Afternoon loyal and probably very very excited fellow FF7 fans!

Anyone reading my other fic knows how super-duper hyped I was all last week for the glorious remake. Can confirm I still lay in bed, get a flash thought about it or something I want to see in the remake and I get so excited I can't sleep haha. Personally I just can't wait to see HD version of who most of you know is my favourite character (read until the end of the chapter if you don't know). The remake can honestly be the best thing since slice bread but if they aren't in it, there gone be a womble tantrum up in deze A/N's!

Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and thanks for the reviews on it, drenk Aerith was really fun to write lol. Sorry for the delay in posting, June has been a crazy month for me, plus my greatest motivation/inspiration Moosh is off getting herself an education or something trivial like that to keep my writer juices flowing :D.

Have fun!


Arriving back into consciousness was not kind to Aerith, she'd seen many of her classmates arrive to lectures suffering after a heavy night out and stating that they felt like a 'train wreck', now she knew exactly what they meant. Groaning woozily she attempted to move but found that gravity on Gaia had grown tenfold and her limbs were tangled up in extensive web of quilting. Very large, very fluffy and very pleasantly manly smelling quilting. In other words, quilting that wasn't hers.

The so-obliterated-her-soul-hurt brunette jerked further into conciseness and dared to open one eye, peaking it out from under the covers to survey her surroundings and begging not to find any nasty surprises. It quickly dawned on her from various tell-tale signs such as a dream catcher she had made when she was ten, that this was Sephiroth's room and her alcohol abused innards fluttered with relief, bewilderment and then alarm in that order. Her highly likely to be smudged panda-eye made slow contact with the fabric of the blanket she was snuggled up to the nose in.

She was in Sephiroth's room and she was in Sephiroth's bed!

Aerith snapped her dizzy sight back to the fancy ceiling covered in tasteful ivory swirls. How was she in Seph's bed!? Why was she in his bed!?

Instinctively she lifted the covers away, peered down and then rapidly clamped them back down around her neck with a high-pitched and somewhat croaky gasp, her horrified face turning beet red.

Surely they didn't!?

She shook her headachy brain before she could even consider such a gross thought. That would be beyond weird, Seph wasn't just like a brother to her, he WAS her brother. The colourful adoption papers she'd drawn up when they were kids and forced him to sign were contractual proof of that.

The completely naked teenage woman breathed and focused to try and make logical sense of her current presence in Seph's apartment and indecent predicament in his bed. She could remember storming out of the club, meeting Sam, Lacey and the others and riding the train to sector seven, that much she was certain of.

Aerith gagged lightly.

Finally she could remember doing those sickly orange and black shots and after that completely nothing, except for the occasional fleeting recollections of dancing, a lot of crazy wild dancing.

She cringed, so that's why she was here, she had got wasted and Sephiroth had to have found her and brought her back here so professor Hojo wouldn't see her drunk. Sitting up with sore regret and a throbbing brain Aerith pressed her palm to her forehead, she had been so foolish for reacting the way she had and for running off. She would be totally furious with herself if she wasn't in such a self-sorry pitiful state and wasn't confident that Sephiorth was going to be completely livid enough for the both of them.

He was going to be beyond furious but she deserved it and as much as it crossed her mind to do so, she couldn't hide in here for the rest of her life so she may as well face the music now and get it over with. Swinging her feet off the bed to look for clothes and whimpering at the sight of her dirty marked dress across the room, Aerith was left with no choice but to wrap the white bed sheets around her body and teetered over to Sephiroth's wardrobe. He wouldn't mind if she borrowed something of his, he would probably be too busy giving her that infamous dark broody glare of his and pummelling her into the ground with a lecture to even notice.

Sliding the sleek chrome doors open Aerith was bombarded with a staggering and overpowering volume of belts and black. She really needed to figure out a way to swing a day pass from the Shinra building to take him out clothes shopping.

