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.
One additional word of warning: this is a long chapter. But if you're still wondering what Miranda is in Bolton for, well, by the end of this chapter, you will know the answer.
Chapter 56: Three Happy Days
June 1, 0004
Riggs opened his eyes. He felt as if he had been sleeping forever, as he felt completely rested up. He had the most wonderful dream; in it, his best friend, Miranda Kisaragi, took pity over the fact that his family had died, and married him, thus making her his family. They had shared their first kiss at the altar, and spent their first night together.
And then, the world faded into view.
Miranda's face was the first thing he saw. She was already awake, and smiling at him. Her beautiful brown eyes were glistening.
Her bare shoulders reminded him that they had slept together.
It was not a dream at all!
"Hi!" she whispered.
Before Riggs could reply, she immediately placed her hand on his bare shoulder and kissed him.
Riggs then sat up, and Miranda did the same, facing him.
"I thought it was a dream," he said.
"Me, too," she replied. "I'm glad I was wrong, though!"
Riggs then glanced at his hand; his wedding band was still on his finger. He glanced at Miranda's hand; her wedding band was still on her finger as well.
"We really got married," he said.
"I'm with you and my vagina's out," Miranda giggled. "Of course we really got married!"
"So what's the next step?" he asked.
He realized he had said that out loud when he did not mean to. He truly wondered where they would go from there.
"The next step?" Miranda replied. "Take a shower together?"
"Sounds good to me," Riggs agreed.
They made their way from the bedroom to the bathroom, which happened to be in the kitchen.
As Riggs approached the shower, Miranda tapped his shoulder and stopped him.
"Wait," she commanded. "We need to brush our teeth first."
"Why first?" he asked.
"Because couples usually kiss when they shower together," Miranda replied. "And you don't want morning breath, do you?"
"I suppose not," he said.
"Neither do I," she added.
They then brushed their teeth together.
The bathroom mirror was a large mirror, which reflected the newlyweds' upper halves completely.
Riggs took advantage of the opportunity and checked out Miranda's body through the mirror.
She was his best friend, and now his wife, but he was still human, and unable to resist. He checked out her beasts and her torso, though the top of her hips was the limit of what he could see in the mirror. He hoped she would not notice.
"You know what's funny?" Miranda suddenly said, after rinsing her mouth. "When we stand naked in front of a mirror like we are now, you can stare at my badonkers and I wouldn't even notice."
No kidding, he thought.
He was unsure if she knew he was checking her out, or if she was checking him out as well.
"You know," Miranda began as she placed her elbow on Riggs' shoulder, "just last month, if someone told me we'd be standing naked together in front of a bathroom mirror like this, I'd have laughed my ass off."
"Do you have any regrets?" Riggs inquired.
"About yesterday?" she asked.
Riggs nodded.
"None whatsoever," she said. "I married my best friend. I think that was the best thing I ever did. No, I know it is."
She then turned to face him.
"Give me a hug," she commanded before wrapping her arms around him.
Riggs wrapped his arms around her bare waist.
"Wow," Miranda said. "Tifa was right."
"About what?" he asked.
"Your skin feels so good on me," she replied.
They then broke the hug.
"Okay," she said. "Shower power!"
MEANWHILE….
Cloud awoke and opened his eyes.
His own world faded into view as he realized two things. First, as his head was facing his right, Tifa, his newly-renewed wife, was no longer next to him. He then looked down, and noticed that, two, the covers had been pulled down to his feet.
He then turned to his left, and gasped.
Tifa was standing over him, still in her blue dress from the wedding the previous day; dress, jewelry, heels, and all.
"Good morning!" Tifa greeted happily with a smile before bending over and kissing him.
"G-good morning," he replied back after the kiss was broken, and sat up. "You slept in that dress?!"
"And the heels," she added. "I think we both passed out after sex."
"How long have you been up?" he asked.
"Half an hour," Tifa replied. "Before you ask, yes, I was staring at you."
Cloud rubbed his eyes.
"Well, before prom, I hadn't seen you naked in seven years!" Tifa playfully defended. "Give me a break!"
"You're forgiven!" he insisted.
Tifa smiled, and looked down on her left hand; she was still getting used to her wedding band being there again after so many years.
"We're finally back to normal," she said. "It was a scary ride back, but we made it!"
She then grabbed both of the naked Cloud's wrists and practically yanked him to his feet.
"Dance with me," she commanded as she placed her hands on his bare shoulders and began to rock him.
Cloud complied as he placed his hands on her hips through her dress.
"I don't believe it," Tifa laughed. "I'm an inch taller than you!"
"That's only because I'm barefoot," he reminded her.
"Naked," she quickly corrected. "You, Cloud, are naked."
She then kissed him, and pulled him in for a hug.
"We made it, Cloud," she said. "Now let's never get turned back into children again!"
"We have to finish growing back to twenty-four first," Cloud pointed out. "Then we'll try."
