FOURTEEN

I lay in my bed in the fort's infirmary, bandaged and feeling a little better. At least on the outside. The doctor had given me something for the pain, so my back didn't hurt as much now. Biggs and Wedge hadn't left my side, and we'd all gotten some sleep here, me in the bed and the guys in their chairs. There weren't really separate rooms, but there was a curtain to give us some privacy. I could hear other patients nearby as well, people who'd been hurt in the battle like I was, and the doctor and nurses checked on me from time to time.

As much as I wanted to and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't move my legs. I felt them, just a little, but that was all. It was so strange, and I didn't know what to make of it. I'd been trying to keep up a brave front for the others, but now I just couldn't keep the tears from falling. The guys heard me crying and woke up.

"Hey, what's wrong, Lena?" Wedge asked, taking my hand.

I wiped my face. "I can't walk, Wedge. You know that. I just… I feel so scared. What if I stay like this the rest of my life?"

"Aerith said you'd heal up, remember?" he assured me.

"I know, I just can't help being afraid," I sighed.

Biggs, on the other side of the bed, took my shoulder. "Don't think too much on it, sis. You'll be fine."

I nodded. "I hope so. But… I'll be alone."

"Why?" Wedge blinked.

"Sephiroth's still out there, and when you leave with Cloud and the others to chase him down, I'll have to stay here," I explained. "I can't go with you. Not like this. So I'll be all by myself."

Biggs shared a knowing glance with Wedge, then flashed me a little grin. "No, sis. You won't. Me and Wedge are gonna stay right here with you and help you get back on your feet again."

I smiled, really happy for the first time since I'd been hurt. "Guys… thanks. You really are the best, you know that?"

"We love you," Wedge chuckled. "All there is to it."

I pulled him in for a kiss. "I love you, too."

Just then, the curtain parted and Jessie came in, pushing an old but sturdy-looking wheelchair in front of her. It was the motorized kind, so at least I'd still be able get around on my own for the most part, though I wasn't sure what I could do to help here now that I'd been sidelined. I needed to find something, somehow. I'd enjoyed being a scout and spy, but I knew that was probably over now.

"Hey, Lena!" Jessie waved. "Ready for the party?"

I stared at her. "What? Well, um, yeah. I just didn't think I'd be able to go. Because of… well, you know. Being hurt."

She winked. "Well, you can! I had a little chat with the doctor, and she said you could go as long as you don't push yourself too hard. Even though Aerith was able to help ya, you're still pretty banged up. So just relax, take it easy, and have fun tonight!"

"Thanks," I told her. "I guess I can do that."

"Awesome!" she laughed.

I was glad I could go to the party—I'd really been looking forward to it—but I still felt a little down. My gaze wandered over to a side table near the bed, where my gloves and guns sat along with the night vision goggles Jessie had lent me. I'd had a blast using them, but with the way I was now, it was time for me to let them go.

With a sigh, I motioned to the goggles. "Here, Jessie. You can have these back. I won't be needing them anymore…"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Lena," she smirked.

"Huh?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

Jessie winked, her glowing mako eyes dancing. "Oh, you'll see. I've got a few ideas, so don't throw in the towel just yet."

"I was almost ready to…" I admitted.

She held my hand in both of hers. "I know. You really love being in the thick of things just like I do. But don't go thinking just because you took a bad hit that you've gotta give that up."

I looked hopefully at her. "Really? But what can I do?"

"Way more than you think," Jessie smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Let me tell ya something. Back when I started acting again after I left Shinra, one of the girls I performed with was like you are now, only she'd been that way a lot longer. Car accident, you see. This was before the audition for LOVELESS came around."

"She couldn't walk?" I asked.

Jessie nodded. "Right. We both acted at the Starlight Theater—it's a smaller place in Sector 8, and it's where I first started out. Anyway, she was a good actress, but you know what? She was an even better dancer! And not just with her arms. Angel could make that chair move like you wouldn't believe! She was totally awesome!"

