"You ….said …forever," he told her in between breaths.
Her head fell and she got out her staff, healing his wounds. "Aerith?" the boy called out to her. "Are you okay?"
She wiped away her tears. So, she is crying for me. "Goodbye, Tseng," she said as she got up to leave. No, don't leave, not yet. He wanted to reach out for her, make her stay if he had to, but he didn't have the energy or power to do that now. He watched as her figure disappeared into the temple.
Damn! He was loosing her. His wounds were better and he could move his body, but he was so tired. He fell asleep before he knew it.
He was dreaming again, another memory.
They were on the copter after the talk with Avalanche. His hand hurt from slapping her but he knew the sting on her face hurt her more. How could she betray him like this? After all these years of keeping her safe, she runs off to help Avalanche. Now, with her finally at Shinra he could at least keep a closer eye on her.
She sat in the corner, her head facing the wall. The copter blades whirled above them. He sat beside her. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, and hold her in his arms like he did before, and tell her she was going to be safe. But he was too upset with her to do that now.
"The Planet is dying," she then said softly. He barely heard it over the noise.
"Aerith," he replied shaking his head. He didn't feel like arguing with her.
They landed and he escorted her inside the building. Two of his fellow Turks were there to take her away. "I'm handling this," he told them.
"Direct orders from Heideggar," the short blonde one said after a salute. "We are to take the Ancient to Professor Hojo."
"The Ancient is my duty!" he declared, barring them from getting close to Aerith.
They stepped back. Hojo then stepped out from behind them. "Ah!" he ran over to Aerith, she squirmed under his gaze. Hojo adjusted his glasses and he could have sworn that the mad scientist was drooling over her. He had seen that look in his eyes before – after the incident in Nibelhiem five years ago when he found two "new specimens". It sickened him. "This is her!" he exclaimed in a fit of intrigue. "Hmm, yes," he said as he took her by the arm, "she will do. She will do quite nicely."
Hojo looked at him as he followed them in. "We won't be needing your help anymore," he said as he patted his shoulder. "Your records were very precise."
He stood there and watched as Aerith was lead away by Hojo. They had his records of Aerith? No wonder they sent Reno after her out of the blue. They'd gone over his head; it was probably an order from Heideggar. He had to do something. He had to think.
His eyes opened slightly. The glaring white light made him shut them once again. He heard voices all around him, mostly frantic, but one voice was sad. It was a voice he was familiar with. He drifted off again wanting to be overcome by sweet slumber.
She sat beside Tseng in a private room in the Infirmary. She had been there every moment she possibly could have been outside of her work. She'd brought a change of clothes so she could sleep on a cot they'd wheeled in for her and she didn't even leave for food, eating nothing but hospital food for the past three days.
"Tseng," she said softly stroking his head full of silky black hair. She had always wanted to run her fingers through his hair, but not like this. "Oh, Tseng," she sobbed, collapsing on his chest. "Please wake up."
"Ahem," a voice cleared. Someone else was there inside the room. She looked up to see Rude standing there. Her eyes were full of tears, red, and sore. She hadn't showered and she didn't wear makeup or even brush her hair after this had happened. She probably looked (and smelled) terrible, but she didn't care, not anymore.
"What is it?" she asked, pulling herself from Tseng's chest.
"New information for you," he said. "Cloud has been spotted at Icicle Village on the Northern Continent."
She immediately stood up. "I have to go, and pay my regards," she said looking back at Tseng. She then looked up sincerely at him, "Please watch out over him for me while I'm gone."
Rude nodded solemnly. "Yes."
His back hurt. He opened his eyes. He was in a hospital room, looked like it was in the Infirmary. He was alone. How long had he been here?
The door opened and Rude walked in holding a cup of coffee. He nearly jumped when he saw him sitting up in his bed. "Sir!" he exclaimed, almost spilling his coffee. He set it down on the bedside table. "You're awake."
"Yes," he said and smiled. It was good to be back, for once. "How long was I out?"
"About three or four days," Rude replied.
"I hope I didn't miss anything," he said, half joking, but Rude just fidgeted nervously at the question and cleared his throat. Odd response. Not to waste any time he then said in his 'work voice' to Rude, "Now give me a report on what happened ever since the Temple of the Ancients."
"Sir," Rude's agitation increased. He then sat down on a cot beside the bed.
He regarded at his colleague's apprehension warily. "Come on," he said trying to coax it out of him, "tell me all and spare no details. I need to know Avalanche's whereabouts, and Sephiroth's. I've been out for too long."
"Well," Rude began. "Upon your departure from the Temple of the Ancients, Cloud's company successfully retrieved the treasure inside, something called black materia. Although Sephiroth now is in possession of said materia."
"Hm," Tseng thought for a moment. Black materia, that didn't sound good. "What is Rufus doing about it?"
