ATE: Sorry it took me long to update the next chapter. Now the moment you've been waiting for, chapter 11 is ready to be read!

Declaimer: Do I really have to say it? Does it look like I own Final Fantasy or all it's characters? NO! Now leave me alone!

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Chapter 11

Waking Up To A Surprise

Tori woke up the next morning to find that she was in bed. Wait a minute! In BED?! Tori shot up into a sitting position and looked around wildly. She looked down at herself and saw that the ropes and handkerchief were gone. She spotted the couch and saw that there were ropes and a handkerchief sitting on its cushion.

"How did I end up in Cloud's bed?" Thought Tori. "Did he take the ropes and handkerchief off me?"

While Tori was thinking with a distant look on her face, she didn't notice that Cloud came into the room fully dressed in his normal attire. When he came in he just stared at Tori for a moment before speaking.

"Tori." Said Cloud.

It was then that Tori looked up to see Cloud standing to the left of the bed (which happened to be near the door). She stared at him and then blushed. When she knew that she was blushing, Tori got under the covers to hide. She knew how childish she was acting but she didn't care right now.

Tori heard Cloud's footsteps coming towards here and she soon felt the left side of the bed sink, indicating that he was sitting on that part of the bed. Without warning, Tori felt more weight on top of her. She poked her head from under the covers to find that Cloud was on top of her with his arms wrapped around her, causing her to blush even more. His face was only inches away from hers.

"Cloud, what are you doing?" Whispered Tori.

"I'm sorry about last night. Just let me hold you like this." Said Cloud quietly.

Tori didn't know what to do so she closed her eyes, thinking that this was just a dream. But when she opened them again, he was still on top of her holding her. Tori was so flustered that she didn't see that Cloud's head was coming closer to hers until he placed a kiss on her cheek. Cloud then brought his mouth up to her ear and started to whispered into it.

"I love you, Tori."

Tori could feel Cloud's warm breath against her neck and ear and felt bumps on her skin. She started to feel uncomfortable with the silence and decided to break it.

"But why me?" Asked Tori. "Why choose me over Tifa? She's more prettier than me."

Cloud didn't say anything to that.

"Is it because I'm Aerith's reincarnation? Is it because I look like her?"

"No." Whispered Cloud.

"Then why?"

"It's because you're pretty in a special way. So young and so innocent."

Tori then looked down at the bed. What Cloud was saying wasn't really true about her. She wasn't as innocent as he claimed her to be.

Back when she was little, she used to get out of control and hurt her little sister because of her anger issues.

Tori felt tears well up in her eyes and this time she let them fall from her face freely. Cloud saw this with a look of concern on his face and he used his hands to wipe the tears away.

"What's wrong?" Asked Cloud.

"I'm...not as innocent as you say I am." Whispered Tori. "I've done things in the past that I'm not proud of and would make you thing otherwise of my innocence."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When I was little...I used to hurt my little sister because I would get into a rage and go out of control. I would scratch her to the point that she would bleed and end up crying."

"But you're not like that anymore."

"I know. But I can't forgive myself for doing such a horrible thing. I don't deserve anyone's love. Not even yours."

"You're wrong about that." Said Cloud. "You do deserve love, including mine."

Tori didn't know what to say so she buried her head into the pillow of Cloud's bed. She then started to cry again and her cries were muffled. Cloud then sat up in the bed and looked at Tori. He extended his arms towards Tori's crying form and pulled her to him, holding her close. She then cried into his shoulder.

I think...I want to be forgiven. More than anything. That was one of the lines that Cloud said in Advent Children. Tori never forgot that it was one of the most important lines in the movies that Cloud said.

"Aerith. I want to be forgiven. Please forgive me." Thought Tori.

"Isn't it time you started doing the forgiving, Victoria?" Said Aerith's voice in her head.

Tori was shocked but didn't show it.

"Yes, Aerith. You're right. It's time that I started forgiving myself instead of always asking other to forgive me." Thought Tori.

Tori then wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist and hugged him. She then felt like she was safe in his embrace and wanted to stay like that. Tori felt Cloud's hand smoothing the back of her hair.

"Cloud, please promise me something?" Said Tori.

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me you won't leave me?"

Tori could tell that Cloud was thinking about what to say. It was then that she got her reply seconds later.

"I promise."

"Thank you."

Tori then felt Cloud hold her tightly to him. She could feel the warmth emitting from his body. She was happy that she could be loved by Cloud.

"Oh, how touching." Said a voice.

It was then that Tori and Cloud's head shot up and their eyes met with a sight that truly frightened them. Standing near the window was Sephiroth with a smirk on his face. Cloud let go of Tori and stood up from the bed with his sword in his hands.

"Sephiroth! What are you doing here?" Asked Cloud.

"Why, I thought it was quite obvious?" Stated Sephiroth. He then pointed at Tori. "I'm here for the girl."

Tori's eyes then widened with shock and she started to become scared.

"I won't let you take her!"

"But I think I will."

Sephiroth then got out the Masamune and in the blink of an eye, Tori saw that the hilt of the silvered haired man's sword hit Cloud's stomach. Cloud then fell to the floor unconscious.

"Cloud!" Cried Tori with tears flowing down her face.

Tori got out of the bed and tried to run over to Cloud's side, only to be pulled away from him by Sephiroth.

"Let me go!" Cried Tori, struggling to get free from the hold that the One Winged Angel had on her. "Cloud!"

"I will not release you. You have an important role to play in all this." Said Sephiroth.

It was then that Tori felt something hit her in her stomach and all went black.

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ATE: For all you Sephiroth lovers out there, you must be glad that Sephiroth has finally made a appearance in the story talking! I would love it if people would review this story by pressing the purple button in the lower left corner of the page. Please and thank you!