She's been gone for an hour. Cloud hurried out the door in the direction of the church. Why am I worried? It's probably nothing. But he couldn't help it, and started to run. As he hit the doors of the church he saw her… lying there on the floor. "Tifa!"

"Cloud…" she murmured, turning over and looking at him.

"Nice of you to take your time, Cloud."

He looked up from Tifa, seeing Aeris standing over the pool, that sword… Sephiroth's sword in her hand. "What… how did you get that?"

"Really, Cloud, you're so naïve." Her voice changed, deepened, to that sound that made Cloud's ears ring. "Did you really think you'd see the last of us?"

"I was hoping," Cloud stammered. He forced himself to walk forward and kneel down, gathering Tifa into his arms.

"Cloud, go… it's not her… it's…"

"Oh, Cloud already knows who it is." Aeris laughed, Sephiroth's deep cackle erupting from her throat. "You never should have thought that letting those cells drip into the earth wouldn't have its repercussions."

"But why did you have to pretend to be her?" He screamed. "Why could you have enough nerve to look like yourself, Jenova?"

"Oh, but that wouldn't have been as fun!" Cloud suddenly watched at Aeris tossed Cloud's sword in front of him. "Plus, I really want to see your face when you try to kill her."

"I won't."

"Oh, you will." Aeris snapped her fingers and Denzel appeared from behind her.

"Denzel, get away from her!" He wanted to keep yelling, but stopped, seeing the futility to shining in Denzel's eyes… his mako eyes.

"Doesn't he look adorable with those eyes? Just like his father."

"Father?" Cloud murmured.

"Oh, you really are foolish. You really haven't noticed the resemblance? I mean, only this bone structure could have come from you."

"Denzel is…" Cloud looked down at Tifa. She moved her face to the side, but not fast enough for Cloud not to notice the tears in her eyes.

So he knows now… he knows… but I couldn't tell him. Was it worse to hear it from her?

"Oh, so much worse, Tifa. How could Cloud love you now that he knows you've been keeping this secret from him for ten years? But at least now he knows, right?" Aeris laughed again.

"Let him go," Cloud growled, slipping Tifa gently out of his arms. "Give me back my son!" Cloud picked up the sword and ran for Aeris, only to be blocked by Sephiroth's sword.

"That's the anger I like to see." Aeris smiled, pushing Cloud back. "But you didn't let me finish." Aeris reached behind her and produced another buster sword, placing it in Denzel's hands. "See, now isn't this a perfect picture? Just like when you were little, Cloud."

"I won't let you do this to him!" Cloud continued with hit after hit, only to be blocked each time by Sephiroth's sword.

"It's already done, Cloud." Aeris pushed him back on last time before turning the sword and catching Cloud in the shoulder. "And I think this is done, too." Aeris laughed as she twisted the sword, the blood gushing from his shoulder.

"Denzel!" Tifa's voice echoed from behind Cloud. "Denzel, please!"

"Tifa…" Cloud tried to pull back but Aeris pushed the sword in deeper. His eyes fell to Denzel, his heart breaking at the sight of those mako eyes. "Denzel, run." He watched as Denzel lifted his head, a moment of recognition blinked behind his eyes.

"Denzel!" He heard Tifa struggled up against the destroyed pews. "Denzel, please!"

Cloud finally got his footing and pushed back, the blood spewing from where the sword used to be. He crouched, the pain throbbing in his head.

"Please, could you stop yelling?" Aeris sighed. "It obviously won't do him any good." She reached down and placed a hand under Denzel's chin. "He's all mine."

"No!" Cloud rushed back at Aeris, sending his sword down on the top of her shoulder. It cut in, but not very far before Aeris caught it with her hand, a frown on her face.

"You actually got me… bravo." Before Cloud could react, the sword plunged into Cloud's stomach, the blood pooling in his mouth.

"Cloud!" Tifa's scream drilled right into Cloud's heart.

