Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, or its characters, or its places, or anything like that. However, I DO own Vincent's little shack-house because it wasn't in the game. Feel free to use it for whatever.

Note: I'm getting some pretty weak amounts of reviews, here…come on, people! I don't want to have to discontinue this fic! All I ask is that you take at least ten seconds to tell me how I'm doing!

Chapter 10: Failed Rescue

Vincent woke up sometime when it was still dark outside. He lacked ownership of any clocks that were visible to him in that room, so he could only make the assumption that it was either late at night or early in the morning. The crickets were still giving their serenade relentlessly, which is how, besides the lack of light, he knew that it wasn't yet day. Though his tiny abode was free of any windows, like any other building, it was darkest at night.

These observations clear, he was about to sit up from his position of lying on the couch when he realized that Tifa was contentedly sleeping on top of him. She was using his chest as a pillow, her hands clutching lightly to the fabric of his shirt, right under where his cape fastened around his neck. There was a tiny smile on her sleeping lips and he realized his arms were around her. He sighed. He didn't want to disturb her, nor did he wish to leave his position. Unfortunately, infested with demons or not, everyone had to go to the bathroom at some point, as he did then…badly.

Groaning on the inside, he very gently removed his arms from around the woman's lower waist and lifted her lightly by the shoulders, just enough for him to slide out from under her. He stood up quietly, holding her, and was surprised that she was still asleep. Tifa remained in that state until he laid her gently back down so that the back of her head was on the arm of the couch. At that point, her eyes opened slightly.

"Where're you going?" Her voice, when she was very tired and just woke up, was a high-pitched, soft mumble, he noticed.

"I just have to go use the bathroom. I'll be right back," he whispered, brushing the back of his natural hand against her cheek.

"'K," the half-awake woman yawned.

Vincent would have smiled, but of course because of his demons that gesture was one he was no longer able to make. If he still had the ability to smile, he definitely would. Removing his hand from her face, he went on his way to the bathroom. Tifa's wine-colored eyes narrowed slightly in protection of her sight when the bright light shone from the tiny bathroom into the living room (or at least, that's what she assumed this room was).

She sat up weakly, leaning against the back of the couch. A small smile spread on her lips as she picked at the loose threads in her sleeve, waiting for Vincent to come back. She smoothed out the sleep-induced ripples in the thighs of her jeans and thought about how respectful the man was when it came to things like kissing.

If she had done that with any other man, surely at least some article of her clothing (other than her boots, which were removed upon entering the building) would have been taken off. He didn't even attempt to adjust her clothes, and he didn't even take off his cape. He didn't even try to slide his hands up her shirt. The only thing that was removed through their little episode was his red headband, which he replaced before they fell asleep.

He had kidnapped her, yes, and that was disrespectful, but when she put that fact aside, he was very respectful to her. If she tensed even in the slightest way, or pushed at him, no matter how gently she did, he'd immediately pull away until she convinced him it was okay to continue. Also, contrary to popular belief, she was still a virgin—in fact, her relationship with Vincent was her first real one. She wasn't a slut, but she knew what she looked like to the general public.

Tifa yawned, grinning. She'd have to tell at least Yuffie that she slept with Vincent and see her reaction—the sleeping part, of course, merely being actual sleep. Then her grin disappeared. No matter what she said afterwards, word would travel to Cloud, who would surely murder Vincent, even if she did explain the truth, that it really was only sleep and not sex.

Cloud…it was true that he was only her best friend and not a boyfriend, but she really missed him. She was slowly adjusting to her situation with Vincent, but still, she'd gotten used to traveling and it seemed strange waking up and not being able to eat breakfast with him and the rest of the team.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, she heard the familiar flushing of a toilet, and a few seconds later Vincent came back out. When he flipped off the light in the bathroom, almost complete darkness swallowed the room and the dark-haired woman noticed that the man's red eyes glowed for a few seconds in the fresh darkness.

Despite the lack of light in the room, Vincent knew his way around perfectly and maneuvered around the coffee table to the couch. "I'm back," he said in a quiet voice.

Tifa smiled. "Welcome back," she murmured.

Vincent gently slid his metal claw around Tifa's upper back and his natural hand under her knees, then picked her up so gently that if it weren't for the warmth of his chest against her body, she would have thought she was floating.

"Hey," she groaned. "I was comfy there."

Vincent had another of his would-be smiling moments. "You'll most likely be more comfortable on the bed," he said. He would have whispered because of the darkness, but no one else was in the building but the two, so he didn't risk waking anyone up.

Tifa frowned, though the gesture was barely audible in the light-free room. "Only if you sleep there, too…"

Vincent would have bitten his lip. "I'm not so sure that would be a good idea," he muttered.

"Why not?" the wine-eyed girl demanded. "You don't want to sleep with me on the bed…you know, the sleep type of sleep, and not that other type of 'sleep'…and yet you let me lay right on top of you on the couch?" Her eyes narrowed. He could tell that she did this because the whites of her eyes shone in the dusky room. "Now, tell me if that makes sense!"

