At last they could close the bar for the evening. Barret and Cid had both purchased a room for the evening and had stumbled up the stairs a few hours before. Vincent was the last to leave, as he normally was. It was strange though because neither Cloud nor Tifa would see him leave. One minute he was there, the next he wasn't. It was the same with him entering as well. Tifa would turn her back from the bar for only a second and when she looked back, the man she had known very little about would be sitting in the same chair as he always did.
Tifa had gone up stairs and told Cloud to clean up while she changed. Cloud smiled and did as he was told. Five minutes later, he had locked up and was walking up the stairs towards the bed room. When he opened the door, he found that Tifa had lit some candles and was lying in the bed, clad only in the thin fabric that Cloud could clearly see through enough to see her ample figure. Again, he smiled and undressed before sitting down beside her. He kissed her gently and found that his hands were gliding over her soft legs.
Vincent was walking through the streets of the city. His red cloak waving in the soft wind that blew. After a time, he stopped and looked to an old in. He had walked past it many times before, but he had never stopped outside of it. He had never had the feeling he felt now. He could feel a familiar presence inside. Some one who should not have been there. He looked from window to window with his red eyes and finally stopped on one on the third floor. The light was off so who ever it was was either sleeping or sitting in the dark.
Vincent brushed a strange of his black hair from his face and thought for a moment. He glanced about to see if any one could see him before taking a step back into a dark ally way where the shadows hid him. He would remain here till morning, watching the building and waiting for the man he knew was in there to exit.
The following morning and Cloud was cleaning a few glasses that had not been cleaned the night before. Tifa was still in bed, asleep, and he had planned on making her breakfast in bed and had some bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen. There was bread being toasted as well and some beans being warmed over the stove. He took the glass he was cleaning into the kitchen where he filled it with fresh orange juice. Once the food had been prepared, he placed it all on a tray and carried it up to the bedroom where Tifa was beginning to stir.
"What's this?" She asked as she smiled gently to him.
"I thought you might be hungry," Cloud said as he placed the tray down and kissed her.
"How sweet," She said before frowning, "Are you feeling ok?"
"Of course. Why would you ask?"
"You've never made me breakfast before. You're usually gone before I wake up."
Cloud smiled and kissed her again. He once again found his hands moving over her legs but stopped and sighed when he heard Cid moving around in the hall way.
"Perfect timing," Cloud said with a grown.
He kissed Tifa one last time and headed downstairs. As he walked into the main room, he found Vincent sitting in his chair. Cloud, taken by surprise, jumped back a step. He hadn't even unlocked the doors yet so was unsure of how he had gotten in.
"Some one wants to talk with you," Vincent said, not looking up from the bar, "He's outside."
"Reno again?" Cloud asked with a heavy sigh.
"No. Not Reno. Some one from your past."
Cloud scratched his head, not understanding the meaning of what Vincent was telling him. He walked over to the doors and opened them, allowing a single man in a black robe to enter. His hood was pulled up over his face by Cloud could see the green eyes.
"Sephiroth!" Cloud reached out for his sword which he had hidden behind the door.
The man raised a single hand to stop him and lowered his hood. It was not Sephiroth and Cloud looked at the face of his friend with both fear and happiness.
"Zack?" He asked with a near whisper. "Is it really you?"
"Yes. It's me," Said Zack with a smile, "It's good to see you again my old friend. Aeris sends her best wishes. She tells me to wish you and Tifa congratulations."
"But… how is this possible?" Cloud asked, still unable to believe that this man was really his friend that he had witnessed being killed all those years before.
"It's a long story. To make things short and easier to understand, let's just say that the Life Stream has given me this time to find you."
"What for?"
"There is a something that threatens to destroy not just this world, but others. I have been asked to find you and others from other dimensions to stop this threat."
"The world always needs saving," Said Vincent from his chair, "And Cloud always seems to get involved."
"He's not the only one I need Vincent," Zack said turning to face the ex-Turk, "I require your assistance as well."
"Good thing I'm not doing anything then isn't it."
