As much as I wanted to just keep kissing Cloud and never stop, we had to come up for air before long. I was tired and weak and ached in a dozen places or more, but I was alive. I felt it in every breath I took and in the sight of those gorgeous baby blues that gazed softly back at me. I sank back into the pillows, moving as if I was made of glass, and Cloud adjusted them for me so I could sit up and be comfortable.
The beeping of the heart monitor I was hooked up to was the only sound in the room for a while, and as I lay there in bed, bandaged and with my right arm in a sling and wearing one of Aerith's nightdresses, I realized I was holding something. I didn't have the strength yet to turn my hand over and see, but I smiled as I felt the familiar curves of Sam's old gift. The baby chocobo feather in its glass case. I'd given it to Cloud outside Reactor 5 to keep him safe, and he'd given it back to me later in the pillar after he'd swooped in and saved me.
"Cloud, think you could...?" I asked, pointing at the baby chocobo feather with my good hand.
He nodded. "Sure, Jessie. Just a sec."
Cloud carefully reached under my right hand and slid the flattened glass cylinder out from under my fingers and put it in my left hand. I'd have gotten it myself, but moving around too much took a lot of effort in the sorry state I was in. I'd barely had enough strength to lift my arm to touch Cloud's face, nudge him toward me, and hold onto him while we kissed. My lips tingled for more, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy being with him again. And being alive.
As I looked at the baby chocobo feather, memories swirled around in my mind, thoughts of all I'd been through lately both out here in the real world and in that dark place between life and death that I'd been in since the pillar. A coma of some kind, by my guess. There was so much to process and unpack, so much to think about. Waking up and seeing Cloud there at my side, though, had to be one of the happiest moments I'd ever known. Especially now that I knew why he'd always seemed so familiar to me, why I'd felt like we'd met before.
Because a long time ago, we had.
It made my heart turn to mush just thinking about it. The day we'd truly met for the first time. Not when he'd saved me from the Vice gang that night two months ago. But five years before that, when I was still a shy, nerdy office girl at Shinra. The memory was so clear, and although I'd never really forgotten it, I hadn't understood the truth about it until I'd been trapped in that coma, reliving so many memories to figure out what had happened to me in the pillar.
I'd only been working at Shinra for about a year when Cloud and I first met—Marissa had still been Director of Systems Operation at the time—and although I was only seventeen back then, almost eighteen, I had also been Scarlet's assistant. She hated it when anyone was late and didn't hesitate to show it. I felt my cheeks sting a bit as I thought about how she'd slapped me that day. But the fear of getting that punishment was what ended up leading me to Cloud. Butterflies swirled around in my stomach as I thought of the memory.
I'd been downstairs on the third floor one day in the fall, admiring the Hardy HD-90 they had on display there, when I heard the elevators opening behind me. I'd been on break and had been about to head over there myself, but I waited first to see who'd come out. Nothing could've prepared me for what I saw, though. Two men had walked out. One of them was a typical Shinra trooper. But it was the second man who took my breath away and made me gasp in disbelief.
It was Sephiroth.
They'd been about to leave on a mission to someplace far away, and they were waiting on another trooper. I remember Sephiroth had been irritated about the delay. It had been then that I'd realized I'd only had a few minutes to rush back upstairs to avoid being late for my meeting. I did not wanna get bitch slapped by Scarlet.
I had actually run toward the elevator, but it opened just as I got to it. The second trooper bolted right out, as panicked about being late as I was, and we had both realized the other was there at the same time. It was too late for us to move aside, though—our momentum was already carrying us forward—and we had run right into each other, the impact knocking us both off our feet and flat onto our backs. The binder with my design sketches had flown from my hands, scattering my papers all over the floor, and my glasses had nearly fallen off.
None other than Sephiroth himself helped me up, though he didn't say a word to me. After ordering the trooper who'd collided with me to help me pick up my things, he had left and gone downstairs along with the other soldier. What I'd never known until so recently was who that second trooper was. He'd worn the usual dark blue uniform and one of those metal helmets that hid pretty much his whole face except for his mouth, so all I'd had to go on was his voice.
