She looked around as she walked through the town center, trying to get a feel for the place she would now be living in. Besides the quaint and charming little houses encircling the brick-laid center, the lone well at its middle was the only other distinguishing feature in immediate sight.
There were a few townspeople bustling about at various paces around her, but not many. She'd also noticed as she tried to acquaint herself that there were almost no men, and the men that were around seemed to be of elderly age. Where could they have gone? Where were the rest of the people?
She'd come here knowing it to be a small town, more like a village really, but hadn't expected it to be this small. And why was she here again? Because with the death of her guardian, a Miss Elmyra Gainsborough, she'd been sent here to live with a friend of Elmyra's who'd offer to take her in.
She was definitely old enough to live on her own at twenty five, but she surely didn't have the money for it. And so here she was, in this little mountain village instead of the Midgar she'd so grown attached to and looking as lost as she felt, she was sure.
The sound of her last bag being set down beside her snapped her out of her slight misery and she turned to the older gentleman. "Thank you very much, sir. I greatly appreciate all your help!" she thanked him, her gratitude genuine and hands together in front of her as her basket slid down her arm.
He tipped his straw field hat to her. "Anytime, miss. Sorry to take leave of you so soon, lass, but the boys are waiting for me back in the fields," he explained as he gathered the chocobo reigns in his hands. "Be sure to ask Mr. Grendel ta help ya with your bags. He'll be most happy ta." And with another nod of his head and a small smile, he lightly slapped the reigns and slowly moved away.
'So that's where everyone must be,' she thought. Nibelheim was an agricultural town, then, if 'the boys' were in the fields. She watched him proceed slowly to the gate, mindful of the few pedestrians in the square, and slowing further or stopping completely for those that needed to cross in front of him. Everyone seemed to be rather friendly here, she noticed, as they all nodded and exchanged pleasantries upon making eye contact.
That thought sat well with her and brought a small smile to her own face. She could fit in here then, if all it took was that. But she supposed she better get settled in. The wear of the too long journey was about to collapse her legs and she really wanted to sleep well for a change.
Looking up at the bakery emblem on the worn wooden sign, she placed a hand on the door and pulled it open, hugging her basket close to her. The interior was quite what she expected with shelves and racks everywhere of freshly baked dough products and the magnificent smell. 'I could wake up to this everyday,' she smiled giddily to herself. The air was relatively clear just through the door, but as she progressed towards the main counter she could see a definite cloudiness to it. 'The actual bakery must be back there, then,' she deduced, the heavier flour content floating in the air leading to that conclusion.
She hadn't seen anyone upon immediately entering, but movement off to her left drew her attention that direction. Finding the focal point of action, she was met by the face of a tiny little girl, long dark hair straight as can be framing her adorably rounded face and blanketing what looked like a plush chocobo in her arms.
The child's large dark eyes looked up at her happily, then quickly clouded with disappointment as she turned around and walked back under the lift-counter. She was further surprised as the same girl now faced her over it, appearing all business-like as she placed the very 'loved' pale green chocobo off to the side and folded her tiny hands in front of her, peering up.
"May I help you, ma'am?" the petite child said in the most adorable voice.
Aerith smiled brightly, completely taken in by the child's utter cuteness and brought her free hand up to somewhat hide it, not wanting to come across as patronizing to the small thing. "Why, yes," she began, trying to keep the laugh out of her voice, "I believe you can."
The child nodded once. "Then what can I get you today?"
'So professional,' she laughed to herself.
"Meredith!" a voice said from the back, gently teasing the girl. Coming from the doors behind the counter, an older woman was slapping her hands together, flour flying in the air, before wiping them on her apron. "Are you giving the customers are hard time again?" the woman said with a gentle smile.
"Of course not, Mrs. Grendel," Meredith said, shaking her head. "You were working," she started, and plopping down off the stool, she continued, "I didn't want to distre-dystrib-bother you," she finally choked out.
