Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: I hope that you enjoy this chapter. This one came out pretty quickly. I have also changed the rating for this story to M for later content.

I am taking the geography of the FF VII world into account, same as with the monster population. However, I am taking liberties with some of it, just for the sake of the story.

I do not have a beta, so forgive any mistakes and just enjoy them, I do!


"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." –Napoleon Bonaparte

To You I Give My Heart

~Changes~

Chapter 2

"Professor, the next stage of the project is ready to begin," The lab assistant looked hopeful at his idol.

"Very well, after their injections, we will begin."

After their torture for the day, a strange thing happened. Having overheard the earlier exchange, he couldn't help but wonder where Cloud was and what evil and vile things they were doing to her.

Being shoved in a cell that was different than the one that he had called home for so long, Zack looked around. One huge difference was that there were no bars; it was a large solid steel door.

The plain tan colored tiles made up the walls to a larger cell than what he was used to. His normal cell was at least half this size. Two larger cots, both against a wall, sat on either side of the room. There were sheets and blankets on them and even pillows. A door across from him piqued his interest.

A sliding metal door that went flush into the wall hid a bathroom. Amenities that he had never had while imprisoned here surprised him. A sink with actual faucets, both hot and cold and a toilet that looked like what a toilet should look like. Then there was the shower stall and a towel on a towel rack.

What could possibly be going on that he got this new more "luxurious" cell? He hadn't seen Cloud in a while, not since the lab earlier that day. Hojo had been particularly harsh with them both this morning, and now this. What Cloud had said a couple of months ago rang in his ears, she was worried that he had something planned for her.

Well there was no use in dwelling on it right now; there was no telling when he would see Cloud again. After all, there were times during their stay here in Hojo's dungeon of terror that he and Cloud wouldn't see each other for weeks. Right now, that shower stall was calling his name.

Hot water, actual hot water, he hadn't had hot water to bathe in for over three years. The sink and water that was just short of frozen was all he had had for bathing up until now. To be under a fairly high pressure waterfall of hot water that steamed up the small mirror over the sink had him relaxed.

The fluffy towel around his waist felt good, and then he felt something else, heat from the vents. So there was a heater here. Now things were starting to get eerie. Not to mention, where the hell was Cloud?

Clearing the mirror of steam, he took a look at the man staring back at him, "I need a haircut." Just thinking about it, he hadn't seen himself in a mirror during his stay either. The change was drastic, he startled at the image, and he literally didn't recognize himself. Glowing brightly, his eyes ran over his face, watching as his fingers traced along his cheeks, jaw lines and a few stress lines.

He looked older, more mature. Knowing that over three years had passed, Hojo let them know it all the time. It was just another way for him to control them, 'See there, no one is looking for you, everyone thinks you're both dead. So why do you continue to fight?' Hojo repeated those words to them boring it into their very soul. Gaia how he hated those words and he hated Hojo for everything that he stood for.

Letting the words slip his memory for a moment, he finished his inspection of his new face. Fuller cheeks, longer face and his eyes had a different hue. Normally, his eyes were a violet color and when the mako began to flow, his enhancements would cause them to be a bright aquamarine.

Now, it seemed to be an almost constant glow of a slightly darker blue. Anytime his emotions were heightened, before a battle, or when he was especially sad or angry, his eyes would glow from either a gentle glow to a ferocious burn. Even when aroused, the deep turquois would radiate a passionate flare. That one had helped in getting him laid on more than one occasion as it would excite the girl he was with. Much to his dismay, it had never worked on Cloud; she seemed immune to his charms. That was just one more thing that intrigued him about her.

Maybe it was just him, it had been so long since he had seen himself, and maybe that was what he always looked like.

Pulling the towel off, he hung it back on the bar on the bathroom wall. Running and jumping for one of the cots, he wiggled under the covers, not wanting to put his dirty clothes back on. This was the first time since being here that he stayed naked, but he enjoyed the feel of the clean sheets on his clean skin. Maybe he could get in a small nap before dinner got there or Hojo decided to torture them some more.

There was no use in laying there helpless wondering what was going on when no one would tell him anything anyway. Finding a comfortable position, his memories drifted forward. A frown covered his face as he tried to go to sleep, but it was useless, he was going to swim through the memories whether he liked it or not.

"Listen Kunsel, there is no way that a behemoth could win against a ruby dragon," Zack side stepped a man in a suit as he walked beside his friend to the cafeteria.

"I don't know what you've read, but behemoths are known for their strength and they use it to knock their enemy down. That's when they go in for the kill," Kunsel held the door open for a woman that slowed to look at Zack and smiled a flirtatious smile.

Dropping the conversation with Kunsel, Zack followed the woman, "Hi there, I'm Zack."

The woman unconsciously twirled her light brown hair in her fingers, "I'm Janelle, it's nice to meet you."

"Are you new here?"

"Yes. This is my fourth day; I'm in the secretarial pool. You?"

"I'm SOLDIER first class, perhaps you've heard of me?" A sly one sided grin pulled up the corner of his mouth.

Kunsel sighed and an audible long grunt of irritation got some of Zack's attention, "I'm going over to the table to sit with Cloud, I'll see you later."

