Disclaimer: As always, I don't own any of the characters forementioned in this Fanfic; they are all copyrighted to Square Enix. The characters of Sephiroth's Housemaid, Raechel, Nicholas' and Nicholas' former boss are all created out of my mind for filling into the tale.
AN: I deeply and utterly apologize for the long and overdue need for a new chapter out of this I blame the Winter months of last Dec. into a good part of the Spring and now Summer. And things got complex in my life. I was trying to hold onto my sanity and my finances in order to attend a Convention in Los Angeles, CA over the 4th of July weekend. Well. I managed to find a job on May 17th and for a time enjoyed it, and at this point just enduring it. Which in its own reasoning is all but stunted my inspiration for Fanfiction writing. BUT. I has returned to you guys w/a new chapter of this ongoing tale. Chapter 26 is going start pulling everything to a head and then...by the end of it...let's just say. You guys are going to probably kill me if I don't write anything after it for a while because I'm going to try and make it a slight cliffhanger to keep you guys hanging on and...to see how many of you are going to stick around for the conclusion.
Once again ^^; Sorry for the UBER long delay in updating to this as well as others like "Love Save The Empty" and "Clouds and Puppies".
~Three Months Later~
Whatever mad man came up with the concept of Spring Finals being so close to Summer Break was in need of being strung up to a tree and then beaten like a Piñata till something came out. In the back of Cloud's mind as he sat through a dull Final, wracking his brain over the answer to the final question on his Final; he was thinking up such ways to get murder the creator of Finals. In the last three months, he had spent every moment he had free from assignments and studying with Sephiroth to work on the story; much work had been put in so far on it and now it was up to him to help see it through to the end. There would be times when he came to visit he would find Sephiroth on the phone, more or less, the phone cradled against the man's ear as he paced the Living Room. Notepad with pen moving away quickly to catch all of the caller's details or he had it cradled against his ear, or even the funniest thing Cloud had ever seen the man break down and buy was a hands free ear piece.
The first time he had walked into Sephiroth's apartment, while passing by the Housekeeper, into the apartment; he had heard the man using the ear piece, while seeming to fight with someone. Cloud had been cautious as he had walked in, assuming that Sephiroth was in a heated argument with someone, but when he find the man talking to what he thought was the Computer Screen. All sense of whether or not the man was schizophrenic went out the window till Cloud had crept up behind him and noticed the chord coming down off his ear. The very image of seeing the man hooked up with something in his ear about made the young man to fall on the floor laughing.
Thus ending Sephiroth's phone call with Raechel.
He could always get back to her on the colors of the flowers he wanted to line the pews at the Church as well as the arrangement of flowers on the tables at the Reception Hall as well as the color of the cover to the book. Right now, he had to find out what was making Cloud laugh so hard on the floor. After he had found out the reason; he had all but chased the young man around the apartment till the two of them had ended up in laughing fits on the sofa.
Good times.
Another heavy sigh as Cloud looked up at the clock; he had all but finished a long while ago but he had promised Zack and Reno he'd treat them to a celebratory ice cream after class. Now, if they'd only hurry up and finish their damn Final so we can get out of here…
"Five more minutes, class," the Professor called out as she glanced out over the rows of desks and pencils still scrambling to finish up the Essay at the end of the Final.
Yeah, five more minutes of pure hell.
"Oh cheer up sweetie, Seph will be there at home, waiting for you, just enjoy the last five minutes your friends have before you have to dash off to indulge in some sugar rush…" it had been almost three months since his subconscious had bothered to speak up; the only reason he ever got was that he wanted to let Cloud have the time to get his mind around studies and school.
Not that Cloud needed the break, he always tended to get his studying and studies done before Zack; it had been that way for as long as he had known Zack. Even back in Elementary School, growing up, their Mom's were the best of friends and it wouldn't be hard to know when it was "Study Time" at the Fair's house. Mrs. Fair would be heard shouting at Zack while the sounds of crashing could be heard among her screaming at him while Zack screamed back that he didn't want to study. It was a miracle that Zack had even made it into the next Grade. As they had gotten into Junior High, it became more and more of a chore to make him study for classes, but there was never any problem to get him to do his homework. Unfortunately, the chore to study became harder, especially after Zack was looking down the barrel of Academic Probation; it had been Cloud, yet again, to save his tail from the fire. But when Angeal entered the picture that changed things around for everyone. Zack had started to crack down on his studies because Angeal had started to threaten that he wouldn't see the young man unless he cracked down and studied his tail off to make the grades.
That was incentive enough.
