Vagaries of Fate

New Family

Chapter 13 

At his words, Aerith launched herself at him and gave him the best hug she could muster. "See, Clarissa has been a good influence on you!" She let it go on for a moment before she pulled back and looked him in the eye. "We are family. I don't think you could get rid of me now if you tried."

Genesis wasn't sure what to make of her reaction. He had many scenarios that had played out in his head since he first found out, but this was never one of them. As he tried to come to grips with her response, something struck him, and he narrowed his eyes. "You knew already."

It wasn't a question, but Aerith responded as if it had been. "Sort of. I knew you had really important information, and I kind of guessed the rest. Honestly, even if you hadn't found out, I would have guessed it eventually. You and I both have mother's nose and mouth. All it would take was for your eyes to be green, and then I bet most people could tell."

He paused at that before he chuckled. "My eyes were green before the mako injections." His statement made Aerith laugh.

Now that the worst part was over, Clarissa stood and gave him a peck on the cheek before she headed to look at the flowers. Part of it was the fact that she hadn't been down there in so long that she wanted to soak up the peaceful feeling while she could. The bigger part, however, wanted to give the two of them at least a few minutes to talk alone.

She didn't get very long, as Aerith called out to her. "You said you had something to talk to me about too?"

Clarissa turned back with a rueful smile. "A couple of things actually. Would you like to talk about business first, or personal?"

Aerith crinkled her nose before she responded. "Let's not ruin the mood with business talk."

Clarissa laughed at her before she moved to rejoin them. Once she was seated, she gave Aerith a smile. "I don't think it would ruin the mood, but I'll go ahead and ask my personal question first. Genesis and I are getting married, and I wanted to ask you to be my Maid of Honor. Would you?"

Aerith's eyes got wide, and she squealed before she launched herself at Clarissa. "Congratulations!" She quickly let her go and gave Genesis another hug. "And you too!"

Once she finally calmed some, she grabbed both of Clarissa's hands. "You know this means you really will be my sister now!"

Clarissa laughed at her excitement. "Yes, I suppose I will be. Does this mean you would like to?"

"Yes! Oh, this will be so much fun!"

Clarissa interrupted her before she could go off on a tangent. "Thank you! I'm thrilled you agreed, but there is one thing you need to know. Genesis and I are both scheduled to leave for Wutai in less than a week, so we have planned for the ceremony to happen the day after tomorrow."

Aerith sat back in shock at that, but it didn't take her long to recover. "It doesn't matter! If you need me then I will be there!"

Clarissa gave her another hug and whispered her thanks before she sat back again. "I know you may not want to talk about business after that, but I do have something I would like you to think about, at least, please."

Aerith wrinkled her nose again but gave Clarissa a nod. That was all she needed to start. "We are currently looking at different ways we can help this part of the world regenerate what has been lost over the last thirty years. One of the things that were decided would take care of two problems at once. We would like to form a team of people that can start rebuilding the slums. It would start with cleanup, but we are also looking at ways to help promote growth, whether it is UV lighting instead of florescent, or opening up parts of the plates. I honestly think it will have to be a combination of many things. Here is where you come in. Once we get things cleaned, we would like to start trying to help the area flourish again. We would like you to head that team, or at least be part of it."

Aerith sat back in shock at that, but it was Genesis that responded. "That is a lot of responsibility."

Clarissa nodded, but her face was firm. "Yes, it is, but honestly, I don't think it would be possible at all without Aerith. At least not for a very long time." She paused and made sure the girl was looking straight at her. "I do not want you to feel obligated to do this, it really is a request. I will say that I think you have so much potential to help on a grander scale, and this would be the beginning. If you are interested, I can get you more details later. For now, think about it. Talk it over with Elmyra if you want to. This is a big decision, and, in the end, I just want you to be happy."

Aerith finally smiled again. "I know you wouldn't ask me to do something that I can't do. But it is a big choice. I'll think about it and let you know before you leave."

Clarissa smiled and gave her another brief hug. "That's all I ask. Thank you." She stood at that point. "I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but things are still hectic, especially with the wedding and us leaving soon. I promise I will be back down with some dresses for you to try on before the wedding."

Aerith's eyes lit up at that. "That sounds fun. I'm looking forward to it." Genesis had already stood by that point as well, but Aerith didn't let him get far before she grabbed him up in another hug. "I look forward to seeing you again soon too. Don't think I won't come looking for you if I don't, either."

He chuckled at her mock threat before he gave her a slight bow. "There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess." He grabbed Clarissa's hand before he continued. "As lost as I once was, I am finding that the Goddess' blessings surround me. I look forward to being able to spend more time with you."

Aerith giggled at him and gave him another hug. Her voice was tiny when she spoke. "You're still too formal... but thank you." He hugged her back before he and Clarissa waved goodbye and headed back up to headquarters.

They hadn't quite made it to the train when Genesis finally spoke. "I know I have to be back, but you could have stayed."

She smiled back up at him. "I don't have work, but there is still a lot to get done. I wanted to talk to Shalua about Shelke being the flower girl, and I still need to make sure we have everything ready. I know you weren't able to this morning." He frowned at her slightly, but she grinned and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You do realize that going forward, it will never be only my burden, or your burden, but our burden. We are meant to work as a team, so I've got this."

He finally let go of his scowl, but she could tell he had something on his mind. She didn't push. She was sure that after the conversation he just had, he would have a lot on his mind for a while. Instead, she asked another question. "I am assuming that Angeal will be your best man, right?"

"Of course." He gave her a quizzical look.

She ignored it and kept on. "Well, do you have any other groomsmen, besides Sephiroth, because I have asked him to walk me down the aisle."

Genesis stopped dead still, and Clarissa was forced to turn and face him. His face was carefully blank when he spoke. "You what?"

She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes. "I asked him to walk me down the aisle. You do realize by now that he is like a brother to me, don't you? I care about him, and Angeal, and Zack, just as much as I care about Aerith. I didn't have any family here, but somehow, I have been blessed to find another one. It will never be the same, but that doesn't mean it can't be just as good."

His eyes roved over her face for several moments before he pulled her to him in a tight hug. "I trust you, and that should be enough. I give you permission to ignore me if my jealousy gets out of hand."

Her laughter was audible in her voice when she responded. "Like I've ever needed your permission for that."

He scowled down at her, but she could tell he wasn't really mad. "You should mark this occasion, as I doubt it will ever occur again."

She laughed again before she gave him a quick peck and turned to get on the train. "Come on, I still have dresses to pick out as well." He allowed her to pull him onto the train, but his smile escaped once her back was turned. He knew he truly was blessed and sent up a prayer that they could hold onto those moments for as long as possible.