cloud said. "He doesn't waste any time does he?"

"Apparently not." Tifa said. She glanced at her watch. "And classes are in half an hour."

"Aeris, I'll wait outside music for you and then we can come over here." Cloud said. Aeris smiled.

"Aw, is someone feeling overprotective?"

"Just slightly." Cloud said gruffly.

When Aeris got to music, Yuffie was waiting for her.

"Oh my gawd, Aeris, I just saw you on the news! Is it true, what your parents did?"

"Yes, it's true. But they only did it to save my life."

"What about James?"

"We're over. Oh, is he in there?" Aeris asked, looking at the door to the music room.

"Yeah…"

"Fantastic. We'll just have to avoid him for, I don't know, ever!"

Aeris went in. Everyone turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes and sat down at a desk with Yuffie. James came over.

"Aeris, what's wrong with you? I thought you'd be glad. What your parents did to you…"

"My parents saved my life! I guess you left that bit out of the article." Aeris told him. She stood up but he grabbed her arm.

"Aeris, please! This is stupid… I love you, and I'm not going to break up with you over this."

"Not your choice, I'm afraid. I've already broken up with you. I thought I made that quite clear."

The door opened and Shera came in. She looked from James to Aeris and said,

"Private lives can be sorted out later, please. We're here for music. OK, first things first, the concert. Aeris, if you would?"

After they had spoken about the concert, they split up to work on their personal pieces. Yuffie and Aeris practised 'Too Lost In You' until they were practically perfect at it. While Yuffie practised some piano pieces, Aeris opened up one of the music books that stood on the shelves around the room. Bernadette approached her.

"Aeris?"

"Yeah?"

"Here's the prototype for the programme. I just need to know who's performing what."

"Oh, thanks Bernadette. I'll get the list to you ASAP."

"Thanks Aeris."

Aeris turned back to the book and her eyes fell onto a song she knew. She was looking for one to perform on the Open Mic Night. She had signed up that morning. She signed the book out and put it in her bag.

Shera called them back to the circle.

"OK, time to perform. Aeris, you go first."

Aeris frowned. She hadn't planned what to perform. She sat down nervously at the piano. Yuffie put her hand up.

"Can we do our duet?"

"Go ahead." Shera nodded. Aeris smiled gratefully at Yuffie and started to play.

"Aeris, can I talk to you for a minute?" Shera asked as the class trailed out. Aeris stayed behind.

"You saw the paper."

"I did. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright." Shera said, delicately.

"I guess so. It's all rubbish anyway." Aeris said, hugging her bag to her. Shera nodded as she put things into her own bag.

"Is that what you and James were arguing about?"

"Yes… I can't believe he would do this to me though, and to my parents."

"James… James is very serious about his writing, isn't he?"

"Yeah. I just didn't realise how serious."

"Hmm. Well, I've got to run. Meeting. And Aeris… if you need to talk…" She didn't finish the sentence. Aeris smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Shera."

The teacher nodded and left. Cloud was waiting outside the door.

"You OK?"

"Yeah, I guess. Come on, I need coffee."

"Do you even eat anymore? I swear you're running on pure caffeine." Cloud laughed.

"Nah, food is so overrated…" Aeris joked, as they made their way to the café.