(A/N) I decided to post this chapter a little early, just because I don't think I've ever had such a wonderful review response to a story before. :3 Plus, this is the last chapter, so I know people are dying to read the end. ;)

Finding the Missing Piece
Chapter Four

The rest of the day goes about in a usual manner; after the kids return home in the afternoon Denzel goes to spend time with Cloud in the garage while he works on his bike, and I take Marlene with me to the grocery store to pick up a few things. My excitement about this evening begins growing steadily as the hours go by, and I think Marlene even notices the lift in my mood.

Cloud warns me that I should wear something warm when we go out tonight, which makes me even more suspicious about where he could possibly be taking me, though he won't even give me so much as a hint. I finish getting ready around eight-o-clock, though I don't do anything special to my hair or add make-up, and I opt for dressing in jeans and bundling up in a jacket; a complete antithesis to last night's date.

It's funny, because even though this is just as much of a date as the one last night was, I don't feel the need to dress up and try to impress Cloud. Maybe because we've known each other for so long, or because we live together anyway, so he's seen me as I really am. Even though he has a hard time communicating with people, I think Cloud is the only one that has really ever understood me, which is probably why I'm so comfortable around him.

Thankfully, when I called Yuffie earlier she cooperated with my request of watching the kids tonight. In fact, she was really all too happy to agree to stay with them, considering how she's been trying to play matchmaker for Cloud and I for years, so she's eager to help with anything she sees as moving that along. I don't think that this date means that our relationship is changing at all, but I realize when the thought enters my mind, that being with him that way sounds nice to me.

This realization surprises me, because it's something that I haven't thought about in a long time. I don't have time to give the sentiment much thought though, because right after Yuffie leaves to take Marlene and Denzel back to her house for the night, Cloud pulls me into the garage, and I understand then that his plans must involve a ride on Fenrir. We don't usually go places together on his bike, because most of the stores in town are close enough to walk to, but on the rare occasion that I do get to ride with him I always enjoy it.

He pushes the motorcycle out into the street rather than starting it in the garage, and after he's straddling it he quickly pulls on his goggles, looking back at me and waiting for me to join him. I follow after him soon enough, climbing on behind him and trying to find a position that's comfortable. Luckily the back of his bike is big enough for both of us to fit, but I still hook my arms around his torso so I won't have the fear of falling off.

"Keep your eyes closed on the way, alright?" he calls back to me as he kicks the engine to a start in one fluid motion.

I'm amused that he's still keeping up the surprise part of this, but I give him a nod anyway when he looks back at me for confirmation that I understand his request. I see a small smile appear on his face before he turns back around, quickly giving the bike some gas and causing us to start off down the street. I close my eyes obediently, suddenly feeling more excited about this than I can remember being about anything in a long time.

It's cold outside tonight, but his body is shielding me from much of the bitter wind, though it still manages to whip my hair around my face due to the high speed that he tends to constantly drive at. We ride for what seems like a long time, but I comply with his request not to look where we're going the whole way, and find a nice spot on his back between his shoulder blades to rest my cheek during the trip.

By the time we finally do come to a stop, the silence that takes the place of the roar of Fenrir's engine almost makes my ears ring. I keep my eyes closed, trying to listen harder in hopes of hearing something that will help me identify where we are. I don't notice anything in particular though, so it remains a mystery to me for now. I lean back away from Cloud when I feel him twist around to look at me, placing a hand over my eyes so he knows I'm not peeking.

He doesn't say anything, so I'm startled when I feel his hand cover mine, pulling it away from my face so I can see. For a short moment, I'm more occupied with the feeling of the contact rather than the fact that I can now look around, because it's such a rare thing for him to reach out and touch me. He's pulled off his usual leather gloves too, and the unexpected smoothness of his skin, even despite the calluses on his fingers, is distracting.

When I manage to pull my attention away from him and I've regained my senses, I glance around myself, stunned silent by the scene. I know now why we had to drive for so long, because we're out in the middle of nowhere, beside a dirt road that looks like it might be in the area between Edge and the nearby town of Kalm. I tilt my head back, gazing up at the pitch black sky over my head that's dotted with millions of tiny glowing stars.

This reminds me of my old home in Nibelheim, because that little town was out in the country like this is. I never get to see this many stars while I'm in the city, though I hadn't realized just how much I missed being able to. The bike shifts under me as Cloud slides off of it, breaking into my reverie, and I follow his example shortly after, though I'm still caught in a daze from the beauty of this place.

