Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jill sighed, a hand lifted to pinch the bridge of her nose… of all the cases of 'worst timing ever'… they were set to begin touring Dhalmekia in three days with four performances already scheduled and yet here she was listening to her principal dancer giving her excuse after excuse as to why he had to pull out. And wasn't that just great… without a primary dancer the rest of the group were screwed as half of the show was the dramatics provided by the dancing and light show, both practiced meticulously before the announcement of the tour. Her vocal coach turned manager was trying to 'convince' the other man to reconsider… which of course simply devolved into a massive argument that Cid appeared to have no chance of winning. Finally when Jill had had enough of standing there listening to their bullshit she turned and walked out of the room… there was no way she was going to let Shiva's Fury cancel their first ever tour after all the work they had put in. All she had to do was find another principal dancer… sure there were a number of skilled performers out there that she was sure she could contract, but few were of a level that could keep up with her demands… she wasn't above admitting that she was an absolute nightmare to work with on a good day, picky and controlling beyond belief when it came to her music.

Just thinking about her band, all the hard work they had put in over the years, all the struggles… it made her oddly nostalgic for the old days of sitting in the community center playing that shitty guitar she had spent months scraping up the money for… and it was that thought that was like a levin strike of inspiration. She knew EXACTLY who to call to be her principal dancer… the hard part would be convincing him he could in fact do so… but she also wasn't above pulling the 'sister' card if it got her what she needed.

~~~~

Clive had been in the middle of his daily workout when his phone started to ring… an ungodly obnoxious ringtone that when he found out who set it they were going to hurt… he sighed lightly and pushed himself up off the floor, walking the few steps to where his phone lay on a ledge near the racks of weights. Lifting it to his ear without even looking to see who caller ID said he was speaking to "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was most definitely not who he had been expecting "That's all the greeting I get? I'm hurt…" the tone was teasing, the voice bringing a smile to his face for the first time in months.

"Jill!! This is a surprise, I thought you were deep in rehearsals and prep for your tour?" his workout completely forgotten he plopped himself down on one of the benches.

Even in his happy little bubble brought on by hearing from Jill after so long he could still hear the shift in her tone to… something almost seeming like she was plotting. "Well you see… that's part of why I'm calling…"

A soft chuckle slipped from his lips "So it wasn't just to chat with your long lost friend?"

"You're hardly lost Clive, just a bit further away than a bus ride now." Jill's tone had gone soft, she knew how hard it had been for him to move away from Rosaria after his father passed… dragged along with his mother out to Oriflamme to live with the man she had 'absolutely not' been having an affair with for years before she became a widow.

Clive sighed lightly, his shoulders slumping a little bit "Ya… but that's not why you called… what's up Jill?"

Ever one to cut to the chase when it came to avoiding painful topics, he hadn't changed much at all. "Tour is set to start in 3 days, and my principal dancer just quit…"

He could see where the conversation was going the moment those words left her mouth "I can't Jill…"

It took everything in her to firm her resolve, to not just give in, the thing was she knew exactly why Clive said that… and she knew exactly what had caused it too… but she wasn't going to let him keep running forever. "You can Clive… you know that as well as I do. You're well past her being able to tell you what you can and cannot do anymore, she has her spoiled brat to focus on now, you deserve a chance to do something you enjoy."

There was silence on the line for several long moments and Jill wondered if he had hung up… but then finally he sighed softly "Maybe… maybe you're right… but I'm pretty damned out of practice, I don't want to embarrass you Jill." there was so much in his tone, so much self doubt that she just wanted to punch Anabella for.

Instead she just slapped a reassuring tone on, covering up the anger "Then just come over and practice with the group for an afternoon… if you still think you can't after that then I won't bring it up again…"

An olive branch… a chance to take a risk but also be given an out without any shame. Clive closed his eyes, chin resting against the dip of his collarbones a moment before he straightened once more "Okay… I'll come practice for an afternoon, no guarantees I won't be absolute crap though…"

"You've never once in your life danced like crap Clive… I'll send you the address." her smile was clear from her tone.

Fear was something Clive was quite familiar with, but this wasn't just fear that trickled through him… it was some strange mix of fear and anticipation… "See you soon Jill…" as he hung up he stood, making his way out of the gym in his home to go see about booking a flight… he could only hope he didn't make a complete fool of himself for even trying…

