Chapter 3: Memories!

Tifa and Cloud arrived at Vincent's apartment shortly after breakfast with clothes and pictures for Vincent's houseguest. Aeris was told to take a shower from Vincent, by Tifa, in which she did.

"Here," Tifa spoke with much exhaust, from the loss of much sleep as she held clothes out to Aeris. Last night, she and Cloud had spent, trying to figure out what was going on with Aeris's return. Aeris hung her towel on the rack then shyly grabbed the clothes out of Tifa's outstretched hand.

"Put these clothes on while I try to find a hair tie," Tifa instructed turning away from Aeris.  Aeris slid on a white shirt and a short jean skirt. She reached down to her toes and put the socks and shoes on that Tifa had brought her. Tifa pulled out a pink bow from the bathroom drawer, which in fact was the same bow Aeris had been wearing the day before. "Is this okay?" Tifa asked showing her the bright pink bow.

"Sure."

"Wow! You look great in that outfit, now all we have to do is your hair." Tifa smiled as she walked over to the bathroom door to let cloud in, "Cloud, she's done taking a shower, and you can come in now."

"Huh? Coming."

"Oh!" Tifa smiled to herself as she reached for her brush and scissors, "He's such a glutton sometimes, and I can't help to love him for it."

"Are, um...you two going out with each other?" Aeris asked shyly.

"Yes."

"...For how long, now?"

"Four years or so," Tifa answered as she brushed out Aerith's wet silky hair. "Wow. You have really thick hair."

"Four years? And you haven't even married?"

Cloud came in at just the right time for Tifa. She really didn't want to answer the question that everybody was asking. Cloud was holding a large stack of pictures that had been stuff into a too small of box, making so the lid popped off every single time something bumped it. "Wow you look bea-great!" He stopped in the middle of saying beautiful in fear of upsetting Tifa, AND he was also to embarrassing to admit the truth.

Aeris blushed and turned away slowly as she softly spoke out, "Thanks."

"Yeah, you really look great," Tifa encouraged her, cutting her hair into soft layers.

"Thank you Tifa," Cloud said, laughing lightly after his comment. "You do too."

Tifa made a clicking sound with the back of her tongue, "Cloud, you silly. I was taking to Aeris." Tifa reached back and kissed Cloud, then said, "You are gorgeous too."

"Hah, hah. I knew it," Cloud said triumphantly.

"Oh!!! Cloud." Tifa smiled, whacking him with the back of the brush, "You're so onto yourself."

"Whatever gave you that idea? I can't help that I'm just so gosh-darn sexy. Hey. I was just born with great hair, muscles, nice blue eyes, and brains. Everything you've ever wanted but weren't lucky enough to receive."

"Oh!" Tifa said in disbelief, "Cloud! You're definitely in for it this time."

Cloud, you sound simple minded, when you're in love, Vincent thought to himself, as he listened to their conversation. He sat in the living room quietly while reading a large cover bound book, to himself

"No, I was just joking Tifa. You're the second most beautiful thing to ever grace my presence."

"And what my I ask was the first?" Tifa eyed him angrily.

"Me of course. Geeze. I thought you'd already have that down."

"Oh my gosh Cloud. You are so terrible."

The blonde laughed.  "I was just kidding. Don't take anything personal. Anyways. Aeris, do you remember this picture?" Cloud asked, handing her the picture.

"No." Aeris smiled shacking her head.

"OK I only have about five pictures left out of thirty, and you don't remember anything? That's just jacked."

"Aeris," Tifa said, cutting off another chunk of her hair, "I...am...just about...there I'm done." Tifa handed her all the hair she had cut off as Aerith looked into the mirror at her new reflection. Her hair was layered so beautifully, she didn't even look at all like what she did yesterday. Tifa grabbed her hair and quickly threw it up into a ponytail, as Cloud continued with the pictures.

* * *

"How could you let her get away?!!!" Hojo yelled out at Nott savagely.

"Sir, there was a man there. I... He was too strong for me."

