A/N: Chap 14! (And now you think I love flowers...)

Kou: "Again with the flowers?"

LTS: "I promise I don't like them that much..."

Kou: "Then?"

LTS: "The meanings are so inspirational... Damn, I think I could do a whole new collection of one-shots only with flowers!"

Tifa: "Disclaimer: LadyTeefStrife doesn't own anything."

..

LTS: "This chap has been checked by ClarityInObscurity too."

Title: Flowers

..

Tifa bought a bouquet of purple Hyacinth. He was standing at her side looking at the flowers.

Cloud knew something was wrong when he arrived home after his tune up on Fenrir. Upon seeing Cloud, Zack patted him on the back and dragged him to his room, that wasn't a good sign, and Tifa was acting strange too. They had been living together for a month, so they knew each other fairly well by now.

"You have black clothes?" Zack's sudden question left him puzzled. "I mean dressing up clothes." And that was supposed to be an explanation? Zack sighed. "Today is the anniversary of the death of Tifa's mother." Oh... "And she wants to go pay her respects to the graveyard, but I don't want her to go alone. So, are you in?" Cloud thought about it.

"And you?"

Zack turned his head. "I can't go." He turned his eyes towards Cloud again and scratched the back of his head. "Well, if you don't want to go I'll ask Vince or-"

"I haven't said I won't go." With that, Zack's smile returned.

"Cool!" Zack turned to the door. "You just have to go there and watch out for Tifa. She all ready has the flowers." Just before closing the door, he said over his shoulder, "Thanks."

So there he was, Tifa was seated on her heels in front of a grave. She was wearing a black knee length dress, the skirt of the dress was moving freely, the upper part of the dress was covered by a thin white jacket. She looked like some kind of fallen-angel. She put the flowers on the grave and stared at it. He looked the grave, but no name was on it. The only thing written on it was 'Lockhart'. He turned his eyes to Tifa again; she had her eyes closed.

He put his hand on her right shoulder. "Tifa?"

She got up and looked at him. "Zack hates my parents." Cloud's hand left her shoulder. "And there's no name on the grave because they didn't have names." She turned her head towards the grave again. "Today is the anniversary of my father's death. I don't know when my mother died, only when he did, so I put the dates together."

Cloud nodded. "Why those flowers?"

"The purple Hyacinth means sorrow, I'm sorry and please forgive me." Cloud's eyes narrowed. Zack hated her parents but Tifa was asking for forgiveness, why? Tifa raised her head towards the sky and her eyes widened. "No…" She grabbed Cloud's arm and tugged. "We have to go home!" She was in panic. Cloud once again didn't understand a thing, but he nodded and took her hand, leading the way.

When they arrived, she and Zack locked themselves in her room, Shalua came to visit her again, and Sephiroth called asking for Tifa. Cloud and Angeal were watching some TV show when Tifa's bedroom door finally opened and Shalua exited, she waved goodbye and left the house. While Angeal ordered some food for dinner, Zack went down again and called Cloud to go upstairs with him. They entered Tifa's room and sat on her bed like a month ago.

Tifa sat up and smiled a little at Cloud. "Hey." Her voice was weak.

"Hey." Cloud smiled at her and watched her eyes grow softer and warmer. "How are you feeling?" She smiled more fully.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, but in a few minutes I'll be okay to start making dinner."

Before Cloud could protest, Zack answered. "In your dreams. Angeal is ordering some food."

"Zack, we can't spend all that gil on-"

"Tifa, I can afford it." Tifa sighed. When Zack was fixated on something it was almost impossible to do anything about it, and right now, Tifa was too tired to try.

Cloud watched her. She looked really tired. She was still wearing the black dress, and when she leaned forward to grab the covers of the bed he saw something on her back. His hand reached out of its own accord and touched her there. He felt Tifa go stiff and heard Zack's gasp.

On the beautiful back of the beautiful Tifa Lockhart were two big scars.

And plenty of little ones.

A/N: Cliff-hanger again! Muahahaha!

LTS: "Next chap will be important!"

Tifa: "Two scars?"

Cloud: "And a lot more?"

Zack: "Why do I hate her parents?"

Kou: "Why am I here?"

LTS: "I have an answer for all of you... Wait for the next chap!"

Angeal: "Disclaimer: LadyTeefStrife doesn't own anything. The pizza will be the four cheese one, everyone like it?"

Zack: "Yeah, thanks Angeal. R&R!"

LTS: "Thanks for reading!"

CIH! 10/02/2010