~~~~

When Jill returned to the room where Cid had been arguing with the ex-principal dancer she found that the other man had left… likely in a huff from the look on Cid's face as he sat on the window ledge smoking, which he would absolutely catch shit for when he got home to Mid. With a smug smirk she leaned her hip against the piano across from him, her amusement increasing when he finally looked over at her.

"You are looking far to smug for a woman whose tour is on the brink of going down in flames lass…" Cid's tone was curious, but also tired.

Yet despite his words that smug grin only increased "I've already solved that little problem…"

One blonde brow arched as Cid stubbed out his cigarette, tossing the butt into a can "Oh? And what miracle did you manage to pull out of your arse to manage that one?"

Jill's eyes narrowed slightly as her grin turned toothy, arms crossed across her chest, and tone exuding satisfaction "I have one of the best dancers in Storm coming down to have a little practice session with the group… see if I can convince him to stick around for tour…" her tone said she clearly wasn't worried about being able to convince him.

Cid sighed lightly, looking up to the ceiling "Now lass, I know you know some people, but I highly doubt the person you're having come in is quite a good as they are claiming… not for the budget this tour has…"

There was something in her grin that had Cid almost instantly on edge, but all she said was "We'll see…" and that in itself was enough to have her poor manager worrying enough to add more grey to his hair.

Chapter Text

Shiva's Fury had slowly gathered a following over the years, from the garage band practicing after school to an online success almost overnight while Jill struggled to find the motivation to finish her University degree. They hadn't moved up enough in the world to be able to afford fancy practice space, but they could afford something moderately decent… or atleast decent enough that the flooring wasn't rotting through and the acoustics weren't absolute shit. In no way was it the heights of Rosalith's performance centers, but Martha was nice enough to rent it to them for a pittance and she didn't mind the crazy hours they had been keeping. They were all gathered there, the drummer and both guitarists practicing off on their own through headsets while the dancers practiced different parts of the tour routine to recorded music. Most of the dance group had been with them for a while, though some had come and gone over the years as was the way of things, they had good rhythm and worked well together which was what counted… and most had gotten used to Jill's Queen Bee personality easy enough.

While Jill was relaxing in one of the stage chairs, humming to herself as she went over the latest revisions of their new album, Cid was working on pacing a hole in the floor out of nerves. Sure he didn't have quite the history with Jill as a couple of the band did, but he'd put alot of time and effort into the band over his time with them. He had been hired as Jill's vocals coach when the band had started gaining in popularity, in hopes of gain more of an edge and boost them further into popularity… and it had worked. When she had noticed how much his talents were aiding the band everyone had gotten together and discussed bringing him on permanently. Now Cid hadn't been originally looking to join a band in such a capacity, but in the end his daughter Mid had talked him into it… she was an ardent fan of the band and told him he couldn't turn down the offer or she just might never forgive him. Ah the persuasion of a teenage girl when faced with the possibility of access to her idols…

His attention was still focused on stressing over everything when Jill suddenly got up, dropping the notebook she had been writing in on her chair and rushing off, the sound of a door he hadn't even heard open closing having him turn. The scene that met him was shocking to say the least, Jill had almost run down the aisle and literally crashed into the person who had just walked through the door, sending them both to the ground. The other person made a rather undignified squawk of surprise that may have been an attempt at a shocked curse, everyone watching by that point. When Jill got to her feet and dusted herself off, a hand on one hip as the other grabbed a backpack off the floor, the poor sod she had just knocked over standing… and Cid couldn't help the way his gaze trailed over the man with a critical eye… not that there was much able to be seen with the baggy clothing he was swamped in.

