It had been eight weeks since Aerith and Leon announced that they were official.

Eight amazing weeks.

They had grown closer and more in love with each other than ever.

Meanwhile, other changes have occurred.

Cid had taken Yuffie's idea further than anyone had thought, establishing his own delivery business. The whole team was now able to travel in and out of Traverse Town and even out of their world on rare occasions to make deliveries. Yuffie, for one, was definitely the most enthusiastic.

They were all in the Small House that day, early in the morning. The girls were sitting on the bed, excitedly discussing over a traveling book.

Leon stood by the door, his back to the wall, where he usually stood, watching Yuffie and Aerith. He smiled as he watched the girl in pink flipped through the pages, her green eyes sparkling with excitement. He took out a small box from his pocket and opened it. He looked in and sighed. He slipped it back into his pocket and resumed his gaze.

Suddenly, the door flew opened, smashing against the wall, only an inch from Leon's left shoulder. He didn't react to it though, having being used to it. Cid marched in, holding a file.

"We've got another delivery to make here, kids," he said as he stopped in front of the girls. Yuffie bolted over to him. Leon and Aerith walked over. Cid opened the file and cleared his throat loudly.

"Okay, let's see," he said, flipping through the file. "600 textbooks to be delivered to a high school in Stepford City." He looked at the team. "That's just outside Traverse Town. We'll drive." He handed the file to Yuffie. She flipped through it eagerly. A single leaflet fell out onto the ground.

"What's the school called, Cid?" Yuffie asked. "I can't find a name."

Aerith bent down and picked up the leaflet.

"Is this it?" She examined the sheet. "The school is called—" She stopped, reading the name over and over again in case she had the wrong sheet.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "What? What's it called?"

Aerith's eyes narrower as she looked at it more closely. She shook her head at it.

"It's… uh, called… uh…" She didn't seem to want to say it.

"What?" Cid said irritably.

Aerith shook her head again. "It's called 'Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow High School." She held down the sheet and looked at the others.

"Our Lady… of Perpetual… Sorrow," Leon repeated half-mindedly. "Sounds like heaven."

"What kind of name is that for a school?" Yuffie piped in disbelief.

Aerith shrugged and looked back at the note.

"It's a Catholic school," she added. Leon walked over and took the leaflet.

"Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow," he read. "In Stepford City." He put the note into his pocket. "Why do I keep thinking that we're dealing with a couple of robots?" Aerith tried not to smile.

"I dunno," Cid said. "But I'm kind of thinking that too." He grabbed the file off Yuffie. "We're going now. C'mon." he walked out. Yuffie ran quickly after him.

Aerith chuckled as she and Leon left the Small House together.

"Stepford City," she repeated over and over again. She looked at Leon. "Who wouldn't think there'd be robots!" She laughed. Aerith took his hand and they both ran to catch up with Cid and Yuffie.

Trips in and out of town were made in a cargo truck. Usually, Cid would be driving with Leon next to him, and Aerith was at the back with Yuffie. Today was no different.

It was an hour's drive to Stepford City, and the road was quite rocky. Unfortunately, one of the passengers suffered from severe motion sickness.

"Cid," Aerith called out after a while. "I think you should pull over. Yuffie's turning green again." Cid glanced at her in the car mirror. She was right.

"Are… we… there… yet?" Yuffie muttered through the bumps. They were shaking her up and down. She covered her mouth. Aerith tried hard to comfort her.

"Yes we are," Cid answered, pulling over at the school gate. Aerith and Leon quickly got out, dragging Yuffie out with them. Cid, on the other hand, headed into the school.

"Quick," Aerith said frantically to Leon as she watched Yuffie. "Get a bag." Leon nodded. He rushed to the back of the truck and returned with a paper bag. He quickly gave it to her.

"Ugh…" Yuffie groaned, overwhelmed with nausea. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She snatched the bag from Aerith and threw up in it. Leon ran to get a bottle of water, in which he threw to Aerith. After Yuffie finished, Leon carefully took the bag away and Aerith handed her the water. She took several large gulps.

Yuffie was left absolutely exhausted.

Aerith took the bottle back as Leon lifted Yuffie up and laid her gently on her back on the backseat of the truck. Yuffie smiled weakly.

"You guys would make great parents," she said softly. Aerith and Leon shared a smile.

"Hush," Aerith whispered to her. "Get some rest now. It's been a long trip." Yuffie nodded and closed her eyes. Almost instantly, she fell asleep. Aerith smiled and pulled a warm blanket over her. She gently kissed her forehead and closed the door quietly. She turned to Leon behind her. He was smiling.