Especially even now that Angeal was laid up at home after being asked to leave the Hospital after what had happened a couple of months ago. It seemed that Zack's curiosity much like a curious little puppy, had earned the Pup and Angeal a one way ticket out of the Hospital. Even with the man's doctor trying to apologize all over the place to the Hospital Administrator and other members of the Hospital staff for what had happened. So what if some people got a little wet? Maybe those people needed the bath, because if he had been laid up as long as they had, he would've smelled rank too and would've needed a shower. But no matter how much they apologized up and down till they were blue in the face, it was only settled once it had been arranged that Zack would drop Angeal off for Physical Therapy and then leave, to then come back to get him after Therapy.
Angeal was in agreement, but Zack had all but lost on Angeal; he only settled for agreeing like Angeal had after he saw the angry, "Parental" glare come across Angeal's face.
"3…2…1…" the Teacher called off as the egg timer on her desk as she watched the lagging behind in finishing their test, students, finishing up their last little pencil scratches, "And pencils down. You may leave your tests on the desks, as well any pencil, or pencils, you may have borrowed from me before the test, and you are excused for the summer. Enjoy your time off, guys."
"FREEDOM!" Zack was the first to scream it as they got out of the classroom and into the Halls, where, unfortunately no one had told Zack that some students were still taking tests in other classrooms or in the Library doing a last minute cram session, "…Well, we are free now, aren't we?"
The looks he had gotten from Reno and Cloud, after they had all but tried to avoid Zack when they saw the millions of angry and curious eyes staring at the sprawled on his knees Zack, overall expressed that they were hiding it inside. They were happy to be free from School till the fall, but, Zack, wasn't there anyway he could try and hide his excitement without pissing off the entire school?
Cloud shook his head as he grabbed one of Zack's elbows and Reno grabbed the other, "Come on, Braveheart, you owe me an ice cream for having to help you cram for Finals the last two weeks, and Reno as well for having to put up with us for the last two weeks."
A soft smirk crossed Reno's face as he saw Zack becoming crestfallen, "Don't worry, little man, I don't ask for much, just a scoop of Vanilla with some sprinkles on the side is enough for me; I don't cost much to be treated to a frozen treat now and again."
"You guys are just making fun of me now; I was planning on taking you guys on a cheap date, to McDonald's for a Value Menu Celebratory Ice Cream Bash…" Zack pouted as he managed to get free of Cloud and Reno's grasp, "I see how it is, taking advantage of a sweet young thing like me just because I have a loved one at home that's laid up and can't give me the affectionate I crave."
Zack should've majored in Theatre Arts; he was a born actor, or at least he was good at hamming it up as he dramatically threw himself against a wall, burying his face in his arm. But the drama of it all was slowly being broken as he seemed to peek to make sure Cloud and Reno were acting guilty for hurting his dramatic feelings. He kept at it till he looked up to find that Cloud and Reno talking amongst themselves as they walked down the hall and were on their way out the double doors.
"HEY! YOU LITTLE JERKS! I WAS POURING MY HEART AND SOUL OUT TO YOU GUYS AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS WALK OUT ON ME!"
Sounds of running foot falls could be heard through the silent hall as it was then broken by the sound of Cloud and Reno's cheerful laughter as an angry puppy chased them down. Good times were to be had by all, good times, indeed.
Things had truly come a long way between Cloud and Zack; growing up together had made them hard pressed to rely on one another when the time called for it. Cloud had grown up a simple boy who had very few friends, and now, he had one more, or maybe two more if he could count Angeal as a friend. Even if he was an acquaintance due to Zack and a little tumble and rumble at a local bar one night years ago. At one time, he had called Tifa a close friend, even a possible love interest, but that had fallen through after one fateful night.
Some days after Cloud had managed to find him self able to stay in the apartment with Zack, during the times that Zack wasn't sleeping in Angeal's hospital room; he had managed to play the answering machine, getting through all the messages till he had come upon the one from Tifa. She had sounded like she was drunk and when she was drunk; she tended to say things she would later regret. Things she would try and cover up, apologize for what was said that it had been said in a heat of anger and drunken stupor. Others had forgiven her time and time again, but the words Cloud heard on her message to his machine; they had hurt her, but in an instant of standing there, letting the words soak in. He let them all go.
Forgiving her.
"Sounds like she really went off the deep end this time after the little lunch room rumble between you two all those months back, you think she's out on the bender after all these months?" Zack questioned as he ran a hand up the backside of his own hair, scratching at the base of his skull as he let the message sink in, "You going to call her?"
Why should he?
