"Oh Harry, you don't do things the easy way do you?" I looked up into the sad green eyes of my mother. My head was resting on her lap as she ran her fingers through my hair, at least the parts that weren't still in braids. It was comforting but also not real. I knew I was asleep; it was the only way mom talked to me anymore.

"Hi, Mom," She still looked as young and as beautiful as she was when she died. Her hair was still a vibrant blood-red something I wished I had inherited. The sun behind her made her hair shine. No matter what anyone could say about my mother she was always a beautiful and strong woman.

"Oh, my baby, my dear, dear boy." Mom still had that sad smile on her face with slight tears in her eyes. I really wasn't liking it. Not much made Mom sad or looking to cry.

"Mom?" She turned her head looking off into the distance. "What's going on?" I had a feeling that I needed to know. I also had a feeling that I wouldn't like it.

"It's happening too fast Harry." I sat up and looked around. While the Promise Land had flowers everywhere you could see it had started darkening. What was once just a shading was now almost pitch black. The sickness was spreading.

Jenova, while defeated, had too much of a hold on Gaia for far too long. Her cells had contaminated the Life Stream and when Kadaj released more cells at the Forgotten City it expedited it.

Normally Gaia would've been able to heal but this had stopped the procedure. Soon the world will flood, killing everyone and everything. Even with Aerith's Great Gospel the ground was barren, more and more land dying each day. People were becoming barren and soon there will be no children left. A great cleaning was coming, and I had the chance to fix it.

"I got the information Mom" I told her looking out into the sunset. "You were right. It's both a summoning and not."

"I know baby" Mom hugged me. I couldn't help but lean into her embrace. Mom wasn't that much taller than me and grandfather was only a little bit taller than her. Himura's run short.

That was something that I had wished I had inherited from my father instead of the hair. It was how tall he was. Only problem was with Himura's, the more powerful you were the shorter you were. I'm the shortest in centuries.

"I-I found Cloud" I still didn't know how I felt about that. I loved him and I would always love him "I don't know what to do." I wrapped my arms around my legs in thought. On one hand I wanted everything with him we had missed 10 years of our life together. On the other was the fact if he chose another I wouldn't survive.

Mom turned to me and gave that smile. The one where I knew nothing could go wrong. That she would protect me to her dying breath, and it was sobering to know that she did. She had died to protect me. She sacrificed herself so that I may live. I always wanted her to be proud of me. To know that her sacrifice wasn't in vain. "Be happy Harry. That's all I ever wanted."

I grabbed my wrist unsure of what to say. "Do you think, sometimes, that she makes mistakes on our Soul Marks?" It was something that I had thought about a lot. Did she make a mistake on mine? On my mother's? The last one of our family to die of old age and not in battle had been my great-great grandparents. The rest of us died young, alone and in battle.

"No, Harry. She knows exactly what she is doing." Mom put a strand of hair behind my ear. "I know it hurts but he does love you and while I'm not excusing what he did he did think you were dead. While she wants us all to be happy, we do have free will." It was true, just because we had the soul mark does not mean they will love you. It did not mean it would be romantic either.

"Unless you're Himura" I said cheekily. Even trying I knew she heard how sad I was.

"Unless you're a Himura" Mom had a forced laugh. You could tell that it was for my benefit, even dead she tried to insure my happiness. It was always a running joke. Himura's' had served Her since the very beginning, we were her warriors, her healers and we have served her faithfully.

"I met Father" I looked off into the distance. "I guess I can see the appeal if he didn't send the Turks after me. Kind of hard to dodge Fuhito with an APV on me." I grabbed a handful or grass and tossed it in front of me.

"Your Godfather will set him straight" Mom had that glint in her eye. The one that said he had better or face her wrath. "I wish you could have known Tseng like I did, but no matter what Harry having you was the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I would never change it."

"You were an outcast at our home mother, left at the alter by your soul mark. You didn't give up you just picked yourself up and moved to Nibelhiem. I just wish more people than just us knew how wonderful you are." I told her. After all this time it was still a sore subject. My mother deserved the world.

