TWENTY-THREE

Two days later, I was just heading back toward Jessie's room when I heard giggling inside. Aerith and Marissa had shooed me out earlier so they could help Jessie get cleaned and dressed. Food, rest, and plenty of potions had done wonders for her, but she still hadn't recovered all her strength and mobility yet. Everything that she'd gone through since the pillar had come under attack had really taken a toll on her body, and it would take time for her to get back to how she used to be. I didn't have any doubt that she would, though.

I knocked on the door. "Hello? You all done?"

"Yep!" Jessie called. "You can come back in now, Cloud."

Something had gotten her amused, I could hear it in her voice. As I opened the door, I saw that Tifa had joined the others while I was out. She was standing next to the bed on Jessie's right while Marissa was on the other side, carefully removing the IV and bandaging her hand. The sling was gone, too. Aerith was just folding it and placing it neatly onto the dresser as I walked into the bedroom.

Jessie was sitting up in bed, perky and alert, and was chatting with the others while Tifa guided her through some exercises for her arm to help her start to regain her strength and be able to use it again. I didn't catch what the girls were talking about at first, just glad to see Jessie up and about, even if it was only a little. She flashed me a cheeky, knowing grin, her hair slightly damp from being washed as Aerith helped fasten it back into the high ponytail she liked so much.

"I'm tell you, he was really amazing," Aerith chuckled. "Who knew SOLDIERs had such good rhythm?"

Jessie laughed. "Oh, wow! I so wish I'd been there!"

"Me too!" Tifa added.

"Hey," I said. "How's it go—wait, what?"

Jessie just winked at me. "Well, hello there… Claire."

My eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," she teased.

I stared at Aerith, my cheeks burning. "You didn't…"

"She did," Tifa smirked.

Aerith smiled innocently. "Oops…"

Marissa giggled. "Your little secret's out now, Cloud. I guess Jessie's not the only performer around here anymore."

"Aerith…" I groaned.

"Couldn't resist," she admitted.

That didn't surprise me. "You never can."

I should've known the truth about my disguise and dancing would come out sooner or later. Aerith had had way too much fun during our adventures in Wall Market to keep it to herself for long. I let out a long sigh as the girls all laughed around me.

"Don't worry, Cloud," Aerith said. "We won't embarrass you about this… too much. But you were so pretty!"

"You really sold it!" Tifa added, eagerly pitching in.

I looked away. "Okay, got it. Moving on."

Jessie was wearing jeans and a plain white blouse with short sleeves today. More of Aerith's clothes, by my guess. I watched for a little while as Tifa continued working with her on her arm, having her try to some stretches, bend her elbow, twist her wrist, and a few other things. Jessie tried hard, her face drawn in concentration, but those bullets had torn right through her muscles and she'd have to retrain them. She strained to try and get through her exercises but couldn't move her arm around too well yet and had to stop, panting for breath.

"Whew! Took more outta me than I thought," Jessie said.

"You're doing fine, Jessie," Tifa encouraged her. "I wasn't expecting you to be back to normal right out of the gate. We'll keep working on it every day until I have to leave, so don't give up, okay? You'll be back to your old self again before you know it."

She let her arm drop to her side. "Thanks, Tifa. I'm up for working on my legs next, just as soon as I catch my breath."

"If you want," Tifa said. "But how about downstairs?"

Jessie gave her a thumbs up with her good hand. "Sounds good. I'll be happy to get outta this room for a little while."

Aerith chuckled. "I don't doubt it."

With a little help from Aerith and Tifa, Jessie turned on the bed so she was sitting on the edge. Then Marissa took her red headband from the dresser and brought it over. It had been thoroughly cleaned during the past two days and was as good as new. Jessie gazed at it fondly for a moment, then looked up at me.

"Help a girl out, merc?" she asked.

I moved closer to her as Marissa gave me the headband. "Sure. Just hold still for a minute."

"Thanks," Jessie smiled as I carefully put it on for her and tied it in place. "This is all that's left of my old gear that I could salvage. The rest is pretty much totaled, unfortunately."

"You'll find a new outfit," I assured her.

She smirked. "Yeah. Something that'll really catch your eye."

