It was very dark outside.

Everything was dark, and Cloud barely knew where he was going. The wind was blowing hard against his face, but he fought to make it to the light.

The light was far away, but he had to get to it. He felt so cold, but still determined to get there.

It was coming from the small cottage up ahead. He dragged himself through the bushes and rugged grounds to get to it.

Finally, he made it.

Cloud stood in the shadows near the door and stared inside through the glass window, at the young couple.

Aerith was asleep on the sofa, while Leon was playing a song (Kiss Me Goodbye) on the piano. It looked so peaceful. Cloud sighed and continued to watch.

It had barely been a week since he sent her away, and already he had traveled back to Burton, just to see her again.

He didn't want to interfere, he didn't want to destroy the happiness she had, so he just watched. It broke his heart to just watch her, not being able to hold her or touch her, but she was happy and that was all that mattered to him.

Subconsciously, Cloud moved closer, reaching up and touching the glass, wishing he could come closer, but he couldn't.

"Aerith…" he muttered. The sleeping beauty stirred slightly, but stayed asleep. Cloud smiled weakly.

Leon continued to play the melody. Aerith had asked him to play it for her so she could take a nap. She said she felt a little tired and feverish. This was normal, seeing how cold the weather had become. Leon ran his fingers across the keys, repeating the song.

Aerith began to cough.

Leon stopped playing and glanced at her over his shoulder. She coughed again. Leon frowned.

He stood up and went over to her.

She was lying on her side, and was unusually pale. She was shifting from side to side and moaning weakly with pain. Her breathing was labored, and she was sweating, even though shivering at the same time.

Leon reached down and touched her forehead, and it took him by surprise, and horror.

Her forehead was burning.

"Oh God…" He shook her gently, but she didn't wake. He cupped her jaw and tilted her head over from the side.

A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth onto her pillow. She coughed again, more blood droplets escaping from her mouth, reddening her lips.

Leon's mind went blank.

Calmly, he pressed his ear to her chest and listened. Her heartbeat was so weak, and she was wheezing.

It was his worst nightmare come true.

The illness that had almost claimed her life once before, was back.

Cloud watched as Leon ran as fast as he could to the First Aid cabinet. He looked through everything, desperate to find an elixir for Aerith.

But he couldn't.

Leon began to panic. He quickly tried to think of what to do. Aerith began to moan louder. Without another thought, Leon grabbed his jacket and rushed to her side. He stayed calm.

"Aerith…" he said gently, trying to wake her. "C'mon. Wake up. We have to get you to a doctor…" He shook her lightly, but she still didn't wake.

It was as if she was trapped in a dream.

"Cloud…" she muttered weakly. She shifted onto her back, her head constantly turning from side to side. "Cloud…"

Leon automatically removed his hand and backed away.

"Cloud…"

He knew what this was. He wished more than anything it wasn't, but it was.

"Cloud…"

She was calling out to the one person she needed.

Not a doctor. Not a friend.

Not even him.

"Cloud…"

She needed Cloud.

Leon swallowed as once again his heart shattered. Not just for him, but for Aerith as well. She was lying there, in so much pain, and with a broken heart.

He needed to end that pain. It was the only way to end his as well.

Once and for all.

Leon quickly pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and made a call.

Cloud was still watching from the window, not knowing what was happening. Leon waited anxiously on the phone, unaware that Cloud was right there.

Cloud's phone began to ring and vibrate. He took it out and flipped it open without taking his eyes away from the window. He pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?"

Leon's voice came. "Cloud, you have to come here now."

Cloud stayed calm, keeping his voice cool and emotionless.

"Why?"

"It's Aerith. She needs you."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know what's wrong with her. Look, just come over right now. I really think you should." Cloud could sense the fear in his best friend's voice, but ignored it. He paused for a moment.

"I can't."

"What?"

"I can't. She's not in my life anymore."

Leon was getting frustrated.

"You can't?! What are you saying? Don't you care about her anymore?"

No answer.

"Damn it, Cloud!" Leon glanced down at Aerith. "Aerith is sick!"

Cloud blinked.

"What…?"

"She's sick. Really sick. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I know she wants you to be here, Cloud." It hurt him so much to say it, but he had to.

