An hour after Cloud, Tifa, and Barret left, Lailah woke up. She had fallen asleep once her mother helped her back to bed. Now, she was wide awake even though she was still weak from the blood loss. She wanted to go outside to see the flowers and get some fresh air. Hearing a knock on the door, Lailah said, "Come in."

The door opened. Elmyra and Laurel entered the room. Her mother carried a change of clothes while her host had a tray of food with her.

"How are you feeling?" Elmyra asked.

"The pain is bearable and I do feel lightheaded," Lailah answered honestly. "But that's it."

"I've made you some soup." The woman put the tray on the nightstand. "There's also some water and a slice of bread. Don't force yourself to eat if you're not hungry, though."

"Thank you, Elmyra. I am a little hungry."

She sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."

Laurel put the clothes on the stool. "I've brought you a fresh set of clothes. Seeing as your current attire is bloodied and torn, I figured it was time for a new outfit."

Lailah knew her mother's taste in clothing was good and was looking forward to seeing what she had chosen for her. "Thanks, mom."

Elmyra sat on the edge of the bed, smiling at the girl. "You overheard our conversation earlier, didn't you?"

The snowy-haired girl nodded. "I did. Aerith and I were friends when we were little before Tellus was destroyed. Now those visions at the train graveyard make sense..."

"I didn't realize you two had forgotten each other. It's understandable considering you both were so young. But now, I can thank you properly for being her friend. Even when you didn't remember her, you still found each other and became friends again. Thank you, Lailah."

"I do hope to see her again soon."

Elmyra smiled. "Me too." Deciding to give Laurel some private time with her daughter, she left.

The ivory-haired woman sat in the spot Elmyra once was. "It looks like you've been on quite an adventure since you came to Midgar."

Lailah smiled. "I have. Even though it's been dangerous, it is nice to be back with old friends."

Laurel's smile morphed into a smirk. "And you've got a boyfriend."

The girl groaned. "Goddess, mom..." She realized what she said and groaned a second time. "Oh, right." Her mother was the goddess Gaia herself.

The woman laughed. "I'm just happy you've found someone." She leaned forward, placing her lips on her forehead and leaving a kiss behind. "I'm going to check on Marlene. You should eat and change. If you need anything, I'll be in the next room."

Once Laurel left, Lailah ate the food prepared by Elmyra. She ate every bite before changing into the clothes her mother brought.

As she peeled off her old outfit, she saw the bandages wrapped around her abdomen. Curious, she slowly removed the bandages and saw the wound. Seeing the extent of the damage made her grimace. Holding a palm over where she was impaled, she focused on healing the skin. Alas, she was only able to heal a little bit of it before she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

Deciding she would need to wait a little longer to heal herself completely, she took the spare bandages left on the dresser and wrapped them back around her abdomen. Now, she was ready to get back to changing her clothes.

After tightening the band around her waist, she put on the spandex black shorts that would be hidden by the skirt. She then strapped on the black closed-toe kitten heels and then moved on to her hair. She combed it and decided to leave it down for the time being.

Wanting some fresh air, she left the room. When she closed the door behind her, she was startled at seeing Marlene standing by the door. She hadn't spoken to the little girl before. Seeing Laurel was nowhere in sight, she wondered why the little girl was up and about. "Hi." She squatted down to Marlene's level. "Did you need something, sweetie?"

"The nice lady who was taking care of me said you were hurt," Marlene said, fiddling with her thumbs. "Are you okay?"

Lailah smiled gently. "I'm feeling much better. How about we go look at the pretty flowers?"

"Yeah!"

The shapeshifter took the little girl's hand and escorted her outside. The moment they were outside, Marlene let go of Lailah's hand and ran ahead while giggling. She ran around and admired all the flowers.

Lailah sat down on the hill with white flowers and watched Marlene have fun.

A few minutes passed before Laurel joined them. She sat beside her daughter with a peaceful sigh. "You seem to be doing better already. Have you tried healing yourself?"

"I have, but it wasn't enough. I'm still too weak to heal all of it," Lailah replied.

"Don't push yourself, sweetheart."

A silence befell them for a short while.

It wasn't until a question came to Lailah's mind did the silence end. "You knew I was in Nibelheim. Did you know I went back to Tellus?"