I nodded. "Can't wait to see it."

After gently picking Jessie up in my arms, I started to carry her out into the upstairs hall. But halfway there, I stopped, gazing closely at her in surprise. But I hadn't been mistaken. What I'd just seen was no trick of the light. Jessie looked curiously back at me as Aerith and the others shared a curious, wondering glance.

"What's wrong, Cloud?" Jessie asked.

I looked again, confirming it. "Your eyes. They're glowing."

She stared at me. "What?"

I took her over to the mirror. "See for yourself."

As she gazed at her reflection just above the dresser, Jessie's jaw fell open. Her dark brown eyes shone softly back at her. It was faint, which was why none of us had noticed it before, but it was there. Tifa and the rest all crowded around behind us to see.

"Oh, wow…" Jessie gaped.

"But how's that possible?" Tifa wondered, looking at me. "She's not a SOLDIER. I don't understand."

I shook my head. "I don't know. Unless…"

Marissa finished my thought. "Your blood, Cloud. It's full of mako from when you were infused with it. Kunsel told me a little about how the process for enhancing SOLDIERs works."

"And when I donated some of it to Jessie…" I began.

"You passed the mako on to her," Marissa explained. "I'm so sorry, you guys. I should've remembered."

I brushed it off. "You're fine. We had to save her."

"Any side effects?" Aerith asked.

"I've had a bit of a headache that's flared up now and again, but not much else," Jessie said. "Probably just from getting so banged up in the pillar. Nothing a little aspirin won't cure."

I glanced sharply at her. "Have you seen anything?"

She blinked. "As in hallucinations? Nope. Not a one, Cloud. I hope that's not something typical of SOLDIERs."

"It's not," I assured her. "I was… just wondering."

I worried about Jessie, knowing now that she carried some of what I had in me. Hopefully it wouldn't be an issue and the eyes would be all that came of it, but I was gonna keep a close watch on her as much as I could. She smiled as she looked at our reflections in the mirror, both of us with glowing mako eyes. Hers were barely visible for now, but they'd gradually grow brighter over time.

"I kinda like it," Jessie laughed. "We're a matched set, Cloud. Or we would be, if my eyes were blue instead of brown."

I nodded. "Looks good on you."

With her firmly in my arms, I left the bedroom, my steps creaking on the wooden floor. As I started carefully down the stairs with Aerith and the others following behind us, Jessie looked up at me with a smirk and her softly glowing mako eyes.

"You know, Cloud, Aerith also told me you reserved a room for us over at the Honeybee Inn," she said. "I gotta say, I didn't think you had it in you. It'll be a night to remember!"

I shrugged. "It was more her idea than mine."

Jessie chuckled. "No surprise there. But trust me, Cloud, you won't regret it. I'll make sure of that."

"Looking forward to it," I told her.

"You and me both," she agreed, sighing contentedly.

Aerith giggled. "So cute…"

When we got downstairs, Red and Lena were there, but the others were out. Bright afternoon daylight seeped through the windows, and I saw Elmyra outside tending to her flowers. Barret and Wedge had gone into town earlier to take care of a few things for our upcoming journey, and Marlene had tagged along with them.

"Hi, guys!" Lena waved.

Jessie gave her a thumbs up. "Good to see ya! I rode down here on the SOLDER Express, you might say."

Lena smirked. "Ha! I can see that. Sounds like fun."

"Oh, it was," Jessie gazed at me.

"Looks like this is your stop," I said, gently setting her down on the small brown sofa across from the table.

Jessie winked. "Thanks for the lift, merc."

"Anytime," I told her.

"I thought you hated playing the damsel in distress," Tifa teased as she knelt down by Jessie's leg.

She laughed. "It's growing on me."

Marissa glanced at Lena. "You're looking a lot better."

"I feel a lot better, Marissa," Lena said. "That medicine's really done wonders for me. It's like night and day!"

She did look much healthier than she had when we'd left here a few days ago to save Aerith. Lena had taken a seat at the table and was busy preparing her injection. Marissa had shown her how to do it yesterday, and that medicine seemed to be working well. Her color was good and full, and she wasn't listless and fatigued anymore.

