Hello everyone!

I know that I don'tdo forewords to chaptersanymore, but this time I definitely needed one. This is definitely the longest chapter! And the title is fitting to my own personaljournay with getting this thing closed, and also the story content - that final voicing of certain 'things' that should close Tifa and Cloud's gruelling personal journey together. So yeah, there you have it. But the main reason I wanted a foreword was just to let everyone know how glad I am of the phenomenal support I've received! You people are amazing! Really,I could never have had the willpower to do this from scracth over again after the 'computer incident', without help. I owe this chapter to all of you who sent me your kind words and your help. I owe you one, big time. Hope this will make it upto you! Enjoy...

When Heart Rules Over Mind

The longest chapter finally closed

Tifa thrashed in her sleep.

"No…Cloud…No…"

Cloud was walking away from her as he had done that night ten months ago. But, this dream was worse. This dream was different...

She was standing pleading with him not to leave her, her words falling unheard as he walked away. But…suddenly, invisible vines of rope started to slither in a grip around her neck. Her eyes went wide, and she clutched her bare neck with her hands, trying desperately to grasp at the invisible cause. But they tightened, slowly, sickeningly closing in on her neck, smothering her airway.

She gasped, hot tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she cried out for him.

He stopped right there, mid-step, with his back to her. She closed her eyes tightly to squeeze out the tears, clearing her vision - only to open them once again and be horrified by the sight in front of her...

There he was, standing just as before. But this time, he was facing her, and covered in the tainted blue fabric of his SHINRA uniform…

She couldn't breath through a mixture of the pressures tightening on her neck, and the shock of the vision of him before her. She pleaded with him, begging for his help. Though he merely denied it by silently watching her struggling as she collapsed onto the ground. She was scraping at her neck desperately with her hands, her nails marking clawed scratches. Slowly she saw his boots appear to stop just in front of her. She slowly raised her head in her dying efforts, to see his form leaning over her. "You never were good enough" he sneered, in a voice that wasn't his own, before everything went black…

Tifa woke up with a jolt, instantly gasping for air as she sat bolt upright. Coiling her hands around her neck, she tried to sooth it, as she cried out in desperation between each breath. She was panicking from experiencing her own death, waking to think the situation was real, and any moment she would hear his words again and everything would go black…

"No!…Stop…Just…please stop…please!"

She carried on like this for some minutes, until gradually, her thumping heart slowed, and air willingly breathed into her. Calming herself down, she released her grip on her neck.

It was then she noticed the pounding.

She had thought it was the sound of her heart echoing in thumps against her temples, but now she could hear it was someone pounding against the opposite wall.

"Tifa! Tifa what the hell's going on in there! Who's with you? Talk to me! Tifa please! What's happening in there!"

"Cloud…?" She felt relief wash over her in a sudden rush. He was her protector, her guardian. The dream was merely a fake, brutal twist of reality - a cruel version her mind had conjured up for some reason.

Cautiously she got to her feet, wincing from the aching pains all over her body. Slowly, she made her way over to the wall, his pounding getting louder as she approached.

Cloud stopped, his head resting on the wall in defeat. He couldn't get to her…he just couldn't help her.

"Cloud?" She repeated.

He raised his head instantly and pressed his palms against the wall. "Tifa! God Tifa, I thought something had happened to you…wait, are you hurt? Who's in there!" He demanded, his voice growing louder suddenly.

She merely shook her head and rested against the wall. "No-one…I…I was just dreaming…" She confessed, though she was hiding the truths behind it.

Cloud willingly accepted this, it silenced his own fears to know she was ok. Even if it sounded like there was more to it, she wasn't hurt. That was all that mattered to him right now.

Tifa just stood in silence. She recognised the voice now…the strange voice Cloud has been speaking those final words in, during her dream. It was their captor, the leader of whoever had brought them both here. She didn't know his name, but she was as sure as dammit it had been his voice in her dream…but in that case, what did this guy have to do with Cloud, and SHINRA for that matter? Or her?

She slowly curled her arms around herself as she stood there in painful confusion, trying to comfort herself.

Though that was never going to be achieved; Her hands froze, barely holding herself, as she felt the sticky, dried substance on her clothing. Tears had already started to silently fall as she lowered her gaze to look - and instantly gasped, her hands jolting away from her.

It was still there, his blood…

She started shaking, her whole body trembling in panic, she didn't know what to do, it seemed to be all over, she could feel it chaffing against her skin, dried, cold, close, too close…

"M…Mi..Miguel…" She cried, her tears slipping down her sore cheeks. She brought her hands to her face, sobbing into them with quick, shuddering breaths.

Cloud raised his head slowly, an expression of worry on his face. "Tifa?" He prompted her. He hated this, not knowing what was going on. He wanted to be in there, he should be in there, holding her, telling her everything would be all right. Like on the cargo ship before now. Sure, she had been hurt, vulnerable, but he had been there with her.

This time, whatever she was going through, she was going through it alone.

He saw to it that she wouldn't have to. "Tifa, what's going on?" He asked her again, letting her know he was there.