"Took you long enough to get here you ass…" Jill's tone was full of mirth despite the harsh words.

Exactly how the man replied was a mystery as his response was a low mumble, but it had Jill snickering all the same "Come along then, you can visit the powder room and get all prettied up later."

The exasperated sigh the man let out was quite audible, as was the equally exasperated "Jill…"

Jill was already making her way over to where the other dancers had been practicing, dropping the man's bag over next to her own. "Let me give you the quick round of introductions…" she began pointing to dancers in turn "Jane, Kelly, Amber, and Kev." With that she pointed to the man who had finally caught up to stand next to her, but before she could do more than open her mouth to say his name the drummer was already thumping an arm over the man's shoulders.

"CLIVE!! Fuck mate it's been ages!! When the hell did you get back into town!?" the drummer was grinning like a lunatic as he half bellowed his words due to the earbuds still in his ears.

Clive winced slightly at the man's yelling, looking over at him and pointing to his ears… which the other man blinked at before giving a bashful grin as he reached up and removed the earbuds "Sorry mate… forgot about those…"

With a little chuckle Clive just shook his head "Just got into town… Jill asked me to come for the afternoon…"

When it looked like the drummer was going to try to abscond with Clive Jill had to step in, grinning at him "Back to practice Greg, you can regale Clive with all the tales later, work to do now though."

Greg sighed and nodded, giving her a cheeky little salute "Aye aye ma'am… back to work I go."

All Jill did was roll her eyes before she caught movement just to her side, Cid standing over near the dancers, having stopped his pacing. "Ah, just who I wanted to introduce you to next! Clive, this is Cid… vocals coach and manager extraordinaire." She had the widest, most mischievous grin on her face when she looked at Cid "Cid, this is my brother Clive."

Cid arched a brow at that, his tone flat from irritation "Thought you didn't have any siblings…"

Laughter was his response, that grin not fading ever "Brother in every way that matters… and the inspiration for one of our most popular songs I might add…" Clive couldn't help but groan but she continued "I bet you're wondering which one… of course you are, he's the inspiration behind 'brother from a bitchy mother'!!"

Eyes that Cid only then noticed were a deep ocean blue looked up at the ceiling as if beseeching some sort of aid that was most definitely not going to be forthcoming, his tone almost pained "She STILL hates that song…"

Jill let out an honest to Metia cackle at that "And I'm sure Joshua STILL blasts it at full volume before every single 'family gathering'…"

Choosing not to comment Clive just pressed a hand to his eyes, looking already quite exhausted by Jill's exuberance. After a moment he looked at Jill with a nearly pleading gaze "You wanted to practice Jill….?"

"Of course, of course… down to business, I know." Jill gave Clive a rather rough pat on the shoulder before gesturing to the open space "Might as well do one of the songs to warm up, give the others a little break since we've been working all morning. You want to change into workout gear?"

Work… work was comfortable for Clive, even if this wasn't something he had indulged in publicly in… damned near forever thanks to his mother and her 'rules' after his father had died. In answer to Jill's question Clive nodded, going over to where she had tossed his bag and pulling out some stuff, directed to the bathroom and back before anyone could do more than shuffle around a bit. When he returned he was wearing clothing more suited to dancing than streetwear, his gaze going back to Jill "Any one in particular you're wanting me to try?"

With a snort Jill rolled her eyes "Try he says… as if he couldn't do them all in his sleep… I don't know how about number 5."