My jaw hung open. "Wow! That's amazing!"

"Sure is!" Wedge agreed. "Is she still there, Jessie?"

"As far as I know, yeah," Jessie said. "Angel's one of the most upbeat people I've ever known. I never told her, but seeing her dance and how positive she was even with what she must've been going through really helped me deal with my own situation."

I looked at her. "So what are you trying to say?"

"That you can still do pretty much anything you put your mind to," she told me. "No matter what hand life deals ya."

"Thanks, Jessie…" I smiled.

She grinned. "Anytime! Now let's go and party!"

I actually felt like I could now. "I'm ready!"

"You said it, sis!" Biggs said as I let him and Wedge help me off the bed and into the wheelchair. "Time for some fun!"

"It'll be great!" Wedge added.

I took a breath to steady my nerves as I settled into the seat. It was nice, comfortable, and pretty big, actually. And it could even recline if I wanted it to. The movement controls were on the right arm, kinda like a joystick, so it wasn't hard for me to figure out. But there was still one thing I wanted to be sure of before we left.

"I'm sure the others are all worried about me, but I don't wanna be treated any differently than before," I said.

"You won't be," Jessie assured me. "They understand."

I nodded. "Okay."

With that settled, we all left. Although Wedge stayed close to push me along if I needed it, I was able to get the chair moving well enough on my own with the controls. Fortunately, we were already on the first floor since the infirmary was on the left side of the main hall at the end of a smaller corridor, so we weren't very far from the party. I decided as we made our way there that I'd do as Jessie had said and not give up on myself and being able to help out somehow. I didn't know what she had in mind, but I was sure it'd be something special.

The mess hall was bright, warm, and crowded, full of people sitting at the rows of long wooden tables. We had one to ourselves at the front of the room, while Edwyn, Samuel, and the rest of the officers sat near us at another. The murmur of conversation filled the air, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. The tables were piled high with food and drinks, though none of us dug in just yet.

"Hey, Cloud!" Jessie called.

She waved happily at me as she, Biggs, and Wedge made their way across the room toward us. Lena was with them, rolling up to the table in a wheelchair. It was good to see her out and about despite being hurt so badly in the battle. She was in better spirits than I'd thought she'd be in, and I figured Jessie must've had something to do with it. While she pulled up to a spot Aerith had left open for her on her right, Biggs and Wedge sat down right across from her, and Jessie plopped down in the seat next to me on my left, grinning widely.

I nodded to her. "Glad you could make it, Jessie."

"No way I'd miss this!" she laughed. "I just love a good party! But I never thought you'd get to one before me!"

"Not much of a choice," I said.

Jessie nudged me in the elbow. "Cool as ever, aren'tcha? But I know you're really having fun, merc. Can't fool me!"

I shrugged. "If you say so."

Tifa was at the far right end of the table next to Lena, who chatted with both her and Aerith as she sat in between them. Across from Tifa was Biggs, and they shared a lot of glances and little smiles, and Aerith didn't hesitate to tease them about it. So did Wedge, who eyed the feast eagerly as he sat opposite her. Next to him, Yuffie was busy showing off her agility with a bit of sleight of hand using a materia orb, rolling it up and down one arm and across her shoulders to the other. Then, with a flourish, she made it disappear and reappear.

"Neat trick, Yuffie!" Aerith clapped.

"Thank you, thank you!" Yuffie boasted, doing a little bow.

Tifa blinked. "Wasn't it green before?"

Yuffie held up the orb, which was definitely blue. "Sure was! You've got good eyes, Tifa. And now… don't look away or you'll miss the best part! Alakazam, alakazor, what was one now is more!"

She closed her fingers over the materia, then brought up her other hand and dramatically swept both of them together. When she opened them a moment later and held them out in front of her, there were two orbs in each palm—blue and green in the left and purple and yellow in the right. Aerith, Tifa, and the others—except Red, who just nodded in approval instead—all applauded.

"Not bad," I said.