She slowly lowered her hands a little, and looked in the direction of the wall. "I…His…I can feel…I felt…His…Miguel's…the blood…still here…all over…me, I should have -" She couldn't speak any more, as her tears fell quicker, her whole body crying over the loss of her now fallen friend.

Cloud lowered his head and sighed. Slowly, he moved his palms over the wall, outstretching them slightly, as if to hold his arms out to her. Though it was a stupid effort, he thought mentally, it was all he had to give her. This unknown gesture.

"I'm here Tifa…I won't leave you to go through this alone…" He said softly.

She cried softly to herself, hearing his words brought that little comfort that meant it was okay for her to cry, this time. She had never had the chance to let her guard down, for fear of destroying the one strong figure everyone else turned to. But now, to have Cloud say that to her, she knew it was okay to cry, okay to turn to someone else for the first time, and let him be there for her.

Cloud's chest tightened. He could only listen to her for so long before he couldn't handle it and had to tear the wall down with his bare hands to get to her. He couldn't bear not holding her. And his mind had already started to locate he cracks in the wall above where it joined with the ceiling. It would take a hell of a lot of force, and he would surely kill himself attempting to bring a wall down, but he was being desperately serious.

But he didn't have to; Suddenly, her crying was stopping. His senses flared, trying to listen to any faint sound she made on the other side. Yes, she was calming. He released a long held breath with sheer relief.

Slowly, Tifa brought her hands away from her face, and only sobbed quietly now, as she rubbed her clammy cheeks dry with the back of her cold hand. She finally calmed down, the painful memories of Miguel dying in her arms replaced with the months of happy memories he gave her. The fight over his sarcastic mouth - make that the countless fights over his sarcastic mouth. She smiled recalling such times. The day she had employed him, watching him charm his way through the interview without gawping at her mindlessly like all the other idiot men who had applied. He had made her laugh, and literally talked her through the whole interview, as if he had adjusted her mind-set into thinking he was the only guy for the job. Well, he had been after all.

Then there was the drinking contests he had joked over, with both of them sitting in a head-to-head final with a circular crowd of the last patrons of the night around them, cheering their team leader on. He would still grin soberly at her even though they had gotten through too much alcohol to intoxicate them both. She even giggled at that memory. More recently, the incident with the light bulb…she smashed it and blamed him for making her jump - naturally. Though he had come back as always with a witty, smart comment, which she could only laugh at and end up letting him off the hook…She hadn't even listened to the end of his joke. How many AVALANCHE members does it take to change a light bulb Miguel…? What I wouldn't give to hear you tell me… She thought to herself with a small smile, rubbing once again at her eyes. But she would never know.

Her eyes lowered to the ground, tears threatening to give way once again, but she fought them back. She would always remember him…Miguel Gaurrado - the life and spirit of Solana Mar, the happiest carefree chapter of her new life. She smiled, looking up once more. She imagined the nights he would sit with her on the wooden cladding of the entrance platform to the bar, the four tables sporting their up-turned chairs for the night, standing silent around them. He would listen to her worries…watch her carefully with his blue eyes, smile in all the right places, so effortlessly…what had she felt for Miguel, that night he went to kiss her? Was it panic? Regret for not letting him? Or was it just that she was afraid to accept it, accept love from another person? Well, her heart ached still for her childhood hero. And although he had been there always, so mundanely the same object of her affections, it would seem, she couldn't let him go. Not even for someone as new and exciting as Miguel.

She smiled, closing her eyes as she placed her hand to her heart. His parting words, when he would jump down the steps backwards, waving at her each night when he departed - 'I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep tight now.'

"Sleep tight now Miguel…" she whispered, before slowly opening her eyes at long last. A smile still lingered on her lips. She had made peace with her memory of him, and she would never forget him.

She owed her life to him, and it was time she started living it…

She looked sideways at the wall.

Starting with…Cloud…

By now, Cloud was sat down at the edge of his thin cell bed, the cheap mattress creaking beneath his weight. He sat with his legs apart, his elbows resting on his knees as his raised hands supported his head, his eyes cast downwards in deep thought.

She would speak to him when she was ready to. And he owed her the respect enough to wait for her.

"Cloud…?"

He raised his head, his hands still held as they were, as he listened intently in silence.

"I need to talk to you Cloud…please, could you, talk to me?" She cringed, what the hell was that? She could have kicked herself for coming out with a request as lame as that one.

Yet she heard the creak of mattress springs to signal he had risen from his position, and the sturdy footsteps of a familiar warrior could be heard approaching. She smiled with relief.

"Of course Teef, what is it?" His voice questioned, his words gentle and considerate, even cute, having used her nickname. It was almost un-real, seen as how his famous voice was so deep, yet nowhere near Barrett's standards. He wasn't even close to Cid's voice, as he hadn't earned gravel in his throat from smoking. Yet still, you wouldn't expect such an endearing reply from a warrior. No…Cloud was different. He was a man, and that was all there was to it. Though his masculine voice sent shivers down her spine more times than she would admit to herself.

