Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII or AC...

I'm new at this so here it goes..

"Give it up!"

Claudissa stumbled on the ground and gritted her teeth. She looked up to her necklace, dangling inches away from her face. Claudissa stood back up and readjusted her skirt. Then she glared at the man, who grinned evilly down at her. "50 gil, I'm not taking anything lower than that sweetheart."

"Fine!" Claudissa snapped. The man dug into his pockets and dropped the coins into her hands. He tossed the necklace into the air and caught it. "Give it to someone who deserves it." she said in last effort. The necklace was valuable in its own respect. It was a pearl necklace.

The man smirked and headed back in the pawn shop whistling. A raindrop hit Cluadissa's head signaling a storm was soon approaching. She blinked and looked down at the collected gil. It was enough to start a journey, though it wasn't enough to survive. She sighed and put the coins inside her pockets. She'd have to do with what she got for now.

The sky opened to sprinkles of rain. Claudissa started to run down the alley way, anxious to get back home before Mother Dearest, Patricia, came home and saw the house a wreck. Before the rain could get worse, she stopped by and picked up a map. She scanned the page and found the Midgar. Her best bet to find her father.

Claudissa continued her way to her 'home' as she would like to call it, except it wasn't. It belonged to someone else. The house, as she left it, held a stench of strong liquor, tobacco and rotten food. Not to mention the sticky floor, rummaged sofa and the clothes. Claudissa bet her lip and looked at the clock. She had time before Patricia would come in to discover the waste. Claudissa had arranged to serve as maid and the house as a motel. She had posted flyers to anyone who needed a place to stay for the night. Surprisingly, a few tourists came through with the offer and Cluadissa made a lot of money in doing so. She quickly dropped the map and started her cleaning.

"Excuse me? Do you know where I can find a chocobo to rent?" A young man with blonde hair that defied gravity and bright blue eyes leaned forward over the counter and whispered, "it's important." He wore a black cloak that seemed to hide an oversized sword that was probably bigger than him on his back. If he was hiding it from people then he failed to. He looked like he was from SOLDIER, an organization that died out 19 years ago.

The pawn shop owner crossed his arms and looked at him suspiciously. This kid looked like he was a trouble maker. "You gotta buy something here."

The kid pouted and scanned the shelves. He'd get something really cheap so he wouldn't feel as though it was a waste later on. Then he saw something that caught his eye. "That." He pointed above the owners head. The man turned his head and raised a brow. "That right there is 90 gil."

"What?!" The kid nearly fainted.

The owner glared at him, "ain't satisfied? Then get the hella out of here."

He slapped down the 90 gil and ask begrudgingly, "where can I get a chocobo or any source of transportation?"

"That's two questions, you'll have to buy something else."

The kid leaned over the desk glaring up at the man, irritated. "I'm asking one!"

The man grabbed the money on the counter and let it fall in his pouch, "there's a farm not too far from here. Just go south from here and you'll be there in few hours."

Relieved, the teenager leaned back. He looked at the windows, little droplets thumping on the glass. A girl ran by hurrying as he caught sight of a purple flyer. A motel for any tourists staying in the are for a short period of time and it was only 10 gil. He grinned inwardly. These days they were charging more money because the lack of resources on The Planet. But this price seemed reasonable.

"I think I'm going to spend the night here" he said to himself. "My necklace?"

The owner grunted and tossed the pearl necklace to him. He caught it one handed without looking. "You know you look familiar? Have I seen you before?"

The kid shrugged.

"That hair and those eyes...Cloud Strife. Ain't you his son? You're Zarek Strife. "

He looked up and slid another 5 gil. He winked, "You never saw me in your life."

The owner got the message and grinned, "Who are you again?"

Zarek walked to the door and snatched off the flyer. Montague residence. Ask for Claudissa. Zarek felt the few gils he had left in his pocket. Just one night and he'd set off, away from Midgar, away from his troubles and far from the reaches of his dad, Cloud Strife.

And after a man with silver hair named Kadaj.

Claudissa finally finished the last of the scrubbing before she heard the doorbell ring. She sighed and walked through the kitchen and the nicely polished floor. Through the window curtains she could make out a young man around her age shivering outside in the cold rain with a hood on. He gripped the purple flyer in his hand as he pressed the button again.

Claudissa frowned and opened the door. He sprang in, making muddy footprints on the floor she had just cleaned. Claudissa paled at the sight when a puddled started forming around him and smears of mud that followed him. His teeth chattered as he handed her the flyer.

"I need some warmth."

Claudissa blinked at him. Obviously he didn't care how he had dirtied the floor she labored over for. He just said it as if she was his maid. And Patricia would be coming anytime soon. If she found any evidence of her house being used as a motel, Patricia would burn her alive. Claudissa grabbed the flyer form his hands and torn it into two then three then four then five then...

Zarek watched as the girl in front of him tear the flyer into small pieces until the pieces were too small to tear. She heaved in out and looked at him with wide eyes. "Please?" he added unsure if he was at the right place. She had lustrous honey eyes, except one was tainted with a bit of green. Her auburn curls were set in a messy bun. But still no response. Zarek began to wonder if the girl was retarded or deaf...or mute.

Zarek gulped, "am I at the right place?" then added hastily "You won't charge me for asking right?"

Claudissa finally regained her composure and blinked several times, "charge for asking?"

Zarek grinned, "nevermind. For a minute there, I thought something was wrong with you."

Claudissa frowned. Zarek stopped grinning. Claudissa couldn't really tell if he was still laughing at her because his upper half of his face was hidden by the base of the hood. She took a step forward to get a better look in but Zarek retreated back.

"I'm sorry but I'm closed till further notice" Claudissa said professionally. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay somewhere else."

"I have no where else to go" he said, "and everywhere I'm asking is charging me. So I lose more and more money."

Claudissa sighed. She always held a soft spot for the unfortunate, "you can stay."

Zarek smiled and Claudissa wanted to reach over and take the hood off to see his face. He began searching through his pockets.

"No keep your money," she said, "looks like you got a guardian angel watching out for you."

Little did they know.