So, unless one has been living under a rock, one would know that Rebirth has just been released. This leaves it an appropriate time to point out that there are actually two continuities: the original 1997 continuity, and the Remake/Rebirth continuity. The Premonitions novels are based on the 1997 continuity, although that itself has been altered with Bestla's time traveling in the original Premonitions. However, a connetion to the Remake/Rebirth could possibly be made in the future.

Chapter 56: Dinner with the Enemy

As it had turned out, the Downings had taken Zack straight to their residence. It seemed very odd to Zack; he thought they were going to kill him, or at least give him a slap on the wrist.

Instead, they pulled through their gates and into their garage.

"Welcome to our home," Dirk Downing said warmly.

They gave him a tour of their farm, with all of the horses, cattle, and chocobos. They even had bison and alpacas there.

Then, they gave him a tour of their mansion, with the upstairs hallway that had ten bedrooms and lots of pictures on the wall. This included one with Dirk Downing with President Shinra, and another one with Heidegger and Scarlet.

Finally, it was time for dinner, after Dana, Danica, Delilah, and Devon had spent two hours in the kitchen. Zack, as the guest of honor, was seated at the head of the table.

He was in between Dirk and Dana Downing. The rest of the table was occupied by the Downing children. And they were:

David, 20

Daniel, 19

Dane and Danica, twins, 18

Delilah, 17

Devon, 16

Donna, 15

Derick, 14

Dakota, 13

Dawn, 12

Deke, 11

Daphne, 10

Dallas, 9

Demi, 8

Dante and Damien, twins, 7

They all looked exactly how they appeared on television.

"Before you ask," Dirk began, "this dinner is unplugged."

"Unplugged?" Zack inquired.

"This won't be on television," he clarified.

Zack was relieved, but was still curious on why the Downings would want to have dinner with him.

They all said grace and began eating.

An hour of friendly small talk followed. Things didn't get complicated until after then, when one of the Downing children became curious about Zack's age.

"How old are you?" Dane asked.

"Twenty-six," Zack replied. "I know. I'm getting old."

"And your girlfriend?" he continued.

"She's eighteen," Zack answered.

"Dane!" Dirk reprimanded.

"I'm sorry," Dane apologized. "I just wanted to know him a little more."

"I'm a hard guy not to know," Zack said. "I've got several wiki articles."

"We have filtered internet," Dirk informed him. "We barely watch what's happening in the world. When we do, it's on TV. But we have seen you two several times."

"I know we're eight years apart," Zack continued. "But Yuffie's very mature for her age. I'm very immature for my age. So it works."

"So now that Yuffie's a legal adult," Dakota said, "have you talked about getting married?"

"I plan on proposing to her when I get back to Midgar," Zack replied.

Cheers went up throughout the dining-room, particularly from the girls.

"Do you have a ring?" Dawn asked.

"I have one," Zack answered.

Then, Derick asked the inevitable question.

"Did you ask her father's permission?"

Zack shook his head.

"It's a little different for us," he explained. "Yuffie's relationship with her father comes and goes. Nobody chaperoned our courtship."

There were two or three gasps from the table.

Zack sorely hoped nobody would bring up the fact that they lived together and were raising two minors.

"It kind of ran away with itself," he continued. "We went to Cloud and Tifa's wedding as friends, but, as it was a date, we became a couple later. We've been off and on, but as of right now we're in a committed relationship. But I suppose I should pop the question. I'm not getting any younger."

"Or are you?" Dana interjected.

Not this, Zack thought to himself.

It was something that had been bothering him for the past two years.

"One thing I've noticed," Danica observed, "is that you look exactly the same as you did two years ago, during the campaign. What's your secret? It don't really want to get old, either."

"I eat a lot of tomatoes," Zack lied.

He had noticed this himself.

And he had felt it.

He knew why, of course, but he didn't want to say so. The consequences of the reason were profound.

"Now that you mention it," Delilah added, "President Strife hasn't aged a day either. Nor has that Vincent Valentine guy."

Zack cracked his knuckles. He didn't want to discuss it, knowing what all three of them had in common.

"Anyway," he said, "Yuffie and I are happy right now. I really hope she says yes."

"You live together, don't you?" David inferred.

"We have an apartment," Zack replied. "We share it with Denzel and Sage."

"That's right," Daniel said. "You're harboring Sage while we're trying to bring Reeve and Parker to justice."

Now Zack was upset.

"You mean you want to hurt them for being gay," he replied.

He was all too aware of the Downings' sexism and homophobia.