She stepped closer to the wall and pressed her cold hand on its hard surface, like a frozen petal falling delicately onto concrete. It wasn't right, unnatural, for her to be here, for her to have to fall in this place. But she defied the fact, by almost challenging the wall for keeping her apart from Cloud, her gentle touch defeating the wall's intention of striking fear in either of them. She had beaten the divide, by learning to look past it.

"Cloud Strife…" she began with a small smile. Simply hearing his name spoken honestly by such a woman made Cloud's head reel. His typically balanced stance nearly faltered because of it. She was there…no…she was here with him, in this place. Defying all odds of breaking down, impossibly not being defeated by the monstrosities these men had committed against her - the murder of her closest friend…Cloud flinched. She was still fighting through, still managing to smile. He could hear it in her voice.

"Just being able to say that name makes it easier to go through this." She admitted, her eyes trailing down as she drifted into distant thought, a smile still delicately painted onto her flawless face.

Cloud slowly looked up, in disbelief.

"I know there isn't much time…I know that now. But…you're here. Barely inches away from me through this wall. And, think on the good side…" She said, though Cloud was seeing nothing good in this wall being in the way from him being able to just reach out and -

"If this wall wasn't here, chances are, we wouldn't normally be standing this close." She said with an obvious smile audible in her gentle voice. Cloud found himself being thankful to this chunk of cement serving as a wall, more than he wanted to kick it in earlier anyway. Was she trying to make a joke out of things? He sure as hell hoped not. Say you want to be this close Tifa…just say it… he pleaded mentally. That's what he read into the statement anyway. Though he wouldn't believe it unless she spelled it out for him.

As usual, she never went that far and left it to him to figure out. The mere fact she had been daring and open enough to say such a thing, was a nervous effort. One than she hoped he would realise the truth behind and just admit something impossible…though, she never did spell it out, so he never realised, and she never got her answers.

After all, it had always been this way.

Cloud's heart ruled wholly over his mind when it came to Tifa, and he was as dumb to endearment from her as he was to acknowledging flight controls from Cid. He needed them spelt out or he just couldn't see their truth. Trouble was, Tifa's mind blocked her heart when it came to Cloud. Thinking rationally before opening up made it near impossible to say anything.

Such was the eternal dilemma.

Cloud waited for her explanation, and as always, it didn't come. He sighed and managed a weak smile. He would at least accept her attempt to lighten the mood. "Well if you put it like that, this wall should be knocked down. This is offending both of us." He remarked with a smirk, that she heard through his voice with a sigh, before giving a short laugh in response. She would at least accept his attempt to lighten the mood.

He sighed. She really did only mean to joke around, that warming laugh of hers proved it. Oh well, at least he was realistic and realised the truth before he put his foot in it.

She stood on the other side, in awkward silence. What now? She hadn't meant to joke around. She had to stop this and get to at least one serious matter, a burning question that not even she wanted to make light of anymore.

"Why did you leave Cloud?"

It just came out. One rushed sentence out of the long silence - Bam! It hit him harder than he expected, finding his breath caught in his throat. He coughed to clear it and supported himself as he stood there, by placing his palm, head level, on the wall. His other hand clawed at his chest to steady his breathing.

Another few painful minutes of silence ensued. Tifa bit her lip as she heard his sudden shocked reaction. Had she had to sound so blunt? Actually…yes, if she wanted an honest reaction. This way, shocking him like this forced him to give her an honest explanation, so she had to regretfully support her method in handling the situation. After all, he owed her the truth in the very least, due to the months of torture she had gone through, the sleepless nights, the tears, the not knowing…

She was tempted to prompt him, but she had to stop herself. She wasn't helping him, she wasn't forcing him, she was just going to wait.

Cloud was standing in silence, one hand still clutched to his chest. His breathing had long since calmed down, but he was unable to move. He couldn't speak. Where did he begin his answer? She had been through so much already, had only just begun to look to the bright side of things again, after crying so openly over the loss of one friend. He wouldn't be the one to bring her crashing down yet again just to clear his conscience. Oh yeah Tifa, sorry to tell you this, but I'm dying. Won't last long, so you better get your crying over and done with now, while I'm still here. ..

He reminded himself to forcefully insert his Ultima blade into his chest for having just thought bitterly of that. But, it was in reality, an un-real admission he had to make to her. As callous in slow truth, if not more so, than the thought he had just had about telling her in a rushed way.

He took a deep breath, having waited over two minutes now in silence without a word. With a sharp release of breath at last, he stood up fully and walked toward his cell door. His expression was cold as he had kept it so often throughout their journey, whenever he was concentrating, thinking of a way to go forward - seemingly emotionless - as he began to unbutton the two buttons holding his white shirt loosely on him. He removed it, as a matter of procedure, leaving him now in his black sleeveless shirt that he had on underneath. His expression was held there to try and block out the nervousness in him, the emotion at his next act. Though it soon failed.

It was then that he finally spoke…

Tifa heard his footsteps, listened in the dull light given from a small white light somewhere on the corridor outside their cells, as he moved. What he was doing, she couldn't fully tell. But she was getting familiar with the sickening feeling that he had chosen to ignore her question…how could he…?

But he thankfully shattered this possibility, as she should have known he would.