"Cloud?"
As if he hadn't heard Zack, he picked up the phone, dialing Tifa's familiar phone number; it hadn't changed in all the years he had known her and as he listened and waited for her to pick up. The machine on her end picked up, playing a message that let others know where she was, "Rehab?"
"What was that?" Zack came back around the corner from the kitchen, mumbling around a mouth full of sandwich, "What this about Rehab?"
"…Tifa's new answering machine message…she checked herself into a Clinic to sober up and…clean herself up…"
"Wow…guess she's changing for a better leaf…huh?"
Sounds of a soft falling cane could be heard coming up from one of the bedrooms as a groaning voice came up beside them, "You have to give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes, Pup…" Angeal's voice sounded strained as he placed a heavy hand on Zack's shoulder for support, "Sometimes, some people can change for the better…and sometimes, some refuse to change."
"Angeal! What are you doing out of bed! Are you strung out on pain medication or something?"
"I over heard you two talking and wanted to put my two cents in…"Angeal groaned as he watched Zack tear away from his wobbly stance, "And I'm not strung out on pain medication…I just needed to get up and stretch a little, I don't want bed sores…"
Cloud could tell that the two were going to get at one another's throats, Zack particularly as he heard the sounds of a shuffling cane making its way to the bedroom with Zack threatening to tie Angeal to the bed. A soft chuckle came from Cloud's lips as he redialed Tifa's number again, and as per usual, the machine caught it.
"Hey Tifa…it's Cloud. I won't hold anything against what you said in your message you left on my machine…I know that my choices with my life were my own and…I guess I've disappointed you with the fact I went to the other side with my orientation…I guess, all I want to say is…I'm glad that you're going to be getting help for yourself. If…you would like. I would love for you to meet the man who has changed my life and I guess, to see you after you've gotten out…"
"…You know my number. See you around, Tifa."
Tifa Lockhart was an individual that can not be simply be defined in one simplistic story telling; it could all be simply summed up that, much like another one female in this tale. Tifa's life as a child was filed with creating multiple faces and personalities, just to make it through life's Hell Highway. No one had seen see that she was facing a troubled home life, but there was much that was never seen by anyone. Her parents had managed to hide that her Father was failing to be a Father; his business was facing a huge audit from the IRS and was under investigation of suspected embezzlement. Tifa's Mother was doing all she could to hold onto her sanity. Hiding herself in a bottle now and again wouldn't be her escape. She had seen it with her own Mother when she was growing, but as they say, old habits die hard.
By the time Tifa had reached puberty; her parents had split and she was living in a case of seeing her Father every other weekend while living with a Mother who didn't seem to care what her daughter did. Hence, the downward spiral to trying to boost her self esteem and it was done by dragging others down with her and destroying others in her path. The alcohol had just been an added piece of the crazy puzzle that was Tifa.
Now, that puzzle was being replaced with a replacement piece for the alcohol.
Pairs of eyes watched her walk across the stage as the Counselor of the Rehabilitation Center waited for her to finish the walk across; in her hand was a chip. It symbolized that she had finished her stay, "Congratulations, Ms. Lockhart…you've made it through the program and I only hope for you that you will learn from your past mistakes."
"That I will…"Tifa's face softly lit up as she heard the faint sounds of applause from the audience, "Thank you again for all of your help."
Silence was always something that filled the interior of the family car within Tifa's family, but today was a different day of sorts, "So…how have you been, Mom?"
"Fine, just fine…" a solemn enough answer as her Mother kept her eyes trained out on the road ahead of her, "And you?"
"You should have an idea of how I've been…unless you've been avoiding the Counselor's phone calls."
She didn't even have to look to see her Mom roll her eyes as they continued down the road in silence; she figured it would be like this. Tifa would try and talk to her about things, try and start some Norman Rockwell play by play scene; they would kiss and make up. They would start becoming a normal Mother/Daughter relationship and start having a normal family life seeing as how the other half of the self protraited Norman Rockwell portrait had been out of their lives for a number of years.
A lot of wishing that was and a load of crap that was.
"Why didn't you ever come to see me while I was at the Center? Just answer me that."
Why was it she had chosen that moment, that deceive moment to use that question on her Mother when they came into to bumper to bumper traffic? Oh what a lovely day this was turning out to be. All they need know was for one of them to say something stupid and caused one of them to blow up at the other, and if it worked out in either one's favor.
