FIFTY-SEVEN

Only a few seconds after Cloud had closed and locked the door to our hotel room, I dove into his arms and pulled him into a long, fierce kiss. I'd been aching for this all day, and my blood was on fire as Cloud held me against him and moved his mouth fervently against mine. Our hands explored each other intently while our lips locked and unlocked again and again and our tongues danced.

"Cloud…" I giggled when one of his hands wandered slowly down from my lower back to grip my bottom. "Eager, are we?"

He kept kissing me. "Yeah, Jessie. Can't… hold back."

I grinned, enjoying his touch and his nerve as my tongue wrestled with his and my fingers stroked his jaw. "Don't even… try. Just take me tonight… and have your way with me."

"That goes… for you, too," Cloud murmured.

"Lucky me!" I teased as I nibbled on his ear. The way he was like a rock against me already was driving me wild. "I'm gonna wear you out tonight, SOLDIER boy. I guarantee it!"

He smirked. "Good luck."

"Oh, I can keep up with ya," I laughed. "But first, I'm gonna change into something a little more comfortable."

After giving Cloud a peck on the cheek and slipping nimbly out of his arms, I took my pack off the spooky dresser where Aerith had left it while I'd been busy rehearsing for the play. There was something inside that I wanted, and not just the sexy, red silk negligee I'd bought back in Rocket Town specifically for tonight. My pack firmly in hand, I smiled at Cloud and stepped into the bathroom.

The makeup was a nice, flesh-colored body foundation, and it was close enough to my own skin tone that it was almost indistinguishable. I also had hair dye that I'd been using, but quick inspection showed me there weren't any more of those silvery-white strands, at least any that I hadn't already hidden. I'd have to reapply the treatment in the morning when I washed up, but that wouldn't take long.

After closing the door and taking out the makeup, I stripped down and checked my bare body in the mirror. There were a few more spots of bluish-gray on my skin here and there, but still very small for now. I carefully applied body foundation to each one, hiding them under soft layers of makeup until none of them were visible and I looked normal. I wasn't trying to trick Cloud, I just didn't want to tell him yet about it. And I was a little afraid that if he saw me how I really was, he wouldn't want me. Silly, I know, but I couldn't help it.

Once I was finished, I put on my red silk negligee and panties with an eager, excited giggle and tossed my hair a bit, letting it spill over my shoulders. Then I slowly opened the door and leaned against the frame with my back against it and my arms stretched out above me as I gazed hungrily at Cloud and flashed him a sexy little grin.

"I'm ready now," I purred.

So was he, I noticed with a rush of heat in my blood. He'd taken off everything except his black trousers. And I didn't intend for them to be on for long. Cloud's eyes widened as he gazed appreciatively at me, and with a smirk, I beckoned to him with my finger. He closed the distance between us in less than a second and pulled me into his arms. Our lips met, our tongues danced, and my heart raced.

"I'm so gonna make noise tonight," I breathed.

Cloud's lips drifted down to my neck. "Loud as you want, Jessie. It's our date, after all. And the walls are soundproof."

I moaned happily. "Yeah… gotta make up for lost time."

"We will," he assured me.

As we shared more kisses, I guided him back across the room, then shoved him playfully into bed, climbing on top of him with a giggle as he pulled me back into his arms. My tongue dove back into his mouth, and I sighed contentedly as I felt Cloud's fingers slide through my hair and pluck at the fabric of my negligee. My hands explored him too, and for a while, we just laid there together, lips locking and unlocking over and over as we held each other so close.

Then I started making noise when I sat up enough for Cloud to get a nice, firm grip on my curves as he began having fun with them. And I kept on doing it as sparks of heat erupted in my body at the feel of his fingers through the soft fabric. I moaned eagerly when he slid the thin straps of my negligee off my shoulders and sighed in anticipation when he slowly pushed the front up to reveal my bare chest a little at a time. I gasped in pleasure when he went to work as I pulled my arms from the straps and held him there against my exposed curves.

I made even more sound when Cloud flipped me over, covered my mouth with his, and let his hand drift down from massaging my curves to slide across my stomach and over my panties. His touch there made me moan louder, and he wasn't even inside yet. That changed in only a few seconds, though, after he'd teased me a little to really get me going. When his fingers finally slipped inside the fabric and found me waiting for him, I kissed him harder and groaned in delight.

I whimpered happily, my legs twitched in anticipation, and I lifted my hips as Cloud tended to my center and the pleasure built up inside me. When I finally came, my voice filled the room as I arched my back and my thighs clamped tight over his hand. We shared tender kisses as the sweet fire slowly faded and I relaxed. Cloud withdrew his hand and caressed my cheek as he held me so close, and even as we lay there, my body began to recover, ready for more. That mako wasn't just good for battle, after all. But now it was my turn to play.