"NO EXCUSES!!! You should have fulfilled this mission easily."

"He was too strong for me to handle," Nott protested as memory of her fight with crimson-eyed man came to mind.

"Where was Zack all this time?"  Hojo began to pace the floor of his lab.

"Bringing Rufus here."

"I would have thought it to be more of a challenge to retrieve Rufus then Aeris. What is wrong with you?"

"Sir, if you would just listen. This man knew you," Nott tried to explain.

"Come on. Speak up. Who was this man?" Hojo's face twisted with rage. "No matter who the person was, you should have defeated him!"

Nott ignored his yelling tantrum and began to calmly describe the mysterious mans features. "He had long black hair, red eyes, a claw to-"

"Claw?!!!" Hojo's face went flat suddenly and his dark eyes wide.

"Yes, a claw made of metal."

Hojo broke into a fit of laughter as he chocked on his tongues. "Vincent? What a coincidence. Did you say he was protecting Aeris?"

"Yes, sir."

Unexpectedly Hojo hurled forward, howling madly with laughter at the news of Vincent actually protecting a girl of no importance to him...but she was of importance to Vincent, much more than he himself could ever know. Hojo grabbed his side as he slouched over, leaning against the testing table. "Humph...juphhehhehacha...ack... Forget about the man for now. Try to avoid him, but make sure you get the girl. If I do not have her, there would be no point to this project. Do you understand me? We would have to start this project all over again, and if that were to happen, I'd put you through the worst torture inventible. Just don't screw up your mission again, Nott."

"Why can't you get another girl?"

Hojo stopped dead in his tracks. "Were you not listening to me? She is the only Creta that exist, a goddess, and a warrior, smart, beautiful, strong enough to undergo my testing, everything you're not. If I put you through all the testing that I put her through, you'd die in the first week. No real human can survive my testing. Id' make a clone of her if I had to, but there isn't a point to that if the real "thing" is wondering around, NOW IS THERE?" Hojo yelled, spitting on Nott's' face, furiously. "Go! Take Rall with you. He'll be with you in a moment."

"Okay. Come on Rall lets go."

Hum... I think she's weakening; besides she was just a test subject. I need to get some real men to fight for me. Hojo thought to himself. I wonder if those Ex-Turks would be up for that kind of a job. Rall is too nice a guy. Nott's only human. Zack...no, he's good. Rufus is such a pain. Hojo looked over at Rufus with a wicked smirk painted across his face. Rufus sat silently on the testing table watching Hojo make his every move. "Zack," Hojo began, walking close up to Rufus. Rufus turned away sadly as Hojo put a hand on his leg. "Hold Rufus down." Zack walked over to Rufus and grabbed him, though Rufus didn't make any attempt to leave. He sat there calmly as Hojo went on with his so-called testing.

Hojo picked up a needle and filled it with burbling liquid, than inserted it into Rufus's arm. He then picked up a thick long blue liquid filled needle, as he grabbed Rufus's chin and twisted his head back. Rufus squinted in pain, while Hojo inserted the needle into his jugular vein (the main vein in his neck). Rufus sight became hazy as his body became lethargically limp. He lay back against Zack, sleepily while Hojo grabbed his arm. "The pain won't be as great, once I get Professor Gast's thinking into my system." He plucked out the I.V. from Rufus's wrist, than wrapped a thick swab of bandages around his bleeding wound.

"Ahh...stop." Rufus whispered softly. Suddenly his snapped and jerked forward smacking the glasses off of Hojo. Hojo began to blink frantically, as the room became seemingly blurry. He bent down and picked up his glasses placing them back onto his face as he looked at him silently in rage.

Hojo ripped the electronic connection from off of Rufus's frail body, shouting, "Zack, take him back to the basement. I'll deal with you later kid. Until then, I'm going to contemplate a way in my head to get your little wife back. GO!!!" Hojo snarled shortly. Turning around, he plodded out of sight as he laughed mockingly back at Rufus. "Then we can finish our project, as I turn her into my guinea pig, so to speak! Ahhahahah!!!!!!" His laugh was cut short by the doors of the study that closed behind him.