One of them would storm of the car and threaten to walk home or catch a ride with the first stranger they ran into. Wishing the other the best of luck and then, the rest could be filled into the blanks themselves or by one's own imagination. Tifa was thinking it over, but knowing her Mother, she would never allow it. She would find some reason to put guilt out over on Tifa. Blame her for everything, degrade down everything she had ever done, berate her to the point of saying the reason all the guys she had ever been with had gone gay because she was unable to satisfy them.
"Don't do this to me. Don't give me the silent treatment. I know you what I'm talking about and I want to talk about it even if you don't want to!"
An icy glare turned onto Tifa, "I chose not to visit you because I felt it was my fault for why you ended up there. I wanted you to learn to be less dependent on me and others. You need to grow up. Move on. And learn from your mistakes," her gaze turned from Tifa back to the road as the traffic began to move.
"…Thanks…then…" Tifa seemed to sink into the car's seat; she had heard it over and over when she had been with Cloud, and then now and again, with Reno.
Her jealousy for the fact that they were possibly straying at all always had been her Achilles' heel and yet, her Mother had the nerve to stab at it with her words that rain down a sense of reality. Reality was never her friend and even now it wasn't as she kept her gaze turned towards the side of the road as the car moved on for home. It may have seemed her Mother was being cruel to her, but she had her reasons. She had to be strong for the both of them and she had learned that she had to be the tough parental figure once Tifa came home. Playing the bad guy right now was never her strong suit, but, if it kept Tifa out of repeating past mistakes; then she would do it to assure that no such thing ever happened again.
Sephiroth had been at work on another page turner of the story when the sound of the front door opening was heard, "I thought you were sticking close to home tonight with Zack to make sure he didn't try and play the sadistic Nurse to An…ge…"
"Hello Mr. Maximus," a dark toned voice was equally matched with a darker smile on a face that Sephiroth would've loved to had smashed into a million pieces, "May I speak to you about what happened between us a few months ago?"
A soft few clicks of the keyboard had the words he had been writing saved and hidden away from prying eyes as he shut off the monitor, "I don't know of what you speak of. You seem, I've been busy these last few months and some events have become blurred together."
"Come on, Mr. Maximus, you know damn well what I mean. You about mauled me in front of over a dozen witnesses, and had your face as well as the angelic little face of a certain little blond plastered all over the ten o'clock news…" the man's fingers played over a photo frame on the end table in the Living Room of Cloud and he together about a month and a half ago to celebrate the young man's birthday, "Remember me yet, Mr. Maximus?"
A faint nod of silver hair, "That I do. What can I do for you?"
"Let's just say…why don't you spare your little fans the humiliation of their day dreams about you being dashed by finding out you are with a College Student that I bet isn't even legal enough for you…"
"What are you getting at?"
The man, as it wasn't apparent yet of whom it was, his face broke into a dark smile as he picked up the picture frame, "What I'm getting at is…that I make it my life's business to ruin people like you. Ruining the life of the bigger stars gets tedious and boring…you on the other hand," he let the frame fall from his hands as it crashed to the floor with a shatter of glass, "You are small potatoes, but in the same way…seeing as how you're someone well respected in your field such as literature…ruining you will be just as much fun. Because it just so happens to be that I visited a friend of yours recently…"
Sephiroth had to fight back the bile in his throat, thinking the worse that he had gotten to Cloud already, "Are you familiar with a young woman named, Raechel?"
"What of her?"
"Heh…why must we play this game, Mr. Maximus?"
Raechel…I'm sorry…
"To answer your question, I do know of her…"
"Good, let's just say, I hope she caught my message I left to her because I'm going to leave it with you," a faint snap of the man's fingers produced a few men from the shadows, "I suggest you avoid going ahead with your little tale or…I can make it so that your little Muse goes…missing."
One man grabbed Sephiroth's arms behind him while another came around the front of him, cracking his knuckles, "Now, do we have an understanding Mr. Maximus?"
The man's silence was met with less then a grateful air as the man nodded his head slightly; it was a silent order to give Sephiroth the "message" as the man's fist collided into Sephiroth's abdomen. Sephiroth himself was a powerfully strong man himself but the man's blow had enough force to knock the wind out of him as his knees buckled under him. His silver locks hung down over his face that hid it from the man's view before his view was jerked up into view of the visitor.
"Remember what I said. If you continue to go on ahead with the tale…I will make your lives a living Hell. Especially your little muse…I'd hate to have to destroy your little Muse. That perfect little angel to be destroyed by such a devil as me…" the man's force of holding Sephiroth's face in his own all but sent the man sprawling backwards as hid collided with the corner of his computer desk, "Remember this name…Mr. Maximus, my name is Nicholas. And I always get what I want."