Should Have Been

[Zack Fair]

Zack's dream the first time he sleeps in the Omniverse.

"Congratulations, Mr. SOLDIER Director!" Zack shouted unnecessarily loudly as he approached Sephiroth in the hallway of the ShinRa headquarters, slapping him on the side of the arm.

"Thank you," the typically stoic Sephiroth replied with a simple nod. "And thank you for convincing me to put in for the position."

"Come on, really? Who was going to get it over you?" Zack responded incredulously. "It's a match made in heaven. Hey, drinks are on me tonight! We've got to celebrate!"

"That's alright, I've got some work to do," Sephiroth said in response, shaking his head as he held one hand up.

"Oh, no. Not this time," Zack shook his head as well. "We've already got a group together and we are absolutely not taking 'no' for an answer."

"Bars aren't really how I prefer to spend my time, Zack," Sephiroth continued to shake his head as they went through this typical discussion again.

"I get that, but tonight is special!" Zack continued to press him. "You'll have a blast! Reno and Rude do this awesome karaoke duet, Cissnei got us free appetizers for life when she danced on the bar last month...yea, she was that good...Tseng gets to telling these old Turk stories when he's had a few and they're just incredible. And that's just the Turks! Wait until you see some of our SOLDIERs off duty."

"Alright, alright," Sephiroth finally said, holding his hands up as if to gesture surrender. "Just this once."

"Once is all it takes to get you hooked!" Zack replied as took a few steps backwards, pointing at Sephiroth with a grin. "See you at seven!"

Sephiroth shook his head, watching as Zack turned and departed before he could change his mind.

----------------------

Zack sat in a nice leather chair, facing a large desk, slouching a great deal as he texted away on his flip phone. The Buster Sword leaned up against the wall nearby. Seated at the desk was the director of the Turks, Tseng.

"Really thinking about retirement, huh?" Zack asked absentmindedly to break the silence.

"I have enough success to call it a career," Tseng replied as he appeared to be working diligently at his computer. "I can't do this forever, however there are a few more things I want to see through."

"Locking up Hojo is as good as it gets," Zack commented, thinking about the recent arrest that had shocked the city. He had taken extra delight in participating. "Once this trial starts all sorts of messy things will come out."

"I agree," Tseng said, never looking away from his computer. "But it will serve as something of a 'purge', if you will. The light will be shined on the evils of this organization, and all that will be left will be those who want to make the world a better place."

"We get to that point, you might finally get Aerith to come in and talk to the science guys," Zack said, closing his phone and putting it in his pocket.

"It would be a drastic change from the original plan," Tseng agreed, remembering Hojo's notes. "And for the better. That's why I want to wait a little bit longer before I leave."

"Where do you think you'll go?" Zack asked. "Costa Del Sol?"

"No, I've never been one for the beach. I'd prefer to get a large piece of property in the Corel Mountains, somewhere I can watch the sun rise and set every day," Tseng explained, looking over and glancing out the window, daydreaming of the prospect. Zack's sudden explosion of laughter snapped him back to reality.

"Man, you don't look like you'll make it through the day," Zack continued to laugh.

"...I might not," Tseng jokingly admitted, with a half smile.

"You're just like the rest of us, Tseng," Zack stood up, finally containing his laughter as he reclaimed his sword. "Hopeless."

Tseng gave a single, hollow laugh as Zack left the room. He glanced at the door for a second before looking back to the browser on his computer, continuing to scroll through land that was for sale.

----------------------

Graduation day. He was as nervous as could be.

Cloud Strife straightened the leather chest piece on his light blue, SOLDIER third class uniform for the thousandth time. He felt nervous and awkward wearing this uniform he'd dreamed of for so long.

"Cloud!"

Cloud looked up, smiling as he saw Zack Fair approaching him in the hall, holding hands with a stunning brunette in a pink dress.

"Hey, Zack," Cloud smiled as they stopped near him.

"Congrats, man!" Zack smiled and cheered, giving Cloud a big brotherly hug. "I knew you could make it."

"Thanks, man," Cloud replied. "And thanks for believing in me. I couldn't do it without you."

