Alright, last chapter. But don't cry. I have a surprise for you at the end.

It had taken almost two weeks, but I was finally feeling up to regular standards again. Most of my wounds had healed into scars. Some had healed completely, and the stab wounds were still lingering. But, that was my physical state. Not really as issue anymore. My mental state, well, that was something else entirely. I had frequent nightmares all about the same thing, or the same person actually. It's not too hard to figure out who that person is. Squall was concerned and understanding. But I, on the other hand, was frustrated with the whole thing. I just wanted to be rid of the whole experience. What I needed was something to distract myself and now that I was pretty much healed, I would be able to hopefully find something to distract myself.

Squall was off finishing up the final plans for Kairi's exile. I wasn't sure if I should be happy that the stupid bitch would finally be gone, or angry that even now she was separating me from Squall. Either way, I was on my own in finding something to do. But, really, how hard could that be?

Actually, it was pretty damn hard. Yuffie was working, as was Tidus. And Sora was continually doting over Riku and wouldn't let anyone near him. I wanted to beat Sora over the head with the Buster sword. Riku wasn't that hurt.

Anyway, I had to relegate myself to wandering through the forest. But, I wandered through the forest on the opposite side of town, far away from the abandoned warehouse. Since I was far away from the warehouse, the walk was actually sort of relaxing in a boring kind of way. I was, however, able to think about a lot of things on my boring walk.

Like turning Squall.

He hadn't said anything regarding it, but he sure as well hadn't forgotten it, stupid persistent bastard that he was. I could see him pouncing on me, sometime soon, and asking me about this. But, did I have an answer for him? No, not really. As much as he said he'd go through hell for me, I still didn't think he knows what it's really like to go through this kind of hell. I'd explained the best I could, and as gorily as I could, to deter him from wanting this. But, he was determined.

As I had been walking and thinking, there had been the constant noise of a stream over to my right. But now, the sound of running water was punctured by voices. Listening, I recognized Sora's and Riku's voices and wondered what the hell they were doing out here. Feeling like stirring up trouble, I ran stealthily through the bushes and trees. With their human hearing they wouldn't know I was there until I wanted them to know I was there.

Approaching from behind, I saw Riku and Sora with their shirts off and in the water. Alright, so, maybe a bit more…pure than me and Squall would have been, but I did still wonder where this little outing of theirs may have gone if I hadn't shown up. As if I would just leave them to enjoy themselves and go back to my incredibly boring day? Thinking about matters that I didn't want to think about?

I doubt it.

I stumbled – purposely – noisily out of where I had been hiding. And even then, it wasn't until I said, "Hey Sora, Riku," that they even noticed my existence. I'd expect that from Sora, but Riku… I guess love does crazy things like that to you. Not to me though.

And then Sora slipped and fell into the water. I suppressed a laugh as the younger boy came up, sputtering water, his brown hair looking like a wet mop on his head as it covered his eyes. "Hey Cloud. What're you doing here?" Riku turned to look at me, his arms hanging loosely at his sides, his silver eyes penetrating.

"Just, wandering around. Looking for something to do." I shrugged. It was, after all the truth. "And then I found you guys. I didn't know Sora was letting you out of the house." I smirked and Riku's face reddened.

Sora stood up, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. I was not confining him anywhere, I was just taking care of him."

"In more ways than one," Riku chuckled. Sora gasped at Riku, who merely smiled at the younger boy. I, in the meantime, was wondering what exactly Riku meant by that. Open kind of person wasn't he?

Sora pushed Riku but again slipped and fell in the water. "You're not very good at this, are you Sora?" I said mockingly as Riku hauled a flailing Sora up out of the water. From what I could see, Riku was all healed except for a yellowed bruise on his back. Damn, he'd gotten off easy.

Riku easily tossed Sora onto the grass and looked at me. "Want to join us?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Join you in what?" My tone was slightly suggestive, and Riku rolled his eyes. "Ooooh," I continued, connecting my head and hand together. "You meant join you in the water. Silly me." Sora stuck his tongue out at me.

