Chapter 44: Runaway

Say it's true

There's nothing like me and you

I'm not alone

Tell me you feel it too

And I would runaway

I would runaway, yeah

I would runaway

I would runaway with you

'Cos I have fallen in love

With you

No, never

I'm never gonna stop falling in love

With you

Runaway – The Corrs

Aeris smiled and stepped through the door, closing it behind her. Vincent waved an arm around at the interior of the cottage.

"Do you like it?" He asked. Aeris looked around in wonder.

"It's lovely… how did you find it?"

"I didn't."

"What?"

He led her over to a sideboard. On it stood several photographs. A beautiful woman with black hair holding a baby. The woman and a man sitting on a bench in the sunlight. The man and the baby playing together. Aeris picked up a photograph.

"This is… isn't it?"

"Yes. It's my parents. This was their home. At least it was going to be." Aeris put the photograph back.

"What do you mean, going to be?"

Vincent stared down at the photographs as he spoke.

"They decided that once they had discovered the cure for Grandia Disease they were going to come here. So they started paying for this cottage. And then my mother became ill. When she died my father didn't want to face having to stop payments, to know that the dream was over. So he continued to pay. It belongs to him. Well, me now. They had already decorated and everything. When I spoke to my solicitor, when I turned seventeen, he told me about this place. I came and looked at it, but I needed to stay in the city. I had school and roots there. But I come out here every couple of months to clean it and make sure it's all in order. I wanted to surprise you, by bringing you here."

Aeris smiled. He took her hand.

"Come on. I'll give you the tour."

The cottage was pretty small. Two bedrooms, a kitchen-cum-dining room and the living room.

"This is the best part." Vincent said, throwing open the back door. Aeris stepped out and gazed around in amazement.

The large garden was beautiful. A perfect green lawn, with trees and flowers blooming around the edges. And only two streets away was the main feature of Fort Condor. The hill with the enormous Condor carved into the side. In ancient times it had been a battlefield, but now it was only a tourist attraction. But it was still gorgeously breathtaking.

"This place is incredible." Aeris breathed. Vincent stepped beside her, taking her hand in his.

"I know."

"Just when I think I know everything about you, you surprise me again." She laughed. He smiled slightly.

"I want to grow old here. I want to sit in this garden and watch the world go by." He said, staring up at the Condor. Aeris looked at it too. Vincent took a deep breath.

"And I want you to sit next to me. I want to live in this house with you and I want to grow old with you."

Aeris felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She turned to stare at him. His eyes were fixed on her now. A lump rose in her throat. Vincent took both her hands in his, eyes darting across her face.

"Aeris…I know this is sudden. I know we're young and we don't know what's going to happen but I can't imagine my future without you. These months with you have been the happiest in my life. And if you want to make it long-term, that's alright, we can wait but I just have to let you know that I will wait for as long as it takes. And if-"

Aeris put a finger to his lips.

"Yes." His eyes widened.

"What?"

"I'm saying yes. But not yet. There's so much going on. We've both got university and you've got your art, and I've got singing. But one day… we'll sit in this garden."

Vincent smiled. Aeris realised that there were tears in her eyes and she brushed them away, laughing quietly. Vincent held her tightly and she pressed her face into his body, sharing his warmth.

"I can't believe it." He murmured into her hair.

"I know."

"And you're sure?"

"Yes. I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

"…I love you so much."

"I know."

For sometime they stood together in the garden. Vincent laughed softly.

"Not bad for our first date."

"I know. Ordinary people have several before proposing."

"We're far from ordinary." Vincent said, as they walked back into the cottage. Aeris smiled at him.

"So… what do you want to do now?"

"Shall we get some lunch? There's a pub down the road."

"Sure."

And, hands till clasped, they headed off down the street.

Tifa wiped the surface of the counter and switched off the machines. It was nearly midnight. Barret had gone upstairs to do the books, leaving Tifa to close up. She called upstairs,

"Dad, I'm taking off."

"OK. Be careful walking home."

"Will do. See you tomorrow."

"Bye sweetheart."

She locked the café door behind her and walked down the dark street, wrapping her coat around her. And then she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced around but saw no one. Tifa hurried on, pulling her bag up onto her shoulder. And there were the footsteps again. She stopped and turned.

"Who's there?" She demanded. No one answered. Tifa stood silently and then turned to carry on. Another footstep. She turned and saw someone standing in the shadows under a tree. She glared at the figure.

"Who are you?"

The figure ran at her, grabbing her bag. Tifa held on tightly and kicked out at the figure, remembering her martial arts training. The figure, she couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, punched out at her face. She fell back onto the ground, clutching her eye as the figure ran.

"Tifa!" A voice rang out. The figure had disappeared into the darkness. James crouched down by Tifa.

"Tifa, what happened?"

"That person attacked me. Took my bag." Tifa said, waving after the figure. She touched her eye tenderly and winced. James examined it.

"You're gonna have a great shiner."

"Wonderful. I'm meeting my boyfriend's parents tomorrow." Tifa cried. James helped her up.

"What are you doing out this late?"

"I just finished closing up the café. Ow…" She had blinked and a shot of pain had run through her eye. James pulled a face.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"I don't think so. It's just sore. I'll go home and clean it up."

"I'll walk you home." Tifa didn't have the energy to object.

When they had arrived outside her door, Tifa nodded.

"Thanks James."

"You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yeah."

"Well, call Cloud or Aeris. Just so someone knows in case it gets worse."

"Will do. Thanks."

"No problem. Good night." He turned and trudged down the corridor. Tifa let herself into the room and picked up the mail lying on the table. Three letters for Aeris, one for herself and one without a name. She tore open hers.

Dear Miss Lockheart,

I am writing on behalf of the Midgar Martial Arts Association. We request your presence at our next competition to take place…

Tifa put it down and looked at the non-addressed envelope. Biting her lip, she tore it open. Her eyes widened in horror at the note that came out. Trembling, she reached for the phone. Cloud answered after a few rings.

"Yeah, what is it?" He grumbled into the phone.

"…It's… it's me…"

"Tifa?" He sat up, alert. "Tifa what's wrong?"

"It's… please come… now…" There was a banging noise. Cloud yelled into the phone but there was no reply. Reeve sat up in the other bed.

"Cloud, what's up?"

"Something's wrong. I've got to get to Tifa."

"I'll come with you."

They both dressed quickly and ran to Tifa's dormitory. It took fifteen minutes and when they arrived Cloud banged on the door.

"Tifa? Tifa, are you there?" There was no reply. Cloud ran at the door with his shoulder. He fell back as the door remained stubbornly solid. Then the handle clicked and the door swung open. Tifa stood in the doorway, trembling, tears running down her cheeks. Cloud seized her.

"Tifa! Oh my god… what happened to you?" He touched her eye tenderly. She winced but shook her head. She pointed inside to something lying on the table. Cloud crossed to it as Reeve followed him in. It was a slip of paper. Scrawled across it were the words,

Gainsborough. I'm coming for you.

Lying next to the note was a charm bracelet with smears of blood across it. Cloud's eyes widened in horror.

Aeris felt the warmth of Vincent's body against her and sighed contentedly. As far as she knew everything was right in the world.

How very wrong she was about to be proved.

(Well? You like? I hope so. This chapter wasn't very well planned out so it all seems a bit haywire. I'm not too happy with it to be honest. And it's shorter than usual. Sorry about it. Still short update is better than no update, right? Please review.)