They take refuge on a small island off the southern coast of the western continent, an island untouched by man and lush as the eye can see.

Without any leads on Cloud, they may as well get some rest before they search tomorrow. Cid promises Tifa that they'll find him, that it will be easy to search with the Highwind at their disposal, able to cover far more ground in a day than they could with the downed Tiny Bronco.

That night, he tries to get Lottie alone, but it's near impossible. Everyone wants to hear what happened to her after she was captured, and she tells them vague little details like she always does, though Vincent does nothing to contradict her, and refuses to tell Cid the entire story, instead telling him, "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

But he doesn't get the chance to. The girls retire to bed early, and Cid shows Charlie to her room first. It's the biggest room, and he claims that it's his apology for making off with her ship (that makes her smile, at least).

Later, when he walks past her room and peeks in through the half-opened door, he pauses. She isn't alone in bed and, though he shouldn't spy on her, he pushes the door open just a little bit more to see who's with her.

Charlie is fast asleep in the middle of two bodies, her left arm stretched out to her side. Yuffie lies on Charlie's exposed bicep, snoring away in the vice president's ear, while Tifa sleeps with her back pressed against Charlie's side.

Cid smiles to himself, and it takes a lot of strength to pull his gaze away from Charlie, closing the door and making for the comfort of his own bed.

He'll have time to talk to her tomorrow.

"So, I think I have an idea of where to look for Cloud."

"Okay. Lemme hear it, honey."

"So, Cloud fell into the Lifestream at the Northern Crater, right?" Charlie says, the first time she's voiced this thought. She didn't want anyone to think it was a ridiculous idea (namely Barret, who seems a little on edge without Cloud here to take the heat), but she knows that Cid won't think like that. "I know of a place south of the eastern continent, on a small island. It's a place called Mideel."

Cid looks up from his pilot's hands, having been training him tirelessly all night and all morning. He cocks an eyebrow at her. "What does Mideel have to do with the Lifestream?"

"It was a place of interest for a reactor, years ago. My father and Reeve went to survey the land," she explains, never having seen the town herself, "and it's really close to the Lifestream, so it's possible it might have carried him there. I just thought . . . maybe we could check, if there aren't any other leads."

He smiles at her, nodding. "All right." Turning to his pilot, he barks, "Set a course for Mideel!"

Charlie feels herself swell with pride, a feeling she hasn't felt in a long time.

She's been keeping close to Cid all morning, despite having woken to a nearly full bed. Tifa had fallen asleep with her, but Yuffie had snuck in sometime during the night, and Charlie was in no position to turn her away, allowing the girl to curl up on her arm, snoring.

She doesn't quite think she's ready to talk to Cait Sith—no, to Reeve—about what happened in Junon. Not only does she want to die of shame all over again for what she did with Rufus in the days before her presumed execution (in her defense, she just wanted to die thinking she was loved), but he had been able to contact Veld and Tseng quickly enough to plan an escape from the command center.

It had been the truth, what she told him. She isn't really mad at Reeve for keeping Veld's status and location from her, and of course she isn't mad at him for saving Tseng and keeping that secret, as well. It was the safest course of action, keeping two (former?) Turks hidden and away from Shinra's (from Rufus's) influence.

And of course she's thrilled that Reeve would choose to recruit two of the people she loves most in the world to rescue her, knowing that they wouldn't let her down, knowing that they could be trusted to save her.

But that doesn't mean Charlie isn't upset.

She had cried herself to sleep for months after Veld left, having assumed the worst. Reeve had witnessed it, had comforted her, had been there for her, all while lying to her face. He was the one person in the world who was supposed to tell her the truth, and yet . . . maybe she had expected too much from him.

After all, Reeve never claimed to be perfect, but Charlie will not deny that he's damn close to it, or so she thinks.

She can't help but wonder if he fought for her, if he tried to stop her execution, if he tried to talk Rufus out of it. She wants to believe that Reeve would do those things for her, just as she would do those things for him, but part of her has a hard time seeing Reeve standing up to her brother, to the president.

Not that she was the perfect little girlfriend, embarrassed of her relationship with the Turks, embarrassed of her relationship with her brother, embarrassed of things she had done and said, embarrassed to share most of those things with him.

