Thanks to Kaarina Helvete and Sigbru for reviewing AGAIN!! Thank you ^^.

This chapter isn't too great for me anyways. I've actually just finished writing chapter 14 and I've been delaying myself for putting this one up but here we go!


The windows were open fully and an eastern breeze was gushing its way through the open windows and blowing the satin white curtains apart. There were a few clouds in the bright azure sky that occasionally broke the sun's strong rays. The city below was busy as usual; the sound of cars and people talking below in the streets filled the room, even though the apartment was on the fifteenth floor.

Tifa Lockheart was relaxing on the cream couch, one arm was propping her head up against the arm rest behind her, while the other hung off of the couch her fingertips gripping onto the top of a crystal glass. She was fighting to keep her eyes open even though it was the middle of the day. She frowned at herself and shifted her weight on the couch and flexed her toes.

She stared out of the open window, thankful that the apartment was higher than some buildings in Edge and the same buildings didn't block her view.

She slowly lowered the glass in her left hand to the floor and then placed it back onto her 'bump' which she was sure hadn't grown in a while. She absentmindedly began humming to herself, still gazing out of the window. It was so surprising how peaceful it was, even though she knew she was in the centre of town.

Her phone suddenly began to ring and she jumped from its sudden loud tone. Uncurling her right arm she reached for her phone which she knew was on the small side table besides the couch. Grabbing the phone she flipped it open and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" She muttered, she quickly looked at the screen to see if it said who it was and rolled her eyes at reading the name. "No Yuffie, I didn't see you on the news." She sighed, relaxing back into the leather couch and stared up at the white ceiling.

"You won't believe this Tifa!" Began the obviously over excited teen on the other side of the phone. Tifa could practically picture her there jumping on the spot while talking down the phone.

Tifa hummed once in reply, not bothering to try and guess what Yuffie could be on about.

"Chocobo head has only gone and teamed up with Shinra!" Tifa frowned at the reply and wished the other young woman was in the same room as her now.

She hardly doubted Cloud would do that sort of thing. If there was anyone who despised Shinra for everything it stood for more than Barret she would guess Cloud. "You actually think Cloud would 'team up' with Shinra?" Tifa waited for her reply, knowing Yuffie probably formed how the conversation would go a long time ago.

"Would I lie to you Teef?" There was a long awkward silence Tifa decided not to fill, allowing Yuffie to answer her own question. "That was one time, and it was ages ago!" Tifa smirked guessing the girl was referring to how their materia had somehow gotten conveniently 'lost' at the same time she ran off.

"Anyways, he was here to blow up this old reactor right, and they're still pumping mako out of the planet, would you believe it, and he was with those two Turks setting a bomb and I jumped in and attacked them all single handed..."

Tifa drifted off out of the conversation, allowing Yuffie to continue her story at how she'd taken out Cloud and two Turks. Did Cloud know that Shinra were still pumping mako? She hardly doubted it. She couldn't imagine him doing a cover-up mission for them, after everything that's happened. Yuffie seriously must have jumped to conclusions. Also she hoped Yuffie had known Cloud a little more than that and should have realised. Wasn't Vincent with her anyway?

"Personally I think he's just sore about losing you, and is trying to get back at us by doing this..."

Tifa had slowly drifted back into the conversation, able to catch those few words from the teen. "Hang on Yuffie!" She managed to cry. She shifted her weight and propped herself up against the back of the couch and rested her elbows on her knees. The ninja had fallen silent for a single moment and Tifa quickly took the opening. "I don't think you understand everything, you must have missed something."

"Well you weren't there, he didn't even try and explain himself, and he just sat there looking all angst-like as usual, like the world was about to end..."

Tifa drifted out again, trying to form some sort of argument for the blond man. "Where is he now, when was this?"

"He's around with those Turk's, it was about a few days ago, I don't know, anyways, like I was saying..."

The brunette frowned and massaged her temples; having a two sided conversation with Yuffie was harder than even trying to have a conversation with Cloud or Vincent.

"You asked me if there was something I could do, to calm the place down, so that's what I'm going to do."

Cloud's word's suddenly filled her head and she paused mulling them over. Is this what he was going to do? Blow up a Reactor? If he did, there would be no evidence for the Wutai Rebel's to base their argument on, surely?

Tifa ran her fingers through her long dark hair before scratching her neck vigorously, like there was something gnawing away at her neck.

This was all her fault. She was so sure. If she hadn't asked him to try and 'calm things down' he'd be safe and sound. God, everything had to be her fault. If none of this happened, they would probably be sitting in the Seventh Heaven right now. Herself working behind the bar, while Cloud was sat at the corner marking out routes for his next deliveries. Not locked up in some random place in Wutai!

"Tifa, Tifa! Are you even listening to me?!"

Tifa jumped at Yuffie's suddenly screeching voice and she sat up straight. She glanced round the room, as if there would be the answer sitting right in front of her that could solve everything. "Yuffie, I asked Cloud if he could do something, to try and sort everything out, I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"Come on Tifa, don't blame yourself for this, why are you trying to get him out of this?"

"Me and Cloud, we're alright now. You must have missed something, just go speak to him!" Pleaded Tifa, wishing for everything to go back to how it was. Maybe if she hadn't even found him those years ago in Midgar lying at the train station, his life might not be so messed up.

"Look I have to go Teef."

