Disclaimer: Don't claim Final Fantasy 7. It belongs to Square enix.

Crap. I suck at explaining fight scenes. P

Sorry I've taken sooo long. When I was looking through some quick plans I had for this fic, I found a glitch in my plans so I had to rethink everything… -.- lucky me. Sorry!

Ok. THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER. I've gotten reviews saying how they liked the ending I'm like 'wha…?' because there are a couple more chapters after this. Note the many many loose ends I didn't not tie up. ) thanks.

Uhh… most of this chapter isn't really 'new writing' haha XD don't be deterred by the length.

A Warning: The Kiss of Death

Her vision succumbed to the beckoning white light. Letting her eyes drift open, she saw what she had been locking in the deepest corner of her mind standing in front of her.

"Hey Tif." Sizzling cobalt eyes looked at her with unexpected friendliness.

Her lips parted but nothing could pass them, millions of questions caught in her throat.

"It's… been awhile." Golden spikes caused her to tremble.

"… Cloud…?" Finally did she see the memorable setting of the Lifestream. The Lifestream…? I'm in the Lifestream. Does… that mean…?

"We need to talk about something."

"Am… I dead?" Tifa stared at her old love with unknown emotion.

"Just for now I guess." A smirk stretched over his lips if only for a moment.

"…" Claret irises reflected her feelings, if only she knew what her feelings were. The smouldering passion; was it love? Hate? Or possibly the simple need for his familiar form to come home. She found herself suffocating in the sentiment but enjoying every bit of it too.

"When the time comes, you can't let yourself hate him." Turning away, Cloud refused to look at her. His voice seemed undaunted yet his body language spoke enough of his concern.

"A… what…?" Bewilderment had suddenly snagged her conscious mind; however he stayed motionless; he was ignoring her words.

"You can't blame him for what he did. A man is still a man." Was he referring to himself?

"Don't let what he does stop how you feel. Don't give up on him just yet." Don't give up on him? Strutting over to him (even though her knees shook vigorously), she took hold of one broad shoulder and attempted to turn the old friend around.

With little effort, he twisted out of her grip; cerulean eyes still denied any contact with his Tifa's sanguine pupils. However, this time as he spoke, it did not sound as if it were a memorized script. "Did you mean it? When you said you hated me?"

"Yes." Doubt burned in her. "I mean no. I don't know."

"I didn't think it was in you to actually hate someone." His voice stated his opinion as if it were a fact.

"Well you never really knew me." Tifa snapped in return.

"I know you." Cloud lowered his head, and with that action, his monotone returned. "Don't let your heart turn black. Don't forget the good times with him."

"Stop it! Stop it! You're not making any sense!" A little girl born in Niblehiem's cradling arms, a fighter born in the dangerous streets of Midgar. However, at this moment, this woman didn't know what she was. Her supposed knight in shining armour somewhat defined who she was, but now she couldn't tell what he wanted her to be.

"You can't hate hi-" All she could see was his unforgiving back. Why won't he look at me?

"Shut up! I don't understand! I don't understand what you're blabbing about! 'Don't hate him'?! What the hell are you droning on and on about?!" Suddenly filling with new-found confidence, Lockheart took a step forward.

"You-" Cloud's voice cracked. "You can't let what he does-"

"I don't get it! I don't understand why you do this. I don't understand why you said forever when you only mean a little while. I don't understand why you said you loved me when you meant you love her! I don't understand… why you never let me into that little world of yours but you let Aeris in without hesitation…"

Finally did he spin around and enwrap her into a sincere embrace. "Of course I love you. You're like a sister to me."

Unconsciously, she began to sink into his arms but quickly she pulled out of his tempting warmth. "You lie! I hate you. You can't manipulate me with your words anymore."

"Will you forgive me?" Nothing but kindness twinkled in his irises.

Slightly surprised at his abrupt question, Tifa barely managed to compose anything to say. "Wha…?"

"I asked you 'Will you forgive me'." Calloused fingers reached outward, brushing the puzzled companion.

Thoughts were drowning her, his mere touch was invigorating. Yet one feeling was still was engraved into her heart. Abandonment. Out of the blue, she was as bitter as dirt. "… What do you think?"

"Please. You can forgive me can't you?" Something in his voice was missing, it didn't seem like he was genuinely was asking for absolution. His eyes glinted; his expression was on the edge of a knowing grin. In spite of this, Tifa continued.