"I couldn't stand us not being together as a married couple," Tifa said as she lovingly stroked his bare back and kissed his cheek. "We better do more than try!"
She then broke the hug, and looked at him sincerely in the eyes.
"Okay," she said. "I think it's time for a shower."
Tifa then turned her back to him, and kicked off her heels. She then reached under her dress and slipped off her thong, tossing it aside.
"Unzip me?" she requested.
Cloud unzipped her dress, causing it to fall to the ground and leave her as naked as him.
"For a second," Cloud began, "I thought you were going to shower with your dress on, too."
"That's beyond where I draw the line, bud," Tifa laughed as she began to make her way to the shower.
LATER….
Everyone finally emerged from the hotel at noon. They had lunch together on the boardwalk and, after a day's hiatus, decided to explore the island again.
First they went to a karaoke bar, where only Miranda, sporting a red dress and leather jacket, participated several times. She was, even after the musical, still a songstress. Riggs also participated at the end, when he and Miranda, at the latter's request, did a couples' song.
As night fell, they went to a painting class, where they spent an hour and a half mass copying a winter town scene with a lot of townspeople in a street.
But, at the end of the evening, when everyone was about to get their picture taken with their finished work, the five of them were promptly thrown out.
It resulted in an awkward scene out in the street.
Four of them still had their artwork.
Miranda had hers confiscated.
"Seriously," Milton began, "what possessed you to draw all the men naked?"
"I just wanted to glorify the male body," Miranda replied with an innocent smile. "You should feel honored."
Everyone but Milton laughed.
June 2, 0004
The next day, everyone again met on the boardwalk for lunch. Then they went to an improv club on the east side of the island. At it was open to anyone who wanted to participate, Miranda volunteered.
"Sorry if my voice is hoarse," Miranda began as she took the stage. "But I was yelling at my husband. I was saying: 'I'm wet! Give it to me! Give it to me! Oh, baby, give it to me!' Then he finally gave me the towel."
The audience roared with laughter.
Cloud turned to Tifa.
"Did you know Miranda had such a dirty mind?" he asked.
Tifa shrugged.
"I was pissed with him for a while," Miranda continued. "During lunch today, he asked me if I was hungry, angry, or horny. I told him he'll find out when he sees where I put the cucumber."
The audience practically screamed.
Miranda continued to tell dirty jokes for an hour. She broke up the audience to the point they began tossing her money.
"What am I, a prostitute?" she quipped.
After the show, when the five of them were having dinner on the boardwalk, Miranda could not resist.
"Well," she began, "I hope I did better than my cousin."
"Your cousin?" Tifa asked in surprise.
"My cousin," Miranda repeated. "The Yuffie Show, to be exact. Cloud told me all about that scandalous show, where Yuffie told three jokes and hit the road."
"Oh yeah," Tifa reminded herself. "The Yuffie Show. On election night. I remember now."
"Hey," Milton suddenly interjected. "How come you told everything but race jokes?"
Miranda gave him an annoyed look.
"Because I'm half white," she replied. "I'd never get away with it. The one thing that sucks about that is that there's a lot I can't get away with."
She paused.
"Damn! I should have said that up there!"
MEANWHILE….
Lynn stood outside the door.
This was the door to Miranda and "Julie's" room.
As before, she pulled the wired paper clip from her pocket, and inserted it into the lock. The door opened with the greatest of ease, and Lynn stepped into the room.
She inspected Miranda's side first. She opened the drawers, but all she found was minimal clothing. She then checked under Miranda's bed, where she found nothing. She then lifted up her mattress, where she found nothing but a magazine full of naked twenty-something men.
"Aren't they the wrong age for you?" Lynn said aloud, sarcastically.
She then moved to "Julie's" side. She inspected the drawers first, and widened her eyes in surprise.
"Orthopedic underwear?!" Lynn said to herself. "There's something wrong with your brain, not your body."
She found nothing else of interest in the drawers, so she moved to the bed. She lifted up the mattress first, and found nothing.
She then looked under the bed.
And there was a long, plastic box.
Lynn took the box and placed it on the bed.
She opened the box.
"Hello, what's this?" Lynn said to herself.
It was the Chronus Wand.
It was the device that had brought Cloud and Tifa to the past.
It was the device that could take Lynn to the past and change history, or to the future and wreck havoc there.
But, of course, Lynn did not know what the Chronus Wand was for, so she came up with another idea.
She would take the Chronus Wand, and use it as ransom.
She would lure "Julie" into a trap, and the Chronus Wand would be the bait.
And, in the chaos, she would escape from Bolton forever.
MEANWHILE….
The fire crackled as Riggs and Miranda sipped their champagne on the floor in the sitting room. They were naked, as the fire would suffice for warmth, and facing each other smiling.
Miranda glanced at her wedding band.
"Two days married and you still haven't tired of me," she giggled.