The phone went dead and Tifa stared at it like she might suddenly hear Yuffie's voice, saying it was all a joke and Cloud was with her laughing his head off, even if that was out of character.

She heard the door open behind her and she twisted round. She watched Kenji walk in, his normal swept back hair had slowly come loose and was beginning to fall in his eyes. He was loosening his tie and pulled it off in one swift motion. He looked up at her and gave her his brightest smile which she couldn't help but return. "Kenji..." She slowly began. She wasn't sure what his reaction might be, about her worrying about Cloud's safety, after what had happened last time when she's said they'd met up.

"You won't believe what's happened." Tifa smiled slightly, allowing Kenji to continue, hoping he might have the same news as Yuffie. She watched him disappear into the kitchen and return with a glass in his hand. He dropped onto the couch beside her and wrapped an arm round her. Tifa stiffened at his touch, but didn't say anything waiting for him to continue.

"Wutai's just got a little bolder." He began, sipping once at his glass and then glancing once at the brunette beauty besides him. "They're making demands, saying Rufus has to end his company and hand himself into the Wutai Rebels."

"Why?" She muttered, guessing what the repercussion might be, but desperately wanted to hear another.

"They've caught three of Shinra's employees, two are Turks, and I'm not sure about the other." She watched him take a strong gulp of whatever he was drinking again. "Or they'll shoot one of them within the week."

The image of Cloud standing there ready to be shot ran through her mind. "They can't be serious?!" She spluttered, knowing Rufus would never hand himself in, even if it meant all of his employees were shot. She watched Kenji nod and he relaxed into the chair and closed his eyes. "What is he going to do?"

Kenji shrugged, his eyes still closed. "I've got nothing to do with it. Rufus says he's letting the Turk's deal with it. I think he said their head is one of them captive, so I guess it's been passed down."

Tseng caught? Tifa had found it hard to believe that Cloud had been caught at first, but Tseng as well. She slowly guessed the other had to be Elena. Reno and Rude went everywhere and assumed this was no exception.

Leaving this in the hands of Rude didn't sound so bad, but leaving in the hands of the reckless red headed Turk sounded more daunting.


Elena picked at the dirt under her nails, she stared at the black dust and flicked it out and watched it disappear. The idea of burying her way out had long been forgotten, after realising how stupid she must have looked in front of the two men, the small mark in the wall behind her was the evidence of her desperate escape plan.

She tugged at the collar of her white shirt, which now was no longer white. The heat had become unbearable and she'd long removed her black suit jacket which she was now sitting on. As the stained mattress didn't seem appealing.

She ran her fingers through her blonde hair and felt the grease from not being able to have a wash in the last few days build up. She could feel her hunger pains stabbing at her stomach but refused to let a whimper or whine escape her lips. She is a Turk after all.

Elena turned to Tseng who was leaning against the wall. She was sure he'd barely moved since they got in here. Which was she guessed maybe a day or two, she couldn't be sure. He'd moved once to remove his jacket but since he was just standing there. He hadn't even moved when they had been given the blunt news.

Not a single emotion had crossed his face; he probably knew it was coming. Deep down even Elena expected it to come, but somehow she didn't want it to invade her mind and prey on her thoughts. That every time the door opened at the end of their new home to bring a little food or even some water, that next time it might be for one of them to be taken away.

She couldn't imagine Rufus Shinra to hand himself in for their lives. They were supposed to protect him not the other way round. So since they'd been given the news she had resigned herself to the fact that this might be the last place she sees.

Unless one of them had a sudden brain wave and had a brilliant idea to get them out. She still couldn't understand why the blond man before her couldn't break down the door somehow and simply stride out. He'd managed it times before why not now? At the thought she looked at the other young man and glared at him once.

The lack of conversation was beginning to nub her mind and she closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples. Neither men had moved an inch and had not said barely a single word. Besides "I'm not hungry" and "I'm going to sleep."

She hated how Cloud could go without food for long periods of time and just sit there. She desperately wanted to grab something and try and knock some sense into the man. She'd heard the conversation he had had with that brat in the truck coming here. She never expected Cloud would end up with that Tifa. In all honest it never crossed her mind, but now she was sat her with time to spend she'd found herself thinking about these sort of things.

Elena looked to Tseng and bit her lip before turning away. She wasn't sure what she felt for her boss. She'd always thought he was closer than a friend, but she couldn't think of him as anymore. Elena shifted her weight uneasily. Did he only think of her as the ditzy blonde who managed to stumble her way to become her Turk? She rubbed her eyes and turned away from him and looked at the blond who was staring at the floor.

What a Looney. Was the only way she could describe him.

"Don't you think, we should be trying to think of ways to get ourselves out of this mess?" She voiced, the two men had turned to her, making her wonder if they too were desperately wanting to talk about anything.

"What do you think we've been doing?" Cloud muttered, stretching his legs in front of himself and using his arms to keep him propped up.

Elena glared at him and opened her mouth hoping to come up with something to argue in return. "I was checking that you two have been as well."

She watched the blond snort with laughter and draw his knees closer to his chest again. "Well it's obvious that Shinra isn't going to come on some heroic mission." Cloud stated. He'd half expected the two Turks to order him not to speak about the president like that but it didn't come.

"So what, are we just going to ride this out and see what happens?" Elena muttered, she looked up and saw that the two men had returned to their thoughts. She sighed aloud, rolling her eyes and then jumped to her feet. "Well I don't plan on staying locked in here with you two emotionless freaks."