Hey guys. Sorry it's been a couple days, but I have been Christmas shopping (crazy people!) and stuff. Uh...not a ton happens in this chapter, but it's leading up to important things ;)

Disclaimer- I'm not even gonna say it.

Chapter 27

Roxas~

I was partially asleep.

"Wake up!" A high-pitched voice commanded.

In my surprise, I sat up quickly and banged my head on something hard and angry-sounding.

For some reason, I couldn't see.

"Argh! Whadja do that for?!" The voice yelled.

My vision turned on, banishing the blackness. Turns out I just had my eyes closed.

Sitting before me was a little boy, about seven or eight, holding his forehead and giving me a hateful look.

The boy was silver-haired and blue-eyed. His clothes seemed almost colorless.

"Who are you, and whatter you doin' in Miss Aerith's church?" He demanded, sounding much older than he was.

"You know Aerith?" I asked, utterly ignoring his question.

The boy stood and put his hands behind his head. "Um...no...but my dad does! She used to live here before...um...Jack, no Shack, no erm...oh Zack! Zack uh...Fair! She lived here before Zack Fair showed up."

I felt a little hopeful. "Can you take me to your dad?" I asked, standing as well.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Uh, no! Ever heard of stranger danger?"

With that, he ran off.

My shoulders fell. I sighed and looked around.

Yes, the church. I saw Xion asleep in the flowers next to me. I bent down and picked her up, not wanting to wake her.

I walked out of the church, the sound of my single set of footsteps echoed throughout the church and my mind.

Before I left, I turned around and whispered:

"Bye, Mom."

~x~

I finally found out where I was: a little place called Traverse Town. It fit, the name, because it seemed a long journey to get here from...anywhere.

A/N I know Aerith's church is in the Slums, but I wasn't gonna put Roxy and Xion in Midgar.

I walked around a little bit (mostly in circles) until I ran into someone.

I was going around a corner, trying not to bang Xion's head on the wall, when all of the sudden, something plowed through my legs, knocking me to the ground.

I managed to protect Xion, but my head hit the edge of the sidewalk. For a second, I was locked in a pitch-black room that smelled like old pennies. Then, I escaped to the real world where, apparently, strange figures dance in front of your eyes.

"Hey kid," one of the figured said. "Are you ok?"

I blinked hard and looked at the source of the voice.

It was a woman, with dark brown hair and warm eyes. She had a dog next to her, probably the thing that knocked me over.

"Uh..." I mumbled. She helped me up.

"I think I'm-oh!" I turned and threw up in the trash can to my right.

"C'mon, kid. Let's go to my place. You might havva concussion." She said.

I went to pick up Xion, but the woman stopped me.

"Oh no! People with head injuries do not carry around their unconscious friends!"

We started walking toward her house. Her dog walked in wide circles around us.

"So...who are you anyways, kid?" She wondered as I stumbled over minuscule cracks in the road.

"Uhm..." Give name to stranger that saved life? Sure, why not? "Roxas Fair."

"Fair? Hm, nice name."

We arrived at a place called Angel and Leon's apartments.

"I'm Riona. Riona Leonhart!" She proclaimed as we boarded an elevator.

"Leonhart?" I asked. "As in, Squall Leonhart?"

She nodded, pushing the 'floor 8' button. "He was-I mean is!-my husband."

I was about to respond when the elevator lurched upward. I groaned and slid to the floor.

"Poor kid..." Riona cooed.

After a long, painful, nauseating while, the doors creaked open. I trudged out and, lead by Riona, walked down the hall.

We came to a door with a number I was too incapacitated to read.

Once inside the pale blue-painted apartment, Riona carefully set Xion on the pinkish sofa and directed me to the kitchen.

She pulled an ice pack out of the freezer (why does she have those stocked up?) and instructed me to put it on my head.

"So, Roxas, what are you and your friend doing in a place like Traverse Town?" Riona asked, hopping up onto the counter.

So I told her. I told her about coming to Traverse Town and falling asleep on Cid's crazy tram.

A/N Yeah...I had to put that.

And about arriving at my mother's church and passing out inexplicably. About the silver haired boy and carrying Xion back here.

"Wow," She said. "But uh...you haven't told me your friend's name."

Oops.

"Yeah...her name's Xion Strife." I told her.

She stared at me.

"St-Strife? Like...Cloud Strife?" Riona choked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Cloud's...her dad."

*blinkblink*

"Squall..." She whispered.

"Yeah...he...Cloud found him." I said. Even though, really, Squall found us.

