Ch. 12...the final one...I'm proud of this story. I really am. Thanks go out to Carriles and andrhats for reviewing once more. Now, let's get on with it.

Disclaimer:Still don't own KH...but I'm plotting.

"Speaking"

/Thinking\

Writing

Aldrick rolled over, his eyes slowly opening. He could see a sky, and some birds that seemed to be robins. The sound of a waterfall could be heard. He opened his eyes all the way and sat up, an "Ow..." being said from the pain in his empty stomach. He then realized that he had been changed, and was now wearing only a pair of black boxers.

"Good. You're awake. I was getting worried there for a minute. You'd been sleeping for the past two days." Cid spoke from a chair near a fireplace, a small table nearby with a mostly filled ashtray sitting on it.

Aldrick looked out the window he had woken up to, a hand on his gut to try and stop the hunger pains. "...Where am I?" he asked, looking back to the mechanic.

"Hollow Bastion. One of the castle's rooms. Our room, to be more precise." He grinned a little as Aldrick blushed at the mentioning of 'our room'. "Yep! We're tryin' to clear out the heartless, and it's taking a while, but it's getting done. The others have been working really hard. Even that brat Yuffie hasn't been annoying me or you."

Aldrick tried to get out of the bed, but Cid immediately got up and kept the teen down. "You're not getting up. You're wounds may have been healed, but you're still weak. Leon should get here with some food soon."

Almost as if on cue, Leon knocked on the door and walked in, a tray with toast and eggs on it, along with a glass of orange juice, in his hands. "Well, speak of the devil." Cid said as he scratched his stubble.

"Yuffie needs your help. Something about a busted pipe or something in the kitchen." Leon spoke like he didn't really care, and after setting the tray on Aldrick's lap, he grabbed a chair and placed it next to the bed. "I'll watch Aldrick." was all he said as he sat down.

Cid, grabbing some toast, started to head for the door. "Stay in bed. If you don't, I'm going to have to sit on you." he called over his shoulder. He grabbed a spear from by the door, and Aldrick noticed an unusual sparkle from the spearhead, and the teen smiled when he realized that it was the one Aldrick had gotten for Cid.

Once Cid had left, Leon turned his head towards the teen, who had begun to eat. "We need to talk."

Aldrick looked up from his plate, confused. "Talk?"

"Yes, talk. It's about you going home." At this, Aldrick stopped eating, looking down at his half eaten plate of eggs as he set the fork down. "Since you've been sleeping, I've been trying to get the portal for the keyhole of this world to change, and temporarily get a way for you to get home. In the past two days, All three of us, me, Yuffie, and Aerith, have been working hard, and finally got it. You can go home."

Aldrick continued to eat, but stayed quiet. Home...but, this is more my home then back there...but that would be selfish, like Maleficent said...they do care for me in both places...but... He was getting tired of all the 'buts', and slightly shook his head.

"You don't want to go home?" Leon sounded only the tiniest bit curious, but still managed to stay as unemotional as ever.

Aldrick shook his head, but said "I can't be so selfish. I want to stay, but my mother, and my friends, are so worried about me..."

"Then get dressed. We'll open the portal soon." With nothing else left to say, Leon stood up. He headed for the door, and Aldrick crawled out of the bed /So soon?...\ crossed his mind as he headed for the closet.

Grabbing his belt, a pair of light blue boxers, a pair of baggy green pants, and a white t-shirt, he dressed himself. He also grabbed some socks, and put those on as well, and left the closet, walking up to Leon. On his way, he noticed something green on the fireplace, and looked closer, realizing it was his journal. Picking that up, he decided once again to take it with him, and he returned to heading back towards the gunblader.

Putting on his shoes that had been placed by the door, he simply said "I'm ready..." and he was led out of the room. They passed through many rooms and corridors, and after about five minutes of walking, they arrived in the Grand hall, where Yuffie and Aerith were waiting. Sad looks adorned their faces, and Yuffie could be heard sniffling.

"Do you really have to go?" Aerith sounded desperate, but Aldrick nodded, his eyes on the floor.

"You...You..." Yuffie couldn't say anything, so Aerith took her out of the room, and Aldrick was left with only Leon.

Leon started to work the controls, and Aldrick waited, staring at the portal. Soon, Leon stopped pushing buttons, and Aldrick could see a change in the gate. A room appeared, and the teen could immediately recognize it as his own. It was cleaner than he remembered, but it was his all the same.

He stood there, staring into his room. He didn't move. "It won't be open long. The machine is about to break." Leon was staring at the controls, making sure everything was running smoothly.

As Aldrick started to walk up the stairs to enter his room, he could hear the door to the Hall open, along with sound of heavy footsteps like someone was running. He turned to his right, and his gaze was placed upon an out of breath Cid.

"Why...are you...leaving?" He was trying to catch his breath, and kept coming closer. Aldrick only turned his head away, not even looking at Cid as the mechanic stepped in front of his apprentice.

"...I need to go home..."