The look she got from pretty much everyone except the drummer and one of the guitarists was… complete confusion… since they had never used any sort of strange numbering system for the songs before. While they were all looking at her Clive just sighed "Of course you'd pick that one…"

Jill just smirked again, toying with the phone they had attached to the speaker, queuing up a song and pressing play once Clive was in position. The music blasted through the speaker, one of the earlier hits they had had, and one of the hardest on the dancers due to how complex some of the music got. Greg grinned… likely because one of his best solos on the drums was in that song… and started playing along. And Clive… well Clive just started dancing like he had been practicing that song for days… and considering it had lived rent-free in his head for years, well maybe he had been in one form or another for just as long.

~~~~

While Clive had been changing Cid had had a brief moment to try to talk some sense into Jill… try being the operative word… "Now lass, I know you obviously like your 'brother' but just because someone's been around the music before doesn't mean they can just step into a dance group, especially at the level that is required for a tour…"

Even with his obvious negative attitude towards her solution Jill just smiled sweetly at him "Just you wait…"

All Cid could do was sigh, moving over to one of the chairs to sit and watch… he'd already told Jill his misgivings about the whole thing but it seemed she wasn't going to be persuaded to let the idea go, so all there was to do was wait…

When Clive had asked Jill what song she wanted him to do it was with more than a little bit of confusion that Cid sat there, everyone including himself looking at each other having no clue what song she had just told him to perform… yet he seemed to know exactly what she meant, as did the two band members that had been around since the start, those two looked absolutely ecstatic. As music blared to a start from the speakers Cid immediately recognized the song… Mid had played it on repeat so many times he could practically sing the damned song off by heart… and all he could think was that Jill had just asked an absolute impossible task of her 'beloved brother'. While he wanted Jill to see things weren't going to go her way, he also didn't relish the thought of watching some poor guy flop in front of the entire tour group, ready to stand up and call a stop to the whole thing.

He didn't even get the chance to move from where he sat before his jaw was dropping and eyes widening… the song was absolutely wild, the moves were completely insane, and… and Clive was making it look like a primary school first level dance class routine. Every single motion the man made was smooth, fluid, and completely perfect… and because of that it took Cid far to long to realize the man was dancing WITH HIS EYES CLOSED, his lips moving along to the lyrics. Godsmacked wasn't even enough to cover how he was feeling. As the strains of the music faded and Jill paused the music silence filled the room, the dancers looking at Clive with eyes as wide as dinner plates, the man himself just standing there stretching his arms over his head. After a few awkward moments he finally looked up, one hand going to the back of his neck "So… um… want me to do something else?"

At his words one of the dancers suddenly piped up "Yes, marry me!"

Another of the dancers slapped a hand over the first's mouth "Shut up Amber! Gods!"

Clive just… blinked… a moment before he burst out laughing, not a mean spirited laugh just one of shocked amusement. "Um… no offence but… no thank you…."

More than a few coy stared settled on him before every single woman in that room grinned… looks that could fill a man's heart with complete terror, Clive looked around the room before looking to Jill… who wore an identical expression. His face slowly started to flush… pink creeping to red before he took a few steps back… then he turned and dashed, darting behind Greg who was laughing so hard he was doubled over "Doomed man…. you're so doomed!"

Who it was that yelled out "Don't worry we'll make you totally pretty before the first show!!" was completely unknown, but Clive's whine of 'Fuck my life…' was quite clear… and Cid couldn't help but join in on the uproarious laughter from the guitarist as they watched from the sidelines… maybe Shiva's Fury would be just fine after all…

Chapter Text

The rest of his first day back in Rosaria had been quite the experience for Clive, he had found that Jill's new group was full of people quite like her… mischievous but over all caring and hardworking. Clive and the other dancers had practiced together until evening finally started to fall, everyone looking exhausted but also happy, they had seemed to work quite well together even though he had only just met them. As everyone packed up they chatted about their plans for the night, asking him what his plans were to which all he could do was give them a shrug. Jill walked over once she she had packed her bag up, a grin on her face that told him she was up to something "Where did you book to stay?"

'Antelope in the headlights' was what she had often called the look on his face when they were children, her grin increasing as she snickered "Thought so… you completely forgot to book somewhere to stay didn't you?"

Deep blue eyes looked off to the side, crimson across his cheeks "Maybe…"

With a shake of her head Jill grabbed his arm "Come along then, I have a lovely couch that you can make use of."

A sigh slipped past his lips as he walked along with her, his bag slung over a shoulder, his reply a muttered "Thanks Jill…"

