"Well, isn't this the most amusing thing I have ever read."
Zack looked up from his spot on the floor, Cloud in a headlock under his arm. "Wha?" he asked thickly.
Ivy laughed a little, running her still gloved hand through her hair. "My brothers written me an apology."
Fox turned from the stove, a frown on her face. "An apology? Whatever for?"
Ivy looked at her red haired friend from over the coarse cardstock. "Everything, it seems. Mostly for mother."
Fox frowned, but turned quickly back to the burger cooking in front of her. "Your mother? She cant do it on her own?"
"Apparently not." Ivy stood, walking to the other side of the room and began to shred the letter into little bits. Zack watched every tiny piece fall into the trashcan, not fully comprehending what was going on.
"I don't get it."
Ivy rolled her eyes, looking at Zack with a sideways smile. "You've been told that my mom wasn't exactly perfection. And that she used to take pleasure in drinking and beating me. Like you are to poor cloud right now. Let him go, he's turning blue."
For a moment Zack didn't follow Ivy's words. He looked down at Clouds spiky head under his arm, and at the boys colored face as he was gasping. His eyes wide in shock, Zack let go of Cloud. The younger boy rubbed his neck, breathing heavily. Blushing a bit, Zack rubbed the back of his own neck. "Jeez, sorry cloudy."
Ivy again rolled her chocolate eyes., muttering something about loons and returning to the newspaper she had originally been reading. "Any who, my brother wrote me saying mothers dieing. She's left everything to me in her will, as a sort of repayment."
Fox snickered. "She's going to need more then that to get you to go to her."
Ivy nodded, flipping the page to the outer continent news. "You saw that to, eh?"
"So…" Zack stood, whipping is blue pants and pulling Cloud to his feet. "Your saying your not going to go to your own mother? She's sick Ivy…"
Ivy shrugged her shoulders, reading down through the events as she spoke, "Not me who is going to be complaining. A nice house don't bother me any."
Zack's eyes widened. He has always thought Ivy Sky to be a bitter, cold woman. And… in truth, she had seemed that way for such a long time. Just recently had she lightened up a bit. Been more cheerful and happy and… childish, like Zack. Now he had decided that she was bitter at heart, and pretending to be nice.
"But that's just- Dude, that's just wrong. Set aside what your mom did and go to her!"
Ivy clenched her fist, closing her eyes. Silently she stood, walking over to Zack. They were eye level in height, both about 6 feet tall now.
"Zack, have you ever screamed and awoken from a nightmare?"
Zack nervously took a step back. People didn't often frighten him. Ivy… just could. He slowly nodded, but kept a determined look on his face.
"And your parents ran to you?"
"yes…"
Ivy clenched her teeth and opened her eyes, staring into Zack's own deep green ones. "Imagine, just for one moment, that you screamed…And no one heard. You cried, and no one even noticed. That you fell, and everyone walked on by."
At this point Ivy lifted her shirt a little, reviling not only her flat stomach, but a series of very deep scars.
Cloud was shaking a little next to Zack, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry Ivy." He whispered.
Zack swallowed. "Now, try to wake up from your nightmare more then 10 years later. Tell me, Zack, can you still fell utter happiness as you once did?"
Zack wrinkled his nose. Though pity rung through him, he didn't want to give up. "Ivy, I'm sorry for what's happened to you, but, that was behind you. Cant you forget it?"
Ivy sighed and turned from Zack, going back to the table. " Zack, If I killed Cloud today would you forgive me tomorrow?"
"Ivy, that's different!"
"How?" she asked, sitting down. "How is it any different? Zack, you conceder me a big sister, almost a mother, and if I began to drink and beat up on you, you could beat me up in return. I was small. I was young. I couldn't. I was defenseless. How am I supposed to go back to this woman who never cared?"
"Look Ivy, my family wasn't to brilliant either. You cant say we don't know what your talking about." Zack snapped.
Cloud nodded slowly and went to sit next to Ivy. "Zack is… right."
Ivy sighed. "I'm sure your life was horrid Zack. Keep in mind I knew your parents."
Cloud bowed his head, eyes closed. Softly he spoke, "Ivy… I was 5 when my dad walked out… It wasn't easy for me to watch her crying on the floor. I hated my father. I hated my mother more, though, for letting him leave. I didn't want to forgive her for letting me grow up without a father…But, now that I have left her… I miss her so much." He looked up at the woman, eyes misty. "You've never once had the feeling of wanting somewhere to belong?"
Ivy was watching Cloud, her features harsh. She wrinkled her nose in discuss, and turned away from the boys. "Of course, and I have it. Here."
"Ivy, don't you want a family?"
"Your it. Consider yourself lucky."
Cloud shook his head. "It isn't the same! You disowned your mother, now you've lost all of the things she could have taught you! Don't you want to fix this?"
Ivy said nothing, but simply stared at the wall. Cloud clutched her arm.
"Ivy, don't you want to be able to say, just once, that you love her. That you love her for no other reason then that she made sure you never would treat anyone like she treated you?"
Ivy shook her head a little and stood up, pulling her worn blue SOLDER jacket from the coat rack near the door.
Cloud and Zack stared as the door slammed behind her. Fox glanced over at them, then sighed bitterly. In a rush she untied the apron around her and tossed it on the table, pulling her own jacket off from the coat rack and running after her friend. Cloud bowed his head, guilt seeping into every part of his body.
"Its alright Cloud." Zack whispered, placing his hand on the younger boys shoulder. Silently he went over and tended to the food Fox had left.
From behind him, the small voice of Cloud could be heard over the sizzles from the bacon. "I…hope I didn't hurt her."
Zack glanced over his shoulder, shacking his head. "It would do her some good Cloud. It really would. I know Ivy tried so hard to make it appear that she's got no feelings… but its only because she's forgotten them. You do her good by jolting her back to reality."
Cloud looked up from the floor, blue eyes still a bit misty. "You… Think?"
Zack gave his small friend a grin. "Of course Cloud. Now get some dishes out, and we'll have breakfast."
Ivy and Fox returned at a horribly late hour in the night. Cloud had fallen asleep on the couch, and Zack had just finished covering the boy with the worn quilt from their bed when he could hear the door shut somewhere behind him. Cloud stirred a little, but stayed sleeping soundly. Smiling, Zack left his friends side and went back to the kitchen.
Ivy looked at him as he stepped into her sight, eyes cold. Fox was hanging her jacket. The red head glanced at her friend, giving her a "Well?" look. Ivy was glaring at her from the corner of her eyes, but sighed and looked straight at Zack. "Flame you damn Jerk I should pound you."
Zack took a step back, eyes wide. "What the hell? What did I do now?!"
Ivy walked closer to him, eyes closed now. "Dammit boy…"
Zack swallowed. He almost screamed when he felt Ivy's touch. The girl had flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. "Dammit. You made me remember I'm human."
Fox was grinning, and Zack slowly smiled, hugging Ivy back. "Sorry Sky, you needed a flash back to reality."
Ivy laughed, letting go of him. "yeah, I guess I did. Sorry bout earlier kid. Its just been so damn long sense I saw her that I just… don't want to. I'm not exactly fond of changes, but… Something's are necessary for us to grow."
Zack nodded. From behind him, he could hear Clouds voice muttering something about evil pink bunnies. He glanced at Ivy, and Ivy at him. Both had grins curling their lips. "Shall we save him from the pink bunnies?"
"And forever embarrass him afterwards?!" Ivy asked, eyes wide. She laughed. "Yes, lets."