"That's not true at all," Zack shook his head. "You had all the tools and qualities needed, you just needed to wrap your head around it. Check it out, though, now you're one of us! We'll be going on missions all over the world together."

Cloud couldn't contain his smile. He was just too excited at the thought of it.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners?" Zack said, grabbing the brunette's hand again and glancing at her apologetically. She simply smiled at his enthusiasm for his friend. "Aerith, this is Cloud Strife, one of my best friends. Cloud, this is Aerith Gainsborough, my fiancee."

"Great to meet you," Cloud smiled as he lightly shook Aerith's hand. "Zack talks a lot about you."

Aerith smiled and pushed against Zack with her side for a second.

"It's great to meet you too, and congratulations!" Aerith happily responded.

"Thank you," Cloud said. "I'm really looking forward to the wedding. My girlfriend is moving to the city, even, and should be here by then. It'll be a lot of fun."

"Girlfriend?" Zack asked. "The girl from Nibelheim? You finally got to talking to her?"

Cloud looked sheepishly between Zack and Aerith. "Yea, we got in contact...before I made SOLDIER, even. And I'm glad."

"Let us know when she gets here," Aerith said warmly. "We just have to double date!"

"I will," Cloud nodded. "I'd better go get in formation, though. Thanks for coming today!"

"Wouldn't miss it," Zack said back.

"We'll see you afterwards," Aerith said as well.

Cloud nodded, pausing for a second, and then ran off to join the marching formation.

Zack and Aerith just smiled at each other for a few seconds, then went to find their seats.

----------------------

"Daddy?"

Zack groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He was at the far right side of the bed, his right arm and leg actually hanging over the side. For all of her grace and composure when awake, Aerith was constantly moving in her sleep and had yet again managed to sprawl herself out over the entirety of the bed, leaving Zack just his small space. So when the little girl had stepped up beside their bed, looking for her parents, Zack was the closest one.

"What is is, sweetie?" Zack groggily mumbled, still not entirely awake.

"I had a bad dream," the little girl said, tightly clutching her stuffed bear.

Zack would have absolutely no room on the bed, was what that meant. He'd given up on getting under the bed sheets already, but he was pretty sure that he'd be so perilously hanging off the side by the end of the night that there was a fifty percent chance he'd simply fall to the floor in his sleep. After all, this little one took after her mother's sleep habits. None of that mattered in the slightest to him, however.

"Alright. Come on up," Zack said, reaching out and picking up the young girl under her arms.

Zack rolled on his back as best he could, situating his daughter between himself and Aerith. Within seconds the young girl had fallen asleep, but Zack couldn't help but watch the two silently for a few minutes before he dozed off again.

----------------------

"You're getting a little gray in your hair."

As the transport helicopter traveled through the mountains, Zack and Cissnei were the ones that stood on opposite ends of the open door, while all the other SOLDIERs and Turks sat in their seats, readying their equipment. Not much ever changed with these two combat partners. Zack still wore his typical black SOLDIER uniform, with the Buster Sword on his back. Cissnei, like always, wore a well pressed suit, her giant shuriken resting on a rack next to her. They both had a single hand up, clutching the handles beside the door frame on each end for support as the helicopter moved. Cissnei's comment, however, made Zack instinctively touch his hair with his other hand for a second. Cissnei laughed at his quick reaction.

"Just a bit," she continued. "You can barely see it."

"It's not from age," Zack replied with a smile. "It's because Aerith is so damn mean to me."

"I'm sure everyone believes that," Cissnei laughed, unable to even picture the warmhearted girl with anything remotely resembling a scowl on her face.

"Sixty seconds!" the pilot announced over the intercom.

Zack and Cissnei glanced towards the cockpit briefly, then again out at the mountains.

"She's pretty sure about this replacement energy source for Mako?" Cissnei asked.

"As sure as I've ever seen anyone," Zack said with confidence. "She's right, though, Mako can't pull it off long term. We won't have a planet left."

"I agree we're in a bad spot with Mako energy," Cissnei nodded. "But we can't just shut it off without a suitable replacement. That would just cause even more damage."

"Well, hopefully we're about to dig up something that'll work," Zack said, leaning out a bit to see where they were going.

"If a bunch of disgruntled former executives would hire a paramilitary group to keep us away from it...I'd say your wife is onto something," Cissnei agreed.