"But isn't...this your...home?"

"...Stop..." Aldrick didn't look up, but he was obviously getting frustrated.

"Aren't we good...enough for you?"

"...Stop it..."

"Do you hate us that much?" Cid had now caught his breath, and stared right at Aldrick.

"No...Stop...please..."

"If you don't hate us, then stay!"

"I can't!" He looked up at Cid, his frustration clearly showing.

The smack echoed against the walls of the Grand Hall, and Aldrick's head snapped back to the side from Cid's slap. His anger on his face, and desperation showed in his voice. "You have a choice! Don't say you can't!"

Aldrick's eyes watered, but only one tear rolled down his cheek. "It's not that simple. My mother...my friends...they're worried about me. I just disappeared on them..."

"So...my love means nothing to you?" Cid's eyes seemed to mist a little as they stared at Aldrick. Waiting for a moment, and recieving no response, he turned and left, leaving the room, and Aldrick turned back around, hearing Leon say "Only six more minutes..."

He took a step, but he couldn't make himself go any farther. He couldn't leave. He didn't want to. He looked down at the journal in his hands, and remembered something.

"...I need a pen..." At this, Leon smirked, and grabbed a black pen from the control panel.

Cid had wandered the castle, not sure what he should do. He just wandered, only to find himself outside the main gates. He stared into the setting sun, his eyes watery.

"Damn brat...why? I thought he was happy here...Damn it!" He kneeled down, and his fist pounded into the ground numerous times to vent his anger, frustration, and sadness. He stopped when his knuckles started to bleed, the skin torn from the constant thrashing.

He could hear the gates open, but didn't turn around. The mechanic could even hear footsteps coming towards him, but he didn't acknowledge it. He just stood and gently rubbed his knuckles, trying to stop the bleeding, not really caring about the pain.

"...Hey." The person spoke to Cid, and the man recognized the voice.

"No...is it really...?" He turned, and his eyes met one's that were the color of storm clouds, one's that were familiar.

He grabbed Aldrick and lifted him off the ground, giving a large bear hug that nearly snapped the teen's spine. Letting him go, the teen let out an "Ow..."

Cid was ecstatic, but his toothy grin soon turned to a frown. "I thought you were leaving..."

Aldrick looked to the sun, a solemn look on his face. "I was...and then, it finally dawned on me. 'I'm happy for once...and if my family and friends knew I was okay, then it would be alright'. I know it took me a while, but what can I say? I'm just a little slow."

Cid's grin came back as he hugged the teen from behind. "I think I'll be able to deal with it." He looked down, but noticed that the teen didn't have a certain green book. "Where's your journal?"

Aldrick smiled. "I figured that something, if not me, had to go back."

Softly, Cid whispered to Aldrick, saying "...I love you."

Aldrick smiled a little, his eyes following the sun. "I love you, too."

Cid turned his attention to the sun as well, and they watched as it slowly hid beneath the horizon. "Are you really staying?" Cid asked, looking at Aldrick.

Aldrick looked up, staring into the man's eyes. "Yes." And then, they kissed, as the moon slowly started to rise into the sky.

Rita had decided to go into her son's room one more time. Why? It didn't matter. All she knew was that her son had been there. She entered, and found everything untouched. No trash, no dirty clothes, and no video games out. Her son still hadn't come back.

She sat on the bed, withdrawing a picture from her pocket. It was a child, about eleven years of age, on the beach after getting knocked around by the waves. His sandy blonde hair was plastered to his head, and his gray eyes shone from happiness. "Oh, Aldrick..." She started to lift herself off the bed, when her hand found a book that had been resting on the bed. "That wasn't here before..."

She flipped the cover, and read the name Aldrick Kiel on the inside of it. Her hand went to her mouth in shock. "This is my son's?!" She hadn't known he kept a journal, so she read the first page. It shocked her as well, and she spent a good two and a half hours reading every page up till the last one.

"I...I didn't know..." She had started to cry, and worried that he had done something horrible to himself. When she turned to the last page, she noticed that it was quickly written, as though in a rush, and addressed to her.

Mom, I know you're worried about me. But...please don't be worried about my well being. I found someone...and they love me as much as I love them. The entire group will help take care of me. No, it's not a cult or something like that.

You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain, but you will probably never see me again. I'd say not to cry, but that would be cruel. But, trust me when I say that, for once, I am truly happy.

Please, tell my friends I'm alright? They would probably want to know. And please, don't worry about money for me. Believe or not, I'm training to be a jeweler. Either way, I should be fine.

-Lots of love, your precious son, Aldrick

Rita finished reading, and started to cry. Out of sadness that she'd never see her son again, but also out of the happiness that her son was alive and well. She closed the journal and placed it on the desk, turned off the overhead light, and shut the door behind her as she left.

...It's over! Well, that took me long enough. I should probably get to planning my next story, so review if you want, and be sure to keep an eye out for my next story. Here's a hint to what it's going to be about: Valenwind! Bye! See ya next time, faithful readers!