We had talked a little as he had helped me pick up my papers, and I'd found out why he was late. He'd been dealing with motion sickness, knowing he had a long truck ride ahead of him, and so had been stuck in the bathroom for a few minutes. I'd felt bad for him and had offered to get him something from the store to help, but he had insisted he was fine. As smitten by that sweet, sexy voice of his as I was, I didn't argue. He'd been so adorably shy, too.
When his friend Zack had shown up a minute later to remind him they had to leave, I had awkwardly flirted with the trooper a little—my technique had still been pretty rusty back then, and I'd been nervous as hell—and told him where I worked, inviting him to come see me when he got back. He had stammered a little but had agreed, and I'd listened to his quiet conversation with Zack while they had walked downstairs, overhearing him admit that he thought I was cute. I'd had a solid crush on him and had daydreamed a lot about all the things we'd do together after he returned, but... he never did.
Until now.
Deep in my dreams, in my memories and in the darkness between life and death, I had finally, unexpectedly made the connection. It was Cloud! It always had been. His sexy voice had been there in front of me the whole time, but it had never clicked in my mind until that moment that he was the shy, awkward trooper I'd met so long ago. He had come back to me! I'd found him again and had never even known it. I felt my heart melt as I gazed warmly at him, knowing for the first time who he was now, who he'd always been.
"My sweet soldier..." I murmured, smiling softly.
Cloud blinked. "Hmm?"
I shook my head. "It's nothing. Just... happy to see you. That you're here with me, you know? It's not every girl that gets to wake up to find the guy of her dreams watching over her."
"Guess that's me," he said.
"Bet your ass it is," I smirked. "Lucky me!"
Cloud pointed to the baby chocobo feather in its glass case. "Looks like you've had a lot of good luck lately."
I couldn't argue. "When it mattered most, yeah."
"Better hold onto it," he told me.
"Are you kidding?" I chuckled. "I'm not letting this thing outta my sight! We definitely know it works now."
Cloud nodded. "Sure does."
As I thought about that wonderful memory, I found myself with as many questions as answers. He'd been an ordinary trooper, but now he was a former SOLDIER. I supposed anything could've happened in the past five years, but it still didn't feel right to me. What had happened to him on that mission? I wasn't sure. But I did know he didn't remember our first real meeting in the Shinra Building. As I thought about that, I decided not to tell him yet. There was still so much going on that didn't make sense. And I wanted to talk to Tifa.
Then, as I glanced over at the dresser and saw what was there next to the small assortment of syringes, swabs, and other medical supplies, my eyes widened and I gasped in surprise and delight. It was my flower and the beautiful blue glass vase Cloud had gotten for me. But they had been in the bar the last time I'd seen them. Marlene had convinced me to bring them over so she could water the flower. Those cute little eyes of hers were damnably irresistible.
"Cloud..." I asked. "My flower... it's here. But how?"
"Marlene saved it," he explained.
I gazed fondly at the yellow blossom. "Such a good little girl. Guess I should've known it'd be her. She always did like it, almost as much as I do. I'll definitely have to thank her later."
"She'll probably be up here soon," Cloud said.
My eyes went back to him. "Cloud, before I see the others... there's something I need you to tell me. I remember a lot of what happened in the pillar now. The way you saved me, how you looked after me when I was hurt. Floating in the air together."
He rested his hand on my shoulder. "What else?"
"Shutting down the console after you guys fought Reno and Rude," I went on. "Yelling at my father. Trying to stop what he'd done. And I... I remember the trap. All that pain, everywhere. I felt like I was burning alive. Then, the blast, throwing me across the platform. My mind was a jumble and I was already swimming away, but... I remember how hard I hit the railing. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Nothing seemed to work right. And then... I was in the dark."
"That's about what happened," Cloud confirmed.
I swallowed. "Sector 7's gone, isn't it?"
He sighed. "Yeah, Jessie. It is. Tifa, Barret, and I barely got out. We would've taken you with us, but..."
"But what?" I asked.