Although Aerith couldn't see her, the expression on her face as she stumbled on the word was quite visible in her mind's eye. It seemed that the girl couldn't be anything but precious and continually cause Aerith to smile. Oh, how she adored children!
Looking up at Aerith, Mrs. Grendel's warm face gave a greeting of its own. "Hello there, dear, you must be Elmyra's charge."
The humor left Aerith's features as they altered into ones of surprise. "Why, yes, how did you know?"
"Oh, that's simple, deary. You're a new face," Mrs. Grendel laughed by way of explanation and Aerith joined in on a quieter note tinged with embarrassment.
"I didn't think about that," Aerith threw in, cheeks colored slightly.
"Oh, it's no problem, honey," Mrs. Grendel assured her with a bright and loving smile. "But where are your bags? Surely, you brought some things with you."
"Oh! Yes, I did! They're outside. I couldn't bring them all in myself," she explained rather guiltily.
"Well, let's get you all moved in, then," she said, pushing her already rolled up sleeves higher on her arms and making for the door.
It was all Aerith could do to set her basket down and keep after her. "Be careful," Aerith warned. "Two of them are really heavy!"
"I lift bags of flour all day, dear. These won't be nothing." Picking up one and then trying for another, Mrs. Grendel commented, "That one is a little heavy, but we'll at least get it inside. Then we'll let Mr. Grendel take care of that one," she finished with a wink.
Nodding bemusedly at her remark, Aerith grabbed the remaining two smaller bags and followed Mrs. Grendel through the door and up the steps after parking the heaviest luggage at its bottom. Going down the hall a bit, they came to a room which was indicated as being hers.
Putting the two smaller bags on top of the bed, Aerith began to unpack with the help of Mrs. Grendel. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she asked about the little girl downstairs.
"Little Meredith?" Mrs. Grendel asked unnecessarily. "I watch her during the day while her father works in the fields."
"I had wondered," Aerith laughed, smiling distractedly. "She is just so adorable, though."
"Ah, that she is," Mrs. Grendel agreed with a sad, wistful smile. "She brings her father great joy." Picking up one of Aerith's long-sleeved tops, she refolded it before moving to place it in a dresser drawer. "She really is such a good girl," she continued absently, folding more clothes, "…saves her father so much trouble. Holy knows that poor man doesn't need any more."
Looking sideways from her own refolding, Aerith returned her eyes to her task and questioned, "What kind of man is her father?"
"A good one. One that's been hurt far too deeply to ever look at certain things the same way again, I think…" Shaking her head and the depressing thoughts away with it, Mrs. Grendel made her way to the doorway and turned back to smile at Aerith, leaning on its frame. "Perhaps you will meet him tonight when he returns from the fields." Continuing on her way with a last comment of coming down when she'd finished, Mrs. Grendel returned to work, presumably.
After finishing the two bags and small suitcase, Aerith sighed with relief and moved the now empty bags to under the bed. Giving the room a good once-over and committing it to memory, she continued down the steps to report back to her wardens. Spinning lightly around with her palm on the ball at the end of the banister, Aerith was met again by Meredith sitting at the counter, this time playing with her chocobo and conversing with it.
Coming up beside her, Aerith bent down, hands on knees, and smiled curiously. "Hello, there, Meredith. I don't think I told you my name. I'm Aerith," she said as the girl continued to play.
Not looking up from her doll, Meredith greeted in return, "Hello." Glancing up momentarily before returning to the chocobo, she asked in that mysterious tone all children possessed, "Mrs. Grendel said you'll be staying here with her and Mr. Grendel."
Nodding gently, Aerith continued to watch her. "Yes, that's right. I've come to stay with her for awhile."
This last bit of information seemed to particularly please Meredith and the little girl turned eagerly to look at Aerith. "Really?" she asked as the excitement trickled out. And at Aerith's confirming nod, Meredith became even more excited as she all but squealed, "That means I'll have someone else to play with!" She jumped off the stool and stopped just short of embracing Aerith. "Is it alright if I hug you?" she asked, looking up with adorable, dark eyes.