They got into Jill's beat up clunker of a car, it wasn't much to look at but she loved that car… she had bought it all on her own in university, no loans and no strings attached by 'well meaning' family members… which was probably why Clive didn't have a car even to that day, everything he had ever been given by Anabella had come with enough strings to choke a chocobo. Once they were in and buckled up Jill plugged her phone into the stereo… her one indulgence had been to upgrade the stereo system… turning to her usual playlist and letting it blast as they drove through the streets of the moderately sized town. Clive hadn't said a single word during the drive, though that wasn't unusual he had always been rather quiet, yet when she pulled into the drive and he hadn't commented on the house she looked over to find him fast asleep with his head resting against the window.

Sitting there in the soft light coming from the sunset she could see the marks of exhaustion on his face, the stress he carried even in sleep, and she wished for what had to be the millionth time that she could convince Clive to go no contact with his bitch of a mother… but no matter who argued for it Clive had never been able to be swayed. It wasn't that he needed her, he had been taking care of himself since Elwin had died… it was the fact that she had systematically convinced him throughout the years that without her he could have no one, would be no one. And as much as he knew he had friends… family… who would always be there for him, it was as if part of him couldn't believe that they would stick by him. Jill had often wondered what exactly she held over his head… what thing was in the past that was so damning that it gave her that power over him even to that very day. Sighing she reached over, nudging his shoulder, voice soft "Clive, we're here…"

He stirred at the sound of her voice, eyes opening slowly before he yawned and sat forwards "Oh… sorry Jill…"

With a little smile she shook her head "Not a problem… come on, let's get inside and I'll make us something to eat."

Clive nodded, following her from the car into the house, a simple one story two bedroom affair that had seen better days yet she had artfully decorated it and made it her own. It reflected Jill to perfection, the cool ice blue colour of the walls, the silver and deep blue accents… comfortable and stylish. Jill nudged him towards the bathroom after he had looked his fill of the living room "Go on, you could probably use a nice hot shower after all that work. You're still good with stirfry?"

A small smile came to Clive's lips at the mention of that dish… one of the few Jill had been able to cook when they were younger, and even so many years after it had become a sort of comfort food to him… it reminded him of his sister when things had become so terribly lonely. "Of course… I'm always up for your stirfry." Even when she had hopelessly burnt it a few times, he had hugged her until she stopped crying and just said all it needed was more sauce, making her laugh as the tears dried on her cheeks. As she went into the kitchen Clive made his way into the bathroom, getting his toiletries bag out of his backpack and turning the water on, stripped of his clothes he couldn't help but look at the long scar that trailed from his left hip up around his ribcage to just under his right pec… a reminder of the accident that had taken his father's life and landed him in hell. His eyes closed as his shoulders slumped a moment, hands pressed to the cool counter top to still them, until finally the heat of the water drew him out of memories he would much rather were left in the darkness.

The shower felt blissful once he had gotten in, washing away the sweat of the day and likely also weeks worth of stress simply by knowing he was far away from HER and back where he had always felt he belonged… Rosaria would always be his home, and Jill would always be his family far more than his mother, Sylvester, and her new child that she hadn't even bothered to tell him the name of. Washed, dried, and dressed in a pair of lounge pants he made his way from the bathroom to the kitchen, sitting down to watch Jill cook… it could almost feel like the last so many years had never happened, and he would bask in that for as long as he could. When the food was ready Jill smiled while setting a bowl down in front of him, Clive smiled back at her, he picked his fork up and took a big bite. He groaned at the flavors that burst across his tongue, enjoying every single flavor before swallowing "Damn Jill, that's beyond delicious!"

Jill's grin was wide but there was also a blush on her cheeks at the compliment "Thank you, I… took a few lessons a few years back."

"I should take some lessons from you then, because I would love to eat this more often…" he smiled more as he took another bite.

The room was quiet for several moments before Jill spoke, her voice soft and tentative "You could just come back home…"

Clive's shoulder slumped slightly "Jill…"

A soft sigh reached his ears before Jill just nodded "I know… I know… just think on it okay?"

He reached a hand out, setting it on her shoulder lightly, a tiny apologetic smile on his face. The topic wasn't brought back up any more that night, they chose to just sit back and watch a movie for a few hours before heading to sleep. Jill had set up the couch with a pillow and blanket while he was getting a drink, her arms wrapped around him and giving him a hug that made his heart feel warm… so glad to be back with part of his family he had missed so much.