Cloud's trousers were off almost as soon as I'd made my way down to his waist, leaving a trail of kisses in my wake. I took hold of him and saw to his pleasure with gentleness and love, working him tenderly but steadily, and this time he was the one making noise. He slid his fingers through my hair, groaning softly as I took care of him, then he plucked at my negligee again. Smiling, I paused long enough to lift my arms up over my head for a moment so he could pull it off.

It had barely landed on the carpet before I was back to work, using my curves now along with everything else to please him. And not long after that, Cloud lurched under me, gasping my name. I accepted all he had to offer, taking it and making sure none got away. Once it was over and he'd finished letting go, I snuggled up next to him, and he covered my mouth with his. We just laid there in each other's arms for a bit and kissed again as I waited patiently for him to recover.

I didn't have to wait long. When he was ready, Cloud tugged at my panties, and I rolled onto my back and let him take them off, shivering with delight at the feel of them sliding slowly down my legs as he drew it out. Once they'd joined the rest of our clothes on the floor, I took his shoulders and pulled him on top of me, touching my lips to his as I did and spreading my legs out wide to let him in.

"Ready?" Cloud murmured.

"I've been ready all day," I teased, my tongue finding his.

He encircled me in his arms. "So have I."

A loud moan flew from my mouth when Cloud finally entered me, and I never really stopped as we made love. Our mouths merged along with our movements, sweat covered our bodies, and our voices rose in time with the heat growing between us. At times slow and tender, and at others faster and more intense. But the same passion was under it all as Cloud went deeper and we climbed a mountain of pleasure together. Our joining was an anchor for me, a lifeline that made me feel safe and secure amidst all the changes I was going through.

"I need you, Cloud…" I breathed.

"I'm here, Jessie," he breathed, his lips finding mine as our intimate dance continued. "I'll always be here. I promise."

I kissed him hard. "I'm… almost there… I love you…"

"You're the only one… for me…" Cloud replied.

"Do… do you love me?" the question flew from my mouth before I could stop it as my body began to quiver.

His eyes met mine. "I… yeah. I do. I love you, Jessie."

Those words took me over the edge, and I shouted joyfully amidst a sudden explosion of fierce pleasure. "Cloud! Oh, Cloud!"

My voice filled the room, moaning loudly in ecstasy and happiness as I said his name again and again and my climax seemed to go on and on as if it would never end. Waves of sweet fire swept through my body as I clamped my legs tight around Cloud's waist and kissed him fiercely over and over, my heart bursting with emotion.

"Jessie!" he gasped, hitting his own peak a second later.

Then he erupted within me, his voice rising to join mine in a loud crescendo of pleasure as we reached the summit together. I felt him let loose inside me as if a dam had just broken. And maybe it had. As our lips fused and our tongues wrapped around each other, his release just kept going, filling me to the brim and then some as I tightened so close around him and gave him all I had in return.

When it was finally over, we just laid there in each other's arms for a while, exhausted, sweaty, and panting for breath. As I held Cloud and gently pulled the blanket and sheets over us, I couldn't stop smiling. He loved me. He'd finally said it. I'd known how he felt about me, but… to hear him actually tell me that was totally different. It made it more real, somehow. I slid my fingers through his blond spikes, tenderly touched my lips to his forehead, and gazed happily at him.

"Did you really mean that?" I asked. "You love me?"

Cloud settled in next to me. "Wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

I hugged him tight as I snuggled up to him. "I love you, too, merc. So much. Just remember who said it first."

"I will," he smiled softly. "Sorry it took so long for me."

"Oh, don't worry about it," I giggled, kissing him on the mouth this time. "Just made the moment that much sweeter."

Cloud gave me a wry grin. "Maybe I should've waited longer, then."

"Not on your life!" I laughed.

"Nah, you'd have killed me if I'd done that," he joked.

I tapped his nose with my finger. "Oh, yeah. It's not polite to make a lady wait, you know. Especially me."

"I've noticed," he quipped.

We both laughed then, and I couldn't help thinking of our night in the Sector 4 underplate after we'd hidden the bomb for Reactor 5. We'd made love there, and Cloud had let his guard down enough through it to be warm and joke around for the first time since I'd met him. I liked experiencing this side of him. It suited him, and knowing it was just for me made it even more special. I was glad to see it again.

