Sorry for the lateness, I wrote the chapter on lined paper, but because of that I kept putting off typing it, never doing that again…. Once again, thanks for my reviews, and so sorry for taking so long….

Check Mate

He walked for some time, never truly knowing where he's going. He just let his feet lead him to wherever they wanted to go. In the distance he could hear grunts and slight screams, but the sound didn't interests him, he didn't really hear it anyways, it got lost in all the other thoughts going through his head. However his feet had other ideas, they brought him closer to the noise; until the noise distracted him from his own mind. Looking around he realized he was standing in the abandoned warehouses. Across the street in one of the empty garages, he saw her, hacking away with her knives at sandbags hanging from the ceiling. He stood in the door watching the sand fly which ever which way. She's gotten better at fighting, her moves are faster, stronger, but they lack technique. He guesses that that his fault, he used to teach her, tell her how to move, and show her how to read people. But the lessons stopped once he got lost inside himself, his own struggles, how at the time he though it was just his business, that no one else was affected. But now, standing here watching her let out her emotions on useless bags he realized that every one was affected. He realized why she, Yuffie would make it a point to talk to him, try to get him to laugh. Or why Aerith would try to get him to talk; he never did come to her to talk, not once. If he had something to say he would say it to himself. Even Leon and Cid tried to help in their own way. Tifa, his eyes close thinking: everyday he would run from Tifa, trying protect her, trying to keep her out of harms way. How many times did he tell her to leave him alone; but she always was stubborn, never listens to any one, he guesses that's a good thing. If she would have listened, he still would be darkness. Its funny how things work out, he tried to protect her to save her from Sephiroth, when in truth she saved him.

Sand sprayed against the wall next to him, interrupting his thoughts. She truly was working herself.

Tifa was the reason for his light, when she tried to fight for him, it shone. His concern for her was the source of his light. It was then Sephiroth was destroyed; the light that Tifa made appear was two bright Sephiroth, it almost was too bright for himself even. He laughed out loud; he spent all that time running from Tifa, convinced he could do it on his own but she knew better, she was the one to lead him to his light; she was the one that saved him. He laughed louder; he spent all that time running, when she was the one he was looking unknowingly. He shakes his head as a small dagger hit the wall next to him and bounces off.

"That was just a warning! Next one wont miss.!" Yuffie yelled, "Step in to view!"

Stepping around the broken sand bags he asked her, "When did you learn to throw like that, Yuff?"

Yuffie dropped all the daggers she had in her arms. "Cloud!"

He was pounced by the small ninja, and engulfed in and big hug. "I thought you forgot about our lessons!" Cloud was surprised, he remembered the lessons but he didn't remember the day or time they would have them.

"Lessons. I remember them. You got better, but we planed one today?"

"You silly, of course not! We would just have them every third day, around two."

"and one is today?"

"Well duh!" she pulled his hand over to a wall that had scratches on it. "that, "she pointed to a set of notches, "are the days I come here to train when you're here, I made the tallies into "x" because it was the day we said we would train, every third day at two o'clock." She smiled, there were a lot of "x" scratches into the wall.

"wow, we came down here a lot didn't we?" Yuffie nodded and smiled, then pulled him to the next set of notches "and these are the days I came down when you weren't here. The "x" are again the planed day to train, but the tallies are when I just came down on my own" Cloud looked at the wall, there were at least three time as many "x'es" on this wall than the other one, but in between every "x" was three tally marks.

"you've been coming down here every day?"

"Umhum," she smiled at him, "you know you should say you're sorry. You've missed more lessons than you came to."

Cloud looked down, she was right, "I'm sorry Yuffie."

"wha- no, no, no, NO. I was only joking, don't apologize! ---"

"But your right. I missed a lot."

"Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!" she spun around throwing a dagger at the target painted on the wall be hind her. The dagger hit dead center but bounced of the wall. "Dang it! I can never get them to stay stuck."

"Here. When you throw, flick your wrist more, it will help it to fly straight, that way it's the tip of the dagger that hit the wall first." He grabbed one of her knives and threw it, it stuck in the wall at the center. "You try"

Yuffie did, but the knife still didn't stay in the wall, "no, it's more of a flick" he put her hand in his and they threw the knife together, it stuck into the wall. "You see? Now try on your own…"

Across town Tifa was wondering down to the abandoned garage, she knew Yuffie was there. And she wanted to talk to her before she talked to Cloud. Still she wasn't in a hurry so she was wondering round, taking her time, trying to sort out what's going on between Leon and Yuffie. 'It's funny once the heartless are gone, and Clouds back, all this drama pops up, or maybe,' she thinks, 'maybe it was here before, but I was to busy chasing Cloud to notice.' Either way, she had find Yuffie, and sort out the mess. Leon however, day was not going as planed, first he got in a argument with Yuffie, then he walked around looking for heartless to kill, only to remember there was none left, finally he found Aerith down by the fountain, from a distance he could tell she was crying, but when he walked she had a smile on. Sitting next to her she started to tell him of her day. Leon knew it was a lie, but he let her pretend anyways, making a mental note to ask Cloud what going on, Cloud could always read people much better than he could.

"…so anyways, the garden is getting so big! I just don't know what to do." Aerith smiled, "I think I'm going to have to expand..." she looked down, for a spilt seconded her face dropped, but it was so fast, Leon questioned if it was even there.

"Wow, sounds like you had a full day… mine was just boring…" he thought back to his and Yuffie fight. It wasn't really a fight, but he could tell he let her down. He could tell Yuffie was scared for him, scared that he would get hurt again, but he wouldn't let that stop him. He had to try again, "I tried finding things to kill, but could find any heartless. Sora really did his job well. Wish he would have left some"

"You don't mean that!" she fakes a shock expression.