~~~~

Morning always came so very early, Jill wasn't a morning person at all so getting up was the eternal struggle. Yawning lightly she puttered around the kitchen trying to scrounge up enough things to make some sort of breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Clive was in the shower so she sighed and walked through to the door, opening it with another smothered yawn, seeing Cid standing there looking beyond amused. "Morning Jill."

Jill stepped back and let him in, making her way back towards the kitchen while Cid followed carrying a takeout bag and tray filled with coffee cups. After he had handed Jill hers he grabbed his own "I wasn't sure if Clive liked coffee, and you weren't answering your phone, so I grabbed him the same as you."

Sitting back Jill just sighed as she took a big sip of her coffee, feeling the sweet sweet caffeine sing to her. She didn't even turn at the sound of a bathroom door opening or footsteps, nor at the sleepy grumbling that could be heard. "Morning Clive."

"Mornin Jill…" He sounded just as tired as Jill, walking past the door to the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his hips "Forgot my bag…"

While Jill had been facing away looking quite amused, Cid had been facing the doorway and… well he had almost choked on his coffee when the man walked past wearing nothing but a towel. He wasn't sure if his brain just stopped or not but he was damned sure he was staring… which was confirmed when Jill snickered, her tone low so Clive wouldn't hear it "You're drooling."

Her comment snapped Cid back to the present, his eyes flying off to look around the kitchen as he took a big drink of his own coffee "No clue what you're talking about…"

Mischief seemed to have taken the place of fatigue as Jill no longer looked tired… she looked like some sort of plot was forming in her brain, grin wide and wicked "Oh no by all means continue staring…"

Cid just glowered at Jill, her enjoyment of his embarrassment clear. They continued on in such stalemate until the sound of Clive's footsteps returning in their direction broke the staring contest. This time he was fully dressed as he walked into the kitchen, well… as dressed as a pair of gym shorts and tank top could be, there was still more than a little sleek muscle on display. Clearing his throat slightly Cid gave Clive a polite smile "Wasn't sure how you took your coffee, so I got you the same as Jill."

Deep blue eyes looked quite surprised, a little smile crossing Clive's lips "Thank you, I appreciate it." He took the cup and sat down with them, sipping his coffee while Cid passed out breakfast wraps, the atmosphere surprisingly comfortable despite the fact that Clive usually wasn't anywhere comfortable around new people… there was just something about Cid that eased that anxiety, and Clive was rather grateful for it.

Once everyone was done breakfast Cid went over the schedule for the day with Jill before excusing himself to get to work on his own tasks, leaving the two of them to finish getting ready and head down to practice. The streets were relatively quiet at that time of day so they made good time, parking and heading in. A couple of the band members were already there doing the standard check of their instruments, but the dancers hadn't yet arrived. With a light sigh Jill sat down, pulling out a notebook and her earbuds before looking over at Clive "Going to get all warmed up?"

Clive sat down next to Jill and shrugged "Probably… you look like something is frustrating you though…"

Silver-grey hair shifted as Jill nodded, her chin moving to rest on her palm "I've been trying to get everything together for a song but I just… can't seem to get all the parts to work together. Vocals and instruments, sure no problem… getting the dance choreography sorted and fluid… THAT has become a nightmare."

One arm rested on the top of the table, Clive leaning to rest his head on his arm as he looked up at Jill "How so?"

"Well… the song is complex, there are alot of moving parts, and I want dance that can go with it but you know me… choreography never was my strong point, and the dancers try their best to figure out what would go well and most of the time it works but this one… this one is tricky." she gave him a slightly rueful smile.

