AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey... Thank you for the reviews. I don't really have much to say for this chapter, only that it was extremely difficult for me and I hope you guys like it, so uh...yeah. Read and review, I'm gonna skip my usual AN at the end this time, you'll see why. Thanks again and please review

XXX

"I get happy when I'm with you Cloud!" The little girl said as she sat on the swing with Cloud pushing her from behind.

"I get happy too, Marlene," Cloud replied with a small smile.

"Faster!" The child giggled in delight.

Cloud smirked as he complied, giving the swing a shove. Marlene screamed in joy.

"I'm tired of this," Cloud said, catching the swing and gently bringing it to a stop. "What say you and I get some ice-cream."

"With strawberry syrup?" Marlene asked, big brown eyes shining.

"As much syrup as you want!" Cloud answered.

The park they were playing in was nothing like the one the barbeque was held in was. Where there had been lucious green grass, there was only asphalt. Rubbish littered the ground, and paint was peeling off all the play-things.

Looking at the dilapidated swing Marlene had been using Cloud felt a pang of hurt. Sector 7 was one of the most run-down area's in Midgar, this park one of the nicest facillities in the entire sector.

He wondered, how people could see this and not do anything. It was just wrong! For some to live in the lap of luxury and others in squalor and poverty.

They bought their ice-creams and sat down on a low wall.

Cloud noticed she had gotten slightly bigger over the months. Her clothes were no longer drowning her.

"Good thing your dad isn't so suspicious around me anymore," he told her.

Marlene gave a small giggle, then her eyes turned sad as she looked at the park.

Cloud's gaze turned concerned. "What's the matter kid? You okay?"

Marlene nodded. "Its nothing."

Cloud shook his head. "Come on Marlene, is something troubling you?"

Marlene just sighed. "Cloud, does it make me a bad person if I'm jealous?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Like, I see other kids and stuff and they have everything they want. They get such great playgrounds and nice clothes and stuff, and I don't. Does it make me ungrateful and nasty if I get jealous?" Marlene said, as if ashamed.

Cloud was at a loss for words. In a way, he knew how Marlene felt. He stood up and crouched in front of her.

"Marlene," he said. "Marlene look at me!"

She slowly turned her large eyes into his own blue ones.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting the best. It doesn't make you ungrateful. It's something everyone feels. Damn, I wish I had the sort of things other kids had when I was growing up. But the fact is we don't have that stuff."

Marlene looked sad at that.

"But you know what Marlene?" She looked at him expectantly. "You have something they don't. You are a very special girl you know that? And you have such a big heart and you have such maturity for someone your age. And that, is something you can't put a price on."

Marlene looked at him dubiously.

"I'm serious! Marlene, I want you to promise me something," Cloud said.

"What?" She asked.

"Don't you ever change the beautiful person you are. Stay the sweet, caring and pretty-" Marlene giggled. "Girl that you are. Promise?"

"I promise," Marlene replied.

Cloud opened his hand and spat in it and held it out for her.

Marlene mimicked him and they shook on it. Cloud couldn't help but grin as he ruffled the young girl's hair.

"Come on, its getting late! Let's get you home!"

Marlene hopped off her perch and the two began walking towards her house. Cloud felt her small hand slip into his on the way. He smiled at how she gripped his hand tightly and moved closer to him, as if silently asking him for help.

XXX

"One more!" Cloud ordered from the bar.

The barkeep looked at him dubiously. "Uh, sir. I think you've had enough already."

Cloud frowned. "Listen up! If I ask for another one, I will fucking get another one! Understand?"

"I'm just concerned. You look pretty smashed already!"

"Well I wanna get more fucked! And that's my business, not yours. I'm paying for it, so give me a fucking drink!" Cloud barked.

The bartender just shrugged and poured him a mug.

He was alone this night. He had caught a cab over here, not in the mood for anyone he knew. All he wanted was to get drunk and leave it at that.

He sat at the bar, silently drinking. He had taken Mako earlier and was as high as a kite.

"Hey."

He turned to see a reasonably pretty woman standing next to him. He nodded in reply.

Not catching the hint, she sat down.

"So? What's a guy like you doing alone on a night like this?"