Cloud told me then about how the debris from the plate had come down and smashed through the section of the platform where I'd fallen and had taken me with it. He also told me about how he and the others had come back to the ruins as soon as they could to search for me. My heart ached at the loss of yet another home and so many lives, so many good people I'd never see again. But it also warmed as I thought of how determined my friends had been to save me no matter the odds or the dangers. I was alive because of them.
"Cloud," I said, coming to a decision. "As soon as I'm up and about, I need you to take me back to Sector 7, to the ruins. I need to see it for myself... what my father... what he did."
He nodded. "Sure. We'll go there before I leave."
"What do you mean, you're leaving?" I frowned. "To go where? I'm worried, Cloud. What's going on?"
"There's... a lot to explain," he told me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Well?"
Cloud gently squeezed my hand. "Jessie. I'm not rushing out, okay? But like Aerith said, you need to take things slow. We'll explain it all to you soon enough. I won't leave you hanging. We can't stay too long, but we'll be here for at least a few days."
"Gonna hold you to that, SOLDIER boy," I smirked.
He kissed me. "I know."
I laughed as I returned the favor. "Not as hesitant as you used to be about showing me how you feel, huh?"
"Too much time with you," Cloud quipped.
"Oh sure, blame it on me," I teased, my lips meshing with his as he leaned closer to me. "I see how it is."
He gave me a faint smile. "If you insist."
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. I had to stifle a giggle as Cloud abruptly pulled away, blushing a little before slipping quickly back into the tough, cool facade he so often wore. He was so cute when he was embarrassed. Just made him so much more adorable. Although he was in full merc mode now, I didn't miss the fact that he still had his hand resting lightly on my shoulder.
"Come in!" I called, winking at Cloud as I did.
Aerith opened the door with a grin and a wave. "Hey, Jessie. You've got visitors! First wave's here."
I blinked. "First wave? How many are there?"
"Well, let's see..." she answered. "We've got ten people in the house, not counting the three of us. And since this room's not that big, I'd say we're looking at... four or five groups."
"Wow! Guess I'm popular today, huh?" I chuckled.
Aerith smirked. "I'd say so. Have fun!"
Then she slipped back into the hall. And as soon as she did, Barret and Tifa came right in, Marlene skipping eagerly ahead of them to rush right over to me. My eyes lit right up as soon as I saw them, and theirs did, too. Tifa hurried over and took my good hand in both of hers for a moment as she stood next to the bed.
"Oh, Jessie, you're awake!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, Tifa," I smiled. "Guess I made ya worry, huh?"
She gave me a playful punch on the arm. "You sure did! So do me a favor, will you? Next time we all tell you to back away from something, listen to us. Don't be a stubborn ass."
I laughed sheepishly, knowing she was right. "Okay. Guess I'm not in any position to argue about it, am I?"
"Nope!" Tifa agreed.
Marlene peeked at me, her little face sitting just above the blankets. "Are you really okay, Jessie? Are you?"
I nodded. "Sure am! I'll be on my feet in no time."
"Yay!" she cheered.
"I saw you kept my flower safe for me," I added. "Looks like you've been taking really good care of it, too."
Marlene giggled. "Uh-huh! I watered it and everything!"
I gazed fondly at her. "You did great. Thanks."
"Jessie, I..." Barret murmured. "The things I said to ya in the bar... what I called ya... I just... I was wrong..."
I let go of Tifa and took his hand. "Barret, don't..."
He sighed. "I'm sorry..."
"Hey..." I assured him. "It's okay. I wanted to tell you. I really did. I was just afraid. I knew how you felt about Shinra, but I never meant to keep it from you. It's just... the more time passed, the harder it got. I'm sorry I didn't come clean about it sooner."
"You ain't got nothin' to apologize for, girl," Barret told me. "Didn't do nothin' wrong. What happened is on me. I shouldn'ta made you feel scared to tell me. An' I was a dumbass for doubtin' ya and treatin' ya so damn bad. So I... I'm really sorry..."
I smiled. "It's alright, Barret. Water under the bridge."
He grinned, clasping my hand in his. "You Avalanche, Jessie. Don't let no one tell ya otherwise. Through an' through."
"Thanks," I beamed.
"Really missed ya, girl," Barret said.
Tifa nodded. "We all did."