Rufus hopped off the table and picked up his jacket, subsequently putting it on. Zack put his hand on Rufus's back as he roughly escorted him back to his basement with much force. When they made it down to the basement floor, Zack slowed down and stopped pushing. "You know, you shouldn't hit Hojo like that. He might end up killing you." Rufus looked away sadly. "By the way, are you alright kid?"

"Why did you bring me back here?"

"I did it for Hojo."

"Why? What's the point?"

"I work for money."

"Selfish, and heartless reasons."

"I have my reasons, none of which you would ever understand." Zack opened one of the doors in the basement and shoved Rufus in onto the cold ground. He sat up, back against the wall as he put his head down and hugged his knees. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" Rufus's voice was muffled and hard to hear. "I want to be left alone with Aeris."

"I wouldn't blame you. She is beautiful."

"Leave us alone."

"As long as Hojo's alive, you will always be hunted and tortured, and I can't do a thing about it. I know you wanted to be left alone; left alone to die, left alone to cry, left alone like your father left you alone. I worked under the President, when Palmer was alive. I know the story of how your father never had anything to do with you. Some day your pain will be gone. When Hojo finishes this project, you'll be safe."

"If he finishes this project," Rufus corrected.

"I'll see what I can do, but remember I work for him. Here," Zack said, pulling on item out of his white lab coat. "Have a sugar free sucker. They're always passing these out at the hospital."

Rufus looked up and took the five lollypops from Zack's hands. He squinted his eyes mysteriously as Zack rubbed his fingers through his hair. Rufus pushed his hand away and began to speak, "What are you doing working here? You're too nice to be working for someone so heartless and cruel. He never has merci on me, but I've noticed that you do. And Nott, she cries sometimes when Hojo yells at her, which reminds me of how human she really is. Why do you work here Zack?"

"Uh. Yeah. I told you; money."

"But even a job like this is to terrible of a job for you to be working for."

"MY BUSINESS, it's my business. Please, will you stay out of it and leave me alone."

"Now you're getting my point. How do you like it when people rag on you twenty-four-seven, and never stop?"

Zack became speechless. He looked away solemnly then turned to leave. "Kid, if you think I'm bad, or Nott's bad, ... just wait. Hojo is going to get new men in. Ex-Turks. The biggest jerks ever to live on earth." With that said, Zack closed the door and left Rufus into total darkness, all alone.

* * *

"Aeris," Tifa began, "Have you ever been on a date?"

"Yes. Well actually I'm married."

Cloud looked up suddenly in surprise, Tifa exchanged wondering glances back at him, "Who?"

"Rufus...Rufus Shinra," Aeris spoke this name respectfully, in yet sadly at the same time.

Clouds icy-blue eyes widened, as he gaped down at Aeris, "WHAT!?!? The president Rufus Shinra?"

"Um...president? Yes, I think so."

"Really?" Tifa smirked, "So how is it like being married to a guy like that?"

"I don't know really. I married him yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Cloud repeated.

"Uh-huh." Aeris said as Tifa picked up a pretty necklace and gently placed it on her delicate shoulder blades. "But he's gone now," Aeris continued sadly, making herself depressed. "I don't think I'll ever see him again."

"Sure you will. Okay," Cloud beamed, "That's enough on that subject. Let's find away to clear your mind." He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. "You are so beautiful!?" It confused Aeris when he said this. He said it like a question, and like a fact and opinion all at the same time.

"Thanks." She replied, in the same manner of voice.

"Hey!!!" Aeris froze at Clouds loud and alarming words. "Tifa. Take the lovely lady on a walk around the town. Show her the sights. Let her meet friends. Let her have a chance to take her mind off of things."

"Yeah. Sounds great," Tifa smiled. Cloud let go of Aeris's smooth skinned hands and then placed both of his hands on the side of Tifa's jaw. Tifa mechanically grabbed onto both of Clouds wrists. "Cloud," She laughed as he kissed away at her lips. "No. Stop. Latter."