The woman nodded sorrowfully. "I did, but I decided to let you go. You were young, but you were so mature. You left Nibelheim to improve yourself for the sake of your friends. You wanted to protect them and I didn't want to ruin that for you. I know it may have been a heartless decision to have done nothing, but I thought it would have been best for you if I kept away for a while longer. I'm sorry for not coming to see you sooner, sweetheart. You had a life with caring friends. I...felt like I wasn't needed."

She grabbed her mother's hand. "No matter how my life goes, you'll always have a place, Mom. I love you. You don't know just how happy I was when I heard you were alive. I may have lost Dad, but I still have you."

Laurel felt tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. She leaned her head against her daughter's. "I love you too, darling. I'm glad I didn't lose you."

A few minutes ticked by before Marlene ran up to the mother and daughter. She approached Lailah and placed a blue flower in her hair. The little girl giggled with a bright smile. "I knew blue would look great!"

"Really?" Lailah smiled. She plucked a white flower growing near her and slid it into Marlene's hair. "I think white suits you. I bet every flower growing here would look amazing on you, Marlene."

The little girl giggled. "Could you help me pick some flowers for Daddy?"

"Of course."

The girl stood up and helped Marlene pick all kinds of flowers.

Laurel watched with a smile as her daughter and the little girl were having fun picking flowers. Hearing footsteps, she saw Elmyra had joined her. On her face was a worried and sorrow look. "You're going to worry yourself to death, Elly."

Elmyra sighed heavily. "I...I just want to see my baby girl."

The emerald-eyed woman looked away melancholically. "I know you miss Aerith and fear what would happen to her if the others were to get involved. But perhaps it would be best to send them after her."

"No," Elmyra shook her head. "Shinra is after Lailah too. If that boy goes after Aerith, I know she will follow him. What if she gets captured? Then both of our daughters will be taken from us."

"Although I do not trust Shinra, I do believe in Cloud. He wouldn't let them take her."

Elmyra was silent for a few seconds before she said, "I... No, I can't risk it. I won't let your daughter risk her life for Aerith. You two were just reunited after so many years."

Laurel nudged her shoulder against Elmyra's. "Lailah is a strong girl, much stronger than me I have to say. She's done what her siblings couldn't. It is because of that strength she was able to survive the destruction of Tellus. Just think about it, Elly."

Elmyra sighed. "I will." She returned to the house.

Laurel watched her friend leave before turning to look for Lailah and Marlene. She found them sitting by a bed of flowers with a bouquet. She smiled at seeing how well the two were getting along.

Lailah held the bouquet. "Now that we have the flowers, how about we ask Elmyra for a vase? If we put them in some water, they'll last even longer."

Marlene nodded. "Yeah!"

Lailah went to escort the little girl back inside but stopped when she saw her mother wasn't following them. "Mom?"

Laurel hummed in response. "Hmm?"

"Are you coming with us?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to stay out here for a little while longer. The breeze is very pleasant."

The girl felt anxiety bubbling up inside her. "You're not...?" She couldn't even finish the question.

Laurel smiled, knowing what she wanted to ask. "I won't disappear, I promise. I will never leave again without telling you, sweetie."

"Okay." Lailah felt relieved. "We'll be inside if you need us."

Back inside the house, Marlene got a vase from Elmyra and put the flowers in it. The little girl put it nicely on the table. She sat in one of the chairs and eagerly waited for her father to return.

Lailah wanted to do something else before deciding to rest again. "Are there any seeds I could borrow, Elmyra?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. There are plenty of seeds, pots, and potting mix on the balcony upstairs. Knowing Aerith, I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing it with you, Lailah. Just don't push yourself, all right?"

"I won't. Thank you, Elmyra."

The shapeshifter headed to the balcony on the third floor. She found the seeds, pots, and potting mix Elmyra told her about and got to work. She sat with her knees tucked underneath her and picked out the seeds she wanted to grow.

One by one, she planted seeds in different pots. Using just a smidge of her powers, she helped the seeds bloom into sprouts. She lined up the pots in front of her, admiring the sprouts.

At the sound of the door opening, she lifted her head. It was only opened a crack, but it was just enough room for a cat to slip through. She gasped when she recognized the feline. "Poncho!"

With a meow, Poncho jumped into the girl's arm and snuggled into her chest.

