Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: Yay! An update! So sorry for the delay in postings. Midterms and regular tests and assignments are keeping me pretty busy. Trust me that I haven't and will not forget these stories and when I am not on the computer and I get an idea for a chapter, I do write it down so I don't forget it. I have really BIG plans for Heart coming in future chapters, so stay tuned!

I have a huge question that I want to ask all of you. I want your opinions!
Do you think the baby should be a girl or a boy and why? I know what I want to do, but I want to gauge what you, as the audience, are expecting from this story.

I also have a contest: I want you to pick the name of the baby! Pick a name for either one or both a boy and girl, PM me your choices and I will write them down on little pieces of paper and let my daughter pull one from the pile. The person that gave the suggestion for the name that won will get a special dedication at the beginning of the chapter that the baby is born in! I will also send you a lifetime supply of imaginary cookies! There is just a few more chapters before the baby comes, so let me know!

In case you hadn't noticed, instead of writing the word out like SOLDIER, I have opted to just capitalize the first letter. (Regular infantry soldiers will not have a capital so that will distinguish the difference.) To me, sometimes I just find it distracting if I see the word a few lines down and my eyes are drawn down to it instead of the line I'm on.

Thanks to my wonderful beta SubZeroChimera!


"To conquer oneself is the best and noblest victory. To be vanquished by one's own nature is the worst and most ignoble defeat." –Plato

To You I Give My Heart

Chapter 18

~Heated Accusations~

Finishing excavating out his designated area at work the week before, Tokala had Zack start clearing out the dump/storage room. The guy who was usually dumping out the room had an accident and was now in the clinic. He was expected to recover, but it was highly unlikely that he would have much use of his left arm anymore. Getting moved to hauling out the accumulated dirt and rocks was fine with him, it was a nice change. Marshmallow enjoyed getting outside more and she worked that much harder.

Bugenhagen's grandson was due home at any time and apparently they hadn't seen each other since before he and Cloud showed up at the front gate to the village months ago. Nanaki was on a journey of self-discovery at the request of the old man. Zack didn't want to go around asking questions about him, so he left it alone and waited for him to show up.

Filling up the trailer, the piles of dirt and rocks never quit coming, he always had something to do. On his sixth trip out to the outer dump site, he heard a ruckus close to where the Cosmo Candle was. There wasn't any yelling but there was loud talking by several people. Stepping away from the loving chocobo, Zack peered around the rock wall and saw many of the villagers gathered around Bugenhagen. Taking an old torn, rolled up piece of a shirt from his back pocket, he wiped the sweat accumulated on his forehead. A 'wark' got Zack's attention when he then felt the chocobo rub her head into his back, knocking him forward a step.

Quietly, Zack talked over his shoulder without taking his eyes off of the gathering of people, "Cut it out Marshy, I can't hear what they're saying," Holding his hand out, she lowered her head and lifted it so that his hand was on the top of her forehead and 'warked' again, "Hey, do you think it's about quitting time yet?"

Not seeing any Turks, infantry or any men in little white coats, Zack relaxed, but not much. Every day he wondered if this was their last day here. When would Shinra show back up here? They were comfortable, happy for once in so long, now there was something happening and he had to find out. After another two loads, Zack made up his mind, "Come on, let's just call it a day."

Leading her back to the stable, the harness slipped off and then he got a face full of a chocobo's version of a hug. Rubbing her head lovingly on his face and head, he laughed and patted her, "I'll see you tomorrow Marshy." Shutting the stable door, he left and went a way that he could see the candle, but avoided actually walking close to it but there was no one there now.

Walking through the front door of his house, Sharna sat with Cloud and was busy brushing her hair. Pausing for a moment, he took a mental snapshot of how beautiful his blond angel actually was as she lay quietly, staring at nothing hovering above her. Her small hands rested on her stomach, right between her breasts and the large bulge of her belly. The bright yellow sundress accentuated the golden color of her hair and her glow reminded him of the sun, bright and blinding, beautiful but dangerous, and completely necessary to his emotional survival.

Stopping her ministrations of Cloud's hair, Sharna looked up, "I tried to find you earlier, but I wasn't able to. Grandfather wanted me to tell you that he would like to speak with you."

Feeling hot, dirty and tired he internally moaned at the climb that he had to look forward to. Still, he tried to stall, "I just got home. I haven't cleaned up or anything and Cloud still needs to eat and take her walk."

Turning her eyes back to him, there was the look of a heavy heart that he hadn't seen in her since one of the elders died several weeks ago, "It is very important Zack. I'll be here with her until you return."

Dread creeping up in his gut and the urge to flee with Cloud made his body jerk. Stopping himself, he swallowed down his fear and reigned in his trembling muscles and began the trek to Bugenhagen without another word to the young dark-haired woman.

Getting close to the top of the rope ladder, he heard what he thought was yelling. Quickening his climbing, he emerged to find a large cat-like creature attacking the first man to show him and Cloud any mercy since their capture. Not having his sword, he would have to resort to hand-to-hand combat. The red fur of the creature looked to be branded and tattooed; the tuft of fur at the tip of the tail emitted a bright red glow as though it were on fire. Curiously, its light smoldered as though it were a torch.

Leaping from the rope ladder, he ran and tackled the large man sized monster. Together they rolled across the ground, both fighting for dominance. From behind the red beast, Zack had his arm around its neck as he pulled to choke the air from it. With a growl, the beast jerked its head and bucked up and then back down, trying to throw the large man from its back.

