House: Alas, another chapter down, and not one that came easily. Try fighting the onslaught of writer's clot as well as read Plato's Republic sometime. I'm beginning to think I'm going to be as mad as Hojo one of these days. Anyway, I never beg for anything, but reviews would be loverly. In fact, I'm sure DR and I would go on a read-and-review spree for anyone who would be so kind as to give us an opinion. We really don't know if we're doing something wrong unless we're told. I tried to be psychic once, but the closest I came to obtaining ESP was when I got it on my portable CD player years ago (ESP: Electronic Skip Protection, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about).

Disclaimer: We own nothing. In fact, we so own nothing that this idea is about to grow legs and run away from us. Help us by reviewing so we can trade awesome comments for a leash to keep it from escaping.

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"Cloud…"

"Sssh…don't speak. Don't waste energy on things you can say later."

There was a silence between the two men as Cloud held Vincent tightly, wondering when help would arrive, and where their assailants had run off to. Wherever it was, it wasn't going to be far enough, when he was done with them. They would live to regret their mistake. He looked back down at the dark-haired fighter, fighting to appear like he wasn't troubled by the stain that was starting to show on Vincent's chest, despite the dark coloring of his clothes. It wasn't quite large enough to cause great concern, and Vincent had always been resilient, so the blond wasn't too worried…not just yet. He knew that with time, the wound could become more severe, which was why he was anxious to get Vincent healed.

He mentally cursed himself for the thousandth time for not bringing any potions or healing materia with him. They had just gone out for a simple drive, so he didn't think that there was any reason for the precautions.

He smoothed hair away from Vincent's forehead. Panic suddenly started to set in. Vincent was pale…even for him. On top of that, he was cool to the touch. That couldn't be a good sign. Infection, maybe? No, the abnormal amounts of mako in his system wouldn't allow for that to happen. So, if that wasn't it, what could it be?

Cloud looked at Vincent, who was starting to drift off. He nudged the pale man just a bit, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of him to keep him awake. The crimson eyes opened slightly, looking over to meet Cloud's cerulean blue eyes, glazed over with concern.

"I need you to stay awake just a little longer until help gets here, okay?" Cloud asked softly, as one would when attempting to bargain with a small child. "Just a bit longer. I called in awhile ago, so it shouldn't be much longer. Just stay with me until then. Then you can rest."

"Cloud?" Vincent asked quietly, his voice quivering in a way that Cloud had never heard before, and it frightened him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm cold."

Cloud woke with a start. The bumps on his flesh were raised and a chill shot down his spine. He looked across the room to see that the window was open. He hadn't distinctly remembered leaving it open, but he quickly shrugged the thought away. Rolling out of bed, he crossed the room and closed the window, latching it shut. Rubbing his arms, he went back to the bed, spreading out amongst the scattered covers.

"Another dream…," he said mildly, as if his heart hadn't been threatening to bust through his ribcage just a few minutes earlier. He sighed and began to stare at the beige ceiling above. The inn he decided to stay in was nicer than the last one he'd been in, but somehow, he thought that the other room had been more fitting. It had been bare, the walls a boring off-white color and simple white blinds covered the windows. The room he was in was filled with decorative objects, like framed pictures of scenery and fine dark drapes that hung from large brass rods above the windows.

In a way, it was kind of symbolic, the difference between the two rooms. The first room was empty, like his life was now. The second was more like the way life was before Vincent had left: beautiful and comforting. How he wished he could do something to bring the light back into life, or to take what dull light he had left and put it out forever.

Yes, that was what he wanted. To put the light out. Somehow, losing everything repeatedly made that light not worth having, even if it had made things better. Those people with the light had just come into his life without warning, leaving in the same way they came, but taking something with them. A piece of Cloud had gone with them. Just when he thought there was nothing left to give, someone else would come in and take a little more, usually that little more that he hadn't even known he had. Perhaps they just built what little he had so they had more to take.

The blond groaned and rubbed his eyes. He was thinking way too much. The nightmares weren't causing his insomnia; his brain was working overtime, and it was killing him slowly.

What a nice thought, he mused. If only my brain would just implode now, then I could finally just be done with all of it and not have to worry anymore.

As the orange light from the sun crept over the horizon, he suddenly got the feeling that no such thing was going to happen to him anytime soon. He just wasn't that lucky. Besides, he didn't really want to go. Not just yet. There was still the little matter of finding the people who had taken Vincent from him. He had to pay them a visit. Then he could finally rest, once and for all.

"Just a little longer…"