Vincent sighed. She did have a point. "Fine," he grumbled, giving in.

He maneuvered over the few obstacles, being extra cautious not to bump into anything or stumble, as he didn't want to hurt Tifa. He nudged the partially open bedroom door open with the toe of his boot and turned sideways, entering that way so Tifa wouldn't hit her head or bare feet against the splintery door frame.

It was then that he realized her arms were around his neck.

He peered down at her face. She gazed back at him, smiling serenely.

Vincent continued on his way to the bed and gently lay her town, standing by her side until she was underneath the blankets. He did that because he couldn't really think of what he should do next.

"Vincent," Tifa sighed, "you LIVE here and I'm your captive. Besides you said you'd stay in here for the rest of the night," she reminded him.

"I still don't know if I should," he muttered as he edged to the other side of the bed and sat.

"Oh, come on, Vincent! I seriously doubt you'd rape me. I mean, Chaos is in control of your emotions, right? He obviously doesn't even like me, so relax!" Tifa said firmly.

The red-eyed man raised one eyebrow but finally gave in. He slid into the bed under the darkly colored blankets, making sure there was some space between them. Tifa giggled at his careful shyness and closed the gap between them, sliding one arm over his chest and the other under her own pillow.

"Good night…or, what's left of it," she yawned.

"…Good night," Vincent muttered back.

It wasn't long before both of them fell asleep.

"Yo, Spike!" Barret bellowed, practically charging down the hallway to the room where Cloud was eating his breakfast.

"What is it?" the blonde-haired leader said in a very tired voice.

"I think we found Tifa!"

The words flew out of his mouth and he didn't even attempt to hide the hopeful tone he never really used.

Immediately, Cloud's tired, grumpy mood evaporated and he was suddenly energetic with a leader-like, though almost childish, attitude. "Really? Where?" he demanded, standing up.

"Th' Nibel Mountains or whatever that place is called," the dark-skinned man called over his shoulder, already on his way to the control room, where the rest of the team was.

Cid was over by one of the panels and motioned for Cloud to come over, and he did. Cait Sith was standing near the window, observing the land below; Red was with Cid and Barret at the main control panel; and Yuffie was rocking happily back and forth on her heels a few feet away from Cait Sith, staring out the large window.

"'K, so, we think Tifa's there, in that (censored) ledge on the mountain," Cid explained gruffly.

"How do you know?" Cloud asked. He didn't really care how they knew as long as they knew.

"Tracked her. We were gonna do that earlier, but the damn system got all messed up," Cid grumbled.

"…Whatever, let's just go!" Cloud commanded. The airship took off, and Yuffie gave a joyful cheer.

It was light in the building when Tifa woke up. She saw that Vincent was awake as well, but by the look in his eyes she could tell that the only reason he was still in bed was because of her position on him. She blushed deep red. She was on his chest, practically all the way on top of him.

"Good morning," the man said and wished he could smile to show Tifa that she was okay.

"Morning," Tifa yawned, then grinned. "Er…I suppose you make a very nice pillow," she giggled.

Vincent wanted to smile, but, of course, he couldn't. "And you make a very nice blanket," he countered.

Tifa giggled and moved up some so that their heads were level. Vincent sighed. He thought she was beautiful, even when her hair was messed up and tangled from sleep.

The wine-eyed woman thought the same thing about him, if you replace "beautiful" with "handsome," though his hair was barely messed up as he didn't move much in his sleep.

She lowered her head to kiss him for a few seconds, then drew away. "I'm gonna go brush my hair and stuff," she said, smiling as she exited the bedroom.

She quickly brushed her teeth and just finished running her comb through her hair when she heard a familiar sound outside—the loud sound of an airship engine. She frowned. I must be imagining things, she thought sourly, though a flutter of excitement grew in her chest. Yes, she loved Vincent, but she really wanted to go back to the life she had grown used to.

Fear also grew inside her. When Cloud got here, she's be killed by Chaos if Vincent wasn't strong enough to resist his will.

Still, she did want to be found.

The red-eyed man had also heard the sound and was standing near the door, eyes narrowed and focused on it. His aura was different, Tifa noticed, and when he looked at her, the look in his eyes wasn't one he'd give her. She gulped.

Chaos must have taken over.

"…Vincent?" she asked softly.

When the man smirked, she knew she was right when she guessed it was Chaos. "Sorry, little girl, he's not here right now," the demon sneered.

Tifa's wine-colored eyes narrowed into a fierce glare that could have caused even Sephiroth to freeze. However, Sephiroth wasn't a demon and Chaos was. "Where's Vincent?" she snarled.

Chaos-Vincent smirked. "Oh, he's here, and let me tell you, he's very worried about you…what kind of foolish woman would ever take a walk with a man she barely knew in the middle of the night?"