Choosing the biggest looking ordinary black t-shirt she could find she shamefully bared all to switch into it and lazily re-bowed her hair so she didn't look quite as much of a crazy mess. The brandless, logoless top draped over her frame baggily and although it reached all the way down to a point 2-3 inches above her knee-line, Aerith still felt awkward and way too 'leggy' looking for comfort. She was also not entirely pleased with the way the item hung between her cleavage either but anything was better than bedsheets or an even shorter dirty evening dress. The Cetra brunette tilted her head at her own reflection in the mirror with a frown of dej ja vau, exactly when had she started becoming so self-conscious of herself and with what Sephiroth would think of her? It was kind of immaterial really, she had probably lowered Seph's opinion of her about as far as it could possibly go after last night.

Nervously leaving her safe haven Aerith bravely or foolishly opened up, stepped bare foot outside and padded down the cool marble floored corridor of the great future general of Shinra's apartment. She had been here plenty of times in the six months Seph had had this place as technically it was still situated within the grounds of the Shinra building and it sucked just how astronomically his new accommodation put her little box room to shame. This was the first time however she had slept here, or passed out here, whatever it was she did.

"Good morning."

The low articulate rumble of Sephiroth's harsh tone made her jump slightly as she stepped into the large open-plan living room/diner. She shuffled a few more steps in but otherwise stayed on the other side of the room from the man whose face was currently remaining hidden behind a morning newspaper. Seph always did have a deep and what most called 'scary' sounding voice but she had learned to interpret it well over a lifetime and knew to her great surprise he wasn't angry. In fact for him, it was almost verging on chirpy.

"Morning Sephy" she returned meekly, the pathetic but sincere tone of apology already lacing her words.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hmmm, not as bad as I know I deserve."

The paper pointing a Wutai related headline towards her was placed flat down on the glass table and Seph's vivid venom green orbs met hers with his brow slightly raised. His expression was light and questioning until his gaze lowered onto the top she was wearing and straight away from the change in his face, she wasn't so sure that he was unbothered by her borrowing his clothes after all. Aerith's fists instantly took a hold of the hem of the t-shirt and of their own accord, attempted to remove the 2-3 inches that existed between the material and her knees.

"You are wearing my clothing" he commented evenly as his view momentarily levelled on her legs making Aerith begin bending and fidgeting them into all different kinds of weird positions, trying to figure out how normal stood and coming up clueless.

The overthinking female considered his words tentatively, it was a peculiar thing for him to say. Seph never did grasp the concept or the purpose of a rhetorical question so it was strange that he was asking her one. Or did he really not know whether or not it was his t-shirt she was wearing?

"Yeah, I uh… went into your wardrobe I hope you don't mind, I didn't have any clean clothes."

No immediate reply was made.

"I'll wash it and give it back as soon as I get back to my place" she bargained apologetically.

"No that will not be necessary, I have not worn it in some time, keep it or discard it as you wish. I am merely surprised that you did not notice the bag of clothes I left outside the door for you is all."

"Bag?"

Looking over and backtracking on her journey, she retrieved a large brown bag that was propped by the side of the door that she had indeed missed and returned with it.

"You went back to my place? When?" she murmured, walking right the way through the living room to take a seat at the end of the table opposite him, feeling much more relaxed in her own skin already because he wasn't ranting.

"Early hours of this morning. I hope you find the selection agreeable."

Sephiroth's focus shifted back to the paper that was now being held at mid-height and Aerith took that time to fish through the bag. A light turquoise vest top and her favourite sky-blue ruffled skirt was a perfect choice and Aerith smiled at first to see a black pair of underwear with laced edges. Of course he would choose the only black pair of knickers she owned. Then her eyes bugged and she was thrown into a coughing fit, her pickled brain finally catching up with the revelation that Seph had handled her underwear and been through her entire drawer of panties, some of which were still shamefully childish.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm… fine" she spluttered through her ongoing fit, holding her hand up to stop him getting up. "… Seph… did you… did… did you uh… choose these yourself?"

"No, I did not think it would be appropriate to do so and was most fortunate to run into one of your female colleagues upon returning home. I requested their assistance though they were somewhat intoxicated so I understand if the selection is unsuitable."

"No no, the clothes are fine. Uh who… who was it out of interest? Which 'colleague'?"

"I believe it was the infamous Samantha you speak of. She said she was one of the people you accompanied to sector seven and assisted me in finding you a spare change of clothes. She was most… eager to do so" Sephiroth finished, clearing his throat and slipping lower behind his paper with a well disguised but unmistakable hint of embarrassment.

