Cid Highwind was dying.

Cid Highwind was dying, and that much they all knew.

He'd managed to out live almost everyone he'd fought with excluding Cloud, Tifa, Vincent and Red. He'd even left his long suffering wife behind, Shera.

But this time there was no escape, not that he wanted to escape. Cid was ready to die; he'd been ready since he'd laid Shera in the ground twelve years before.

There weren't many things that he regretted but he wished he'd been a better husband, and a better Father.

'Dad…' Her voice was soft, she sounded so much like her Mother.

'Cid?' Cid's eyes opened; with what strength the cancer hadn't sucked out of him he raised his head grinding his teeth a little at the sound of Vincent's familiar tone. With a super human effort he bit his tongue keeping himself from saying something that would only hurt his daughter, she already knew what he thought of her choice of boyfriend the last thing any of them needed was another argument. They'd spent so much time at each others throats after Shera's death that he didn't have the strength to fight anymore.

'Dad, its Molly Sam's outside with Zack do you want me to call them in?' Molly motioned, brushing a strand of cornflower colored hair out of her green eyes.

Cid nodded softly. Seeing her Father in so much pain was almost too much for the young pilot who quickly exited the room, tears filling her eyes.

'Cid I just wanted to,'

'Safe it Valentine! This aint for you benefit.' Vincent's head fell forward silently, as he stood in the corner of the room.

It wasn't long until Molly was back following her was a tall, slender woman with long dark chestnut flowing hair and bright blue eyes, which matched the intensity of Cid's own stare.

'Can you wait outside please, Moll.' Sam breathed, glancing at her Father from the corner of her eye a look of distaste crossing her features.

'Urgh sure me and Vincent were just leaving, someone's got to be there to pick Sydney up from school.' Although she hadn't intended to hurt her Father Molly's words cut through Cid like a knife, he neglected his youngest daughter the most. It was bad enough that she'd lost a Mother, but she'd never even really had him as a Father he'd blamed her.

Moving across the room Molly leaned forward wrapping her slender arms gently around her Father squeezing him warmly remembering as she closed her eyes the hero he'd been of her childhood. She was losing him, the first man she had ever truly worshipped her yard stick by, which she'd always measured her previous relationships. And then Molly felt a hand grip her own, turning her head she smiled weakly at her sister wrapping her arms loosely around Sam's neck.

'Please don't, just let it be…for me.' She whispered against her sister's ear recognizing the look of ignorance that was written over her features. Samantha said nothing Molly was the one person she couldn't lie to.

'I'll drop by tomorrow with Sydney Dad; she's dying to see you.' Cid couldn't control himself his ears began to ring with a cruel chuckle.

'Molly.' Vincent whispered reminding her that they were running late, changing the subject quickly.

'Hey co-pilot you know I didn't mean that right just cus I'm dying don't mean my sense of humor has improved.' Cid grinned weakly he couldn't leave it like that he needed her to know how much he loved her.

Once she was safely out of the hospital room Molly broke down. Hunching over as she sobbed silently to herself as she leaned against one of the cold white walls. All she wanted to do now was go home and cry, she'd never cried in public before in fact she'd never really cried at all she was too much of a Highwind for that. But now she found that however much she tried, she just couldn't stop herself.

'Zack's taking you home.' Vincent breathed appearing next to her, rubbing her tears away quickly she stood up straight frowning.

'No I can do this, Sydney needs me.'

'This is up for debate, you're going home.' Molly opened her mouth to protest but before she could, he reached out for her.

'You are doing this you're being so strong. But you have to rest you're no good to anyone if you don't do that and we all need you so much…especially me.'

Relenting control something, which had never come as easy to Molly she wrapped her arms around Vincent's waist resting her head against his strong chest.

'Vincent what about…' Patting her shoulder softly, he brushed his cold lips across her forehead.

'I'm collecting Sydney, I have done it before.'

Raising her head Molly leaned up and kissed Vincent. She'd never had a boyfriend like him before, he'd never minded what she'd put him through or however many dates she'd cancelled due to her 'obligations' as he'd always called them.

'So how are Uncle Cloud and Aunty Tifa these days?' Molly questioned Zack trying to keep a positive tone in her voice as they headed towards the exit.

'Oh Mum, and Dad are fine they're really sorry they couldn't make it down here again.'

'So when were you going to tell me about this?' Molly questioned as Sam stepped through the front door of their childhood home, from the brief glance she'd taken it hadn't changed much from the last time she'd seen it.

'What?'

Sitting on the sofa in her dressing gown, the blonde curly haired pilot stood up clutching a glossy magazine tightly between her tense hands as she moved.

'This, you know this will kill him.' Molly glared, thrusting the magazine against her younger sister's enhanced chest. Indignantly Sam glanced down her eyes widening a little as she saw her picture plastered across the front page.

Meet the new Mrs. Shinra…

Sam blushed glancing sheepishly at her sister, she wasn't about to deny it.

'You're engaged to Rufus Shinra, how could you how could you do this!'

'Easy he asked me and I said yes it would have been rude to have refused. God does my bum really look that big…' She mused, staring at herself.

'This is Rufus Shinra don't you care what he did?'

'Did it's in the past pretty much were you guys seem to spend all your time. And I know exactly who he is he's the richest guy on the planet and I'm going to be his wife and then maybe head of Shinra inc when he's gone.'

'Have you listened to yourself head of Shinra Inc, Sam you're a Highwind.' Smirking, the brunette slung the magazine across the coffee table, folding her arms across her chest.

'Not any more, I'm Samantha now and I've dropped the Highwind part of my name. In a couple of weeks I'll be Mrs. Shinra, so it doesn't really matter anymore anyway.' Sam stated matter-of-factly getting a strange sense of pleasure at the sight of the distress written clearly across her sister's features.

Molly was tired she was tired of trying to hold things together she'd done it for so long she felt like she'd wasted her life…she'd wasted her dream. Nothing that her sister did anymore surprised her and she wasn't about to give her any satisfaction in questioning Sam's motives resigning herself to the fact that the image of the happy childhood she had treasured and tried so desperately to preserve for Sydney had been ground into the dirt by everyone around her.

'I'm going to bed.' Sam informed stifling a yawn as she made her way out of the living room, before she walked out she paused something made her stop glancing back at Molly who was sitting visibly shattered on the tatty sofa she was suddenly gripped by a pain in her something, so this was what it felt like to feel guilty. She'd never felt guilty before and she had no idea why the feeling suddenly swept over her now, saying nothing she left.