It started off like any other day. Puttering around the house, finding things to fill her day. Nothing big, nothing major. Just existing.

The knock on the door was unexpected, and she frowned as she headed for it. Nobody was due by, and none of her regular visitors came at this time of the day.

When she opened the door, though, she froze, eyes widening.

Aeris smiled at her. "Mama!"

Elmyra fainted.

Cloud looked down at the woman he held. "I guess," he said slowly, " that we should have expected that." His voice was sheepish as he held Elmyra for Aeris to look over.

Letting go of a sigh of relief, Aeris nodded. "Put her on the couch. There wasn't any really easy way to break this kind of news you know," she said absently, looking around her mother's new home. "I mean, how are you supposed to say 'Hi, Mom, I'm back from the dead?' At least we were here to catch her, right?"

Nodding, Cloud settled her where he had been directed, taking care to not hurt her by accident. Though the woman had been furious with him right after Meteor happened, she had slowly seemed to come to terms and had treated Marlene and Denzel like her own. Which was good. The kids needed more than Tifa, and Cloud knew he had never been around enough. Besides, they loved her, and she was just as fond of them. It was her who had shown Marlene how Aeris used to do her hair, which the little girl had adopted as her own style.

Right now, though, she looked very, very fragile.

"I kinda hate to see how she's going to react to Seph," he said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair, a Zack gesture that had suddenly made a reappearance in his own actions. "She had some interesting words to me about both him and myself."

"I'm not sure. But it'll all work out," Aeris replied, as she sat next to Elmyra, resting the older woman's head on her lap. "I'm much more curious if Mom is going to have to go get Zack herself. I really don't know what was said during that last fight, Zack wouldn't talk about it much, but it really hurt him. And it's long past time for all those hurts to be forgiven and forgotten."

Smiling at Aeris, Cloud nodded. "I just want us to be happy. I think we've waited long enough and more than paid for it."

A firm nod from Aeris. "Of course. Besides, we have to see if we can get the other two into dresses. Did it to you, so it's only fair if we get them to do it." She shot a teasing look at him as Cloud squawked faintly. "Course, we should get you to do it again so I can get a decent picture. What do you think would look best on Seph, hmmm?"

Oh, not good. She had that look. That look that promised amusement for everyone, wanted or not. The urge to hide was strong. Not even Sephiroth could make Cloud want to hide like that.

Luckily, he was saved when Elmyra made a small sound, stirring, and Aeris focused on her again... But not before giving him a look promising they would talk about it later.

"Wake up, Mom. I'm home."

At Aeris's words, Elmyra opened her eyes and stared at her for a long moment before blinking rapidly. "Is this a dream? I thought I had stopped having these dreams so long ago."

That made Cloud ache for the woman, and he felt a fresh wave of guilt. Even if the lost ones were back now, there had been years where they had been dead. Zack's parents were next on the list of people to visit. Elmyra was closer, and they were heading for the farm next to pick up golds to cross the water to Zack's family home. Cid was giving them a ride from Edge when they got back to the city. Said something about needing to run a few things out that way anyway.

Right now, though, right now was for Aeris and her mom.

"It's not a dream. Promise. And when have I ever broke a promise to you?"

"When you said you'd come home safe," soft, soft voice as tears began to fill Elmyra's eyes.

"I'm home now, Mom. Promise." Wiping away one of the tears that spilled down a pale cheek, she smiled sadly at her mother. "I'm sorry, I'm so very, very sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

With a cry, Elmyra flung herself up as best she could, wrapping her arms tight around her daughter in a hug Aeris returned just as tightly.

As the pair cried on each other, Cloud slipped out the front door.

Sephiroth watched as Cloud came out with only part of his attention, the rest was on making sure Zack didn't vanish to gods knew where. The man had been skittish since they had decided to come here, and had only gotten worse the closer they had gotten. It had reached the point that he was curious on what had happened.

Zack had been defiant towards everyone. Sephiroth in his worst mood, outside of Nibelheim, had only gotten a friendly grin and pestering. Hojo had been dismissed often from Zack's care, and even the President himself could only make Zack stop grinning for small periods of time.

What had the woman said to him to make him react like this?

It made him want to growl, and Sephiroth was almost positive that, if he did, Aeris would lecture him. For a long, long time. Finally being back and being sane, he had no real desire to be lectured at the moment. He would much prefer to finally take the time he had always wanted to simply be with people who hadn't feared him and who cared about him.

Maybe he could get Cloud to sit on Zack? Aeris was much more likely to lecture over that. In fact, depending on state of dress, she might go for a camera. Or encourage a state of undress.

Or was that something people didn't do around their family? If it was, he was sure Aeris would be one of those who wouldn't care and do it anyway.

