Author's Note: I would like to thank the reviewer TinTin for reading my first installment. Yes, this is probably sooner than expected but I have what I need to write this chapter.

Disclaimer: I am not claiming to own or be the characters in this fic. I do not own Final Fantasy VII, which is property of Squareinx and such. I do own the fic and the story I have made.

Now, on with the fic.

The young ex-SOLDIER's hands trembling slightly from the anticipation, his eyes remained on her face. That face with such a beautifully serene smile that it seemed to be their light on the journey. Her face was lightened by the pale neon moonlight that shined down on them, and her chestnut brown hair law strewn over his knees, the ribbon barely kept it up. His fingers shifted through the strands in the back of her head, his arm under her knees moved up to around her waist to pull her up further on his lap. The closeness of holding the Flower Girl was something he had experienced only once, the last time she had been dying. Now she... she was alive, right? That line of thought caused him to feel a trickle of fear bleed into his mind, lowering his ear to her heart he listened to find the faint beating of it inside of her chest. Which calmed him down a bit more, not that he didn't appear calm. Cloud always had a calm demeanor, but at the moment his heart was racing three times the normal rate and his mind was in a huge whirl of thoughts.

She was back now, he had done as he had been trying to do for nearly three years now. But so many questions began to rise in his mind, would she remember him? Would she want to stay...? Shaking his head of all thought he waited with great patience for her to wake. It took longer than expected of course, and through the wait she seemed to be struggling. There were no outward signs but he just... sensed she was battling her mind. Eyes slowly opened and revealed thos pure emrald hues full of the warmth he had missed for so long. She breathed deeper than before and her eyes tried focusing... this was when he began to fear she may not remember him. But her gaze settled on him, and there seemed to be such a warmth like he had only seen in his memories when she looked at him. She may not notice it, but he was trembling slightly as her hand reached his face and caressed it. The delicate hand that had been so warm just held such a great inner warmth and care in it. And she spoke, that voice like no other, a gentle whisper with a melody that carried to his ears.

"C-Cloud..." his name. His name... she did in fact remember him... his heart leapt like it never had and he leaned into the touch.

Aeris' emrald green orbs looked up into that hopeful face of his, and she smiled inwardly. He was there... like always whenever she needed him the most he was there for her. Her mind did not even go through the questions it should ahve looked through, but instead she wondered 'Oh, Cloud... such pain.', the pain she spoke of was in his eyes. Even back before he had regained his memories she saw inside him, in those eyes was a hidden pain that he kept to himself even now. But beyond the pain she saw what she felt in her heart. Love. Though he had not realized it until some time ago she had sensed it as her own eyes reflected it. She watched his eyes close half way at her touch, yes... she knew he loved her. But the poor boy had not known of her own feelings... she tried to call upon her voice again. Yet weak from her journey and struggle her hand fell and she once again slipped into unconciousness. Her lost thoughts before needed sleep were 'Cloud...'

Just like that she once more slipped away and he watched her fall unconcious. "Aeris..." he whispered as he watched her eyes close, and he wanted so much to touch her face like he never could in her former life. But dared not do so... instead he looked up at the moon and knew it was still late, morning would break in a few hours... six at the least. Standing up gently with her in his arms, he walked carefully with the precious Angel to Fenrir. Throwing his right leg over and climbing on to the motorcycle he placed her in his lap. Her head rested against his shoulder he chanced a glance down at her slumbering form and felt that familar calm settling over him like it always did with her. Making sure her legs were up and tucked properly he started Fenrir, the smooth thundering purr rumbled from it's engine and he turned the handles. They made a circle before he turned to the exit and kicked the speed up where they zoomed down the glowing path. Fenrir's wheels passed over rocks but she sailed smoothly like it were ice she was crossing, Cloud was grateful for it. Aeris needed her rest not to be woken by a rocky and bumpy ride. Once more a pair of mako infused hues glanced down at her, still peaceful and oblivious to the world around her.