Aerith silently sighed with relief, not that Sam seeing her knicker drawer was really that much better, nor the awkwardness that she had quite obviously tried to make a move on Seph.

"Thank you. Look about me going to sector 7, it was so dumb of me to run off like that! I'm really really sorry I did that! And for getting drunk! And for making you look after me… and… and for anything else I did!"

Sephiroth raised back up from his paper becoming assertive and intrigued. "You do not remember everything?"

"I don't remember hardly anything" she replied honestly, running her finger in small circles against the glass table bashfully. "I mean I remember everything we did at the club. Don't get me wrong it was such an amazing birthday Seph and I had fun when it was just us. But after doing those stupid shots when I got to sector 7… that's it, everything else is just gone."

His expression changed fleetingly and the stiff, almost tense posture he had been maintaining seemed to relax. It was a reaction she could not quite figure out or put her finger on so Aerith assumed the worst and slapped her hands to her cheeks.

"Oh Gaia. What did I do? I did something embarrassing didn't I!?"

"No, you did nothing to be humiliated about" her combat mentor remarked cooly, folding his paper away indefinitely and standing from his chair to stride casually away into the kitchen.

"You don't have to lie to be nice Sephy! Just tell me, I can take it!"

"You are doing it again Aerith."

"Doing what!?"

Sephiroth re-emerged from his virtually never occupied kitchen with a tall glass of water in hand.

"Panicking needlessly. Perhaps you should try conversing with the planet? That usually calms you."

He placed the delicious liquid straight into her hand and Aerith drank immediately, only just becoming aware of how dehydrated and thirsty she was.

"All of it" he commanded when she tried to stop and continued the rest of the glass with a fake squint. Secretly enjoying his assertiveness over her well-being.

It was terrible to say it but she enjoyed instances such as these when she was in dire need of some TLC, like when she stupidly kicked his sword in training and needed healing. It gave her the opportunity to see Sephiroth's caring side, his nurturing gentle side, a side that would have an entire garrison of SOLDIER's dying of laughter at her if she told them it existed.

Aerith finished the near on two pints of water in a loud gulping puff.

".. agh-thanks, but… I don't think the planet would want to speak to a drunkard like me right now. Please, tell me what happened last night."

"If you must know, Genesis found you in sector 7, brought you back here, you requested to live with him, made some other incoherent statements and then you went to sleep. That was all."

"Really? I asked to live with Genesis?"

Sephiroth nodded with kind eyes as she giggled at the notion, inexpressibly happy that everything was not as dire as she had at first thought and from how light-hearted and un-reprimanding he was being with her.

"Yes, you also wore his coat. Something I am most astonished he allowed you to do considering your reputation has not changed since you were a child."

It was true, it seemed the small girl who liked to place her hands in plant pots, lay her face against soil and chase around after SOLDIER's all day was still managing to ruin dresses.

"Stop picking on me" Aerith beamed as she flicked what little droplets of water remained in the glass at Sephiroth's immaculate silver bangs that could not possibly have spent last night on a sofa.

"I conversed with twenty-two drunks, seven homeless people, seven drug addicts, two drug dealers, a pickpocket, a pimp and various dishonourable woman. 'Picking on you' is all I plan to do today, so how about you get changed and endure my cruelty over breakfast?"

The junior nurse clenched her fingers against her bare legs underneath the table, wondering if he was implying what it sounded like he was implying.

"Breakfast where?"

"Well I have no need and therefore do not keep food here" he gestured a hand lazily towards the kitchen. "But I am sure we can find somewhere adequate for you to eat down in the city."

Aerith stood up so fast she nearly sent her chair crashing to the floor.

"The city! But it's not my birthday anymore! Surely I have to go back to the Shinra building!? Surely professor Hojo wouldn't agree to let me go out two times in a row!?"

Sephiroth chucked at her animated enthusiasm and stepped forward, towering over her to place his hands on her shoulders dwarfed in his t-shirt. It took her by surprise initially, it was unusual for him to be the one to initiate physical contact as she had always been the touchy-one but it felt nice and she stared back fondly.