"I'm afraid not," Riggs dismissed.
"Good," she said with a grin as she placed her hand on his bare shoulder. "Because now, you're stuck with me."
She then sat back.
"Lie down," she commanded.
"Lie down?" Riggs asked.
Miranda nodded.
"I'm giving you a foot rub," she announced.
"Why do I need to lie down?" Riggs inquired as he did so.
"So I can have a view of your penis," Miranda replied with a smirk. "Hey, I'm just being honest!"
Riggs complied, knowing he was equally guilty of lusting for her.
She then knelt on her knees and began rubbing his feet. She continued to do this for several minutes before laying down on her front and putting her arm around her man.
"So," she began, "what do you want to do tomorrow?"
"I heard they're a river that snakes its way through the island and you can go kayaking on it," he replied.
"I heard, too," Miranda said. "I'm game if the other three are."
She then looked up.
"You're thinking," Riggs observed.
"I'm….thinking about telling Tifa," Miranda said. "She and Cloud are the only ones who don't know why I'm in Bolton."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I think she needs to know," she replied. "Somehow, it just doesn't feel right unless she knows the truth, as much as you and Milton do."
"How do you think she'll react?" Riggs inquired.
"I trust her," Miranda replied. "I know she'll understand."
She then realized Riggs was running his hand up and down her bare back.
"That feels good," she purred.
And then, the rubbing ceased.
"Hey!" Miranda playfully reprimanded. "I didn't say stop!"
"The champagne glasses are empty," Riggs informed her as he collected them and stood up. "Time for a refill!"
Miranda heard Riggs go into the kitchen and refill the glasses. He then quickly returned to her side.
"Now don't leave my side again!" she playfully commanded.
"You're horny," Riggs informed her. "I saw while I was up."
Miranda blushed.
"Well, I'm only human!" she giggled.
"Want sex?" he naturally asked.
"Yes, please!" she replied enthusiastically.
June 3, 0004
Ruki Creek began at a spring in the center of the epinonymous island. From there it quickly widened and flowed east, turning north a few miles from the eastern shore. From there, it continued north, snaking its way counter-clockwise through the north and west of the island before emptying out into the sea at the southern end of the island.
A few feet downstream from the spring stood the kayak dock. From there it was a two-hour trek down the creek, passing three small waterfalls and one big one before reaching the mouth.
Cloud, Tifa, Riggs, Miranda, and Milton each rowed down the island creek in their kayaks. They were in their swim trunks and bikinis, without any life jackets.
Milton was up front.
"So how long is this?" he inquired.
"About two hours," Tifa replied as she rowed her kayak behind him. "Trust me, I heard this is the biggest thrill on the island."
"I just wouldn't expect a creek to last so long on a small island," he said. "It outlives expectations!"
"It happens," Tifa agreed.
She then turned, and smiled at Cloud, who was behind him. She blew him a kiss.
Riggs was behind Cloud.
Miranda was last; she had asked to be, as she wanted to "enjoy the experience" the most.
Up ahead was the first waterfall.
"Here we go!" Tifa called.
"Aw, shit," Milton groaned.
"Relax!" Tifa insisted. "All of these falls are a yard or less! Except the last one!"
Milton went over first, making a perfect landing. Tifa quickly followed suit, followed by Cloud, Riggs, and Miranda.
Beyond the first waterfall, Miranda could see four shrubs near one of the banks of the creek. Three were together and thriving. One was alone and wilted.
It reminded her of when she first rode the bus into Bolton when she was fifteen years old, after her infamous conviction. Riggs, Milton, and Amy were riding the bus in with her, and the latter two wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. But Riggs showed her sympathy, and made her a friend anyway. She went from wilted to thriving. Cloud and Tifa would arrive later, pretending to be Julie and Matt Lane, on the run from the law for being incestuous cousins. Thus, it was Riggs who made her life worth living again.
The second waterfall was now ahead. Milton had no fear this time, and went over with the greatest of ease. Tifa, Cloud, Riggs, and Miranda followed.
Beyond the second waterfall was an old, wooden stage. It was rotting and full of spider webs, suggesting that it had been abandoned for years.
It reminded Miranda of how Riggs twisted her arm into auditioning for Alfred and the Dragon, and how he had turned her into a beloved star. Glancing at the stage again, she knew her memory would always live on, just like the stage had, even after its use had come to an end.
The third waterfall was now ahead. Milton went over first, as always.
Tifa then approached the threshold, and stopped her kayak there.
Cloud stopped his own kayak next to hers.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Happy landings!" Tifa playfully announced as she shoved his kayak forward, causing him to go over the falls first.
She then followed, splashing Cloud directly as she landed.
"Sorry!" she said innocently.
Riggs then followed, and finally Miranda.
Beyond the third waterfall, both banks of the river were lined with aspen trees that danced in the slightest of breezes.