Gazing ahead he leaned forward to kick the speed up once more, he wanted to get home to the church after all. Tifa's 7th Heaven was out of the question for a couple different reasons, for one Tifa and the kids would be woken by Fenrir... as well he knew they might wake his sleeping Angel. His... this caused another line of thinking for him, Cloud knew that he felt... a little more than friendship toward Aeris. He had felt more than that for quite some time now, ever since... actually he could not remember. Definitely since before they had their date, a fond memory, but for a long time he had wished there could have been another... he shook his head. How could he allow himself to wander off into his thoughts when he had a greater need of getting said subject of thoughts to the church? But... it was so hard not to think about her, that was the thing... he had not stopped thinking of her since she had came into his life. So long ago it seemed he had encountered her in the church, falling through her roof and into her lap. She had been taken so quickly... once again he had to shake his head clear, she was alive... she was in his arms and was not going anywhere. He would die this time if it meant she could go on living...

Looking around him, he saw they had exited the Forgotten City and were now leaving the Sleeping Forest as well. Soon they cross into the nearby village and would make their way to Midgar from there, still a long ways from there but the journey was well worth it to get her safe and at home. It wasn't like their first journey, their traveling to save the world from ShinRa and Sephiroth, this was them going home... his arm holding her shoulder squeezed gently subconciously... as if to check she was still there and still real. For so long his nights were plagued by dreams of her and her death, there were few nights where he could simply dream of their memories or of what life would be like if she hadn't.... died. It was hard to imagine truthfully, because he would have been alot happier, and may have even explored what he was currently feeling toward the young Flower , in his mind he could easily admit that he was feeling something more than frienship toward Aeris... in his mind being the key word, for he still could and would not admit his feelings outright. That was because when he discovered there may be something it had been during their travels and he had to hide it for a couple different reasons. One being that he... was afraid... that she would reject him, after all she had been in love with Zack... right? So, she couldn't possibly love him, Zack's shadow and brother of sorts. As well he had to hide them because if Sephiroth had found out he surely would have used Aeris against him and gotten hold of what he wanted way before he had.

The point was not of how he felt for her then or now, what was important was if she was fully healed from the encounter with Masamune or if he needed to take care of her. From the way she hadn't shifted uncomfortably or anything he was guessing she had in fact healed, but you could never be too careful... shaking his head he once more looked around him. They had made it past Costa del Sol, which did not make him any more patient, normally Cloud enjoyed the long ride because it gave him time to think... but now he was just a bit irritated and trying to speed up. It didn't help matters that his thoughts were drifting toward his precious cargo, not that it was a bad thing really, just that... the more he thought about her the harder it would be when she rejected his feelings. Banishing that line of thinking for another time for when he was alone, he kicked Fenrir's speed up a bit more, inching it trying not to wake her up. The wind whipped at his face, cool and stinging breeze unlike the warm and gentle caress he had felt not too long ago from her hand, she was so light... much as she had been a couple years back. Sturggling to keep his thoughts away from the warm and romantic ones he knew were developed already, he thought about how she would react to waking up in the church. That was what he wanted, for her to wake where she deserved to be... her precious garden she had taken care of... the place they had met, he would never regret falling into her life.

Cloud's thoughts had consumed him for a good while, for over an hour his mind had ran through so much... and now as he looked aound, he noticed the familar grasslands of Kalm. The slick grass was wet from the fresh rain they had been having as of late, and from the thundering above he could tell another storm would hit soon, he hoped they would make it to Midgar before that. Already he was soaked, he noticed and was a bit cold because of it, Aeris had not dried when he had laid her on his lap, but the wind had now dried her of the water on her skin but she would need to get inside the church where it was a bit warmer than the night air of Kalm. Midgar was on the horizon and ever growing closer as he quicked the speed all the way up and they made trail to the fortress like city, scenary changing as they neard the crater land. Barren of any signs of wild life except for monsters, the sharp and jagged roads were smooth for Fenrir's tires, she sailed like a black blur over the sea toward their destination. Soon they were at the cliff where the Buster Sword stuck up in the ground, Turning he went down the winding trail and ended up at the base. Before long he was zooming straight for the Sector 5 gates and passed through them as the light drizzle began to break from the clouds in the once starry sky above.