"I think so, too. They're the type," Zack added on as the helicopters began descending, and the gunfire began. "Look sharp everyone, here we go!"

----------------------

"Come on, you two!" Zack shouted over his shoulder as he moved through the field. He was lugging several large bags of seeds over one shoulder, with a handful of tools in his opposite hand. He glanced back a few times, watching his seven year old son and five year old daughter working together push an overloaded wheelbarrow after him. "Hey, don't slack off, we got work to do!"

After a few more yards of walking, Zack stopped, dropping his cargo to the dirt. The children finally got the wheelbarrow to him, both of them holding on handle, each, still. Zack smiled at the team effort, and then sat on the bags of soil that were in the wheelbarrow.

"Alright, just a short break," Zack said as he looked at the children's hopeful looks.

Andy and Anna Fair, Zack's two young children, happily hopped up on the bags with him. It was a little crowded, but they were all comfortable.

"Dad, how come we're planting all these flowers out here?" Andy asked.

Zack paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to word it. He looked over his shoulder at the fairly modest house that his family owned, resting on top of a small hill. It descended into this large field that spread all the way to the horizon and beyond.

"Once upon a time, all of this was just a barren wasteland. Dead earth that surrounded the city of Midgar," Zack explained. "Your mother found an energy source that made it so we didn't have to use the lifestream as our energy anymore, which was very bad for the planet."

The children nodded, listening intently.

"It took awhile, but life came back to the land around Midgar. That's why your mother and I wanted to build our house out here, right in the middle of it, so we can see her how her hard work paid off every day," Zack explained. "Now she goes all over the world, helping to repair the damage caused by Mako reactors."

"But what does that have to do with the flowers?" Anna asked, confused.

Zack chuckled. He'd gotten a little off topic.

"Your mother and I met in a church in what used to be the slums. She worked hard to care for a small patch of flowers...the only place flowers would grow in Midgar back then," Zack explained. "I'd like her to come home from Fort Condor and see some flowers, just like them, starting to grow at her home."

The children happily jumped up, satisfied with that explanation. Zack climbed to his feet as well, and began passing out tools. As the kids began to get to work on the ground, Zack paused to take in the moment. Only his children shouting at him to start helping made the amused SOLDIER take his own hoe, and get to work.

----------------------

"Mom, dad?" Zack said out loud as his pushed open the door to his childhood home.

Henry and Marion Fair, Zack's parents, were seated at their living room table and smiled warmly as their son entered the house, alongside a second member of SOLDIER.

"Zack, welcome home, my boy!" Henry stood up alongside his wife, and the two of them walked over to the two arrivals.

"Great to see you guys!" Zack said, hugging each parent before gesturing to his companion. "This is Cloud Strife, SOLDIER second class."

"Welcome, Cloud," Marion Fair said with a smile as she shook his hand.

"Thank you, and thank you for putting me up in your home, as well," Cloud politely responded as he shook both of their hands.

"Oh, think nothing of it! We love company!" Henry dismissively said. "Come in, come in!"

The four of them moved to the living room, where Zack's parents took their original seats and the two SOLDIERs took the other two chairs at the table. Marion wasted no time in pouring some tea for the two of them.

"So what did they need two SOLDIERs for, again?" Henry asked. "I thought the ShinRa engineers were just tearing down the old Mako reactor."

"They are, but when they dismantled the one in Nibelheim, some of Hojo's experiments got loose," Zack explained after taking a few sips of his tea. "No one even knew he was creating monsters in the reactor, and it caused all kinds of chaos. Cloud and I are just going to oversee everything, and put down any monsters, if there are any."

"Well, we'll just take any excuse to get you home," Marion laughed. "How are Aerith and the kids?"

"They're doing really well," Zack said, beaming with pride at the mention of them. "Andy's playing baseball and loves it, and Anna's gotten to be a pretty smart one. She'll be building rocket ships by the time she's older."

"I can't believe how big they're getting," Henry said. "How about you, Cloud? Do you have a family?"

"Yes, sir," Cloud replied. "I married my childhood sweetheart, and we've got two little ones as well."

"Good for you, son," Henry said, leaning back in his chair. He looked to Zack and just smiled.

