Disclaimer: I own nothing, Square Enix does.

Cid/Shera maybe more later on.

Summary: He had been afraid to tell her, all of them, what he really was. But now he has to...

Rated M for language

Golden Wings

Chapter 2

"Well, my parents worked for an organisation called 'Rafzakael'. It was a massive building out in the middle of the Sal-Kar Dessert; they hired out mercenaries to the highest bidder."

"Sounds like a powerful group, what did your parents do there?" Shera's eyes frowned at the term 'mercenaries'.

"My ma, she did paperwork. She wasn't much of a fighter, she was too kind to bring herself to kill anyone," he took a drag of his almost forgotten cigarette and breathed out.

"But my old man was the complete opposite. Rafzakael wasn't just interested in having humans in their ranks, no; they wanted anyone and anything that could fight and kill for a profit." Cid looked away, ashamed to say what he needed her to hear.

"My dad was a lycan; he was part wolf, part human. Not a werewolf, he couldn't change between the two, but he was the best of both worlds. It's different with me, see I got a bit from both but I s'pose it's kind of like Vin in a way, 'cept with him it's two or so minds weras with me it's just one with two bodies."

"He was always angry, shoutin' and cursin' at ma, but he never hurt her, and there was a time I thought he didn't like her."

" Ma just told me you need a translator to understand what he's really trying to say and that those mean words were just his way of sayin' 'I love you'," he smiled at the memory of his mother trying to explain that to him.

"That reminds me of someone I know," Shera laughed gently.

"Ha ha, very funny. I always wanted to be like my old man so I guess that worked out alright then eh?" he laughed with her.

"Well anyway, while I lived in that building with all the other creatures and people, it was acceptable to be either form and 'cause everyone else was like that, no one thought it was strange. It was only when I moved out to join the Shinra air force that I realised that everyone out there was human and they didn't seem to like beasts at all. So I figure I gotta stay human and not let anyone see the other side of me until I go back to Rafzakael."

"Wait," Shera looked uneasy. "You're going back to Raf... whatever it's called? When? What about us?"

Cid turned sharply to look her straight in the eye, pulling his cigarette away from his mouth.

"Don't you go thinkin' I was upn' and leavin' ya Shera. I ain't like that." He couldn't believe she thought he was going to leave her behind.

"I thought that you might like to go with me," his voice suddenly quiet as if he was afraid of what her reaction might be. When she didn't answer straight away he carried on, his voice a little louder.

"They got all sorts a sciencey stuff you can do, they's tryin' to build giant robots an' shit, that people can drive around like cars, and designin' new and faster planes that they's callin' jets and, and, an..." He thought franticly to try and find more reasons for her to go with him. She silenced his frantic thoughts with a kiss on the lips.

"Of course I'll go with you, I'd follow you to hell and back, I love you Cidney Alistair Highwind," she said still holding the side of his gruff face. "So when do we go? Do I get to meet your parents when we get there?"

"Couple of months and you'll definitely meet my ma, I'm not entirely sure you should meet my old man, he can be a real prick some times."

"Well if he's anything like you, I'm sure I can deal. What about the others, your AVALANCH friends, what are you going to tell them?" she patted his strong arm with her soft hands.

"Shera, I haven't been in contact with any of them for two years, I don't think they would care too much if I didn't leave them a note. Besides, I haven't told them about what I am either and I really don't want to," he really didn't want her to press the issue any further.

"We'll just sell the house and I'll fly us up to Sal-Kar and once we've settled in alright, they'll put us to work doin' whatever the hell we want." He stood up and his hands flew to the air for emphasis. "Sound good to you?"

"Perfect." Smiling the whole time.