Lena had gone back home to change her clothes and wash up, and now she seemed as healthy and energetic as ever. She wore a dark blue T-shirt that exposed her midriff, knee-length black jeans, and a pair of matching leather boots that went up to her calves. The sleeves of Lena's shirt were short, which made it easy for her as she swabbed the side of her shoulder and stuck the small needle in.

"So where are the others?" Aerith wondered.

"They left to see about acquiring supplies for our journey as well as making repairs to the truck," Red answered.

Tifa glanced at me. "So we're driving, then?"

I nodded. "Yeah. We'll make better time than on foot."

"What's our first stop?" she asked.

"Dunno yet," I shrugged. "We'll plan it all out as soon as the others get back. And I should probably explain to everyone about back home, too. What happened, I mean. Before we go."

Tifa sighed. "Yeah. That's probably a good idea."

I didn't like it any more than she did, and I knew it wasn't gonna be easy to go through all that again, but there wasn't any helping it. We all had to understand what we were up against and just who we were after. Sephiroth wasn't to be underestimated, and Tifa and I knew that better than anyone. Knowing our enemy would help us to stop him before he could carry out his plan to destroy the planet.

In the meantime, Aerith busied herself watering the flowers in the house while Tifa helped Jessie exercise her legs, one at a time. Her right ankle had gotten twisted in the fall, and while Aerith's magic had taken care of the worst of it, she still had to get used to using it again. She was determined to recover, though, and I knew she'd do it eventually. I only wished I could stay with her to see it through.

"Good work, Jessie," Tifa encouraged her. "Keep it up!"

Jessie frowned in concentration as she did as much as she could of the exercises Tifa took her through. It wasn't much, to be honest, but it was also her first day out of bed since Aerith had saved her, so that was still progress. Jessie managed to move both legs a little, but it took a lot out of her to do it. She didn't give up, though, and kept trying until Tifa all but ordered her to rest for a minute.

"Hey, Tifa," Jessie panted. "I think I'm gonna try taking a few steps here in a moment. Mind giving me a hand?"

Tifa nodded. "Sure. But take it slow and easy, alright?"

"I'll be fine," Jessie insisted.

After a minute or two, she took a breath, then struggled to her feet with Aerith and Tifa supporting her on either side. I stood a few feet in front of her, near the table, and nodded. Jessie slowly let go, her eyes on me, and tried to take a step. She didn't get far. Her legs both gave out as soon as she put weight on them, and she gasped in pain and started to fall. I moved instantly to catch her, but the girls were faster, each one of them grabbing an arm and easing Jessie back onto the sofa as they both looked at her in concern. So did I.

"Jessie. Don't push yourself too hard," I reminded her.

"Slow and easy, remember?" Tifa added.

She sighed and rubbed her leg. "Yeah, I know. Guess you're right. I just hate being stuck on the sidelines."

"I know what you mean," Lena agreed.

Jessie glanced at Aerith. "Anything you can do to help speed things along a bit? You know, with your magic?"

Aerith shook her head. "Sorry, it doesn't work like that. No healing spells or potions do. They'll get you out of a crunch and close up some injuries, but they can't recover lost strength or rebuild your muscles for you. That's something you've gotta do yourself."

"Figured as much," she said. "Thanks anyway, though."

Just then, the front door opened and Barret walked in, Marlene on his shoulder and giggling happily. And as soon as he set her down, she skipped straight over to the girls. Behind them came Elmyra, and then Wedge followed, but not alone. He'd brought someone along with him. Jessie's eyes lit up when she realized who it was.

"Biggs!" she gasped in delight.

He flashed her a crooked grin as he limped into the house. "Jessie! Damn, am I glad to see ya! Wanted to get here sooner, but Doc Morris wouldn't cut me loose 'till today."

Jessie beamed. "It's alright. I'm just glad you're okay."

"You too," he replied, gently hugging her. "We all came pretty close to checkin' out for good, didn't we?"

"Too close," she agreed.