Zack looked to his dad and tilted his head. "What?"

"Nothing...it's just that you turned out alright, after all," Henry said.

"That's just because I take after mom," Zack replied.

Henry laughed out loud at that one, as did Marion.

"We're going to get our stuff and get settled," Zack said. "We'll be right back."

"Let us know if you need some help," Marion said, watching as the two SOLDIERs headed back out the door.

Henry and Marion smiled as they looked at each other...they couldn't be more proud.

----------------------

On one of the upper floors of the Shin-Ra tower was the SOLDIER workshop. Scientists and engineers were working hard on a lot of technology, while members of SOLDIER were making some of the more basic repairs or modifications to equipment, themselves. It was on this typical day that Zack was over at the Materia storage, picking out a small stock for his travels from the First Class section.

"Zack?" Sephiroth asked curiously as he approached the SOLDIER operative. "I didn't see you listed for any assignments."

"I decided to jump in on the Junon one," Zack explained, closing the safe and spinning the lock. "My parents have the kids, Aerith's away on work, baseball season's over...might as well work."

"At least you haven't changed after all these years," Sephiroth chuckled. "You have enough for the mission?"

"Yea, Rude's already there with an infantry contingent. We're just the cavalry," Zack said, picking up the Buster Sword and putting it on his back. "So, the papers went through and the living legend is officially retiring in two months?"

"Yes, I decided it was time," Sephiroth nodded. "We've done a lot of good, but it is time to move on to the next stage of my life."

"Nothing wrong with that. Aerith and I have started talking about how many years I have left, too," Zack said back. "Where will you go? I figure you're like Tseng. You won't retire and go to the beach."

"No, I've thought about moving to the Icicle Inn area. Something just...calls me up north," Sephiroth said. "I'd like to settle there and spend a long time exploring the wilderness."

"Well, if that's what makes you happy, I'm glad to hear it," Zack replied. "Whenever you come back to Midgar, don't pay for these overpriced hotels. There's always a room at my ranch."

"Thank you," Sephiroth said with a smile. "And what about you? Will you be putting in for the director job?"

"I really don't know, man," Zack said, putting one hand against the locker and tapping it a couple of times. "Like I said, I've been thinking about my own retirement. I really do enjoy my position here, right now. As the top guy still in the field I get to order a lot of people around, and don't have to put up with many orders myself."

Sephiroth laughed lightly. "Well, if not you, then who would it be?"

"To be honest, ever since Cloud made first class, he's been a hell of a leader," Zack admitted. "The troops really rally around him because whatever he's got just flows naturally. Not to mention he's seen a lot of the good and bad times. It makes a lot sense."

"I agree with you one hundred percent," Sephiroth said, then paused in thought for a moment. "Well, if you do want it, it's pretty much yours. Think it over. Let me know."

"You got it," Zack simply replied.

Zack and Sephiroth shook hands, and then headed their respective directions.

----------------------

Zack set the Buster Sword down in his bedroom, leaning it against the wall. He then stepped back, staring down at the massive blade. It was hard to believe it was finally over. He jumped a little in surprise when Aerith walked up and wrapped her arms around his right arm.

"What're you thinking about?" Aerith playfully asked.

"Not heading to Midgar tomorrow," Zack truthfully answered. "Or the next day...or the next. Retirement is scary."

"Retirement is earned," Aerith said, letting go of Zack as he turned to face her. "And you earned it."

"Guess so," Zack replied. "Just weird to always see people coming and going...and now being one of them. Another old timer."

"Well, old man," Aerith laughed. "I think we need to have a big celebration."

Zack smiled as he pulled his wife in close. "No arguments from me."

Aerith closed her eyes as she locked lips with Zack, deeply kissing her husband. No more would she have to worry about him not coming home to her and the kids. The danger was over, and for the rest of her life, she could sleep a little easier.

----------------------

"Hey, I got one other story!" Zack shouted out loud for the fifteenth time.

The entire room groaned. It was Cissnei's retirement party, and there was a big banquet in honor of the departing leader of the Turks. People had come from all over the world for this party, reuniting a lot of old friends in the process. Once the story hour had come along, though, everyone had a tale or two to share about her. Zack, having worked so closely with her over the years, had more than a few.