"Rufus, Heideggar, Hojo, and Scarlet have all taken the airship and are currently flying to a cavern on the Northern Continent. It is the supposed location of the real Sephiroth. The Sephiroth we having been chasing was just his shadow, or Sephiroth's subconscious that escaped from his body, as Hojo has explained to us."
"This is just getting more complicated by the minute," he exclaimed as he began to get up. "I need to start working right away. That is all."
"Sir," Rude got up off the cot, letting Tseng get out of bed. His legs were weak but he found his feet and stood up. He forgot he was in a hospital gown and he felt rather silly standing next to Rude in it.
Rude moved to let him get by but he didn't leave the room. Tseng looked at him curiously. Was there something else? "Do you have anything else to report?" he asked.
Rude shifted nervously. "Well," he said. "There is one other thing."
"Yes?"
"Aerith," Rude began. He stopped and then started again. "Aerith is dead."
It was as if he was in a vacuum, and that all the air in the room was sucked out. "What?" he asked taking a step closer to Rude. "I didn't hear that last part," he said. Surely that couldn't have been what he said?
"Tseng," Rude said, his voice was soft and gentle, very unlike his normal deep voice. "Aerith was murdered by Sephiroth."
What? "No!" he screamed. Rude just hung his head. "This can't be!" He looked at Rude, but the man's face showed no signs of humor. "No," he said as he fought back tears, but couldn't stop them, "this can't be." He covered his face. "Leave me," he then said. Rude nodded and slowly walked out of the room.
Elena walked down the hallway. She had had an awful time at Icicle Village. Damn him! That Cloud was going to pay for making a fool out of her. She was on her way to the Infirmary. She'd been gone for almost a day and was anxious to see Tseng. She then found Reno and Rude on her way there, hanging out by the coffee machine. They were talking about something in hushed voices, very unlike their normal selves. "What's up," she asked, breaking their conversation.
They broke apart and just looked at her. "What," she asked feeling conscientious about her appearance and automatically smoothing her hair down with her hands. She should have at least brushed her hair. "What is it?"
"Good news," Reno said, but his face was not genial. "Tseng's up, but I bet he wishes he wasn't."
"Tseng!" she exclaimed, jumping up. "He's awake?" She was going to run to the Infirmary after him. "Oh," she sighed. " I have to go see him."
She was met by Reno's hand barring her from leaving. She looked up at him confusedly. "Tseng needs some time alone," he told her matter-of-factly.
"But, I …"
"Listen," Reno took her by the arm, pulling her aside for a moment. Rude turned around to his coffee, not wanting to intrude. Reno looked her in the eyes. "He was just told of Aerith's death. Tseng needs to be left alone for a little while."
She pulled her arm away from his. "No," she responded. "What he needs is me!" I was there for him, and I can be there for him now.
"Elena," Reno warned her. She didn't like his tone. "You can't help him even if you tried."
She was angered by Reno's candid manner. "How do you know?"
Reno laughed at her. "You don't know, do you?"
"Know what, that he liked her, of course I knew, but she sided with the enemy, so…"
Reno laughed at her. "Yeah, figures you don't know. Have you read his files on Aerith yet?"
Elena shook her head. "Well, then maybe you should before you jump into wanting to help Tseng."
He was right. She hated to admit when that happened. "Oh and Elena," he said as she was mulling it over in her head. "Take a shower, please."
She felt like punching him, but she just laughed. She was too tired, and happy, and curious and confused to fight. "You should always look after yourself first," he said as he pointed at her, touching her chest. It sent a shock throughout her body, the unexpected contact. He seemed to notice it too and stepped back from her.
I should go, she thought. She felt awkward just standing there. "Oh wait," she asked before she left. "How did you know I wanted to read Tseng's files?"
Reno just shrugged. "I read your journals."
Her face grew hot. "Reno!"
"What they were in your reports. It's open knowledge, sweetheart." He then smirked at her. "You do say an awful lot about Tseng,"
"God," she exclaimed. "Is this what you two do all day? Gossip?"
Reno smiled. "Nothing better."
Ugh. "Well," she said crossing her arms, "you could start by doing your job."
"Way ahead of ya', sister," he told her knocking her lightly on the head. "At least I've read Tseng's files on the Ancient already."
She sighed, not wanting to fight anymore and just left, she was headed down to the Scientific Research Center to pick up the files. Reno then stopped her. "They don't have them anymore," he said as he caught up with her. "I have them and I'll give them to you."
Elena conceded. "Thank you," she replied.
"But first," he said with a smile. "You have to do something for me."
"What, take a shower?" she asked.
Reno smirked, "That and …" he paused. "Go to dinner with me, tonight."
Elena was stunned. She had two dinner proposals from two different men, although her date with Tseng had been postponed. "All right," she couldn't believe she'd said it so plainly.
He looked pleased at her response. "You can find his files in my locker, I'll leave it open for you."
She just nodded.
"And I'll wait for you after work, then we can go somewhere – my treat."
"Okay," she sighed, "Reno." He winked at her and turned to walk away, humming a tune to himself.