That's a conversation she wants to have with Reeve, not with Reeve through a toy cat.

Mideel is a small village on a large island to the south of the eastern continent. It's located in the center of a thick jungle, but there's a pathway for them to follow, so it isn't such a bad trip.

The buildings, the bridges between them, the windmill that turns with each slight breeze, the fence on either side of the path, it's all built with wooden planks and scrap metal to give them protection from the rain that likely drowns this place. The only thing that isn't made of metal or wood is the stone walkways, leading from one place to another, the rock sparse and covered in dirt with little wildflowers peeking up around and in-between them.

It's a sweet little village, and Charlie is glad that a reactor hasn't been built here. It would be a shame to see such a hidden gem turned to nothing but browned and deadened landscape.

"Let's split up," Barret suggests as they make their way into the village center together. He and Nanaki break off without a word, like they've already planned this.

Tifa and Yuffie decide to go the opposite way, Cait Sith and Vincent make for the second story of the village, where a few buildings rest upon sturdy wooden platforms, and Charlie finds herself alone with Cid again, but both of them recognize that this isn't the time to be playful.

Determined to find Cloud, and determined to prove to them that she's helpful and eager to assist her new friends, Charlie and Cid scour the village to the best of their ability, speaking with locals who recognize her as the vice president and bless her several times for visiting their village, urging her to support the small shops that they've put together.

Unfortunately, Charlie doesn't have any money on her, but the shopkeeper tries to convince Cid to buy something after hearing some gil being rattled around in his pants pocket. The selection isn't very good, but there's a necklace that the shopkeeper holds up in front of his face, likely the most expensive item in the shop.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" she asks him, ignoring his weak protests. "A perfect gift for your girlfriend."

"Oh, we're not—no, I'm not—she's not—she's not my girlfriend," he stammers, blushing furiously and giving Charlie a quick sideways glance. "And I don't—I don't really have the money for that kinda thing."

This puts him in a foul mood when they leave the shop, empty-handed. With his hands dug deep in his pockets, Cid keeps his head down as they continue their search of Mideel, kicking at the flowers that spring up from the ground, sighing very heavily.

Charlie slides her arm around his, fingers curling around hard muscle. He must be sweating in his jacket. The air here is humid, but she isn't complaining. She much prefers the suffocating heat to the icy wind and bitter cold of the northern continent.

"Are you all right?" she asks him, flashing him a small smile when he glances her way again. "That necklace was ugly anyway, and I know it wasn't real silver. She was trying to con you."

He sighs again. He sighs a lot when he's holding something in. Blushing again, he relents. "I just . . . wish I could buy you things, y'know?" he mutters, looking down at the ground again. "I ain't seen you in a week, and I feel bad 'bout everything."

Charlie smiles more earnestly at him. "I don't care about that. The world is ending and I don't need anything." She squeezes his bicep. "I'm just happy being with you."

Cid stops walking abruptly, and Charlie continues to hold onto his arm. "Look, I'm really sorry 'bout makin' you wait a week."

"Don't apologize. I would rather have waited a week than have you never come at all."

"Well . . ." He runs a hand through his hair, his finger getting caught on the goggles that sit upon his forehead. "Maybe tonight we could . . . talk or somethin'."

She knows that he's going to ask about what happened, and she knows that he's probably going to press her for details, as well. But knowing that Meteor lingers in the sky overhead and remembering how Cid hadn't recoiled when she confessed to kissing her brother, Charlie doesn't feel so scared. She doesn't feel so much like avoiding him, or running away from facing the truth this time.

"I'd like that," she replies with a slight shrug and a smile. "Maybe we could sit on the deck of the airship and look at the stars or something."

A smile creeps onto his face. "Yeah, I'd like that, too."

The last place Charlie and Cid happen to wander into is a makeshift clinic on the edge of the village, half-hidden by foliage. The doctor explains that two women had already come in asking after someone, and both she and Cid are led to a back room.

"I just want to warn you before you enter, so you're not taken by surprise," the doctor tells them before opening the door. "The boy was found washed up about seven days ago, with the most severe case of mako poisoning that I've ever seen."

Cid shakes his head, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Mako poisoning? What's that mean?"