"Yeah! So, Aeris what is to be said about taking a nice brisk walk around the city with my woman?"

"Sure. Sounds nice."

Tifa broke away from Clouds frivolous actions as she tugged on Aeris's arm. "Come, lets tell Vincent."

"No. I'll wait by the kitchen while you go and ask, okay," Aeris had a worried and frightened look about her that made Tifa think that she was afraid and didn't like Vincent. "I'll wait by the kitchen with Cloud."

"Yeah. Alright." Her brows began to knit as she walked out of sight to tell Vincent their plans of fun.

"Hey Aeris here is a picture of your husband." She looked back at Cloud and snatched the picture out of his hand, looking desperately at it. "Thanks."

"Sure."

"The way you said I was pretty, wasn't like you." Cloud looked away to his right, after these words.

"Well, for a moment I thought I saw, ...no never mind me," Cloud said softly.

"Ya'know, you talk in a real mellow voice, sort of like Vincent."

"Yeah, like a real man. No, just kidding."

"Do you like to joke a lot?"

"Yeah... I guess. I just do it, without thinking. I use to joke more, but... I became hard after I joined the police committee. But Tifa stopped me from becoming a total jerk. She has always been there for me... Always."

"Yeah, she is a real special lady."

"Yeah," Cloud said, sort of spacing out, "She's a real amazing person. She can persuade anyone."

"Cloud," Aeris smiled, waving her hand in front of his face. "You look like you're not here in this would." Cloud blinked and smiled back at Aeris.

"Yyyyeeeaaahhh!!!" then all became quiet, as Aeris's big emerald green eyes watched Cloud sitting in deep thought.

"Cloud? What are you thinking about?"

"Tifa."

"You look king of sad. What's bothering you? Huh?"

"You know how someone means so much to you, and how you want to spend the rest of hour life with that one person, and you're so afraid of that that person will leave you and move on with some other person."

"Actually, I don't think I've had that feeling before, but I think I'm getting you."

"Yes, well. I'm afraid to move closer to Tifa. I'm afraid it'll wreck our relationship."

"Well, at least you should try. I remember Vincent, when he first...UH!!!"

Cloud looked at Aeris with a very confused face, "What? What's wrong? What were you going to say? Why did you suddenly break off your sentence?"

"That was so strange... I remembered a memory I've never had," Aeris said, breathing heavily.

"What were you going to say?" Cloud asked slowly, very interested what she had to say.

"Something about how I remember Vincent when he first asked a girl on a date. I remember standing in the same room. That is so weird. What's happening with me?

"There isn't a possible way of you being there, but still that is unnaturally weird."

Tifa suddenly ran into the room with much enthusiasm, "Come, let's go. Go get your coat, it's freezing out there."

Aeris smiled then ran to get her coat with Tifa running after her, close behind. She was so excited she didn't pay any attention to where she was going, so suddenly she ran into a hard wall. She stepped back rubbing her nose and looked up at the wall she'd ran into, thinking to herself how that wall hadn't been there before. Only it wasn't a wall. To her horror she had ran right smack into Vincent, making him look at her in the most terrible way. Instantly she disappeared out of sight, leaving Tifa to fix up the terrible situation she had gotten herself.

Tifa and Vincent blinked at each other both in alarm and confusion. "Hey, Vincent," Tifa said angrily. "Be careful, you're scaring the poor girl. You should have seen the look of disgust on your face when she ran into you. It's enough to make her fall apart and cry again."

"It was a reflect. I never had someone run into me before like that."

"Um. That wasn't good. Now she won't talk at all... Maybe you can apologize or something..."

"APOLOGIZE? I think not," Vincent frowned, through half opened eyes.

"Yeah, so I'm going to take her on a walk," Tifa placed her hand on his shoulder. "We'll be back in an hour or so. I'm going to try to take her mind off things. Maybe she'll open up to me and tell me what's up with her." Tifa winked at Vincent and patted his shoulder, then walked out of the room very woman-like.