"Thanks, Cloud!" Yuffie grinned, bowing as she put the orbs away. "Guess that's about as enthusiastic as you get, huh?"

Jessie smirked. "Oh, he's impressed. Just too cool to say it."

"Figures," Yuffie giggled.

"Cloud is Cloud," Tifa teased.

Aerith chuckled. "As an expert Cloud watcher, I'd have to agree. He might be chill on the outside, but on the inside, there's a happy guy just waiting for a chance to come out and play."

"Oh, that'll be the day," Barret laughed as he sat across from me. "I gotta be there when he finally lets loose."

"Agreed," Red added.

He was on Barret's right, opposite Jessie on the floor since he didn't need a chair. His head was just above the tabletop, and he sniffed at the aromas rising up from the food and licked his lips. Jessie saw it and just burst out laughing, and the puzzled expression on his face only made it worse. It took a moment for her to compose herself, and she ended up wiping a few tears from her eyes as she did.

I glanced at her in amusement. "You okay, Jessie?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Cloud," she said. "Just had myself a good laugh. You oughta try it sometime. I've seen ya do it."

"For you, maybe," I told her.

Jessie put her hand on her chest and gasped dramatically. "And my heart skips a beat! You make me feel so special, merc."

I gave her a soft little laugh. "Guess that's what I'm here for."

"And I love it," she purred.

Then, at the head table, Samuel tapped a spoon against his glass to get everybody's attention and stood up, holding it in front of him as he did. The rest of us did the same, even Red—his paws were surprisingly flexible, and he was able to hold his glass in his right front one while he stood on the rest. Lena couldn't stand, but she held her drink the same as the rest of us. I thought I saw a flicker of sadness pass across her face at the sight of everyone else doing what she couldn't anymore, but then it faded as Aerith laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You'll be able to do this again one day," she whispered.

Lena looked hopefully at her. "Are you sure?"

Aerith winked. "Positive."

After Lena smiled her thanks, we all looked at Samuel as he spoke. "Tonight, we celebrate our victory and those who gave their blood and their lives to protect this place. So let us take a moment to honor them in silence before enjoying the festivities."

We did, and the room was utterly quiet for a minute. We'd lost a lot of people in the battle, and others had been badly hurt, including Lena. But it hadn't been for nothing. We'd stopped Shinra's attempt to invade this place and kill us all as well as the condors. They'd be back one day to try again, but for now at least, we'd won.

Then Samuel looked over at us. "On behalf of all of us here at Fort Condor, we'd like to thank you, my friends, for all you've done for us in our hour of need. I don't think we would be alive right now if it weren't for all of you. And although we don't have much that we can offer you, know that you'll always be welcome here."

"Happy to help!" Jessie smiled.

After the others and I nodded our agreement, Samuel went on, his eyes falling on Lena. "You all put yourselves in danger to help us, and it wasn't without a heavy price. So we'll do what we can for you in return. Anything here that you need is at your disposal, and any assistance we can give you will be yours. Just say the word."

"Thanks," I said.

"You're quite welcome," Samuel said. "Now, a toast to the fallen and to our friends who made this victory possible."

We all lifted our glasses and drank, and then we sat back down and dug in. Or in Wedge's case, dove in. There was definitely plenty of food here—the tables were overflowing with it—and as we all ate, the room was filled with laughter and conversation.

"Thought you didn't hold with our kinda food, Red," Barret said as he filled up his plate. "Gives you problems, don't it?"

"It does, yes, but there are some exceptions," Red explained.

Yuffie giggled, took a small pouch from her pocket, opened it, and dumped a handful of tough-looking brown beans onto her other hand. Then she offered them to us, tossing one to Red as she did. He caught it in his mouth and chomped down on it, his sharp teeth cracking open the hard outer shell with hardly any effort.

"Nice job, Red!" Yuffie grinned. "Good, isn't it?"

He swallowed it. "Yes, quite. What is it?"