The dancing naturally reminded Miranda of the prom. She had never expected to go to the prom in her life; she had set Cloud and Tifa up so they could enhance their fragile, rebuilding relationship. She did end up going with Riggs as a friend, though, as it was the prom, she insisted they dance together. She ended up having a wonderful time.
It made her think. She had never expected to live to be old enough to date, so, although she knew she had love for Riggs, she never considered whether her love was platonic or romantic.
She thought about how she felt when they played a couple in Alfred and the Dragon.
She thought about how she felt when he had his hands on her hips when they danced at the prom.
She thought about how she felt when they were married and intimate.
And then, suddenly, she finally had an answer.
She would tell Riggs tonight.
The river then rounded a bend, and a cave approached. As the five of them entered, they noticed the walls appeared as if they were blue crystals that beautifully shimmered, illuminating the cave when the sun could not.
"Where is this?" asked Cloud.
"Sapphire Cave," Miranda replied.
"There's another cave here?" Tifa asked in surprise.
"You can only see this one from the creek," Miranda explained. "It's naturally illuminated. You'll never get left in the dark here."
The five of them continued through the cave, which seemed to go on forever.
Then, Tifa got an idea.
She slowly rowed her kayak over until it was next to Cloud's.
She put her oar down and stood up.
She then stepped into Cloud's kayak and began to straddle him.
"What are you doing?" he asked playfully.
"What am I doing?" Tifa whispered. "I'm making out with my husband."
She pressed her lips, and tongue, against his and wrapped her arms around him, running them lovingly over his bare back.
Miranda caught eye of everything, and promptly rowed her kayak next to Riggs. She also stood up and stepped into Riggs's kayak, straddling him as well.
She smiled, and, without saying a word, pressed her lips against his.
The two married couples continued to make out until they reached the mouth of the cave. Milton, being in the front, was completely oblivious to the romance going on behind him.
When Milton rowed his kayak out of the cave and looked behind him, he was, sure enough, greeted by a sight.
Two kayaks were floating down the creek unmanned.
Miranda was making out with Riggs.
Tifa was waking out with Cloud, with Cloud's hand under the back of Tifa's bikini top.
"Jesus H. Christ!" shouted Milton. "You better not start having sex in front of everyone like a bunch of orangutans!"
Both couples realized they were now out of the cave. Tifa jumped out of Cloud's kayak and swam back to her own, which had drifted several feet away. Miranda did the same.
The five of them continued downstream for a couple of miles. Then, the water began to move faster.
None of them were naive to what was coming next.
"Umm, guys?" Milton called. "I think the big one's coming up!"
"No worries!" Miranda assured him. "There's a ladder you can take to bypass the falls!"
"A ladder?!" Milton exclaimed. "On a creek?"
"You know, like a fish ladder!" Miranda clarified. "It looks like a flight of stairs!"
Just ahead, Milton saw the creek, and the ground surrounding it, vanishing, and knew full well that the fourth and largest waterfall was ahead. He began to panic.
Then, to the left, he saw what Miranda had been mentioning. It looked like a flight of stairs descending, with water running over them. Relieved, he turned left and began to descend them.
Tifa was next to see the waterfall. She was curious about something.
"Has anyone ever tried the falls?" she called back.
"About half the kayakers!" Miranda replied.
This led to Tifa's next question.
"Has anyone been killed?" she inquired.
"Nope!" Miranda replied. "Hundreds of people have challenged the falls and lived to tell about it!"
"I won't be one of them!" Tifa called back as she turned left and began to descend the ladder.
"I will!" Cloud announced as he eyed the falls.
"No, you won't!" Tifa forbade as she reached back with her oar and yanked him down the ladder after her.
This left Riggs and Miranda at the top of the falls.
Riggs stopped his kayak.
Miranda stopped hers beside him.
She looked him in the eyes.
"Are you going to go for it?" she asked.
"I think so," he replied. "You?"
"I think so," Miranda answered. "I mean, when are we going to be here again?"
"Good point," Riggs said. "So who gets to go first?"
"Want to rock-paper-scissors it?" she suggested.
"Sure," Riggs agreed.
The two newlyweds placed their hands behind their backs.
"One, two, three, shoot!" they said in unison.
Miranda drew rock.
Riggs drew paper, and playfully slapped her hand.
"See you on the other side," she said with a smile.
Riggs nodded.
With that, he rowed forward, and went over the falls.
Cloud, Tifa, and Milton looked on in amazement as he made a perfect landing, and rowed forward to join them.
Miranda was the only one at the top.
"Well," she called, "here goes!"
She rowed her kayak forward.
She went over the falls.
She began to descend.
And then, Miranda and her kayak began to separate.
Her friends could only hear one word: "Uh-oh!"
What was initially thrilling suddenly became horrifying.
But her friends knew that nothing could break the fall.
All they could do was watch poor Miranda plummet to the base of the falls.
And then, Miranda disappeared head-first into the basin.
