Chapter 54: Left Outside Alone

And I wonder if you know
How it really feels
To be left outside alone
When it's cold out here
Well maybe you should know
Just how it feels
To be left outside alone
To be left outside alone

Left Outside Alone - Anastacia

The next hour was the slowest that Aeris had ever experienced. Eventually the telephone rang and everyone jumped about six feet into the air. Aeris seized the phone.

"Yes?"

"Hello Aeris."

"Palmer. Let Cloud go. You've got your money."

"Indeed I have. And I have to say, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Mr Strife will be released now. I will have someone drop him off near you. We've given him an amnesiac so he won't be able to remember where I am. It is 7:20 at the moment. At 7:45 you may leave the café and go and find Mr Strife. This will be the last time I contact you."

"You won't bother me or my friends anymore?"

"No. Goodbye Aeris Gainsborough."

The dial tone purred into her ear. She replaced the telephone and said,

"We can leave at 7:45. Cloud's going to be dropped off somewhere nearby." Tifa burst into tears and hugged Yuffie. Barret and Reeve were talking loudly. Aeris was staring at the telephone. Vincent looked up at her from his chair.

"Aeris?"

"I… I…" Words failed her. Vincent took her hands and pressed them to his face as she knelt down next to him.

"It's OK now Aeris. It's OK." He whispered, holding her close to his broken body.

At 7:45 Barret, Tifa and Aeris left the café. Vincent stayed because he would slow them down. Reeve was going to wait for the police and Yuffie was with James.

They split off into different directions. Aeris headed towards the park, keeping to the roads. Cheerful people walked past, enjoying the summer sunshine. Aeris hurried past, looking around desperately for any sign of Cloud. Tifa appeared at the end of the road and waved to Aeris.

"Found him?" She asked desperately. Aeris shook her head.

"No… no sign of him."

As they spoke a dark car, with blacked out windows pulled up to the pavement. A door opened and figure was sent sprawling across the concrete. The car drove away before Aeris and Tifa could reach the figure.

"Aeris, it's him!" Tifa cried.

They sprinted down the street, Aeris wincing slightly at the pain in her leg. Tifa threw herself down by Cloud and Aeris rolled him over onto his back.

"Cloud? Cloud, it's me. It's Aeris."

He had a glazed look across his face. Aeris checked him for wounds and cried aloud as she saw a deep wound across his head. Tifa was dialing a number onto her mobile phone.

"Dad, we've found him. By the park. OK." She hung up. "He's coming here. We'll get him back to the café and get an ambulance there for him and James."

"OK." Cloud was blinking slowly and he frowned up at them.

"What… what…"

"Don't speak, Cloud. Just rest." Tifa said, smoothing his hair. Cloud closed his eyes.

A few minutes later Barret came charging up the road. He knelt next to them.

"Cloud? Can you hear me?" Cloud groaned slightly. Barret picked Cloud up and started to carry him on his back.

"Tifa, run ahead and call an ambulance. If the cops aren't there, call them." Tifa nodded and ran up the road. Aeris walked alongside Barret, casting worried glances at Cloud.

By the time they had reached the café the police were there and James was being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance. Medical staff took Cloud from Barret and took him to the ambulance. Aeris looked at the officer who had been in before, Officer Winston.

"You got Palmer?"

"He's in police custody. We're going to take some DNA samples from Mr Strife's clothes. That should be enough to get him a sentence, on top of what we got from your father."

"What?" Aeris said, confused.

"Mr Gainsborough… he is your father, isn't he?"

"Oh… yes. Of course, sorry. Can we go to the hospital with him?" Aeris asked desperately.

"We're going to need some statements first. Then you can all go to the hospital for check-ups and to be with your friends." Winston said.

The statements took forever. They were asked questions as a group and were then separated for individual questioning. This seemed to go on forever.

"And after you delivered the money, you returned to the café?"

"Yes, but with James."

"And you attempted to contact Palmer? How?"

"I called my dorm room number, because thought that he might still be tapping the phone. And he was. I asked him if we could take James to hospital but he said no."

"And this was after you delivered the money?"

"Yes."

And so on. It took about 45 minutes for each person so by the time they had finished it had gone 9 at night. They arrived at the hospital at half past 9. James was still being treated but Cloud was sleeping. They waited in his room until past midnight. Aeris fell asleep, as did Yuffie. Eventually Vincent said to the others,

"I'm going to take Aeris home."

"Yeah, Yuffie and I should go too."

"Tifa. Do you want me to stay?" Barret asked. Tifa shook her head.

"You go ahead. I want to be here when he wakes up."

