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

Reviews, critiques and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I use good constructive criticism to help my writing improve and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination.

A/N: I was reading an update on a story that I have on my alert list and on a review, someone was complaining about the author notes at the beginning of the chapter. I wanted to ask you guys if it bothers you to have the author's note at the beginning and if you would like me to move the notes to the end of the chapter. I haven't had anyone complain about my notes, but it was something that I was contemplating after I read that review.

Guest review: Thanks for the review! I really feel that you are correct, Sephiroth was more mentally fragile than most because of his upbringing. The loss of his friends and stressful circumstances contributed to his mental fragility at the time of the Nibelheim incident. Good observation. With Aerith cheating on Seph, it will complicate things, but Aerith is human too and she did probably what I would have done; she wanted to make sure of her feelings about Zack and Seph.

Thanks to my before posting beta Queen of Jokers and my after posting beta SubZeroChimera!

"The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none." –Thomas Carlyle

Chapter 39

Walking back down the stairs, Zack asked, "Hey, Tifa? Do you have another towel and blan-ket-"

Tifa and Cloud both jumped at the voice and removed themselves quickly from the heated kiss. Cloud turned around in a swift movement, ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his shirt in a nervous rush. Zack looked at them and then he averted his eyes. Cloud looked down and turned a fabulously bright shade of red and quickly retreated upstairs. Turning his gaze back to Tifa he apologized, "Sorry Tifa, I didn't know… I'll be going now," Zack turned and headed back up stairs.

When Zack got back to their room, the bathroom door was closed. He knocked lightly, "Sorry man."

From the other side of the door he heard an impatient, "...Okay."

"Come out here, I need to talk to you," Zack turned to sit on the bed.

"I'll be out in a minute."

"I said I was sorry, you're not mad at me are you?" Zack absentmindedly rubbed his sore hand.

"Leave me alone. I'll be out in a minute!"

Zack got up and closed the bedroom door and thought of how to bring up the subject. It'd been a long day and sleep was not far away, but he had to talk to Cloud first. Sliding between the covers, his hands relaxed behind his head and then he stared at the ceiling.

Finally, after a few minutes, Cloud emerged from the bathroom and he'd put his sleep pants on, obviously wanting to get some sleep too. When he tossed his shirt unceremoniously over the desk chair, he lay down and turned to his side away from Zack. Again his thoughts went back to the lab, Cloud lying next to him, only now they had more room. He grinned at a quick memory from the other morning...

Zack's thoughts sleepily reflected on his dream, 'Fighting a dark dragon… with my bare hands! Oh yeah… nice dream,' Zack sighed in contentment and wrapped his pillow up tighter in his arms. Nuzzling his head into the other pillow he attempted to get back into a deeper sleep.

"Ahem…"

With a yawn, he shifted his shoulder and his pillow and thought, 'What was that noise? I don't want to wake up yet...' Zack pulled his pillow closer to his chest and sighed lightly again.

(Muffled giggles)

Furrowing his eyebrows, the brunette thought, 'Fine, I guess I gotta get up… Who's laughing? What's funny?'

Zack opened the one eye that wasn't buried in the pillow that was under his head. Blond spikes that were very close, greeted his morning eyes. His nose was touching something that turned out to be a warm forehead. He moved his face back a little and Cloud's face was buried in his neck and his leg was over Cloud's hip and the blonde's legs tangled around Zack's other leg, while they both had their arms around each other. Zack realized that his other "pillow" had actually been his blond-headed buddy.

"Hmm, mmm," Cloud cleared his throat and opened his eyes and looked at Zack with a shocked look, "What the-?!"

Frozen in a moment of surprising terror-filled embarrassment, they both looked at the door where some noise came from. There stood Sephiroth, Aerith and Tifa laughing at them. They both were shocked, but Zack decided to play it up, much to Cloud's dismay. Zack asked the audience, "What? I'm just comforting Spiky, he had a nightmare," He looked at Cloud and said, "You feel better now?" Then his kissed Cloud on the forehead in grand fashion, "Mmmm, there you go!"

Cloud then attempted to untangle himself from Zack, "Get off me… -that's my arm you're laying on… -don't push me! Oww my back… -would you get your leg… move your arm!" Zack was not much help, as he was laughing the entire time, until he fell off the bed and to the floor with a thud.

Still laughing, Sephiroth didn't move from leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, "You know, sometimes I worry about you two."

...It was little things like that he missed when he was away from Cloud. Zack looked at his friend's back, "Hey Spike, are you going to stay mad at me forever?"

Cloud turned over to his back, "I wasn't mad at you, I was… nothing."

When Zack realized what had happened, "Oh!" Zack smiled, "Sorry for the cock block buddy!" Zack laughed and Cloud elbowed him in the ribs then added nervously, "Sorry, I've had my mind on a lot of things today."

Cloud got comfortable on his back and adjusted his pillow, "It's okay. So, what's up?" The ceiling fan twirled and made shadows glide across the opposite wall.

"You mean, besides you?" Zack laughed a hearty gut laugh and grabbed his stomach.

Cloud punched him in the arm, "Shut up!"

Once Zack was able to regain control, "No seriously man, I have something that I need to talk to you about," Zack paused and his tone changed, "I don't think that I can stay here anymore. I'm going to see about going back to Gongaga."

Cloud stayed silent for a long while then he asked, "Are you sure?"