"Will it work Mom?" I couldn't help but ask. I don't know what I wanted reassurance, or what but I wanted, no need to know. This ritual was going to take a lot out of me, and I hoped when the time came I survived. If not, at least I had lived, if even for a while.

"Harry, you are the last of us. The last Himura, the last Ancient still alive. You are more powerful than anyone both living and dead. Have faith, and let Minerva guide you, but most of all Harry be happy." Mom had that sad look in her eye, and I had a feeling then I wasn't going to see her again. Not until the ritual.

"Time to go baby" Mom wrapped me in a hug. I breathe in her lightly floral perfume, basking in her love for me. "tell Genesis and Kunsel to come find me. I'll take them in."

"I love you, Mom." I had to say it. Even though she was already dead I refused to let her believe otherwise. She knew I loved her, but I knew she liked to hear it also.

"I love you too, baby." Mom's face was the last thing I saw as I felt my body wake up.

Warmth flickered against my face and along my back as I felt myself wake up. A slight breeze hit my neck as someone took deep restful breaths. Wrapped up in thick blankets, on a bedroll in front of a fire and an arm wrapped around my waist and another under my head. I didn't recognize the place, but I did recognize my pants hanging on a line in front of the fire. On the side table next to it was my cellphone charging.

The arm around my waist tightened as if they knew I was ready to get up. I would be freaking out normally, but I caught a glimpse of a soul mark. The matching soul mark brightened as we were in contact with each other. Cloud's mark was a thing of beauty. Lush green vines with dark red flowers. Mine had looked like that once. I wondered if it ever would again.

With reluctance I pulled my wrist out and sure enough the colors had brightened. I had more greens on my wrist then I did before, but it was still mostly grey and red.

Looks like Mom was right. He does love me, but I didn't know if it was enough. Too much time had passed, and I was no longer a 16-year-old. Now I had people and a planet depending on me. I didn't have time to wonder, but I could feel the bond between us trying to draw us together. It wanted us to consummate it and from the erection I could feel pressing along the thong he wasn't opposed to it.

"Oh Shit" I whispered, moving the blankets and arm to stand up. I had to get away from him, that way lead to danger. I looked to see I was still wearing the stockings and thong along with my shirt. I felt both naked and mortified. I didn't like feeling naked. I also didn't want a sleeping Cloud with an erection rubbing against me. I refused to take advantage of a sleeping person. I was not brought up that way. I didn't care how good it felt. I woke up with my share of boners, it meant nothing. I had to keep repeating that to myself, I had to want it to be true.

I looked over at Cloud, but he was still sleeping which was kind of a surprise. I remember when the littlest movement used to wake him up. Good I had things to do and didn't want to discuss anything. I was still running down from yesterday and even with sleep I still felt sluggish. I had to force myself to move, I still felt sluggish and wanted more than anything to crawl back into bed. Mentally I slapped that thought out of my head.

I checked my pants, but they were just too wet to wear. With reluctance I left them hanging but grabbed my PHS from the table. The charger wasn't mine, but I did give Cloud mental bonus points for plugging it in for me. While I wasn't going to call while using the bathroom, I still needed to make calls.

The bathroom was a little dinky thing with a toilet and a sink. I was glad I wasn't taking a shower, but the option would have been nice. I used the toilet gladly for an empty bladder, but also annoyed I was still forced into a thong. Kunsel was going to pay for not packing underwear.

My shirt came off next and I was glad to see my arm was wiped clean of blood and had a bandage around it. It looked like Cloud had taken care of it while I was asleep and put my shirt back on. I'm glad about that. If I had just woken up in the thong and stockings who knows what could have happened. I brief vision of Clouds hard, warm body on mine before shaking that thought away. That way lies trouble.

I turned on my PHS as I headed to find the kitchen. 'Great' I thought, annoyed to find out I had missed 3 calls and 12 text messages. I figured I had better get to those but first I had to find a stove and maybe some coffee. It felt like a coffee day.

Riiiiing.

Riiiiiing.

The first call was the easiest as Jessie had called me first.

"Hello" Jessie's groggy voice came through the phone. Putting it on speaker so I can go through the cupboards I had to wonder why she was tired.

