Lockhart007

OMG too early of an update! Reason – this shouldn't even be called a chapter as the size of it is soooo small compared to the rest. I kind of made a resolution to have all chapters over 5000 words but here, I failed miserably.

However, enjoy.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Tifa, please listen to me!"

Cloud caught up to Tifa as she turned the corner of the next street, tears still running from her eyes and down her cheeks. She wiped them away angrily and sped up walking, not wanting to have to face him. As she got halfway down the street, she was pulled back by her wrist and pulled into his body. She went as ridged as a board but ground her teeth together and snarled like a provoked lioness ready to strike.

"Get away from me" she hissed, her body now responding to her brain and her arms pushing at his chest. "I can smell her cheap perfume on you!"

"You have to listen to me" Cloud pleaded, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her slightly so that they were eye to eye. "I am not cheating on you, I won't dream of it. Scarlett is an old friend who dropped by to give her condolences. As I told her to leave-"

"She kissed you?" Tifa growled, "A likely story"

"A true story" Cloud urged, his eyes unblinking and boring into hers deeply, "Please believe me! I don't know why she kissed me but I promise I pushed her away almost straight away"

"Almost?" she scoffed.

"I was too shocked to move her away immediately" Cloud admitted, his grasp on her shoulders lightening, "I would be crazy to kiss her! To betray you! Tifa, I love you so much and if we split over this I don't know what I would do. I've just lost Zack, please don't go too"

He dropped his head and held back tears that were burning the back of his eyes. He closed them and let his hands drop to her arms, holding onto them for support rather than keeping Tifa close.

Tifa's immediate response would be to hold Cloud in her arms and soothe him and tell him everything would be alright. But she watched on as Clouds body shook with sobs. Slowly, she wiped the last tears from her eyes using her arm and said in a whisper, "She kissed you, you pushed her away and I walked in and assumed you were having an affair . . . is that correct?"

Cloud looked up at her from where he had his head lowered and said, "Yes. Tifa, you should know that I would never-"

He was silenced by her finger being placed on his lips. She looked him dead in the eyes and said dangerously, "I trust and believe you. But I swear, if I find that you're not being honest, I will not be responsible for my actions. I may have been easy to believe you today but next time . . ." She left the threat hanging in the air.

Cloud gulped but nodded, his body visibly relaxing as he straightened up to his full height. He wasn't ready for the slap across the face when it came. It wasn't powerful to hurt but it did shock him. He looked painfully at her as she cradled her hand. "That's for the pain of my heart being split in two" she said as she put her sore hand to her side. It had been like slapping a wall.

He nodded again and said, "So, you came to see me?"

"I finished work early and Aerith is still at the shop" Tifa replied as they started on their journey back to Clouds house, "I thought I would come by and check up on you" they turned the corner and saw the house, the front door shut and a note stuck to it. As they got closer, Tifa ripped the note off before Cloud could read it.

Cloud,

Sorry if I hurt your little girlfriends feelings but how could I resist your fully kissable lips? I hope she gets over her little heartache soon. Humans should know that when competing with a vampire, they will always lose.

Cannot wait to see you again my sweet.

All my love, Scarlett xxx

Sickened, she scrunched the note into a tight ball and pocketed it. She turned to Cloud who was watching her and said, "She's a vampire?"

"Yeah" he replied, indicating for her to go inside, "she was one of the first vampires I met when becoming one. She's Sephiroths personal messenger girl. She has an unhealthy obsession with Genesis so I don't know why she's suddenly become interested in me. Why, have you met her before?"

"In Aerith's flower shop" she answered, "She came in mouthing off and left when I challenged her to a fight"

"Fight" Cloud smiled, "What happened to resolving things with words? I suppose if you two did get in a fight, I wouldn't know who to put my money on. Vampire Scarlett or superwoman Tifa. You can be quite scary when you want to be"

Still a little upset about what she had seen, Tifa just shrugged and heavily sat down. Still feeling that Cloud should make it up to her, she asked for a drink. She did feel like a bitch, ordering him around when it should be her looking after him. But the whole scenario with the blonde witch had made her angry and temporarily made her forget her sole reason for visiting. She was putting on an angry front and when Cloud came back holding two mugs of steaming tea, she felt her heart shatter again. She was meant to be the one fetching the drinks, not the other way around. It wasn't Cloud's fault that Scarlett had tried to dig her false nails into him. He was the innocent one in all of this. So as he silently sat down next to her, she reached out a hand and threaded her fingers with his, their joined hands resting on his leg.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, "I'm being so unfair. None of this is your fault. It's hers and mine. Her's for being a slut and mine for even thinking that you would be unfaithful. I've been selfish and stupid and acting like a diva. I shouldn't have slapped you and I shouldn't be giving you the cold shoulder. Can you forgive me?"