Laughing, Aerith nodded and lightly hugged the child back as the young girl squeezed her. "I'm so happy!" Meredith said with a spacious smile. "I don't have anyone to play with 'cept for Boco," the little girl said somewhat sadly as she gently rocked her plush chocobo. "All the other children get to go out, but dad says I have to stay here."
"Oh?" Aerith indulged the girl. "And why is that?"
Meredith sighed in that over dramatic manner before clarifying, "Because he says I'm not old enough to be with the other kids." Giving Aerith a forlorn look, Meredith turned around and made her way over to the stool again. Aerith watched Meredith climb as Boco was thrown up on the stool, the hand gripping him being used to pull herself up. "And it would worry Mrs. Grendel if I went out."
"How old are you, then, Meredith?"
"I'm four years old." Only from a child could you obtain facts as straight up as that. "How old are you?"
"Well," Aerith began, watching Meredith make Boco prance across the countertop. "I'm twenty five."
Looking to Aerith with large eyes, Meredith just went and said it, "Wow! That's old!"
"Is it?" Aerith laughed embarrassedly to herself.
"Very," the girl continued, too naïve to know when to stop. "But that's ok," Meredith went on, trying to console Aerith, of all things. "My daddy's lots older."
"Oh, good!" Aerith's laughter turned mostly to amusement as she reflected on the situation. "You almost had me worried." After giving Meredith a teasing smile, they were interrupted by what sounded like an infant crying. "Is that…?"
Heaving a dramatic sigh, Meredith explained as Boco fell limp at her side, "That's Jonathon. He's my brother." And almost rolling her eyes at Aerith, she continued, bringing Boco back up to prance along the counter. "He's such a baby. He's always crying." She paused in her speech to make Boco jump some imaginary hurdle before the chocobo sat down and started to clean itself. "That's why I can only play with Boco."
"Aerith, honey!" Mrs. Grendel's voice came from the back. "Would you be a dear and check on the baby?"
"Sure thing, Ma'am!" Aerith hollered back. Now, all she had to do was get to the child. Turning to Meredith, she gently implored the girl's help, "Meredith, could you show me where your brother is, please?"
"Sure!" Meredith smiled happily up at her. Then hopping down from the stool, she ran towards the back but darted to the left and stopped before the door. When Aerith arrived, she glanced up and ran into the room, bouncing up a small step-stool to end in both her and Boco peering onto a fussy Jonathon.
Aerith's first impression was 'how cute!' but quickly shifted into her next one of wonderment at how such a small thing could emit such a loud noise. Her smile fell into a semi-frown and she reached in to pick him up, stumbling a bit as she situated him as comfortably for herself as she could.
She didn't have much experience with infants and the baby could tell. His fit worsened until she'd held him in the cradle for a few moments, where he calmed down significantly but still cried softly. She began to rock him slowly as she'd seen mothers in Midgar do. It became more gentle and natural the longer it continued and he'd subsided into little sniffles.
And as she continued the motion, much more at ease with it now, Jonathon graced her with an occasional toothless smile and flashes of bright blue eyes. She made some noise the first time she noticed them, set off by his darker hair, though not quite as dark as Meredith's.
"What?" Meredith's inquiry came at Aerith's 'oh'.
Looking quickly to Meredith's curious face before again being captured by Jonathon's eyes, she replied, "His eyes are so blue."
"Oh, yeah. That," Meredith knew. "Daddy says most babies are born with blue eyes." Grinning up at Aerith, she continued, "I had blue, too."
"R-really?" Aerith said, stunned as she peered into Meredith's eyes.
"Yup!" she nodded enthusiastically. "But they changed to brown when I was two or three, daddy says." Giving Boco a tight squeeze, she put her free hand on Aerith's arms and hauled herself up enough to see Jonathon's face. "Daddy also says that his will probably change, too, because mommy's eyes are brown."
"Oh, I see," Aerith returned quietly, adding it to the little information she had about their family.