"He still trying to figure out how to sink into the ground?"

The voice made him start. But only the tiniest bit. He had been so focused on his thoughts that he had not noticed Cloud. That was...disquieting. Most people could not do such a thing.

"Indeed," he said, attention moving to where it needed to be again. "I believe you should sit on him to keep him from fleeing."

That got him a snort. "Right. No, I think that as the heavy one, you should sit on him."

"How about neither of you sit on me," Zack suggested as Sephiroth opened his mouth to debate the heavy one comment. "No offense, but neither of you are light anymore."

Cloud shrugged. "You're the one who dragged me over a continent. I never claimed to be light, and after the labs..."

Zack nodded. "Now you are built like Seph. All really dense muscle. Heavy asses."

"Seph, sit on him and squish him."

That got a long, slow look, and Cloud just shrugged at him, shamelessly unrepentant for what he had said. "You're taller than me, and he just called us both heavy. You squish him. It'll keep him from hiding from Elmyra."

"Guys..." It wasn't a real whine, more of a sigh than anything else, and the one thing guaranteed to get both of their attentions. Sephiroth studied his friend and frowned slightly. Zack was genuinely uncomfortable with the idea of seeing the woman. What had she -said-? This wasn't like him at all, and it worried him greatly.

"Just...drop it. Okay?" Violet eyes were pleading with him, and Sephiroth looked away. "She made it extremely clear how she felt about me before. I'm not going to push it now. Not now. Leave it alone. Please?"

There was no real way for Sephiroth to respond, so he just shook his head and looked back at the house. Even as he wondered how long it would be before one of the ladies came out, the door opened, and Aeris stuck her head out. "Why don't you guys come in?"

She was obviously trying to see past Sephiroth to look at Zack, who had moved to be behind him. Feeling a bit displeased at being hidden behind, even if he -was- the only one tall enough for Zack to do so, Sephiroth shifted out of the way. Zack made a rude noise at him, and moved to stay behind.

Sighing, Sephiroth only moved forward. "You warned her of my presence?" At the nod, he moved to the door, Cloud right behind him, and cast one last look back at Zack. The man just looked back, hesitation clear on his face, and looking very uncomfortable.

"Mom, Zack won't come in. Make him do it."

That tone of voice was -never- one he had heard from Aeris, and he felt something in his neck pop as his head snapped around to look at her with wide eyes. It was very...young. From the gurgle he heard from Cloud, the blond hadn't been expecting it either. The amused look on Aeris's face at their reactions didn't help him feel any less foolish, but it was good to know she had been trying for such a reaction.

Then her mother was behind her, looking thin and tired, and he ducked his head slightly at the look she gave him.

After a long moment of quiet, she made a clucking sound at him. "Don't block the door, young man. Come in, and let me collect my daughter's wayward boyfriend."

He did, feeling a blanket of stunned numbness settle on him in reaction to all these strange things. Young man? Nobody called him that, and he had been clucked at. Like a bird. In total disregard for who he was and what he had done.

Sephiroth listened, though. Didn't dare not to.

That woman unnerved him.

Elmyra shooed her daughter back into the house with the two men, and sighed, smoothing down her dress slightly, nervous. Cloud deserved apologies as well, but not nearly so much as this man did. The last words they had spoken had not been the kindest, at least on her part. It was a very vivid memory in her head, the look on his face when she had told him that.

Still, nothing to do now but to tell him that she hadn't meant it. Not really. She had never wanted things to turn out like they had, and she had gotten enough details from Cloud through persistent asking to realize just how bad things had been.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up and started to walk to Zack, only to blink as she realized he had gotten close as she had been gathering her thoughts.

"Don't," he said softly. "You meant them then, don't apologize for doing what you thought you had to to keep her safe. I know. It's just..."

A look of old hurt flashed across his face, and she lifted a hand, going still as he turns his face away from her, just the slightest, eye closed in anticipation.

She had slapped him last time they had...talked. Hard enough to leave a red mark, which stayed vivid until he had left. Left when she told him she hoped he died on this mission, that he never came back to Midgar, never brought danger to her daughter again. That Aeris was young, she would forget him, and it would be the best thing for her. That all he would ever do was to get her killed, in some messy, horrible way.

She had stayed angry, sure her words were right.

Until Aeris came to her in tears.

One of the Turks, Tseng, had just brought news to her that Zack had died. Along with Cloud and Sephiroth.

Aeris hadn't believed it, of course, but if Shin-Ra said it, that meant none of them would be coming home.

It was what Elmyra had wanted. But not at the cost it had.

