Dan
"Fox?"
"Yes dear?"
"Why wont Ivy talk to us? Does she hate us now?"
Zack laughed, listening to the little blond talk. "Yeah Cloudy, she hates us. We're the dent in how much she gets to spend on herself."
The red head turned from the stove, glaring over her shoulders at Zack. "That is not so Zack, and you know it! Ivy would never think of herself first."
Zack put his hands on his hips, glaring bitterly at the older girl. "Oh yeah? Then answer Clouds question. Why wont she talk to us?"
Fox sighed, stirring the stew. For a moment, there was no sound in the room but the screeching of tires outside, and the shouts coming from the back allies.
"I…I cant say." Fox muttered, sighing.
"Ha!" Zack leapt from the counter he had been seated upon and went over to the little blond near the window. "Then she does hate us!"
"W-we're not wanted?" Cloud asked in his tiny voice, hugging his teddy bear. Zack glanced at him and wrinkled his nose. 10 years old and the kid still carries about a teddy bear, Zack thought, he's training to be in SOLDIER for crying out loud!
"Ohh… Cloud, Zack, your both wanted. Ivy loves you-"
"Coulda fooled me." Zack muttered, leaning against the wall.
"Look-" Fox spun around, her pony tail fan out behind her as she spun, "She loves you both very much! She just cant show it!"
"And why not?!"
Fox sighed, closing her eyes. "You remind her of her past."
Zack glanced at Cloud, who looked concerned.
"W-what do you mean Fox?" He asked, blue eyes wide.
Fox forced a smile, turning back to her stew. "If I tell you, will you promise me, on your life, that you'll not breath a word of it?"
Zack frowned. What's she talking about? He asked himself. What does she mean? Why cant we say anything? Not like Ivies gana care really…Right?
"Promise me?"
The little blond nodded, muttering a yes. Zack thought for a moment, but then agreed.
Fox sighed, turning the heat down on the stove and laying down her spoon. She whipped her hands on the apron she wore, and went to the kitchen table. Sitting in one of the worn wooden chairs, she looked at Cloud, then Zack.
"Ivy was born in Gongaga, before you of course Zack. You wouldn't know her, she moved when she was 4. Her father died and because her parents had broken apart, she went to live with her mother and two older brothers."
"So…we remind Ivy of her brothers?" Cloud asked. Fox nodded.
"Yes. One had dark brown hair, and the other the color of Ivy's. Both were tall, and strong, and spiked their hair like you two. Her mother was very fond of them, and though she was a lovely looking women, she never was lovely to Ivy."
Zack cocked his head to one side, frowning. He didn't understand. Fox looked at him, seeing his confusion, and went on.
"Ivy's mother had married another man, and found out he was going to some nasty bars, like a few you find here. He'd get drunk, and find himself with other women. As soon as Ivy's mother, Cathy I think was her name, found out… Well, of course they broke up. Ivy's mother… she became depressed, and took up drinking. Her sons would go out and bring her back some hard drinks, and she'd drink until she passed out usually. Ivy used to hope her mother would pass out, for when she didn't…"
Fox's voice trailed off. Cloud went to her.
"D-did Ivy's mother beat her?" he asked, voice small. Fox licked her lips, but nodded.
"Yes. She wouldn't touch the boys- they left after they gave their mother her drinks. The would go to parties, bars, places Ivy couldn't go because she was so young. Her mother would become violent, and Ivy, being the only person around, would become a punching bag. You have seen the scar on her leg? Her mother did that. She took a kitchen knife and tried to pin Ivy down…"
Zack's eyes had been wide as he listened, but now he managed to say " How do you know all this? She told you?"
Fox forced a laugh. "no. No, she didn't tell me. See, Ivy had moved to my town, and I became her friend. She told me her mother drank, and when she appeared at school…"
"She would be all bruised…" Zack finished for her. Fox nodded.
"Yes. Very badly. Her mother managed to break her arm one year. After that, Ivy couldn't stand it. Her brothers thought she was fighting in school, and so the idiots would punish her. Her mother got at her at night. No one cared. On evening Ivy packed up her things and went to run away. She had tried to go out the front door, but her mother got her. She was struggling through the window, me picking up her things on the outside, when her mother got the knife and took it to her leg. That evening both of us had nearly gotten skinned."
Cloud sat in one of the chairs, eyes misty. "Poor Ivy…" he whispered. Fox nodded.
"that was during the winter holiday. She hates the season because of it, among other reasons."
Zack swallowed. "W-what other reasons?"
Fox looked at him, shrugging a little. "Men in the town we fled to used to pick on her. They used to call her names, and… Ivy never appeared to care… but things like that can truly hurt a person. They used to pick on her because she was weak and plain looking and her dreams were to high. She used to wish she could be in SOLDIER, but only men could join. Women were said to be frail. Ivy hated that. She'd practice different fighting styles all the time, trying to prove she wasn't weak."
Fox smiled now, eyes bright. "I remember one young man though, that never picked on Ivy. He was a young SOLDIER, third class, that was only 14. Ivy was 13 at the time. He would talk to her to try and calm her down, and help her practice. The sword she has, the Buster sword, that was his. He taught her how to use it… He died during this season… A year ago."
"A year ago?! Now I know this is all a lie!" Zack said, laughing. "you and Ivy moved here two years ago!"
Cloud turned around and glared at Zack. "Oh, shut up! Its true what Fox is saying! She is not lying!"
Fox sighed, and placed a hand on Clouds head. "Shh. Zack, Ivy and I did move here two years ago, but we went with that young man. Look, he was planning to ask her to married him. He didn't want to lose her, afraid the boys would run us out of town, so he brought us to his house here in Midgar. On one of his missions, he was shot. Ivy and I moved out of his house, and rented this place."
"Oh…" Zack said slowly, blushing deeply. "Sorry Fox. I shoulda believed you."
Fox smiled kindly, standing and going to the stove. "Its fine."
"Hey…Um.. What was this mans name?"
A voice came from behind them all, sounding bitter. "His name was Dan."