She hugged him gently, trailing her fingers through his fur. "I'm glad you're okay." The door opened more to reveal Cloud. She smiled at him. "Thank you for finding Poncho, Cloud. How... How was it back in Sector 7?"

"Not good," he said, sitting down on the floor next to her.

"Did anything happen?" When he didn't respond right away and immediately looked away, she knew something was wrong. "Cloud?"

The ex-SOLDIER propped his knee up and rested his arm on it with a heavy sigh. "We found an underground Shinra lab where they've done human testing. We...also found some documents mentioning you."

Her brows furrowed together. "About me?"

"It looks like Shinra's planning on handing you over to that bastard Hojo if they ever got their hands on you."

She wasn't familiar with the name, but she figured he was with how spiteful he was. "Did these documents tell exactly why they want me? There has to be some specific reason besides the fact that I'm a descendant of Gaia."

Cloud clenched his hands into tight fists. "They plan on using you as a mako battery for one of their newest weapons."

Lailah continued to pet Poncho. She wasn't surprised at all. When the cat had enough, she released him and wondered what she could say to change the subject. Her train of thought was derailed when he grabbed her hand. She looked at the hand he grabbed before her eyes traveled up to lock with his.

"I won't let that happen," Cloud declared, staring into her golden eyes.

She felt his emotions from his touch and saw them in his eyes. She threaded their fingers together with a smile. "I guess Biggs was right. You are my knight in shining armor. Thank you, Cloud."

He perked up at seeing the gleam of endearment in her eyes. While he was slightly embarrassed at being called a "knight in shining armor," he was more captivated by her loving smile. He found himself leaning forward before he knew it but froze when a knock came from the door.

Lailah and Cloud looked to the door to see Laurel standing there. The woman smiled apologetically at the couple. "Sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to tell you that Wedge will be fine."

The girl's eyes widen and she looked toward the ex-SOLDIER. "You guys were able to find Wedge?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but he was in pretty bad shape."

"You all made it just in time," Laurel commented. "If you had been a minute later, I couldn't guarantee he would've made it through the night. However, I expect him to make a full recovery soon."

"As long as he's okay," Lailah said.

The woman placed a hand on her hip. "You should be in bed too, little lady. You're not fully recovered yourself."

"I know, but I wanted to plant a few seeds before heading back to bed. I'll go back now." She stood up followed by Cloud. Seeing he was going to go back inside, she said, "You can stay out here longer if you'd like. The breeze is nice."

Before Cloud could respond, Laurel spoke up with a knowing smirk. "He's just worried about you, sweetheart. Watching him follow you around with that worried look makes me smile. It's so cute!"

Cloud grew stiff at the woman's words.

Lailah groaned in disbelief. "Mom, don't embarrass him."

The woman laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself. You two remind me of myself and Silas when we were younger."

The girl, noticing how stiff Cloud was, took his hand and tugged him down the stairs to the second floor. She pulled him into the spare room and closed the door behind them. Sighing, she released his hand. "Sorry about that. You know how mothers are."

Cloud couldn't look at her out of embarrassment at what Laurel said. "Yeah."

She forced out a chuckle. "S-Seriously, just ignore her. She loved teasing Dad the same way." She walked over to the bed when she saw Poncho had snuck into the room with them. He was laying comfortably on the sheets. She sat down by the cat and stroked his back. She wondered what she could say to alleviate the awkwardness.

"I should get some rest too," he said before she could come up with a good conversation topic.

She stopped petting Poncho and jumped to her feet when she saw he was heading toward the door. "You're not going to sleep out in the hallway, are you?"

"That was the plan," he replied.

She placed a hand on her hip with a sigh. "You don't seriously think I'm going to let you sleep in the hallway, do you?"

"But..."

"No buts!" She grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and a spare blanket from the dresser. Fortunately, there was a couch in the room that would be a good place for him to sleep. She placed the spare blanket and pillow on the couch before casting a warm smile in his direction. "I promise, I don't have any contagious disease so you don't have to avoid me."

"I didn't mean..." He sighed and dismissed the idea of sleeping in the hallway. "You win."

"Great!" she laughed. "There's no need to be on guard tonight. You deserve some rest after today, and I know there's no way you'll get any if you're out in that hallway all night. So just take it easy tonight, okay?"

Cloud felt a sense of warmth wash over him from her sweet and kind tone. He stared at her lovingly for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing. He quickly looked away. "All right."