She held up another one and grinned. "Da-chao bean! Good for ya and tasty, too! So try 'em out, everyone!"

"Better bite down hard, Cloud," Jessie advised me.

"You've had 'em before?" I asked.

She nodded as she ate hers. "Yep! When we first met Yuffie on our way here. Caught her trying to steal my materia."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I said as I bit into mine.

"Hey!" Yuffie huffed. "I heard that!"

Barret snorted as he took one of the beans. "Good. So how'd Jessie convince ya to come here an' help us out, anyway?"

"I kicked her ass," Jessie smirked.

"Nice one, girl!" he laughed, giving her a high five. Then he yelped as he bit into the bean. "Shit! This is s'posed to be edible?"

I crunched through mine easily. "Bite harder."

"They're actually pretty good, Barret," Aerith said, chewing happily on hers. "Once you get through the shell."

"See!" Yuffie snickered. "Even the princess can do it!"

Barret grimaced. "Aw, hell…"

Lena chuckled as she rubbed the side of her jaw. "Oh, don't worry, Barret. Biggs and I have a hard time with 'em, too."

"Not me!" Wedge grinned, scarfing down several at once.

"That's the spirit!" Yuffie cheered.

Tifa nodded as she ate hers. "They are tough, but good, too. It was nice of you to share them with us, Yuffie."

"Thanks, Tifa!" she winked. "Nice is my middle name!"

"I'll bet," Biggs snorted.

Tifa pointed at the bean in his hand and smiled. "Go on, Biggs. If I can do, it so can you. Give it a try."

"Here goes…" he said, putting it in his mouth.

While I ate, I watched as Biggs bit down on his bean. He winced as soon as he did and wasn't able to crack it, at least not the first time. But he didn't give up, and Tifa kept playfully encouraging him as she filled her own plate and dug in. Lena tried again as well, finally managing to bite through the shell, and gave Yuffie a thumbs up.

"Delicous!" she said.

Yuffie grinned. "See, you can do it! Good job!"

Lena smiled. "Thanks. My jaw still hurts a little, though."

"You'll get used to it," Yuffie assured her.

"Guess I will," she agreed. Then she looked at her brother. "Are you still trying to get through yours, Biggs?"

He nodded as he tried again. "Yeah. It's like eating a rock."

"Harder, Biggs," Tifa suggested. "Harder!"

As soon as she said that, Jessie laughed so hard she nearly spat out her drink, and at the same time, Biggs's eyes widened and he just about choked on the bean. Wedge had to slap him on the back a couple times to get it out as Aerith and Lena giggled hysterically. Barret and Red had been too busy eating to pay attention and had missed it. Tifa didn't get it at first, and neither did I, but when she finally did, her jaw fell open, her eyes went wide, and she blushed so deeply red she looked like that summon materia Aerith had on her staff.

Yuffie looked around in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Tifa insisted, looking intently at her plate and eating as her cheeks flamed. "It, uh… it's nothing at all."

Biggs nodded enthusiastically. "What she said! Nothing!"

"Better you don't know, Yuffie," Aerith smirked.

Jessie chuckled. "Definitely! They're both embarrassed enough as it is. No need for us to make it any worse."

It took me a moment to get the joke, too, but when I did, I decided Jessie and Aerith were right and kept my mouth shut about it. As a way to get the spotlight off of Tifa, I asked Jessie about her outfit and where she'd gotten it. And from there as we ate, we did some catching up, and all of us shared stories of everything we'd done since we'd been apart. It was interesting hearing about Jessie's recovery in Wall Market and how she'd fought in that tournament. I wasn't at all surprised that she'd won the whole thing, not after how she'd fought today.

"I wish we'd all been there to see it," Aerith said. "Taking down that big hell house must've meant a lot to you."

"It did," Jessie said. "Put a few old demons to rest."

Tifa smiled. "Good for you! So glad you guys could help Lydia and those women down in the sewers, too."

"Too bad Corneo got away, though," Lena sighed.