"As if Riku would want your bony ass."

"What a mouth you have." Sora smiled sheepishly. "I can't anyway. Bandages," I pointed to the shoulder obscured by my black shirt. I sat on a big, mossy boulder next to the river. Leaning back, I soaked in the sun as Sora shook his head like a dog.

"I'm gonna go get food," he said. "You guys want anything?" Riku and I shook our heads, and Sora gave Riku a quick kiss before running off through the woods.

Well now, this was going nowhere.

"What have you been doing?" Riku was sitting on the bank, staring off into the trees as if something interesting was happening over there. Or maybe he was just thinking.

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. "Nothing really, just thinking."

"About?" He turned to look at me now. "Squall?" I nodded. "What about him? Does he want you to turn him?"

Woah, that was completely out of left field. How did this mopey kid know about me being a werewolf? Had someone told him? Or was he just that smart?

Riku must have seen the look I gave him, because he laughed and said, "Oh come on, it's not that hard to figure out. Squall comes back all angry from the day at the beach, and then flips out and refuses to talk to you or even see you. That same night, someone decides to go howling his damn head off. Not to mention, you haven't been too stealthy in your little escapes." He gave me a smug look which I greatly desired to punch off of his face. Cocky little brat.

I decided to go for indifference on this one. "It's not like everyone saw me. And besides, who would believe them?" I paused and Riku made a face as if to say, All well. "Besides, why would you think Squall would want me to turn him?"

"As if this wasn't obvious as well, Cloud. He loves you, and wants to be with you in everyway possible, though he won't say it in so many words. And besides, why should he have to sit around in normalcy while you get to run and be a little wolfie?"

The term "little wolfie" was annoying, considering a "little wolfie" could disembowel him in one shot, but fine, I'll play nice.

"Because I don't think he knows what he's getting himself into. I've explained to him what happens, and how terrible it is. But, he still wants to do it." I frowned. "And besides, it's not like him being normal makes him any different to me."

Riku stood up, his arms crossed over his chest. "It may not make a difference to you, but it makes a difference to him." I opened my mouth to say something, but he kept talking. "Not in the way in loves you, but in the way you connect. And besides wouldn't you do the same thing for him no matter what the cost?"

All right, he had me there. I would go through it all again for him. Even so, I tried to think of a way to weasel out of this. Riku smirked knowingly at me. Glaring, I stood up and rolled my sore shoulder.

"Just do it, Cloud."

I stared hard at Riku before saying, "Fine. But, we have to spar once I'm better. So I can get you back for that wolfie comment."

Riku laughed, and said, "Anytime, anywhere, wolfie."

POV

"So that settles it," Cid said, slamming his fist on the table and making everything on it jump and clatter. His tea spilt out of the cup, and he ignored it. Probably because it was on Cloud's table and not his.

I frowned and Cid and said, "Was that really necessary?" Cid gave me a look as if to say, "Is breathing air necessary?" I sighed and stood up, stretching out my back. "So we get rid of her tomorrow then?" Cid nodded. "Where is she anyway?"

Cid waved a dismissive hand. "Yuffie put her somewhere. And you know Yuffie. She hides something, or someone, and they'll stay hidden." He laughed and continued. "Anyway, how's Cloud doing?"

He stood and moved towards the door. I guessed we were going to walk and talk, so I stepped out of the room, Cid following right behind and then walking abreast of me as we went down the hall. "He's doing all right. Has a lot of nightmares though." I let Cid lead the way, thinking maybe he had somewhere specific that he wanted to go to. The old man probably had no specific destination in mind, but that was fine with me, because I had no destination in mind either. Except maybe to see Cloud, but I didn't know where he was at the moment. And more likely than not, Cloud would find me before I could find him.

"I can understand that," Cid murmured, thinking. He didn't now anything about Sephiroth and Cloud, but I think he guessed that something more happened than just the physical stuff Kairi had done to him. "Just makes me wonder, what the hell she did to him to give him nightmares."