"So, guys... what's with the matching armbands?" I asked, pointing at Tifa's elbow with a smirk. "Making a fashion statement, are we? Love your taste in color, by the way."
"You needed blood. We all gave it," Cloud explained.
Tifa touched the strip of red cloth tied around her elbow. "We kept them on afterward, while we were off rescuing Aerith from Shinra. To remind us of you. That we were fighting to save you as well as her. And we did. You're both back with us again."
I sniffled, my eyes getting wet. "Oh, wow... thanks, you guys. And, uh, I'm really not crying. I'm just, um... sweating through my eyes. Or maybe there's an onion in here somewhere..."
"That's gotta be it," she chuckled.
I was a little embarrassed to be so overcome—usually I was good at keeping my emotions in check behind a joke and a cheery smile—but I was just so happy and grateful for what my friends had done for me. It was a little overwhelming, to be honest.
We talked for a while longer, Barret lifting Marlene up and setting her next to me on the bed so she could see me better. My friends didn't say much about their mission to help Aerith, only that they'd infiltrated the Shinra Building itself to save her and had escaped. I was sure they'd give me the details later, there was just so much to tell and I still wasn't fully recovered. I wouldn't be for a while.
After the others left, Cloud reached into his shirt and took out the star pendant, just like in that strange, wonderful dream we'd shared. He held it for a moment, the mythril chain glittering in the light. And then he slowly pulled it off and started to give it to me.
"This belongs to you," he said.
I shook my head and gently pushed his hand away. "No, Cloud. It's yours now. I want you to have it. That way, you'll always have a part of me with you wherever you go. Keeping you outta trouble and bringing you back home to me in one piece. I'm just happy you found it and that it helped save you and the others."
He smirked as he put it on. "Thought you'd say that."
My next visitors were Lena and Wedge. They came in together, and he had his arm around her, supporting her as she walked. I figured her mako sensitivity must've flared up again, but she was pushing through it like a trooper. They both smiled right away when they saw me, relief all over their faces, and I returned the favor.
"Jessie!" Wedge grinned. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
I returned his hug with my good arm. "Same to you, Wedge. We've been through quite a wringer, huh?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, but you more than anyone else."
"True enough," I admitted.
"How are you feeling?" Lena asked as she sat down.
I clasped her hand. "Like a behemoth used me for a mattress. But I think I'll live. How about you?"
She laughed. "A little queasy, but it's really not too bad."
"Mako sensitivity acting up again?" I said.
"Yeah, it's kicking my ass today," Lena answered. Then she gazed at Wedge. "But believe me, Jessie, it was worth it."
I didn't doubt it. "What happened?"
"As soon as I heard about the pillar attack, I left home and ran over to Sector 7 to help you guys. Some idiot wouldn't let me in at first, but I climbed over the fence and his partner let me through—me and Wedge made sure he got out safely with the others."
"You guys evacuated everyone?" I wondered.
Wedge nodded. "As many as we could, including Biggs. Tifa helped him out of the tower after she and the others got there. I had a bad fall during the fight, but Aerith got me patched up. Lena arrived after Tifa and Cloud went into the pillar, and so did Kunsel. He went with Aerith to save Marlene while we evacuated everyone."
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "What did you say!? Kunsel was there!? Did he get out!? Is he alright!?"
I knew he was a SOLDIER and almost as tough as Cloud, but I still worried about him. And it made me so happy that he had come to save me. I didn't have any doubt that I was the reason he'd been there. I also knew it had to have been Reeve who'd sent him there in the first place. He'd known I was in the pillar—I had told him myself just before going in there. I had to get word to him that I was alright.
"He's fine," Wedge assured me. "Kunsel's back on the plate, Jessie. I owe him my life, you know. When everything was coming down at the end and I thought I was gonna die, he rode in and saved me. Pulled me clear of the debris that would've fallen on me."
Lena kissed him. "He sure did. I won't forget it."
Neither would I. Whatever the reason was that Kunsel hadn't been able to reach me, I knew it was important. And he had saved Wedge, a dear friend. That meant so much to me. I remembered how he'd risked his life to get me safely out of the trap my father and Scarlet had set for me years ago so I could escape to the slums, even though it had meant losing me and our future together.
