Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This story is mine as are Leng, Urley, and McCallister.

Final chapter! Huzzah! Musical muse for this chapter, particularly near the end of it, is "You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. No affiliation! Also, some inside jokes from my other LeonxTifa stories snuck in there: the couch, the jeep, etc. It couldn't be avoided, haha. Enjoy!

..:-X-:..

Chapter Twelve: Phoenix

"It's been two days since they woke up." Riku complained. "If they're perfectly healthy and stable, why can't we see them?"

Dr. Leng sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she faced Riku and the Restoration Committee, who were understandably and rightfully exasperated from being kept apart from their friends for so long. "I'm sorry. This has been an immense mental and emotional strain on them all. I've explained already that four years passed for them in this…Stasis…" She said the word disapprovingly. "Keeping them isolated is just giving them time to adjust to the fact that you all are alive and the events of the past four years did not actually happen."

"Are they okay?" Aerith asked trepidly. "I mean…Will they be okay?"

"Of course they will be." Cid snorted, his brave face on flawlessly. "This is Leon and Tifa we're talking about…and Kairi and Sora have proved that they're not pushovers…And McCallister is Leon's top intern. They're all gonna be fine, right, doc?"

Dr. Leng nodded, glad to have at least one set of eyes not locked on her helplessly. Around 36 hours ago, Dr. Urley had called Merlin into a confidential consult on Sora's condition. Kya couldn't believe it, but while Kairi, Leon, Tifa, and McCallister had all come forward with talk of four years spent in a simulated reality, with the Fractured Circle, a bombing attack, and all else Hell, Sora didn't even remember the attack that put them in Stasis.

After a battery of tests and evaluations, the head of neurology had come to the conclusion that Sora had true blue amnesia…or that his mind was forcibly blocking the memories from his consciousness. His mind had been tampered with enough in his lifetime. As soon as THAT was made knowledge, Kairi had immediately jumped on the idea of having Merlin mimic the memory wipe on her…She said that it was too much to bear to remember that Hell…Though not Leon, Tifa, nor McCallister had come forward for a memory wipe.

"When can we see them?" Yuffie asked.

Dr. Leng hated telling them no. She could see how concerned they were. "I'll see what I can do."

..:-X-:..

Tifa could see Radiant Garden throwing a party from the window. She had taken a shower, changed into fresh clothes, and was currently trying to keep down the soup that an orderly had brought in for her and the others. She could see the Allied Headquarter Building on Radiant Garden's skyline.

It was too much for her to wrap her mind around. Four years…never happened.

She nibbled on her fingernail absently and glanced over to McCallister, who hadn't spoken a word since they stabilized in the observation room. The shower had stopped in the adjacent room, and Tifa could hear Leon moving around, getting dressed. She could remember everything from Stasis—they were calling it that apparently—but Sora didn't…and if that wasn't fucked up enough, Kairi was opting to have her own memory wiped in kind.

Tifa couldn't bring herself to do that. Sure, most of her time in Stasis had been horrible…but if she lost all her memories of becoming friends with Leon and…and everything else…It hurt to think about.

"May I come in?" Dr. Leng asked from the door leading from the observation room to their private room.

"Of course." Tifa said, happy for the distraction from her mulling.

The head of cardiology opened the door and stepped inside, smiling softly as she closed the door after herself. "You'll be happy to hear that your friends are all up in arms for this isolation thing."

"Then let us out." Leon remarked, stepping out of the wash room in different clothes, his hair still plastered to his skull from the shower.

McCallister said nothing.

"Fine." Dr. Leng replied.

Both Leon and Tifa looked at the doctor, then at each other, and back to Dr. Leng.

"Seriously?" Tifa asked.

"You three have passed the tests across the board." Dr. Leng stated. "Given your current conditions and mental states, I believe that you're adjusted enough to go back to the real world."

"God, I know I am." Leon shook his head.

Tifa paused. "Are the others…out there?"