Our night wasn't over yet, though. We made love a few more times, changing positions as I showed Cloud just how flexible I could be. And in return, he showed me just how deep he could go from any angle. By the time we'd finally worn ourselves out, I was so pleasantly tired that I passed out as soon as I'd laid my head on his chest, my body still warm with the pleasure he'd given me as he held me in his arms. And I didn't dream. I slept peacefully, ready for tomorrow.

I woke up the next morning still holding Jessie, and I just looked at her for a moment as she slept. Her left arm was draped across my chest while her head rested on my shoulder, and the warmth of her body was soothing and pleasant. I slid my fingers lightly through her soft auburn hair and thought about last night. Not just our passionate lovemaking, but what I'd finally said as well. I loved her. I'd actually been saying it to myself as well as her, admitting out loud what I'd known deep down for a long time now. I was in love with her.

My eyes fell upon a small patch of bluish-gray skin on her cheek. It wasn't the first one I'd seen lately, but I hadn't told her. Jessie was trying to protect me from the change that was happening to her and preserve her dignity as much as she could in the face of her fading humanity. As much as I wanted to comfort her, I wasn't going to let on that I knew. It would just cause her anxiety she didn't need. And I loved her too much to do that. She'd tell me when she was ready.

"Good morning, handsome," Jessie yawned a moment later.

"Good morning, sexy," I smiled, flirting a little myself. It felt easier when it was just the two of us. "Sleep well?"

She kissed me. "Like a baby. You?"

"Same," I said. "Hell of a night last night, wasn't it?"

"Oh, yeah," Jessie agreed. "All of it. So much good stuff happened, way more than I ever expected. You most of all."

I pressed my lips to hers. "I love you."

She gazed fondly at me before closing her mouth over mine. "I love you, too, Cloud. Now more than ever."

It still felt a little unreal, saying those words, but I meant them and didn't regret sharing them with Jessie. She'd more than earned them, as well as my heart. Whatever happened at the temple, nothing was going to change that. We would see it through together and be at each other's side just as we'd been since this whole thing began.

"So, think we have time to go a round?" Jessie purred suggestively, her eyes steamy as they gazed hungrily at me.

I kissed her again. "We'll make time."

Taking that as her cue, she slid on top of me, and once she'd settled into place with an eager moan, we got going. I laid there and let her be in control this time, keeping up with the pace she set. At times I'd hold her close, and when she sat up, I saw to her curves. Jessie leaned closer to me as she moved to give me easier access, and her little whimpers of pleasure told me she was enjoying what I did.

As we went on, Jessie turned around with her back to me and then stretched fully backward onto my chest with her face next to mine. She really was amazingly flexible, probably from being such a good dancer. Her tongue found mine, and one of my hands slid in between her legs to help her along while the other tended to one of her curves. I felt my body start to tremble as I got close but made myself hold on so Jessie's release would hit first. I could tell she was almost there by all the noise she was making. It wouldn't be very long now.

We finished barely seconds later, our voices rising to fill the room, and when it was over, we laid there together for a few minutes savoring the heat we'd made and sharing soft kisses. I had my arm gently around her waist now while I lightly held her cheek with my other hand. Jessie laid hers over it and smiled, tired but happy.

"Well, I guess we'd better get up now," she panted. "But you've gotta admit, there's no better way to start the day."

"No argument here," I agreed.

Jessie touched her lips to mine, got out of bed, and slipped into the bathroom to wash up. And, I suspected, to refresh her makeup and do something about her hair. Dye, probably. I'd seen a few strands starting to turn a silvery white, and it worried me, but I kept it to myself. Jessie wasn't ready to share her inner struggle with me yet.

Once she was done and had come back out to the bedroom, I took my turn in the shower, then we gathered our things and left. We found the others downstairs, grabbed breakfast from the hotel restaurant, and left. After meeting Dio and Esther in the Gold Saucer's central hub, we went with them to Battle Square and the elevator hidden in the back of the trophy room. They rode with us to the base of the park and wished us well once we walked out into the hot desert air and made our way to where our buggy was parked nearby.

"Good luck, guys!" Esthar waved. "Be safe out there, okay?"

Jessie pumped her fist. "Will do! See ya!"

"And give Shinra a good beating!" Dio laughed.

"Count on it," I assured him.

After the others had said their goodbyes, we all climbed aboard. It was a short drive to the old airfield, and we left the buggy safely parked in an abandoned hangar before getting on the Tiny Bronco. Like before, Jessie took the co-pilot's seat to help Cid while the rest of us sat behind them in the passenger section of the small plane. Aerith had the seat by the window next to me, and she spent most of the flight south and east looking out at the clear blue sky in amazed wonder as behind us, Yuffie just groaned sickly with her head in her hands.