"She's calling out your name. She… needs you."

Cloud didn't know what to say. Leon paused for a while, staring down at the beautiful girl, coming to an agonizing conclusion.

"Do you love her?" he asked.

Cloud was taken by surprise.

"What?"

"I said do you love her?" Leon said again more harshly.

Cloud stayed silent.

"I'm going to leave her here," Leon said in a firm voice. "By herself. If… if you love her, you'll come right now, or else she'll die." Without waiting for a reply, he closed his phone.

A baffled Cloud continued to stare through the window.

He wouldn't leave Aerith all alone, would he?

Leon put the phone back in his pocket and kneeled down to Aerith. He brushed a few hairs from her sweaty forehead. She groaned.

"Cloud…" she gasped. She raising her left hand upward, weakly, as if reaching out for something. "Cloud…"

Leon sighed. He took her hand in his and smiled sadly at her.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "He'll come. I know he will."

He looked down at her hand.

She was still wearing his ring.

Very gently, he pulled if off her finger, and examined it thoughtfully. A pulse of pain erupted in his heart, letting out a rueful chuckle. He looked back at Aerith, slipping the ring safely into his pocket. He tenderly kissed her hand one last time and laid it back down on her side. He let out a rueful chuckle.

"I love you, Aerith," he whispered, smiling. "But it was all a dream. It's time to wake up."

Leon ripped his gaze from the woman he loved and ran outside.

Cloud quickly slipped behind the wall as Leon pushed open the door and darted into the darkness.

Cloud watched with astonishment as he disappeared.

Leon had meant it.

Cloud looked back inside the house through the wide open door.

Aerith was still there.

Forgetting everything else, Cloud rushed in. he kneeled at her side.

She looked gravely ill.

Cloud placed his hand on her burning forehead as she began to stir.

"Cloud…" she murmured again. "Cloud…"

"Shhh…" Cloud whispered. "I'm here, I'm here now."

"Cloud…" Aerith gasped, her breathing becoming more labored. Cloud cupped her face with one hand and pressed her into his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head, taking in the scent of her hair. He rocked her gently as she continued to call out his name.

"I won't let you die," Cloud muttered. "I promise I won't let you die on me…"

Leon ran back to the cottage, immediately seeing Cloud. His being saddened seeing them together again, yet at the same time he had never been so relieved and thankful in his entire life.

He watched as Cloud took off his jacket and wrapped it warmly around Aerith before lifting her off the sofa. He held her tightly as he carried her to the door.

Once outside, Cloud pressed Aerith's head gently onto his chest, resting his chin in her hair. She was still shaking.

He had to get her to a hospital.

Cloud glanced around for a moment, then ran away from the cottage.

It began to snow.

Leon watched his best friend run as fast as he could, taking with him the girl Leon loved so much.

He let out a soft, plaintive chuckle.

He stared at the falling snow for a moment, then headed back inside.

As he closed the door, he suddenly realized how empty it felt.

How empty he felt.

No, he didn't feel empty, not at all. He had fulfilled so much, and he was happy. Leon went to the piano and sat back down. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He placed his fingers on the keys, played and finished the beautiful and sad song he never had a chance to finish for the beautiful flower girl.

Leon smiled, finally feeling at peace.

Cloud bit into his thumbnail as he stared at the unconscious Aerith lying in a hospital bed inside the room at Burton Hospital's ICU. He paced for a moment, then turned to the doctor next to him.

"So what's wrong with her?" he asked anxiously. The young doctor bit her lip, fixing up her glasses. Cloud noticed her nervousness. "Fara." She looked at him. "Is it bad?"

Fara cleared her throat.

"We won't know for sure until her test results come back," she told him. "But it appears to be tuberculosis, and it is in it's advanced stage." Cloud looked back into Aerith's room.

He swallowed. He knew what happened to people with tuberculosis.

"Can she still be cured?" he asked. Before Fara could answer, a young Asian doctor rushed to them, carrying some files. Fara turned to face her.

"Leah, have you got the tests back?"

Leah nodded, handing her a file. Fara read it in silence for a moment, a grim moment.

"Is it bad?" Cloud asked again. Fara didn't look up, instead Leah answered.

