Second Chance

Invitation

Marlene kept staring at him, looking for some indication that he was lying or dangerous in some way. Which begged the question, Was he really that suspicious looking?

Was it because of his Shinra uniform?

Or was it because of the scar on his face?

The kid back in Wutai didn't seem scared of him, so why?

He had to admit kids are confusing little things. He was so absorbed in his thought that her next question got him completely off guard "Why?"

"Why what?" he repeated, her question confused.

"Why were you gone for so long?" she clarified; clearly, she wouldn't accept any answer he would make up.

"Um... I didn't have a choice in that, sadly." Zack couldn't tell a little girl that he was gunned down, and he pushed his hopes and dreams along with his mentor's sword onto Cloud. And that's another issue that he had to think over. Should he show up on Cloud's doorstep just like that?

If Cloud were the same guy he had been years ago, the blond would die on the spot thinking that he saw a ghost. Zack sighed in disappointment; he did not think this through after all.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Hey mister, you ok?" She waved her hand in front of his face, snapping Zack back to his senses.

"Hu? Oh sorry, I lost track back there" He was embarrassed; obviously, She couldn't tell what was on his mind. But she knew not to ask him; it wasn't any of her business. While he was an odd guy, there wasn't anything to doubt him on. He didn't appear to be lying about knowing Cloud. And Aerith seemed to trust him, so maybe she should too.

"It's ok. I'm just glad you're both ok. Cloud and the others were so worried about you. They told me you went someplace far, Aerith and that you weren't coming back." She was close to tears, remembering how upset everyone was. They told her that Aerith had left, but she knew better. She might have been young, but the concept of death was no stranger to her. Although upset and ready to cry, she couldn't afford to do it, not when she was someone else's emotional support.

Her father, Cloud, and Tifa. Cid, Reeve, and Vincent too. They were all emotionally broken when they first met. She might not have known their stories all that well, but she could tell how deep it scared each of them. She can't heal them, But she learned that optimism could lessen it, even if just a bit. So for their sake and her father's, she pretended to be ignorant and smiled. If it helped at all, then she was ok with playing innocent.

That was when she suddenly had an idea. "Say, if you're not busy tonight, can you come over to the party?" she upright asked them; awkward or not, this was exactly what everyone needed. It would be good for everyone to get back together after being apart for so long. She had missed seeing her father for the last few weeks. Vincent won't pick up his phone no matter how much Tifa calls him for her sake. Yuffie, Reeve, Shelke, and Cid were on missions for WRO. Red XIII was exploring around Gaia, and Cloud was always out and about making deliveries. But tonight, they were all finally coming together for the MeteroFall festival party, and having Aerith and this Man over would complete the festivities. It would be the perfect reunion, unlike when they got together because some mad men wanted to destroy the planet again.

"So could you please come tonight? Pretty please?" she begged with the cutest face she could muster, with the biggest and saddest puppy dog eyes she could do.

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Aerith glanced at Zack with a smile and nodded, assuring him that it was going to be all right. "Well, I guess we could come," he finally answered the little girl, who got very excited after hearing it; she went over to them and gave them a big hug. It felt so long since someone other than Aerith hugged him, and it felt good that he was being accepted. He hopes it continues like this for the remainder of his new life.

The little girl soon parted from them and looked away as she heard someone call out her name. "Sorry, I have to leave now. See you both tonight at 7th Heaven" She waved at them with a big cheerful smile and then left to join a boy who didn't look like he had any resemblance but seemed close.

Aerith turned her attention to him after the two kids were out of view. "So, Shall we get a costume?"

"We already have a costume, all we need now are wigs, and a toy sword for you," he grinned, leaving her confused at what he might have planned for the party tonight "be right back Aerith" he ran back to the store for whatever reason, probably for his plan.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

He later came back and sat next to her; he had a very mischiefs grin that worried her. She had seen that face on him before; it was the same as when he pranked a rookie Turk agent, making them think it was the end of the world. Maybe she should tell him about her condition before he got lost in his scheming "Um Zack, I have something to tell you."

"Really what?" good, he was out of the plotting zone that would spare Cloud and the others, she thought.

She took a deep breath and stared straight into his eyes. "I... I can't use my legs anymore." Zack looked confused; she'll need to elaborate. "I lost my ability to use them after Sephiroth attacked me."

"Wait, WHAT! Sephiroth was alive? But Cloud killed him back in Nibelhiem" Of course, he doesn't remember their chat in the lifestream, so she has to repeat it all to him again. And that's one story that she was not looking forward to telling.