You can definitely recognize a Gibbs-DiNozzo conversation in here. xD
"What the hell were you thinking, Probie?!"
Zack, Tifa, Cid, Barret and a whole team of FBI agents were all over Cloud's apartment in a matter of minutes. Cid and Barret barely muttered a word, but Zack and Tifa, especially Zack, were all over him.
"You went outside to get her a toothbrush?!" Zack exclaimed, outraged. Cloud kept his eyes on his feet.
"I know," he mumbled. "I should've stayed here with her, no matter what." Tifa put her hands on her hips and shook her head with disbelief.
"I can't believe you left her alone, Cloud," she said angrily. "What if Lucrecia came for her? What if she hurts her?" Huh?" Cloud bit into his lip, still not looking at either of his colleagues. Tifa held the necklace in front of him, forcing it in his face. "And from what I see, Lucrecia came for her!" Cloud lifted his head to look at her, very annoyed.
"I know! You think she'd rip that thing off by herself?!" He snatched the necklace out of Tifa's hand. "There was no way she would even think it was a homing device." Zack shook his head, frowning.
"So, how in the world did Lucrecia know that was a homing device, then?" Suddenly, he felt someone slap the back of his head. Cid brushed past him from behind, closely followed by Barret. Cloud quickly rushed after him.
"Boss," he said. "I know I messed up, but—" Cid stopped and spun around, a serious look on his face.
"You're lucky Aerith wasn't killed right here in your apartment, Strife," he said, his voice emotionless. Cloud sighed and nodded.
"I'm sorry, boss." Cid quickly slapped the back of Cloud's head abruptly, much to his surprise.
"Never say you're sorry, Strife!" he said hotly. Cloud jumped and rubbed the back of his head. "It's a sign of weakness." Cloud stiffened, nodding quickly.
"Yes, boss." Zack snickered behind him, only silenced when Tifa nudged her elbow hard into his rib. Cid glanced over at Barret beside him.
"Your people have basically covered the entire ground around Strife's building." The FBI agent nodded. "Anything yet?"
"Well, it's only been about ten minutes," Barret replied, shrugging. "But so far we've found that her wallet, her jacket and her shoes are missing as well, so she probably didn't put up a fight to go." Cid nodded. He looked back at the ducklings, who were watching him.
"What the heck are you still doing here?!" he snapped. He waved his hand to the door. "Go look for her!" The duckling jumped and quickly took out their torches and headed for the exit, Zack leading the way. Suddenly, Zack stopped in his tracks, consequently causing Tifa and Cloud to crash and fall over each other. They both glared at Zack, but he ignored them. He gave Cid, who was watching impatiently, a confused stare.
"Uh…" He laughed nervously. "This may sound like a stupid question, boss…" Cid kept staring. "But, uh, where exactly are we looking?" Cid sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand.
"Where would a pair of emotionally-torn twin orphans who have never met go together?" The ducklings, and Barret, still weren't leading on.
"The… ice cream store?" Zack suggested. Cid rolled his eyes.
"The cemetery, Fair!" he shouted. "The cemetery!" It finally hit them. "Go!" He waved his hands furiously, shooing them out the door. He let out a puff and shook his head as he watched them go. Barret studied his friend carefully.
"How would you know about that, Cid?" he asked. Cid just smiled mysteriously. He turned back around and gathered up his gear. He heaved a sigh and headed for the door, past Barret.
"They'd want answers from the parents," he muttered.
Lucrecia watched as Aerith kneeled down in front of a grave.
It was really dark. They were the only people in the entire area. Lucrecia made extra sure no one saw them, extra sure.
Aerith smiled sadly as she raised her hand onto the tombstone, running her fingers along the engravings of Faremis Gast and Ifalna Gast. Lucrecia watched her, seeing an emotion in her sister she never knew existed. It was as if she was sad, happy, angry and tormented all at the same time. She glanced between Aerith and their parents' graves.
Her family.
Lucrecia clutched the small package of gummi bears that Aerith bought her tightly, as if afraid to come too close to her parents. Her black ribbon hung down loosely from her hair, she hadn't even bothered tying it back up. She just stood there and watched.
Aerith let out a sniffle and cleared her throat, glancing at Lucrecia behind her. She smiled as Lucrecia stared with uncertainty.
"It's okay," she muttered softly, raising her hand up to her. "Come on." Lucrecia took a deep breath and she slowly allowed Aerith to pull her down to one knee. She stared at the tombstones, suddenly feeling sad.
It was something she hadn't felt for a long time, if not ever. She never did know her real parents, but for some reason she felt like she wanted to know them. Maybe they would have loved her if they knew she was still alive, maybe if they never died, she would have had a chance to get to know them, and become family. Lucrecia felt Aerith's hand on her shoulder. She glanced over at her with sparkling eyes.