"Tifa? You have to do something for me. Please…" He asked her. Instantly, any negative thoughts about him vanished and she melted in his hands.

"Anything Cloud, what is it?" She asked, hoping he would be answering her question soon. She needed him to.

"Just, walk to your door Tifa…just, trust me." He stated, his masculine voice quiet in it's honesty, as if he was pleading with her. She could do nothing but what he asked.

He waited, his eyes closed as he listened to her footsteps, his heart already pounding in his chest. Once her footsteps stopped, he opened his eyes. Carefully, he gripped his shirt tightly in his left hand, and pushed it through the tight gap between the farthest right of the three bars aligning the small window at the top of the door. Pressing his left shoulder as hard as he could against the door, he stretched his left arm all the way to the right, as far as he could along the outside wall towards her cell.

"Now…Tifa…" He began, through clenched teeth, straining himself as hard as he could to reach her. "Reach…your arm through the bars in your…door…as…far left as…you can…now…" He said, finally exhaling tight air from his lungs.

Nervously, she did as he asked, not knowing what the purpose was. Was he going to try to reach her? Hold her hand? Comfort her? She grew more desperate to reach him if that possibility were true, pressing herself hard against the door as she stretched her right arm to its limit. It was then that she suddenly came in contact with material. "What -?" She asked, before she gripped it.

"It's my shirt Teef…" He replied, still pressing himself as hard as he could against the door, feeling his stiff arm crack in places, as it tried to slacken itself, as he would do his knuckles sometimes. He tried even harder now to reach her, feeling her so close. He knew it was a miracle her fingertips could reach to material, yet he still pressed on desperately, just to touch her, brush her fingertips with his own, anything.

She grasped the material in relief, her fingers desperate to grip onto it, her thumb rubbing over it as if he were wearing it, touching him. She sighed shakily, her breath trembling as she stood there, painfully stretching herself as far as she could to hold on, just hold onto this link between them. Carefully, she tugged on the material, ever so slightly, just so she could feel his grip on the other end. By now, tears threatened to give way in her eyes, feeling him there, he was real, alive - Cloud. She closed her eyes tight, stopping the tears dead in their tracks before she opened them once again. Water glazed over the autumn shades in her eyes, of dark chocolate laced with wine, glinting in the faint glow of light outside in the corridor. She would give anything to reach him, touch his hand, feel his strong, loving grip on her. But she couldn't reach any more, the strain was too painful…

Cloud felt her meagre attempt to tug the material from him, but he wouldn't let go. He didn't want to let the fabric fall; unless her grip was tight enough, she would lose it. He was causing his teeth to grind painfully against each other, as he clenched them in the strain of stretching himself this far. Finally he felt her grasp the material and pull hard. Reluctantly, he let go.

Both their arms flopped down in relief, sighing through exhaustion simultaneously. Tifa slowly pulled the shirt held successfully in her hand through the bars once again, and held it in both of her hands. Gazing at it lovingly as she thumbed the folds of the material.

Cloud slowly pulled his arm back and gripped the short bars of the door, pressing his forehead against them as he closed his eyes. "I don't want you to forget him Tifa…Miguel…I'm not trying to do that, I just don't want you to be left with the constant reminder of the last moments of his life, not now. You need to be brave to stand against the people who have us here…we can't let them win. But I know you'll need help…I know I do right now. So just…put my shirt on, forget the blood, forget the pain of what's happened today, and just…keep me there. I know I can't be in there with you, so…please…wear the shirt I've given you, so I know you have one part of me there with you. You're not alone Tifa. I'm…here…" He said softly, his last words ending in barely a whisper.

Tifa was stood holding the shirt to her face, her eyes closed as she listened to him. Every breath she inhaled carried his scent, surrounding her in the comfort of him as she could hear him, smell him, feel him…Tears leaked from her eyes, falling silently onto the fabric of his shirt as she heard his final words.

Cloud opened his eyes and stood straight, lifting his head from the bars. "And I need you to remember that Tifa, because I have to answer you're question now…" He admitted, more to himself than her. He turned to face her wall and looked at it wide-eyed. He could definitely see how he should be thankful of the wall now, because if he had had to look in her eyes right now, he knew he would never have been able to answer her question. He wouldn't have been able to utter a single word.

So he just stood there, in the middle of the room, facing her wall, knowing she was stood waiting on the other side. He steadied himself, his eyes glowing with fear in the darkness.

Tifa stood there doing what he asked her before. She removed the garment stained with Miguel's blood, closing her eyes so she didn't have to look, and be reminded. She folded it and carefully placed it on the end of her cell bed before she began to push her arms through the soft, clean sleeves of Cloud's shirt. She buttoned it up in silence, leaving only the top two un-fastened, and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling surrounded by him, safe.

Then she heard him mention the question…and instantly tensed.

There had to be a reason…a reason he had left them all that day. More than the one he had given her, because if he had to truly find himself, she knew he couldn't do it alone. He had really already found himself in the lifestream, and that was only because of her. No, there had to be a reason, and she knew it would be serious.