Aeris never let go, never forgot about Zack. Or Cloud, or Sephiroth. Elmyra felt sorry for their losses as well, but it was to Zack she had spat wishes of death at, and it was Zack that had her daughter in tears again, just a few short years later. This time the tears had been more painful.

For as long as she lived, Elmyra would never forget the loss in those green eyes when Aeris said Zack wasn't ever, ever coming home again.

She had been wrong. He was standing before Elmyra now, looking slightly hunted.

"I am going to apologize," she said finally, hand moving to rest on his cheek lightly. "I was trying to protect her, yes, and I did mean them, but you did nothing to really deserve them. She was devastated when you died. And I wished on you the one thing I never wished on anyone. The one thing I never wanted her to feel." A small shake of her head. "Never."

He actually trembled under her fingers. "Just bad timing was all."

An out. He was giving her an out. The woman who had caused him this much pain that he actually tried to avoid her, and now he was just going to pretend to forgive her for it for Aeris's sake.

How could she have ever been so mistaken about him?

"No. It was spiteful and cruel, and I hope that, someday, you'll forgive me for saying such things." Stepping closer, she hugged him, arms tight. She continued to hold him until his hands finally came to rest on her shoulders. "You make her happy. You always have. That should have been enough for me. I am sorry I said those things. You are a good man."

"I thought all I was good for was getting good people killed?" Soft, soft voice.

"I thought so then. I realized different later. If you won't forgive me, then please, for her sake, put up with me. I want her happy, and you make her so. I'll never ask you to visit again unless you wish to, but, this once, tolerate me enough to come in so she won't feel the need to leave too soon."

All of that was mumbled into his shoulder, and there was still silence, neither of them moving, neither of them speaking. Then, slowly, he relaxed in her arms, hand reaching up to rest on the top of her head.

"That hurt more than almost anything else anyone had ever said to me. Only Seph calling me what he did in Nibelheim hurt more, and this was still damn close. I love her. Always did. I never did understand why you would never trust me, not till later. And nothing I did deserved that. At all." He sighed. "I'll try. That's all I can do."

"That's all I can ask," she said, letting go of him. "Come inside now, before Aeris comes out and pouts at us."

The hesitation was still clear, but it was slightly less than before. She wasn't forgiven, and this was the man who had always forgiven everyone he knew. But he was willing to try. Now she just had to prove that she was worth forgiving.

She had her daughter back. She could forgive anything anyone had done. Cloud for taking her. Sephiroth for killing her. Zack for keeping her.

Now, to get him to forgive her for driving him away.

The visit had been a long one, Aeris and her mom had a lot to talk about. During the course of it, Zack had relaxed. Not fully, but some. He really did get why Elmyra had told him the things she had, but five years of hurt didn't just vanish.

It was strange. If the mission had gone normal, if they had all come home all right, Zack would have forgotten what she had said in weeks. But it hadn't. And for years, -years-, he had repeated the conversation in his head, over and over and over. It was one of the freshest memories he had, the most vivid. It gave him something to focus on during the long stretches of nothing that mako tanks caused, when no other memory would stick.

Hurt, real hurt, was rare, and when it did happen, it was always right there. Like a scab on the back of a hand. Right there, noticed every time a person did something. Just waiting to be picked at, pried off, poked at.

Four years, he remembered and planned. It was all he had to do between the pain and trying to keep Cloud awake, a task that got harder and harder. Especially when he started to lose track of things around him, of time and place.

So he had focused, and remembered.

Now, though, he had to let go. Even three years of being dead hadn't helped with that, so he had a feeling it was going to take a while.

The hug he got from Aeris before they climbed onto their borrowed birds, though...

That made it worth it.

Smiling at the others, he looked at Seph. "You're the only one my parents haven't met yet, Seph. Ready to get the third degree?" He grinned. "Actually, if I recall correctly, none of you got the third degree. Too busy saving the world and all that."

Cloud just smiled at him, a soft, happy smile. "I think your mom is going to ignore the third degree of us to hug you back to death." An amused tone of voice. Zack was proud.

"Probably," he agreed, still grinning, relaxing as they started to move. "Then I'll sic them on you." He nodded, setting the bird to a trot. "The idea of them interrogating Seph amuses me. Think I should tell them he stole my virginity?"

"Zackary..."

Seph's growl made him laugh, and Zack let go of the feelings seeing Elmyra had tangled up. Later. He'd sort them later. For now, it was time to just be here, with them, and enjoy their new lives.

"What? It's true. My father will probably demand you marry me."

The swipe at his head made him duck and yelp, laughing already as he urged the bird faster, which it did easily. Seph was right behind him as they rode, intent on swatting Zack upside the head. Trailing them, he could hear Aeris laughing, and could just imagine Cloud's smile.

Being alive, again, was good.

End