She smiled. "That's what...he said. Cloud."

I got up on the counter next to her, then regretted it because I hit my head on a cabinet, thus breaking the ice pack.

"Ow...um...why don't you come to Twilight Town, then?" I asked.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a dog treat. She tossed it to her puppy, who was jumping up and down.

"I...can't leave Traverse Town." Riona murmured.

I stared. "Why not?" I wondered as freezing water dripped down my back.

"It's...I just can't explain." She replied, twisting her small hands in her lap.

She dropped to the floor. I followed suit and nearly face-planted into the fridge.

"I'll just have to wait for Squall come home!" Riona announced, putting her hands on here hips in a very Tifa-like fashion.

She smiled at me. "I'll call Cloud and have him come pick you two up. Kay?"

I nodded, took two steps, and promptly passed out.

Third Person~

Cloud was at home in his room. This was his last day off for a while. Christmas was coming and, being the only postal service in Twilight Town, Strife Delivery Service would get busy fast. And now...it was only Cloud who worked for it.

The phone rang obnoxiously throughout the house. Cloud hoped it wouldn't disturb Squall.

"Cloud!" So much for that. "Shut that thing up!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Cloud grumbled, stalking into the den.

"What?" He growled, picking up the phone.

"Is a Mrs. Tifa Lockhart there?" A snooty, British voice asked.

Cloud winced a tiny bit. "Um...no, but I'll take a message."

"Ok. Tell her there is an offer on the flower shop and to-"

"Wait, what flower shop?" Cloud demanded.

"Oh, the Centra Floral Shop." The man replied.

"I-it's for s-sale?" Cloud stuttered out.

"Um...yes. Who is this?"

Cloud hung up and was about to sprint to the flower shop when HIS phone rang.

"Cloud!" Squall yelled.

Cloud flipped open the phone. "Y-yes? What is it?"

"Hiya, Cloud! It's Riona. I have a Miss um...Xion Strife here. As well as a Mr. Roxas Fair. Roxy boy has a concussion and Xion is unconscious." A chipper voice told him.

Cloud was sort of frozen for a second. "Riona?" He asked as he walked into Squall's room. His friend was sitting on the bed, looking angry at everything, so Cloud knew he was ok.

But once his wife's name was said, Squall bolted up and stared at the irate-looking man in front of him.

"Why is my child unconscious at your house?" Cloud asked, ignoring Squall's hand signals to give him the phone.

"Oh, well...it's a long story that I can't tell you right now because you need to come pick up these kids. Ba-bye!" Riona added.

"Wait!" But she was already gone.

Cloud sighed and closed his phone.

"I've gotta go pick up Roxas and Xion from your wife. For some reason."

Squall just stared at him.

Cloud added: "So now's a great time to take you back to her."

Squall turned his back to Cloud. "But...what if...what if she's angry because I left? What if she doesn't love me anymore?" He inquired.

Cloud took a step forward. "Squall, if she got mad every time she left, she would be the angriest woman in all the worlds." He reminded the brunette.

Squall did nothing.

Cloud turned to the doorway and began to walk home. "Fine. But Squall, if you don't go back now, while you've got the chance, she won't forgive you."

He paused.

"I promise you that."

Cloud walked upstairs. His footsteps thudded loudly on the wooden stairs, them were muffled by the upstairs carpet.

Squall winced, like the sound hurt him.

He heard the front door open and close.

He wanted to go. Oh, how badly he wanted to go. To see his wife again. To hear her laugh and see her eyes sparkle when she said his name.

No. He thought. I'll only hurt her again.

And I will never do that again.

~x~

Cloud had been waiting in the car for several minutes, his hands on the steering wheel.

He had thought Squall would be up here by now. Maybe he had misjudged him?

Maybe he really believed Riona would hate him.

Cloud sighed and stuck the key in the ignition then turned it, bringing the old-engine to life.

Just then, Squall burst through the front door, opened the passenger side door and climbed into the car.

He buckled his seatbelt and crossed his arms over his chest.

Cloud smirked.

"Wipe that look off your face and drive." Squall grumbled.

Cloud chuckled lightly, put the car in drive and started off.

X

Lol Squall sounded like a little kid.

Guest-I'm glad SOMEONE recognized my illusion!

Oh and what Roxas said about his concussion was just what I felt when I got one. So if it sounds crazy...well, that's a concussion for ya.

Well...gotta go and keep shopping for my friends. 5 hours in six stores and I STILL haven't found his gift! Wish me luck.