"Yeah," Jessie added, her voice hardening for a moment. "And if we ever run across him again, I'm gonna personally nail his ass to the wall for what he did to Lydia. Guaranteed."

Aerith nodded. "Definitely. Want some help?"

"By all means," Jessie nodded.

I remembered Gant's teenage daughter well enough and how she'd helped out in Sector 7 after the plate collapse, and I was glad that Jessie had been looking out for her. Hearing how Corneo had shot her down in the sewers just gave me one more reason to kick his ass on top of all the others I already had. And I had plenty.

"Just be sure to save me a piece," I told her.

She chuckled. "Oh, you bet, merc! That's really sweet of you."

"Sweet?" I blinked.

Tifa laughed as she sipped her drink. "Yep! Guess you're a bit more of a people person than you used to be, aren't you?"

I shrugged. "Dunno about that."

"Well, I do!" Jessie quipped. "And I think it's great!"

"So do I," Tifa said. "And Corneo's just begging for me to introduce him to my fist. So count me in, Jessie."

She gave her a thumbs up. "You bet, Tifa!"

"Lydia'll be so happy," Aerith said. "I bet she had a blast up there in the booth with the Trio at the tournament that night. It must've blown her away when she found out she was gonna be there."

"Oh, yeah," Jessie agreed. "She loved it, especially holding onto my trophy for me. I let her keep it when I left Midgar."

Tifa giggled as she ate. "Bet she got a real kick outta that."

Jessie sighed fondly. "Sure did. Better that it's safe with her than out here with me where it could get lost or broken."

"Tell them about the concert, Jessie!" Lena grinned.

"Why don't you do it instead?" she winked.

Lena nodded. "Sure. So anyway…"

We all listened as she told us about the performance that Jessie had given at the end of the tournament to benefit the survivors of Sector 7. Lena gushed about it all, with Biggs and Wedge chiming in as well now and then while Jessie smiled wistfully to herself. I knew how much that night must've meant to her, to be able to be in the spotlight again, and I found that I was happy for her. Not that I really showed it very much. I still wasn't too good at that kinda thing. But she knew. I could tell from the way her hand closed lightly over mine.

I did have some concerns about the strange SOLDIERs she and her friend Kunsel had fought under the Shinra Building in Scarlet's twisted maze, especially that red-haired woman. No way she was a typical class of SOLDIER, and I wasn't surprised that Shinra was experimenting on them. There didn't seem to be anything they wouldn't do. Yuffie hadn't liked hearing about it, either—she'd been oddly quiet the whole time. It wasn't like her, but we didn't press her about it. And there wasn't much we could do about it at the moment anyway.

After they'd finished telling us about their adventures, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, Lena, and Yuffie listened eagerly as we shared ours with them. Well, it was pretty much Aerith and Tifa doing the talking. And Barret. He and the girls went on about our trip to Kalm and how we'd first met Yuffie. She somehow managed to look both sheepish and proud as Red shared how he'd chased her through the streets until we'd cornered her, only to have her slip away from us in the end.

Then the girls started gushing about our stay at the Chocobo Farm and how cute they thought the birds were. And at Tifa's urging, Aerith got Jessie and the others laughing with her wrangler impression. Then, once they'd composed themselves, we went on, telling them about our journey through the marshes and our battles with the Midgarsormyrs. Wedge went pale just hearing about them.

Jessie shivered. "Damn… glad you guys got outta there. Yuffie told us she'd helped you out against them, but I didn't know just how bad it was. You guys are really lucky to be alive."

"It was definitely a close call," Tifa agreed.

"But that ain't the worst of it," Barret grimaced.

Wedge gulped. "What do you mean?"

"Sephiroth was there at the edge of the marshes," I answered. "As if he'd been waiting for us. We all saw him."

As Jessie and the others gasped, Tifa and I told them about finding the dead snake and our encounter with Sephiroth. If it had really been him, that was. I was starting to have my doubts, though I didn't wanna say anything yet. I still wasn't sure, and I didn't think I would be until I saw him again. So I pushed the matter aside for now, and we moved on and talked about arriving in North Argen, our trip through the mythril mines, and running into the Turks. And after that, we wrapped up with exiting to South Argen and making our way here.

