Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just that cake. Hey man, I have rights to claim that cake. I baked it didn't I? I totally pwn it!

Is that even in the right context? I never understood the pwning. Why p? Was it just a simple spelling error that some just went with? How did it begin? Ya knoe, I wrote down this entire paragraph about all the possibles to the end of the story and I talked about how I've been thinking and going over all the best endings and that I've really just been winging this entire story and that you like it anyway. makes me so happy But then I went on to actually write and hit ctrl n instead of ctrl b so instead of taking of the bold setting. I blanked my page. x.x So sucky.

Chapter Nine

For a long time we stayed exactly where we were. I sat there in the middle of rubble and dust, my hands politely folded in my pink lap. Cloud stood in the doorway across the church, his mouth still open and his eyebrows slanting farther down and we just look at each other. His blue eyes squint to see me in the darkness of that corner. Debris crunches under Cloud's boots, covering them in chalky powder, as he stumbles forward. I've never seen him act like this on his own accord. I sit up a little straighter, my body begins to quiver in fear. I have no idea how this is going to end. Will my plan work? Will this get him out of this lapse of insanity? Or will he just realize it's Tifa and kill me on the spot? What? "It's...it's really you?" he whispers.

"Who else would it be, silly?" He shakes his head. Rubs his face.

"Every one told me I was crazy. That you couldn't have come back." I smile like Aerith would but he can't see me. "How did you do it? Are you really alive?" He pauses. "Or are you a ghost?"

I'm not sure how to answer that so I just sit there and continue to watch him. He keeps stepping closer and closer to me. There's no where I can run so I have to get that out of my head. His footsteps have this almost undead quality to them. They don't go up too much so he's shuffling his feet but because of the debris he's tripping. Not even saying a word. To watch him act like this, it's almost unbearable. I mean, I just said I have never really seen him act like this, although there were a few occasions. How is it that he can lose all control of him self and barely be able to even walk because a girl that died years ago? It makes me want to cry. Partly because it's heartbreaking to watch him be like this when he's never shown half this much feeling toward me and partly because it's my fault he's like this.

When he finally stops stumbling, he's standing at the edge of my pew. His sword glints with what little light there. Just keeps staring. I stand. Cloud rushes forward, banging his knee on the hard wooden bench. A tiny breath escapes me as Cloud embraces me, breathes me in, doesn't let me go. "You're real," he whispers in my ear.

"Haven't I always been real?" I tried to sound girly. It kind of worked.

"Aerith, you don't sound like you usually do." He's skeptical? Crap in a pita.

My words fly out of my mouth, "I haven't got much time." And then my eyes squint as I try to remember why that would be my best Aerith response. I guess it was Aerith enough. Nothing to worry about. Even sounded really...girly. And it makes sense. Why am I analyzing this so much?

"Aerith I- I missed you," he breathes. His breath is warm on my neck. Considering the circumstances I'm thinking that shouldn't turn me on. Nope. Definitely not. My hands wrap around his back and I squeeze him gently.

"It's okay, Cloud."

"Aerith I..." Cloud's body tenses up. His breath quickens along with his heart. He's trying to form a word. Trying to tell her/me something.

I giggle. "What's happened to your confidence?"

His arms tighten around me for a second. "I'm forgiven?"

"I never blamed you. You were always there for me and saved me so many times. I could never blame you for what happened." My lips smile and eyes squint more. I don't understand. Did I take some kind of Speak Like Aerith crash course? Yeah, I didn't think so. "I know things have been hard, Cloud. But don't worry. I'm here for you."

"Aerith, a lot of things have changed. I've changed with them." His voice is hollowed out.

I giggle again. "But you've changed in a good way haven't you? Aren't you happy with everything?

"That's just it. Aerith...I.." And there he went again. He just can't finish the sentence.

"You're not scared are you?" I pull away from him and look at him. A soft smile appears on my lips as I say it. He shakes his head and then nods. "Why are you scared?" I laugh. My eyes widen as I suddenly sound like Tifa again. His eyes narrow down a little. Lot of crap in a pita. "Same old Cloud." I bring my hand up to touch his face.

He presses his cheek to my palm. Takes a deep breath. Is this it? "I'm in love," he whispers. My body giggles, my mind cringes. I'm never gonna get used to it am I? But why would I giggle?

"I know."

"You don't," he blurts. "I mean, you haven't been in a long time. Things have changed."

"Sounds like you've been thinking." I lean my chest forward. In the back of my head I'm wondering Why am I doing this? My boobs are gonna pop out!

"I have been. At first I just wanted to be forgiven."

"And I forgave you," I cut in.

"But the more I thought about why I wanted to be forgiven the more I realized how I really felt. Aerith I'm in love," he sighs, "with Tifa." My body stiffens. Inside and out. I can't even think. I can't think!

After a second of disbelief, I whisper, "When did you find out?"

"After I saw you in the church. It was a different feeling. When I went back to the bar, and she was there I couldn't stop myself. I just wanted to be with her. I felt free again." He paused. "After we slept together," my eyes got wide but I don't know why and they started tearing, "I knew I had to see you again. Everything felt wrong. I had to repent I guess."

Repent? Like what? She's his mom or something? My throat's closed up from the shock of what Cloud had just said and I still couldn't think. "I told you you had nothing to that needed to be forgiven. I know things have changed. You're not the same Cloud I remember. I never thought...you would stop loving me though. I thought I'd always be before Tifa." What am I saying? Is this really how I feel? Why can't I concentrate? It's like I'm not even me anymore.

Cloud looks down at our feet. "It's not that, Aerith. I still love you. It's just that I found that I love Tifa too."

My voice is almost pleading and upset as I say "But I'm here now! I'm back Cloud. Isn't that enough for you? I came back for you! You needed me!" The last bit came out as a yell. "You always made us compete for you! Sure you loved me but Tifa was always in the back of your mind. I always had to look past that. And now I'm back and she's won?" I drop down to a whisper. "You can't have us both."

Cloud puts a hand on my quivering arm. "Aerith?" My hand smacks his off me.

"I won't lose to her!" I shout. I dart past him, leaving the pew and heading for the back of the building. My foot catches on a steel rod poking out from the rubble. I snatch it up and continue running for the alter. I have to take a stand.

Okay so it ends up I'm gonna have to write another chapter. I didn't think this would happen. Man...winging stories is the best! Ya just write what ever comes to you! But this has some depth. Man I love being me! And thanks guys again for understanding and wishing me well. My ankle is all better! I still can't go down into saza sa..zau? i got no clue how to spell that. I'm not Japanese. there's probably a u in there without having it stick out but oh well! I can still kick your ass with a bamboo stick. Right..Hold on a little longer! Ska chan out!