"Do you know him?" Wedge asked.
I giggled. "Yeah. I almost married him, actually."
Lena gasped. "Awww, I didn't know that!"
Cloud blinked. "Oh... so he's the guy you told me about before, on the train after Reactor 1. I didn't realize it was him."
"Jealous, merc?" I teased.
"No," he shook his head. "Should I be?"
I beckoned to him, and when he leaned close, I touched my lips to his. "Nope. My heart's all yours, Cloud. What Kunsel and I had is in the past. He's just a friend now. Like Biggs and Wedge."
Cloud smirked. "Works for me."
As I listened, Lena and Wedge told me more about how they'd met Kunsel and how they'd fought together to save as many of the people of Sector 7 as they could. I was proud of them for kicking Rude's ass, and I understood now why Kunsel hadn't been able to get to me. He'd been saving so many people, including Wedge, Lena, Aerith, and Marlene. It was what I'd have wanted him to do.
"So you said Kunsel's on the plate now?" I asked.
"Yeah," Wedge answered. "Drove off after Lena and I went into the tunnel. We found out later that he was okay. When we all went back to search for you, we met—oh, here she is!"
I looked up as someone else walked in, and for a moment, I almost didn't recognize her. But then I gasped in delight, hardly able to believe she was really here and that it was her. She'd changed so much over the years, but there was no doubt about it. The long, fiery orange curls that I remembered were gone, replaced by the same short, straight look that I used to wear back then. Dark brown with just a touch of red. Brought back a lot of good memories to see her.
"Marissa!" I grinned. "Get your ass over here!"
She laughed and did as I said, and as soon as she was close enough, I wrapped my good arm around her in a tight hug. I couldn't hold onto her for as long as I'd hoped—it hurt to move too much and really tired me out—but I was so happy to see her. When I finally let go, she gently eased me back down onto the pillows.
"There you go," she said. "How's that, Jessie?"
I managed a thumbs up. "Perfect. It's great to see you, but... what'd you do to your hair?"
Marissa laughed. "You like it?"
"Oh, yeah," I chuckled. "Looks kinda like how I used to have mine way back when. Good choice!"
"There's a reason for that, actually," she said.
From there, Marissa went on to tell me about how she had acted as a decoy for me on the plate, often with Kunsel's help but sometimes on her own, to keep my father's eyes up there and away from the slums as much as possible. I knew Kunsel had been shielding me, but I'd had no idea that Marissa had been helping him.
I smiled. "Thanks for doing what you did for me, Marissa. It wasn't easy, I'm sure. Means a lot to me, though."
"Hey, we're friends," she said, patting my shoulder.
"So what are you doing here?" I wondered.
There was an IV running from the back of my left hand to a small machine next to the bed, and Marissa went over, replaced the medicine bag that was nearly empty with a full one, then tapped a few buttons to get it flowing before turning back to me.
"Taking care of you, Jessie," she quipped. "Remember how I always used to talk about getting into medicine someday? Well, I've been busy since you left. Finally got certified last year."
"Lucky for me!" I laughed. "That's great, though."
Marissa gazed at me. "Yeah. I'm really glad I did. It let me help you when you really needed it."
She told me how she had come down here to the slums to look for me after getting Kunsel patched up, how she'd met Cloud, Tifa, and the others in the process, and how they'd all gone back together to Sector 7 to find me with some unexpected help from Johnny, Sandra, and Jules as well. And then Cloud filled me in on how he'd brought me back here with him on the Gust right afterward.
It was a lot to take in, and I could tell I'd missed a lot while I'd been under. But I hadn't forgotten how I'd heard Cloud even then, telling me to hold on and keep fighting. And I had. I also resolved to head back to Wall Market as soon as I was able so I could thank Andrea and Jules. If Johnny was there, I'd see him, too. If not, I hoped I'd run into him once Cloud took me back to Sector 7. He'd been the one who'd spotted me in the ruins, and I wanted him to know I was okay.
Then I suddenly remembered something. "Hey, Cloud. When you got the feather out of my pocket for me, did you come across anything else? Like a small metal rod with two buttons?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Why?"