Before long, we'd finished dinner, and while the rest of us sat there and relaxed, Aerith and Tifa excused themselves for a moment, saying they had to go and get something. When they came back, Aerith had a cake in her hands, and she carefully set it down on the table while Tifa lit the candles that were on it. Just two, the kind that were made to look like numbers. In this case, a three and a five, making thirty-five. Barret grinned as the others all crowded around him.

Jessie smirked as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Might be doing this a little late, but you still had a birthday, Barret. And we're gonna celebrate it while we have the chance."

"Thanks, guys," he chuckled.

Biggs nodded. "You're welcome, boss. Happy birthday!"

Wedge popped a thumbs up. "Yeah!"

As I nodded to him and the others all expressed their good wishes and sang that ridiculous song, Barret blew out his candles. Then we ate the cake. It turned out that Aerith and Tifa had actually made two, and after they'd gone and brought in the second, they shared it with Edwyn and Samuel and anyone else who wanted some. Jessie even brought out some ice cream from the galley as well.

Then some of the guys moved several of the tables off to the side as well as the chairs that had been with them, making a large open area at the back of the room that I realized was a makeshift dance floor. While most of the people here were men, there were still more than a handful of women who'd decided to stay and fight rather than evacuate with all the others to the towns and villages south of here. And there was also a jukebox standing in the corner. It was old but worked, and before long, music filled the air and people started dancing.

Jessie, of course, was right in the thick of it, and as she moved and swayed to the beat, her eyes found mine. She smiled, her gaze hungry as she looked at me, and I couldn't pull my gaze away from her, either. Seeing her body move sent a rush of heat sweeping under my skin, and she damn well knew it. Jessie loved to fluster me—I'd long ago resigned myself to it—but I still couldn't resist her.

Aerith was there, too, her dress swishing around her as she danced, and she and Jessie laughed together as they had their fun. Tifa was a bit hesitant at first, shy like she usually was about things like this, but after a little encouragement from Biggs, she finally gave in. They walked out onto the dance floor, and soon she'd left her earlier nervousness behind as she moved with Biggs and let him twirl her around. Yuffie went at it on her own nearby, grinning all the while.

"Wanna dance, Lena?" Wedge asked.

She sighed as she sat in her wheelchair. "I don't know if I can…"

Wedge stood up, went around the table, and knelt beside her. "Sure you can! Remember what Jessie told us earlier?"

"Yeah, but… what if I mess up?" Lena wondered.

"It happens," I told her. "But no one's gonna think less of you for it. And you'll get the hang of it before long."

She smiled. "Thanks, Cloud. I guess you're right."

"Sure," I nodded.

"Man, I must've been really down for the stone cold merc to be the one to cheer me up, huh?" Lena joked.

I blinked. "What?"

"Nothing!" she laughed.

Then she went with Wedge out onto the dance floor and joined the others. Lena was a little nervous at first, but the encouraging smiles she got from Jessie, Tifa, and the rest helped her relax. As she held Wedge's hand in her left one, Lena used her right to control the chair, guiding it as she tried to dance with him. Hesitantly at first, but she kept at it and eventually got used to it, moving more confidently as time went on and even spinning her wheelchair around now and then as Wedge led her. I was surprised at how good he was at it.

A few songs later, Jessie did what I'd been expecting her to do ever since the dancing had started. She came right over to me, dropped into my lap as I sat at the table nursing my drink, and giggled, nudging her head toward where most of the others were still out there. I knew what she wanted, but I wasn't about to do it.

"How 'bout a dance, merc?" Jessie winked, holding up her pointer finger and batting her eyelashes at me. "Just one."

"Not interested," I told her.

She didn't give up. "Oh, come on. It'll be fun!"

I grimaced. "It's not my style."

