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: Review responses at the end of the chapter.

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.

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

"What you are must always displease you, if you would attain to that which you are not." –Saint Augustine

Chapter 69

Reno's mood didn't improve with every addition to the pile of security footage he had to see and Rude had been pushy about getting the stupid things watched.

The red head's eyes burned from the constant gaze at the television screen. Rubbing them and yawning, he rested his feet on the top of the table and leaned back with his hands comfortably resting on the back of his head.

SLAM! The loud noise jerked Reno from his slumber and the chair fell backwards taking him with it. As his feet were up righted in the air, Rude stated, "You fell asleep again."

With a thump and a loud noise of anger, Reno rolled over to his stomach and stood stiffly, "Damn Rude! What the fuck? I need my rest you know!" Reno brushed off his pants and shirt sleeves, "Where the hell you been?"

Rude pulled up another chair and pushed in another recording disc, "Watch this, if you can stay awake long enough."

Hojo sat at his desk while the entire office was out for the night. He liked having the place to himself for the times he wanted to work on his side projects. No matter how many confidentiality agreements were signed, there was always one person who would blab. His fingers on the keyboard worked in a steady rhythm that lulled him to a new idea.

With a looming feeling, Hojo quit typing and sat up straight and stared straight ahead at the words that were spoken softly into his ear, "Hello again."

Hojo did not move, but he placed his hands on the cool surface of the smooth wood. His fingers curled and a nervous sweat prickled across his forehead. With a deep breath and a rare nervous smile crossed his thin lips, "Have you come for me?"

A soft breeze followed her from behind him to his side, "Yes," She leaned down to his ear, "Are you ready to face your destiny?"

Hojo cut his eyes to his side and tried not to move too much. His sweaty palms fell to his lap and he looked down at the smear of condensation on the surface that his hands had left on the desk, "Yes."

She stood straight, "There is no need for you to be nervous." He stood slowly and she took his hand and forcefully yanked him across the room. He yelped at the feeling of his shoulder almost dislocating, "Oh, sorry about that." She put one of her hands to her mouth and shyly said, "It didn't seem to bother you that much when you did it to my father."

His mouth twitched and he stuttered, "I was just trying to… I was trying to get them to cooperate so that I could bring you into this world."

Her lips grazed gently across his ear, "Shhh, don't worry, I'm not going to kill you." Hojo shuddered at her smile as she pulled him out the door.

Reno tapped his fingers on the table, "So, it was her that killed the president and kidnapped Hojo." Reno leaned an elbow on the table and his eyes gleamed at Rude, "I guess we go after her after she kills Hojo… err… I mean before she kills Hojo."

Rude glared at him, "Reno, we need to get Tseng."

Rude got up and went to the door and Reno followed and talked the entire way. Rude listened without really listening while Reno finished up the story he had started before they began watching the security tapes, "So, anyway, once I got her in the Turk break room, she wouldn't let me get out of there before she got on her knees and showed me exactly what talents she had to offer-"

Tseng rounded the corner and Rude interrupted Reno's story, "Sir." Rude walked a little faster than Reno and so when Rude stopped, Reno ran right into him. The impact caused Rude to bump into Tseng and it sent Tseng back a few steps. Reno peeked over Rude's shoulder and stifled the need to needle his boss.

Tseng straightened his suit jacket and spoke sternly, "Get back to Rocket Town. There was a situation and a sighting."

Reno stepped from behind Rude, "Any information?"

Tseng looked at him and his eyes shimmered in anxiety, "It seems that the woman that they are calling Jade has taken Sephiroth and Cloud."

Reno stuttered out, "Son of a bitch!" He slapped Rude in the arm, "Let's go."

"Reno, wait," Tseng handed Rude a sealed yellow envelope and then finished, "You are back-up only," Tseng's words trickled up his spine and it just reinforced the fact that Reno hated being back-up, "Read up on that information before you get there."

Reno waved his hand as he walked to the elevator to get to the helicopter on the roof. Reno's mind wandered and he inadvertently said out loud, "I hope Zack's okay."

Rude turned his face toward Reno as they rode the rest of the way up to the roof in silence.