Able to whip around, the creature threw Zack off and a puff of dust billowed up as the man went skidding across the hard dirt.

A battle of sight, across from each other, they stared at one another, waiting for the other to attack, waiting for an opportune moment to strike out. Crouching at the waist, Zack held his hands out in front of him, the mako illuminated his eyes as he felt the rush of strength envelope his muscles. Baring his teeth, his instinct kicked in to protect those he loved, Cloud, Bugenhagen and the villagers that he had grown to care for and he would be damned if he let some random monster come in and hurt anyone that he once silently vowed to protect.

Stepping to the side, his movement was mirrored by the beast as they stayed several feet apart.

Without taking his eyes from his embattled nemesis, Zack spoke to the old man, "Stay back, I'll take care of this."

Having battled several monsters that wandered into the village, Zack felt confident that not only had he never seen one like this before, but that through its one good eye, he could see intelligence that was not in other wild creatures. While circling around again, he got in front of Bugenhagen and when the animal twisted to take another step to the side, it growled and jumped for the brunette.

Using his Soldier enhancements, Zack bent at his knees and leapt forward and met the charging red colored beast. The front paws dug in to the tanned skin on Zack's shoulders as the sharp fangs went for his tightened neck. Throwing his forearm forward, the former Soldier blocked the teeth from clamping down in his neck, but they punctured the skin on his forearm instead. Blood trickled down as Zack clenched his teeth and grunted at the pain. Overly powerful back legs pushed the man backward and tripped him, landing Zack on his back with the angry, thrashing brute on top of him.

Releasing a loud grunt of dominance and control, Zack punched the animal in the face, allowing his arm to be freed from the jaws. Kicking out, he flipped out from underneath the animal, but before it could do anything else, Zack took the offensive and flipped up and over the creature and grabbed it by the shoulders and neck and threw it across the yard and into the side of the house. With a shake of its head, the beast stood up, ready to strike again.

"Enough!"

Both turning to Bugenhagen, they watched in fascination, but Zack spoke, "But sir-"

"Hush Zack," With a flinch, the brunette stood straight and questioned silently, but dared not say anything while the old man appeared to still have something to say, "Zack, this is Nanaki, my grandson."

"But-" Zack blinked and turned the image of the red creature that stood in front of him over as he tried to process what the old man said.

"Grandfather, I seriously doubt that this man will listen."

Shocked, Zack's head tilted to the side as his surprise lifted his eyebrows, "It talked!"

"I am not an it!" Turning to Bugenhagen, Nanaki spoke about Zack like the taste of his words were revolting, "I have run into men like him, I have fought men like him, Shinra, and they do not listen. They do not hear nor do they care."

"Hey! Wait just one damn minute! I'm not with Shinra, I don't want to be with Shinra and I don't plan on joining Shinra again within the rest of my lifetime, or the next, so you can shove that bullshit up your furry ass!"

Scowling and baring his teeth, the beast snarled, "Once with Shinra, always with Shinra."

Jumping forward, Zack attacked again with an anger and hatred for the electric company empire he once held in such high esteem. It was stolen, his dreams he held on to as a young man, of being a hero, of having, living and following Soldier honor. Shinra and scientists like Hojo had destroyed everything that was at one time a wonderful aspiration to a young idealistic man.

It had turned a great man, Angeal, into a shell of his once distinctive and loving personality. Shinra turned him into a monster, less than human. Shinra built up the Firsts and made them great but at what cost? Money? Power?

Experiments, was all they were, birthed for convenience and experimentation to conquer lesser peoples, to help line the pockets of greedy men.

Genesis, the same as Angeal, grew up thinking he was unique, not an aberration of some man's self-pride. Both wanting to be heroes and save the world, save the people, not to become what they fought every day, monstrosities of science.

Even Sephiroth, not knowing where or why he was there, only knowing what Shinra wanted him to know until he was driven mad by the truth. The truth that, he too, was an abomination, but worse, he was once human and turned into a hybrid of part human and part alien. No home to speak of, no real mother, and his father, the one to create him out of self-service and in the name of scientific advancement, not love.

The hell, the torture that he and Cloud endured, just another attempt at Hojo's and Shinra's power to usurp the innocent lives of a few, to change them into something other than what they were meant to be at birth. His child, now in danger, not really knowing what the mad scientist did to the baby before they were able to escape, the new life that formed in the woman Hojo intended to use only as an incubator for something other worldly. All the emotions clashed and Zack felt his muscles increase in size, his eyes burned from the extra mako that flowed, and he used what he now hated, to his advantage. With Soldier speed and accuracy, he grabbed the red beast and together they tumbled over and over, ever closer to the edge of the cliff face.

"Zackary!" The old man's voice pierced the large Soldier's anger, "Nanaki!"

Holding the beast by the throat, Zack growled in feral fury, his heart listened to the man's voice call to him and he stopped squeezing, but did not let go.

Nanaki's teeth dripped with saliva as he too fought for control of his inner animal. Zack could see the flash of savagery leave the beast's eye that concentrated its gaze at his face. Facing each other, they both stared, never leaving or breaking that look as they listened to the wise man's words.

"Zack, Nanaki, both of you have reasons to hate Shinra. Both of you have been subjected to various aspects of what that company is capable of, there is no reason for you to fight with each other."

Feeling a hand softly squeeze his shoulder, Zack slowly moved away from the creature in his grasp, but before fully letting go, Zack angrily spit out, as his eyes glistened with tears, "I am NOT Shinra anymore!"


A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

Please send me your reviews if you want. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning