Aveira, this chapter is for you, because you were awesome enough to listen to my ideas and because you gave me all new ones. Thank you(Go read her fics if you haven't)!
Warnings: Just language, drama, and angst.
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Blindsided
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After shutting the door after him with a smile, Zack began to make his way towards the party, running his hands quickly through his hair in order to get it to settle down a little so that it wouldn't be obvious that he and Tifa had been busy in the other room. As he rounded the corner, a small smile bloomed on his face when he saw that Aerith was standing around, looking a bit lost. "Hey, I didn't think you would come after what you said to me at the office," he said quietly, catching her off guard.
Aerith sighed and looked down at herself, dressed in jeans, a turtleneck, and a long coat. "I'm not exactly dressed properly," she said with a forced smile.
"What are you doing here then?" he asked her. Aerith felt her hands grow sweaty and felt lightheaded. She almost fell backwards, but Zack caught her and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay? Are you still sick? It's been like a week already since you had that stomach flu, maybe you should see a doctor," he said seriously.
"I did see a doctor," she said softly.
"And what did he say?" asked Zack.
"I'm... I'm... It's something that will change both our lives," she began, but couldn't seem to get the words out. She knew. She knew that once she told him what she had done, Zack would more than likely hate her for the rest of her life. But it wasn't something she could keep from him. Not if she wanted to add to her guilt. She knew she was being selfish, but...
"Aer?" he asked in worry. She had trailed off and her eyes were out of focus. With how sick she seemed, he was worried that she would just faint.
"Zack, I'm pregnant," Aerith nearly sobbed.
"How does that have anything to do with me?" Zack asked, turning towards the party and seeing Yuffie standing there.
"You're the father," she whispered.
"What?" Yuffie asked incredulously.
"What?!" Zack echoed her a little louder.
"Maybe we should talk in private," said Aerith, wringing her hands.
"Maybe you should start explaining what this woman just said," Yuffie hissed, nearly shoving them into a room off to the side where no one would hear them. "Talk!" she snapped at the brunette.
"This does not concern you," Aerith replied, her eyes full of tears. "This is between Zack and I."
Zack stood there for a moment and shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. You and I have never... we've never been together," he said, giving her a look as if she had gone crazy. "Yuffie, what she's saying makes no sense. I've never had sex with her!" he said bluntly, beyond being gentlemanly towards a woman who obviously wanted to stop his marriage to the woman he loved.
"Well, do you have proof that you're pregnant and that Zack is the father?" Yuffie asked Aerith.
Aerith shook her head. "I have the test results the doctor gave me, but I would willingly give the baby a DNA test to prove Zack is the father." She paused, her heart constricting at the look on his face. "That night of his bachelor party. In Reeve's apartment." She looked Zack in the eye as a flash of recognition went through his blue ones. "You and I..."
He shook his head again, harder this time. It couldn't be. He had dreamed of Tifa that night and he was sure he had been too drunk to do anything. But how could she possibly know when and were the party had been? "No. You and I did nothing," he said, turning to go, shaking his head at Yuffie.
Yuffie gave them both a look and her eyes narrowed. "Something happened," she accused, looking at Zack.
"Not willingly," Aerith murmured.
"He raped you?" Yuffie asked in disgust.
"I think it was the other way around. I took advantage of the fact that he was drunk. He thought I was Tifa. I let him think that I was Tifa because I wanted that night to be some sort of goodbye. I regretted it after. I saw how wrong I had been and I felt dirty and like the worst human being in the world," Aerith said, tears trailing down her rosy cheeks. "I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen!"
Zack froze at her words and couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that Aerith, the wonderful, sweet girl, the girl he had once upon a time introduced to his adoptive mother years ago, would be able to do something so... underhanded and dirty. "I can't believe this," he muttered, running a hand over his face.
Yuffie couldn't believe what she was hearing. It all sounded like some very twisted BS, but Aerith looked serious and Zack looked like he was about to be sick. She was torn between hating him for the pain he would cause Tifa once she knew, and feeling sorry for him because he'd really had no say in getting the other woman pregnant. But if she was forced to choose sides, of course she would always take Tifa's. "Why are you doing this now? The night before their wedding? What did you hope to gain out of this?" she asked the green-eyed woman.