Meredith jumped down from the stool and skipped towards the door, pausing in the doorway. "He's hungry. I'll go get his bottle."
"How can you tell?" Aerith asked, truly bewildered.
"Because he doesn't smell!" Meredith giggled as she skipped from the room, Aerith releasing a small one herself.
When Meredith returned, Aerith took the bottle from her and sat in the chair by the window. Coaxing it into his mouth, Aerith started as she realized the temperature of the contents. "Did you warm this up, Meredith?"
She shook her head, Boco clung to her chest. "Um-mm. I'm not allowed in the kitchen."
"Oh, so Mrs. Grendel heated it for you?"
She nodded, bangs and hair swishing.
"So, Meredith," Aerith began gently, rocking Jonathon ever-so-slightly as he ate, "Your mother has brown eyes?"
"Yup," she said as she watched Aerith, rocking on her toes with Boco still imprisoned in her arms. "And she has dark brown hair like me!"
Aerith nodded, watching as the child in her arms suckled, "I see." She readjusted the boy and focused on the older sibling, enjoying the environment and the sight of the little energetic girl. "Where is your mother, by the way? Shouldn't you both be with her?"
Meredith's arms fell apart and Boco and her other hand met behind her, clasping together as she switched from rocking to swaying sideways. "I don't know. Daddy said mommy went away."
Aerith's heart clenched and she immediately felt sorry for prying. "I'm so sorry, Meredith," her sympathy drowned out her usual cheerfulness, and she had to actively stop herself from standing and upsetting the infant.
Meredith, or was it children in general, seemed to favor shrugging, for she offered another before saying, "Sometimes it makes me sad, but I have daddy, so it's okay."
Aerith could only bestow the girl a stricken look, feeling helpless. She certainly understood that position well, but didn't know how to articulate it to a child. Perhaps it was for the better…
The sun had started setting some time ago and now Aerith had time to reflect on the long day as she played with Meredith, whom seated across the counter from her on the high stool, played with the ever-present doll. Like for being only early evening, the sun sure set early, though Mrs. Grendel said it always did in the mountains. Apparently, many things 'did in the mountains'.
She'd been helping Boco flap one of his stunted wings, having finished helping prepare the ingredients for dinner. Mrs. Grendel had insisted on doing the cooking, claiming she needed to rest after such a harsh journey and assuring Aerith that she could help another night. The sound of the front door squeaking open and the little iron bell dinging shortly after broke them from their play and Aerith turned around.
"I'm sorry, sir," she smiled pleasantly as she turned and stepped forward, "but we're closed for the night."
The man slowly looked up from his boot, stopping in mid bang against the step in trying to remove any last caked earth. The eyes that peeked out from under his already light, candle-lit hair were bright and reflective and glistened in the low light. The tender glow from the small flames warmed them so magnificently that she didn't even register the inquisitive look they held until the silence pervaded.
"I know," a tentative and slightly confused tenor voice said. "I just got back from the fields and came to pick up my—," he began, looking briefly over his shoulder to where his right arm was pointing, the half rolled-up sleeve of his dirtied white shirt pulling.
A shout cut through their exchange and Meredith suddenly appeared between them, flying towards the door and man, "Papa!"
A large and brilliantly happy grin broke across the man's face as he bent down, arms wide open to catch the wayward child. She impacted solidly and his arms quickly folded around her, sweeping her up into a tight embrace. He swung around once, pretending to let Meredith's momentum drive them and planted a solid kiss on the girl's jaw and cheek.
"Hi, honey," he laughed a bit, amused at her regular antics. He made eye contact with Aerith, nodding in reply to her blush and finally entered the bakery.
"I'm sorry," Aerith said, blushing in embarrassment and looking down past clasped hands.
The man shook his head, and shuffling Meredith to his left arm and hip stuck out his right hand. "I'm Cloud."