Her kayak continued to float lifelessly away from the falls.
"Miranda!" Riggs cried as he began to row his kayak toward the falls.
Everyone kept their eyes on the basin, waiting for Miranda to emerge, but she did not.
Fifteen seconds had gone by.
Riggs arrived at the basin. He reached his arms under the water, but he could not find her.
Thirty seconds had gone by.
Tifa, herself beginning to seriously worry, paddled her kayak to where Riggs was.
Riggs, meanwhile, jumped off of his kayak and began to feel around below. He still could not find her.
Forty-five seconds went by.
Riggs dunked his head under and opened his eyes. All he could see was white and brown.
He resurfaced, determining it a lost cause.
"There's no hope," he sighed as tears began to well up in his eyes.
And then, Miranda's head appeared on the surface of the water.
"Miranda!" Riggs shouted as he swam to her.
"Thank God!" Tifa exclaimed.
Riggs quickly hugged Miranda and lifted her out of the water.
"Hold on!" Miranda exclaimed. "I lost my bikini top!"
Riggs looked down.
Miranda was still wearing her bikini top.
"Made you look!" she laughed.
Miranda then quickly threw her arms around Riggs, and held him tightly.
"That was beyond scary!" she sighed.
"We thought we lost you!" Riggs exclaimed.
"I thought I was done for, too!" she replied.
She then turned to Tifa, Cloud, and Milton.
"Sorry I scared you all!" she apologized.
A few minutes later, after she calmed down, Miranda turned around. She admired the falls for a moment. They almost looked like a bridal veil, and immediately reminded her of her wedding to Riggs just three days before. It was truly her happiest day.
She looked down at her wedding band.
"What an amazing ride," she said to herself. "An incredible, amazing ride."
Everyone then turned to look downstream.
Beyond the falls, the creek flowed on for several yards. Then, it abruptly turned into a small brook and disappeared into the woods. To the left was a blacktop path that led away from the creek.
"Is that it?" Milton asked.
"Yeah," Miranda replied. "The path to the left leads to the bus that takes us back. They collect the kayaks later."
"But where does the creek go?" Tifa asked.
"The ocean," Miranda replied. "We're about a mile from its mouth."
And then, Miranda suddenly waded to where the creek shrunk down to a brook, and peered into the forest.
"I can't see more than a few feet," she observed. "I want to see further. I want to see the rest of the creek. I want to see…what's ahead."
Riggs, from behind, wrapped his arms around Miranda's torso.
"There's not much left," he said.
"I know," she replied in a shaky voice as she placed her hand on his.
THAT EVENING….
It was six as Cloud, Tifa, Milton, Riggs, and Miranda sat on the boardwalk for dinner. They had just finished eating when Tifa tapped her glass of water with her fork.
Everyone became silent.
"To Miranda!" she began. "For once again scaring the shit out of us and giving us all heart attacks!"
Everyone clanked their glasses.
"And I thought I had the heart condition!" Miranda, now dressed in a green tee shirt and jeans, laughed.
"No more close calls!" the still trunk-clad Milton insisted. "I think it's safe to say we all thought you drowned."
"I thought I was done for, too," Miranda admitted. "I guess water and I really don't mix!"
"Water?" asked the still-bikini-clad Tifa, unaware of what she meant.
And then, Miranda became silent.
She was looking specifically at Cloud and Tifa.
She realized that they did not know.
Perhaps now was the time to tell them.
Miranda took a deep breath.
"Do you want to know what I did to end up in Bolton?" she asked.
Tifa gave her friend a sincere look, realizing that her question about the water had triggered it.
"If you're up for it," she replied. "You don't have to tell us."
"I want to," Miranda insisted. "It's basically the one thing you don't know about me."
"If you insist," Cloud said.
"And Miranda," Tifa said, "we won't think any different of you. It was several years ago."
"Thanks," Miranda said. "That means a lot."
She then took a sip of her water.
She folded her hands.
She made eye contact with Cloud and Tifa.
"I went skinny dipping with Aidan Gorski," she confessed.
"Who?" Cloud asked, having never heard of him.
"The son of a couple of Shinra aristocrats," Milton clarified. "He was nine years old at the time."
Miranda closed her eyes.
"It was stupid, I know," she began. "It happened four years ago when I went to babysit him after his parents left for the evening. I spent the first few moments getting to know him.
"It was then that I spotted the lake in their villa. Long and short, I loved to swim at the time."
FLASHBACK….
Something out the window caught Miranda's eye.
"You have a lake?" she asked.
"Yup," Aidan replied. "Want to see it up close?"
"Sure!" Miranda replied enthusiastically.
Aidan led Miranda down the stairs and out the back door.
The lake was crystal clear, and an artificial heater could be seen at the bottom.
It was a swimmer's paradise.
"It's so tempting," Miranda said aloud, but to herself.
"I know," said Aidan. "It's still nice out every day, and my mom packed away all my swim trunks. I'm only allowed in the lake when school's not in session."