Her mouth was dry; she felt the sick feeling in her stomach return, as it churned uncomfortably in the waiting silence. She was close to begging him not to answer.

"Tifa…" He began, his voice choked. He took a few deep breaths in desperation before he continued, the emotion in his voice overwhelming.

"There's something, I have...that I..." He sighed. He was weaker than he thought he was, if he couldn't even tell her.

He closed his eyes and steadied himself.

"Tifa, do you remember my mother?"

A puzzled look fell upon Tifa's face, but she nodded despite it. Then she cursed herseld for being as stupid as to reply in that way when he couldn't see her, and voiced her agreement instead. "Yes..."

Cloud nodded and calmed himself before opening his eyes, staring at the ground as he spoke.

"Did you notice how she never spoke of my father?"

Tifa could vaguely remember knowing Cloud's mother. She'd not ventured much into their home at all, and so she couldn't really answer him. But, having said that, she remembered how the subject of his father never came up. Not until now actually, come to think of it.

"Well...I've never heard about him until now." She replied honestly.

Cloud paused. "It's for good reason." He admitted. "It's not that he was an indecent man, it's just the fact he brought with him every time he came into conversation, me and mom learned not to talk about him after long. It just made everything about her constant encouragements to go out and be what I wanted to be, pointless..."

He apused again before he found a gravalled speech behind a stiff lump in his throat;

"Are you…familiar with…the -" He paused, swallowing hard before he finished in a rush, "With the VOR's disease…?"

Tifa nodded…

Her brow furrowed. "Well yes I ..."

Slowly…

"But what does that have to do wi -"

Paused…

Her eyes widened slowly in sickening realisation, clasping her trembling hands over her mouth.

"No…" She whispered, tears rushing so fast over her eyes that she couldn't see.

"Cloud…No…any other…give me any other name but yours Cloud…do you hear me! Anything!"

The disease as hereditry. It was famously known for it. You were damned if you were born in the slums more often than not, because that kind of birthplace brought with it the shortened life-sentence of VOR's - an ugly disease that brought about a slow, painful end to your life. Tifa's eyes stung at the memory of the last man she had seen with it...in the tunnel of the slums far corner. He couldn't even speak. She'd insisted they exchange their chemist coupon for him, some medicine, something to ease the pain but...in the end it was pointless and she knew it.

But thinking of Cloud ending up like that...

"Anyone else Cloud, just not you! Tell me it's not your name!" She shouted, screaming the last words at him as her world was torn apart at the seams.

He hung his head, clenching his eyes tight as foreign water stung at the corners unbearably.

"I…can't Teef…" He whispered, his voice clearly breaking in emotion. "It's -"

"No!" She screamed, at the top of her voice, stopping him, she wouldn't, couldn't hear it, just hearing him come so close to sealing the confession, she couldn't bear it, she just couldn't -

" - me." He finished.

Tifa couldn't breath. Her eyes looked like that of a child, lost, alone, broken. The fear and sorrow rang out in their glance, as she looked at the wall he would be behind. Unreachable…lost…

"No…" she whispered.

"No…Cloud, no…" Silent tears ran down her soft cheeks as she stood looking, unable to see him any longer, unable to hear him…unable to smell his scent on the shirt…unable to imagine his touch on her…the fabric was just…cold…

"I'm sorry…" He whispered in defeat…

Tifa cried out in anguish, her heartbreak echoing through the empty, forgotten corridors around them. She fell to her knees in agony, wracking her frail body with uncontrollably cries, finding no way she would ever be able to stop.

Cloud snapped his head up, his eyes wide. What had he done?

He was at the wall like a shot, his palms slamming against the wall as he called out her name.

But she couldn't hear him; she couldn't hear anything but the sound of her own cries, drowning her as she lay all alone in the dark empty cell, the cold numbing her skin as she remained huddled in a collapsed heap, her whole body trembling. Her world had fallen to pieces around her, the loud ringing in her ears as if the whole of Midgar's plates were crashing down on her, as her world crushed itself to pieces.

"Tifa! Tifa speak to me! Please Tifa, don't do this, don't do this to yourself, to me!" Cloud pleaded, yelling as loud as he dared to get through to her over her crying. He had put her through the worst ordeal of her life, and managed to do it in mere seconds. With every sob, every cry her frail innocent young body made, his heart clenched in agony. He regretted instantly what he had told her.

"Do you see Tifa? Do you see why I left? I couldn't do this to you! I didn't want to make you cry Tifa, I couldn't bear to see it, and now, you've proved to me that I was right to stay away! Please Tifa, you're torturing me! I can't reach you, I can't hold you and tell you it'll be all right!" His voice raged, slamming his fist against the wall to emphasize his point as truth, signalling how much he wanted to be able to tell her anything but this, "Because it won't!" He shouted, slamming his fist against the wall again. "I can't make this go away Tifa, I've been running away from it for my whole life, but the fact disappeared during the time I was locked away with Zack in Nibelheim. You made me remember this Tifa! In the lifestream, everything came back to me! I know I'm going to die Tifa, I remember everything about my father, the condition of his that destroyed him, that they told me was hereditary, and the truth scared me so much I had to leave. Don't you see? I couldn't admit it to myself, I couldn't admit to everyone I was this weak, that I didn't even know how much longer I had to spend with you all, while you were all planning your futures! God dammit Tifa I couldn't look at you and know I couldn't spend the rest of my life with you like I wanted to, because I'd have to tell you the truth!" He paused, his husky voice panting in harsh short breaths. "Now you know, and you reacted just as I feared, and knew you would." He stopped, catching his breath back as he blinked, shocked at himself for blurting all that out so loudly. "I should never have come back." He finished, walking away from the wall to sit heavily on his cell bed, holding his head in his hands once again.