Dr. Leng nodded once slowly. "Yes, they are. All of them."

Leon met her eyes when she looked at him again. Four years of trying to move past their friends' deaths, and now they were suddenly alive again…probably just on the other side of the door into the hallway…Tifa found herself overjoyed and terrified at the prospect. She stood and stretched. Waiting in this room wasn't going to make it any easier…alone with her thoughts was scarier.

"Then let's go." She smiled tiredly.

McCallister looked to Dr. Leng. "Where is Sora?"

Tifa paused and looked to Dr. Leng. Leon beat her to her addition of: "And Kairi."

Dr. Leng's smile faltered for the first time in two days. "Sora is in the next room with Riku. He doesn't remember anything, so I allowed Riku to see him already. Kairi is with Merlin."

"Having all of this erased." McCallister looked almost angry. "As if it was that easy."

"Tabaeus…" Dr. Leng started.

"I want to see him." McCallister said firmly. "I deserve to talk to him."

Dr. Leng looked to Leon and Tifa for help, but the two of them agreed with the soldier. Even if Sora didn't remember anything, McCallister needed some closure.

"I'm going to see the others." Tifa interrupted what was about to become an awkward silence.

Dr. Leng nodded, "All right. Just through that door."

Tifa bobbed her head and had taken two steps when Leon's hand at her elbow stopped her.

"Wait." He abruptly pulled her close and kissed her full on the mouth.

Tifa momentarily froze with surprise, but then her eyes drifted closed with the kiss. She leaned into it and almost heard Dr. Leng's eyebrows lift.

"Whether it actually happened or not," Leon said quietly, "The past four years were real."

Tifa looked at him and a small smile took over her mouth. "Ditto." She glanced at the door, "You coming?"

"Right behind you." Leon gestured and looked to the soldier. "McCallister?"

The private's jaw flexed and she shook her head, "I'm going to see Sora first."

"Fair enough." Leon inclined his head and followed Tifa to the hallway door.

Composing herself, Tifa winked at Dr. Leng, unable to stop smiling. This was it. It was over. They were back. They were safe. They were all together now. She opened the door and they walked out.

Most of the hallway had been blocked off—from the media and newsreporters, she'd been told. Aerith, Cloud, Cid, Yuffie, and Merlin were in the hallway, looking at the end of their ropes…and alive. Tifa felt tears hit her eyes just at seeing them all. By the sharp intake of breath behind her, Leon was experiencing the same feeling…sans the tears of course…but, boy, if there was ever a time to cry…

Yuffie saw them first and shot to her feet from her seat. Aerith looked at Yuffie's reaction and then followed her eyes, seeing Tifa and Leon. Soon Cid, Cloud, and Merlin looked over as well. For a moment, the terror filled Tifa again—Geez, happy, sad, scared, happy, sad, scared, what was wrong with her?—and then Aerith broke forward, breaking the spell that had gripped them.

"Thank Kingdom Hearts." Aerith reached them, throwing one arm around each of their necks and pulling them close.

And just like that, the terror was gone. Tifa closed her eyes and moved one arm around the other woman. She could smell Aerith's perfume. She had forgotten about that perfume. Tears scalded her eyes and Tifa didn't fight them. For once, the tears didn't embarrass her. Besides, Aerith was crying even harder.

"Squall!" Yuffie launched herself at Leon, nearly tackling him to the floor. "Don't you ever, ever, EVER do that again!" She said, her words slightly garbled as she pressed her cheek to his chest.

Leon staggered slightly under the attack, but under the circumstances, he didn't correct her about his name. This fact wasn't overlooked by Aerith, who smiled through her tears at him as she pulled away from Tifa. Cid offered a lopsided grin and gave a little wave to Tifa. She smiled at the gesture.

"Welcome back." Cid patted her arm. "Sleeping beauty, eh?"

Tifa wiped at her eyes. "Something like that."

Then Yuffie bounced off of Leon and jumped on Tifa.