Aerith didn't know what to say. "I just... I thought..."
"That I would leave Tifa for you after you tricked me into sleeping with you?" Zack asked darkly. Neither of the two women had ever seen him so angry before. He let out a long breath when more tears trailed down her face. "Aerith, I need you to leave. I can't even look at you right now," he said quietly, turning his back to her. "Maybe in some time I can speak to you like a civilized human being, but right now I'm fighting the urge to yell."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want this either, and I know it's all my fault. I wasn't trying to get revenge on Tifa making Cloud and I break up, tell her that, won't you?" Aerith asked quietly.
"What makes you think I'm telling Tifa anything about this?" Zack asked coldly.
Aerith choked back a sob and nodded. "Contact me soon about what we'll do with the baby. I... despite this situation, I won't demand for you to be in his or her life. I hope you and Tifa are happy," she said quietly, before walking out.
Yuffie looked at Zack and shook her head. "I can't believe this is happening. Are you seriously not going to tell Tifa? You must know that I won't keep this from her. My duty is to her and only her because she's my family."
Zack looked up at the door when Vincent entered and moved to stand next to Yuffie. He didn't mind his friend finding out about this new drama in his life. Besides, Vincent knew almost everything there was to know about him. "I don't expect you to keep this quiet, Yuffie. I just need some time. Tifa and I are getting married tomorrow," he said, sounding a little hollow.
"What makes you think she'll want to stay married to you once she finds out that you got Aerith pregnant, no matter how unintentional?" Yuffie asked with a shake of her head. Vincent watched with surprise but said nothing to either of them. He didn't know enough to comment. Yet.
Zack sighed and felt he could use a drink at the moment. "I'll get to that problem when it presents itself," he muttered.
Yuffie bit her lip and clutched Vincent's hand in both of hers. She knew Tifa would be angry and hurt—even more so at her for keeping the news from her—but she wanted her cousin to hear it from Zack and not from herself. She didn't know if she would've forgiven him had he been Vincent and he had gotten Lucrecia pregnant. Her nails dug into knuckles and Vincent pulled his hand out of her grip as Zack walked out of the room. "Sorry... I was just wondering what I'd do if you got Lucrecia pregnant, even by accident." At his blank look, she explained what had just happened between Zack and Aerith.
"I hope Tifa takes this better than you did. You certainly behaved yourself," Vincent complimented, running his hands across her shoulders gently.
"A part of me understands that it wasn't intentional, but the other part of me—the part related to Tifa—wants to kick his ass to the moon and back for the pain he is going to cause her once she finds out," Yuffie said with a sad sigh.
Vincent ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the careful waves, and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "You'll wait for him to tell her?"
"Yeah. But if he doesn't tell her a week after they marry, I will tell her myself," Yuffie said quietly. She couldn't even bear to think of how Tifa would take the news once she knew.
……………
Tifa was retouching her make-up when there was a knock on the door. She was happy and full of love because of the wedding and because she couldn't wait to see if she would get pregnant. She felt like nothing could burst her happy bubble. How wrong she was.
Aerith stood on the other side of the door, her stomach in her throat and trying to keep the strength she had been gaining since she had entered the hall where the dinner would be. She looked at Tifa's face and felt guilt consume her. She had never meant for things to spiral so out of her control, but it was too late for regrets. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
Tifa felt her smile wilt a little and nodded, allowing Aerith to enter the room. "I don't mean to be rude, but I only have about five minutes," she said as politely as she could. She didn't care about what Aerith had to say, but she would listen and then get on with her life. She turned to the other woman and crossed her arms across her chest. "How can I help you?"
"I know... I know Zack will be even more angry with me because I'm the one telling you and not him... but I don't want to hurt him even more. You must understand that he didn't do any of this intentionally. I... was the one who took advantage of him while he was drunk and allowed him to think that I was you. I did it because I wanted a special night to remember him by and then I would move on and force myself to accept the fact that he he had married another woman," Aerith said quickly, hoping that Tifa wouldn't interrupt her.
"Wait... what? What are you talking about?" Tifa asked with a confused frown.
"I'm pregnant," said Aerith quietly.
"And?" Tifa asked, still not connecting the pieces of what she had just heard and Aerith's explanation.
Guilty green eyes met maroon. "Zack... he's the father."
In that moment, she didn't truly register the words. Her brain refused to cooperate with her ears. Then in the next moment it all hit her like a ton of bricks to the head and she nearly fell back. Zack had gotten Aerith pregnant? "What?" she whispered.
"I... it's not the way it sounds. I meant what I said. I took advantage of the fact that he had been drunk and I never meant for this to happen. I didn't want to break the two of you up. I just wanted to remember Zack by the night we spent together. No one else was supposed to know!"
Tifa took in a slow breath and then let it out, trying to calm her nerves, which were on overload at the moment. "You did it on purpose didn't you? Was this some petty revenge for me kissing Cloud all that time ago? Wow, thanks Aerith. A kiss is certainly the same as a kid, isn't it?" she nearly yelled.
"I didn't do this on purpose, believe me!" Aerith exclaimed. "I didn't. A baby was the furthest thing from my mind, knowing that Zack was marrying you."
"And you came to tell me because... you want me to break up with him so that he can be with you now?" Tifa scoffed and paced, her fist clenching and unclenching in anger. She didn't believe the other woman at all. "It's well played out, Aerith, congratulations," she spat, clapping her hands sarcastically.
"No. I don't want you to break up with him. I came to tell you because I want you to understand that this wasn't something he was planning and it certainly wasn't his fault. Please, just... marry him and don't blame him for it," she said softly, not knowing what to make of Tifa's anger. For some reason, she had expected tears and possibly a slap or two from the other woman.
Tifa's eyes were red with the effort of keeping her tears from showing. She would be damned if she cried in front of the woman carrying Zack's baby. Just those last two words made her want to curl up into a ball and cry, but she wouldn't do it. She would break apart once she was alone. "Well, you should know that I'm not a cold hearted bitch like you," Tifa hissed, moving to stand in front of the other woman when her eyes sparked with electricity. She didn't like being called names? Too fucking bad.
"I know you're angry. All I'm asking is for you to be angry with me. Zack... he was drunk. I'm having his baby but he hates me... and you're the woman he loves. I know you love him too—" A slap stopped her words and Aerith stared in shock at Tifa, who finally wasn't able to hold back her tears.
"Don't you dare talk about what I feel for Zack," Tifa said, voice like steel. "And be thankful that you're pregnant, otherwise you'd be in pain." Another pause, this one tense and suffocating. Though it felt like she was tearing her own heart from her chest, it was the best thing she could do at the moment. "As of this moment, my relationship and engagement to him is over. I won't keep an innocent child from having a family—regardless of who his or her mother is and what she is capable of. You win, Aerith. I surrender in this silent war you've been waging against me. You love him, and you did everything in your power to break us up, no matter how passive it was. Did you think I didn't know that you told him many times that you thought I still loved Cloud? Or how you told him about the kiss back when he and I first started dating? All the little subtle hints about how I probably didn't love him the way he deserved?"
Tifa shook her head. "I'm not like you. I kissed Cloud, but it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. You and he were almost broken up anyway, I just pushed you over to make the decision without feeling guilt. You've always loved Zack, haven't you?"
"I didn't... I didn't set out to purposely get pregnant," Aerith murmured, defeated. She couldn't even look the other woman in the eye, or remember how much she had disliked Tifa for getting between her and Cloud. That really had been nothing compared to their situation now.
"He'll be free for you to make a move now, and don't bother telling him that I already know you're pregnant. He won't let me go if you do. But you will live with the knowledge that he will be unhappy and that you brought this on him," Tifa said, eyes like cold rubies. "He's an extraordinary man, he would've taken care of you, even if we were to get married, but your baby deserves his complete attention. I won't sit back and force this child to be Zack's second priority."
"Don't do it, Tifa. Don't break his heart," Aerith pleaded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Do you think I want to?!" Tifa nearly cried. "Besides, though he didn't have a say in this, he still got you pregnant while he was with me. He shouldn't have been so stupidly drunk that he couldn't recognize who it was that he was fucking. He doesn't have as much blame as you do, but he isn't innocent in this situation either. Now get out. I don't ever want to see you again, do you understand me?"
Aerith shook her head. "Tifa, please!"