The dance had always been the sticky part of everything even from the very start… Jill had been a marvel at the singing, she could even play a guitar if in a pinch, and she had had amazing bandmates, but the dancing… when she had first put the band together when they were kids the dance had always been intended to be HIS part, before his mother had gotten in the way. A sad expression crossed Clive's face at the thought of it all… they had had grand plans once, but fate was rarely cooperative he had found out. Blue eyes closed against the tears that threatened, his voice was soft when he spoke "What song is it?"

With his eyes closed he couldn't see the expression on Jill's face, but her silence at his question told him she likely was thinking about the same things he was. When she finally spoke there was a tinge of reluctance to her tone "Elegy…"

Clive's eyes opened at that name, looking up at Jill, he knew that name… a song Jill had written years ago… he had always wondered why she had never sang it on her albums. Taking a slow, deep breath he nodded a bit before digging his earbuds out of his bag "Can you pair both our headphones to your phone?"

Icy-grey eyes looked at him with confusion before Jill nodded "Ya… why?"

His only answer was to push his headset in her direction, patiently waiting for her to pair them to her phone with her own. Once she had done that he put them in "Am I right to assume you have a recording of the song?"

Lips pressed in a pinched frown Jill nodded "Yes…"

Shifting so he was comfortable Clive brought his feet up so his heels were on the edge of the chair, arms resting on his knees and head resting on arms. "Play it, please."

Jill was confused as to why he was asking that of her, but she brought the song up and tapped to get it to start playing all the same. Clive sat there in silence, listening to the song, when it ended he had her play it again… then a third time… a fourth… like he was memorizing it. After the sixth time she had played it he nodded, unfolding himself from the chair and getting up "Alright… I'm going to warm up, give me 15 minutes."

The entire thing had been so very odd that all Jill could do was shrug. Flipping to one of the pages in her notebook she started marking down little bits and pieces of lyrics as she thought of them, not paying attention as Clive went through his warm up routine. Her mind had drifted off when she felt a hand touch her shoulder, drawing her out of her thoughts and back to what was around her. Clive gave her a little smile, "You're going to want a fresh page… wait until I give you the signal then play the song."

Confusion was the theme of the day it seemed, but Jill went along with it, flipping to a fresh page in her notebook and watching as Clive walked over to the thoroughly cleared out space the dancers practiced in. Once he was in place she waited, only when he gave her a little nod did she hit play on the song… and what she watched was like bloody magic unfolding… as the music played in her ears she watched as Clive did something she had been struggling to do for ages, he put moves to a song she had written as a tribute to her late father. Watching as he put the emotions she felt every time she sang the lyrics into every single movement he made… it had tears streaming down her cheeks. As she continued to watch she wrote down everything she could, trying to make sure she captured the nuance of the moves but knowing she wouldn't be able to do it true justice… not the way he did.

As the last of the lyrics ended Jill sat looking at the several pages of notes, her gaze lifting when she heard footsteps approaching to see Clive walking over to her. He gave her a soft smile as he moved over to stand next to her, she didn't say anything… all she could do was stand and step forwards to hug him. Clive wrapped his arms around her in return, resting his cheek on top of her head, one of his hands rubbing her back lightly. They stood like that for a while until finally Jill pulled away, wiping her eyes with the edge of her sleeve before giving Clive a bright smile "Thank you…"

"Always Jill." Clive gave her another smile "I should go practice some of the songs for the tour…"

Jill just nodded and got back to work on some lyrics, letting Clive do his thing when it came to practicing, she had already given him access to all the recorded tracks. She was so focused on what she was doing that she completely missed Cid's arrival, and therefore she missed the fact that he was standing by the table watching Clive dance with a very thoughtful expression… which of course any who knew him even a little would have been able to tell he was trying to figure out some sort of puzzle. And that puzzle just so happened to be Clive in that moment, a man who to Cid was relatively unknown yet there was something about him that had caught on Cid like a burr… and he would figure it out sooner or later.