"You'd make a good mother, you know," he said. Aerith smiled and clapped her hands behind her back. She leaned forward at him.

"Just like you'd make a great dad," she said, smirking. Leon blushed.

The sound of girlish giggling behind them turned the couple's attention. A group of girls in their late teens were eyeing Leon and whispering excitedly among themselves. Students around the school started coming towards the truck. Two of them, came walked up to Aerith and Leon. A pretty girl with hair dyed dark red in a neat ponytail from the group of giggling girls, and a tall handsome boy with jet black hair. The girl smirked at Leon.

"Welcome," she said, shaking his hand. "I'm Remy, the girl school captain." She examined him from top to bottom, smiling smugly.

"And I'm Keith," the boy said, shaking Aerith's hand. He smiled at her. "I'm the boy school captain. It's great to have you here." Aerith smiled and nodded at him.

Leon gave a slight nod to Remy, at the same time trying to pull his hand out of his tight grip. He didn't like the way she was looking at him.

"Uh… yeah," he said huskily, backing away a little as her friends started coming towards him. They grinned broadly. It was a little creepy. "Nice to meet you."

Cid came back, holding a file.

"Okay you two," he told Aerith and Leon. "You can start unloading. The headmaster says you can get the students to help you if you want. I'll be out in a few minutes." The couple nodded, and Cid ran off. They started taking out the textbooks. Remy and her friends went back to their space, still watching Leon. Keith, however, stood nearby.

"Oh my gosh," Aerith breathed as she tried lifting up three at once. "They're so heavy." She tried to bring them out, but she stumbled. Keith ran over and caught her before she fell.

"Here," he said. "Let me help you with that." He picked up the textbooks with ease and carried them out. A blonde boy walked over to the textbooks and carried a few more out, smiling at Aerith. All the other boys did the same.

"Um… thanks," Aerith said, watching the boys with a raised eyebrow. "… I think."

All the textbooks were taken out within minutes. Keith went over next to Aerith and leaned on the truck. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and let out a deep breath. He looked over at Aerith and grinned.

"Never really got your name," he said to her. His voice was soft and polite, yet Aerith could sense certain eagerness in his tone. She smiled.

"My name's Aerith," she said. "Aerith Gainsborough." Keith nodded and smiled again. He dropped his gaze to his shoes. It was followed by a long silent moment.

"So," Aerith said, breaking the silence. She leaned on the truck next to him. "School captain, huh? Impressive." Keith blushed. "How old are you?"

"I'm turning 19 in six months," Keith said proudly. "You?"

"I'm turning 23 in February," Aerith replied.

"Cool," he exclaimed quietly. He grinned. "By the way, I haven't seen you around. Are you from another town?" Aerith nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm from Traverse Town."

Keith seemed even more interested.

"Whoa," he said, looking at her with awe. "That's amazing. You must have been through so much." Aerith smiled at him.

Keith pushed himself off the truck and took a deep breath. He turned to Aerith and looked her straight in the face.

"Listen," he said, standing casually again. "I was wondering if you're free next Saturday. My friend's having a party. Maybe I could take you, you know, buy you a drink there or something?" He was a little nervy, Aerith could tell. She smiled; she knew where this was going.

"Keith," she said, still smiling. "Are you asking me out?" Keith looked away and just shrugged. Aerith laughed softly and shook her head. She took his hand and patted it lightly.

"Look, you're a nice guy," she said, smiling kindly at him. "But you can do so much better than me." Keith sighed, clearly disappointed.

"So you won't come?" Aerith shook her head.

"Are you seeing someone or what?" he asked calmly, though with a hint of jealousy in his voice. Aerith sighed and looked over at Leon over Keith's shoulder. She smiled dreamily. Keith spun around, realizing she was staring at Leon instantly.

"Oh," he said, crestfallen. He turned back to Aerith, forcing a smile. "Sorry to bother you, Miss Gainsborough." He went bright red as he bowed his head to her. Before he could leave, Aerith grabbed him by the hand. She smiled.

"You're a good-looking kid," she said. "You'll find someone to go with you. Besides, I'm too old." Keith just blushed and looked away. He pulled out of her grip and walked away. Aerith chuckled to herself and shook her head. She looked back at Leon. He was still trying to shake off his new admirers; Remy's clan of friends. Aerith tried hard not to laugh as she walked over. Leon looked like he was ready to lose the battle.

"Come on, girls…" he said wearily, backing away again. "Let go of me…I've got a girlfriend…"

"That's right," Aerith said loudly. The girls looked round to her. She smirked at them. Aerith walked through the crowd of girls towards Leon.