A knock on the door interrupted Zack mindlessly running back through everything, hoping that he missed something, anything. He had to hope that maybe they were still in there somewhere trapped in their minds, waiting to be saved. Aerith opened the door and Yuffie and Vincent came in through the door. Zack turned and raised an eyebrow at Vincent.

Vincent stepped forward, "I don't think that we have been properly introduced."

Zack stood motionless and studied both of them, when the door opened again, Harding came in with Red. Zack looked around Vincent and Yuffie and eyed Red, "It seems there's a few of you that I haven't met."

Red stepped between Yuffie and Vincent and said knowingly, "We have met you, but not the real you."

Yuffie stood straight and proud and Aerith took Zack by his arm and started, "This is Vincent, he is also a former victim of Hojo. This is Yuffie and she is the one that found you after you disappeared from Midgar. Last but not least, Red; he is familiar with the planet and its history."

Zack nodded, "It's nice to meet y'all." Zack looked down at himself, "I hate to interrupt our little party, but does anyone have any clothes. I mean, I'm all for a letting the boys down there be free and all, but they're starting to get a little frosty in just boxers."

Aerith blushed, "I'm sorry, I'll get you some of Seph's clothes."

Harding glanced at the taller man, "Zack, I'm sorry, I really didn't know." Looking around nervously, he asked, "Can you tell me what happened in there?" Harding pointed to his head.

Zack rolled his eyes, "How many people am I going to have to rehash this shit too?"

"I'm sorry, but I just want to know if there might be something we can do," Harding backed away as if Zack had a whip and was about to beat him to death.

Vincent narrowed his eyes at the scantily clad man, "Mr. Fair, may I ask you, while you were with Cloud and Sephiroth, did she say anything that caused you to realize that it was her trying to take control?" Vincent put his hand on his gun.

Zack looked at him, noticing his hand on the handle of the large three-barrel hand cannon, "You too with all the formality, just call me Zack for cryin' out loud." Zack paused and thought for a few seconds, "It wasn't that she said or did anything, it was just a feeling."

Aerith asked him as she handed him some clothes, "Why didn't they realize it?"

Zack's eyes saddened and his tone, sullied with guilt, "If you had been there, you would know."

Tifa didn't look up, but her voice lilted up through the air and found the target ears, "Jacob, are they still alive?"

Harding looked at Zack as he spoke to Tifa, "I don't know. It is possible I suppose."

Zack went into the bathroom and finished getting the clothes on. They smelled like Sephiroth and he missed him instantly. He got choked up at the thought and the sight of Sephiroth lying there bleeding to death while he could do nothing but watch. He washed his face and wet his hair. When he looked in the mirror his hair looked wild, wilder than usual. He ran his fingers through it and tried to make himself as presentable as possible. He stared at himself in the mirror again, until he could get up the courage to face everyone. He could swear that he still felt the searing pain of the fire blackening his skin. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. The room was empty. Confused, at the sudden alone time, he took the opportunity to take a walk.

His pace was brisk but steady. He listened to his heartbeat; his boot falls and the sound of his breathing soothed him until his thinking went to Cloud. Suddenly feeling like he did when he had been shut away in that damn cell without Cloud, he shook his head. Shaking his head helped rid himself of the tears, right? His last word was, 'Tifa.' He had suffered so much and all he wanted was to be with her.

Sephiroth's last thoughts before they came together in that imaginary world, was of his lost love, Annabelle. Zack just wanted to explode with all the scaring and painful memories of his friends. He took a deep breath and looked at the road that lay ahead of him as it led out-of-town. Stopping suddenly, he felt he had been in this very situation before. Everything hit him at once and he had lost it, literally. Bowing his head, he said a silent prayer.

If there is any one listening, hear me now… I need help. I've never really asked for help before, but now I am. I want my friends back; I want them to be with the women that love them. I want to give Sephiroth the biggest hug and watch him as he squirms. Hell, I still owe Cloud a swift kick to the balls. There is still so much left for them to do, for me to tell them, I just need that chance, please.

"Zack?" He turned and blushed as Aerith grinned at him, "Were you praying?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, well, yeah. I guess so."