"What were Mom and Dad like?" she asked. Aerith chuckled softly, looking back at the grave. She sighed, brushing away the weeds are the foot of her mother's tombstone.
"They were the most kind and caring people you could ever meet," she said. "Mom… she was a nurse like me, and she was just so beautiful, inside and out." She smiled to herself. "I still remember when she was alive, she would always put my needs before hers. She'd even drive all the way to Junon and back just so I could do a science project." Lucrecia laughed, taking a nibble of a red gummi bear. "No matter what it was, she'd do it. She would have given up anything for a loved one." Aerith shook her head, sighing. "That was just the person she was." She smiled again as her hand touched the words Faremis Gast.
"Now, Dad," Aerith laughed. "He was the opposite. Always so protective of me. Probably because he worked for a government agency." Lucrecia's eyes widened with astonishment, even though inside she knew it already. Aerith laughed again, remembering back. "I remember when I brought my first boyfriend home, he went into his commando mode and scared the poor guy off." The twins shared a laugh. "Yeah… I used to hate him for that, but I knew he was only doing what he thought best for me. Because he cared so much about me." She sighed sadly again, placing her hand down at her side. She gazed at her parents.
"They were good people," Aerith said softly. Lucrecia shifted on her spot a little. She hugged her arms.
"Do you think…" she began. Aerith looked over at her. "Do you think they would've liked me?" Aerith's eyes saddened for her sister.
She knew Lucrecia would have wanted nothing more than a loving family, the one she never got to know. Aerith smiled and stroked Lucrecia's hair, gently removing the messy ribbon.
"They would have definitely loved you, Elle." Lucrecia giggled at her newfound nickname, popping another red gummi bear. Aerith glanced down at the packet and dipped her hand in. She laughed as she saw there were no red gummi bears left.
"You sure love the red ones, don't you?" she laughed. She pulled out an orange and ate it. Lucrecia nodded, standing up. Aerith followed.
"They've always been my favourite." Aerith smiled. She then suddenly noticed that something was inside her jacket.
Something flat and thick. Something that looked alot like a…
"Is that the file?" Aerith asked, reaching her hand to pull it out. Lucrecia immediately snatched it away violently, all the warmth in her green eyes evaporated as Aerith's hand touched her jacket. Her eyes were now piercing, scared and threatening. Aerith withdrew her hand, shocked at Lucrecia's sudden change. Lucrecia backed away from her, breathing heavily. Aerith cautiously tried approaching her.
"I wasn't going to take it," she said softly, careful to keep her voice low. Lucrecia still didn't let her guard down. Aerith took a deep breath and decided to take a risk. She took a steady step towards her. "Elle…"
Lucrecia pulled a gun out of her pocket as soon as Aerith's foot touched the ground and pointed it at her own head. Aerith froze in horror.
"Come any closer and I'll do it!" Lucrecia cried. "I will!" Aerith raised her hands in defense, rooted to the ground. She shook her head.
"You can't keep hiding it forever, Elle," she whispered. "You have to give that file to NCIS, that's the only way Sephiroth can pay for what he did to our parents." Lucrecia began to cry, not lowering her gun.
"No! They won't see it like that! They'll look at me as the bad guy! They'll take me away, Aerith! They'll put me back in that institution!" Her hand began to tremble as she sobbed. "I can't go back there, sis. I can't!" Aerith slowly moved closer.
"I won't let anything happen to you," she said firmly. "But I can't let you torture yourself like this anymore." Lucrecia dissolved into tears, giving Aerith a chance to grab her wrist and pull the gun away safely. She held her twin sister closely as she cried into her shoulder.
"I didn't mean to hurt all those people," Lucrecia muttered. "I don't know why I killed them…" Aerith sighed.
She couldn't help but feel that there was something about Lucrecia. Whether she was just a really good actress or had a split personality, Aerith knew she couldn't take a chance and assume. She decided the best way was to probably play along and not touch a nerve.
"I know, sweetie," she said. "I believe you." She pulled away and eyed the file in Lucrecia's jacket. She helped her stand up.
"But Sephiroth has gone free long enough." She waited a moment just in case Lucrecia was to do something crazy again. Aerith tucked the gun away and stared her sister straight in the eye. She smiled feebly.
"Give me the file," she muttered. She cupped Lucrecia's jaw gently. "Please. I'll give it to NCIS so you don't have to." She again tried to take the file, but Lucrecia reacted the same way. "Please… trust me."
Lucrecia studied Aerith for a long moment, but eventually some strange force urged her to give the file. She obeyed it. Aerith beamed and hugged her.
"Thank you," she whispered. Lucrecia smiled to herself. They pulled apart and Aerith took her hands.
"I wish we could watch the trial together," Lucrecia said sadly. She glanced up and down at Aerith, examining every feature. Aerith squeezed her hands.