"Damn..." I sighed. "Would you mind checking again? You see, it's a transmitter. An old friend from Shinra gave it to me back when I first started working there. It's what I used to contact him before going into the pillar to warn him about what was going on."
Cloud nodded and got up, then went over to a corner of the room. The charred remains of my outfit and gear were there—I'd have to find a way to replace them soon—and started looking, checking the pockets of my torn, blackened, and bloodied pants.
"What's so special about it?" Wedge wondered.
"The transmitter was a way for me to keep in touch with my friend discreetly, without it being traced," I explained. "Since Shinra provides most of the phone service in Midgar, they can and do track a lot of the calls that go around, especially in the Shinra Building. Just another way they try to control us. That's also why I've always made sure that all our phones in Avalanche are encrypted."
Lena smiled. "You and him must've been pretty close for him to do something that for you. Was it Kunsel?"
"Nope," I said. "Reeve gave it me. Director of Urban Development. He was my boss back then and a friend of my mom's. She used to work there, too. Head of the PR department."
Cloud looked up at me. "So you do know him. Thought you might. We had to go through that museum to get to the upper floors while we were there rescuing Aerith and saw a hologram of him. The mayor told us he spoke out against dropping the plate."
"Yeah, I do," I replied. "And I know the place you're talking about. I hate it. Makes me wanna puke just thinking about it. Reeve might be a director at Shinra, but he's a decent guy and cares about everyone. He's like family to me. You can trust him, Cloud."
He sat back down next to me again. "Okay. And I couldn't find the transmitter, sorry. It wasn't there."
"Shit..." I swore. "Thanks for trying, Cloud. Not your fault. I guess I lost it when I fell from the platform. I just wanted to let Reeve know I was alright. He's gotta be worried about me."
"I'll call him as soon as I can, Jessie," Marissa assured me. "Kunsel, too. They'll both be so relieved. In fact, I should probably go ahead and do that now. I'll be back to check on you later."
Then she left. After promising to come and see me again, Lena and Wedge followed, and Cloud and I had a few minutes to ourselves. I felt a little stiff from laying in bed so long, but I didn't have the strength yet to get up. I wasn't planning on staying here, though. That week after I'd been stabbed by the sahagins had felt like an eternity at times while I'd slowly recovered from my injuries, and I knew I was in for at least that long now, maybe longer. But I'd have a lot of help. I was determined to at least be out of bed by the time Cloud left.
"You know, Cloud, you can go downstairs and see everybody if you want to," I told him. "I don't mind."
He shrugged. "I'm fine."
I kissed him. "Just can't get enough of me, huh?"
"No," he answered, his lips on mine.
Maddy, Oates, and Elmyra were my next visitors, bringing me food as well as friendship. My stomach rumbled at the sight and smell of the tray, and while I used my good hand to eat, we talked for a while. Oates told me how Cloud had enlisted him and Maddy to help Elmyra while he and the others were away rescuing Aerith. They'd also brought me a nice, handmade get-well card. Everybody had signed it—all the kids at the Leaf House, Biggs, Wedge, Lena, Barret, Marlene, Tifa, Aerith, and Elmyra. There was even a large pawprint in ink on one side. I smiled at the kids as Elmyra set it in the dresser for me.
"Thanks, guys," I said. "All of you."
"We're just glad you're back!" Maddy gushed, adjusting her glasses. "You'll come and play Whack-A-Box with us once you're all better and back on your feet, won't you, Jessie?"
I laughed. "I think I can do that. How about you, Cloud?"
"Huh?" he blinked.
"Up for a game with the kids sometime?" I asked. "I bet you'd love it. Knocking as many boxes over as you can before time runs out. With that big sword of yours, you'd probably break the record. Which was of course set by yours truly. Lots of fun!"
Cloud scratched his head. "Oh, uh, sure... I guess."
"Awesome!" Oates said.
"It's good to see you again, Jessie," Elmyra smiled. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. I know you just lost your home. So let this be yours again for a while."
I nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
She took a healing potion from her pocket. "You're quite welcome. I know you don't care for these things—and I don't blame you—but it'll help speed your recovery and take the edge off the pain. One every few hours, at least for now. Understand?"