"And you…don't ever, ever, EVER do that again either!" The younger woman squeaked.

Cid handed Aerith a tissue—one of many, Tifa presumed—and clapped Leon on the shoulder. Yuffie swung Tifa in a happy circle before detaching and laughing as Aerith hugged Leon again, and Leon didn't complain.

Tifa turned and saw Cloud loitering on the fringe of the happy reunion. The door that she'd carefully locked and barricaded to contain the well of emotions burst open and threatened to drown her where she stood. She glanced back and saw Cid cave and give Leon a gruff Man Hug before stepping away from him.

She looked to Cloud again. "Hey."

He looked awkward for a whole half second, standing arms' length from her. Then he stepped forward and abruptly and uncharacteristically pulled her into an embrace. Tifa started in surprise at the gesture but almost immediately returned the embrace.

"Hey." He finally replied, not letting her go.

His voice was close and she could feel his breath on her neck. He was breathing and he was alive, just like the others. They were all okay. Dr. Leng had told them over and over again, but this was real, tangible. Alive.

"I missed you." She said, withdrawing and wiping at her eyes. "All of you." She added.

"Same here." Yuffie chirped, smiling ear to ear.

"I'm sorry we couldn't wake you up sooner." Cloud remarked quietly.

Tifa lifted a hand, "Don't do that. It wasn't…Nobody's fault."

Cid straightened, "All right. Enough of the hug fest." He glanced down the hall. "I assume Leng and Urley have let you off the hook?"

Tifa and Leon exchanged a look and then both glanced back. McCallister had disappeared. That was troubling, but Tifa couldn't find it in her to worry right now. She had been worried and upset and concerned for four years…She was going to enjoy this moment without worry.

"I guess so." Leon remarked, looking to Tifa for a long moment before looking to the others.

Aerith caught the look and her lips turned into a mischievous grin.

"Then we're all going for drinks." Cid declared. "The rest of Radiant Garden is partying it up tonight. Drinks are on me."

Aerith lifted a hand, "Cid, I'm not sure if alcohol is really a good—"

"Hell, they've earned it." Cid waved her off. "Sora and Kairi are fine. McCallister's…on her feet…I think a drink is the perfect way to cap off this week…Unless you don't want to?" He smirked.

Tifa heard the challenge in his voice. "You're buying?"

He nodded and Leon exchanged a look with her. "We're in."

..:-X-:..

Tabaeus stood on the outside of the private room door, on the other side of which were Sora, Kairi, and Riku. Her breathing felt constricted and her palms were sweating. This was it. This was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew she needed to do it…no matter how stupid it seemed.

She managed two timid knocks before abruptly stopping. A beat passed.

"Come in." It wasn't Sora and it wasn't Kairi, so she figured Riku had been the one to speak.

Taking a second to compose herself, she slowly opened the door. The three of them were sitting in the room alone, and she felt immensely intrusive for this…What was the point? Sora didn't remember her, Kairi had had her memory modified, and Riku didn't even know who she was.

"You're Private McCallister." The silver haired young man greeted her.

Tabaeus came back to herself and blinked, "Y-yes."

Sora and Kairi both just looked at her.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked.

"No…but…I'm getting there." She offered, hands fidgeting. She looked to Sora and Kairi. "Hi."

"Hello." Kairi offered a small smile.

Sora looked at her with eyes so innocent that she nearly teared up again. "Hey."

"I…I was in…I was in the headquarter building with you when…when the bomb went off." She tried to keep her voice under control.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Sora asked.

It was the first and only time she had ever heard him ask her that, and she nearly crumbled all over again. Instead, she swallowed hard and continued.

"I just…wanted to wish you well…I hear you're going home." She managed.

"Yeah, apparently we were all knocked out for a whole week." Sora laughed, "It's so weird."

Coming here had been a mistake. Tabaeus could feel her resolve crumbling.

"Yeah…I'm sorry. I have to go. I'm so sorry." She walked back to the door. "Good bye."