"Why won't you come back with me?" she said. Lucrecia's eyes widened with fear again. "No, I… I'll explain everything to them. I promise." Lucrecia pulled her hands out of her grip and took a step back.
"I'll end up in a prison or a mental institution again, sis," she told her. "I can't go back there. It… was awful when they locked me up." Aerith bit her lip.
She knew it was true; whatever explanation she could come up with, the killer would be pointed at Lucrecia. there was no way out. None.
Aerith managed a weak smile. She pulled out another package of gummi bears and some money from her pocket and handed it to Lucrecia. She gave her back the black ribbon.
"Okay," she said gently. "But… just be careful, and don't hurt anyone." Lucrecia nodded. Aerith heaved a deep sigh, hoping to smile one last time for the night. "Take care of yourself." Lucrecia smiled.
"I will." They hugged again, this time more tightly.
"You're my family, so just know that I love you no matter what," Aerith told her. "Okay?" Lucrecia beamed.
"Okay," she replied. Suddenly, Lucrecia glanced over Aerith's shoulder at something, her assassin alert back on. Aerith followed her gaze, confused.
"What is it?" she asked. Lucrecia quickly gathered everything, ready to run.
"Someone's coming," she murmured. She spun around and pulled her hood over her head, and at that, she darted out of sight within a second, leaving a baffled Aerith behind, still holding the file.
Only about ten seconds later did she hear the sound of footsteps.
"Aerith!" It was Cloud's voice. She turned to look behind her. She saw Cloud, Tifa and Zack run towards her, all of them looking worried. Tifa got to her first and she scooped Aerith into a rib-crushing hug.
"Thank god you're alright," she said breathlessly. Aerith just grinned, a little embarrassed. Zack pulled out his phone and called Cid immediately.
"We found her, boss." Cloud stopped to catch his breath beside him, but his eyes were on Aerith.
"I told you not to open the door," he told her. Aerith blushed, staring down at the ground.
"I know," she said softly. "I'm sorry." Cloud pulled her away from Tifa and took her by the shoulders, staring her straight in the eye. She could see how worried he must have been.
"What if something had happened to you?" he said. "What if Lucrecia hurt you? How do you think I could live with myself if she did?" Aerith placed her hands on his chest, smiling gently.
"I'm fine," she said reassuringly. She patted his cheek playfully. "There's nothing to worry about." Zack noticed the file, and he instantly knew what had happened.
"But Lucrecia did come for you, didn't she?" he said. Aerith glanced at him, then at the file. She sighed and nodded, handing it to him. Tifa looked around.
"Was she here?" she asked. Aerith nodded again. "Did she do anything to you?"
"No," Aerith replied darkly. "Nothing to me." She hugged herself, remembering what Lucrecia did. "She wouldn't agree to come back to NCIS. She's still frightened." She pointed at the file as Zack and Cloud examined it. "But I think she gave you what you need on the Cetra Case."
Cloud and Zack could barely believe what they saw inside that file. Gruesome as all of it was, it was hardcore proof. Zack was astounded.
"This…" He couldn't even put words together. "This is amazing." He shook his head with disbelief. "Sephiroth could be put up for life for this." Aerith nodded.
She suddenly felt that tingling feeling like she was being watched again. She glanced around, but there was no one else there. She hugged herself again.
Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. He took off his NCIS jacket and wrapped it around her warmly. He smiled.
"I think we should deal with that matter tomorrow," he said, glancing back at Zack and Tifa. "Let's call it a night." Tifa scoffed.
"But Lucrecia's still out there!" She looked back at Aerith. "Aerith, where--" Zack raised his hand and silenced her.
"Rule number 12," he said matter-of-factly. "Never put an innocent's life in danger more than once." Tifa raised an eyebrow at him as they headed back.
"I thought Number 12 was: Never date a coworker." Zack winced. He closed his eyes.
"That… those… those are Cid's rules," he stammered. "These are mine! Fair's Numéro Douze!" He held up his fingers, glaring at an amused Tifa.
"Okay, fine," she said, laughing. "I guess the FBI could just take it from here." She brushed past him as he flushed a deep red.
Tifa walked up beside Cloud and bumped his shoulder playfully.
"I'll listen to you this time, kid," she mumbled. She smiled over at Aerith.
"We'll deal with Lucrecia tomorrow."
The nickname Aerith gives Lucrecia was originally supposed to be Lucy, but I changed it to Elle, which is also understandable. I've planned that Lucrecia's birth name is to be Ellis Gast, Ellis being a play off the name "Aeolus", the Greek god of the winds. :) Pretty cool fact, huh?
Well, you can clearly see how unbalanced Lucrecia is. Please people, this is not a romance! Pay attention to the storyline, not the fluff in between!
Next: The ducklings prepare for the worst when they are called up to the Director's office by a very angry Shera…