"Did I wake you?" The fridge was fully stocked and so were the cupboards. I was impressed. It didn't take long to find the coffee. Deciding against using the water in the facet I summoned my mana and used that instead. I wasn't using tainted water no matter how much it was filtered.

"Harry!" Jessie was excitable. "What happened? You are on the news as a person of interest. You're wanted in for questioning. Do you have any idea how worried we were, and then you weren't answering your phone."

"Breathe Jessie" the fridge had a variety of foods but mostly they had eggs. Mmmmm omelets sounded good. "I got a little caught up, sorry didn't check in. My phone was at 2%. How bad is it?"

"On a 1 to 10, we almost hit defcon 11" Jessie perked up. "By the way what was with that adorable little Gen yesterday. I swear he was almost in raptures about it."

"Wasn't that just the cutest thing ever" I heard movement in the other room and knew my bed partner was waking up. It had to have been the coffee, I was perking up just from the smell of it. "I kid you not that was the cutest thing I've seen in a long time."

I set a pan on the stove to heat as I grabbed eggs to beat for an omelet. I hope whoever's place this was didn't care for me raiding the kitchen. It didn't take long before I had breakfast cooking and I was starved. Thankfully eggs were easy and filling.

"Are you kidding, Genesis was preening the whole night when he wasn't worried about you." You could hear the love in her voice as she talked about her bond. "Seriously though Harry, what happened?"

"At which part?" Arms wrapped around my waist pulling me back against a broad chest. Looks like Cloud had woken up and joined the land of the living. Since I was no longer feeling a boner in my back it looked like the bond had calmed some. I had to wonder why I didn't feel uncomfortable, I don't normally like people in me space, but it was also Cloud. I really didn't want to try to talk while my body screamed 'do me now.' "I had made it through the checkpoints at the WRC, found the information, which reminds me it's what we thought."

"Really, that's great news. So, what's the problem?" Great this meant more talking. I had forgotten that I couldn't just give small details. If I tried, then the cavalry would be alerted, and a rescue staged. "How are you in for questioning?"

"Do you have any idea how many people knew my mom?" I poured a mug of coffee and enjoyed the burn as it went down. The arms were warm against my back and were a great welcome. I had forgotten how much I liked to be held and just loved and not in a platonic way. It made me feel safe. I had to stop that thought, madness lies that way I told myself.

"Oh boy, that bad?" Jessie was sympathetic. I would give her that, but she didn't feel sorry. She was the evil person who thought of putting me in the skirt and bra. No, she really wasn't sorry.

"Also, we need better information, a couple things were wrong." I couldn't stop the moan that went through my mouth as I drank more coffee. Cloud chuckled against my neck before reaching around me and grabbing a plate from the cabinet next to the stove. He really didn't need to rock into my body as he grabbed the plates. His body felt good on my back, and I tried not to think about it. Still, he was familiar with the house enough to know where the plates were.

"Harry, are you alone?" Jessie hesitated as she asked. "Do I need to stage a rescue?" She would stage one also. She also wouldn't hesitate to tease me for years before finally letting it go.

I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see it. "I found the coffee, Jessie no need for a rescue." I wasn't going to tell her about the body standing next to mine and the kisses that had been placed on my neck.

"Riiiight" I could tell she didn't believe me. I don't know why I was innocent. Ok I wasn't but still. "Sooooo what was wrong with the information?" I could hear her drawing it out. She was letting it go for now. I plated the omelets and turned off the stove. I wasn't distracted enough to forget fire safety.

"Tseng was at the WRC and tried to figure out who I was. He knew mom had died." I turned to Cloud and gave him a light kiss on the lips as I handed him the omelet. They were as soft as yesterday and warmed me up again. I could feel heat surging through my body at the simple press of lips, having sex would cause it to feel like a volcano exploded. I could feel the bond wanting us closer, but I pulled away before he could deepen it. Status first, making out later. Maybe.

"Your father caught you!" Jessie squealed. "What the hell, that explains some of the Turks, but you changed right out of the disguise?" I swear she was so excitable. Easy to see how she gets along with Genesis.

