Aerith woke up to Ike shaking her gently back and forth. "Aerith...time to get up~" He told her, smiling. Well he got over that fast. "Where am I?" She asked. Ike kinda got a confused face, but kept his smile. "Why, don't you remember?" He asked. Aerith looked around. She was in Ike's living room and she heard someone go "Oh Ike, is this her?" She jerked back, surprised to see Ike's mother pop out of the kitchen like that. "Yeah ma." he replied. "Aww, you have good taste in girls Ike!" Ike's whole face went red. "M-mother!" He yelled. "I'm sure she's just pulling your leg Ike." "oh..." Ike sounded a little surprise. He saw his dad enter the house. Aerith looked surprised. Ike didn't look anything like his father, his attrbutes were from his mother. Aerith smiled. "Well, I think that's cute." She told herself. "Hey dad." Ike said, rasing his hand for a handshake. Greil looked at Ike. Then he tackled him. "Haha! This time, I've got you, old man!" "I don't think so!" "Ah! Okay, okay, okay! YOU WIN!" Greil let his son out of the headlock. Aerith sat in silence. Ike got up and looked at Aerith. "Aerith, this is ma, dad. Ma, dad, this is Aerith." Hello..." Aerith said, in a low voice so nobody noticed her depression kicked in. Ike seemed to notice it right away and walked over to her. "Hehe, yeah you sure showed me dad." He said, chuckling. "Aerith, are you gonna be alright?" He whispered to her. She nodded and held onto Ike. Ike went a little red, but held her and made sure see was alright.

At Breakfast, Aerith sat next to Ike. Greil was telling stories about how his book was selling and he ran out of copies. "...so then, she yells at me and smacked me with her purse!" Greil said. Ike and his mother laughed. Aerith did a quiet laugh. "So, anyways, Aerith. I hear you go to the same school as Ike, right?" Aerith looked at Greil. "Yes sir." She said. "You must be famous to go to that school. What does your parents do? Are they here?" He asked. "Well, I'm the princess of Solarice, so my parents are always busy and never around." Greil froze and looked at Aerith."Ike...?" Greil said, still looking at Aerith. "Yeah dad?" "Is this the same Aerith I know?" "Well, yeah." Greil and Elena stood up and ran over to Aerith, giving her a big huge. "Aerith!" They both yelled. They were so happy to see her, since, the last time they saw each other, she was visiting Cimera for help from Greil's Mercenaries. "I knew you looked familiar!" Elena said. "Ike, why didn't you have her over? And why didn't you tell us it was the same Aerith!" Greil questioned Ike. "Well, I dunno, she just...I dunno, she just didn't wanna come over for some reason." Greil and Elena both nearly glared at Aerith. "You can come over whenever you like, ok Aerith?" They said. "Uh...o-okay..." "Guys, your scaring her." They all laughed.

After breakfast, Aerith went by her house to get some things, and was surprised to she her parents' car in the driveway. "Oh no. Oh no oh no!" Aerith said, running up the driveway and onto the front porch. What were they doing home so soon? Aerith slowly opened the door and entered her house. As soon as she closed the door, she heard her father's voice. "Where have you been?" He said, sort of dead tone. "I was...at a friends...h-house." She said. "What friend might that be?" He asked, nearly wanting to kill her. "H-hanna.." Aerith lied. Her dad reached for the phone and called Hanna. Aerith knew he would do this. He always did. "Why don't you have a seat Aerith?" Her mother said. Oh god, mom was home too? She refused. "I don't want to sit down, my legs aren't tired." She said. Her mother sit, glaring at her. "I seattled things with Hanna." Aerith finally snapped at them and yelled. "Why do you always do that! Can't you see she's my only trustworthy friend! Why do you even care where I've been! You guys HATE me! I hear about how you two hate me all the time! In fact, if I weren't a princess, I would have been adopted!" She ran upstairs and locked herself in her room. There was no way she was going to stay there.

She packed everything she had and called Hanna.

I'm sorry Aerith, we don't have any room.

Aerith sighed. "What do I do?"

Why not call Ike? He could help you.

"Your right, Hanna. Why didn't I think of him!"

Your welcome

"Now, I've only got one problem."

What's that?

I've got to move all of my stuff out of the house someway."

...I'll be over. Call Ike, alright? I've got you covered.

"But-"

You'll see. Bye

"Bye." Aerith ended the talk. Now, she had to contact Ike swiftly. The phone rang and rang. "C'mon Ike...!" She said. "Pick up the phone!" Finally, she heard Ike.

Hello?

"Ike? I need you help please. I-"

What, are you in some trouble!

"Well, sort of. My parents tried to kill me and I need to leave. I need your car please."

Of course, I'll be over there!

"oh, and Ike?"

Yes?

"When you arrive, come to my window, don't ring the door bell."

You got it. Bye.

"Bye."