"Does anyone have a story besides Zack?" Cloud Strife, the director of SOLDIER, jokingly said from the podium as he looked over at his retired mentor.

Zack laughed and waved one of his arms, sitting down at the table he shared with his wife, two teenage children, Sephiroth, and Tseng.

"You'll keep us here all night," Tseng said with a chuckle, setting down his fork.

"I could, if you really want me to," Zack challenged with a responding laugh.

The six of them laughed amongst themselves, looking over as Cloud presented Cissnei with her plaque honoring her years in the Turks.

"That's almost everyone," Aerith said, looking back to the group. "I think Cloud's the last one of your little group still there."

"It terrifies me how few people here I recognize," Sephiroth commented in response. "Time is moving on without us."

Andy and Anna smiled, looking between their parents and Zack's former co-workers.

"Just got to stay in touch," Zack agreed. "Which reminds me, we're going skiing this winter. You better plan on having at least dinner with us when we're all in town."

"I think I can make arrangements," Sephiroth nodded in agreement.

The room broke out in applause as Cissnei and Cloud shook hands, and their table joined in just the same. Zack smiled and watched as Cissnei sat down by her husband. He knew she hated the attention that a retirement party brought, and at the same time understood it was as much for her friends as her. The applause died down, and Zack couldn't help but climb back to his feet.

"So this one time in Wutai..."

----------------------

Zack slowly walked up the steps to the porch, looking at Aerith as she sat happily on the bench that looked out at the open expanse before them. Zack slowly sat beside her as they watched Anna's car head out of the driveway, destined for Midgar.

"Can't believe they're adults. Going to school all the way in Midgar," Zack slowly said. "In all my years at SOLDIER I don't think I was ever this scared."

"They'll be alright," Aerith gently said, taking her husband's hand. "They're Fairs."

"You're right," Zack said as he smiled.

They watched the field before them in total silence for a good thirty minutes, long after Anna's car couldn't be heard anymore.

"We did good, didn't we?" Zack broke the silence.

"I think so. Lives worth living," Aerith replied. "Great jobs, great friends, great kids."

"You took a dying world and fixed it. That's something your ancestors...the Ancients, they would all be proud of," Zack said, looking to his wife.

"And you fought to the end, saved countless lives from all kinds of evils," Aerith said. "You're my hero, if no one else's."

"And that's enough for me," Zack said, wrapping his arm around Aerith with an unbreakable smile. Her comment rang true in his mind. "Lives worth living."

----------------------

"Do you, Zack, take this woman to be your wife?" the pastor asked, decades earlier.

"I do," Zack said, unable to contain a smile as he looked into Aerith's eyes.

"And do you, Aerith, take this man to be your husband?" the pastor continued.

"I do," Aerith said, almost cutting him off she was so eager to be married to Zack.

"Then by the power vested in my, I now pronounce you man and wife," The pastor wrapped up the ceremony. "You may kiss your bride."

Zack's friends, family, and co-workers, and Aerith's small family and friends all stood up and applauded as they kissed. They turned and walked down the aisle, each looking at their friends as they walked. As they exited the church, they stopped for a brief couple of seconds and looked at each other. Zack couldn't believe how perfect everything was, and the incredible future they had ahead of them.

Then, in an instant, it shattered like a sheet of glass.

He was back in reality, back in the wasteland outside Midgar. Blood poured from his face, and he could barely hold the Buster Sword anymore. He slowly reached up with his left hand and touched his face where the latest bullet had hit him, then held it before him to see the blood covering his glove.

He couldn't go on.

He tried to reach forward, but instead collapsed backwards, hitting the ground with a hard thud.

The smell of sulfur and blood filled the area. The rain turned the puddles of blood into one large pool. He was broken, defeated. His best had not been enough, and now he was going to die in this wilderness, at the hands of those he served for so long. He would never see Aerith again.

There were footsteps. The last of the infantry was coming to finish the job.

Zack tried to move, but it wasn't even possible. He was too badly injured. He could only wait.

He had always heard that in one's dying moments their life would flash before their eyes. What he never expected, and what hurt more than anything, was to see what was never to be, and what should have been.