This is it! The final chapter! Truthfully, I'm kind of glad it's over. There's so many other stories I want to start, but I can only juggle so many at once. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this, since I can say I certainly enjoyed writing it. The ending is a little...unusual, but fitting, I think.

So sit down, get yerself a cup of tea (or coffee if you prefer) and get readin' already!

Warnings: Is this yaoi, you ask? Of course it is! I write nothing BUT yaoi! For those who are still hopelessly green, yaoi is boys with boys (or in this case, men with men, rawr). The pairing is, or eventually will be, Cid/Vincent. If you don't like that then you either stumbled across this by accident, or you're in some serious denial; whatever the reason, just hit the back button.

Disclaimer: The story is mine, but sadly the characters are not - they belong to Square Enix/Squaresoft, and that Japanese guy whose name I can never remember. I can't prevent it, but please don't steal the fic idea; you can come up with your own. You're welcome to use Rocket Fields, but since it doesn't technically exist in-game, you may want to explain that it's where the Rocket used to be.

Chapter twelve, otherwise named: 'That's all, folks!'

Despite his earlier advice, it was Vincent who found himself struggling for sleep. Instead he lay painfully wide awake, shifting a few times in the hopes of finding a slumber-inducing position, but to no avail. Eventually he gave up trying altogether, and decided to calm his frayed nerves with a hot drink instead. Dislodging himself from Cid - who had successfully fallen asleep, breathing deep and rhythmic - he left the bedroom, padding softly down the hallway. The stairs creaked slightly as he descended them, loud enough to disturb the eerie silence, but he simply shook his head and headed for the kitchen.

...Where he found Shera sat at the table, still fully dressed, although she looked a little worse for wear. Evidently she was having as much luck sleeping as he was, if the dark shadows under her eyes were any indication. Judging by how bloodshot the whites were, he guessed that she had only recently stopped crying.

"Miss Shera?" He whispered, but it was enough to alert the woman to his presence. He approached apprehensively, inwardly stung by her hurt expression, but his conscience was screaming at him to make amends; "I don't know if I have any right to say this, but...I'm sorry."

Shera stared at him for a moment, then finally replied in a tired and broken voice: "Why did you come down here...?"

"I was going to get a drink," He stood awkwardly for a moment or so before turning away, "I'll just head back upstairs-"

"Wait," He stopped and looked back; Shera was trembling, but she met his gaze head-on, "Stay. We'll have one together."

He hesitated, but nodded and headed over to the kettle. An unpleasant silence resumed as they both waited for it to boil, and Vincent felt a deep relief when it was finally ready. He poured two mugs of tea, setting one down in front of Shera before he took a seat opposite her with his own drink.

"...I should've known," Shera said quietly after a long silence, "He was so happy when you came back. I've never seen him that happy before. I should've realised what it meant."

"I'm sorry," Vincent repeated, feeling horribly clumsy and unsure of what else to say, "I'm so sorry. Please understand, we never meant to hurt you."

Shera didn't answer, instead taking a sip of tea. He had to wonder if she really believed him or not.

"How long has it been going on?" She asked at last.

The subject was uncomfortable, but he couldn't very well deny her the knowledge; "Maybe three, four weeks after I first arrived; we kissed, then you called us in our for dinner. Afterwards, I told him we couldn't do it again."

"I remember that...you were both silent over the meal, and Cid was on-edge for days afterwards," Shera nodded, "It makes perfect sense now. But then he suddenly became so cheerful...which was when you agreed to a relationship, right?"

"Right," Vincent confirmed, slightly unnerved by how impassively Shera was reacting to all of this, when he had expected her to be in hysterics, "I'm not quite sure when we crossed the border from friendship to - to more. It just happened...and although I was reluctant because of you and your marriage to Cid, I couldn't bring myself to stop."

"I see," She took another unhurried sip of her drink. He waited for her to say something else, but she didn't, and the silence grew until it was unbearable.

"Miss Shera," He blurted out at last, "Forgive me for asking, but aren't you angry, or upset, or...?"

"Angry, no. Upset, yes. Very much so. But I don't think I have any tears left to cry."

For some reason, those words hurt him the most.

"I've thought about it a lot..." Another sip. He would've been less uncomfortable if she'd been screaming or sobbing at him, "And I have a question to ask you."

He felt icy dread soak through him at what it could be. She stared straight into his eyes, almost past his eyes, as if searching for any hint of a lie:

"Do you love him?"

He blinked, having not expected that. But he couldn't answer with anything but the truth: "...I believe so, yes."

"That's alright then," She set her mug down on the table; he was puzzled as to what she was doing until he realised that she had just taken her wedding ring off.

"Here," She said, and slid it across the table towards him, "I want you to have it...I think Cid would rather see it on your finger, not mine."

He stared wordlessly at the ring in utter shock for a moment, before finally lifting his head to look at the woman seated opposite; "Miss Shera, I can't accept this."

"Take it. Please." At that last word she seemed to choke up, her voice struggling to stay even when she next spoke, "Just...just make him happy, okay? That's all I want. To see him happy."

He slowly reached out for the ring, but hesitated before touching it; "You're sure?"

"I'm sure," She nodded once before standing up, "I'm going out for a walk...the fresh air should do me some good. It's almost morning, so Cid will be up soon," She paused, then added: "Cid likes a cup of tea waiting for him every morning - three sugars, not too much milk. He has to get up pretty early to get all the airship maintenance done, though, so I'm sure he won't mind making it for himself while you sleep in."

"Airship maintenance...?" The meaning of her words suddenly dawned on him, "...Thank you, Miss Shera."

She smiled: "Just 'Shera' will do fine, Vincent."

He was waiting at the kitchen table when Cid finally came downstairs, and gestured towards a freshly-brewed mug of tea. The pilot was, of course, happy to accept, and seemed surprised after the first sip.

"Three sugars...how'd you know?"

"...Shera told me, just this morning."

Cid blinked; "Eh?"

"We talked. Then she went out for some fresh air not long ago," The ex-Turk told him before opening out his right hand, in which was clutched a single golden ring, "She gave me this."

Cid was quiet for a moment, before saying: "...Do you want it?"

"Want it?"

"You know...to wear it."

His lips quirked slightly at what Cid was actually trying to say; "...Cid, this has to be the most unromantic marriage proposal ever."

"I don't do romance, Vampy, you know that."

"Same as ever, I see," Vincent murmured, "Very well, I'll accept on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You return to your airship."

Cid almost choked on his tea; "What?!"

"You heard," He stared at the pilot squarely, unblinkingly, "You belong in the sky, Cid. And if I'm not mistaken, Shera thinks so as well. So...will you do it?"

"#!£&, I sure as hell 'aint saying no," Cid scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "And you'll be with me?"

Vincent raised his hand, and slipped the simple ring onto his finger before Cid's eyes; "Always."

Shera stood in the fields, the tall grass and wildflowers brushing against her knees, untamed in the two years since the Rocket launched. The sun had risen now, and the town residents would soon be awake...she glanced back at her house, knowing she had to go back, but not quite ready yet.

She knew that Cid and Vincent would remain together.

She knew that Cid would return to his airship and sail the skies.

She knew that she might never see the captain again.

But that was okay. She would live with that, start afresh. Maybe find someone else with the same warmth, the same smile...it wouldn't be easy, or painless, but if nothing else, Cid had taught her about determination.

After all... She thought, and lifted her head so the wind would whip away her tears, If you truly love something...you'll let it go.

-END-