They both hung up. She didn't know what Hanna was doing, but hopefully, her and Ike could get out and Hanna would be safe. Hanna arrived and her parents answered the door. Hanna was distracting Aerith's parents while her and Ike loaded his car so she could leave. She didn't need furniture, just her belongings. After most of it was done, she heard Hanna get hurt. Aerith turned to see Hanna on the ground. Aerith ran over to the door, watching what was going to happen. Aerith's heart was pounding she was about to stab Hanna! Aerith riped open the door and got in front of Hanna, letting out a huge, painful cry. She feel over, but still kept in front of Hanna. "Y-your highness!" Hanna began. Aerith was bleeding very badly. And Aerith's blood was more then enough for Ike to get took out her Father and now her mother was the only thing in the way. Once again, she pinned down Ike in front of Aerith and as soon as the knife was close to Ike, Aerith blocked it with her arms, adding more looked at Aerith who was in tears, but had a smile. Her mother was a madman in a women's body! Ike got up, filled with rage. And in one, pounding, devistating punch, knocked out her mother. Aerith kept licking the blood off, trying to see her scars. Ike went over and called both police and 911. an ambulance came and took her mother and father. Another took Hanna. And one took Aerith, but Ike tagged along. In the ambulance, she looked at Ike. "Ike...your...my hero." was all she could manage.

After a few x-rays and tests, they fond out Ike didn't kill Aerith's parents, just cause a lot of damage. "You wont be charged anything since you were protecting her highness and her advisor." One of the doctors said. Ike sighed with relief. He looked over at Aerith and Hanna, who both seemed to be out of shape. "Is Aerith in really bad pain? Or Hanna?" The doctor shook his head. "Hannah will be fine, not much was done to her. But Aerith...She broke a rib and had suver bleeding. She can make it, but it will be heck for her until shes made a recovery." Ike looked at Aerith. She was his hero, it seemed. She saved him and Hanna from dying and suffering a worse fate then hers. She was the real hero, it semed. Greil and Elena came running in. "IKE!" They screamed. They ran up and hugged Ike. "We were so worried about you!" They both turned and saw Aerith, who was getting more x-rays done. Elena was in tears while seeing Aerith and looked at Ike. "What happened!" She asked. Ike looked off, but still answered. "When I left, Aerith wanted me to help her move somewhere. Well, I guess while I was helping her, Hanna was making sure her parents didn't bother her. While this was going on, Hanna got hurt and fell over, and Aerith's mother was about to kill Hanna when Aerith saved her by getting in front of Hanna and breaking one of her ribs." "Goodness!" Elena cried. She had acted as if Aerith was their own. "That's not the worse part." Ike continued. "When she was stabbed, I heard her scream. So, I went in and I saw her, bleeding. So, I went over and stopped her dad from helping any, but her mom is powerful. She pinned me down and when then knife got closer.." Ike looked over at Aerith, who was crying about her condition. "...Aerith saved me from death by placing her arms on my chest and blocking the knife." Now, Elena was bawling. "Sniff...she...she is sniff...so...sweet!" Elena said. "I know..." Greil said in agreement. "she can't go back." Ike mumbeled. "What?" Greil asked. "She can't go back." Ike said louder. "I want her to come and live with us." Greil and Elena both looked at each other. Was he joking? He looked so serious..."Son, we love her and all, but-" "She has to!" Ike yelled, losing his patiance and temper. "I can't stand to see her hurt like this and not do something to help her! She needs to live somewhere else! We have enough room, and if she's a burden, I'll pay for her! Anything she does!" Greil chuckled and put a hand on Ike's shoulder. "You really wanna help Aerith, don't you?" Ike looked at Aerith once more. He turned back at his father and nodded. Greil smiled. "That's one of the things you've got from me. The need to help people." Greil said. "I guess she could stay a while..." Ike smiled and hugged his father. The doctors came out and they finally said they could go in and see her. Ike ran over to Aerith and put his hand on hers. "Aerith..." Ike began. Aerith put her hand in front of him, which ment 'hold on' or 'stop'. She gestured to her throat and then shook her head, which mainly met 'I can't talk, my throat isn't better yet'. Ike nodded. "...I have some amazing news for you Aerith. She blinked a couple of times, then tilted her head to the left, meaning 'like what?'. ike held in all of his excitment. "My parents just said that you could stay at our house!" Aerith had a surprised look on her face, then clapped. She was so excited! Ike looked at her love dazed like and held her hand. "You told me I was your hero, but I really think your the hero." He said. Aerith finally spoke for a few seconds. "but...y...you...faced...m...mother..." She said. "I know." He said. "But you saved me. Me nor Hanna are as hurt as bad as you. You saved me and Hanna, while losing your speech and rib! I don't think I could've done what you did." Ike told her. Aerith began blushing again. He thought that? She looked around, then finally gestured for him to bring his head in her hands. He did so, and she pulled him into a hug. She cared so much for him, but she couldn't tell him yet. She was speechless until Tuesday. Aerith's last words she spoke before going completely speechless was "What...about...s-school?" ""I'll have a doctors note for you so you wont be unbelieved. She nodded. Ike got up. "Ike...?" Ike looked at her. "Yes Aerith?" "Thank you, for everything..." Ike kissed her on the nose. "Your welcome..."