"It does seem to be very serious," she said bitterly. "Most of the nodules have grown into her lungs…" She paused, taking a deep breath as Cloud glanced back at Aerith. "…and into her heart."

Cloud's eyes widened as he looked back at the young doctor.

"Her heart?" he repeated half-mindedly. Leah nodded. "There are nodules in her heart?"

Neither of the doctors answered. Cloud suddenly felt panicky.

He grabbed Leah and started to shake her. He was breathing hard.

"There's gotta be something you can do…" he muttered. "There's… there just has to be something…" Fara cut in, releasing Leah from Cloud's grip.

"There is," she said simply.

All Cloud's attention was on her.

"What is it?" he asked desperately. Fara bit her lip.

"It's an experimental procedure," she said. "It's never been tested on a human being before."

"And extremely painful," Leah added. She took a note from one of the files and handed it to him. Cloud scanned through it as Fara dictated.

"It's a new drug that literally destroys all the nodules, and I mean ALL of them, in just a few minutes. After that, it will put the patient into a deep coma where their body and immune system will heal themselves." She handed Cloud a pen. He frowned a little.

"But… there are nodules in her heart…" He looked up at Leah. "How much is a lot of pain?"

"She'll feel a burning sensation in her chest."

"Heartburn?" Cloud asked. Fara winced.

"Actually… it has to be a heart attack. A real one. The worst part is she'll have to be awake through the process."

"Why?"

"Her illness is very advanced, Cloud," Fara said matter-of-factly. She glanced at Aerith. "I'm even surprised she still here right now. According to the x-ray, her tuberculosis developed well over a year ago." She examined the x-rays. "And I'm pretty sure she's had an attack of it before. She probably took an elixir or something."

Cloud frowned.

"An elixir?" he repeated. Leah nodded as Fara handed her one of the x-rays to look at.

"Elixirs can heal certain injuries and illnesses," she said. "But in this case, it postponed it for a while. Unfortunately, doing so made the illness worse than it would have been." Cloud felt his throat close up.

"So she's more likely to die this time?" he whispered. Leah nodded grimly.

"This… new drug," Fara continued. "It's extremely powerful. If she takes the wrong dosage, the pain she'll feel as the nodules are destroyed will possibly kill her." Cloud's eyes widened in silent horror. "If we give her sedatives, it will neutralize the effects of the drug, and we can't risk giving her another dosage. It'll be too dangerous." Cloud stayed silent for a moment to think.

"You said this drug would eliminate the nodules, meaning it will eliminate parts of her lungs and heart."

"Yes."

"How will you know when to stop?" He looked at Fara. "How will you know if it's too much and her heart is destroyed beyond repair?" Fara sighed.

"We don't," she said sadly. "That's why it's so risky. We don't know when. We can only guess from how much pain she's exposed to."

Cloud dropped his gaze to the ground. Leah watched him with concern.

"The pain will only be for that moment, and she won't even remember it when she wakes up," she said softly. "We'll sedate her as soon as we know it's enough. It's the only way to save her life, Cloud."

Cloud sighed. He looked back in the room for a long moment, then slowly nodded.

He knew she would be able to pull through.

Cloud signed the paper and handed it to Leah.

"When can you start the treatment?"

"It's best to start as soon as possible," Fara said. She turned to Leah. "Call for a nurse." Leah nodded and ran off.

Fara opened the door and slowly went inside, Cloud close behind her. She went over to the medicine cabinet as Cloud sat down by the bed, staring at Aerith.

The heart monitor beeped steadily.

She didn't look peaceful at all. She was hooked up with tubes and wires, and had a nose clip to help her breathe. There were faint red rings around her closed eyes, her lips had faded from its usual rosiness, her forehead glittered with sweat, and she was incredibly pale. Cloud took her cold hand and held it tightly.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Fara smiling at him. He sighed, knowing his place.

He stood up.

"You should stay," Fara said softly as he stepped aside. He blinked.

"What?"

"If she gets out of control, she will die. Right in that moment, right on that bed. You'll have to help calm her down."

Cloud stared sadly at the sleeping girl.

"How?" he asked.

Fara smiled.

"Just hold her and let her know you're there. Let her know you love her and that everything's going to be alright."