"Tell me something I don't know," Jessie quipped. Then she leaned in closer to me. "You know, Cloud, I was gonna let you stay with me in my quarters, but if you really don't wanna dance with me, I'm sure you wouldn't mind sleeping in the barracks instead."

"The hell?" I gaped.

She chuckled. "Your choice, merc. So what'll it be?"

"You drive a hard bargain…" I sighed.

Wrapping her arms around me, Jessie gave me a steamy little smirk and whispered hungrily in my ear. "Do this for me, SOLDIER boy, and I'll make sure that's not all that's hard tonight."

My eyes widened as my heart raced. "Uh… what?"

"You remember what I told you before you left Midgar?" she went on, her voice husky as her lips touched my ear. "Well, I'm feeling as hot and frisky as I promised. Don't disappoint me now."

I swallowed heavily. "Guess I can't…"

"Thank you!" Jessie beamed.

"Just one dance," I reminded her. "And only one."

She kissed me. "Fair enough."

After she stood up, Jessie smiled and led me onto the dance floor. I could almost feel all the eyes on me as another song started up, a faster one like a lot of the others had been so far. When Aerith realized what I was doing, she gasped in delight.

"Cloud!" she giggled excitedly. "Oh, I was hoping I'd get to see you dance again! You were a diva back in Wall Market!"

"Don't remind me," I groaned.

She just laughed. "Ha! This is gonna be great!"

Tifa joined her as they sat down. "You're not kidding! Glad you got him out there, Jessie! Give us a show!"

"Oh, now this I gotta see!" Barret grinned.

"Me too!" Yuffie exclaimed, having a seat as well.

Lena smirked as she, Biggs, and Wedge went back over to the table to watch. "You've got quite an audience, Cloud!"

I sighed. "Great…"

"This should be interesting," Red added.

"At least you're not in a dress this time, Cloud," Jessie whispered to me. "That should make it a little easier, right?"

I nodded. "A bit, yeah."

"Then just relax and have fun!" she winked. "Oh, and if you don't, I have some saucy footage of you from the Honeybee Inn that I'm sure Barret and the others would love to see."

"What!?" I gaped as we got into position.

Jessie smirked. "Courtesy of Andrea. A little parting gift."

I frowned. "I'm gonna kill him…"

"Would you just calm down, merc?" she teased. "Just unwind with me out here for a bit and the only ones who'll ever see it are me, Aerith, and Tifa. That's a promise. Sound good?"

"You don't pull any punches, do you?" I grimaced.

Jessie laughed. "Never!"

Knowing she had me cornered, I gave in. "Alright…"

"You're the best, merc," she chuckled.

Then we got started. It wasn't hard for me to keep up and stay with the beat, and Jessie fell into the rhythm effortlessly as we moved across the floor together. It wasn't that different from Wall Market, only here, I was the one leading instead of being led. I adjusted to it easily enough as we danced, though. I kept my eyes on Jessie the whole time, moving with her to the music. We spun and turned together, and I lifted her up and twirled her over my head. Then I brought her back down and bent her backward with our arms out and our faces close.

Jessie smiled. "You've got some really good moves, merc."

"Not so bad yourself," I told her.

She pressed her lips to mine as we held our position for a moment and the music ended. For a moment, I forgot about everything else as I lost myself in the kiss, the feel of Jessie's mouth more intoxicating than the strongest drink. Then, when I heard Aerith and the others cheering and applauding enthusiastically, I remembered where I was and gently pulled away. Although Jessie took a bow as we straightened up, I didn't intend to myself. But her elbow in my side convinced me to change my mind. So I reluctantly did what she wanted and bowed.

"You've still got it, Cloud!" Aerith giggled. "You two were great out there! Andrea would be so proud!"

"Thanks!" Jessie grinned.

Tifa nodded. "I'm impressed! Good job!"

"An' here I thought Aerith was exaggeratin'," Barret laughed. "But I guess she was right. You do know how to move, merc!"