"Get out!" Tifa screamed, voice raw. There was a knock at the door and Cloud poked his head in after hearing her scream. "Get her out, Cloud. Please, get her out!"
Cloud nodded and guided Aerith towards the door as the the green eyed brunette began to sob in earnest. Then he stepped back in and closed the door. He frowned in worry when Tifa fell to her knees besides the chair by the vanity and began to cry too. "Tifa, what happened?" he murmured, dropping to the floor next to her and pulling her to his chest.
Amidst sobs, she attempted to explain what had just happened and how the hardest part was up ahead. "I have to break up with him," Tifa murmured. "He'll come check on me in a few minutes, I'm sure. How am I going to do this, Cloud?"
Cloud ran his hands through her hair and made her eyes meet his. "You don't have to break things off with him. Aerith did wrong, and so did Zack, but you don't have to sacrifice your own happiness," he said seriously.
"How will I live with myself knowing that I'm keeping an innocent baby from having a family? I remember what it was like, growing up without my parents. Uncle Godo tried, but he couldn't fill in for both my mother and father. I can't force this onto someone who didn't ask to come into this world," she whispered, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"Dry your eyes and gather courage. He'll come looking for you and we will give him a show," said Cloud, hating seeing Tifa in so much pain. But he would help her because it was what she wanted.
He walked her into the restroom and watched as she washed her face free of make-up and then tried to cover the puffiness around her eyes and her red nose as quickly as she could. When she was done, they stepped out of the bathroom and waited. "Just follow my lead and we will go from there. Okay?"
Tifa nodded and began to protest when Cloud maneuvered her to stand with her back to the door so that it looked like they were kissing. "Do you want him to think that we're together?"
She nodded. "I think it's the best we can work with now," she whispered, her eyes watering.
"Don't cry," he pleaded, but his words were cut short when the door opened and he quickly pressed his lips to hers and smoothed his hands up her arms. Then they broke apart and turned to the door, wide-eyed, and feigning shock at having been caught doing something inappropriate.
Zack's eyes were wide, and behind him, so were Yuffie's. "What the fuck?" he yelled, at his limit of ridiculous situations for the night. "What were you doing kissing him, Tifa?"
Tifa gathered her resolve and her strength for the hardest thing she would ever have to do. She smiled sadly and moved to stop Zack when he tried to move forward to possibly kill Cloud. "We both know that you and I aren't meant to be," she said gently. "I thought I loved you, but I... I don't love you as much as I love Cloud. He finally made up his damned mind and has offered me a life away from here. I've decided to go with him."
Zack shook his head and gripped her arms, not enough to hurt, but enough for her to not move away with his strength. "What are you saying? You can't do this to me," he growled out quietly.
"Tifa, I'll wait for you outside," said Cloud, walking Yuffie out and shutting the door after him.
Tifa's eyes followed him and she momentarily closed her eyes when Zack shook her to get her attention again. "I'm sorry," she said honestly, but the knowledge that he would have a baby with another woman was weighing heavily in her heart. "I love Cloud. I've loved him since I was a teenager. He's..." she trailed off, not knowing how to continue breaking his heart.
Zack mistook her silence as her not being able to put her feelings for Cloud into words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He released her and stood there with his arms hanging limply at his sides, his usually bright eyes, dull. Then he shook his head in disbelief. "Doesn't my love for you count at all? Don't you care?"
Do you care about this baby you're having with Aerith? She asked herself silently. Even now he wasn't bothering to tell her that he had gotten another woman pregnant, no matter that most of it hadn't been his fault. "It does matter," she said quietly.
"We were supposed to get married tomorrow. You'll throw it all away for a man who wasn't man enough to fight for you before?" Zack asked angrily.
Tifa looked away from the hurt in his eyes and felt the tears pressing at her eyes. She didn't know how long it would be before she broke apart again and she couldn't afford to do it in front of Zack either. She sighed shakily. "Well, he's doing it now, and that's what matters to me. I'm sorry Zack, but as of this moment," she said, sliding off her engagement ring, "You and I are officially over."
Zack shook his head and wouldn't take the ring. "Keep it. So that in the future, you can remember that fool that would've given his life for you and who you dumped a day before the wedding," he spat before turning and marching out of the room, slamming the door after him.