"There are some things that a person can never forget nor forgive."

"I'm not asking for you to forget!" Cloud was overtaken with urgency. "You can't hold grudges, not against him. He might have screwed up but you have to forgive him. I'm not telling you to forget! You just have to forgive him!"

The fist warrior's shoulders were gripped tightly by the swordsman's hands. "I'm saying this for your happiness. Don't let your hurt veil your love."

Her old flame's face began to fade.

"Cloud Strife… Do you know something I don't?" Tifa had never heard him so desperate for her to grasp what he was saying.

"I know I hurt you. I know you're sensitive. You can do drastic things because your life has too much pain and loss in it already." He stared straight into her eyes. "He's the key to your paradise. Don't waste it, this all I can give you."

The same bright and powerful light was growing behind him.

"What's going to happen?" Scorching droplets were rolling down her porcelain cheeks; damn, she had missed him these last couple of months.

Tugging her into a gentle hug, he whispered quietly into her ear. "Be strong. I love you but I can only protect you from so much."

As he stood back, she could still feel his body's impression against hers. "What's going to happen?"

Cloud gave her a forlorn smile. Blinded at this point, she never noticed as his form dissipated into the unseen Sun.

-------------------------------

No one can survive something like that. Hehehe.

Chaos snickered in the back of Vince's mind as he ran down to the broken heap of a once tall and proud column.

"Tifa…!"

"Tifa?" Her body froze in its place. She turned slowly, wearing a dazzling smile.

"Morning Vince." Instead of continuing her way, she faced him and kneeled. "You know what?"

"…What?" Suspicion was apparent in his arched brow.

"I'm glad you let me come. I know I'm supposed to be the one trying to help you but…" Facing the window to her right, the fighter shut her eyes, kissing the sky and the clouds. "You've been the one who's been making my life easier. Helping me get over Cloud."

Several things caught his foot as Vincent clumsily trotted down to the rubble. Tumbling the last bit, he wasted no time in trying to regain composure as he ran towards the broken pile. Don't let her be dead. Don't let her be dead. I can't lose another one.

Could his heart take another loss of another perfect woman that he had loved? Did he love her? Don't start doubting now…

His claw reached out to grab pieces of mystery metals yet an invisible fist nailed his chest, knocking whatever wind left out of him. Skin scraped easily off his knees as he fell onto them; his mind and soul ached to continue digging, to save Tifa, however, in contrast, his broken bones and body would never allow such at this point. Helpless tears formed in his eyes as he tried futilely to lift a heavy chunk of rock or dulled mineral.

The Sun slipped its fingers into the small room, as if it was afraid to disturb the gentle scene. But the daylight was inevitable. The cold executor couldn't help but stare at the martial artist; her hair and skin glowed with even the smallest bits of light. His eyes traveled down her bare collarbone then to her ruffled shirt; the first couple of buttons came unbutton during the conversation leaving her part of her chest to glow like her face. It looked so smooth. His metallic claw began to move towards her porcelain skin; hoping that it could feel through its gold exterior.

The tip of the sharpened index finger stroked south from her neck, he could almost feel the warmth of her body. The inhuman hand preceded it path onto the collarbone when he could have sworn he began to feel the tender texture of her skin. Her nose suddenly scrunched up causing him to draw back his hand in seconds time before her eyes unlocked from its sleepy prison.

Nanaki, Barrett and Yuffie stared down as their comrade; there wasn't much chance that he would find what he wanted. A drop of water plopped gracefully onto the dark-toned man's velvet coloured-nose, but that was only the beginning of the rain coming.

The strengthening mist caught Vincent's attention, his breathes came out as puffy clouds when he gasped, trying to lift another portion of murderous rubble however the striking pain would quickly return. He saved her once before, he could do it again… right?

"Vincent…" Her angelic cry pounded in his ears. He was hearing her again but a silhouette moved near the mountains.

"Lucretia…!" urgency dripped from his whisper as he ran towards the darkened figure; her hair was just like Lucretia's, it moved down her back but the skin of the arms were a ghostly pale.

Oh, please god let her be real. He was so close but saw the phantom woman began to lean forward over the edge of a cliff. She was going to fast; leaving him too fast. Not again.

"Lucretia! Don't go! Please!" The rain came down on the two; she was in arm's length but something was different about her. Vincent could care less; he would have her back. Reaching out his human hand, he reached for anything that could confirm that she was real. A wrist was all he could manage, plus, he miscalculated her momentum and was pulled with her towards the cliff's edge.