"Leave Hojo to me, negotiating an extension on our arrangement shouldn't be too difficult" he rumbled and Aerith squashed herself into him with such a brutally affectionate embrace she would have done some serious damage if she was a kickass female SOLDIER.

"Ahhh you're the best!" she cheered ultrasonically and erratically sped off with pattering feet straight for the bathroom as fast as she could. "I'm gonna grab a shower!"

"Aerith. Your clothes."

The trouser less brunette did a fast 180, plucked the brown bag hanging off the smirking SOLDIER's index finger with a sheepish giggle and skidded back off across the apartment. Her excitement level in overdrive and her merciful hangover long since forgotten about.


Watching his theory on Aerith's Cetra powers manifest on such a grand scale was something indescribable to behold. He had first seen it himself when he was 12, then he had seen it sway even the toughest of SOLDIER's like Angeal, he had even seen it cool off the fiercest of Genesis Rhapsodos' tantrums but this was something else. They'd been in sector four for over three hours now and still had not made it to breakfast. Aerith's innocently cheerful and vibrant new-to-the-world curiosity delaying them between every sight, sound and experience the world below had to offer. It made the woman radiating a vitality that did not exist beneath the plate, stand out like a sore thumb and draw the attention of every other person around her, infecting them with her spirit.

It made his decision in coming here all the more worth it. Hojo and the Shinra science department were undoubtedly going berserk over his delivered message that he would be keeping Aerith for another day. It had been pointless taking her back first thing in the morning, the consequences of him not returning her last night as agreed were long since set in stone so he may as well take advantage of the opportunity to give Aerith one extra day of freedom while he could.

"Who is she?"

Standing on the edge of a street corner of the busy market strip with his arms folded, Sephiroth flicked his glance sideways at a couple, a man and a woman, standing stationary by the entrance of a local materia store with broad grins on their faces. Gazing around the bustling flow of close to mid-day trade he could pick out several groups of stall owners, shoppers and parents all doing the same. Watching Aerith and taking guiltless pleasure in observing the female anomaly with a dozen excited children hanging around her heels adoringly, interacting sunnily with the owner of a colourful incense stall. Usually he was the one who drew the stares of onlookers, but now he had the satisfying bliss of being reduced to nothing more than an unnoticed shadow in the corner. Of course when he attracted onlookers, he attracted them for a very different reason.

The soon-to-be first class shook his head with a mix of humour, awe and amusement when the previously hardnosed gruff looking stall owner roared once again with laughter and insisted on thrusting a handful of scented sticks into Aerith's hand. Numerous other stall owners had done the same and it was uncanny, these were the slums, the place where people cut throats for a gil. People down here did not give stuff away for free, it simply did not happen.

Giving away every stick bar one, Aerith broke away from her new miniature admirers, waving back to them as a playful frenzy of activity and aromatic swordfights ensued between parented kids and street kids alike. That was uncanny to, no one ever let their children play with street kids.

"Seph, everyone around here is so nice!"

No, actually they're not, you just have magical powers. He smiled anyway.

"Here, look smell this!"

The sixteen-year old Cetra skipped to a stop at his feet and hovered the perfumed branch in front of his nose. Sephiroth had been able to smell it 100 yards off but obliged her the act of inhaling.

"What do you think?"

"I think it is a concentrated mix of benzyl acetate and artificial hydrangea essence."

"No the answer is wonderful Seph. You think it smells flowery and wonderful."

"I suppose it might be considered agreeable if such things are to your liking."

"Well that's rich coming from a guy with two shelves of shampoo" she snickered, linking onto his arm as they wandered away from the market onto the wider stretch of buildings and cafes, the smell of food quickly rising up.

"Hungry yet?" he asked.

"Starving! Where do we eat?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"How about there?" Aerith pointed at a random colourful diner and with no reason to decide otherwise they set a leisurely path towards it. "You know I was thinking, I bet I would be an awesome salesy, merchant, trader person."

"What would you trade?" he enquired, ready to undoubtedly be amused.

"Flowery smelling things... like flowers!"

"Flowers? And where would you source them?"

"I'd grow them."

"And how pray-tell would you do that in Midgar?"

"Mmmm, I'd find a way."

He chuckled, he believed she would.

"Medical professional to flower girl, quite the career change."