Cloud gave a humourless chuckle and turned to face her, knowing his eyes were unfocused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The woman laughed. She was tall and very thing. She had long light-brown hair and wore glasses. "You're well dressed, good-looking and you're drunk and probably high as well. Guys like you are never alone in a place like this."

Cloud laughed again. "Please, don't try and flatter me. I'm not buying you a drink. That cunt over there won't let me buy another one," he said jerking his head to the bartender. "And I have a serious girlfriend so I'm not going home with you tonight."

The woman laughed. "You are cute, but rest assured, I'm not trying to get into you're pants!"

"Then why are you here?" He hadn't meant to sound harsh.

She didn't seem fazed. "I find you...interesting. Like I want to know what your deal is. I guess you're one of those people that just has that effect. Like you make people want to get to know you!"

Cloud scoffed. "Miss, if you knew me I'm sure you'd regret it."

"I don't think so," she replied. "What's you're name?"

"James," Cloud answered easily.

"Shalua," she answered holding out her hand.

He shook it haphazardly.

"Well, I gotta get going," Shalua said after an hour of chatting. "Nice meeting you."

Cloud waved in response. He remembered them talking, but he hardly remembered what their conversation entailed.

He needed to leave too. He briefly thought about asking her for a ride, but decided against it. He pulled out his phone. He couldn't call his mom. Tifa was out of town at the moment. That left Zack.

The phone rang a few times.

"Do you know what fucking time it is?" Zack's angry voice came through the receiver.

"Zack...I'm at this place and I need a ride." Cloud answered.

Zack was silent. "Cloud where are you right now?"

"Never mind, I'll call someone else!" Cloud snapped.

"Wait, Cloud I'll be there! Just stand outside and Cloud..."

"Yeah."

"Be safe."

XXX

Cloud was leaning against the wall, his head spinning until he saw a familiar car approaching.

Zack pulled up and watched as Cloud stumbled to his car.

"Get in," he said, flinging the passenger's side open.

Cloud obeyed.

As soon as he sat down, he felt Zack's scowl.

"Cloud? Are you high?" Zack asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Cloud didn't say anything, he just nodded. The movement almost made him sick.

"Oh God," Zack whispered. "Did you come here with anyone?"

Cloud shook his head.

Zack started the car and began driving.

"Cloud...don't do this to yourself."

Cloud looked and saw Zack was crying. Tears were flowing from his lavender orbs.

"Cloud, when we smoked weed a few times it was fun, but no one got hurt. Cloud, you mean so much to all of us, even if you don't know it. Me, Aerith, Tifa. You're like my brother and seeing you like this? Its killing me man."

Cloud couldn't say anything, he just turned away to look out of the window.

"Why are you doing this Cloud? Why? Why?" The last one was a whisper. "With friends is one thing, but you came out here on your own and you're as high as a kite. Dude what the fuck were you thinking?"

"Nothing?" Cloud mumbled.

"You're so fucked up you can't even respond," Zack said sadly. "I was here to bail you out Cloud, but I won't always be here. What will you do when one day no one is there to pull you out of a sticky situation like this?"

"You have so much going for you. And you want to throw it all away? For what? Cloud look at me!"

"No."

"Cloud, now!"

Cloud glared at him and turned to look at him.

"Are you addicted?"

"No," Cloud answered, hesitantly.

"Cloud, look you need to shake this. We can get you help-"

"I don't need any help! I'm fine!" Cloud raged.

Zack turned calmly. "Just saying that convinced me. When we get to your place, we're gonna have to speak to your mom and-"

"Are you fucking insane?"

"I'm not the one who can't even look at one spot for a minute!" Zack snapped back.

A blaring horn sounded. Zack snapped to the front and his face drained of all colour.

Cloud didn't know what happened next. All he knew was that moments later. The car was hit by another speeding Jeep. There was blood everywhere, on the windshield, the seats, the dashboard.

He looked to his left, Zack was still there. Crimson blood flowed from a huge cute in his head. His eyes were wide and unmoving, like glass.

"Zack? Zack?" Cloud whimpered. "Oh God, Zack? ZACK! No! No please."

Before he knew it his voice had raised. He was crying.

He cried himself until he could no longer shout, no longer cry. He just sat there, Zack's head in his arms, whimpering.

"Please, no..."