Still kicking herself, Aerith met his hand with a very reserved one of hers, clasping in an extremely light and polite shake. "I'm Aerith." She'd managed to bring her gaze up to his, not wanting to insult him by being unable to, and started as she realized she could actually see their color. They were blue, and she meant blue.
"Oh, I see you've met Mr. Strife!" Mrs. Grendel's voice came from the kitchen doorway, and she made her way over to them, wiping hands on her apron as she smiled.
Cloud dropped his hand from Aerith's and brought it up to help support the bundle of living energy residing on his hip. "Yes," he said simply, glancing back to Aerith briefly before returning to Mrs. Grendel. "I hope Meredith wasn't too much trouble for you today," he winked quickly to Aerith. "She tends to…get excited," he and Mrs. Grendel both chuckling.
"No, of course not, hon," the older woman smiled lovingly. "They were both little angels, as always." Noting the tired smile and stance to Mr. Strife, she jumped, "Oh, let me go grab Jonathon for you so you can get home. You look positively exhausted tonight."
"Thank you," he nodded wearily, his smile slipping some what. Watching Mrs. Grendel weave around the lift-counter, he continued, "It's getting to be that time again."
"Oh, I know, dear," she said, slipping through the door and talking from the other room as her voice became muffled. "The end of harvest is hard on us all." Coming back out from the room with a sleeping Jonathon and tote in hand, she smiled at the both of them and paused as Cloud set Meredith down to take the infant and bag from her.
Throwing her hands up in her excitement, she remarked as she made for the kitchen, "Let me grab some rolls and bread for you for dinner." She brought out a small basket, the baked goods covered by a worn red-checkered cloth and handed it to Meredith, whom promptly placed Boco in it for a ride and swung her arms through it. "The less you have to prepare for your self, the better, eh?"
Cloud smiled warmly and gratefully, approaching the woman and leaning down to place a kiss upon her cheek. "Thank you, really. I appreciate all this so very much."
Mrs. Grendel blushed, the blood adding significant color to her bleached and wrinkled cheeks. "Oh, it was nothing! I try to help out where it's needed!" And pushing at Cloud's lower back, she maneuvered him to the door. "Now you best get your family home, young man, and get to bed. The next few weeks are gonna be hell," she half teased with what Aerith was beginning to label her trademark smile.
Meredith had flown her small hands to her mouth at the mild swear, giggling and looking up at the adults. Cloud looked down at her briefly and Aerith watched her trail her father as Mrs. Grendel all but pushed him out the door, holding it open for him and little Meredith. "Don't you stay up too late, now. Dawn comes much too soon." And smiling with that warm tenor again, she waved them home.
Cloud smiled warmly and it softened as he made contact with Aerith's eyes, nodding once before turning to look down at Meredith. She had smiled and nodded herself, watching as he said something to the girl before turning to look ahead. She caught the door as Mrs. Grendel turned back and continued to watch the little family cross the well plaza and enter their house. She smiled to herself as she let the door close and locked it behind her, sighing as she heard her warden's threat of her husband getting all the food if she didn't hurry.
This didn't look nearly as dismal as she'd feared it would. She was thankful for that and even looking forward to many tomorrows. Letting the smell of the wonderful country cooking take her over, she headed into the kitchen before Mr. Grendel made good on the threat.
Alright, that does it for the first chapter. Obviously, this is AU, and I mean a true AU. The characters will all be different; that means some physical attributes, occupations, ages, backgrounds; almost anything with the exception of personality. I will endeavor to leave those canon, as that's what makes the characters we love them. Cloud is significantly older than Aerith (think 10+ years), and that along with specific time specifications will be made clearer in the next 1-2 chapters.
As for subsequent chapters, they are forth-coming, but I cannot say when. This will be along the lines of NMNY, though hopefully won't take 2 years to write, too. LOL! I also cannot say how long/many chapters this will be because I write as I go. But I do have a plot (OMFG) and direction in mind, but being a perfectionist, it will take a while to arrive. And I tried to keep the paragraphs small, I really did!
Until next time!
O.o