"For sure!" Lena agreed.

As she and the others all offered their praise and congratulations, I heard the next song start up. It was a slower one, an old love song, and as soon as she heard it, Jessie looked hopefully at me. Although I'd only said I'd do one dance, I found I couldn't resist her eyes. Or the warmth of her body as she wrapped her arms around me. So I slid mine around her waist and moved with her to the music.

A moment later, Biggs and Tifa were out on the dance floor as well, their gazes locked on each other. Even Wedge and Lena found a way as he gently picked her up and held her against him while she draped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. Although she couldn't move her legs, she didn't need to. Her feet hung just above the floor as Wedge kept her close and swayed with her. Even Barret got out there, sharing a dance with Aerith as friends, though she had to nudge him into it. But he did pretty well, actually.

Several other couples were dancing nearby as well, and when it was over, Jessie finally let me off the hook, giving me a peck on the cheek as I sat back down. Most of the others joined us, too, although Jessie kept dancing for a while. I watched her as I had another drink, glad she was having fun and that I was done with all that.

After a few more songs, Jessie came over and had a seat next to me, catching her breath and sipping at her own drink while Aerith went to the jukebox to pick out some more music. Although it was already late, the party didn't show any sign of stopping anytime soon. Laughter and conversation filled the air and more food and drinks were brought out as everyone continued to celebrate today's victory.

"Jessie!" Aerith called. "There's one of your songs in here!"

She blinked. "Really?"

Aerith nodded. "Come over and see!"

I went with Jessie to check it out, and sure enough, her stage name Jessie Jae was listed near one of the titles on the jukebox's track list. No doubt one of her hits from LOVELESS. She and Aerith smirked at each other at the same time, both of them clearly having the same thought. I wasn't surprised at what Aerith suggested.

"How about you sing it for us, Jessie?" she asked.

Jessie grinned. "I'd love to! It looks like we can mute my voice track on here so only the music itself plays. Then I can sing right along with it. And I still know the words, so no worries there."

Aerith bounced excitedly. "Great!"

As I went back to the table, Jessie stood in the middle of the dance floor. Then, after Aerith made an announcement about what Jessie was gonna do and everyone had sat down, she started the music and joined me and the others as we all watched and listened. I'd heard how good a singer Jessie was, but her voice still left me totally spellbound. She sang the words perfectly and with so much emotion that I couldn't help but be drawn in. I was impressed, and I could tell I wasn't the only one. We were all engrossed in her incredible performance.

When it was over, everyone was on their feet, even me. Although I didn't clap and cheer like the others, I nodded to her to let her know I'd liked it. She smiled at me, getting the message, and as the applause died down, she took another bow, then came over and joined us amidst lots of praise and compliments from everyone.

"So what'd you think, Cloud?" Jessie asked.

"Beautiful," I told her, and meant it.

Her cheeks actually went red as she wrapped her arms around me. "Aww, thanks! You still know just what to say! And you're the only one who can make me blush like a schoolgirl."

"Better be," I quipped.

"Oh, you are," Jessie said, kissing me. "And trust me, I'll thank you later. You've earned your reward, merc."

I felt my heart pounding. "Glad to hear it."

For a moment, I forgot about the others and returned her kiss. The feel of her lips on mine was sweet and intoxicating, and I couldn't seem to get enough of it. I'd missed her since we'd been apart, and I intended for us to stay together from here on out no matter what. My blood was on fire as Jessie's mouth moved against mine.

"Yeesh!" Yuffie groaned. "Get a room, you two!"

"Good idea!" Jessie grinned.

Aerith waved. "Bye! Have fun tonight!"

"Oh, we will!" Jessie promised. "Don't wait up!"

Then she just about yanked my arm outta my socket as she tugged me after her toward the door. As we left, I caught a glimpse of Tifa and Biggs heading out together, too. Then we were alone, and Jessie led me upstairs to her quarters, giggling the whole way there. We'd had a good time at the party, but our night wasn't over yet.