"It means that he's been exposed to a high level of mako energy for a protracted period of time," the old man continues, looking very apologetically at the both of them. "It's very likely that he has no idea where he is, or even who he is. His speech . . . well, he's been unable to form a coherent sentence all week. I don't think he'll realize that any of his friends have come to see him. He's miles away from us."

"Damn," Cid sighs, looking down at Charlie. "Ain't there anythin' that can be done for him?"

The doctor glances quickly at the door. "Why don't you look in on him, and then we can speak privately outside?"

The room Cloud is in has three hospital beds side-by-side, but he's not in any of them. He sits in the corner of the room, limp in a wheelchair. His head hangs low and his mouth opens and closes wordlessly, his pupils blown out, breathing very raggedly.

Tifa kneels before him, trying to see up into his face, and Yuffie keeps to herself in another corner of the room, crying bashfully into her hands. Charlie feels very much as if she and Cid are intruding on a very intimate moment between old friends, and they leave before Tifa realizes they've even entered the room.

They meet the doctor outside, who seems very nervous to speak with them. "I've never seen a case this bad," he confesses grimly, shaking his head. "An immense amount of mako-drenched knowledge was put into his brain all at once. No normal human could have survived this. It's a miracle that he's alive."

"So . . . what're we supposed to do?" Cid asks, though he looks as if he already knows the answer to his question.

The doctor sighs. "We can make him comfortable, for the time being." He puts on a brave face, then. "But remember, the light of hope can be found anywhere. If you give up hope now . . . what will happen to him?"

"Hope, huh?" Cid turns to face Charlie, frowning deep at her. "I guess that's all that's left for us now."

Before the doctor can say anything more, Tifa exits the clinic, her eyes red. She looks determined enough, and Yuffie trails after her. "Hey, Tifa," Charlie says softly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you all," she answers, offering them a weak smile. "I just . . . I have something to tell you." Tifa takes a few steps closer to them, holding her hands behind her back. "I . . . want to be by Cloud's side."

To Charlie's surprise, Cid tells her, in a very confident voice, "Okay. Hang in there, kid."

When Charlie opens her mouth to protest, Cid puts a hand on her back, shaking his head discreetly at her.

"Please tell everyone that I'm so sorry, especially at a time like this."

"Hey, it's okay," Yuffie says, going along with it in a falsely cheery voice. "We'll come visit when we can, to check-in on you guys. Right, Charlie?"

Charlie purses her lips. "Right," she says, but she doesn't feel right leaving both Cloud and Tifa behind. Sure, there's nothing that can be done for Cloud now, and maybe Tifa knows that these may be her last days. It makes sense that Tifa would want to spend her last days with her remaining family.

It makes Charlie think about her own family, if she could call it that. It makes her think of how quickly she had been escorted away from Veld and Tseng by Vincent. Should she have stayed? Should she have gone to find Rufus? Should she have remained with her family during these last days of hers?

Cid suggests they find the rest of their friends, and the three of them depart slowly. When Charlie looks over her shoulder to see Tifa one last time, she's already gone, having retreated back inside the clinic.

"What're we gonna do now?"

Charlie lowers her eyes as Barret sighs from the front of the bridge. The Highwind feels empty without Cloud and Tifa, despite the extra crew members that work the controls in silence. When no one else answers, Barret turns around again, looking around expectantly at everyone.

"Well? Ain't there anything we can do?" he asks again. "I ain't about to sit around and wait for Cloud to get better."

When Cait Sith steps forward to speak, Charlie looks up again, sitting on the edge of the upper level, swinging one leg back and forth. "Well, I've got some news."

Barret looks ready to explode, and with Cait Sith approaching him so casually, it's very likely the cat won't survive the conversation. However, Barret shows incredible restraint. "Oh yeah, Mr. Shinra Spy? What damn news you got for us?"

"Well . . . Heidegger and Scarlet are up to something," Cait Sith answers, and Charlie stops the movement of her leg, stilling. Beside her, Vincent seems to lean closer to Cait Sith, eager to hear more. "Wanna eavesdrop?"

"Who did you piss off, Reeve?"

He doesn't answer, knowing what his face looks like without Heidegger mocking him for it. Rufus watches the moron as he bursts into terrible laughter, tapping his fingers atop the conference table, a muscle jumping in his cheek.

