Princess Thief RikkuAyamani: lol yeah they've been apart long enough.

RoxasxNamine4ever: Cake! Yay! And your dance moves are impressive lol

Brister: Yes one of the best parts of the movie was when they got back together again.

Angelicxox: Well you can find out now :)

Sakura Mitzuki: Aww thanks. You're so nice. I don't think I did that great lol

Ankosune: lol yes I did didn't I. Sorry about that. Here's the continuation

Silver chocobo15: Next chapter. Sorry lol.

Chapter 11: Catching Up

The woman leapt off him, dropping her weapon in surprise. Too confused to receive it, she backed away slowly. She gave a small squeak as she hit the tree. Cloud got to his feet and walked towards her.

"Is it really you?" He asked, reaching for her. She tried to push him away but he grabbed the cloth and ripped it off, revealing her face.

"It is you." He murmured softly as he took a step back and admired her. There was beauty about her that he had never noticed before. Her features, though more feminine now, were still recognisable. She pressed herself right back and stared at him, forgetting about Cid and Barret.

"Who are you?" She asked carefully,narrowingher eyes in confusion.Cloud felt slightly hurt as the question reached him. Was he really that different? Sure he had a tan, and his hair had grown longer and an even lighter shade of blond but he didn't think he had changed that much.

"It's me." He said, holding a hand out. "Cloud." He watched her eyes narrow further as she tilted her head to the side.

"Cloud?" She whispered, looking straight into his eyes. She gasped as she recognised him.

"Cloud!" She screamed, hugging him.

"It's great to see you." Cloud said, holding her close to him. She pulled back.

"It's great to see you too. What are you doing here?"

"Forget me, what are you doing out here?"

"Sorry to break this precious moment," Cid's voice called to them. "But, in the politest way possible um…WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Aeris and Cloud were startled out of their hug and Cloud turned to Barret and Cid.

"Guys, this is Aeris. She's one of my best friends from my home!"

"Friend?" Cid replied in astonishment.

"Aeris, these are two new friends, Barret and Cid."

"Pleasure to meet you." Barret greeted politely. Aeris smiled.

"Pleasure's all mine." She answered.Cid was about to greet her before he shookhis head.

"Wait just one flammin' minute here. You know her and she knows youbut somehow that makes it ok for her to turn up here and BEAT US ALL UP!" He yelled.

"Relax Cid." Cloud warned as Aeris turned back to him.

"Wait until everyone finds out you've been here all this time. And your mother, what will she think?" Cloud's smile disappeared into a frightened expression as he remembered Sephiroth finding him beside Zack and Yuffie.

"What about your poor mother? What will she think?"

"She doesn't have to know." He said quickly, trying to block the memories. "Nobody has to know." Aeris frowned.

"Of course they do! Everyone thought you died ten years ago!"

"What?"

"In the stampede. We thought you died with Zack." She explained before she smiled slightly at him. "You'll be pleased to know that Yuffie recovered and is doing ok now. Reno's confessed his feelings for her."

"Yuffie's alive?" Cloud whispered, more to himself rather to her. Aeris nodded anyway. He turned to her.

"How do you know about all this?"

"Sephiroth told us."

"Did Sephiroth say anything else?" He asked with an air of panic about him.

"What else matters? You're alive." Aeris smiled, an unusual sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him. Barret coughed.

"Well, I think that tea is ready now Cid." He suggested not too subtly as he grabbed the blonde's arm and dragged him into the house. Cloud smiled after them.

"Barret and Cid, once you get used to their weirdness, you'll love them." He laughed before he turned to see Aeris walking away. Her lips turned up a little from his comment but he still saw the sadness.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking beside her.

"It's like you're back from the dead." She whispered, holding her arms across her chest. Cloud stepped closer to her as she looked up into his eyes. He was amazed to see tears threatening to fall.

"You don't know how much this will mean to everyone." She continued before her eyes fell to the ground.

"Or what it means to me." She said the last sentence in such a quiet and sad tone, Cloud was amazed he had heard it. He put his arm around her.

"It's ok. I'm here now." He reassured her. Aeris turned to him, falling into his embrace as a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I really missed you." She admitted softly. Cloud rested his cheek on her hair, closing his eyes at the soft texture.

"I missed you too."

Barret smirked slightly to himself as he watched the two young adults cuddling before he closed the blinds, leaving them in privacy.