Chapter Six - Safe

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A/N - This is told in first Yuffie's POV, then Vincent's. (Mostly Vincent's throughout, cos I lurve him ^^)

 A tiny bit of Yuffentine here... just for the craic ^_^

(Might bring that into the story from now on, although its mainly Cloud and Tifa)

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Yuffie

I ran out in the street as soon as I looked out the window by chance and saw the flames extending up into the beautifully clear sky. It seemed such a contrast.

When I got there, I turned around. Vincent was there beside me, the look on his face betraying the fact that he was just as shocked and scared as I was. I love it when you can tell the expressions on his face. Normally you can't tell his emotions at all; I am learning to now, and he is learning to open up more. I guess a new love has given him a new life. I fought hard for him, it took a lot to stop him leaving to go back to the coffin; but it was worth it. He's everything I ever dreamed of. It makes me feel guilty that I have my ideal man when I see how my best friend Tifa feels about Cloud, and she hasn't got a chance with him. Maybe now Cloud and Aeris' relationship is fading, she might...

I broke out of my thoughts when a disturbing one came to me. That was Cloud's house, wasn't it? I felt Vinni's arm tighten around me. We knew Cloud had been going home about ooh... half an hour ago? I let out a torrent of curses in Wutaian.

Vinni and me both ran towards the house at the same time, thinking the same thing as we often did. Cloud could be hurt. We stared in the windows, but the door was locked. We couldn't see anyone, and Cloud's gold chocobo wasn't in the garage, so we didn't need to worry about that. A local shopkeeper called us over. "Who lives there?" he enquired. We told him. His face relaxed. "Don't worry then. I saw a spiky haired young man leave just after a young woman dressed in pink with a chocobo left... earlier..." His words put me more at ease.

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Vincent

Yuf and I set off down the high street to search for Cloud, but to no result. I looked at Yuf idly. Damn, she was fine.

She was so beautiful; her darker skin and eyes were different from all the girls I had ever dated. She was a lovely person underneath that annoying front. Once she knew you had no materia she opened up to you. I was falling in love again; something I never thought Id do. I still made regular visits to Lucrecia's cave, but they were getting loess and less frequent. I had all I needed right here. Despite her age. She was really very mature; the perfect personality actually.

Yuf came over to me, concern flickering in her wide chocolate eyes. "He's not here?" I shook my head. "Maybe he went after Aeris, although Holy knows why he still bothers..." I didn't approve of Aeris, but I of all people should know what love can drive people to.

We walked back to Cloud's house, and wordlessly pushed our way to the front of the screaming crowd. I gasped. The house was nearly down; the roof had partly collapsed. The walls were alight. It was truly terrifying. Normally houses wouldn't burn that fast; I had set fire to enough in my Turk days so I knew. I walked a bit closer. Aha. Against the wall stood a trash can, burning ferociously. Around it were... six or seven petrol cans. Dear Planet, this was done on purpose! If that was Aeris or that rat Zack, my gun would be seeking them out soon. It was probably good that Cloud wasn't here to see his house burn.

The smell of petrol was quite strong here. I moved the crowd back a couple of feet. It was dangerous; those petrol cans could explode at any time. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone push past Yuffie, despite her best efforts to keep them back. I ran over. It was Tifa... I couldn't believe the state she was in. She was sobbing her heart out. I knew something was wrong. "You cant go in there, are you crazy?" I yelled. She turned on me, those burgundy eyes that were so similar to mine filled with tears. She was distraught. I was about to ask her what was wrong, when she screamed the answer that made me feel like fainting. "Cloud's still in there! He's still in there..." she sobbed. My head began to swim. No one could have survived that long in such a blaze. Damn, why didn't I go and check? That man… the spiky haired man leaving… must have been Zack. Of course it was…I was so stupid.

"I... oh ancients... Teef... He couldn't survive th..." I began to tell her, but she pulled out of my grip. With a few leaps she was inside. Damn! I ran after her. "Tifa!" I cried over and over, but no response. Yuffie pulled me back. She was crying, I saw which made my heart ache. "Don't go, Vinni... You'll die..." So, to please the new love in my life, I stayed and let Tifa Lockheart run into a fireball ready to blow at any time. And I hated myself for doing so every second.

I paced around for five long minutes, after which I was frantic with worry. Yuf was as well, I could tell by the way she fidgeted. After so long I couldn't take it any more. They'd obviously died in there. I held Yuf in my arms and cried a couple of tears, which Yuf was so surprised at. I guess they think I haven't got a heart, but I have… I walked back towards the crowd. Nobody from Avalanche was there.  Thank Holy. I couldn't live with the guilt of this, it would be worse having another person to amplify that. Why did I let her go in??? Why didn't I check the house as soon as I noticed the fire??? Now both of them were gone.

I looked around, hoping that there would be at least a sign of them. But nothing. I walked further to the left. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something sticking up from the ground. It was, on closer inspection, Cloud's Ultima Sword. Either it had been there before and I was just noticing it now because of my guilt, which I very much doubted, or it had been thrown out… I ran around the house, ignoring Yuffie's screams for me to come back. I nearly fainted.