I could tell that he was trying to get me to tell him something, anything about what happened to Cloud. As much as I would have liked to enlighten Cid, I felt it was more Cloud's place to do so. It was, after all, Cloud's traumatized experience. "You should ask Cloud about it," I suggested. It had been two weeks since everything had happened, but no one but me had asked Cloud what happened.

Cid shrugged. "Yeah, probably."

At dinner that night, Cid decided to ask Cloud. Of all the freaking places he could have asked, and the stupid old man decides to ask at dinner with everyone else around.

"Nothing," Cloud said, instantly becoming withdrawn. I glared at Cid who looked baffled by Cloud's reaction. Looking over at Cloud, I saw him poking at his food like he wasn't hungry anymore. Which I knew wasn't true since he had been complaining about how hungry he was on the way here, and he'd only had one serving. I touched his hand and he looked at me, his blue eyes pained. "Come on," I squeezed his shoulder and he got up to follow me. No one followed us, which was good for them. Anyone stupid enough to bother Cloud now would have been in a great amount of pain caused by me. Back at his room, he sat at the table with a huge sigh. "I'm still hungry," he muttered.

Seating myself on the other side of him, I said, "I guessed so much. We'll go get more food later." Leaning back in my seat and titling the legs of the floor, I crossed my arms over my chest. "You know he's only asking because he's worried about you." Cloud nodded but didn't reply. "If you'd rather me tell him I will."

Cloud sat there, his head tilted downwards, eyes focused on the table. "No, I really should." He stood up and continued, "I'll go tell him now. No point in postponing it any longer, right?" He grinned mirthlessly and I stood up as well, drawing him to my chest.

"You'll be fine. Come on." He grabbed my hand and dragged me out the door. Yes, he dragged me out the door. I guess to make him feel more in control of what was going on. Not that I cared. I'd go anywhere with him.

We found Cid in his room and when he opened the door, he looked surprised. "What're you doin' here now?" Despite the question, he stepped aside and we entered his room. Cid sat down, some weird black liquid in a cup. I hoped it was just some really strong, black coffee. Cloud stood, and I stood behind him, a hand on his lower back.

"Cid, I…I wanted to tell you what happened."

Cid paused in the chewing of his straw to look at Cloud questioningly. "Only if you want to."

Cloud nodded. "I want to." He paused to take a deep breath and began. "While I was there, I thought it was just Kairi, but…Sephiroth was there too." Cid's mouth dropped open and he jumped up.

"What!" His jumping up and consequent roar had knocked the cup of black stuff over, and now it was spreading across the table. "You mean the demon bastard is back? Where is he?"

Cloud grinned slightly and said, "I killed."

"Oh," Cid said, all the energy leaving him like he was a deflating balloon. "What about him then?"

The grin fading from Cloud's face he started, "Well, he came and started talking about all this bullshit about how he was able to come back to life and everything, and how he'd been thinking about all the things he'd done." Cid snorted a haughty "as if" laugh. "He told me that he…wanted me." Cid looked at him, uncomprehending. "Sephiroth…raped me Cid." The old man's jaw dropped open again.

"Holy…" He looked from Cloud to me and back to Cloud. Standing up he said, "Cloud, I'm…I don't know what to say. That…" Cid started to string curses together in ways that I had never heard of. I don't think some of the words weren't real either, but apparently Cid couldn't come up with any words in the English language to describe what he was feeling. Cloud leaned against me with a sigh, waiting for Cid to complete his verbal escapade of cursing. "I hope you made that bastard suffer."

Cloud grinned. "He suffered, I think. I'd rather him not come back at all though, even for us to make him suffer more." Cid nodded and sat down again. I didn't think there would be anymore revelations revealed so, perhaps he wouldn't have to stand up again in shock and knock anything else over. The fact that the black coffee stuff was all over his table didn't seem to bother him in the least. So it was just other people's houses that he made dirty.

"We'll be exiling Kairi tomorrow. Are you coming?"

Cloud looked incredulously at Cid. "Of course, I want to see her sorry ass exiled. After everything that happened."

Cid grinned. "All right then."

Kairi's exile was a pretty big deal for all of us, in one way or another. Cloud and Riku were most definitely the happiest to see her go, followed by the rest of us. We'd given her some food and other necessities, but I felt that even that was being generous after everything that she had done.

There were no good byes, not even a couple of words exchanged. Yuffie merely brought Kairi out to the edge of town where we were all waiting, and stuck her on the road. She looked at us forlornly and Cid scowled at her as he said, "Don't' come back Kairi. Ever. You're not welcome here anymore."

I had a few choice words of death I would have liked to say to her, but after Cid had finished Kairi tearfully fled down the road. Hah, stupid Kairi.

And then we broke apart. Sora and Riku went off on their own somewhere, and Cid and Tidus walked off, talking about weapons. Yuffie smiled at Cloud, subdued for once. "You guys are lucky. Not that I'm jealous." She tossed her head back with a laugh, the normal Yuffie returning. "I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie." She jumped at Cloud, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "I'll see you guys later, at dinner."

We watched as she ran off down the street, pulling her giant Ninja star off of her back. I turned to Cloud. "Walk with me." I started to head off towards the forest, but not before I caught a look of apprehension on his face. He knew where I was going with this, but I wanted to wait until we were out of town to talk to him. Couldn't have everyone in town knowing about werewolves and such. Cloud and I walked for a little while, in a silence that was calming for me, but I'm sure he was just getting jitterier by the moment.

"Squall, just ask already." Cloud glared at me, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"So you can tell me "no"?" Cloud opened his mouth to argue but shut it, staring straight ahead. His jaw was working as he thought. "Sit," I commanded as I sat myself on a fallen log. Cloud stood, looking like he was going to put up a fight about me telling him to sit. But then he sat down with a growl, looking straight ahead. "Look, I know you don't really want to, but think about it from my point of view, just for a minute. I want to be able to share everything with you, do everything with you." Cloud turned to look at me, his incredulous look causing me to frown slightly. "With us, separated like this… It doesn't look like a lot on the outside, but to me it is. And I just want that extra bond with you."

There, so, the most words I'd probably ever stringed together in several sentences for someone and then, what does he do? He laughs. I sat there for a moment, staring at him in disbelief before bringing my arm back to punch him. Injured or not, he wasn't going to laugh at me and get away with it.

Cloud ducked and stopped my flying arm before it reached him, and he suddenly grew serious. "I'm sorry, Squall, it's just that… I was talking to Riku about this, just yesterday. And he said the same exact thing. The same damn thing." He shook his head, and I shook my mine, not quite believing him. That silver haired mope had been able to figure me out? Maybe he was smarter than he looked. "And, I wasn't going to change you, even though I understood Riku's point and all, because, I didn't know if that was how you really felt. But now, you said it." Cloud grabbed my face and kissed me. "And yes, I'll do it. Because of everything, because of you. Because I love you."

I gave Cloud a smile, yes, a real smile. Not a small one, not a fleeting one, but a smile. He smiled back at me and brought his face to mine. Cloud pushed me off the log and to the soft ground, running his hands up my sides he said, "I hope you're ready for this. It's gonna be one wild ride."

I raised an eyebrow. "Cloud, I will be ready for anything you could every possibly send me way." He grinned at me and dipped his head, running his tongue along my neck making the flesh tingle.

And then his teeth traveled over my neck, pressing slowly into the flesh.

I really hoped you guys liked this fanfic. My first ever. I sure as hell enjoyed writing it. But now, my surprise.

I've decided to write a sequel. Which, I will be starting on after I finish another one-shot I want to start, and I'm also starting another CloudSquall fanfic. Got a lot to do. XD But loving it.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Great to know what you guys think. Once666, Amarant Rose Coral, …, airatainted, OfPiratesAndElves, yllom21, -insert amusing name here-, Darkness-heart, scqwsx, HevenlyAnimeAngel-Amaterasu, FruchiSeka, AlchemistBlaze, AXENATOR, and Bob The Builder ;D

Well, I'm off to work on my stories. Woooooo!