"Zack?" Aerith tilted her head slightly, squinting her eyes in disbelief. She'd often seen Zack in her dreams, but this dream seemed so real. He looked exactly as he always had, lean and handsome. But something was a little different. His normal SOLDIER uniform was gone, replaced by an ill fitting green sweater and ragged jeans. Normal attire, by slum standards. One of his arms was slightly bigger than the other, almost as if he had something covering it underneath the long sweater sleeve. He held it in close to his body, like he was protecting it. Was it broken? What had happened to him?

Dream Zack crossed the distance between them and stopped just in front of Aerith. He ran his eyes up and down her form, drinking her in. Somehow, his eyes weren't the same. They weren't the bright, mako sprinkled jewels that Aerith once knew. Eyes that she could spend hours peering into. These eyes were darker, more worn.

"I miss--," began Aerith. But she never finished her sentence. The vision before her lifted its hand to Aerith's cheek and brushed its thumb against it ever so gently. Aerith gasped at the touch. She raised her arm and clutched at his hand desperately.

"You're--you're real?"

"I made it back. Finally." Zack raised Aerith's hand to his lips. He turned it so that the pale flesh of her palm was facing upwards and he pressed his lips into its center. Aerith's knees gave out and she sank towards the floor. The world was spinning around her in a swirl of color. He's alive. Can it be?

Aerith felt herself get swept up from the ground. Zack lifted her effortlessly and curled her into his chest. Aerith's head rested against the lean muscles of his torso and could hear the muffled thump of his heartbeat. It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. And it was real, not imagined.

Zack took Aerith and walked over to the first pew. He sat down onto it gently, easing Aerith onto his lap. He curled his arms around her and buried his head into her long hair.

"Aerith…" whispered Zack softly into her ear. Hearing him speak her name after so long, so long, sent shivers up her spine. She dug her fingers into the fabric of his sweater and said a silent prayer of thanks. They sat like this for a long time. Aerith was too afraid that if she moved, he would disappear, leaving her cold and alone. Finally she spoke, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Is it really you Zack?" she asked. "This isn't just some cruel dream?" Zack chuckled softly into her hair.

"If it is, I don't ever want to wake up," he said.

"But Zack, it's been almost five years…I--I thought you were dead." Aerith tilted her head back to look up at him, searching his handsome face for answers. She saw the pain in his eyes and Aerith knew that the past five years had been difficult for him too.

Zack shook his head. "It's a long story, Aerith. One that I don't want to revisit."

"Please, Zack," said Aerith. She cupped his cheek with her hand. Zack stared at her with such fierce longing that made Aerith glad she was sitting down. She was sure her knees would have buckled again.

"I can't tell you details," he began slowly, "because the less you know, the safer you'll be. But I guess, it was mostly because of Sephiroth. Something happened to him and he went crazy. He killed everyone in the town, set fire to it and he almost killed me and a few others. We defeated him somehow, but the Shinra kept me prisoner. They couldn't let anyone know what happened in that village, so they covered it up. They captured me and…kept me locked up until I managed to escape."

"But, I thought you worked for the Shinra, Zack? How could they do that to you?"

"I guess I was expendable. Just another hired hand to do their dirty work."

"You're not expendable…not to me," said Aerith. Zack's face softened and a smile broke the grim set to his mouth.

"You still have it."

"Have what?" asked Aerith.

"The ribbon. The one I bought you before I left."

Aerith's hand went instinctively to her hair. She felt the silk of the pink ribbon that was tied into her hair in a neat bow. It was a token from Zack, something to commemorate the completion of her now infamous flower wagon. But the ribbon had turned out to be so much more than that. It was the only thing that kept her memories of Zack from fading.

"I never take it off.," she said brightly. "It helped me remember you. I was scared. You were gone so long, I was scared that maybe I had made you up all those years ago. But every time I looked at my ribbon I knew that you were really here with me."

Zack took Aerith's face into his hands. She blushed violently but didn't pull away.

"Well don't worry," said Zack. " I'm back now. And I'm done with Shinra. I think I only survived because deep down somewhere, I heard you calling my name. I'll never leave you again Aerith. Not if I can help it." And Zack closed the distance between he and Aerith, brushing his lips against hers.

Aerith felt free. She never thought she would ever get to experience this moment, but here it was. Her first kiss. With Zack. She closed her eyes and pressed herself into Zack, kissing him back eagerly. Zack responded to her and deepened the kiss, searching Aerith's soft mouth with his own. All the years of waiting, wondering and longing were finally at an end. She never wanted to ever leave his side again.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Zack pulled away from Aerith and gripped her tensely. Aerith felt her stomach drop. She knew that voice well. Zack lifted Aerith from his lap, stood from the pew and turned towards the voice emanating from the entrance.