"Aeris," Tifa said, walking into the kitchen to where Aeris and Cloud had been sitting. Aeris's tear-stricken red face was buried into Clouds chest. "Aeris you ready?"

"Uh...That was so stupid of me. I'm so embarrassed." Aeris smiled weakly, putting her hands up to her deep red blushed covered face. She chocked on a giggle, on an oncoming sob, but she suppressed it by looking at Clouds funny face.

"Oh," Tifa began, "I thought you were crying."

"I was, but-"

"I got to her," Cloud beamed.

"Oh, why does that not surprise me."  She shook her head, while clicking her tongue, "Sounds like Cloud. What did he say?"

"He told me of this one time how he was in the car with you, and he was telling you how pretty you were while he was driving. And when he went to kiss you, he took his eyes off the rode and ran into a parked vehicle."

"Oh," Tifa smirked, "I remember that, it was my car he ran into. It was a good thing he was on my good side at the moment, otherwise I would have killed him."

"You practically did kill me. She wouldn't talk to me for a week, but eventually she couldn't resist," Cloud said jokingly.

Vincent came in suddenly, and said, speaking to Tifa as he went to get a glass of water, "I thought you were leaving."

"Yeah, we are."

Aeris stiffened on hearing his voice. Vincent walked up to Aeris and pulled her bangs behind her ear and then slid his hand off her silky smooth skin. "Have a nice walk. Don't hurt yourself. K? You look nice." Vincent tried really hard to be nice so that he could get on Tifa's good side, only because it was scary being on her bad side. Then Vincent walked silently out of the kitchen, and into his study closing the door half way, behind himself. Normally he would not have done that to any kind of girl, but Aeris was some how different from the rest. Tifa and Cloud looked back at Vincent with such stunned face's, Aeris thought they looked alien. Tifa blinked suddenly, but Cloud still stayed stunned and speechless. He turned around to face Tifa, in which they exchanged alarmed glances at each other. Tifa began to talk, breaking the stunned silence, saying, "I've never seen him be so nice before. Wow? I guess there is more to that guy that meets the eye."

"No, kidding." Cloud said, astonished by Vincent's actions of kindness. "Okay, Tifa," Cloud said, snapping out of his shocked gaze, "If you want to be home here, before dinner, then you better get on your way."

"Yeah, Come Aeris, let's go."

"Hey Tifa, be careful. I want you two to say away from the ally ways, especially the dark abandon streets of no importance."

"Yeah." Tifa put her coat on and exchanged kisses with Cloud, telling him what time to expect them home. On the way out, Tifa yelled bye to Vincent, then shut and locked the door. Cloud came into the study to speak with Vincent about the stunning event that took place only a few minutes ago. "What was all of that you just now did back there with Aeris?"

"... I don't know..."

"Well, whatever it was, it was shocking to see."

"Have you ever felt like you've met someone before, when you actually haven't?" Vincent asked, avoiding eye contact with Cloud.

"Umm...Probably." Cloud replied.

"For one minute back there, I felt like I knew her before. There was just something there... that made her like... Lucrecia..."

"Lucrecia? Earlier today, she said she remembered a memory with you, that she didn't have with you."

Vincent's brows began to knit, "What, memory?"

"You asking someone on a date for the first time, or something."

"Oh, okay. Tell me if she does this again," Vincent commanded, looking away from Cloud.

"Yeah. I'm making dinner now. Need me, just call."

"Thanks, Cloud."

"Yeah. Anytime." With that said, Cloud walked back into the kitchen and began to hum to himself, sometimes singing out Tifa's name. Vincent smiled to himself as Clouds obnoxious voice filled his study. He shook his head as he thought to himself, Cloud...what a guy.

"Tifa, hum, hum, hum, Tifa." Cloud sang.

-End Chapter 3-

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Next: Chapter 4: The Walk!