Miranda looked at him with empathy.
"I know the feeling," she said. "My last swimsuit tore up in the wash."
She then took another look at the lake.
She had no idea why she said what she said next, but, before she could change her mind, she turned to Aidan and said it.
"But I won't look if you don't."
…END FLASHBACK
"I didn't see it as such a big deal," Miranda said. "I know nude beaches are mostly for twenty-somethings, but even they have a few families with children. If we had bathing suits, we would've worn them. The lake was just too tempting. I couldn't resist. Who wouldn't want to swim in it?"
Cloud and Tifa were both silent; it was a lot to take in.
"Nothing sexual happened," Miranda continued. "We played Marco Polo. We played frisbee. We squirted each other with our hands. But at no point did we even touch each other."
And then, Tifa placed her hand on Miranda's.
"Miranda," Tifa said, "it's okay. We don't think any differently of you. It's in the past, and we know you didn't mean any harm."
"I second that," Cloud said.
Miranda then signaled for Cloud and Tifa to stand. She then went over and hugged them both simultaneously.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"No worries," Cloud assured her. "I just don't see why they would even charge you with anything. It's not like you were an adult or anything."
"I know," Miranda said. "But if the age gap is over four years, it's a no-no. It's automatically the older person in trouble. And what really sucked is that I would have gotten away with it, too, if I didn't make one fatal mistake."
"Fatal mistake?" asked Tifa.
Miranda buried her face in her hands and laughed.
"I forgot there were security cameras," she laughed. "I got arrested the next day, put on trial, convicted, and sent to Bolton."
"You didn't deserve it," Tifa said.
"I'm also supposed to get my tubes tied," Miranda continued, "but they made an exception because of my heart."
Cloud was twiddling his fingers.
"Maybe I deserve to be in Bolton for real," he said.
"Why?!" Miranda asked in surprise.
Cloud then turned to Tifa.
"You may want to plug your ears," he warned.
"If this is what happened at the Forgotten Capital," Tifa said, "I already know."
"Know?" asked Miranda. "What?"
Cloud sighed.
"I took a shower with your cousin when I was twenty-one and she was sixteen."
Tifa gave him a look.
"Be more specific, Cloud," she commanded.
"I accidentally walked in while she was taking a shower," Cloud continued. "And she just told me to stay, and that I would just be making full use of the facilities."
"One, this was before we were together," Tifa added. "Two, they were in separate stalls that covered everything but their shoulders. Neither of them saw anything."
"Actually," Cloud said, "I saw the top of her areolas for a quick second."
"But that was all," Tifa said.
"Then she high-fived me, and I saw her left tit," Cloud added.
Tifa sighed.
Miranda just laughed.
"I had a feeling that was how she would grow up."
"She also has heart-to-heart conversations with her guy friends while using the toilet," Tifa added.
Miranda was silent for a moment.
"Sorry I shared that with you!" Tifa apologized.
"It's not that," Miranda assured her. "I just thought of something."
"What's that?" Milton asked.
"Sometimes you just have to detoxify something," Miranda replied.
"I'm not following," Riggs said.
"I went to Bolton for skinny dipping," Miranda clarified. "So I can maybe detoxify that memory if we went skinny dipping now."
"The two of us?" Riggs asked.
Miranda scanned everyone else at the table.
"The five of us," she clarified.
Now Tifa actually was beginning to cringe.
"What are you saying?" she asked in a monotone.
"I am formally inviting you and Cloud to come skinny-dipping with us tomorrow," Miranda answered.
Tifa sighed, and placed her face in her hands.
"That's too far," she groaned. "You know about me and nudity."
"It's still your big chance to be someone you're not," Miranda insisted. "Tifa Strife isn't skinny-dipping. Julie Lane is."
Tifa looked at Miranda.
"I'll think about it," Tifa said.
Both girls knew that meant a solid no.
THAT NIGHT….
Tifa sat on the bed in her pajamas, staring at the ceiling, clearly with something on her mind.
"What's wrong?" Cloud asked.
"I was just thinking about today," she replied. "How Miranda challenged that waterfall and disappeared underwater. That was a scary, long minute. I thought she'd never surface. I can't believe how relieved I was when she did. I was really scared she drowned."
She then looked back up at the ceiling.
"That's not all, is it?" Cloud asked.
Tifa shook her head.
"I can't let go of the elephant in the room," she replied. "I was relieved she was okay, but there's no point in it. She's terminally ill. Sooner or later, her heart's going to give out on her."
"She could still survive it," Cloud assured her. "I mean, if she's lasted this long, maybe it was a misdiagnosis. Or at least not as serious as we thought."
Tifa sadly shook her head.
"Then why isn't she there in the present, Cloud?" she replied. "I've brought this up many times. She's not there in the present. The only explanation is that she died from her heart condition."
Tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Cloud pulled her in for a hug, stroking her back through her tank top.
"I offered her a chance to get her dipped in the Lifestream," Tifa continued. "It would have fixed her heart condition. But she turned it down! She was afraid of messing with history!"
"I know," Cloud whispered.
There has to be some way we can dip her without messing with history, he thought.
"But, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised," she said. "Because, again, she's not there in the present."
Could there be another explanation? he wondered.
"She deserves better, Cloud," Tifa sighed. "She's too wonderful a person."
"She is," Cloud agreed. "I'm not a people person, and even I can see that."
"You know," Tifa continued, "when we get back to Bolton, I'm sorely tempted to take the Chronus Wand, go back to the present, and look for her grave. I want to leave flowers there. It's the least I can do for such a wonderful friend."
Cloud's eyes widened.
"I know you think I'm crazy," Tifa said, "but-"
"It's not that!" Cloud exclaimed. "I just realized something!"
And then, a smile appeared on his face.
"What?" she asked.
"We can take the Chronus Wand into the future as well as the past!" Cloud exclaimed. "We keep forgetting to acknowledge that!"
"And?" Tifa asked.
"And that's the solution to the problem!" Cloud announced.
"What problem?" Tifa inquired.
"Miranda didn't die, but she's not there in the present. Why?"
"I'm not following," Tifa said.
"Because we sent her to the present," Cloud answered, "and then had her dipped."
Tifa gasped, and covered her mouth.
It was the solution that had been evading her.
"I never considered that!" she said. "Miranda might be more agreeable to that. I mean, she wouldn't be interfering with history."
"It's possible," Cloud said. "She still has to agree, but it's definitely more possible than before. Of course, we'd send Riggs there as well."
"Plus," Tifa said, "as president, I'll have the power to pardon them both. They'll be safe there. At least on the Western Continent."
"Of course," said Cloud, "we'll need to find a way to hook her in. I do have one, but you'll hate it."
Tifa gave Cloud a skeptical look.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Maybe if we agree to go skinny dipping with them," Cloud suggested. "We could tell her we agree, but she'll have to go somewhere with us in return, and not tell her where. That somewhere would be none other than the present."
Tifa was silent.
"See?" Cloud said. "Bad idea."
Tifa made eye contact with her husband.
"Actually, it's a great idea!" she complimented.
Cloud was astounded.
Tifa going naked in front of others?! Has the world turned upside down?
"No," she continued, "I haven't gone crazy. I'm willing to make that sacrifice to save my friend's life."
"So," he said, "it's official? Cloud and Tifa are going to go skinny dipping?"
"We're not Cloud and Tifa," she said. "We're Matt and Julie Lane. Legally, the Lane cousins are skinny dipping. Tifa Lockhart is currently in Xing, and you're in a stasis tube. By the way, were you naked?"
"No," Cloud replied.
"Damn!" Tifa laughed. "I would've come to stare!"
"I'm sure," Cloud sighed.
"Okay," Tifa said. "I'm texting her now."
MEANWHILE….
Riggs and Miranda entered the wedding suite that would be theirs for the rest of the trip.
"I'm going to charge my phone," Miranda announced as she disappeared into the bedroom.
Riggs scanned the suite. He then glanced at his hand, which, of course, had a wedding band. His fortunes had certainly turned, but…
But there was one inevitability that he had been dwelling on, and it was one that, as far as he could tell, everyone else was oblivious to.
When he turned twenty-one, he would finally be released from Bolton.
But that did not mean the Shinra would forget why he had been in there for in the first place.
He was highly suspicious they orchestrated the death of his family as a warning.
A moment later, Miranda emerged from the bedroom, only her jeans were gone, and she was now in her green tee shirt and a pair of lacy white panties.
"Where are your pants?" he asked, taking his mind, for now, off of his concerns.
"Off," Miranda replied with a smirk. "They say diamonds are a girl's best friend? Well, pants are a girl's worst enemy!"
"I heard," Riggs said, naturally eying her lower half.
"That's the best thing about being married," Miranda said. "We can be with each other in all stages of undress. You might come home to find me wearing nothing but my earrings, my necklace, and my smile!"
With that, Miranda walked into the kitchen, and opened the freezer door.
"Up for some ice cream?" she offered. "I could use some dessert."
"Sure," Riggs answered.
Miranda took the tub of ice cream to the counter, filled two bowls with ice cream (and allowing Riggs to enjoy the view) and placed them on the kitchen table.
They sat next to each other and slowly began to eat.
And then, someone noticed a new feature.
"I didn't even know we had a radio in here," Miranda observed.
She immediately got up and inspected it.
"It's an old kind, but I don't think it's a decoration," she said. "Let's see if it works."
She turned on the radio.
Upbeat music began to play.
"Woot!" Miranda exclaimed as she turned to face Riggs.
"I haven't heard this in years!" Riggs said.
Suddenly, Miranda climbed onto the island, and started dancing and singing along.