"Oh please" Aerith made a flippant scoffing sound, "Medical professional, I'm a lab-rat they couldn't keep quiet."

Sephiroth's jaw stiffened, he didn't like it when she joked about things like that but before he could object Aerith came to a stop, her attention drawn by a loud protesting voice, shouting through a grammar phone amidst a gathering crowd.

"- and they would have you believe Wutai is to blame! That they are the savages! Do not be blinded by the lies suffering people of Midgar! The war is nothing more than façade for Shinra's greed to seize power, ruin lives and cushion there perfect existence above the plate! Stand against it!"

Tugging lightly on Aerith's arm he urged them to continue towards the diner entrance at a faster pace.

"What's going on Seph?"

"Look around you! Look at the conditions we all live in! Look at what a company with a known history of corruption, brutality, oppression and slaughter has done for you!"

Despite his attempt, regretfully they did not make it inside before the patrol arrived and a troop of infantrymen jumped out, bundling the guy heavy-handedly away into the van.

"The war is a lie! They are killing the planet! DO NOT SUPPORT THE WAR!"

Fortunately to his great relief that was all they did, today's orders among the lower ranks clearly did not consist of making a show of force. That would be the last thing he wanted Aerith to see.

"What? Where are they taking him? Why are they not letting him speak?" she continued to press, disturbed by what she had seen as they walked into the establishment.

"Hey there! Just gone be the two of you darlings?"

Sephiroth acknowledged the greeting waitress, an older woman with shock red hair who did a commendable job at disguising her reaction to his appearance and promptly led them to a four seated table near the window.

"Kay we're outta Grak eggs but everything else on the menu is good ta' go." The waitresses attention was drawn away, "Wait a minute little lady. Don'tcha be messing down at that scrap yard all day ya' hear?"

A young teenage girl of about 13 with equally shock red head hair, tomboyish jeans, t-shirt, thick boots and a large pair of complex looking mechanical googles sat at her fringe, hopped deftly over the counter.

"Yeah yeah."

"An' don'tcha be wearing those specs all day either Jessie, don't be giving people a reason to think ya' worth robbing."

"Yeah mom I got it!"

The waitress returned to them with a light-hearted wink. "Kids. What'll it be lovey's?"

The SOLDIER glanced at Aerith still gazing out the window where the protestor had been with concern.

"Can we have a minute?"

"Course ya' can, take all the time you need. Ya'll call me when you're ready."

Aerith?" he nudged after the waitress had left, snapping the brunettes attention from the window. "You are troubled?"

"Why was that man doing that Seph?"

"There are always peace activists objecting to conflict no matter the cause, do not concern yourself with it."

"But is what he's saying true? About Shinra slaughtering people? About the planet?"

He wasn't going to lie to her.

"I'm sure mako consumption is killing the planet slowly yes, I think everyone knows it but so too was electricity. As for killing people, I am sure there too is an element of truth to it, Shinra aren't angels but activists are emotive creatures and tend to exaggerate details."

"And what he said about war, with Wutai, do you really think there's going to be one? Would you have to go? I hated it the last time you were gone."

Sephiroth hesitated, yes there was going to be a war, President Shinra had said as much and that it would be a platform to stage his rise to general. They were preparing for it, campaigning for it, lowering enhancement age brackets for it and nothing was going to stop it. Yes he would have to go and when he did it would be for far longer than two weeks but this was neither the time or place to tell her that.

He wasn't going to lie to her but it seemed he wasn't going to tell her the truth either.

"It is out of our control and therefore futile to speculate. All you have to know is if the day ever does come I have to go, you have my promise that I will return. This world is not the pretty place you would like it to be Aerith, that is why I train you how to fight, how to use a sword. So you will be ready when it is your turn to face it and trust me, you will get a turn."

The brunette soaked his words in receptively and when he was finished, she took a deep breath and nodded resolutely.

"I understand."

"Now how about you order some food? I am getting hungry on your behalf here."

"Sure" the comforted girl eventually conceded.

More conversation passed between them as she scanned through the menu, an eager smile slowly formed onto her lips and it didn't take long before Aerith's old vigour was renewed.

"I think I might have that?"