As she slipped out, Riku closed the door after her and looked back to his friends. "She was pretty upset; she must have been worried about you…Are you guys close to her?"

Kairi and Sora exchanged looks and then Sora shrugged. "I've never met her before."

..:-X-:..

After three rounds, Yuffie was drunk—which Leon didn't quite approve of but figured she had earned—and Cid kept ordering more rounds for the whole bar. The entire Restoration Committee was in the bar, and while everybody in the bar was celebrating, drinking, and dancing, Leon found himself sitting at the end of the bar, watching the display and nursing a lone beer.

Tifa sat next to him, slightly more buzzed than he was, but not enough to join in the festivities of Yuffie pulling Aerith into dancing. Cid was flirting with the curvy female bartender, and Cloud was…somewhere. All was right with the world.

"So what now?" Tifa spoke first.

Leon looked at her and gave a one-shouldered shrug. "We start again."

She narrowed one eye at him and then held a hand out. "Hi, I'm Tifa."

He smirked. "Not that far back." He glanced to the others enjoying themselves. "I was thinking more along the lines of where you and I go from here."

She snorted, "Right…We shared a life in the simulation. Shared an apartment. Had offices practically connected. Your dog almost listened when I gave her commands." She grinned back him, "But I still have my couch."

That almost got a smile from him, but he choked it back. "That's not going in our new apartment."

Tifa looked sideways at him at that. "Our NEW apartment?"

He shrugged again. "I know a guy who knows a guy. It's our old place…We just haven't lived there yet."

She blinked at him and suddenly grew serious. "We're just going to relive our greatest hits?"

He took a short drink of the beer. "I was thinking we could just see where things go."

"Sounds like you're asking me out." She smirked, but went serious again. "Just because it was…will be…might have been—our apartment…That doesn't make it home."

Leon looked at her and set down the beer. He and Tifa had gone through Hell and back together. The fact that the rest of the world didn't recognize those four imaginary years didn't matter. He remembered. Tifa remembered. God help McCallister, but she remembered. Sora and Kairi had gotten free of the madness, and while he envied some aspects of that…

"We'll have to find my jeep too." She snickered. "If we're going to relive the greatest hits." She shrugged. "If we're going to make the apartment home again."

He paused and glanced around the bar. Yuffie, Cid, Aerith…even Cloud…The fact that suddenly things had gone from horribly wrong to just peachy…even perfect…was almost too much to handle. He was glad she remembered…Gave him somebody to commiserate with, he thought dryly.

"Wherever you are is home." He murmured under his breath.

Tifa looked at him, shook her head, and chuckled.

He looked at her. "What?"

"Leon…I spent the last year in the simulation trying to stay mad at you, and not four days back in the real world and you're…wooing me." She smirked.

They looked at each other for a moment.

"Wooing?" Leon repeated. "What are you, medieval?"

"I'm just saying." She shrugged, "It's cute."

He mock-frowned, "I'm not cute."

She smiled and moved her hand to his collar. "Shut up." She tugged him closer and kissed him.

Leon tilted his head and deepened the kiss tentatively. She followed the first kiss with a shorter one before withdrawing. There hadn't been time to talk to the others. Not that he really wanted to at this point, not about the other reality, Stasis, or whatever the medical professionals were calling it. So he was sure this display of affection was utterly perplexing to the Restoration Committee…Hell, it was perplexing to him too…and by the soft look on Tifa's face, it was the same for her.

"You want to get out of here?" He prompted.

She blinked and glanced toward the others. "Four years trying to get back to them and now you want to walk out?"

Leon looked to the rest of the Restoration Committee. "We've got tomorrow."

She snickered at that logic and stood from her seat. "Let's go."

He stood and followed her to the back of the bar, leaving the others to their party. Sora and Kairi were back to Destiny Islands by now. The madman who had masterminded this whole mess was facing life in prison. He and Tifa were okay. And McCallister—

"McCallister." Tifa said, looking sideways as they stepped out into the night air.

