As always, for Sheno. Because, much as I can leave it like that, I can't stand disappointing you. And you deserve spoiling, purely for being a ray of sunshine.

Cloud shivered. Where the hell was he? Had one of his barrack-mates stolen his sheets again? Dragging himself into wakefulness, he felt a stab of pain that seemed to pierce almost everywhere at once, and where it missed, a vicious, thumping ache pummeled instead. Memories flooded back to him, and instnatly his eyes slid to the side. Zack lay exactly where he had left him, spreadeagled in the dirt. His smaller scrapes had all but vanished, and now only the most wicked-looking slices and the bruises remained. Cloud deftly reached into his pocket and pulled out a potion. His friend was out of the woods, the rising of his chest shallow but steady, so he decided against throwing the stronger stuff at him. Pouring the potion over Zack's chest, he noticed the slight flinching of muscles. An automatic response to the sudden coldness. Cold...he bolted up, dropping the empty bottle and cursing himself. If he was shivering, the injured man must be freezing!

Then it came to him. The bike. Zack had always kept a blanket in the sidecar, for Cloud to sit on, and to wrap around him when the nights got cold and they were without shelter. Stamping his feet to get the circulation going again, he tilted his head to the sky. It was dark now. Unsurprising, it had been late evening when the onslaught had finally ceased. And judging by the moon, night had not long fallen. That was good. If Zack caught hypothermia because Cloud had been too busy sleeping to keep him warm, he'd never forgive himself.

crunch

Cloud froze. Motionless, he strained every cell in his body towards locating the source of that noise. In the shadows that had gathered around their bike, there was a shifting. A flash of white. And then, a small woman was stepping towards him. On seeing him, she stilled. It was almost comical. Both of them as still as a landworms hit with a Stop spell. Breaking his paralysis, Cloud retrieved his sword from the ground. Her light brown eyes flicked from him to Zack, then back to him.

"Cissnei, right?"

She nodded. He smiled slightly.

"Nice to meet you. And so good to finally be able to say that you and the rest of ShinRa can get royally fucked. I'm sick of your bullshit, and if anyone ever takes it upon themselves to do the smart thing and torch the lot of you, I'll bring apples to cook."

The girl flinched.

"Look, Cloud. I know you hate us, bu-"

"Shut up. You have no idea." He was deadly serious now, the urge to hurt this girl rising so fast that he had to glance back at Zack, alive, resting, to restore his calm.

"-But we need to take him. Both of you. You're not we-" Taking a step forwards, Cissnei reached out a hand. Cloud's sword swung down inches from her nose. Just a SOLDIER sword, but against an unarmed girl, it was enough.

"Come one step closer and I swear to Odin I will cut. You. Down."

She swallowed.

"You're not well!"

It was getting irritating, that habit of hers. Picking up where she'd left off. He wondered if she was simply finishing an argument she had started with Zack, but he couldn't remember.

"I can manage. We can manage. Without any damned mako, and without any fucking ShinRa."

A whimper of distress caught his attention then, and Cloud was turning, stumbling to Zack's side. His hand, still ungloved, pressed against the other man's forehead. Cold. So very cold. And he could feel the slightest tremors running through the skin beneath him.

He was barely aware of Cissnei any more, so he nearly jumped out of his skin when her legs appeared in his line of vision, the other side of Zack. She dropped something soft and heavy onto the man's chest. Cloud realised with some confusion that it was the blanket, as she straightened it out and arranged it to cover his bare skin. Resisting the urge to punch her or snatch him away from those small, slender hands, he instead asked "why are you helping?"

Cissnei sighed.

"I like Zack. I don't want him dying while we're busy arguing it out."

"Right...and how long before you're knocking me out and dragging us both back to headquarters for a shiny public execution or whatever?"

She actually had the gall to roll her eyes at him.

"Cloud, don't you get it? Who do you think that damned bike belongs to?"

He blinked a few times, a memory trying to surface. With another sigh, Cissnei rose smoothly to her feet.

"Look. While you decide whether or not to stop being an ass and actually hear me out, I'll light a fire. That blanket's not really enough, and you're shivering, yourself."

Alone with his unconscious charge, Cloud allowed his eyes to wander with no apparent purpose, while he chased that fragment of memory.

"Tseng."

Her voice. His eyes were on Zack's feet, but he recognised her voice.

"I've lost the target."

A slight shuffling, then a jingle.

"Here. If you think you can trust me, then take this."

Oh.

"You helped us escape?"

Cissnei looked up, and her eyes were dancing with amusement and firelight.

"Finally, he gets it."

"Why? And why are you trying to catch us again now?"

"Because Zack would have happily fought me to the death to keep you safe. And either outcome of that fight would have been bad for me. Now...I'm quite frankly ambivalent to killing you to get him back."

Cloud tensed.

"On the other hand, I can't stand that kicked-puppy look he does. And I'd never see the end of it if I did kill you. So I'm faced with another dilemma."

"Y-huh?"

This girl had successfully baffled him in a few sentences. And she still smiled teasingly while she discussed killing him. He could see why her and Zack had been friends.

"I can either lie to Tseng again and risk getting myself a one-way ticket to the labs, or I can disappear. Say, what's Gongaga like this time of year?"

"...so I asked her to look after my parents." A chuckle. Zack's laugh. Cloud's lips curved at the memory.

"She was like "Yeah, sure." I warned her that my parents have a habit of adopting people, and she told me they already have!" The laugh came again, hesitantly delighted. "I think I have a sister! Which is kinda a shame, cause she's hot, but..."

Rueful now, that chuckle. Zack never could keep his mind out of the gutter for long when it came to pretty girls.

Cloud gave a little half-smile.

"The weather's great there. Scenery's a bit dull, but you know what they say about towns with reacto-"

He paused. His gaze shifted to Zack's, and his fingers reached out to brush against the blanket pooled next to the other man's shoulder, smoothing it out. As if sensing something private, Cissnei's eyes turned back to the fire.

"Well, I may just have to go pay a visit to some relatives, then," she murmured, rising.

"What, now?"

"Might as well. We both know you won't sleep while I'm anywhere near, and you're about one sleepless night away from being back in the coma. Here."

She held something up for him to see. Her phone. Then, she tossed it into the fire.

"What the-"

"So I can't tell the others where you are. It'll help you rest a little easier. They're about..." she tilted her head, looking skywards, "fifty miles east of here. The cliff wall should hide the fire, as long as they don't decide to fly directly over the top, but don't keep it burning all night."

"How am I supposed to keep him warm, then?"

Her expression could only be described as dirty, and Cloud found himself distinctly warm around the cheeks.

"I'm sure you'll think of something, cutie."

With a careless wave, she disappeared into the night, the opposite way from where she had first come. Again, Cloud found a smile twitching the corner of his mouth up.

"You have some really good friends, Zack." Quieter, sadder, he continued "so get better, ok? For them."

It be done. Chapter four is written, but won't be posted until chapter five is finished.