"Come up and dance with your wife!" she commanded.
Riggs did as he was told.
Miranda briefly grabbed his arms and started to swing them.
Then she said: "Don't forget I'm a girl, Riggs!" she said.
Riggs grabbed her waist, and continued to dance until the song was over.
They then hopped off the island, and onto the kitchen floor.
"Oops," Miranda said. "We left the table a mess."
"I'll help you clean," he offered.
"It's only two bowls," Miranda said. "Park it."
Riggs sat down at the kitchen table as Miranda took the bowls away. He then heard the water run.
He spent an interval thinking, once again, about what he would do once he was released. He realized it would not be the joyous occasion he had been initially expecting.
"Hey, you!" called Miranda.
Riggs stood up and turned around.
Miranda was standing behind the kitchen island.
"You're going to sit at the table when I'm back here?" she asked with a smile.
"Far from it," he answered as he made his way around the island.
He then noticed that Miranda was completely naked from the waist down.
"Where are your panties?"
"Took 'em off," Miranda replied slyly.
"Want sex?" he asked.
"I'm going to let you do something Tifa would never let Cloud do," Miranda announced.
"What's that?" Riggs asked.
Miranda leaned in, and whispered in Riggs's ear.
Riggs was surprised.
"Are you sure?"
Miranda nodded.
"It's a new experience I'd like to share with you," she insisted.
"And Tifa just blurted out that she'd never let Cloud do it?" Riggs inquired. "She's usually a private person."
"Actually," Miranda replied, "she just told me how Cloud asked for it, and…."
She leaned in and whispered again.
Riggs's eyes widened in surprise.
"A curtain rod?!" he exclaimed.
"Well, it's what she said!" Miranda giggled.
AN HOUR LATER….
Riggs had changed into his pajamas; Miranda was still bottomless in her green tee shirt.
She stood facing him in the kitchen, ready to express what was in her heart and mind.
"Come here," Miranda commanded.
"What's wrong?" Riggs asked.
"Just come here," she repeated.
Riggs approached her.
"Give me a hug," she requested as she wrapped her arms around him.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly.
"Thank you," she said before kissing him.
"For what?" Riggs asked.
"For everything," Miranda clarified before kissing him again.
"For being my friend when everyone was avoiding me," she continued. "For twisting my arm into being in the musical. For going to the prom with me. For marrying me. But, most of all, for being so wonderful!"
She kissed him a third time.
"And there's something else I want to tell you," she said. "Riggs, this is coming straight from my heart."
"What's that?" he asked.
She took both of his hands in hers and held them to her chest.
"I feel that spark," she said. "That tingle. Whatever you want to call it, I feel it when we kiss."
Riggs was silent.
Could this mean….?
"I do love you, Riggs," she said. "That way."
It took a lot for her to realize that.
It took a lot more for her to express it.
Now she had another strawberry she never expected; she had fallen in love with someone.
It was a fourth strawberry.
And then, Miranda's emotions got the best of her.
"Ooh….oooooh…I'm really going to cry now!" she said in a shaky voice.
Before Riggs could say or do anything, Miranda wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest.
She closed her eyes tightly as tears began to stream down.
Riggs gently rubbed her back through her shirt.
A moment later, Miranda regained her composure.
"Sorry," she giggled. "I think that was my most emotional moment ever!"
For a moment, Miranda gazed at her love with glistening, moist eyes.
Then, Riggs handed her a box of tissues.
Miranda giggled again as she took a couple of tissues and dried her tears.
She attempted to throw the tissues into the wastebasket by the island, but missed.
"You throw like a girl," Riggs teased.
"I am a girl!" Miranda retorted as she bent down to pick the tissues up and drop them in.
She then stood with he back turned to Riggs for a few moments, fixing her long black hair and giving him a few more moments to watch.
"How's the view?" she giggled, knowing he was staring at her bare butt.
"I'm not looking," he lied.
Miranda turned around and folded her arms.
"I'm your wife, silly. You're allowed to look."
"Okay," he admitted. "You got me."
"Take your wife to bed?" she requested.
Riggs nodded.
Miranda then wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
Riggs began to carry her through the kitchen with his arms wrapped around the small of her back.
"Butt! Butt!" Miranda then commanded.
Riggs then placed his hands on Miranda's butt.
"It's for support," she insisted.
They kissed all the way to the bedroom.
Once there, he set her down.
Miranda then went to the night table and checked her phone one more time.
She noticed, and read, a text from Tifa.
"She's agreed to go skinny dipping with us!" Miranda exclaimed.
"She has?!" Riggs exclaimed as he went over to his wife.
"Yeah," she verified. "But she said we have to go somewhere with her after that."
"Where?" he asked.
Miranda shrugged.
"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," she replied.
The newlyweds climbed into bed.
Miranda turned out the light, and placed an arm around Riggs.
"I love you," she said.