"Yeah," I chuckled. "Let's get it over with."
After opening the vial for me, Elmyra gave me the potion. I drank it fast, not quite able to resist making a face as I did. And while he tried to hide it behind his hand, I didn't miss the little smirk Cloud gave me. I fixed him with one of my own.
"Go ahead, laugh it up, SOLDIER boy," I teased. "I'm sure she's got some for you, too. She always keeps a few handy."
"I do, you know," Elmyra added.
Cloud shook his head. "What? N-No, I'm fine, thanks."
I giggled. "Good call, merc."
As the potion took effect, I felt the pain subside a little. I still ached all over, but not quite as bad as before. The worst spots were my left leg where that piece of shrapnel had knifed into me and all along my right arm and shoulder where I'd been shot. My other leg and my chest hurt pretty bad, too. Bruised ribs, scraped shins, and a twisted ankle among other things, not to mention my skin was still tender from all the burns I'd suffered. I didn't know how I hadn't broken anything.
Although Aerith had saved me, she hadn't been able to heal all my injuries. Even her power had its limits. I didn't blame her, of course. I'd been here before, after that hell house had nearly done me in two years ago, so I knew what to expect. I'd have to work hard to recover and get back on my feet again, but I didn't mind. I was just glad to be alive after everything I'd been through lately.
"Better?" Elmyra asked.
I nodded. "A bit. Still hurts some, though."
She didn't look surprised as she looked me over. "Of course. That's to be expected. Your injuries were extreme, Jessie. And even with spells and potions, they'll take time to heal. You should be able to make a full recovery, though. You're very fortunate."
"Believe me, I know," I said, gazing at Cloud.
He gave me the faintest ghost of a smile, breaking out of his tough merc shell for just a moment before slipping it on again. Mine was a lot bigger in return. The kids noticed our little exchange and giggled, then said their goodbyes as Elmyra escorted them out, taking the tray along with her and closing the door again.
It opened a little while later as Aerith brought my last visitor of the morning inside to see me. I'd been wondering where that big pawprint on my card had come from, and I now I understood. Padding along by Aerith's side was something like a large panther with bright orange fur, a dark red mane decorated with a feathered headdress, and a long, thin tail that actually burned at the tip.
"Hi, Jessie," Aerith said. "I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Red. We escaped Shinra together. Red, this is Jessie. We go way back, she and I. Known each other for years."
I grinned. "Nice to meetcha, Red!"
"Likewise," he replied. "I'm glad Aerith was able to save you. And I hope that your recovery is a swift one."
"Thanks," I said.
He looked curiously at me. "You don't appear to be as surprised as the others that I can speak. I believe I startled your friends downstairs. Wedge was particularly in awe of me."
I shook my head. "I've been around and seen a lot. And you're not the first talking cat I've ever met."
"You've seen another like me?" his one eye widened.
"No, he was a lot smaller," I explained. "Black fur instead of orange. Artificial, too. But so lifelike you could never tell the difference. Aren't there any others of your race, Red?"
He shook his head. "No. I am the last."
"I'm sorry..." I sighed.
"No apology necessary," Red assured me. "As far as I'm aware, there are no longer any others of my kind. There were never very many of us to begin with, to be honest. I knew one once, before the Turks captured me, but I do not know what became of her."
I smiled. "I'm sure you'll find her. Don't give up."
"Thank you, Jessie," he said. "I appreciate your kind words."
We talked for a little longer, just getting to know each other, then I felt fatigue start to pull at me. It was only early afternoon, but I knew I was still in pretty rough shape and could use a rest. Aerith spotted it, of course, and helped me get a bit more comfortable in bed before she led Red back downstairs. Cloud stayed with me, and it looked like he'd had the same idea, setting up a blanket and pillow in the chair. I realized he must've been up for over a day straight. Tifa and Barret too, for sure. It looked like we'd all be taking a breather.
After he had gotten himself all settled in, Cloud leaned close to me for a moment. "Need anything?"
I kissed him. "Just you."
"I'll be here," he promised, returning it.