"Come on, let him breathe, girls," she said, pulling him out by the arm. As soon as they were out, Leon flashed an appreciative smile. Cid came back again. He looked quite tired, even though he didn't do any of the work yet.

"I've been working my butt off rearranging stuff for the school. Can't stay here long." He looked around at the textbooks piled on the ground. He shook his head.

"This won't do," he said gruffly. "These need to go into the classrooms. "He turned to Leon. "You should get back to work." Leon nodded and left. Cid looked over at Aerith and grinned. "You, on the other hand, just relax."

Aerith raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Cid laughed. "All the boys have volunteered to do your work for you. They don't even want munny!" Aerith couldn't help but smile.

"Good thing you're so gorgeous, huh?" Cid chuckled, pinching Aerith's cheek like a loving father would. "Well, your new job today is to keep those girls off Leon." He jerked his thumb back in their direction. They had sat down around a picnic table, chatting away. One of them stood up and waved to Aerith. She smiled and waved back.

"Sure thing," Aerith said. "Let's see how far those boys will go for little old me."

The boys did quite a good job. They ran in and out of the classrooms, in their arms each a huge pile of textbooks. Every time they came out, each one of them would shoot a glance at Aerith, making sure she was watching. It was almost like they were all competing to see who could carry the most books, to impress her. Leon looked like he was in the game too.

Aerith, after being politely invited, had taken a seat at the picnic table with Remy. She was introduced to all her friends; Cassie, Sandra, Andina, Trisha, Jasmin, Meggie and Kathy. They were more friendly and human than Aerith thought; she had been under the impression they would be plastic robots. They all became close in just a short period of time.

Meanwhile, Yuffie had woken up and was feeling much better. Remy invited her over, though it was clear this was not the type of activity Yuffie would call fun. She soon made her way to the soccer field.

The girls, the whole time, were whispering to each other about one thing and one thing only; the hot older guy who arrived that morning. They watched Leon work with stars in their eyes. They all let out a dreamy sigh together; again giving Aerith the idea of what they did was mechanically programmed into them.

"He's, like, so totally hot," Trisha muttered. She looked and smiled at Aerith. "I'm, like, so buggin'! You're way lucky." Aerith just chuckled.

"Ditto," Sandra sighed, not taking her eyes off Leon. "All the guys at our school are total Barneys. I wish I could, like, find a guy like him,"

"I know," Cassie exclaimed. "I mean, you can't find a guy like that anywhere. Either he's good-looking and a jerk, or, like, a total loser." She rolled her eyes.

"Duh! All the good ones are totally taken," Remy said bitterly. Jasmin seemed to agree. She dropped her gaze to the table.

"First come, first serve, I guess," she muttered.

Kathy looked at the defeated looks on her friends' faces.

"Oh c'mon, you guys," she said. "There are still a few Baldwins that are on the market." She turned her head towards the school gate where a boy with his back turned was standing. Kathy rested her chin on her palm and stared dreamily at him. Jasmin, Remy, Trisha, Sandra and Cassie followed suit. Andina and Meggie shared a look of annoyance.

"School heart throb, Aaron," Andina said lazily. "Every girl's dream."

"As if!" Meggie exclaimed, kicking Kathy's boot. "He is so totally not on the market!" Kathy just shot her a glare and resumed her gaze. Meggie sighed.

"Why?" Aerith asked, trying to see his face.

"He's waiting for his girlfriend to come back," Meggie told her. "My best friend. She's a total Betty, but she left for a scholarship, like, 4 years ago. Said she's coming back today." Meggie smiled to herself as she stared at Aaron. "He's waited for her ever since."

Aerith was impressed, but at the same time, a feeling of guilt was flowing through her.

"He loves her," Andina said. "Kept his promise to wait."

Aerith watched Aaron for a moment before feeling herself stand up and walk towards him. There was something drawing her to him.

He was quite tall, leaning against the gate, looking out at the dusty road. He had chestnut-brown spiky hair that strangely reminded Aerith of Cloud, though it was nowhere as spiky. He seemed to have a handsome figure, though it was hard to tell from behind. Slowly, Aerith approached him.

"Hey there," she said softly, being careful not to take him by surprise. Aaron slowly turned around to face her.

He was extremely handsome, Aerith had to admit, a lot more than she would have thought. His facial features were delicate, and they made him look strong and mature. He had piercing eyes, exactly like those of Aerith's lost love, but they were of emerald rather than of blue. Truth be told, he looked like Cloud almost completely. His expression, the way he stood, everything. Aerith tried hard to clear her mind, the guilt still surging through her like electricity.