"You'd still be with Miguel if it wasn't for me Tifa…I'm sorry. I really am." He confessed. He knew already that she had loved the man, in some way. Their relationship reminded him so clearly of him and Aeris. He had loved the ethereal woman in some way, but it wasn't honest. It wasn't the truthful love that came from unspoken words, carrying the fear of being unrequited, rare, beautiful. No…Aeris had been the sister he would always hold a place for in his heart. She had looked to him for his qualities, not for the real person he was underneath. And he in turn had looked for solace in her words, in her eyes. She had brought out the Zack in him, the strength, the memories. And he had given her the spirit of him in return, that she missed so much.

But hearing Tifa, hearing her heartbreak over the loss of the stranger he had never met, who had been her whole world this past year…it struck him hard that he had been the Sephiroth that came down out of nowhere to deal the devastating blow. Tifa was the one to suffer this time, not him. And she hadn't even got to lay her partner to rest. Cloud had been able to lay his Cetra friend to rest, say his goodbye…But Tifa had been torn away from her lover's side because of him, because of Cloud.

"I should have stayed away…" He whispered to himself. He couldn't handle this, he just couldn't. He had ruined every part of her carefully built life, within mere days of his selfish arrival.

He deserved to die for it.

Tifa slowly raised her head, sobbing. She just helplessly looked at the wall. He was there, right there. But, she couldn't see him there anymore. Not now. It hurt her more than she could stand, and she had had to keep her head down, not even looking at the wide block of grey that stood between them. Because she knew he wasn't behind it anymore.

This Cloud was a mere image of the one she knew before. And already, he was fading away from her. She couldn't sense him.

Only when he spoke did she realise he was still there with her.

But the words he said…he shouldn't have come back…she would be better off if he hadn't returned…she'd be 'with' Miguel…? What did he mean…surely not -

Tifa blinked the water back from her eyes, to try and see at least a little clearly. But instantly, fresh tears flooded back. It wouldn't end, not until she found her voice again.

Slowly, she moved toward the wall, merely pulling herself limply as a mere crawl. She couldn't stand, and every time she tried to, she only collapsed again. He'd destroyed her in that moment he'd revealed the driving force of her whole life, her soul Cloud Strife, was gone.

Reaching the wall, she pressed her palms against it and swallowed repeatedly, trying to quieten her sobs. She couldn't.

So she sat there, a little closer, but yet never close enough. She was pushing herself up close to the wall as far as she could, but she knew the barrier wasn't just so physical between them anymore. Even if she had the strength to kick the wall through, she wouldn't find him on the other side.

He'd already be dead.

She choked on this thought, her sobbing raising to a cry out again. She clutched desperately at her mouth with trembelling, tear stained, bruised hands. In the end, she could hardly breath, she was pressing her hands so fiercely over her mouth.

'Sop crying! Just stop it!' She was mentally telling herself, cursing every inch of herself for being so pathetic. She felt worthless for having given up on him, failed him. But she was making herself even worse, bullying herself into submission, as if Scarlet had taken over her thoughts, spitting bitter, angry, hateful comments at her none stop.

The wall had become a sort of haven. Something to turn to that wouldn't judge her, wouldn't have the eyes to see how degraded she had become. Like a cold parent, a statue standing for the way people she felt close to had turned out - a cold memory. Only memories were left in their wake. The closer she tried to get to them, almost crying out at times, they'd just remain where they were. Never leaving her comfort, or even a goodbye. But still, being there somehow, heavilly on her mind, never shifting. She still hadn't let go of her father's death, blaming herself. And her mother, and Biggs, and Wedge, and Jessie, and Aeris…and Miguel…

The length of the list made her a murderer. Accidental or not. She was a murderer.

And the one person who would be next would be the final blow she knew she wouldn't survive.

Her Cloud…wasn't her Cloud…anymore.

She huddled her arms around her knees, clinging desperately as she burried her head in the material of cloud's shirt that covered them. She knew she couldn't speak. Yet she knew she had to do it, had to open up right now, tell him everything, tell him before…

Before what?

They were in no position to survive anyway. So much for AVALANCHE, being supreme fighters didn't matter, not when you let your guard down. But what was going to happen? She didn't have the driving force to go any further. Even if somehow, they both survived. What would they be fighting for? To take Cloud back to everyone after this ordeal was over and announce to them all that he was dying? Look at Yuffie's innocent face and tell her she was losing him? Cid, losing a close friend, he and Barrett having to say goodbye to their spike. Marlene - No…what was the point? The best thing would be for them to die here. It didn't matter how, or where you died. Death never came with dignity, no matter how you dress it up. Whether it's in a great battle, or in the forgotten corners of the slums; when your spirit and everything you are just fails and becomes an 'it', a dead body instead of 'you', a person - you have no dignity left.