Leon followed her gaze to see the soldier sitting on a crate against the wall of the bar. She looked up abruptly at being addressed and furiously wiped at her eyes, getting to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I—Don't know what I was—" She stammered.

Tifa looked from McCallister to Leon and he exhaled.

"You knew he wouldn't remember." He said quietly.

The soldier's shoulders quivered lightly and she looked away. "I know."

Leon eyed her for a moment. He had seen Tabaeus McCallister put up with a lot, but it looked like she had reached her limit. She spent four years catering to Sora's every whim, and now he didn't even know who she was. Or what he had become. What he had done. The only upside to that kind of psychological trauma was that now she would be back under a capable superior officer: him. And he would make damn sure of that.

"I'm okay." She waved them off. "I'm fine. It's just…a lot to adjust to." She looked embarrassed. "I'm…I'm going to go home now." She paused. "Shit…I don't—my apartment doesn't exist."

Tifa suddenly snorted and both Leon and McCallister looked at her like she was crazy.

"I—" Tifa tried to stifle the smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, it's just…Listen to yourself. Your apartment doesn't exist."

From the look on McCallister's face, the soldier failed to see the humor there.

"Tifa—" Leon started.

"My bar in Thebes doesn't exist." She went on, giggling in earnest now. "You—your office doesn't exist."

A grin tugged at Leon's mouth. "Neither does yours."

McCallister spotted the smirk. "Are you two insane?"

"Four years…YEARS…in one week." Tifa started laughing and Leon grinned helplessly at her. "Kairi married some guy who doesn't even exist…Sora turned into a monster…and he doesn't even REMEMBER!"

McCallister lifted her hand to her mouth as a short laugh escaped. "That is so messed up."

Leon shook his head, looking back toward the bar. It was late by then, and he could almost hear Yuffie on the karaoke. He felt guilty for leaving, but in all actuality, the past week had been exhausting, and he was looking forward to just…sleeping. Tifa and McCallister's giggles slowly faded away and McCallister wiped her eyes again.

"I've requested a leave of absence." The soldier said quietly. "The Council gave it to me."

He eyed her for a moment. "Whatever you have to do."

She swallowed, bobbed her head once, and half turned. "I hope—Good luck, sir, ma'am."

Tifa nodded, "See you around, Tabaeus."

As the private walked away, Leon tilted his head and Tifa mimicked him.

"We'll be lucky to ever see her again after this." She remarked.

Leon exhaled and look to Tifa. "She'll be fine."

Tifa looked skeptical. "You really think so?" She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know how anybody can really be 'fine' after what we've been through."

Her gaze slid to him and Leon shrugged. There wasn't really anything left to say at this point. Without saying anything, they both started walking again.

"I mean…what was the purpose of all this?" She went on after a moment. "The bombing, the simulation, the hallucinogens. It probably took years to set this up and one week later…It's over. It just seems so…pointless."

Leon snorted. "The guy was insane. We'll never understand what he was trying to do."

Tifa lifted an eyebrow, "You are either lying or are the most well-adjusted person on the planet."

He glanced around the residential district of Radiant Garden as they walked. "We adjusted once. We'll adjust again." He lifted one shoulder. "It can only be uphill from here."

"That sounds dangerously close to optimism." She snickered at him, but the distant look in her eyes lingered.

He eyed the Radiant Garden skyline and exhaled in relief. There would be time to analyze and question and explain to the others, but for now…The silence was enough.

"I don't know where to go from here." Tifa said softly after a moment of quiet walking.

Leon titled his head and looked at her. "Let's go home."

..:-X-:..

A/N: FIN! Hallelujah. Thus concludeth the Mercy Trilogy. Thanks to all the readers who stuck with this story through Ask Mercy Not of Me then Lay Down the Salt Lines, and finally Silver Bullet to the Heart. As always, constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!