Yuffie nearly ran in—a dangerous deed in the heels she was in—and was at her side in seconds. "You know already? About Aerith?"
Tifa nodded, staring blankly at the door. "Yes. How did you...?"
"I was there when Aerith told him a few minutes ago. Why did you break up with him?" Yuffie asked in confusion.
"That baby deserves a family, and I just gave him one. I can't... I can't be here. Can you talk to the guests and the press?" Tifa asked, her voice quiet.
"Maybe I should go home with you," Yuffie said, noting that Tifa would need a shoulder to cry on for the next few weeks.
Tifa shook her head. "I have Cloud to keep me company," she said as Cloud squeezed her hand in his. "Just... please do me this favor and then go home with Vincent."
Yuffie nodded and knew better than to argue. She walked out with them and watched as Tifa walked with dry eyes towards the valet for her car. Vincent was standing a small distance away with her father and Yuffie walked over to stand with them, explaining what had just happened. All she left out was the real reason why they had broken up. Old Godo didn't need to know everything. "Is she sure that she's doing the right thing? She looked in love, and happy. How can she drop everything so suddenly for Cloud?" Godo asked, not comprehending the situation at all.
"Dad, it was Tifa's decision. We can't... we can't judge her for what she's doing. We don't know everything that may have happened," Yuffie said softly, feeling her own tears build in her eyes. She knew only a fraction of the pain Tifa was probably feeling at the moment, and she wished she could've been with her, but she could give her sister the time alone she needed.
"Go home, daughter. I will handle the guests and the media," Godo said, rubbing her cheek and then patting Vincent on the shoulder. "Take my daughter home, please."
Vincent nodded and guided Yuffie away after she hugged and thanked her father for what he would do. When they were in the car, she let out a small sigh and explained things to Vincent. He just frowned and listened, his worry for Zack growing by the minute. Once home, he pulled off his coat and tie and turned to Yuffie as she began to wipe the make-up from her face. "You should probably go look for Zack," she said quietly.
"I will more than likely find him in a bar," he said, moving to wrap his arms around her from behind. He kissed the side of her neck and nearly folded his entire frame around her.
"Remember you promised not to say a thing. Tifa knows what she's doing," Yuffie said, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "No matter how much it's killing them right now."
Vincent turned her in his arms to kiss her. "Don't wait up for me," he murmured as he pulled away.
"Okay," Yuffie said, stepping back. "If you're not back by morning, I'll be with Tifa."
Vincent nodded and grabbed his keys and phone before walking away. Yuffie sighed heavily and sat down on the end of the bed. Her heart was aching for both Tifa and Zack, but her cousin was her main worry. She couldn't even imagine what Tifa was feeling at the moment, but she would see her in the morning. Unfortunately for Yuffie, sleep wasn't an easy thing to come by that night, and she sat in bed, watching the TV until moon was high in the night sky.
………
Cloud stared in worry as Tifa lay on her side, staring at his chest, unmoving and unblinking. He had convinced her to change out of her dress and into a pair of over sized sweats and an old jersey that was fading and had been a gift from her very first boyfriend. "You should let it out," he murmured after nearly thirty minutes of silence, and of laying side by side on her old bed.
Tifa blinked and looked at him, a tear sliding from the corner of her eye and falling into her hair. "Do you love me?" she asked softly.
Cloud nodded. "But I've been learning to let go, little by little. You were happy, and I knew then that you and I weren't meant to be," he said seriously.
Before either of them could blink, Tifa leaned forward and kissed him. Cloud responded for only a second before he pushed gently at her shoulders. Tifa clung to him and slipped a leg over his side to straddle him as she pushed him onto his back. "Don't, Tifa," he said, pushing her away more forcefully. Tifa stopped and stared at him, then she slumped against his chest and Cloud felt hot tears trail down his neck as she clung to him. It hurt him to see such a usually strong and passionate girl like Tifa so brokenhearted. He would've given anything for her to not feel the pain she was feeling.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, voice broken.
"It's okay," he replied, rubbing her hair and kissing her forehead. "It'll be okay. With time."
