Aerith's heart began to beat faster. The look on the woman's eyes were piercing and intimidating. Her emerald eyes begin to grow bleary as the woman took slow steps towards her. When the woman was about to open her blood red lips, a knock was heard at the door. The woman averted her gaze towards the door with her sharp amber eyes.

"What is it?"

"There is a call for you, madam."

A meek voice answered from behind the door. A voice that Aerith knew well.

"Who was it?"

"He did not say, madam… but he said it was urgent."

"Fine. I'll be at my office in a minute."

Aerith breathed freely again but it stopped short when the woman shifted her gaze to hers.

"I will go to my office now but when I come back I expect immediate answers, do you understand?" The woman said without taking her piercing yellow eyes at the shaking girl.

Aerith swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes… Mother."

The woman shot the quivering girl before her a serious look before she gracefully walked out of the room. Aerith breathed in heavily and each time she inhaled the air came in painfully. She walked over to her canopy bed; her shaking knees were giving in. She grasped the wooden post, trying to maintain her balance. When her breathing turned to normal, she sat by her bedside table and held a hand in her heart.

.-+-.

Aerith's door closed slowly without making a sound. The woman turned to the person who interrupted her talk with her daughter. She glared at the brunette housekeeper through her nose.

"What did I say about interrupting my conversations… Ms. Lockheart?"

It was now Tifa's turn to shiver. The brunette bowed low to her mistress and choked in her nervousness.

"B-But the person said it was important, madam. I-I had no choice."

The woman looked at her disgustingly and she turned to the direction of her office. Tifa sighed in relief as the woman took a few steps away from her. The woman stopped and gazed to the side. When she saw the housekeeper still standing in front of Aerith's door, her eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"What are you still doing there? Get back to your work!"

Tifa bowed low to her mistress again. Her heart was beating fast at the harsh tone of the woman's voice.

"I'm very sorry, madam. I'll go back to my work immediately."

Tifa scampered across the room and disappeared in the corner. The woman then faced the direction of her office and vanished into the darkness.

.-+-.

"Why…?"

Aerith slowly took the family picture taken from Kalm from the table. She sadly gazed at the happy smiles of her parents and of her.

"What happened to you…mom?"

.-+-.

She was standing by the doorway, a few years old, wearing a black dress with a confused look on her face. The day was dull and dark. Everything she saw was black, a sign of sadness and of mourning. It was the day when her Father was laid to rest at a well-known cemetery within the Sleeping Forest. It was a few moments ago when she threw a flower at her Father's coffin and now they have arrived at the mansion with few people whom she never knew. Aerith glanced at her Mother who was talking with a group of people that gave their condolences. Her emerald eyes looked up to a man that held her hand.

"Why is everyone sad, Reeve? Isn't this supposed to be a happy moment? Father is free now. He's with grandma and grandpa in the Lifestream."

The younger Reeve crouched down to her level and smiled.

"It doesn't matter what they think of this occasion, Aerith. What matters is what you think. Death is a celebration of life… a new life."

Reeve placed a hand at the top of the young girl's head and slowly caressed her chestnut brown hair. Her gleaming saucer-like emerald green eyes gazed up at him in pure innocence.

"Maybe some people just don't know that death is nothing to grieve about."

Aerith nodded and smiled at him then she ran to her mother who was standing with another group of people wearing dark suits. She held her mother's hand and beamed widely.

"Mom! Mom! It's ok now. Father is in the Lifestream. He's happy now, isn't he?" she said, happily.

Her mother held a look of surprise as so did the people that surrounded them. Her mother furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance as she dragged the young girl to the farthest corner of the room. Aerith tilted her head as she gazed upon her mother's yellow eyes. For a moment, she thought she saw her mother's pupils turn into slits. The young girl blinked and her emerald eyes met her mother's blazing amber eyes.

"Aerith… you will not address me as 'Mom' anymore. Call me 'Mother', do you understand?"

Aerith's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"But mom!"

The woman held the young girl's shoulder tight as if it were going to break.

"I will not tolerate your petty excuses, Aerith. You heard what I said. Now go and do not bother me anymore."

With those words, the woman left the young girl in the dark corner and within her sight.

.-+-.

"You used to hug me… used to take care of me." Aerith held the family portrait close to her heart and closed her eyes. "…but when dad died. Everything changed."

A tear trickled down the pale girl's face as their family's happy memories flooded her mind.