Slick and wet Fenrir ran across the rocky deserted streets of the slums, the ran beat down upon his head and back as he leaned over her lithe form in his arms. She had already been in lake water, if she continued getting wet she could become sick... Cloud didn't want that, so subconciously he had covered her with himself. Up ahead he saw the once magnificent church as they approached. Looking up at the slightly crumbling structure he glanced over the rebuilt roof and the wall which had taken a few months with Barret's help, it'd be easier to stay warm and dry here. Picking her up from his lap in both arms he quickly climbed off of Fenrir and briskly walked to the double oak doors. Pulling open one of them after shifting his hold on her, he slipped inside and closed it back, the air in there warmer and smelled of flowers as it always did. The moonlight pouring in from a window cast over the ivory and amber flowers in the garden as he made his way to them. Siting down carefully with her in his lap, same position as he had carried her in he didn't care how long he had to wait for her to wake. She was back, she was safe... she was here with him again.... that was all that mattered to him.

She could hear the voice of the Planet, it called out to her and informed her that she was indeed back. Well the first clue really had been the fact she was sleeping, after all she didn't sleep... not anymore. 'Back...' her soft Angelic tone echoed 'But how can that be?'. She had died and had been told in the Lifestream she would never return to the world of the living, 'Cloud...' she smiled to herself in realization that somehow he had brought her back. The Planet smiled at her quick thought and went quiet once more, she was awake now though... but she could not move. Her body felt like it weighed a ton as did her eyelids. 'I'm exhausted. But I want to see Cloud...' she could feel his arms around her still and drew a warmth and comfort to her soul. She could also feel... a gentle sensation on the back of her head... it must be him, the thought brightened her inward smile. Soon it lulled her back into a more gentle sleep. After all, she had all the time in the world to see him now, and this time she could touch him without using her powers, that thought comforted her as she passed out for the second time that approaching morning.

Cloud sat with his arms around her still, one gently holding her head, his fingers entangled in her soft locks of chestnut. The other had shifted from under her knees to around her waist, the hand in her hair softly caressed her... for so long he had wanted to hold her like this. And until some time ago he had not realized why, but knowing now he held nothing back... she was asleep and so she could not feel his motions. To Cloud she was an Angel he could not reach; but here he held her and even if after this he could not hold her again, he would be a happy man. It had taken all his strength not to bury his face in her neck and cling to her, to feel she was real and against him, content to just hold her. 'She'd reject me any way...' he thought with not a tiny bit of sadness, but held his fears at bay to give a warm and protective aura. Soon enough the rain and her warmth made him feel the exhaustion he had been feeling since his trip to the Forgotten City, and he began to doze. 'But... what if she wakes up while I'm asleep?' then another thought occured to him. What if she woke and left? She had no reason to stay near him, but something in the back of his mind said she did, he ignored the 'false' feeling and sat up straighter. Determined to stay awake...

-Daylight Approach-

The sun was behind the storming clouds but one could see it was growing lighter, and soon it was nearing six am. Cloud was close to passing out, but his fear held the darkness at bay, and he ignored the still throbbing pain in his back. Mako infused hues watched the Maiden in his arms as she slept in peace, unbeknownst to him she was slowly waking. Aeris felt her mind drift from one darkness to the one of her eyelids, her senses took over for her, first her ears caught the sound of rain. Nose caught the scent of the fresh rain outside and the scent... of Cloud, which brought her other senses to find he was still holding her. Slowly her eyes fluttered open to find the blonde with his head bowed and eyes half open, gazing down at her. A smile worked it's way on her lips as she watched his eyes open a bit more, "You're tired." she stated simply. To which he shook his head which took effort with how he was about to pass out "Go to sleep, Cloud." "But--" she put her index to his lips and shh'd him. "Rest.. Still the ex-SOLDIER did not budge she sat up and got out of his grasp, sitting beside him she gently grabbed his head and pulled it down into her lap."Sleep." she said in a soft but commanding tone, surprised by her actions he gave in quickly and closed his eyes. The still pouring rain and her touch lulled him into his own sleep. Aeris' fingers gently entangled in her blonde spikes and ran through them. Cloud's last thought before falling completely asleep was 'Aeris...'

Aurthor's Note: Thank you for your time, I apologize if this one was boring. Reviews are welcome, any sort of feddback at all.