An internal cringe, he didn't want her to see him talking up another girl. 'Cloud is here, I hope she didn't see me' Like a puppy that was being held by an invisible leash, Zack jerked toward the table where he saw the blond. Glancing back to the brunette while also trying to maintain a visual of Cloud to make sure she didn't see him, Zack hurriedly dismissed himself, "Listen Janet, it was great getting to meet you, maybe we'll run into each other some other time…"

Calling after him in a tone that was between anger and humiliation, the girl called after him, "My name is Janelle, asshole!"

Cloud was busy talking to Kunsel and at the sound of the raised voice of an angry woman. Zack knew that she saw him hunch his shoulders in embarrassment. 'She's laughing at me…dammit.' Although she was laughing at him for the woman's outburst, he couldn't help but melt a little at the sight of her smile. It was like looking directly at the sun, blinding and warming at the same time. He just wished that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Being as stubborn as she was though, he didn't think that he could ever break down those walls she held up so well.

As he got closer to the table, another man walked up and put his hand on her upper back and leaned down to her face. When she looked up, the guy captured her lips in a long kiss. Suddenly feeling a little sick, it just got worse when her hand went up his neck and to the back of the man's head. Zack jerked the chair out and plopped noisily at the table, disrupting their public display.

"Hi Zack," Cloud's reddened lips smiled at him as she recounted, "So you struck out huh?"

All Zack could do was smirk at her. He knew that it was just a matter of time that she would find someone, but it hurt seeing it. When the guy pulled out a chair and sat on the other side of Cloud, he was directly across the table from the livid SOLDIER.

"Zack, Kunsel this is Jacob, he's the one I was telling you about," Cloud beamed and when his dark brown hair began to ruffle with the movement of her little fingers pulling him in for another kiss. Sure he knew about the guy, but to actually see it, that was a whole new problem. Zack thought that if his eyes rolled any harder, they would fall out and roll across the floor and out the door.

"Geez, get a room would ya," Kunsel chuckled as he pushed his chair back and stood, "I'm going to go get my food. Zack are you coming?"

Tearing his eyes from the make out session in front of him, he glanced up at Kunsel and sadly said, "Yeah, I'm coming."

When they returned to the table, Cloud and Jacob had ceased their foreplay and were talking about something that she thought was funny. 'I make her laugh all the time.' Dropping his tray down, he sat and tried not to look up at her. However, he caught sights of the other man and did his best glare and battle hardened face.

Kunsel broke the sudden silence with a question, "So Jacob, what department do you work in?"

"Oh, yeah. Please call me Harding, all my friends do. I hate my first name," He looked lovingly at Cloud and smiled at her, "Unless Cloud says it." Leaning in for another kiss, Zack coughed and cleared his throat loud enough to break the spell. Harding finished, "I work in the labs with Professor Hojo. I'm a licensed physician's assistant."

Swallowing his bite of food, Kunsel inquired, "So how did you two meet? I'm afraid Cloud hasn't told us."

Breaking eye contact with Cloud, Harding turned to Kunsel and Zack, "Well, Cloud here, had gotten hurt during hand to hand combat training. I was the one who took care of her and wrapped her ankle."

With a goofy grin, Cloud's hand roamed up Harding's shoulder, up to his neck, "Now, because of him, I'm all better." She yet again pulled him down to another kiss.

Just before their lips could touch, Zack loudly asked, "Isn't that against protocol? I mean you're her doctor, Jacob, which is against ethics, am I right?" Zack emphasized his point with a fork drop into his mashed potatoes. They both froze and Cloud glared at him. It was the look that told him that he better shut his mouth, but in his anger, he kept talking. As if he wasn't a big enough ass right then, he added something that he regretted saying immediately, "That is unless you're having her repay you in sexual favors."

Kunsel choked on a mouth full of water.

Cloud's beautiful eyes changed into a storm of hurt. Extra moisture gathered at the bottom of her lids and threatened to fall down her cheeks. Harding stood up and leaned across the table, "Listen you ass, I'm not like that and I suggest you apologize to her!"

'Freakin fantastic,' talking and acting like the jealous dick head that he was right then, just drove her farther away. Instead of her running to him, she was now being held and comforted by the other man.

Reaching out to touch her arm, she recoiled and said softly, "Of all the people I know, you are the last person I thought would say something like that."

Watching her leave was the hardest thing to see, but it got worse, Harding followed her.

"Zack, what the hell was that?"

Picking at his potatoes, he lost his appetite and pushed his tray away, "I don't know. I just… I couldn't…"

A hard punch to his arm, Kunsel's frustrated tone echoed in his ears, "Zack, I know you like her, so do something about it."

"I've tried, but she told me that she doesn't want me like that," Zack rubbed at his rising bruise on his arm, as he fought tears of frustration.

Kunsel stood and grabbed his tray, "Then you can do one of two things. You can either let her be happy with someone else, or you can fight for her." As he walked off, Zack looked at the exit and back at the three empty seats. Rising from the table in a rush, he ran out the door; needing to catch up to her, he had a few things he needed to talk to her about.


A/N: Thanks to all of you who read, favorite, subscribed and/or reviewed, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

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