"Aerith?"

Aerith's eyes shot open in surprise and she quickly wiped the tear that trickled down her rosy cheeks. She quickly set the frame down and sat straight.

"Come in, Ms. Lockheart."

The door slowly opened revealing the beautiful housekeeper that her mother yelled at moments ago. The young women exchanged smiles and the housekeeper slowly closed the door. Tifa took a few steps towards Aerith and sat by her side.

"I heard Mother yelling at you again." Aerith pursed her lips in shame. "I apologize for that, Tifa."

Tifa shook her head and placed a gentle hand on Aerith's shoulder.

"That's fine with me, Aerith. How about you? Did she find out you went outside again?"

Aerith slowly nodded her head and bowed her head. Tifa bit her lip and she raised Aerith's chin with her fingers. Tifa looked down at her friend and smiled.

"Don't worry, Aerith. It'll pass. You just have to be patient for now. Just remember I'm here for you, ok?"

Aerith beamed widely at her and they locked in a tight embrace. After a few seconds, Aerith drew away and took Tifa's hands in hers, with excitement. Tifa raised her eyebrows in confusion of the gesture.

"Tifa… I have a secret to tell you. But you have to promise you'll keep it to yourself."

Tifa grinned at her. "All the things you share to me are secret. You know well I can't tell anyone."

"Alright. This afternoon I met a man in the church."

Tifa gasped and she tightened her grip on Aerith's hands.

"Did he hurt you? Tell me!"

Aerith happily shook her brown head.

"No, he fell in because he had a fever." Aerith clasped her hands in front of her chest. "At first I was scared but when he regained consciousness we talked all afternoon."

Tifa smiled as her friend talked and talked. It was the first time she became talkative and happy. At times Aerith would hide away her smile from her Mother. Smiling was inappropriate until said to do so. The housekeeper always wanted her to smile and be carefree, but her mistress' rules prevented Aerith from doing what she wants to do.

"He was the most beautiful thing I ever saw." Aerith raised her hands in her head as she illustrated the featured of the man. "He had this spiky blonde hair and gleaming blue eyes. His voice was deep and cool, and his complexion was milky-white. Oh, Tifa… I hope you saw him too."

Tifa giggled at the girl. Aerith tilted her head in bewilderment.

"I think you fell in love with that guy, Aerith."

Aerith gasped and a blush formed in her cheeks. Tifa laughed at her reaction. Her blush deepened when she remembered the incident. She closed her eyes as she reminisced the magical moment she and the man shared under the falling rain shielded by the old roof of the church. After all the chatter, a sudden feeling of weariness and drowsiness washed all over her body.

"Aerith?" Tifa's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she gazed upon her friend. Her eyes were closed and a smile was upon her lips. She looked serene and that made the brunette nervous. She started to shake her friend but nothing happened. "Aerith!"

Aerith's eyes flew open when she heard her friend shouting and shaking her.

"What happened?"

Aerith stared at her friend. Sweat were trickling down on Tifa's face and from the sound of her voice, she was panicking.

"What do you mean, Tifa?"

"Y-You were… closing your eyes a-and you looked peaceful a-and…"

Tifa suddenly embraced her puzzled friend. Tears were now flowing down on the brunette's face. Aerith furrowed her eyebrows in bewilderment as she felt Tifa's heart beating faster on her chest. She surrounded the housekeeper with her arms and smiled.

"Don't play tricks like that ever again, Aerith. You'll give me a heart attack!"

Aerith withdrew and caressed the brunette's face.

"It's a deal." She said without knowing what was going on. "From now on I won't make you worry anymore. Alright, Tifa?"

Tifa slowly nodded and wiped the tears from her pale cheeks.

"You'd better go now, Ms. Lockheart. Mother will be here any minute and I don't want you getting scolded again."

The housekeeper smiled at Aerith and stood up. Aerith followed the beautiful brunette to the door. Tifa turned the knob and stepped outside Aerith's bedroom. Before closing the door, she took one last peek at her friend. Aerith smiled and waved at Tifa who also returned a smile. Tifa's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she slowly closed the door. She breathed in deeply and returned to her work.

Sneak Peek: Twas a good thing Tifa came in to rescue Aerith before she got a scolding of a lifetime from her mother. Did Aerith really get away from a scolding or not? And what's with the mysterious phone call? All that and more…

Next Chapter!

Chapter 6: Compromise

See you then!