Aaron didn't talk straight away; he was examining Aerith's features too. She also seemed to remind him of someone.

"Hey," he said after a while. He turned away from the gate, to her. He crossed his arms, still watching her.

"Well…" Aerith said, trying to break the ice. "I just wanted to say hi." She extended her hand. "I'm Aerith." Aaron shook it, his stiff expression softening a little.

"Aaron," he muttered. Aerith smiled, though the fact that their names were alike stirred a few thoughts in her mind.

"So, who are you waiting for, Aaron?" she asked, looking out the gate. Aaron sighed and almost smiled, resuming his gaze. He raised his hand to over his eyes, shielding them from the sun.

"Claudia," he muttered. Aerith smiled softly, yet the same thoughts flashed over again.

"How has it been?" she asked.

"I don't really know how long," he replied. "I promised I'd wait here for her, no matter how long it'd be. I just want to see her again."

Aerith looked at him for a moment, then dropped her gaze. The guilt she was feeling was starting to make sense. He waited, why couldn't she?

Aerith didn't want to answer that question. She shook her head to clear her mind.

A soft chuckle from Aaron caught her attention. She looked over at him. He was smiling, looking at something in the distance. Aerith turned around. A girl was running as fast as she could towards him. Aaron stepped outside; his arms wide open, catching her in a warm embrace. He lifted her up and spun her around in circles. They hugged, they kissed, they caressed. Aerith couldn't help but smile; it was true love, she could tell. Aaron took Claudia's hand and led her back into the school. With a closer look at her, Aerith's eyes widened with astonishment.

Claudia was a little shorter than her, with long blonde hair tied in a braid. A different braid from Aerith, but still a braid. She had bangs too, but they were split to one side rather than in the middle. Her facial features were what stunned Aerith the most.

Claudia was beautiful, her features extremely similar to Aerith's, yet with its own unique charm. She had the same eyes, but they were blue. Claudia smiled at Aerith as she walked by, a dimple forming on her left cheek.

Aerith watched as Meggie let out a shriek and threw her arms around Claudia, moments before the other girls did the same. Aerith walked towards the crowd that was forming as more students rushed out to greet Claudia. She let out a soft sigh. Why was she feeling so sad?

Maybe it was because Aaron and Claudia reminded her so much of Cloud and herself. Was there still hope? Could there be a chance her first love would return?

Leon walked over to her, his eyes on the crowd.

"What's going on?" he asked. Aerith smiled as the crowd got larger.

"A little reunion," she said quietly. She turned to him and moved closer. She looped her arm around his, hugging him tightly. She felt like holding him close, never wanting to lose him. Ever.

"I love you," she said, snuggling her head into his shoulder. Leon was surprised at her behavior.

"Uh… I love you too," he said. "Are you feeling alright?"

Aerith smirked and pulled him down to a passionate kiss.

"What? Can't I tell you how much I love you once in a while?" she said playfully. She kissed him again when he was about to open his mouth to speak. Leon reached into his pocket and touched the little box. He was going to take it out, but changed his mind.

"I'm going to go freshen up a little," Aerith said, letting go of him. "I'll be back later." She planted a kiss on his cheek and made her way towards the restrooms. Leon was still a bit confused.

Yuffie walked up next to him, staring at the crowd. She glanced over at Leon with a raised eyebrow.

"Reunion," Leon mumbled, not looking at her. He took the little box out of his pocket. Yuffie noticed.

"Ooh, what's that?" she asked eagerly. But before Leon could open his mouth, she snatched the box out of his hands. Leon tried to get it back, but she was too good.

Yuffie opened the box. Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp. She looked back at Leon.

"Oh my god…" she breathed. She looked back at the box. "Leon… Are you serious about this? Are you sure?"

Leon sighed and nodded.

"Never been more sure in my life," he said firmly.

Yuffie examined the object with awe. "So you're really going to do this." She beamed at him. "I just can't believe it. When?"

Leon snatched the box from her and closed it. He stuffed it back into his pocket.

"You don't need to know anymore than this," he said coolly. He started walking away.

"Hey!" Yuffie called out, running up beside him. "I promise I won't tell Aerith, and I promise I won't show my face when you do it." She stepped in front of Leon to stop him. "Just tell me when."

Leon glared at her for a while, then he bent forward and whispered one single word in her ear before walking away again.

"Tonight."