"We don't," Dirk assured him. "But we believe the government should impose a fair penalty."

"That won't happen," Zack informed them. "Not while Tifa Strife is president. She maintains a separation of church and state."

"Things change," Dirk warned him.

"Things change?" Zack echoed.

"She'll be up for reelection eventually," Dirk clarified. "Jack Balen would no doubt like a rematch."

"I'm sure he would," Zack agreed, "but here's something I don't understand for the life of me. If something's against your personal beliefs, and you're not doing it, aren't you done?"

The dining-room became silent. Zack had a valid point.

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree and let the law decide when the time comes," Dirk conceded.

There was another silence after that.

Zack scanned the table, noticing all of the children.

He noticed all the women were in skirts, without exception.

He noticed the decorations supporting traditional marriage and gender roles.

He remembered how all the women in the house were either in the kitchen or taking care of the youngest children.

He remembered how only the boys were planning a career.

And, of course, he remembered the reason he and Yuffie were looking after Sage.

"How long can you possibly go on with this kind of lifestyle?" Zack finally asked.

"Until the end of time," Dirk replied.

Zack was anything but convinced.

"Sooner or later, an outside influence is going to-"

"Until the end of time!" Dirk repeated. "You might not realize it, but this is all we have left. We've lost everything else!"

Zack was confused.

"You have a big mansion," he said. "And a TV show. What could you have possibly lost?"

"We lost the presidential election," Dirk began. "I know you feel like you won, but we lost!"

"It was a close election," Zack admitted. "A lot of people weren't happy with the outcome. Like you said, there'll be another election."

"We lost with traditional marriage, too!" Dirk continued. "And we lost with women's equality. And we lost with the shutdown. And we lost with the quarantine. And we lost with the mask mandates!"

"That's for everybody's protection," Zack insisted. "Geostigma is deadly. It doesn't care who you are or what you believe. You can't reason with it. It kills."

"But our freedom!" Dirk protested. "Is it worth the shutdown and all the mandates?"

"One hundred and ten percent," Zack replied.

"We can agree to disagree," Dirk said, "but our way of life is something we will never lose. President Strife can take it away from my bullet-riddled corpse!"

And it was at that moment Zack realized the purpose of his involuntary visit.

It was a message for all his friends.

And a warning for the president.

The Downings would continue to stand up for what they believed in, regardless of the cost.

They weren't going anywhere.

They implied that they were willing to act outside the law.

MEANWHILE…

"So, anyways, I went on more dates with Zack," Aerith continued. "That summer, Zack took me to Gold Saucer. He also took Tobin and Gehrig."

"I remember that," I said. "It didn't feel the same without Tobin around."

"I think that's when you started to like him," Ifalna said.

"Maybe," I replied.

I really wasn't sure.

"Zack and I did it for the first time," Aerith informed me.

At this point, I wasn't phased anymore. I knew full well Aerith was a sexaholic.

"I didn't want to at first," she continued. "I was still a virgin then. But something told me to let nature take her course. And it was amazing. And I've been obsessed with doing it ever since."

And so began Aerith the sexaholic.

"I know I kind of sound like a slut," Aerith continued, "but, the truth is that I just like sex. A lot. I mean, really a lot. But, of course, it's not slutty for a guy to."

"I know," I agreed.

"For the record, I've never slept with a man unless I thought it could be a long term relationship," she continued. "But it also resulted in Gehrig falling asleep next to Tobin."

I gave Aerith's spirit a look.

"They didn't do it!" Aerith giggled. "They just passed out next to each other."

That wasn't the reason I gave the look.

"I heard Gehrig was a bedwetter," I said.

Aerith nodded with a grin.

"Did she wet the bed?" I couldn't resist asking.

"Probably," Aerith shrugged. "So, anyway, Halloween came, and that was when I told Zack I was a Cetra. Once that didn't drive him away, I admitted I loved him. I figured that if he stayed with me then, he'd stay with me forever."

I had read about that in Tobin's memoir. She was good enough not to remind me that she was dressed up as a topless hippie, though I sure as hell hope she didn't go trick-or-tearing like that.

I doubt it.

"And then," Aerith continued, "Christmas."

"I read Tobin's book," I said. "You spent half the day with Elmyra and half with Zack's parents."

Aerith giggled.

"That's just what I told him," she admitted. "Here's what actually happened."

FLASHBACK….

The ice rink in Sector Three was one of the only things that was open on Christmas Day. Even then, it was only moderately packed, with almost all skaters under twenty.