"Enough, Heidegger," the president snaps, shutting Heidegger up immediately and causing him to flush. "Stop that stupid horse laugh, or I'll see to it that you have a face to match the director's." He pushes himself to his feet, inclining his head politely at Reeve, who hides the bewilderment he feels at Rufus's sudden change of heart. "Now . . . we're currently faced with two issues. One: we need to destroy Meteor. And two: we need to remove the barrier around the Northern Crater and defeat Sephiroth. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Heidegger laughs, causing Rufus to scowl. "You'll be pleased to know that we've already solved the first problem, Mr. President. Meteor will soon be smashed to bits!"

Rufus waits for him to continue, but Heidegger needs prompting, very eager to reveal his plan.

"The plan has already been put into motion. We're collecting Huge Materia from each region."

The president looks skeptical. Reeve can't help but share that same skepticism. Truthfully, he isn't quite sure what Huge Materia is, but it sounds like a terrible thing to use recklessly.

As if reading his mind, Scarlet picks up where Heidegger left off. "Huge Materia is a high-density, special type of materia made through a special compression process in mako reactors. The energy extracted from it is three-hundred-and-thirty times the strength of normal materia."

Another secret being hidden within the reactors, Reeve thinks, hoping that his thoughts don't translate to Cait Sith. He needs to be careful. Should Rufus speak directly to him about Cait Sith or about Charlie or about Avalanche in general, it may very well give away his identity to the others.

Scarlet smiles, straightening in her chair. "Once we gather all the Huge Materia, we can use it to destroy Meteor. Imagine the explosion it might cause! The Huge Materia will reduce Meteor to bits!"

"You're going to use Huge Materia to . . ." Rufus pauses, narrowing his eyes at her. ". . . ram Meteor? Is it possible? Do we have the technology and resources to do it?"

"Don't worry about a thing, Mr. President," Scarlet reassures him. "Before we worry about how we're going to send the Huge Materia to Meteor, we need to collect it, as Heidegger said, from each region. We've already collected what was in the Nibelheim reactor."

Heidegger nods, turning to face Rufus again. "That leaves Corel and Fort Condor, and troops have already been dispatched to Corel. The bastards at Fort Condor don't stand a chance, either."

"Fine."

Very aware of Rufus's seemingly foul mood, the other executives are quick to leave. Heidegger and Scarlet laugh the entire way out, and Palmer excuses himself silently, already having faced the president's wroth once before. But as Reeve goes to follow them all out, Rufus calls him back with a, "Wait."

Reeve quickly severs the connection between him and the cat, his heart thumping wildly. He keeps his face blank, stepping up to the opposite side of the long table and holding his hands in front of him. "Sir?"

"Tell her I'm doing this for her," he says quietly, sitting back down in the chair, the chair that had so often been occupied by the late president. "Destroying Meteor, saving the world . . . that's what she wants, isn't it?"

Clearing his throat, Reeve forces himself to smile. "I don't know that I can speak for Charlotte, Mr. President." He wonders how far he can go before Rufus hits him again. "Sir, if I may . . . are we certain there isn't another way? Are we certain there are no risks involved with harvesting such powerful materia?"

"If Scarlet and Heidegger want to seem important for a few days, then let them," Rufus replies patiently, scrunching his nose to show Reeve what he thinks of both executives. "If they succeed, it will be an enormous victory for the Shinra Corporation. If they fail, they will only have to live with that failure until Meteor hits the planet."

"Yes, sir, I suppose you're right."

The president looks away, averting his eyes, instead looking down critically at his fingernails. "I wouldn't have done it, you know," Rufus says, his voice very soft. "I couldn't have."

"That's very relieving to hear, sir," Reeve answers, feeling as if that's what Rufus wants to hear. Whether or not the president is telling the truth . . . he can't be certain. "I am very grateful."

Rufus scowls suddenly, turning his handsome features into something more twisted. "How can you stand it? How can you stand knowing that she's forgotten about you and fell in love with her pilot all over again?"

I can't bear it, he wants to say. It's everything I've ever been afraid of. But instead, he settles for something gentler, something that is still truthful, even if it's pathetic. "If she's happy," he begins, knowing that nothing he might do could change Charlie's mind, not while he remains in Midgar, communicating to her through a toy he kept hidden from her for years, "then that's all right."