She didn't know how terrible it was to venture into the underground Shinra lab and wondered if she could do anything for him. "Is there anything I can do for you? Maybe I could go get you a—"

"Lailah." He grabbed her hands and gently pushed her down to sit on the edge of the bed. Not letting go of her hands, he kneels in front of her.

She searched his mako-infused eyes. "What?"

"I'm fine. I'm not the one who was..." Images of her battered and bloodied body resurfaced in his mind. He remembered feeling her cold body and peering into her lifeless face when her heart stopped. "Just get some rest."

She caught a glimpse of the horror in his eyes but dismissed it when he let go of her hands. "Okay. I hope you can get some rest, Cloud."

"Me too," he mumbled.

○◦───•❃°•°❀°•°❃•───◦○

In the middle of the night, Cloud was startled awake by a nightmare. His eyes flew open and a sharp gasp came from his throat. Turning his head, he looked over at the bed to see it was empty. Not even Poncho was curled up on it.

Wondering where Lailah went, he got off the couch and left the room. The first place he went was the third-floor balcony. He didn't find her tending to the flowers she grew earlier, but he did spot her out in the garden. He left the house to join her.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" He asked, startling her.

She tensed when realizing she was caught. "Um..." She then tried to deflect the question back at him. "A-Aren't you supposed to be resting too?"

Cloud gazed down at the ground. "A nightmare woke me up."

"Ah," she hummed. "It must have been pretty bad if it woke you up. Could you tell me what it was about?"

He lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. "Laurel wasn't able to restart your heart and you bled out on the table."

Of course, Lailah was aware her heart stopped earlier. If her mother hadn't been there, she probably wouldn't have been revived. She had heard and seen her father when she died for a few seconds. She didn't get to tell him anything before she was revived. Placing a hand over her beating heart, she was grateful for her mother bringing her back.

While wondering what to say to Cloud, she noticed him clenching his fists tightly by his sides. She also caught a glimpse of the fear in his eyes. Although she did not regret protecting him and the others, she couldn't dismiss the guilt she was feeling for making him experience such horror. Gently, she took his clenched fists in her smaller hands and gazed into his eyes. "I'm here, Cloud."

Slowly, his hands unfurled. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes, he gripped her hands in a desperate need to know she truly was alive and not some figment of his imagination. Losing her for a few seconds was unbearable. He couldn't imagine losing her forever.

When he released her hands, she wound her arms around his torso. She hugged him, knowing he needed more than holding hands. She buried her face into his chest when his arms wrapped around her smaller frame.

Cloud nuzzled his nose against the top of her head. He opened his eyes and embraced her tighter when a chilly breeze blew past them.

Their hug lasted for a few more minutes.

Lailah only pulled away after remembering what her mother told her before she left the house earlier. With an excited smile, she wandered over to the bridge near the stairs leading to the tunnel. She peered over the railing at the water below before leaping over it.

"Hey!" Cloud shouted, running over to the bridge. He leaned over the railing to see the girl standing on the water's surface. He was in awe at the sight. Eyes wide, he watched her closely as she walked a little ways away from the bridge.

She smiled up at him. "Do you remember that puppy we found in Nibelheim when we were kids?"

He nodded, curious as to what she was getting at. "Yeah."

She held out her hand and used a little bit of mana to manipulate the water. Trying what her mother taught her, she was able to recreate an image of the puppy she and Cloud found when they were children out of the water. She manipulated the water, making sure it kept its shape as it ran across the water's surface. The dog barked, running around her.

Cloud couldn't believe what he was seeing. The moment the water-made dog jumped onto dry and dashed over to him, he kneeled to touch it. He held out his hand and the puppy licked his fingers. He could feel the coolness of the water. The puppy barked and then proceeded to return to the water. When its body collided with the surface, the illusion vanished.

Lailah walked across the water's surface and returned to land. She smiled at her boyfriend. "According to my mother, the Glacies Tribe would use water illusions during festivals. I didn't know they dabbled in water magic, but it does make sense since their specialty was ice. I can't create water illusions for long, but it is really fun! I was experimenting with fish before you joined me."

"Just don't push yourself," he told her.

Her smile widened. "I won't, but I definitely can tell you were enjoying it too." She then glanced at the house. "We should get some more rest. Who knows what'll be in store for us tomorrow."

Cloud nodded in agreement. "Yeah."