Aerith stood in a hoodie and a pair of jeans. Zack stood beside her. Both had replaced their shoes with ice skates.

"Ready?" Aerith said with a smile.

"If you are," Zack replied.

"Can I show off some of my figure skating moves?" she requested. "I've been practicing. I won't fall on my butt; I promise!"

"Sure," Zack agreed.

The teenage couple began to skate counterclockwise around the rink. In the middle of the third lap, Aerith suddenly stopped, and skated over to the wall.

Zack quickly followed her.

Suddenly, Aerith placed both her hands on her heart.

"Awww!" she said.

Zack looked closer to see a five-year-old girl with a yellow labrador puppy on a leash.

Aerith was a big dog person, and had to stop whenever she saw one.

The puppy had a red bow on its head; it was likely a Christmas gift.

And then, a few feet away, stood none other than Jack and Sumner Balen.

Aerith cringed inside; she had not forgotten them from the aquarium.

And then, without warning, Sumner snatched the puppy and began to run off with it.

Jack quickly followed.

"Hey!" cried the girl. "That's my dog!"

"No!" cried Zack.

He immediately kicked off his skates, grabbed them, and jumped over the side, chasing Jack and Sumner in just his socks. He didn't care how cold the ground was.

Meanwhile, the Balen brothers rounded a corner, and into an alley.

"And we'll start," began Sumner, "with the neck."

With that, he took an ice skate he had been holding, and began to hold it to the puppy.

"You're right about that," Zack announced.

A moment later, Zack's skate hit Sumner in the neck, causing him to collapse to the ground and drop the puppy, which quickly ran to Zack.

Jack prepared to charge Zack, but Zack held up his other skate.

That was warning enough.

AN HOUR LATER…

Sumner had been taken to the hospital, and Jack had been arrested. The unharmed puppy had been safely returned to his rightful owner.

As was standard, Zack was questioned at the scene by a Shinra police soldier. No charges were filed, as he had adverted animal cruelty.

"He'll live," the Shinra soldier said, "but he'll need a blood transfusion. He'll be handcuffed to his hospital bed. We have the other brother in custody."

"Mister!" called a young voice.

Zack turned to see the young girl approaching him.

"Thanks for saving my puppy!" she said with gratitude before throwing her arms around him. "You're totally awesome!"

THAT NIGHT….

Zack lay on his back naked in the recliner as the equally-naked Aerith kissed her way up Zack's lower torso, to his chest, to his neck, and finally up to his mouth, pressing her tongue against his.

After breaking the kiss, Zack slowly looked to his right. The Christmas tree illuminated his apartment.

And it made him think of how different Aerith's heritage was from his own.

"What's on your mind?" she asked him.

"I'm not offending you, am I?" he asked.

"Because you're naked?" Aerith replied. "Please. I only wear clothes for the sake of others!"

"I mean the Christmas tree," he clarified.

"Why wouldn't I want my boyfriend to celebrate Christmas?"

"I thought your religious beliefs were Cetran," he replied.

"They are," Aerith clarified. "But I'm flexible."

She kissed him again, and smiled lovingly at him.

"Besides," she continued. "I already have next Christmas planned out."

She's already planning the next year. She's really committed to us. She expects this to be long-term.

He was surprised, but happy.

"What do you have planned?"

"You'll come to my place," Aerith replied. "My mom usually goes to Mass on Christmas evening at the church in the slums. She then helps out at the homeless shelter for a few hours. So we'll have the whole house to ourselves."

"Go on," Zack requested as he stroked her bare back.

"The fireplace will be lit," she continued. "You'll be wearing an ugly sweater and slacks. I'll be bottomless in an ugly sweater. And I'll cook Christmas dinner."

"What if your mom comes home unexpectedly?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.

Aerith shrugged her bare shoulders.

"Then maybe she'll help me cook!" she giggled.

"She'll see your vagina," Zack warned. "And your butt."

Aerith blew a raspberry.

"You think she doesn't know what I've got?" she replied before kissing him.

She then stroked his hair, and smiled lovingly at him.

"You know," she began, "that was amazing what you did for that girl back at the rink."

She kissed him again.

"Technically, I did it for the puppy," Zack corrected.

"Close enough," she admitted as she shifted down and rested her head on his chest.

"Those Balen brothers are beyond sick," Aerith continued. "You know what they say about people who like to hurt animals. First animals, then people."

"Tell me about it," Zack said.

Aerith then smiled again.