"Denzel…" Cloud groaned. He pulled forward on the sword, now close enough to touch Denzel. He reached out, feeling his son's cheek. "Denzel…"

The blood rushed though Denzel's veins, the mako loosing its grip. Suddenly, his eyes went back to blue, focusing on the sword plunged in Cloud's stomach. "Cloud?"

"Denzel… go… get Tifa out…"

"What?" Aeris looked down at Denzel, her face twisted in rage. "How could you?"

"Looks like… he is my son…" Cloud smiled and spit out a glob of blood. "Now, go, Denzel…"

"Shut up!" Aeris pulled the sword out of Cloud's stomach, about to give another strike when she stopped, taking a step back.

Cloud's eyes fell to Denzel, seeing the sword in his hand, the sword that was sticking into Aeris' stomach. "Denzel…" As Aeris' hand drop to her side, Cloud raised his sword, making a clean but aching swipe to Aeris' neck. As her head fell, Cloud dropped with it.

"Cloud!" Tifa was up and struggling to walk towards them, finally dropping next to him. "Cloud, please, open your eyes."

"I'm… okay…" Cloud groaned, blood covering his lips.

"It's nothing, see?" Denzel knelt next to Cloud, taking his hand. "Cloud's fine."

"Yeah," Tifa choked, her throat tightening.

Cloud tried to push himself up, but failed. Tifa caught him, sitting him up in her arms. "I'm sorry, Tifa."

"Don't, Cloud, please…"

"No, I'm sorry that… I didn't… figure it out… I'm so foolish…"

"Cloud, please, don't do this!"

"But now… is better than never… right? Tifa…" He reached a hand up and touched her face, smearing some of his blood across her cheek. "I… love you…"

--

"We really have to stop meeting like this." Aeris leaned over, sniffing a flower to next Cloud's head.

"Am I… dead?"

"Almost, but you've got some people looking after you," Aeris smiled.

Cloud sat up, staring off into the endless field of flowers. "I couldn't… save you again."

"Well, if you didn't notice, that wasn't me." Aeris sat next to him. "You really were being silly to think I could come back."

"I was just so happy to see you again…"

"Cloud… you can see me anytime you want, in here," she poked his head softly. "And it's not that I wouldn't love to come back, but life doesn't work that way."

"You shouldn't have had to come back. I should have saved you."

"Cloud… you really have to quit that. You don't need me now, anyway." Aeris gave his shoulder a push. "What you need is to go back and fix what you already have."

"I don't… have anything." Cloud sighed. "I pushed everything away… everyone away."

Aeris laughed. "Well, luckily you picked a girl who enjoys your abuse."

"She probably hates me now."

"So pessimistic!" Aeris giggled. "Did you ever think of why she found Denzel, after all the time she left him?"

"No."

"Because she wanted to show you, wanted to tell you, to make a family." Aeris touched his arm, making Cloud look at her. "She was just waiting for you."

"She should have told me…"

"You should have known! Really, Cloud, it wasn't that hard to see. You just didn't want to, did you? You knew, deep down, but you kept it down."

"I didn't."

"Don't lie to me!" Aeris laughed. "Because you'd definitely be an idiot if you didn't."

"Fine," Cloud sighed, a smile forming on his lips. "I… had a feeling but could never bring myself to ask her."

Aeris clicked her tongue. "You could sleep with her but not talk to her?"

"It was complicated," Cloud frowned.

"Of course, because everything's complicated with you." Aeris sighed. "Let me guess, you wanted to show her you loved her, and when you woke up the next morning you felt you showed too much. Because there is no place for emotions for a soldier!" Aeris made a mean face, making Cloud smile.

"I was… scared of loving her. I was scared that it would only end up hurting her."

Aeris erupted into giggles. "Because the way you treat her now is making her feel dandy?"

"I screwed everything up," Cloud sighed.

Aeris stood up and wiped the dirt off her dress. "In that case, I think it's time you go back."