Cloud moved back to his side and hugged her to him as her body continued to shake with her silent sobs. He would be there for her as long as she needed him. The farthest thing from his mind at the moment were his own feelings for her. He had a distinct impression that Tifa would never stop loving Zack and that thought didn't hurt as much as it would've before. And for that, he was thankful.
………
Vincent found Zack in his apartment, sitting on his couch and staring at the blank screen of the TV while he held a bottle of tequila loosely in his hand. His eyes darted to Vincent as he used the spare key to enter, before they went back to staring ahead. Vincent turned on the lights and didn't apologize when he saw Zack wince when the glare of light hit his eyes. How long had he been sitting and drinking alone in the dark? "Leave me alone, Vince," Zack said before taking a gulp straight from the bottle.
"I'm just here to make sure you don't slit your wrists while you're alone," said Vincent calmly, taking a seat next to him, but a considerable distance away.
They fell into silence again that was thick with Zack's sorrow. "She left me for another man," said Zack a while later. "I... fuck... I got another woman pregnant and Tifa left me for another man." Another gulp. It had stopped burning his throat three gulps back.
Vincent sighed quietly and could only offer Zack someone to listen to him and who offered him friendship when he needed it. Zack would hate him and curse him if he ever found out that he knew why Tifa had really broken up with him, but Yuffie had trusted him; it was a tough choice between the man he considered his best friend, and the woman he was beginning to love.
"How am I gonna live without her?" asked Zack, voice slurring a little. Vincent had to wonder if the bottle had been full when his friend had started on it. It was now less than half-full and he knew that Zack was one of those with high tolerance for alcohol. "How am I gonna wake up in the fuckin' morning and not see her face, or her eyes, or her smile?"
Though he wasn't the type of man who thought that crying was for sissies, it still made him uncomfortable, and he had never been good at giving comfort. Giving pain had been more than easy, but how could he be a good friend if he chickened out while his best friend needed him? "You move on. You have a child who will require your time and your love. No matter who his or her mother is. Take refuge in this little person who will arrive to give you a reason to be the best you can be," said Vincent quietly, after gathering his thoughts.
"Shit," said Zack with a chortle. "How much did it take you to say that?"
Vincent smirked and shrugged. "I have my moments when I'm not a total asshole," he replied.
Zack let out a chuckle that trailed off into something alarmingly resembling a sob. To his credit, Vincent said nothing and did not tease. They sat there for a long moment, or until Zack passed out and Vincent made sure that he was completely out. He got the other man to his feet and almost dragged him to his room. Though Vincent had strength—despite his lanky appearance—and he worked out, Zack was about three inches taller than he was, and had more muscle on his tall frame. He deposited the other man on his bed and threw a blanket over him before walking back outside.
Moving to grab a glass from the kitchen, he poured himself a drink and sat in the darkness of Zack's living room, wondering what would happen to his friend now.
………
As expected, the media went crazy with the sudden break-up between Zack and Tifa. They hounded her when she attempted to leave her apartment, and they followed Zack wherever he went just to see if they could catch a glimpse of either of them with other people. Rumors of cheating were involved in most reports, but no one was saying anything, and the reporters were left to speculate.
The news had already hit Rocket Town when Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud arrived, but Shera had always been too respectful to ask, and Cid could clearly see the sad look in Tifa's eyes. They didn't ask questions.
After a few days of practicing, with Yuffie going back and forth from Midgar to Rocket Town so that Vincent wouldn't get suspicious, they found that they were ready and on schedule with the Shinra heist. Despite the fact that she was still hurting, and that Zack hadn't even tried to contact her after she had broken his heart, Tifa's brain could work clearly for the job up ahead.
"This job doesn't feel right," Tifa whispered to Cloud, as they stood together, gazing at the sun setting, back in their apartment in Midgar. "I have a bad feeling, and you know I rarely get those. The last time I got a bad feeling, Yuffie got shot."
"Have you told her?" Cloud asked.
Tifa shook her head. "No, but I think she feels it too. She just... won't cancel after all the practice and time we've put into this thing," she replied. Yuffie stepped into the apartment and walked over to them, a scowl on her face. "What's going on?" Tifa asked in worry.
"Oh nothing, just the fact that on the last few business trips, Vincent has been seen with Lucrecia and he didn't even bother to tell me she would be there. Look at this," Yuffie hissed, handing over a handful of magazines with pictures of the two of them together.