Aerith walked up to him and took one side of his unzipped jacket in her hand. She pulled him toward her gently, "I could hear your prayer you know," She smiled a brilliant smile, "I thought you didn't believe in all that stuff."

Looking down at her beautiful and angelic face he smiled, "Desperate times baby."

She pulled at his jacket and he reluctantly went to her waiting arms. When she hugged him, it was full of feeling and love. He wasn't going to lie, he wanted her, wanted her badly right then. He gently ran his hands up to her shoulders and pulled himself timidly away from her. Even though they were just a few inches away from each other, Zack felt as though he were a million miles from her, his fingertips lightly brushed her cheek.

Closing her eyes she wrapped him in another hug. The smell of her hair lifted his spirits and her words were soft and loving, "I know that you will find a way to get them back if it's possible."

He rubbed her arms with his rough hands and kissed the top of her head, "Yes, I promise." She looked up at him and smiled. On her tip toes, she kissed him gently and then turned around and left him to his thoughts.

Later that night, Aerith sat at the table; he was not aware of her presence, watching him, waiting for him to need her. Zack slept restlessly, his dreams were of Jade, Cloud and Sephiroth. They called to him, with urgency in their voices. He put the pillow over his head and he still couldn't block them out. He still had a habit of talking in his sleep and the ancient wiped her tears as he tossed and turned, fighting the urge to go to them. She quietly moved to the side of the bed and soothed his ragged dreams with her hand tenderly touching his sweat dampened skin, allowing her tranquility to soothe him to softer dreams.

The white snow-driven wind whipped around them and the difficulty that they had was noticed more by Cloud. Inexplicably, the gunshot wound in his shoulder wasn't healing very quickly and he reluctantly accepted help.

Sephiroth pulled him through the wall of energy that blocked the wind from the inner sanctum. When they reached the impeccable sight, they breathed in and let out a laugh of full freedom. Below, there was the life stream coursing through the planet and above was the view of the sky, it was black, dotted with the stars shining brightly. Still holding hands, Sephiroth and Cloud marveled at the work that Jade had done while she waited for them.

Sephiroth strolled up to Jade with Cloud closely behind him, "When do we start?"

Jade's dark blue eyes welled with tears as she took her fathers' other hands, making a circle out of their arms, "We still must wait for when father is ready," Her head tilted and it rested on Cloud's chest, "I ache for him, I need him."

Sephiroth, dropping Cloud's hand, stroked her hair, "We will get him for you."

Cloud brushed her face gently, "We will do whatever you need of us."

Her eyes brightened and rose up to gaze into Cloud's eyes, "Yes, I know. However, I fear that my present will spoil before father is ready."

Sephiroth's hand rubbed her back and Cloud's hand went to the taller man's back. Pulling together in a hug, the black winged figure said quietly, "We will make him ready, if that is what you long for."

Cloud pulled himself back a little and with a smile he nodded his head, "Yes! We can make him ready."

Sephiroth took her chin in his hands, "I want to mess with the 'humans' that these shells used to love, that will help him remember what he must do."

Jade took their hands again, "I don't want you to leave me alone yet. Not so soon after uniting with you," She reached up and gently touched the wound on Cloud's shoulder. Hissing in pain as she grabbed it hard, her wings spread out and quivered. When she retracted her hand, his wound was gone and not even a scar remained.

Cloud took the back of her head and pulled her toward him, kissing her forehead, he said soothingly, "As you wish."

A/N 2: 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*

Guest reviews with my responses:

"Please give Zack a faithful love interest. Maybe that female turk. It seem obvious to me in my opnion that the whole Zack x Aerith will not work out"

With great emotions reading across my face, I am able to respond to actual reviewers! Woo Hoo! Okay, sorry, I just get a little excited sometimes, let me get to your review. Ah yes poor Zack, can't catch a break. I don't want to spoil anything, so… I'm sorry to say that I can't really respond one way or the other, just keep reading ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Metal brains: "Wow, that took a while... finally caught up! Nice story you have here, couldn't stop reading it :) I am very curious to see how you plan to continue from here!"

Geez, thanks! I'm thrilled that you liked it! This is the first story that I'd written and published, so it is still really rough around the edges but I hope you continue to enjoy what my imagination have to share.