As an answer, she received a quick kiss on the cheek. Blushing like a schoolgirl, she raised the hand wasn't holding his and gently touched where he had kissed. They had kissed hundreds of times before, but this time it felt different. It felt intimate and trusting and she felt all of her resentment leave her body in one huge flow. She turned her head back to him where he was smiling softly at her and whispered, "Thank you".

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"You owe me one thousand Gil" Cloud smirked, showing her the card that coordinated with the space that she had landed on. She grabbed the card out of his hand and scanned it for herself. Landing on the police station with three houses on it resulted in the owner (Cloud in this case) receiving a grand in Gil.

"I don't have that kind of money" Tifa pouted, handing over the card and grabbing what was left of her cash, "You almost wiped me out when I landed on the school. Can't you just let me off with a caution? I have to go there to go to work. I can't avoid landing on the police station"

Cloud laughed and dangled the card in front of her, "Card says a thousand Gil. You didn't let me off when I landed on Shinra Building and you had a Mako Reactor on there, it almost bankrupt me. Should have saved your money than using it all to overpower Shinra"

"I always lose at this" Tifa said, handing over her cash and knocking over her game piece which was a Chocobo.

"Well" Cloud smirked, wafting her lost cash under his nose smugly, "You still owe me but I guess you could pay me back in other ways"

Tifa chuckled and pushed the board aside, knocking it to the floor from the table that separated them and leant over it so they were almost touching noses. "Whatever do you suggest Mr Banker? Wouldn't you get in trouble with your boss if you received a 'favour' off of me?"

Cloud smirked, playing along, "Whatever he doesn't know can't hurt him"

Grinning, they shared a kiss; Cloud dropped the play money onto his lap and pulled her closer. But all too soon, a knock on the door interrupted them. Using the table to push her back into a seating position, Tifa watched as Cloud sighed and got to his feet. Mumbling about well-wishers, he answered the door and she heard him say in a surprised voice, "Angeal?"

She shot to her feet and entered the corridor as Angeal shrugged his coat off and ran his hands through his unkempt hair. His eyes looked a little blood shot and his mouth was set in a deep frown. He was wearing the same black clothing as before and as he passed her to enter the living room, she felt that he hadn't taken them off either.

He sat down heavily on the sofa and Tifa remained standing by the living room doorway as Cloud sat opposite him. The silence was heavy between them, both men just staring at each other, serious. Angeal's appearance had brought them both back to Earth with a bump. They were both so absorbed in their game that they both had forgotten the harsh facts of reality.

Eventually, it was Cloud who broke the silence, "Well?"

Angeal sighed and said, "I've been hunting for them since the last time we spoke. I haven't slept, eaten or rest. I memorised the CCTV footage and all of their faces. The ones that had their face's covered where harder to find but I managed to get them. All of them are gone except for one"

"Who?"

"I don't know. In the footage he came halfway through the attack with other armed men. The assault stopped for a few moments as this man exchanged words with the others. He soon left but didn't contribute to the attack. Either way, I believe that this man has the answers to why Zack is gone. If I find him, the questions surrounding Zacks death will be answered"

Cloud nodded softly, "You watched the whole footage? That must have been awful for you. To see it all happen to him"

"Awful but proud" Angeal reassured him, "He fought them till his last breath. He was just outnumbered and overpowered. Even I would have had difficulty escaping if I was put in that situation"

"So, when you say you got them" Tifa asked, "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"I interrogated them and then ended their lives" Angeal replied bluntly, "Not the most pleasant job but it needs to be done. For Zack, I would happily do it again"

"When do you think you'll get that man?" Cloud asked, "I want to know the reasons why they ganged up on him, before the funeral"

Angeal shrugged, "All I could find out is that he's left Midgar. I couldn't find him anywhere. I travelled his movements using street CCTV but it cuts off as soon as he leaves Midgar. He could be anywhere by now. Speaking of funerals, it's his in five days' time. Have you thought of anything you want to do?"

Cloud shook his head, "Keep it normal. Except, I want to be the one to take his body up Mount Nibel with you, not Genesis. That man has no right to go near him"

Angeal blinked and said, "I'll have a word with Sephiroth but I see no problems. Are you sure you want to?"

"Yes" Cloud said, determined, "I want to stay with him till the very end"

The older vampire cocked his head to the side, studying Cloud like he was a puzzle that needed to be solved. Once he had worked it all out, he stood up and offered the blond his hand, "The next time I see you will be in Nibelheim. I advise you be there a day early so you're not late or travelling through the night making you tired for the funeral"

"I'll be there" Cloud nodded. "We'll give him a good send-off".

Shortest chapter yet, just over 2000 words but honestly there wasn't much else I could do with it. I wrote it all in one go so if I sucks, I'm sorry.

I know the quality of this story is getting poorer and poorer but if I'm honest, I'm kinda losing interest in it. I just don't feel like people are enjoying it anymore and I'm not being inspired to write.

But don't worry, it won't go abandoned! I promise. Scouts Honour! (Even though I wasn't even in Girl Scouts . . . . .) Fail

Keza xXx