"The hell I do! True it nice finally was getting to rebuild faster, but there nothing to fight in our down time."

"You could hack at sand bags like Yuffie…" she pushes lightly

"Nah, I'm too good for that, "Leon teases, "but maybe, I could fight with Cloud…"

At the sound of Clouds name, all color left Aerith's face, her expression went cold.

"Aerith? Aerith's what's wrong?" Leon asked, concerned.

Looking up she lies "nothing" with a smile her color is back. "It's just weird having him back, it weird, but its good." closing her eyes, she blinks away tears. Leon would defiantly have to talk to Cloud, but for now he lets it go.

They sit in silence. Both lost it thought, but Aerith couldn't stand the silence she needed something to keep her mind off Cloud so she splashes Leon with water. While dodging his splash back she attempts to push him in, but ended up getting pulled in the fountain with him with him.

"You!" she gasps laughing while splashing more water at him. Getting to his knees he grabs her waist and pulls her down, soaking the both of them.

Aerith catches his eyes, but instead she saw Cloud, only for second, but that second was long enough. She wasn't ready to move on, it wasn't fair to Leon. Focusing back to the present, she found Leon, starring at her. Looking into Leon's eyes she sees Cloud again, absorbed with trying to get him out of her head, she doesn't even realize when Leon pulls her into his arms.

Tifa now on a mission, she has to find Yuffie. She has to talk to Yuffie about Leon. So Tifa is no longer mindlessly walking, she is hunting, she is looking though every abandoned garage, looking for the small ninja. Nearing the far side of the garages, she hears grunting, and screaming. Yuffie must be around here somewhere. Another scream escaped a near building; Tifa followed the sound and found her self standing out side of a rusted garage. The same garage that Yuffie would have lessons with Cloud in. Mentally kicking her self, she opened the door silently.

Cloud and Yuffie were fighting. Well Yuffie was fighting; Cloud was mealy blocking Yuffie's every move. Tifa watched them bounce back and forth using the walls and the hung ropes that once hug sand bags to get the other person.

"is that all you got, Yuff" Tifa heard Cloud mocking the ninja. As a response Yuffie, bounced of the side of the wall grabbing hold of a rope and attempted in swinging around Cloud, to attack from behind. But the weight of her Shuriken threw her off balance and she came crashing to the floor.

Cloud looked at her, amused. "like I said earlier, is that all you got."

"shut up cloud." Yuffie pouted on the floor.

Tifa watched the two of them, almost jealous, but then what did she have to be jealous of, she does the same thing. Now that everything is fine, Clouds back and happy, they all joke around. Still Tifa turns to leave unable to watch any more; she can talk to Yuffie later.

Yuffie glances at the door just in time to see Tifa walk out, forgetting about Cloud's out stretched hand to help her up, Yuffie jumps up by herself and runs towards the door. "TIFFAA!!!! Come back!!!!"

"It's ok, you guys go finish. I can wait." Tifa called back.

"Were done, Come on." she grabs Tifa hand and starts to pull her back over to Cloud.

"Yuffie, let go. YUFFIE STOP PULLING. Yuffie, I'm walking, stop trying to get me to go faster. Yuffie!!" Tifa exclaimed whiled getting pulled. She then glared at Cloud who was watching the scene before him amusingly "Cloud, are going to help?"

"Nah, this is quite fun."

"There!" Yuffie said as she let go of Tifa hand," now… I'm tiered so I'm going to go see if Cid needs help. But Tifa, Cloud didn't get much of a work out, so you so fight him." There was glint of mischief young ninja eyes, "bye" and she was already out of the door.

"so… do you want…." Cloud picked up his sword, as if that finished his sentence for him.

"yeah, but no weapons." Tifa answered, pulling on her gloves.

Cloud waited till her gloves were on, then he lunged at her. Tifa dodged easily; maybe she wasn't as slow as she though. After a few more doges, Tifa lunged forward to hit Cloud. But he read her move and stepped to the right landing him in the perfect spot hit Tifa down to the ground, but instead all he did was nudge her, letting her know that she left herself open.

"You going soft, Cloud?" she teases, while connecting a blow to his shoulder.

He slips behind her and jabs Tifa hard in the back, pushing her to the wall. "Nah, I just like messing with you." He jumps in font of her trapping her between his body and the wall. She tries to hit him again, so she could clear a path out from between him. However once again Cloud read her moves and caught her hand, pushing it above her head, holding it there. He leaned in, his lips inches from hers, "check mate."

Tifa smiled, "you got lucky."

"Right…" Cloud said skeptically.

"Hey Cloud, why did you leave again?" her eyes locked on to his.

Cloud knew what she was talking about. Tifa asked why after he defeated Sephiroth, he left again.

"I…" he took a deep breath. "I had to make sure I put him in area, where he could never come back."

"Where'd you put him?" she whispered the closeness of his lips made her breath get caught in her throat.

"Somewhere he can't get to you." Cloud let go of her hands and stared to walk away.

"What! Cloud what does that mean?" she ran after him, "Cloud?"

"It means" he turned, standing in the garage door way, "he can longer get out, and hunt me; he can't hurt my friends anymore." With that Cloud was gone.

"Cloud." Tifa ran to the door, but he was already gone. "Uhhg, Yuffie was right Cloud, you're a pain in the ass," Tifa said thinking back to the last time Cloud had to defeat Sephiroth, back when 7th heaven was their home.

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