Cloud slowly sank back into his chair, still holding Aerith's hand.

Leah came back, holding the equipment. Fara walked over to the other wide of the bed and injected one of the wires with a syringe. Cloud watched silently.

A moment later, Aerith began to wake. She let out a soft groan and opened her eyes. She was surprised to find herself in a hospital.

"W-where am I?" she whispered hoarsely. She suddenly spotted Cloud, his expression grim and worried. "Cl-Cloud?"

"Shh…" he said softly, stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay."

Fara nodded at Leah. She slowly injected the new drug into the wire. Aerith didn't notice.

"What's going on… ?" Aerith muttered. "Why am I here?" She looked desperately at the people around her. "Please tell me what's going on…" Fara stood up and nodded at Cloud, confirming to him that it was done and to brace himself. He nodded back, then turned to Aerith.

"Aerith, whatever you do, don't panic." Aerith blinked.

"Why? What's wrong? Why shouldn't I—" She cut off, letting out a groan and clutching her chest, feeling it burn with a pain that became worse and worse.

Aerith opened her mouth, but she couldn't scream. She leaned forward, shutting her eyes and clenching her teeth. It was getting harder to breathe.

"My… my heart…"

It was becoming too much. She began rocking backwards and forwards. She gasped for air.

The heart monitor went berserk as Aerith fell back and cried out in pain. The two doctors acted quickly as Cloud wrapped his arms around her.

"N-no…" he muttered, struggling to stay calm. "You have to be quiet. You… you can't panic. Aerith opened her eyes.

"C-Cloud…" she choked, fighting for breath. "I… I'm dying…" Cloud shook his head, holding back his pain.

"You're not dying," he said firmly. "I'm not going to let you. Just hang in there for me…"

Tears ran down Aerith's cheeks.

"I… I can't… I'm not… I'm not strong enough…"

The heart monitor beeped faster and faster. Nurses started to run in.

"She's crashing!" Fara yelled. Cloud pressed Aerith's head onto his chest and rocked her gently.

"I… I can't breathe," she gasped. "I… I can't…" Cloud nodded.

"I know," he said. "It's okay…"

Aerith's body was stiff with agony, and the heart monitor continued to go haywire. Cloud closed his eyes and held Aerith tightly.

"That's it!" he heard Fara shout. "5 milligrams of Haldol! Stat! Sedate her now!"

Aerith was hyperventilating. Cloud had to calm her down.

He had to. He held her close and rocked her.

Aerith's breathing quickened as she clutched herself tightly to Cloud, trying to control her pain. Cloud opened his eyes. The heart monitor calmed down.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I'm here."

A nurse injected another sedative into her tube as the others sighed with relief. Cloud felt Aerith's grip loosen, and her body falling limp. He looked down at her, in his arms. He felt a tear roll down his cheek, landing on hers.

"You're safe. I won't let go, I promise."

The heart monitor beeped steadily again. Cloud laid her back on her bed, straightening her blanket. He took her hand, kissing it tenderly. Fara smiled as Leah checked everything.

"Heart rate normal, brainwaves normal, SATs normal, blood pressure normal…" Leah let out a deep sigh. She beamed at Cloud. "You did good." Cloud didn't take his eyes off Aerith.

"What's going to happen now?" he asked.

"She'll be in a coma for a while," Leah replied. "How long it will be depends on the damage." She went to the door with Fara. Cloud stood up.

"But…" he began. "She'll be okay?" Both doctors nodded.

"Yeah," Fara said, smiling. "Thanks to you. Just let her sleep for now." She gave him a friendly wave and they left.

Cloud stayed behind for a moment, still watching Aerith sleep. He bent down and tenderly kissed her forehead. He sighed.

He knew she was out, and he knew she couldn't hear him, but he didn't care. If she was to never wake up from this coma, he would never forgive himself for not telling her how he felt one last time.

Ever.

Cloud sighed again and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against hers.

She was his everything.

He straight up after a moment, still not taking his eyes off her. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Don't die on me…" he said softly.

Knowing there was nothing else he could do, Cloud turned away and went outside, closing the door behind him. He shot one last glance through the window before walking away.

"I love you too much to let you go."