"Yup" I popped the p. I tilted my head to the table and walked towards an empty seat. I could feel Cloud following with his eyes and wished the shirt was a little longer, like to my feet. Instead, it barely brushed my butt. Jesse was going to suffer. "What we didn't know was that Vincent Valentine knew who I was by name."

"Oh Shit" Jessie exclaimed. "How did he know that?" I could hear her moving around and knew she was heading towards where Genesis and Kunsel were. She would give updates on the situation.

"Mom beat the crap out of him years ago, like before we were born years ago. Apparently, she once said that she was going to only have one child, a boy named Harry." Cloud wrapped his arms around my waist again and began to leave open mouthed kisses on my neck. He placed the omelet on the table at least I thought before I felt the heat start to surge again. I knew he was listening as I was talking but he was very distracting. A hand started to reach down until a fingertip traced the top of my stocking.

Abort. Abort. My mind was screaming at me. Calls first then. Maybe.

"Shit, your mom is a badass just saying." Jessie said again. "He turned you in?" I could hear the others in the background as she walked. 'Focus on that' I thought. If I can focus on it, I can try to ignore my body's responses.

"No, Vincent didn't say anything" I pulled myself out of Cloud's arms and quickly sat on the chair in front of me. He looked annoyed that I pulled away even when I gave him his plate of food. He was kind of clingy this morning, but I liked it. "That honor goes to your favorite person who hates my guts."

"TIFA" you could hear Jessie shout through the phone. "Even when we were in Avalanche together, she hated your guts." Ugh I hated to remember that they knew each other. "Seriously hates your guts, it would be funny if it wasn't so sad."

"Yup she sent a photo to the Turks and my name, that's how it's broadcasted." Cloud had a look of disagreement on his face.

"Tifa wouldn't do that." Cloud pulled away as if he thought I would lie to him. Wow, the mood swings a lot. The look of betrayal on his face. He looked like I kicked his Chocobo. That at least killed all lust that I was feeling for him.

I felt pain in my chest as he was once again choosing another side, another that wasn't mine. If my chest was starting to hurt, who knows how bad my wrist will be soon.

"Uh yeah, she would. She's hated Harry for as long as I've known her" Jessie argued. "Who the hell is this and how do you have Harry's phone? If you hurt him there's nowhere you can hide. I will annihilate you."

"Yeah, that's the other thing" I waited to drop the bomb. "Jessie, you remember my soulmate, Cloud Strife. Cloud I'm sure you remember Jessie Rhapsodos formerly Rasberry."

"She's dead" Cloud had a look of disbelief on his face. Wow does he not believe anything to do with me? She was literally talking on the phone. I wonder if he was having brain issues. I've heard about his mako issues.

"I got better," Jessie snarked through the phone. I couldn't stop the snort from escaping my mouth. That was classic Jessie.

"Princess Bride really" I remarked leaning back into the chair with my arms crossed. Cloud had that look like he was going to argue again. I really didn't want a fight this soon after joining again.

"It's a classic and it was Genesis' turn to pick the movie. I'm just glad it wasn't another Loveless production." I could sympathize with her, Genesis and Loveless was a Thing.

"Wait so Jessie if you're alive how come no one has seen you?" Cloud had that wrinkle between his eyebrows. "Wouldn't you want to?" Huh so it looked like he was using his brain and not being confrontational.

"Cloud I was in a coma for almost a year after the plate dropped. Harry there, my brother from another mother, saved my life. Probably at Genesis request but ehh I'm still alive. Why would I go back to the fight? When I woke up it was almost over. Besides, my parents knew I was still alive." Jessie made it sound like it wasn't a big deal and after so long it really wasn't.

"What about Biggs and Wedge?" Cloud was curious again. "Did they make it?"

"No" I shook my head as I answered. "I couldn't save them. By the time I got there the Life Stream had already started to dissolve them." I did regret that I never had a chance to meet them. I had heard they were wonderful people.

"That and they really wouldn't like SOLDIER" wow Jessie keep dropping bombs like that. I felt my eyes widen at that one. I knew nothing good would come out of that one.

"SOLDIER? I'm the only one left." Great that wrinkle was back. Cloud looked like he was thinking hard again. From the twitch by his eyes, it looked like his head was hurting him.