"I still love Aerith and I can't be around her without wanting to toss myself in front of a speeding train. I just can't do it anymore," Zack sighed quietly.

"I understand. When are you planning on leaving?" Cloud continued to look at the ceiling.

"Maybe sometime this week, the sooner the better. I want to see my parents and get myself together," Zack turned over on his side away from Cloud.

"If that is what you have decided, then fine. You better keep in touch though. I don't want to have to come kick your ass again," Cloud chuckled. "Hey can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Seph told me what happened for the three weeks I was missing. Is he kidding about it?" Cloud kept his fingers crossed that Sephiroth was kidding.

Zack said very matter of fact and he let a smile cross his lips, "Well as you know, Seph doesn't really kid around, but to sum it up, you were a man-whore, we bought you for 10,000 Gil and you tried to molest us when we walked in the room. Oh, and you're a pretty good kisser. Want to know anything else?"

"I don't believe this…" Cloud rolled over to his side and continued with a rant that included some really colorful language.

"Good night," Zack closed his eyes and let sleep take him over.

Once Sephiroth got Aerith home they had dinner and decided to turn in, but not until he asked, "Do you want to tell me why you are so upset?"

She shook her head, "No, but you deserve to know." She wiped at her face, "It was Zack." Sephiroth immediately straightened and his face hardened.

Sephiroth sat down in one of the chairs at the table, "Tell me what happened."

"I wanted to apologize, but it just seemed to hurt him," Her tears soaked through the tissue and she grabbed another one.

"Aerith, what did you think would happen?" Sephiroth leaned his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. He was suddenly so upset at Aerith for what he felt like, she just stirred the pot. Zack was already on edge about Sephiroth and Aerith being together. He didn't want to lose Aerith, but he also didn't want to lose Zack either. There was something else that he thought he saw in her eyes.

"I don't know. I just wanted to let him know that I was sorry," Aerith talked to Sephiroth as he started up the stairs and she followed closely behind him, "I guess it's going to be awkward for a while, isn't it?"

Once they reached the top of the stairs, he turned around and took her hands in his. The something in her eyes was still there, it was just a little something, probably nothing, but it nagged at him. Just chocking it up to her being upset he asked, "How would you feel if the roles were reversed?" He inhaled, held it and then he said something that he never thought he would have to say to her, "I have been thinking about this and I think it would be wise if I were to stay at the bar for a little while," She started to protest, but he squeezed her hands gently, "It will just until you can work this out for yourself."

Aerith's eyes widened and the look of shock covered her face like a veil, "I can't believe that I am hearing this. Seph, please, it's okay. I do have to sort this out, but I want you to stay here, with me."

Sephiroth lowered his eyes and spoke quietly, "Aerith, you have got to decide. I know. I know that you are questioning yourself. It will just be for a little while." He let go of her hands gently. He didn't want to let them go, he didn't want to let her go.

She grabbed his arm and looked into his eyes. She shook her head, "Please don't. I told you that I made my decision."

She buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and he asked quietly, painfully, "Have you?" He held her for a long time, then he stepped back, "I will be downstairs." He went and got his sleep pants and a t-shirt on.

Lying down on the couch and stretching out, his bare feet were tickled by one of the throw pillows. He kicked it to the floor and put one of his hands behind his head. Listening to the sounds of the house as it creaked, the sound of a light breeze outside, he let out a short sigh. He thought about Aerith and the thought of her not being with him anymore, it made his heart sink. Aerith had been so upset. She was sad that she'd upset Zack, and then he turned right around and said that he was leaving for a while. He had to believe that he made the right decision about going to stay at the bar. He would pack up some of his things and go in the morning. She needed some time, he needed some time also. Sleep took over but it was a restless sleep.

A sound woke him and he held his breath, until he heard the sound again. It was an odd sound. He stood up and turned the lamp on and looked toward the kitchen. In the dark it was difficult to make out, even with mako eyes. The shadows played with the light and twisted what he could see, but it looked like a person, "Aerith?"

There was nothing.

Moving fast, he took a step around the couch and over to the bookcase. He kept a sword behind it and once the sword was firmly in his grasp, he took a battle stance. Waiting, he took a single step to the side to see more of the hall. The figure still stood there. Before he knew what hit him, he was on the floor. His scalp was bleeding where he was hit. He rolled over to his back and his sword was in her hand.

He stood slowly, "What do you want?" He readied himself for a hand to hand altercation. She was fast, maybe even faster than he was. When she moved, it was like watching lightening, the trail of distorted light and shadow was all he could see.

"I want to know where father is. I told you that I needed him," She smiled a warm smile as she turned the sword over in her hands, "I think that you are trying to hide him from me because for some reason I cannot feel him."

Sephiroth did not see her move until she was in his face. She knocked him in the head again and he went down to the floor. His vision blurred, his muscles seemed weak and he couldn't understand why. His hand went to his throbbing head, he felt a little groggy and his muscles failed to move as he wanted.

Then she was over him before he could react. She placed her hands on either side of his face. Her eyes peered deeply into his. Trembling, he grabbed his head and his back arched in agony in tandem with a loud groan that started working up into a scream until he fell silent and his eyes widened. She released him and his arms fell heavy to the floor and his head turned lifelessly to the side.

The silver-haired one knew where father was and now she did too. However there was something else, she was a little confused as she looked down at the man on the floor. Had she made a mistake? She would ask father, he should know.

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*