Lena wrapped her arms around Biggs as soon as he let go of Jessie. "I don't wanna think about it. If you and Wedge… and Jessie… hadn't made it, I don't know what I'd have done. So much wouldn't have been the same. I don't wanna lose you guys…"

Biggs held her for a moment. "It's alright, Lena. We're all here, and we aren't going anywhere. So take it as a good omen. We didn't get out unscathed, but we're alive. No denying that."

"He's right, you know," Wedge added. "Besides, if we could make it through what happened to Sector 7, what else is there? And we're back together now, all of us. Where we belong."

Lena hugged him next. "Yeah, we are. I was just really scared, that's all. That night, I mean. So I'm just really glad that big dork of a brother of mine's finally back with us, too."

Biggs blinked. "Hey!"

Barret laughed with the others as he slapped him on the back. "We all damn glad you're back, man. You an' Jessie both. Our family's whole again. Fought our way through the darka night an' came through to the dawn. We ain't gettin' offa this train jus' yet."

As Biggs and Wedge grinned and nodded in agreement along with Aerith, Tifa, and Lena, I felt a soft touch on my hand and looked down to see Jessie pressing hers lightly against it, her fingers curled inward. I understood right away what she was doing and did the same, returning her fist bump and letting the corners of my mouth turn upward a little. Her smile was practically ear to ear.

Then Barret smirked at me. "Heard all 'bout the crazy stuff you did in Wall Market, Cloud. Pretty damn funny, I tell ya! Surprised she kept a lid on it for as long as she did."

I shook my head. "Not you, too…"

"Did you really do that, bro?" Wedge wondered, his eyes wide and awestruck. "With the dress and all?"

"Yeah…" I admitted. "But only to save Tifa."

Aerith giggled. "Sure, but we all know you really enjoyed it!"

I grimaced. "Was there anyone you didn't tell?"

"Well…" she smiled sheepishly.

Lena laughed. "Don't worry, Cloud. I don't think she told everyone in town. But Maddy and Oates sure did get a kick out of it. So I'm sure the whole gang probably knows by now."

I sighed. "Great…"

"Desperate times often require desperate measures," Red reminded me. "Even if they are rather amusing in hindsight. And this more than qualifies. I had no idea you were so versatile."

Barret chuckled. "Got that right, Red! I'd pay to see the merc bust a move! It'd be a helluva good show."

"It sure was!" Aerith grinned. "Isn't that right, Cloud?"

"Don't remind me…" I muttered.

Biggs nodded. "You got way more guts than I do, man. I'd never be able to pull off a crazy stunt like that."

"Oh, I don't know, Biggs," Jessie teased impishly. "I think you'd look pretty good in a dress, too. Get a shave, throw on some makeup, a nice wig, some heels, and you'd look great!"

"It worked for Cloud," Tifa agreed. "Sounds like fun!"

Biggs' eyes widened. "What? N-No way!"

Lena almost doubled over from laughing so hard. "Oh, come on! I can do your makeup for you. And I bet I could even get Wedge to go in on it with you, too. You'd be quite the duo!"

"Huh!?" Wedge gaped.

Jessie grinned. "Oh, now that's a great idea!"

"So, uh, boss…" Biggs swallowed, desperately trying to change the subject. I couldn't blame him. "W-What's the plan?"

After sending Marlene upstairs to play, Barret sat down at the table and took out a thick hardcover book. It was an atlas, and as he opened it and laid it out in front of him, the others all gathered close by to get a better look at it while I helped Jessie get over to one of the chairs so she could see it, too. We gazed at it together.

Spread across the two pages was a large map of the region showing almost the entire eastern continent. Midgar was high in the northwest corner, in the middle of the badlands. A long range of mountains wove snakelike to the south across the entire width of the continent, dividing it in two with the port city of Junon dominating the southern half from a small peninsula southwest of here. Shinra owned that town just like it did Midgar, and it wouldn't be easy to get through.

Barret tapped a dot on the map marking a small town near Midgar. "This here's Kalm. Sits right on the edge'a the badlands and does a lotta trade with Midgar. Food, metals, wood, that kinda thing. Stuff we can't get much of ourselves thanks to Shinra's reactors."

"Can't grow shit in that wasteland," Biggs agreed. "It's all dusty and dry as a bone. No mines for metal, either. So naturally, Midgar imports a ton of stuff. Kalm's got miles and miles of farmlands and woods near it, so they make out like bandits. Supply and demand."