"Tseng," said Zack, curling his hands into fists.

"It's been a while Zack. So glad you finally made it back."

"No thanks to you. What do you want, Tseng?"

Tseng blatently ignored Zack and cut his eyes to Aerith.

"Aerith, still as lovely as you were when I saw you yesterday." Aerith fought her urge to vomit. It was Tseng's job to keep an eye on her, doing surveillance for the Shinra was just another job requirement of being a Turk. But Tseng never made it a point the hide the fact that he was doing so. He would always pop up unannounced at the church and flirt with her shamelessly, much to Aerith's displeasure.

"I told you to leave me alone!" she shouted.

"I could never do that. You are much too valuable, my dear. But we are not here for you today. We came for Zack."

"We?" Aerith sensed movement behind her. She turned and saw that the church was now crawling with Shinra soldiers as well as two more Turks, Reno and Rude. Aerith gripped Zack's arm in terror.

"We're surrounded," she said, her voice shaking.

"I know. Don't worry. They won't hurt you," said Zack reassuringly.

"Come to finish the job, have you Tseng?" Zack reached back and gripped the handle of his sword, ready to strike at a moments notice.

"Ah, I wouldn't do that Zack. Let's not cause a scene in front of our lovely guest. And anyway, we Turks had nothing to do with what happened out there in the field. Our orders were to capture you. Alive. Which is what we'd like to do now. With your cooperation, of course."

"And what makes you think that I'm gonna do that? I'm done with Shinra. Anyone I ever cared about at the place is dead."

Tseng smirked maliciously. "Not everyone, Zack. But you'll probably find that out soon enough. Now, please. We are wasting my precious time. Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Zack tensed and braced himself for combat.

"If you don't cooperate, I shall have no problem apprehending Aerith as well. We've been allowing her to live a normal life up until now. But she would be of much greater use at headquarters."

"You touch her, I'll kill you. I swear I will, Tseng." Zack put his broken arm around Aerith defensively and pushed her behind him. Aerith couldn't take this anymore. She had to diffuse the situation right now. If Zack was hurt because of her, because he came to see her, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"Zack," spoke Aerith softly, "Please don't fight them. I hate Tseng, but he is a man of his word. If he says they're going to take you alive, they will. They won't hurt you. I couldn't bear it if I lost you now, when I've just gotten you back. Go with them. Please."

Zack turned to her in bewilderment. "You sure?" he asked.

"No. I never want you to leave me again. But they'll never leave us alone if you don't go, Zack. Not for as long as we live. So if you go now, you can settle whatever it is the Shinra want with you, once and for all."

"But Aerith--"

"We will see each other again, Zack. If I can wait five years, a little while longer won't hurt."

Zack let his arm fall from the handle of his sword. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Wait for me Aerith," he whispered gently. "I'll come back to you again. I promise."

"I know." And Zack kissed her one more time before turning back to Tseng.

"If I find out that anything has happened to Aerith, you are going to pay Tseng. Do you hear me!"

"You don't have to worry about me, Zack. I'll take very good care of her," said Tseng, eyeing Aerith greedily. Tseng snapped his fingers, signaling Reno and Rude to come forward. Aerith had seen them before, but never spoken to them. One had ridiculous red hair that stuck out at all different angles and the other wore sunglasses and had no hair at all. They looked like they shouldn't be having anything to do with each other at all. The only thing they had in common were their matching black suits.

Reno and Rude pushed her aside and started to restrain Zack. Aerith could see the effort Zack was making not to rip them apart. They removed his sword and bound Zack's hands in front of him. The Shinra soldiers that were dotted all over the church began to file out of the front entrance, followed by Reno, Rude and their prisoner, Zack. Zack looked back at her and smiled weakly before disappearing through the doors. A painful lump formed in Aerith's throat.

Only Tseng remained in the entrance now. He flicked his ponytail off of his shoulder and turned to leave.

"Be a good girl while I'm gone," he said before exiting and closing the heavy church doors behind him. It was only then, when the silence of the church began to press on her that Aerith lost control. He insides felt like ice and her heart felt leaden and heavy. She sank down onto the pew bench and braced her head in her hands. The lump in her throat became to much to bear and the tears started to flow. The silence was gone now, replaced by Aerith's loud, painful sobs that echoed against the stone church walls.