If they died here, at least no-one would have to see the loss of dignity during life, as they watched Cloud die, Tifa fading away alongside him.

But…what was going to happen? How could she think like this? Letting Cloud die? What kind of person was she? If anyone looked on her now, they would not see Tifa Lockheart. Not anything close. She was every widow, every son-less mother, every orphan girl…every victim of Midgar's world in one face. One window of eyes to a very open, damaged soul.

She had to let everything go. But when you felt like that, looked like she did, with all the weight of life's grief in your eyes, how could you possibly stop crying? How could you be strong?

She brought a hand up and roughly rubbed at her eyes defiantly.

Well she was Tifa Lockheart, she'd find a way to beat the impossible odds, she had to. This was her test, Sephiroth hadn't beaten her. She'd had support from her friends. Not even the cold chapters of her life before this had been life's test for her.

Because this was it.

Her friends had often asken her how she could stay so impossibly optimistic throghout many episodes of their journey, but she had done it. And still could. She could beat the odds, beat this challenge…face up to Cloud's fate and perform the unacheivable - forget her own grief in order to support him.

Though this effort would kill her, she had to. It would destroy her upbeat nature to turn every smile into a false gesture, her eyes would only close to shut away her emotions during her final chapters of life. She would become a fake.

But she had to. For him.

She wiped her eyes again, rubbing her sleeve against her nose to clear her face best she could. Then she took a deep breath.

She was ready.

Cloud looked up. He heard her, crying so much closer, her pain becoming an audible message he wished he couldn't detect so well. Every feeling she had, he felt it inside him too. The tearing of the seams in his chest snapping at every shuddered breath, he knew she felt it too. She couldn't breath, he could hear it by how fast she was trying to rush air into her lungs - he couldn't either.

She felt closer, yet he was still sat here, on the other side of the room, against the opposite wall. But, he couldn't move. "Tifa…" He mouthed, his voice cracking to a mute level. He tried calling out to her, to help him, give him strength, smile at him again, visit him at night when she saw his camp fire on and sit with him until his voiced worried were shared. He wanted her to disturb him tonight, he wished for her to. To open his cell door, let the light in, let herself be reachable, to hold…

He lowered his head once more. She was trying too, to hold back, not cry. He could hear her trying…but if Tifa Lockheart, the stregth of everyone in AVALANCHE failed, what chance did he have?

Even as he pinched the top bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb, squeezing the pressure to stop tears, he could feel the thin line of water leaving him. The cold air clung to the water, chilling his skin to make him shiver.

But he wasn't shivering. The unsteady rythmn of his shoulders shuddering wasn't from the cold. Neither was the cold flooding onto his cheeks from an unwanted breeze. Though the tears were equally unwelcomed, as were his sobs seeping painfully through clenched teeth…

He was crying.

And he hated himself for it. Cloud strife…so-called hero of the world…was crying like a mere child. He moved his hand from his face, letting go of where he had pinched so desperately at the top of his nose, smooting his finger and thumb over his eyes as they slipped down, along the contour of his face. He ripped his grip from him, throwing his hand down onto the bed where he banged against the matress before standing defiantly. He tore his glance over his right shoulder looking back at the wall she was kept behind. The strips of dull grey light from the door bars were shinging dully against his face, illuminating him in pieces, not wholely there. Though the mako infused glare was visible stronger than any vision, the grief inside glowing violently, as a man defiant againt the will of his emotions. The tears glinted in streaks that softened because of her.

He closed his eyes as he breathed in, a slip of his voice being let out in reaction, as he thought he could feel her hand comforting his cheek. She was wiping his tears away even now.

He opened his eyes.

And turned, his bare arm now catching the strips of light from before. His footsteps rang out solemly, like a warning to all the world that he was facing it, at last he was facing it, everything. Grief, sorrow, pain, loss, anger - everything. He was no longer a puppet forced to be obedient, nor a SHINRA recruit told to remain stoic and un-attached to anyone, nor Cloud Strife…The man from before who let every emotion he encountered because of one woman stay behind a barracaded wall that he would enforce every time he tore himself free from her loving grasp. Every time she reached out to touch him, and every time she attempted to tell him what he knew she must want to say - he would enforce his cold barracaded wall and forbid her. Forbid himself, from loving her.

As he reached the wall, his eyes un-faltering on their target, he knew he was ready to knock it down.

But her voice stopped him in his tracks.

She simply whispered his name, barely audible, but thankfully he was close enough to hear it. And it stopped him. Every inch of his determination, his will to rip his personal barriers down and yell to the world defiantly, to her, that he loved her - it all stopped.

One gesture from her alone, could do that.

Tifa moved carefully, weakly. Facing the wall, she pressed her hands against it as her legs still huddled close to her. Her hands were held close to her body as she huddled herself up against the wall, as if snuggling up close to him, to Cloud. Who she had heard from footsteps, was standing there.