"Makes sense," I nodded.

Barret went on. "It ain't Midgar, but it's still a big town. Good place to scout for information 'bout Sephiroth an' which way he's headed. So I'm thinkin' Kalm oughta be our first stop."

I thought so, too. "It's not far—only a few hours if we drive—so he's bound to stop by. If we're lucky, we can catch him right then and there. If not, we'll go after him and hunt him down."

"I doubt it'll be that easy," Aerith said, her eyes on us.

"It won't be," I told her.

Tifa pointed to another place on the map, on the southern edge of the continent. "We can't forget about Shinra, though. They're planning to attack Fort Condor. Cloud, Barret, and I heard the president talking about it with one of the directors."

"My father," Jessie spat. "He's in charge of Shinra's military. We can't let him do to Fort Condor what he did to Sector 7."

I took her shoulder. "We won't."

She smiled gratefully at me. "Thanks, Cloud."

"When do they plan to launch the assault?" Red asked.

Tifa shook her head. "I don't know. Supposedly in a few weeks, but with Rufus in charge now, that might change. I don't think it would be any sooner than that, though."

Barret looked at Jessie. "Ever met him?"

"Once, when I was ten," she answered. "It was at a company dinner. A public event with lots of press, so Mom and I had to go. I didn't have a very good time of it, really. Rufus was only fourteen, but I remember even then he was just… cold. I tried to introduce myself to him, but he brushed me off and stared daggers at his father."

"He showed up to kill him the other night," I pointed out. "And he would've if it wasn't for Sephiroth doing it first."

Jessie shuddered. "I'm not surprised. He hated him."

Lena glanced at us. "You don't suppose there's a chance he'll call off the attack on Fort Condor, do you?"

"No," Barret said. "He wants it all, jus' like his dad."

Aerith pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah. But we've still gotta figure out when the attack's gonna start."

"I think I can help with that," Jessie said.

"How?" Aerith wondered.

Jessie looked at all of us. "Marissa let me use her phone to talk with Reeve yesterday. He's very grateful for everything you guys did for me. And he wants you all to know that you've got an ally at Shinra. So I can ask him to find out when my father plans to attack Fort Condor. Reeve is a good friend, and he'll help any way he can."

"Do it," I nodded.

"Heidegger won't just tell him if he asks, though," Tifa pointed out. "They didn't get along at the meeting."

Jessie grimaced. "They never have. But it's alright. Reeve's got other ways of gathering information. More discreet and less traditional. He'll find out what we need to know, don't worry."

Barret went on. "Whenever it is, we gotta leave soon. No tellin' jus' how far ahead Sephiroth is, an' the sooner we get over to Fort Condor, the better. Ain't gonna be an easy trip, either."

"Why not?" Wedge wondered.

"Ain't many ways through the mountains aside from a few tunnels," Barret said. "But Shinra's got checkpoints set up at 'em. So if we wanna get through without bein' noticed, we'll be better off takin' our chances in the marshes an' the mythril mines."

I agreed. "Right. I think that's our best shot. What about the truck? You got it taken care of, right?"

Barret snorted. "'Course I did, merc. Found us a guy who'll replace the windshields an' get it repainted. It'll take a day or two, but we don't needta make it easier for Shinra to find us. They probably already got it flagged as stolen. Good thing I changed the plates."

"Alright," I decided. "We leave in three days, then. You, me, Aerith, Tifa, and Red. The rest of you stay here."

Jessie sighed. "Guess we'll miss out on all the fun."

"I'll save some for you," I promised.

"You'd better!" she smirked.

Barret slowly stood up. "Well, I think that jus' 'bout covers it. Now all we need's a leader for this journey."

"Who?" Tifa asked.

He grinned and thumped his chest. "Me! Every expedition needsta have someone in charge, runnin' the show an' leadin' the way forward. An' that's where yours truly comes in."

"Figures," Jessie quipped. "You think you're up to it?"

"I sure am!" he insisted.

Aerith walked over to me. "If we need a leader, it should be Cloud. He's easily the best guy for the job."