"You'd make such a good father, you know," she said.

She then got up, turned around, and fixed her hair, allowing Zack to enjoy the view.

"You think so?" he asked.

He was surprised at the question.

Is she moving that fast?

"After what you did for that girl?" she replied. "Totally!"

She's at least considering the rest of her life with me, that's for sure.

He had mixed feelings about it.

"What about me?" Aerith asked. "Do you think I'd make a good mother?"

"I think you would," Zack replied. "Hell, you take care of me."

"Too true," she giggled. "It's my natural calling."

"Natural calling?" he asked.

"I have big hips!" she replied as she placed her hands on them.

She then realized he was very likely staring at her bare butt.

"How's the view?" she giggled.

"Perfect," Zack replied.

Aerith then turned to face her boyfriend as a naughty idea popped into her mind.

"Want to do it under the Christmas tree?" she requested with a seductive smile.

….END FLASHBACK

"I was worried I might have scared him with that comment about being a mother," Aerith said. "But, sure enough, I didn't. The New Year rolled in. I hoped 0002 would be a good year. But, soon after it started, Zack got deployed to Modeoheim. That's where he met Cloud, by the way."

"I heard," I said.

"See, I immediately think of Cloud," Aerith pointed out. "If there was any doubt he was my one true love, it should be gone by now. Zack's time in SOLDIER was straining our relationship. He missed my seventeenth birthday."

"You had a figure skating competitition," I recalled.

"Correct," Aerith said. "Tobin and Gehrig came to support me. Once Zack came home, I was so happy I forgave him. We spent our first Valentine's Day together."

"So I read," I informed her.

"So, then, you know what I wore for him," Aerith said with a smirk.

If you haven't read Tobin's memoir, she wore a lacy bra and no bottoms. The kicker is that she knocked on his door in the hallway outside his apartment in that state of undress. She had come to the door clothed in a robe, which her friend Gehrig removed and took back with her when she went away.

But there was a burning question I had to ask.

"What would you have done if he wasn't home?" I couldn't resist asking.

"Good question," Aerith replied. "I guess it was a risk I was willing to take."

"Tobin's memoir never did reveal what you wore home," I pointed out.

"One of Zack's sweaters," she answered sheepishly. "It covered up my butt and vagina as long as I didn't let it ride up too much. I guess I should've thought about that before I came!"

All three of us laughed in unison.

Then, Aerith's smile faded, and she began to look very sad.

Even I knew what she was going to say next.

"Gehrig died that summer," Aerith said. "And you and I met at her funeral."

Even I found it a painful memory. Tobin was a mess; it was the worst I'd seen him.

"But then, Zack and I moved in together," Aerith continued. "It wasn't my idea. Turks kept harassing us at home, and I was afraid they would capture me again."

"How did that feel?" I asked.

"I loved it," Aerith replied. "It felt like we were married."

"Did you talk about it at all?" I inquired.

Aerith shook her head.

"The guy's supposed to initiate that discussion," she replied. "I tried to lead up to it, but it always fell through. I mentioned a few times how I wanted to get married young and be a housewife. But I don't think he took the hint. Late in September, he took me to a cottage his parents owned on a lake. I thought he was going to propose to me there. Shame on me."

"You really wanted to marry him?" I asked.

"I was hoping to get married at eighteen, right out of high school," she answered. "I'm a traditional girl. I know that's not popular anymore, but that's how I feel."

Aerith then made a sad face, and sighed.

"And then, Nibelheim," she continued. "I thought he was going to propose to me on the lake, but he was really taking me there to soften the blow. He knew he might not make it back alive."

It was messed up. In the original timeline, he really didn't make it back alive. He was nearly killed by Shinra gunfire, and I was the one who ended up saving his sorry ass.

I took him to get dipped, and I'll explain the side effects of that later.

"If I knew then what I know now," Aerith continued, "I would have made sure he got out of there."

"That place was secure," I said. "You would've gotten killed trying."

Aerith then sighed.

"And I thought he'd dumped me," she muttered.

"Why would he?" I asked. "I knew Zack pretty well back then. He wouldn't leave you."

"He was my first boyfriend," Aerith replied. "I didn't know what to expect."

And then, suddenly, Ifalna turned to me.

"Now," she said, "it's time to listen to my story."

"Your story?" I asked.

That was unexpected, and, at first, I'll admit I wasn't happy to hear that.

"You wanted to know what I know about your mother," Ifalna continued. "Well, by the end of my story, you will know the answer."

I was suddenly attentive.