The hours passed slowly. Tifa held Cloud's hand in both of hers. At about 3 in the morning he twitched and she looked up sharply. His eyes had opened.

"Cloud?" He looked over.

"Tifa… where am I? Where's Palmer?"

"The police have got him. It's OK now." Tifa said gently. Cloud winced. The cuts and bruises were clearly causing him a lot of pain. His head was wrapped in bandages. Being thrown out of a car hadn't helped either.

"He's… he's been arrested?"

"Yeah. It's all over." Tifa assured him. Cloud closed his eyes. Tifa stroked his hair.

"God… what did he do to you?"

"It's muddled… but I remember some of it… I was going to a meeting and someone hit me over the head. I think I passed out. When I woke up I was in a room with Palmer. He kept… he kept hitting me… beating me. He kept telling me that I was going to die…I thought that no one would ever come for me…"

His voice broke. Tifa was crying and she buried her face in her hands.

"Oh my god…" she said in a tightened voice. Cloud stared at the ceiling. Eventually he said,

"Is Aeris OK?"

"Yeah… she paid the ransom for you. She was so worried, we all were." Tifa told him.

"He took me because of her…" Cloud whispered. Tifa looked at him sharply.

"Do you blame her?"

"…A little. No, I don't mean that… I… I thought I was going to die." He said.

Tifa sobbed gently and pressed her face against Cloud's hand. He reached out and touched her hair.

"Don't Tifa. It's OK… we're all OK."

"I'm sorry…" Tifa wept. Cloud moved over in the bed and pulled her down next to him. She lay next to him, still crying. Cloud put his arms around her and let her sob. When the nurse came in a little while after they were asleep in each others arms.

Aeris and Vincent arrived at the hospital the next morning and met Tifa as she bought a coffee from the hospital canteen.

"How is he?" Aeris asked desperately. Tifa smiled.

"He's OK. He was a little… weird last night. But I guess we can expect that from what he's been through."

"Can we see him? I mean… does he want to see us?" Aeris asked hesitantly. Tifa looked at her as if she were insane.

"Of course he wants to see you. You're his best friend, you idiot!"

"His best friend who got him kidnapped and beaten by a psychopath!" Aeris pointed out. Vincent pushed her.

"Go and talk to him. We'll wait out here for a few minutes."

Aeris knocked on the door to his room and entered. Cloud was flipping through the television channels and had paused. Aeris smiled. It was the music video for I'll be there for you.

"Urgh, you don't like that rubbish do you?" She teased.

"Nah, can't stand it." He replied with a grin. Aeris smiled and sat down next to the bed. Cloud grinned.

"Well this makes a nice change. You coming to see someone at the hospital. Usually we're all visiting you."

Aeris laughed and then bit her lip slightly, looking at the bandages covering him. Cloud touched them.

"It's OK. Just kinda sore."

"I'm so sorry Cloud… this is all my fault…" Aeris said, her eyes welling up with tears. Cloud looked slightly panicky.

"Oh, god, please don't cry! It took me ages to stop Tifa crying!" Aeris smiled slightly, brushing at her eyes.

"I'm sorry. But it is my fault. I got you kidnapped and hurt and everything…"

"And you also got me out." Cloud pointed out. Aeris held his hand.

"Isn't there anything I can do? Something to make it up to you?"

Cloud considered carefully and then grinned.

"I know. You can write me an Aeris Gainsborough Original."

"A song? Really?" Aeris said, bemused.

"Yeah. Just for me." Cloud smiled. Aeris laughed.

"OK… one song coming up."

"Good. Hey, Aeris?"

"Yes?"

"How much was the ransom for?"

"500,000 gil."

Cloud's eyes widened and he grinned.

"I'm worth 500,000 gil? Go me!"

"Cloud, you are priceless. Worth much more than 500,000." Aeris assured him. Cloud held out his arms and hugged her.

"Love you. You know that, right?" he told her.

"I know. I love you too." She replied. Cloud smiled.

"If you love me that much, you'll do something for me."

"Sure. Anything."

"You will got Barret's and get him to make me a proper breakfast because the hospital food is crap beyond belief."

Aeris laughed and got up.

"I'll check with the nurses. Tifa and Vincent are outside."

"Well send them in. Unless they don't have presents. Otherwise send them away until they come back with grapes and flowers." Cloud said, smiling cheekily.

(A/N: Another chapter over! And everything is getting better. Woohoo! So get those reviews in! If anyone is actually reading this anymore, lol. Other than Masterwolf, of course. Anyway, next chapter coming soon!)