Tifa's eyes were wide when she saw that Yuffie was right. There were various images of them together taken on different days and in different places. "Yuffie, you know that these are always fixed up to seem like the worst possible situation. You need to talk to Vincent about it," she said seriously.
"Yeah, well, that would work only if I was able to find out where this asshole went! He's not home and he's not at the office. Where the fuck do you think he is?" Yuffie asked angrily.
"You think he's with her?" Cloud asked.
"Give the blond a prize!" Yuffie yelled.
"Hey, don't take it out on me!" he snapped.
"Whatever. Sorry. I'm just really pissed and five thousand different scenarios are flashing in my brain," said Yuffie, pacing around the living room.
"Yuffie, maybe we should postpone the Shinra heist until a few days from now," Tifa said.
The ninja shook her head. "We can't do that and you know it. We will proceed as scheduled tonight. Nothing can interfere. We only have this opening for months, because Shinra won't be in his home. We hit it tonight."
"I have a bad feeling," Tifa said abruptly.
"Don't jinx it Tifa. We can't go into this afraid of everything. A certain amount of fear is good, but too much will make us do too many mistakes. Get yourself together and you'll see that there's nothing to worry about," Yuffie said with conviction. She just wished she believed her own words.
…
When night fell, her cellphone had rang a total of ten times, and each time, Yuffie refused to answer. Let the bastard stew in his guilt. Cloud had left nearly two hours before to go pick up the chopper, while she and Tifa were left to gather their gear and prep for the heist. Looking down at herself, Yuffie nodded in satisfaction, dressed in all black, with a vest containing various of her weapons and gear, she slipped a blade inside her right boot. Her mini computer went into a side satchel, where there was a mask she would pull on in the chopper.
When she stepped out of her old bedroom, sliding on some gloves, she nearly screamed when she saw Vincent standing in the living room. His eyes narrowed when he noted the way she was dressed, and the fact that Tifa—who was right behind her—seemed to be dressed the same way too. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked quietly.
"Where do you think?" Yuffie snarked.
"I called you many times and you didn't answer," Vincent said, watching as she and Tifa shared a look and the other woman grabbed a small duffel bag before leaving the apartment.
"I looked for you too, but I couldn't seem to find you. Where were you, Vincent?" she asked him, eyes narrowed and head cocked to the side. "How did you get in here?"
Vincent ingored her last question. "I was in a meeting all day. We were pulled into it at the last minute. You can ask various people if you don't believe me," he replied.
"Was Lucrecia there?"
"Yes."
Yuffie nodded. "Was she there at all your business trips too?"
"Yes. I've seen the articles. They are not true."
"Why didn't you tell me she would be there? You know that I don't demand to know many things from you, but when it comes to Lucrecia, you know how much it is that I dislike her and don't trust her. We were getting along so well, Vincent. Why keep this from me?" Yuffie asked, pointing to the magazines sitting on the coffee table.
"You asked me to believe in you when the media made a scandal out of what happened at the theatre. Why won't you believe that now, if it's the same situation?" he asked her.
"Because we've been distant since Tifa broke up with Zack. We're on opposite sides here. I will always, always side with Tifa. You will side with Zack because he is the closest thing to a family that you have. I understand, but it's still driving a wedge between us. Now I find out that the last few business meetings you went on included Lucrecia and you didn't even bother to tell me that she would be there. Tell me, what am I supposed to think?" Yuffie asked him darkly.
"You're supposed to believe me. The same way you've asked me to believe you," said Vincent seriously.
The watch on Yuffie's wrist beeped and she gave it a brief look. "I'm on my way out. We can finish this when I come back," she said, moving towards the door.
Vincent stopped her and forcefully turned her around. "Something doesn't feel right," he said. "Don't go to this Yuffie. I have a feeling that we will not fix anything if you go now."
"I know what I'm doing Vincent. Let go of me. We will talk when I come back," she said slowly, staring into his eyes, challenging him. He released her arm and followed her as she walked out of the apartment. "I'll be okay," she said, because she knew he would be worried, even more now that they had learned to care for each other.
