Tifa felt groggy as hell; her head spinning and her leg hurting , opening her eyes; her heart started racing "Cloud! Where were you" as she tried to get up off the floor. However, the pain shooting through her leg stopped her. She sat there searching her pockets and found her phone; flipping it open; "Damn!" But to no avail the phone lay in her hand battered and broken, in several places. She groaned throwing it to the ground; sighing loudly she dragged herself to the wall, inspecting her wounded leg. "Cloud, please help me, Please come find me." Tifa laid her head against the wall, and tried collecting her thoughts.

Suddenly a door opened, dousing the room in light; Tifa shielded her eyes against the brightness. "Miss Lockhart." She knew that voice, Reno! She heard other voices he, along with his friends, Rude, Elena and Tseng, "Of course, Turks who else would bother me when everything was going back to normal" she rolled her eyes. "Now, Now, Tifa Don't be like that, you do understand that we just need Cloud, not you." She nodded, "Tifa, you are the bait...."

"Of for goodness sake Rude, I know what I'm here for. Don't treat me like a Chocobo!"

He looked a little taken aback before he laughed, "I guess you don't know what we plan on doing to Cloud then, or don't you care." He laughed mercilessly and through a vile at her "Here, for your leg, Rude broke it, when you attacked him." She laughed this time

"Attacked him, I was defending myself against you people." She gulped down the liquid and relaxed as she felt the potion sooth her pains. Rude and his friends left Tifa in the dark room, thankfully for Tifa they also left her water and a some food. She realised that she was hungry and gobbled the bread and drank the water. When she had finished she leant against the wall and fell asleep.

"RUDE, get her, he's here" Tifa woke with a start, Cloud is here! She smiled as she got off the floor her leg aching slightly but better then it was before. "CLOUD!" she started running towards the door, but it opened narrowly missing her. Rude grabbed her arm and pulled her through the door. "CLOUD!"

Cloud was running holding his buster sword in the air, he could see the gate as he rounded the corner at the east side of the building. The next thing he knew he was being fired upon, weapon fire coming from everywhere. He dodged every bullet and crashed through the gate, lifting his sword as he saw people approach. "Where is Tifa?" anger evident in his voice.

"Cloud, how nice of you to join us, she is here with me"

"Let her Go!" he raised his sword in an attack stance, perfectly balanced so all strength would be used to fight.

"Cloud, please, put the sword down and we'll talk"

"Let me see Tifa and then I might consider it" his eyes narrowing trying to see into the half darkness.

Rude moved, forcing Tifa to walk in front of him; into the ray of light coming from the ceiling. "Cloud"

His sword dropped and he walked forward, "let her go and I'll talk with you" Rude pushed at Tifa, who stumbled into Cloud's arms.

"Come this way then Mr Strife" While Still holding onto Tifa he swung his sword onto his back and followed Rude through the doors. He kept his senses keyed on those following, while his mind actively thought over techniques that would protect Tifa as well as himself. Rude opened a door to his right and walked inside, cloud and the other's following. Tifa felt uneasy about the arm wrapped around her waist protectively but also comforted at the same time, just maybe he did.

Cloud noticed that Tifa was limping and pulled her to his side, she looked into his face then and squeezed him back. He looked down at her and smiled warmly, his heart skipping a beat as the smile was returned, just maybe she did care. He snapped out of his thoughts when Rude dragged a chair for Tifa, Cloud helped her sit down and stood next to her, his hand on her shoulder. "What did you want? I want to go home; Cloud is here now so get on with it." Tifa stated coldly. Cloud squeezed her shoulder, "Well Cloud," he faced the blonde warrior "Shinra needs SOLDIER to be reformed..."

"No!"

"But you haven't listened to what I was going to ask"

"You were going to ask me to run it, I'm guessing that was what you wanted to say."

Rude looked like Christmas had been cancelled "Erm. Yer I was going to ask that"

"Well you have your answer, If you ever try and hurt my family again I will have your head" Cloud's eyes were menacingly blue. He moved so fast that Rude didn't even register that Cloud had grabbed his throat and pushed his up against the wall. "Do you hear me? If I ever see you again I will kill you." Rude groaned when he threw him to the floor while Cloud walked calmly to where Tifa now stood; he took her hand and led her out of the building.

Tifa stayed quiet, she could tell that Cloud was angrier then she'd ever seen him in her life. Her blonde warrior irradiated anger his eyes were sharp; for the first time she was scared he might hurt her. Cloud Drove very fast and didn't stop until he had calmed down; they were nearly home. He pulled off the road and parked Fenrir helping Tifa off the bike he hugged her tightly to his chest all his inhibitions left behind, when he had walked into that darkened room. He felt alive, his heart racing, adrenaline rushing through his veins pushing out the hate and anger he felt. "Tifa, please say something, before I go back; before I... before I go... back and rip Rude's head off"

"Cloud, I love you" WHAT!? His mind heard her but his heart just stopped dead.

"Tifa?"

"You heard me." she frowned and her heart cracked, he didn't care for her, he just didn't want to have to look after Marlene and Denzel. She broke from his grasp and walked away. Cloud being a bit stupid stood there starring after her, his mind seemed to realise what was happening and ran after her. "TIFA! Stop please"

"Why Cloud" she didn't turn back, she kept going running away from him. He finally reached her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around and holding her in place. "Tifa, why did you say that"

"It kept you here, and now you're not thinking about killing the Turks."

"I don't want to believe that Tifa, Do you really?"

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE CLOUD! Just forget I said anything!"

"Tifa please listen to what I am trying to say"

"Why can't you just say it Cloud, You don't love, you loved Aerith!"

"Because that wouldn't be true, she was my friend, nothing else"

She screamed and yanked her arm from his grip, "Cloud just face it, I am nothing to you, you should of just left me with the Turks. Tifa, turned around and was about to walk away when hands grabbed her waist and spun her around again. She felt arms pull her closer and finally warm lips kissed hers, she tried to fight it, but he was too strong. Her mind took longer than normal to process the information it was receiving. Cloud Strife just kissed me.

"Tifa, I have always loved you, since the first day I laid eyes on you." He smiled down at her capturing her lips in a kiss so passionate they forgot where they were. All their senses came crashing back; the hot sun on their backs and the cool wind dragging the sand across the road.