Surprising me again, Cloud takes my hand, cradling it gently in his as he pulls me alongside him and heads towards the tall, grassy hill in front of us. The slope on this side of the hill climbs steadily at an easy angle, but the backside looks like it has a steep drop off, because I can see the winding roots of the tree on the top of the hill poking out from the dirt over the edge. The only source of light out here is the enormous, nearly full moon, but it's enough to let me see where I'm walking and not stumble.

"It's beautiful out here," I observe, though the lack of any other source of noise causes me to automatically speak in a whisper.

Cloud looks over at me with a small smile on his lips. "I found it on my way home from work one night," he explains, his voice quiet like mine. "I was going to take a picture, but I thought you'd probably rather see it for yourself."

I smile back at him, happy that he decided to bring me here, because this is exactly my kind of date.

Cloud has the privilege of getting to leave Edge on almost a daily basis, because the demands of his delivery service have him traveling to other towns frequently. He started taking pictures of all of the different places he goes to show me and the kids, but I still envy him for getting to escape the city so often. He grew up in Nibelheim with me though, so he probably misses the country just as much as I do.

When we reach the top of the hill the view takes my breath away, because it seems like I can see for miles from up here. It's mostly flat, grassy plains in this part of the country, though I can see the silhouette of a mountain range far off in the distance to my left. When I look behind me I can barely make out a shape and the faint glow of artificial lights that marks the location of the city, but being way out here still makes me feel like I'm in an entirely different world.

Cloud's hand slips out of mine after a moment and he takes a step away from me, sitting down and leaning his back against the lone tree next to us. He watches me with expectance for a moment, and I take the hint quickly, plopping down on the ground in front of him. His arms slowly slide around my waist, pulling me closer to him so my back is against his chest, but this time I am unsurprised by the display of affection.

He is always hesitant about touching me, probably because it's something that he's not familiar with and he's testing my reaction, but I realize that I like the feeling of being so near to him, so I don't discourage him. We sit together in silence for a long time, simply savoring the peace of the moment. I lean back into his chest, enjoying his warmth, and he rests his chin on my shoulder, causing his breath to tickle my ear every time he exhales.

My eyes drift closed as I relax against him, letting the feeling of his steady heartbeat and the sound of his even breathing drown out all of my other thoughts. He leans forward slowly, though I don't think much about the movement until I feel his lips brush across my cheek, and he leaves a kiss on my jaw. My heart flutters from the sensation, and his mouth leaves my skin tingling with an unfamiliar, but pleasant heat.

Old feelings that I thought were all but forgotten begin bubbling up inside of me then, and I'm instantly reminded of how different our relationship used to be in the past. I had a silly crush on him when I was young, and I still cared for him when we met back up in Midgar years later, even if he was different from the boy I used to know. I didn't think he wanted to be with me in that way, so always repressed the feelings, and I eventually came to accept that we would only ever be friends.

I realize now though, that just being his friend is not enough for me. I want to have so much more with him, and if his actions lately are any indication, I think that maybe, no matter how impossible it seems to me, he does too. As complicated as everything else about our relationship has been over the years, this time it's perfectly simple. It just feels right being with him this way, and there's no doubt in my mind that this is where I was meant to be.

I understand then, while I'm sitting here in his arms, that my life isn't missing anything. It never has been, but I've just been overlooking the obvious for so long that I had come to believe that it didn't exist. Now though, the truth seems so clear that I feel silly for not seeing it sooner. He is the one that I need to be with, because Cloud is who makes me happy, and when I'm with him, I'm complete.

I smile, because I know the piece of me that I thought was missing, has been there all along.

The End

(A/N) This story is dedicated to all of you lovely people who have reviewed my stories over the years, because it means so much to me that you all take the time not only to read the things that I've written, but also to tell me what you liked about them too. :3 Not one single review is taken for granted, and I've put all of your pennames in a thank you on my profile, so I'll never forget who you guys are. I hope you'll all continue to read and respond to my stories, because I love to hear from all of you. Thanks so much for the support everyone! :D

And a huge thank you to everyone that reviewed this story:
ceebabyyx, Cloudtail4ever, CLOUDxTIFAforever, elebelly, FlamingDranzer, GundamWingFanatic90, Marisa, Rend, rmarcilanii, Sheiky, Sigbru, Toons, Twilight-Imp-626, Valentine'sNinja, vx-Luna-xv, and xXxLadySkyxXx. And, of course, thank you to anyone who adds this to either their favorites or alert list, or who will review/add sometime in the future. ;)

I hope you all enjoyed this story, because I know I loved writing it. :3

-punkiemonkie