I blinked. "What? Forget it. Not interested."

"You know Sephiroth better than any of us," she went on. "Who he is and what he wants. And besides, it suits you!"

Jessie grinned. "Damn right it does! You're a natural!"

"Without a doubt!" Tifa agreed.

"Outnumbered and outflanked," I sighed, looking at the three girls. "Guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Aerith giggled. "Nope!"

"Well, shit…" Barret muttered. "Awright, then. Them ladies gotcha pretty well cornered, don't they, merc? Looks like you got the job. Don't forget about Kalm, though. It's to the northeast."

"Right," I replied. "Our first stop."

Elmyra glanced at me. "Forgive me, Cloud, but… would you mind explaining about this journey you're all going on? I know better than to try and keep Aerith from joining you, but I'd at least like to understand just what it is she's getting herself into."

I nodded. "Sure. Was planning on doing that anyway. Better make yourselves comfortable, everyone."

They did, settling in as I took a seat at the table next to Jessie. Biggs and Elmyra sat in the other two chairs while Aerith, Lena, and Marissa all settled onto on the sofa. Wedge sat on the floor in front of Lena, and Red curled up nearby while Tifa and Barret made room on the stairs to sit down. Then they all looked expectantly at me.

"So let's hear it, Cloud," Barret said. "Your story. You know, the one 'bout Sephiroth an' the fight for the planet."

Biggs scratched his head. "Thought he was dead…"

I shook my head. "No, Biggs. He's back. While we were imprisoned in the Shinra Building, he showed up out of nowhere and broke Jenova out of Hojo's lab. Either that or she escaped herself and went with him, I don't know which. Then he killed a lot of people, including President Shinra, and left just before Rufus arrived."

"Who's Jenova?" Wedge asked.

"I'll explain in a bit," I said. "She's part of my story. And another of Shinra's dark secrets. To say the least."

Jessie looked at me. "When I snuck into the Science Division back before I left Shinra, I saw this big metal dome with a thick door on it. I was too far away to read the sign, but I remember there was this weird purple glow shining through the window. I always wondered what was in there. That's where they kept her, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Until Sephiroth set her loose. When we found it, the door had been wrenched off and she was gone. Most of the aides who were working in the lab at the time were dead. So were both of the security guards. The whole place was a mess."

Red took over. "We followed the trail of blood and bodies through the rest of the Science Division and President Shinra's office. But by the time we got there, he was already dead."

"'Course we're gettin' the blame," Barret growled. "Been listenin' to the chatter while me an' Wedge was in town today. Also caught a news report on that big ol' TV they got out there. Shinra's sayin' we took out the old man an' all those other people when we busted outta there, and they tryin' to cover up that Sephiroth's back."

"It won't last," I said.

He didn't argue. "True enough. Gonna make things a bit harder for us, though. At least for a while. But I think if we can save Fort Condor, it'll show people Avalanche ain't no murderers. That we here to help an' to fight for them an' the planet."

Wedge flashed him a thumbs up. "You said it, boss!"

"Hell yeah!" Jessie added.

"That's what we do," Biggs grinned.

Barret smiled at them, then turned to me. "Awright, then. Time for your story, Cloud. You knew Sephiroth?"

"Sort of," I said. "He was older than me and hardly ever said much about himself. Distant, you know? Anyway, I guess you'd call him a war buddy. We trusted each other… until one day."

"One day?" Aerith wondered.

I went on. "After the war with Wutai, it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance to Shinra. Not exactly what I'd signed up for, but I was eager to see some action. I was only sixteen at the time, though I'd lied about my age and said I was eighteen so I could get in. And since I looked like it, nobody questioned it."

"So what happened?" Marissa wondered.

"Five years ago, we were sent out on a mission to my hometown," I answered. "Me, Sephiroth, and a few soldiers. I remember the long ride in the truck and how hard it was raining…"

As I began my story, I noticed Tifa and Jessie were both looking at me with particular interest. Almost uneasily, I thought. I'd already told each of them a short version of what had happened, so I thought it was just the apprehension of hearing about it again, and in more detail this time. But as I found out later, I wasn't quite right.