The team left Stepford City an hour later. Luckily for Yuffie, the trip back wasn't as bad.

When they arrived home, it was already dark. Aerith made dinner of beef casserole that night, to which everyone enjoyed. After that, Cid headed back up to the Small House, bringing with him a mountain of paperwork.

Yuffie also left early, saying she felt sleepy. She winked at Leon and scrambled off. Aerith let out a sigh and smiled at Leon.

"I'm going to get ready for bed," she told him, and she turned at her heel towards the stairs.

"Wait!" Leon blurted out suddenly. Aerith stopped and looked at him. Leon blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"There's something I want to talk to you about," he said. "When you're finished, meet me on the roof." Aerith smiled and nodded.

"Okay," she said softly. "See you then." She waved and went upstairs to her room.

Leon let out a deep breath and reached into his pocket for the box again. He opened in and stared at the object inside. He smiled at it.

Leon sat alone on the roof, staring at the inky black sky. There were many stars out tonight, and there was a moon, but all of Leon's attention was on one thing. He gazed almost hypnotized at the brightest star in the sky. Leon smiled.

Aerith climbed up onto the roof, but he didn't notice. He continued to stare at the star. Aerith walked up behind him, also looking up to see what he was staring at. She smiled.

"Hmm, the Northern Star," she said suddenly. Leon snapped out of his trance and looked up at her. Aerith took a seat next to him, still staring at the star. "It guides use through the Darkness."

"Yeah," Leon said. "But I look at it differently." He took Aerith's hands, smiling softly at her. "When I look up at it, I think of you." Aerith smiled. "How you led me away from the Darkness, and how you lighten up my way."

"How about this?" Aerith told him. "Whenever you look at that star, remember you're always in my heart."

Leon smiled, flushing deeply. "A little cliché, isn't it?" Aerith wrapped her arms around his neck.

"But it's true," she added proudly. She flashed a wink and kissed him. Leon smiled at her when they pulled apart. He stood up.

"Aerith…" he said. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"How long have we known each other for?"

"20 years," Aerith said, smiling.

"And how long have we been together?"

"Eight weeks." She was a little confused. "Why are you asking me this?"

Leon took both her hands and held them tightly, staring deeply into her emerald eyes. Aerith gave him a dubious look.

"You've always been here for me," Leon said. "Through thick and thin, you'd always stick by me." He paused. "I love you, Aerith, and I don't ever want to lose you. I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and I've come to a conclusion."

Aerith blinked. "What are you trying to say, Leon?"

Leon just smiled at her. He let go of one hand, taking the other hand with both. Slowly, he kneeled down onto one knee.

Aerith's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her free hand as she finally understood.

"Oh, Leon…" she breathed.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Leon continued. "I want to make you happy." He let go of her hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out the box. He held it up to her and opened it, revealing a beautiful jeweled ring. Aerith gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Aerith," he said softly. "Marry me."

Aerith's heart was beating a thousand miles an hour. She stared at him, her mouth open. Leon was asking her to marry him; she didn't know what to say.

She wanted to say yes, she loved him, and she knew he would love her back for the rest of her life. She knew he would, no matter what.

But she also knew she was still lingering on the memories of Cloud, even though she had tried so hard not to. With just these fragments of love for Cloud, Aerith wasn't completely sure if she could ever let them go. And if she couldn't let Cloud, she couldn't go through with marrying Leon. She would break his heart instead.

But she had to. She had to let go and move on. She had been in love with a boy all her life, a boy who she loved so intensely at such a young age. A boy who was gone.

Cloud was gone, and Leon was still here. He would devote himself to her for the rest of his life. It felt good to know that he would be there, loving her until the day he died.

Aerith looked at Leon again. His eyes were sparkling with hope. He was always there when she needed him, her heart knew that too. As Aerith looked into his blue eyes, she could see a wonderful future. She could see them together, happily married with a family. It seemed bright.

She knew she would be happy, and he would be too. It was the right thing to do. They would live their lives together, eternally blessed. Aerith wanted Leon to always feel that way. She wanted to be there always, to make him happy. As a lover. As a wife.

Aerith smiled at him, her eyes now filled with tears of joy.

"Yes!" she gasped. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

Leon smiled and slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. He stood up and took her in his arms. Aerith smiled through her tears, hugging him tightly.

"I love you, Leon," she whispered. "I'll marry you."

Leon held her closer as they shared the special moment together, the Northern Star still shining over them brightly.

A young man made his way through the streets of Athens. He had traveled many, many worlds, searching for the woman he loved.

Little did he know, destiny was about to change for him.