"You're a better man than I am, then." Rufus scoffs, rapping his knuckles against the table. "I suppose that's why she chose you over me."

Reeve can think of many reasons as to why Charlie might have chosen him over Rufus (the first reason being that Rufus is her brother), but he chooses to remain silent, inclining his head politely before taking his leave.

Cait Sith suddenly stiffens, jerking around for a second before going limp, as if he's been deactivated.

"Hey!" Barret shouts, giving the cat a shake as if hoping to wake him from a deep sleep. "Hey! What the hell's goin' on! What'd they mean 'bout troops bein' dispatched to Corel?"

Charlie knows damn well why the cat must have shut off, but says nothing. She knows that Rufus is likely talking about her, and it would be too easy to assume his identity if they eavesdropped on an intimate conversation between her brother and the man she was supposed to marry.

"Huge Materia?" Nanaki thinks aloud, speaking more to himself than to anyone else. After he gathers his thoughts, he speaks up a little more loudly. "I've heard of it before, I think. When our smaller materia gets nearer to the Huge Materia, something should happen to it."

"Don't tell Yuffie what they're after," Cid snorts, glancing at Charlie with a crooked smile, proud of himself. It would be funnier if Yuffie were here to fight back instead of throwing up on the deck.

"We can't let Shinra get that Huge Materia!" Barret decides once and for all, curling his fingers into a fist. "Imagine what Cloud'll say when he gets back and sees the Huge Materia we got!"

Cait Sith suddenly opens his mouth wide, leaping to his feet and giving his entire body a shake, like a cat waking from real sleep. No one seems to acknowledge this as odd, too used to the robotic toy jerking and deactivating randomly from time to time.

"What are you saying, Barret?" the cat asks quickly, almost sounding like he's teasing. "Even though you're always knocking him, you really want Cloud back . . . just like you were worried 'bout Charlie when we were escaping Junon."

"You were worried about me?" Charlie asks quickly.

Barret scoffs, putting his back to Charlie. "Just shut up, would you! We got more important business. Now listen, every group's gotta have a leader." He turns back around and smiles, putting a hand on his hip and looking far too arrogant for his own good. "And that's me! Or at least, I wanna be . . . but I ain't cut out for the job. I've learned that recently 'bout myself."

"So who's going to step up, then?" Cait Sith looks around. They feel like a small group without three of their party members present, but at least Yuffie will still be of some help on the ground.

"Bet Shinra's dyin' to be voted leader," Barret replies, glaring at Charlie like it's her fault for worrying him so much in Junon.

"I don't want to be the leader," she retorts truthfully. Perhaps she could lead a city from the topmost floor of the Shinra Building, but leading her friends is a different thing entirely. Charlie thinks for a minute, but it's really not a difficult decision at all. "I think Cid should be the leader."

"What?" Cid blinks at her, getting to his feet from where he had been sitting, just at the pilot's feet. "Me? You think so?"

"Dunno if you know this, but a Shinra's word is law. Guess that makes you the new leader, Cid," Barret shrugs.

No one argues against it, except for Cid. He shakes his head, flashing Charlie an exasperated look. "I don't wanna be the leader," he answers, looking around at everyone. "Sounds like a pain in the ass, if you ask me. Why can't you do it, Lottie?"

"No, no, no, no, no." Barret waves a hand around to stop him from speaking any more nonsense. "No offense, but we ain't gonna have some Shinra be our leader—sorry, Charlie."

"No offense taken." She understands. "I suppose it wouldn't be right to have the strongest anti-Shinra resistance group headed by a Shinra. A bit counter-productive." Then she thinks about her brother's confession. She still needs to tell Cid about that, about the sabotaged rocket. She hadn't even thought about it during all the confusion that followed.

Barret nods. "Yeah, and you've got the Highwind, Cid. We need this ship to save the planet, so that's why you're our new leader. Ain't no one else can do the job like you."

"The new leader, huh . . ." Cid puts his hands on his hips, puffing his chest out. His eyes flicker furtively to Charlie, who catches him, holding her hand up to her mouth and giggling softly. "What'cha think, Lottie? You really think I'll be a good leader?"

"Okay, okay," Cait Sith interrupts him, making Cid frown. "If you're just gonna use this moment to stroke your own ego . . ."