Cloud and Tifa lay there, both crying their eyes out, on a pile of mattresses. They were slightly burnt and choking from the smoke, but it was a miracle… they were alive.

For the first time since Lucrecia died, I felt myself crying. Damn, this guilt wouldn't have been bearable. They were my best friends out of all of the Avalanche… well apart from Yuf. I couldn't believe they were alright… They hadn't seen me yet. I looked up and saw the danger they were still in. The house was breaking apart; there was no way of telling where it would fall. They were probably too winded to move. I ran and scooped Tifa up in an arm, hoisted Cloud up with my other arm, running towards the safety of the crowd. Behind me as I ran, the house collapsed partially. I reached the fence and took it with a leap, not quite clearing it. Instead it hit my knees and we all flipped over it. All three of us fell sprawled out on the floor; in front of my eyes the house exploded. It collapsed into itself, making a burning pile of rubble. Cloud crawled over to Tifa when I let them go and pulled her into his arms. These two didn't know how lucky they were… or maybe they did. Tifa was gasping for breath, her eyes red from all the crying and the thick smoke. She was inconsolable. Cloud was badly shaken up, I could tell. His entire body was shaking; he was a deathly white and his eyes even seemed to be paler than normal. But I wasn't really surprised; he confided in me once that fire was his worst nightmare. Damn Aeris for doing this to him. If I ever saw her again, my gun would be seeing her too.

Yuffie ran over to me and hugged me, then knelt down and threw her arms around the couple entwined on the floor. I paused for a minute, then sat down beside them and did the same. I noticed that out of all of us, I was the only one not crying uncontrollably. I was crying though. The tears seemed to be catching; members of the crowd started to cry as well, before they were ushered away by the fire services, which had finally got here.

A fireman gently pulled us all apart. "Excuse me, do you know who lives in this house?" Cloud let out a sigh, trying to control his breathing that was bordering on the asthmatic. "I do… my ex girlfriend and I did…" he murmured in a scared voice , not surprisingly considering what he had been through. The fireman nodded. "Is this your ex?" He asked quietly, pointing at Tifa who had her arms wrapped around Cloud as if she didn't want to let him go. Understandably. Cloud let out a giggle. "No, my ex has left town. She started this fire…" He sighed, it was obviously still sinking in.

The fireman looked shocked. "Are you sure? That's a serious allegation…"

I answered for Cloud, quickly. "There's petrol cans poured around a litter bin over there. Aeris, his ex, and her new boyfriend Zack were spotted leaving a while before it started…"

Tifa looked up. "And Aeris tried to murder Cloud this morning, with that sword over there… She tried to stab him, but I intervened… She was probably going to kill Cloud and burn the house so no one would know. When Cloud and I ruined her plans, she must have decided to burn the house down anyway, knowing Cloud was still inside…" She bowed her head. I looked around. Yuffie looked as shocked as I was. I didn't believe Aeris could be so evil – not for one so innocent looking. Damn how people can change!

The fireman looked at Cloud again. Cloud had his head in his hands. "Mr Strife, I'm sorry about your house… Do you want to press charges against this Aeris?" Cloud shook his head. "I don't know…" The fireman nodded, obviously understanding that Cloud was in a bad way. "Call me at the station if you want to file a report… I'll be just over there if you need me…" He hurried off, probably wondering why Cloud had chosen such a crazy girlfriend.

We were all silent for what seemed like forever. Cloud broke the silence. "I can't believe it…" Nobody knew what to say. What could you say to a man who still loved the person who tried to murder him, then burnt down his house with him in it? Cloud let out a frustrated scream. "Damn that bitch…"

Yuffie got up. She didn't say anything, just walked over to where Cloud's sword was sticking upright in the soft earth and pulled it out. She walked back over to us and offered Cloud his sword back. He took it silently, the look on his face not betraying any of his feelings. He must be in shock. He stared at the sword, as if it was the first time he'd ever seen it. Yuffie sat down in front of Cloud. "So… what exactly happened?" I listened intently as well, as interested as Yuffie, until I saw Tifa out of the corner of my eye.

She was still crying, and this was making it hard to breathe for her. I put an arm around her and she leant into me. I looked at her. The love in her eyes as she watched Cloud was unbearable to see when he didn't love her back. I knew now that that was why she had to go in there after him. It was the same as Lucrecia and me really; after she died, I was filled with guilt. I would have done anything to save her. That was how Tifa felt about Cloud. I whispered in her ear. "You really love him, don't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah… that's why I had to go in…" I smiled at her. "I understand now… not that I'm not guilty about letting you go in still…" She smiled back at me. I knew there were other reasons she had to save him; him being the only person she had from her past, the only person she could rely on totally. Just the fact that he was in danger, really. He had saved us all numerous times in the past; now was his time of need. But I didn't question Tifa any more. She was already busy with listening to Cloud, her eyes glistening as she heard how he nearly died. I turned my attention to his words, hearing the story of the miracle we had just witnessed.

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A/N – A bit long for the story of what happened next, I know… I'm sorry. But I can really get into this story and before I know it I've written five pages! More to come anyway… and its not just gonna turn into a love story. They need to fight for their love… both couples. Like in real life… It's not easy. ^_^