Mr. Valentine was overjoyed to have been able to touch her but horrified at the fact that he might lose her the second he got her back. The body flew over the edge while as his chest landed roughly on the dirty rock floor. The arm was slippery from the moisture that had connected to her skin but he refused to let her disappear into obscurity.

With every ounce of strength he had, he pulled her up unto the same level as he sat. Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh of relief as he wrapped protective arms around the slumping body. Vincent let his head droop into the female's hair but… it wasn't the same fragrance he remembered each and everyday. His arms held her shoulders as he let his glazed eyes search the young girl's face; it wasn't the gentle face his mind filled with, it was the fierce yet kind-hearted face that belonged to no one but Tifa Lockheart.

Every time he attempted to even move, liquid more red than his crimson cloak would ooze from his still recovering cuts and gashes.

He'd been in a meadow, the same grassy plain that he'd spent many blissful times with Lucretia. He stood on the very spot they'd first committed their sweetest sin. Then there she was, Lucretia. Sitting in a distance, he'd crossed the distance quickly. Dreams never worked on logic, next second she was standing, ready for a kiss. Vincent given it to her; her lips were so soft. Like cushions, he sank into them. It felt so right, so justified. He just wanted to peep, just a peek of her gorgeous face, even if his sight would be of a horrible angle. But when his eyes were opened, her eyes were uncovered also. Instead of sensual green, there was animated crimson. Tifa's crimson. Vincent knew it was her but something wouldn't let go, he couldn't pull away. On contrary, he deepened the passion. He finally succeeded ripping from her saccharine lips; that was where the first image came from, Tifa smiled at him. That smile he loved. The right cheek dimple, oddly, he remembered every detail of that grin. His lips were magnetized towards hers again, unable to stop they continued. But… before he could explore more, he awoke.

Why did he continue to deny it?

She hadn't seen him yet. The girl was too concentrated on the small butterfly that had landed on her finger. Blue, purple and green; it matched the scenery around her. The gunman felt the slightest smile tug at his lips, she was so… so… something. No. Clamping his eyelids close, he couldn't let that small part of him take over. Tifa… Tifa was nothing. Nothing to him. Lucretia was everything. Yet, he couldn't stop thinking about the woman with carmine stars.

Screw it. Vincent had been thinking about love for years, decades. Maybe just for a moment, just a single moment, he could simply follow his heart without wondering of anything. No wondering of everything, in a way; wondering… nothing.

Why, why didn't he tell her before?

She sat up, letting her side of the 'blanket' fall. Tipping her head upwards, she shut her eyes, basking in the moon's luminescence. In that moment, the mysterious member of their group looked upon her. Lucretia was gone. Tifa was there and she was perfection. Sudden warmth climbed into his insides. Thirty years of mourning that he couldn't recall, a journey that cost a life that he couldn't care about; all there was in his mind was the goddess beside him.

Searing bubbles began burning a trail down his face. There was no uncertainty prodding at him; she was all he wanted, all he needed was her. Right now. Tifa…

Vincent was cold, he was alone. The downpour had stripped the man of any heat; it stripped him of all faith. He'd failed; there was nothing left for him to do but wishfully think.

"I am sorry." Leaning down closer while bowing his head, blood dripped from everywhere. His hushed voice meant for only her ears. "I love you."

Metal clanked; his heartbeat sped. Looking up, he watched in awe as large members of the shattered column began to shift. Jaw slacked and eyes gawking, Vince watched as a single hand with a mangled glove hanging pathetically on it popped out from the wreckage. Following in sequence, her entire form eventually found its way to the surface. Tifa's clothes were ripped and torn yet her self was in tact, not even the wounds from her previous battle with Dom were evident.

Wine-hued irises landed on a very soaked and drenched gunman. Sanguine juices had pooled around him.

"Oh my god." Her boots clunked as she hustled down to him, ripping off whatever clothe she could spare from her own cloths. "You're bleeding…"

Tifa tied them around his wounds, hoping to slow the flow. A freezing hand touched her cheek, urging her to look at him. Tilting her head upwards, Vincent's lips pressed hers into a weak kiss. When ended, Vincent wrapped her up in a fragile hold. "Never again…"

Up until now, she didn't notice the tears that were still draining out of his eyes. "… Never leave me again…"