Cait Sith had left his big moogle mount in the back and had joined Cid and Jessie in the cockpit to guide them to our destination. He used his transmitter to find and monitor the signal from the tracking device he and Dio had hidden inside the fake keystone and show its projected course on a map Jessie had brought up on her tablet. I watched them in fascination. There was a strange weight in my mind, though, and as the miles flew past, taking us closer to the temple, I couldn't help feeling as if we were approaching a point of no return.

"That's it?" Reno raised an eyebrow.

I stood with him, Rude, Elena, and Rufus by a large clearing in the middle of the jungle on one of the larger islands near Mideel. Tall trees rose up on all sides, their branches forming a leafy canopy that offered a bit of shade and shelter from the humid, sweltering heat. The sounds of animals, mostly birds but a few other things as well, were all around us, reminding us that the place was very much alive.

The clearing was a shallow crater with an old stone bridge leading down into it from the western edge. Our chopper Reno had taken to calling it Wingnut waited nearby. But there was no sign of the temple. The Cetra had lived on these islands thousands of years ago according to Hojo's research. Some of them, anyway. The rest had settled far from here in the icy mountains of the northern continent. Their capital was supposedly hidden there in a small, secluded valley.

I looked at Reno. "For now, at least. But that might change once we use the keystone. There should be some sort of slot or opening or altar around here that it goes in. We just have to find it."

"Tseng's right," Elena agreed. "It's gotta be here somewhere."

"There's an altar by the bridge," I suggested, pointing at an intricate stone pedestal standing near it. "Let's start there."

Reno shrugged. "Alrighty, then."

"What about Avalanche?" Elena wondered as we walked over to it. "Think they'll show up to try and stop us?"

"Undoubtedly," Rufus said. "Are the troops in place?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. Patrolling the area as ordered. SOLDIER Third Class operators as well as squads of regular infantry. It's been quiet out there so far, but unlocking the temple may change that."

Rufus ran a hand through his reddish-blond hair. "Very well, then. Let's get to work, everyone. The promised land awaits."

The stone pedestal stood waist high to the right of the bridge, with a round, concave depression on top and a curving line of Cetra writing engraved beneath it. A warning, no doubt. But one we had to ignore. I slowly took the keystone from my pocket, gazed at the dull gray orb for a moment, and then fit it into the slot on the pedestal. It clicked firmly into place, and we all waited expectantly.

Nothing happened.

"The hell?" Reno blinked.

"It didn't work," Rude stated blandly.

Reno rolled his eyes. "No shit, pal. But why?"

"This must not be the real keystone," I surmised as I carefully took it out again. "Reeve assured me it was genuine. But it seems that he was mistaken. Or misled. Either way, we have a problem."

"Could he have double crossed us?" Elena frowned.

I shook my head. "No, I doubt it. Too risky."

That wasn't entirely true, however. Reeve and Jessica had been very close for a long time—I'd seen that firsthand when she'd still been there at Shinra years ago as a bright young systems engineer—and there was a possibility that she'd persuaded him to defect. But I had no intention of voicing this particular theory to the others.

Jessica had already endured enough because of me with the loss of her mother, and I didn't want to add to it. And then there was Cloud. A mystery wrapped in an enigma. I hadn't been able to save Zack, though I'd tried, but maybe I could help the friend he'd given his life to protect. Although I didn't entirely agree with Avalanche and what it had done, I wasn't going to reveal Reeve's possible duplicity, either.

Aerith would never have forgiven me if I had.

I'd wanted to make sure that Zack returned home safely to her, but things hadn't worked out that way. And I'd never had the chance to tell her I was sorry. Her being in Avalanche hadn't helped matters any. My duties were a weight I couldn't find any way to be free of, one I'd taken on of my own will many years ago after leaving Wutai. I'd felt then that my homeland was stuck in the past and unwilling to move forward. So I'd left and made a name for myself in Midgar.

"It seems we have little choice but wait for Avalanche, then," Rufus decided. "They'll surely have discovered both the temple's location and the real keystone somehow. It would be only polite, then, for us to have a welcoming party ready for them, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

Rufus continued. "See to it. Make certain the patrols are briefed on the situation and that your men are ready."

"Reno, Rude," I turned to them. "Go and scout out the perimeter. If and when you see Avalanche, don't engage them. Not yet, anyway. Just watch and follow, making sure not to be seen. We need them to unlock the temple for us before we make our move."

"You got it," Reno agreed.

Once he and Rude had disappeared into the trees, Rufus made his way to the chopper with a sweep of his long white coat. "I'll be waiting at our encampment on the eastern shore. Once the way into the temple has been revealed, contact me and we'll go inside."