The roaring of the engine grew louder and the dark-haired woman raced towards the door. Chaos grabbed her wrist and yanked so that she fell over.

There was a loud knock on the door shortly after the roaring of the engine ceased.

"Tifa?" a familiar voice called.

The woman's heart raced. "CLOUD!" she shrieked. Her attempt to lunge at the door was shattered by Chaos grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking at it so that she was on her knees. Something cold and solid pressed against the back of her head and she knew very well that it was a gun. She dared not move.

The banging on the door became louder and more urgent after Cloud heard Tifa call for him. She could hear various members of the team calling her name, but she dared not answer. Anything she did to upset Chaos now could, and would, cost her to lose her life.

Chaos watched the door rattle as though he found it amusing. Eventually, he reached out and swiftly unlocked the door, drawing his hand back faster than any human could have done as the door was flung open with great force.

"Tifa," Cloud gasped, his blue-green eyes narrowing at Chaos, whom he thought was Vincent. He eyed the gun pressed against Tifa's head. "You bastard," he snarled, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword.

Chaos chuckled. "Be careful, you fool," he sneered, cocking the gun. "You don't want to do anything that might injure your precious friend, now, would you?"

"Cloud, it's not Vincent," Tifa said, desperate. "It's Chaos, not Vincent…"

The blonde leader nodded to her once, still focusing on the gunman in front of him. "Let Tifa go and tell me exactly what you want," he said coldly.

The demon chuckled again. "I doubt someone with an intelligence level as low as yours would understand, Strife." He aimed the barrel of the gun at Tifa's shoulder.

Red studied the red-eyed man, then Tifa, who kept mouthing, "It's not Vincent, it's not Vincent…" The one-eyed beast understood.

"By calling Cloud unintelligent, are you calling yourself intelligent? Because if that is your goal you are sadly failing," Red snapped gruffly.

Yuffie cheered in agreement. Anything Red thought, she'd think, except for that stealing Materia was a bad thing to do.

Chaos raised one eyebrow. "I believe you've just earned your friend some pain."

He pulled the trigger.

Tifa screamed and clutched her shoulder, blood pouring from the wound as fast as tears fell from her eyes. She clenched her teeth together as hard as she could, trying to avoid Cloud's horrified gaze.

Chaos laughed coldly at all of the team's expressions; even Cid looked shot. Cait Sith held back a screaming Yuffie and Cloud…you can imagine.

"Oh, don't worry," Chaos said, smirking. "This gun doesn't shoot fatal bullets. The bullet will be lodged in her arm until removed, and she'll be in pain for a long time, but will she die from it? Unfortunately, no."

"DAMN YOU!" Barret roared, raising his gun arm. Cid didn't particularly care about Tifa because he didn't know her well, but he definitely didn't like what just happened.

The wine-eyed girl gazed pleadingly into Chaos's heartless eyes. His expression shifted very slightly, and she knew that Vincent was coming back.

"To prevent further injury I suggest you leave now," Vincent said quickly, trying to tell himself that he didn't really do what he just did. "And if any of you even attempt to come closer, I will kill her," he breathed, pulling his Death Penalty off of the table.

Tifa's gaze moved to Cloud. "Cloud," she whispered.

The spiky-haired leader was furious. He'd come this close to saving his best friend, and now, his only choice was to leave her again. Did he want to? Of course not! But he didn't want to risk Tifa's life any more than he had to, so, seething, he reluctantly motioned for the team to go back to the airship.

"Are you KIDDING me?" Yuffie shrieked. "HELLO! WE'RE JUST LEAVING HER?"

"Cloud," Barret grunted, lowering his gun arm. The others couldn't think of anything to say to Cloud's unexpected decision.

"We don't have a choice," he breathed, choking back sobs. After the rest of the team, minus Tifa, was on their way to the Highwind, he gave a steady, cold glare to Vincent.

"You know we'll be back, and next time it won't be an easy defeat," he threatened. He gave Tifa an apologetic look, and the woman nodded, understanding his decision.

"If you have to, fight Sephiroth without me," she said, her voice barely audible as the door closed.

The only noise in the room was Tifa's heavy breathing as she stood up, attempting to suppress the tears that came with the pain. She couldn't clutch her wound—it was in the back of her shoulder and she couldn't reach it. The wound did, however, cause the rest of her arm to throb painfully and rapidly, so she instead clutched her upper arm and turned to Vincent, eternally surprised at what she saw.

He was crying.

"Vincent…?" she murmured.

The man clenched his teeth together and opened his eyes. "I'm sorry," he breathed. "I wasn't strong enough…"

Tifa shook her head and rushed to the bathroom to wash the blood off of her wound.

She didn't really trust him any more.

Yumesuta: In case you were confused, Chaos and Vincent were the same person in this chapter, it was just who was in control that changed. So…please review!