Sephiroth refrained from making a comment as she pointed at a mountain of carbs and processed sugar in the form of stacked pancakes and chocolate.

"Looks good. Room for one more?"

Aerith's eye's snapped up and Sephiroth's wilted in despair, he had expected him to show up but not quite so soon.

"TSENG!"

Aerith bounded from the window seat like a delighted puppy to greet the Turk who much to his eternal disliking, had been an equally as long, though somewhat elusive, part of the girls life as he had. She hopped up onto tip toes in front of the dark suited assassin but did not touch, somehow Tseng had always successfully been able to maintain the 'no hugs' in public rule.

"Hello Aerith. Sephiroth."

The SOLDIER stood up reluctantly and bobbed his head in acknowledgement to act civil.

"What are you doing here? Are you being a stalker again mister?" Aerith teased playfully. "How long have you been back?"

"I was called back to the city last night as a matter of emergency."

"Why? What emergency?"

At this point Tseng met with the SOLDIER's cold hostile gaze and tilted his face.

"Why indeed."

Noticing the exchange Aerith glanced back and forth between them.

"It's not because of me is it? Oh no! It is! I haven't got anyone in trouble have I!?"

Sephiroth's stare became murderous and the Turk registered it, let it linger a while to goad him as if doing so gave the man satisfaction before relinquishing.

"No, no it is nothing to do with you. A greatly exaggerated issue in sector five and I was passing through the area is all."

"Oh good, well we're just getting breakfast! You should join us, it's alright if he sits with us right Seph?"

"Sure. You go ahead and order. Me and Tseng need to talk."

He didn't wait for confirmation or reply, Sephiroth briskly marched into the backroom of the diner, sending a member of the kitchen staff retreating back the way they came in the process.

"Do not mistake me for another one of Veld's minions Turk" Sephiroth was immediate in rounding on Tseng the moment he followed through the door. "I do not toy with cunning words and fawning stares across tables. I have made it clear that interference from your fraternity of psychopath's will not be tolerated. I allow your involvement in Aerith's life merely out of professional courtesy and her fond opinion of you. I will not hesitate to reconsider that position."

The man who had been his surrogate sisters captor nine long years ago regarded him calmly, entirely un-phased as always.

"I'm afraid your privileged authority as SOLDIER's future general only exists within army headquarters." Tseng glanced around unemotionally but in definite mockery. "But this is not a military zone is it? You are no longer in your jurisdiction, you are in mine. Down here I am in charge and right now I have orders to take the kidnapped Ancient back."

"Kidnapped Ancient!?" he hissed, equally taken aback by Tseng referring to Aerith as 'Ancient' as he was by the accusation she had been kidnapped.

"Indeed. That is what Hojo is screaming from the rooftop, he is furious, more so than you likely care to realize."

"Do not speak to me about Hojo. I am well aware of that lunatics temperament."

"Hm, yes you are. Therefore you know there are going to be consequences to this" the Wutain agent needlessly informed him. "Which begs the question, how did you get Hojo to agree to let Aerith leave the building anyway?"

"That is none of your concern" Sephiroth replied sharply and tried to walk away from the directionless battle of ego's this had turned into.

Two agile hands latched tightly around his forearm as he went and the SOLDIER's combat instinct reacted automatically to throw the marksman off him. He managed to propel his rival with unnatural strength into the wall but with less than a third of the force he normally would have and that was when he knew the Turk had got him.

Tseng stood upright, straightening out his suit-jacket surprisingly not with a victorious look on his face but one of grave understanding. The Turk could read a situation better than anybody, now they both knew the true extent of what Hojo was going to do now that he had broken his side of the bargain.

Sephiroth sighed at this and his checkmated position, "allow her to eat at least."

Tseng didn't say anything but Sephiroth sensed the silent agreement and wearily pushed open the door to the diner.

"Was it worth it?"

He paused in the doorway and one look at Aerith gazing out the window, her face filled with wonder and laughter as a red-headed waitress pointed something to her in the street made the answer very simple.

"Yes. Yes it was."


If the shameless plug didn't give it away already, my favourite character of all is Jessie. Please god let her be in the remake! I want my soul to be shattered, stamped on, torn apart and completely obliterated once again on that stairwell leading up to the sector seven pillar :,(.