I saluted. "Understood, sir."

Then the president climbed aboard, and the chopper rose into the air and flew away. Elena and I watched it leave, and once it was gone, I looked at her for a moment. She was, I'd noticed more than once lately, very beautiful, and while I'd once fancied Aerith, that was no longer an option. It never really had been, to be honest. Elena, though, was here, and she was a friend whose company I greatly enjoyed.

"Elena," I said. "Go check on the patrols, would you? They're not to move against Avalanche until we give the order."

She nodded. "Of course."

I gazed at the crumbled ruins scattered around the clearing and in the woods. "In the meantime, I'll take look around and see if I can find any clues about what might be in the temple."

"Good idea," Elena replied. "I'm sure you'll find something."

That was my hope. "Indeed. Oh, and Elena… when this is all over, would you allow me to take you to dinner?"

Her brown eyes widened. "Really? Like… a date?"

"Yes," I smiled. "If you want."

"I'd love to!" Elena grinned. "Thanks!"

I laid a hand on her shoulder. "We'll spent some time together after we return to Midgar. A quiet evening together."

"I can't wait!" she gushed.

"Neither can I," I assured her. "Now go. I don't think we have much time before Avalanche arrives, and we'll need to be ready."

Elena looked worriedly at me. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will," I promised.

Then she hurried away, slipping quietly into the trees in a different direction from where Reno and Rude had entered so the three of them could cover more ground. In the meantime, I walked along the edge of the crater and gazed curiously at the half-buried rubble. Parts of walls, shattered columns, rotted timbers, even broken statues here and there. The surrounding jungle was littered with them. I couldn't see anything of particular interest, but the ruins were still fascinating, and I wished I could just stay here and study them for a while.

I was just making my way back to the pedestal to examine it again when I paused, my nerves suddenly on edge. I scanned the clearing but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Yet as I looked around, I couldn't help feeling as if I was being watched. There was a tension in the air I hadn't sensed before, and it had grown oddly quiet. I reached slowly over my shoulder and drew my ninjato, my senses alert.

Then I spun around, my blade clanging against an upraised katana I'd have recognized anywhere. "Sephiroth…"

"You tried to open the door," he taunted. "And failed."

"Obviously," I retorted. "What is this place?"

Sephiroth stepped back. "A storehouse of knowledge. The wisdom of the Ancients. A shadow dwells here… I can feel it. Darkness such as you cannot imagine. Enough, perhaps, to alter fate itself. I will become one with the planet, as I was always meant to."

I readied my blade. "What are you talking about?"

"Fool," he sneered, lifting his arms. "You've never considered what this planet is, what it holds within it. So much power… the eternal flow of souls… I will become one with it, thanks to her."

"Her? Who?" I frowned.

Sephiroth moved so quickly I barely managed to deflect his attack. "Mother's puppet, of course. The one who was never meant to be here. The ripple, whose very presence brings change."

"Start making sense!" I growled, cutting at him.

"Oh, but I am," he laughed.

Concentrating for a moment, I held my blade before me, and with a flash of light, it split in two with a second ninjato identical to the first appearing in my other hand. It was an embodiment of the chi power I'd first learned and mastered in Wutai long ago. I only hoped it would be enough as I spun and slashed at Sephiroth, knowing how dangerous he was and that he had to be stopped at any cost.

But his strength was incredible, and he easily blocked every strike, moving like the wind as he fought. He swatted my blades aside almost casually, then stabbed me before I even realized he'd moved. Pain filled me as his katana went into my abdomen, and when he pulled it out just a moment later, I collapsed against a broken column. My fingers came away bloody when I touched the wound.

Sephiroth stood over me, katana in hand. "Only death remains for you. But don't worry. You'll be reborn within me."

"I think… I'll pass, thanks," I grunted.

"Ah…" he looked up with a cruel smile. "Our guests of honor have arrived at last. They will be here soon. Mother's puppet… and my own. Which of them will prove stronger, I wonder?"

Then he was gone, and I was alone, wondering what and who he'd been talking about and hoping Elena and the others would return soon and help me. I didn't have any potions, so I tore a strip off my shirt and pressed it against the wound as well as I could to slow the bleeding. But I knew I wouldn't last very long like this.

The more I thought about what Sephiroth had told me, the more I realized we'd been wrong. The promised land wasn't what we'd believed it to be. And coming here might've been a terrible mistake. No doubt it had been part of Sephiroth's plan all along. Whatever terrible power lay hidden in this place was clearly his goal.

I just hoped Cloud and the others could stop him.