Vincent said nothing, and the door to the elevator opened. He stepped in, but Yuffie stayed outside. Just as the doors were closing, her eyes met his and something—a feeling he had never felt in his heart before—made him speak before he could think it through. "I love you," he said before the doors closed completely.
Yuffie stared and blinked at the closed doors. Had she heard correctly? "Fucking idiot," she hissed out loud. Then she smiled as she raced up the stairs and to the roof, where Cloud was waiting. She had to get the job done quickly in order to return and tell him that maybe she loved him too.
………
The halls of Shinra Manor were deserted, the system was down, and the security guards were out, thanks to some nifty sleeping gas that just happened to be a personal recipe of Cid's. Yuffie had expected to meet some type of maid along the way, but Shinra had probably given them the day off, since he wouldn't return from Kalm until the weekend was over. Hmm... maybe he wasn't a total ass, but she was thankful. Now she would be able to do her job in peace.
"Maybe we should take some art pieces while we're here," she whispered.
"Negative White Rabbit. Paintings and artwork are wired with a different security system. Touch anything aside from the safe and the cops will swarm us quicker than it takes to sneeze," said Tifa.
"Pfft, the artwork is tacky anyway," she said as she slipped into the office, remembering the way, even in the dark. Shinra hadn't been as obvious as to put a safe behind a painting, or behind a bookcase. No, he had tried to be smart and put it right into the floor under his chair. Though it proved to be harder to access, it wasn't exactly the most obvious place where common thieves would find it. Though for the princess of thieves, it was a piece of cake.
Pushing the chair back, Yuffie kneeled and took out her computer as Tifa scanned the safe from the outside of the house. Cloud was keeping guard in the chopper, hovering right above them. He would know if any trips were activated. The ninja was about to try opening the floor when something caught her attention. The window right in her line of sight was open. Rufus Shinra didn't strike her as the type of man who would forget a window and leave it open right before he went on vacation, no matter that he had state of the art security.
"Something is wrong," said Yuffie softly, her eyes darting around.
Tifa frowned at her computer and shook her head. "There's no one in the building and security is down. Just hurry and let's get out of here," she said.
"The window is open," said Yuffie.
"What does it matter?" Tifa asked impatiently.
"It means someone was here. Rufus Shinra wouldn't leave his window open." She paused and Tifa checked her progress on her own computer.
"Hook up your computer to the safe now, and then cut the wires," Tifa reminded. The scans of the mansion showed no other movement, but the feeling she'd had earlier came ten times worse. "Yuffie?"
"I've got it. I'm in," Yuffie said quietly. There was silence for a few minutes as Yuffie moved into the safe. "Shit! Run, Teef!" She yelled, forgetting their code names for the moment. "Get as far away from the fucking house as you can. You too Cloud, clear out!" she yelled.
"Got it. What the hell is going on?" asked Cloud loudly, listening as Yuffie grunted and watching as Tifa began to move away from the mansion.
Tifa pulled her computer from the system and began to run, asking questions as she went. "What's going on?" she asked urgently. "Yuffie?! Answer me!"
The only answer she received seconds later was an explosion that rocked the ground and engulfed Shinra Manor in flames.
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So... yeah, um, the evilest cliffhanger ever, but I don't think it's too bad is it? I hope I wasn't too repetitive in ZackAerith and then TifaAerith's arguments. I read through them and took a few things out, but I was fairly happy with how things turned out, despite the angst. Okay, so you're all on the verge of killing me, I know, but I did like this chapter better than many others. I know there are many questions. Did Yuffie get out? Will Vincent ever get to say 'I love you' again? What about Zack? What about Sephiroth? Is Tifa really pregnant? What about Lucrecia? Why won't you shut up Val? Fine, but the next chapter should answer most questions, so be awesome readers and review for me, okay? Thanks! I just had to make an attempt to update on the last day of the year and I did it(throws confetti around)! Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter, you've made my days happy and you've provided for good inspiration, especially you Aveira, you're a great writer and an even greater friend.
Last chapter was the longest I've written for this story—this one was close behind it—and also it had like a thousand typos and grammar mistakes. I've taken care of those, but I'm sorry if it threw your reading off. Hopefully this one isn't as bad, but I will reread it as many times as possible. I hope everyone has a great time and seriously, I wish everyone has a great year! Be safe and I'll see you all soon!
Joey