Cid blushes, turning away from Charlie to face Barret, who seems content with this new leadership and begins to divulge their first duty. "We gotta get the Huge Materia from Corel and Fort Condor before Shinra does! They've done enough to Corel!"

"Okay," Cid says, thinking hard for a minute and tapping his chin with his index finger. "We'll have to split up. Lottie and Barret, you're comin' with me to Corel. Vincent, Cait, Nanaki, we'll drop y'all—and Yuffie—off at Fort Condor."

"You ready, Shinra?" Barret asks her, the corners of his mouth ticking upwards.

She doesn't know if she'll ever really be ready. Accepting this mission means outing herself as a traitor, if people didn't already know before, but she will not let Shinra wreak any more havoc on Corel. Charlie smiles back at him.

And if Meteor kills us all, at least I could die knowing I was good.

"Yeah," she says. "I'm ready."

"Charlotte, come here for a second."

Charlie stops outside of the room Vincent has claimed as his own, smiling sweetly at Cid. "You go ahead, Captain. I'll catch up in a minute," she tells him, watching him strut towards the Operation Room, walking like he's the most important man on board this ship, and maybe he is.

She follows Vincent into the small hold, big enough for him and him alone. It's a room meant for lesser crew, with a bunk-bed tucked into a corner, a circular window set against the back wall, and a sink built into the eastern-most wall. There's a table, as well, where Vincent has laid out several firearms that he's collected along the way.

He picks up a satchel off the floor and digs around in it for a moment before pulling out a handsome pistol, the sides engraved with beautiful, silver patterns. Vincent holds it out to her, and Charlie accepts it, turning it over in her hands.

"Veld gave that to me a long time ago," he explains, sitting down at the edge of his bed. "It still works, but . . . I thought you should have it."

"It's lovely," she says with a smile, looking back up at him. "But you should keep it. It's yours, and he wanted you to have it."

"I don't use it anymore. I might as well give it to someone who will use it." Vincent pauses, watching her trace the patterns with her fingertips. "You're not a bad shot, so long as you keep your mouth shut. Talking only makes you more distracted."

Charlie blushes, but can't help laughing to herself. Looking back down at the gun, she says, "It was good to see him again, after all this time. Thank you."

Cid has the Highwind land just outside of Fort Condor first, where the Shinra military has yet to arrive. Before their four companions disembark, Cid has them all meet together on the deck of the airship.

"We're all gonna get through this, and we're all gonna make it back on this ship," he says in the most arrogant voice he can muster. It reminds her of better days, listening to him talk to their crew at the base of the Shinra No. 26, boosting morale with a few choice words. "We're all gonna make it. For Cloud, for Tifa. And for Aerith."

The mere mention of Aerith's name hangs heavily over them all, but it is not uncomfortable. Instead, it feels as if Cid's speaking her name has invoked her spirit, her love.

"Good luck," Charlie tells them all, lowering the rope ladder over the side of the Highwind.

Vincent takes Nanaki under his arm and leaps over the side, forgoing the ladder completely. Cait Sith climbs down from his moogle, instead clambering up onto Yuffie's shoulders with her help, holding on tight as she makes for the ladder.

"I'll see you soon, right, Charlie?" he asks, just before Yuffie takes them down.

Charlie nods, unsure of what the future holds. "Right."

When it's just the three of them left—herself, Cid, and Barret—they watch their friends hurry towards Fort Condor, not once looking back. Charlie can't help but feel doubtful, anxious, but she isn't the only one.

"Don't tell me you're havin' second thoughts," Barret teases her gruffly, stepping up to her right side to watch the disappearing figures of their companions. "You know we can't let your brother get that Huge Materia."

"I know, I know." Does she know? Isn't anything worth trying with the world ending? Or is Barret right? Should that knowledge within the Huge Materia be preserved for future generations? Is that something to throw away so easily? "I just . . . I knew, when I left Costa del Sol, that I might never be able to return to my old life. But when we go to Corel, and my treason is made public knowledge . . ."

"Hey." Barret's large hand comes to rest upon her shoulder. Charlie tears her attention away from the giant condor, looking up into Barret's face. "There ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on."

Charlie looks north, where she knows Midgar lies many, many miles away, a city that she may never return to. "I know."