"No, you're not" Jessie groaned into the phone. "You have a lot to learn. Harry, I'll leave you guys for now. What time shall I expect you so I can alert the calvary."

"I'm about to finish breakfast and my pants are still soaked. A couple of hours maybe. If it's an emergency, then I'll portal."

"Only a couple of hours, Harry. Tisk, tisk. You should take longer. You haven't seen each other in ages and if you don't climb him like a tree, I will be disappointed. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" yeah Jessie was way too chipper in the morning. "Bye Cloud, have Harry bring you by sometime."

"By Jessie" Reaching over to turn off the phone I turned my attention back to the food. I had eaten a couple of bites, but I wasn't hungry again. Nerves were wrecked and I knew it would be a while before I was hungry again. Coffee though, hopefully that could tide me over.

Cloud was sitting at the small little two-person table nursing his own cup of coffee looking lost. When he looked over at me, I motioned to his food and watched as he looked down as if he hadn't seen the omelet before. Cloud gave a little chuckle before starting to eat.

It was peaceful him eating and me drinking my coffee. Neither of us talk much, the silence isn't stifling. I knew we needed to talk but neither wanted to break the peaceful silence.

"So, SOLDIER?" Cloud leaned back into his chair seeming to read the logo on my shirt for the first time. "How?" His arms were crossed as tightened as if he knew he wouldn't like what I was going to say.

"It's complicated," I started to say. This wasn't how I wanted to start the day. I had hoped for a good peaceful morning, but it looks like it wasn't to be.

"Then uncomplicate it Harry" he was irritated you could tell by his voice. "You're alive, Jessie is alive and by the sound of it SOLDIER if still around. What the fuck? Illegal experiments, playing Hojo? What else are you hiding Harry?"

"Fuck you" I stood up as a flash of temper went through me. I made my way back to the living room grabbing my phone as I went. He did not just put me in the same category as Hojo. "I don't have to take this." My pants were thankfully dry enough as I got my feet in. The parts were still slightly wet, so I jumped on my toes a few times to pull my pants up.

Fucking Hojo, he compared me to Hojo. I would rather be compared to malboro dung than that parasitic man. And to think I was beginning to think that we could work through anything.

"Oh yeah, just run-away Harry" Cloud stalked closer. He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen and his anger alone was enough to fill it. "You're good at that."

I stopped grabbing my boots from in front of the fire, they weren't going to go on. "I'm not the one who left Cloud, you were." I said it softly, my temper leaving only to be filled with deep sadness but the way his eyebrows frowned I knew he heard me.

"What?" He had his arms crossed and I tried not to think of them around me again. Already I could feel the bond trying to pull us together. I softly shook my head. Yeah, that wasn't happening.

"You were the one who left" the tears were coming back. Already I could hear thunder crash in the distance. "I waited for you Cloud. I waited while you went undercover as an infantry soldier. I waited when I heard you were alive. I waited for you to come home, and you didn't."

The fire was burning merrily but I was already feeling cold again. "When you didn't come, I went to look for you. Rumors were falling about a blonde ex-SOLDIER in the slums of Midgar. It was just after you guys blew the first reactor. I ran into Jessie then, who took me to Tifa. Tifa told me to never come back and that you didn't want me anymore. She had a flower that you had given her as proof."

Tears were falling harder now, everything was blurry. I could barely see his shape in the doorway. "No Cloud I wasn't the one who left. You left me long ago and you just never came back."

"I can't do this again, Cloud." I looked up to stare into his Mako blue eyes. He was slightly blurry from my tears and my chest hurt again from the distance between us. "I barely made it through the bond breaking the first time. This time it would be the death of me."

The rain had turned into a hailstorm. The ice chucks rattled the windows. The cold seeping in, I felt I would never be warm again. "I'll always love you, but I can't do this. I'm worth more."

I thrust my hand out opening a portal, not caring where I would end up. I just had to go somewhere; I couldn't be here anymore.

"Harry" Cloud reached his hand towards me. He had tears in his eyes that I haven't seen since we were kids. "I"

"Goodbye Cloud. I'm glad you're alive" turned so I didn't have to see his face. I entered the portal making sure to close it before he could follow.