"Cloud…"

He remained silent. Any word now, in his stunned state, was dangerous. He didn't know whether he'd carry on with his plan and blurt out that he loved her, or just break, crack again and trigger himself to cry once more.

Neither was appropriate when she had built up the effort finally to speak.

Tifa swallowed hard and braced herself. This time was for supporting him. Here he was, going through this tragic time in his life, and she was being selfish and making him feel he need to console her! She almost felt sick with guilt. But…for how long now? How long had he been going through this? She shivered even thinking about it. Had he always known? Why hadn't he told her? Had she always made it so difficult?

If that was the case, what place did she have in his life?

If Aeris was here, he would have run straight into her arms and cried his heart out. All the while, her warm smile and her hold on him, would comfort him. He could have, and surely would have told her.

As it stood, only Tifa was left. A disappointing result for Cloud, and he didn't even want to take that last option, the last resort. No, instead, he left the whole group without real purpose and would never have come back. Despite what he said now…Tifa knew he would never have come back of his own accord.

Tifa owed Vincent more for bringing him back, than she could begin to put into words.

But, Tifa had to face reality now. Just to look at their situation, to realise how badly things had really gotten, Tifa knew she had no choice but to finally do it.

She was going to expose her feeling for him, for him to openly dismiss as meaningless. She knew he would turn them down, especially now. Whether his reasoning was to protect her, because he thought he wasn't good enough for her - it didn't matter. Any answer he gave, Tifa would think the worst. She had gotten into that mindset.

She would accept nothing but rejection.

Only then could she be fully supportive, and treat him like a friend, not the man she would willingly die for. No…that would do him no good. She couldn't cry. She couldn't weaken. He could not show him her undying affection and support like back at the Mideel incident. Right now, he needed advice, a firm hand to guide him through this.

He didn't need love.

Her eyes widened in momentary fear as she sat there in silence.

She'd already done it. She'd started it. He was silent, waiting for her to respond. And this time, she wasn't going to lie and say it was nothing. They were on no innocent Gondola ride now.

This was literally a matter of life or death.

She raised her head to look up at the wall and slowly, placed her palms hard against it's surface to pull herself up. She wasn't unsteady. Even though her body felt weak, unable to support her in a stance, she had to do it. And she did.

For God sake she had picked herself up from brutal fights that had left her in a worse condition than this. Come on Tifa, get up she cursed herself, gritting her teeth as she placed her weight back onto her feet, straightening her back, and finally raising her head. She stepped back from the wall, and steadied herself. She was in the middle of her cell now, silvery bars of chalky light slashing her frame from the gap of bars in her cell door.

"Cloud" She began.

"Aeris was the woman you deserved to have. We all knew that Cloud, we all saw. But you cannot give up now just because we are never going to be as good enough to help you. We have dedicated our lives to you. Throughout our journey, it was your plight, your mission, your inner battle with yourself - that was what we were all held together by. That was the main reason we were all a unit as strong as we were. Yes, Sephiroth joined us onto the same goal - defeating him. But, the journey we all made, that was because of you. You were the leader, and friend we all wanted to be there for. You needed support, we always gave it. We always came back. I came back, for you."

Cloud was heavily confused by now. He didn't understand anymore. All of this…why was she saying it?

"And the reason you have to listen to this, is because they all want you to know. When you abandoned us that night of the victory, nobody ceased in their support and respect for you. They all came to my side, one by one after you turned your back."

By now, the words were harsh in their honesty. Cloud swallowed the difficult lump in his throat. "But Tifa, I…" He whispered, but her voice carried on biting through the wall.

"They all explained, in their own ways why you'd gone, where you'd gone and that you'd be back once you were ready to." She shook her head, blinking her eyes clear, emotion impossible to not be shown in her eyes now.

Cloud raised his head slowly and stared at the wall as if it were her eyes looking back at him.

But Tifa didn't look up, her eyes fell downcast as she continued to speak, in that same ghost of her voice.

"Yuffie - you were cracked, you were a jerk, but you were crazy about me and you'd crawl back in time. Red - you were a troubled man, but with a heart. You were just afraid to set foot into a world without conflicts to hide your real emotions behind. Cid - you were a fucking asshole who didn't deserve me and he would willingly strike you down hard whenever you bothered to come back, for what you'd done to me. Barrett - "

"Stop!" Cloud suddenly yelled. He was covering his head with his hands, his breathing unstable, fast, shaking…he couldn't take anymore. He clenched his eyes tightly shut, crushing them so hard that they didn't break again and murder him with their damned tears. But she did go on, she did make him listen, and he stumbled backward from the wall a couple of steps, all the while pleading with the same word for her to stop - "No!"

"Barrett -" She repeated, in the same cold voice. " - You were still the same old spiky headed jerk, but this time you'd crossed the line for good. When you got back, he vowed to nail your feet into the ground if he had to, so that he would never have to look at my face and see the heartbreaking look on it that stared back at him every time you abandoned me -"

"Stop it! Tifa, just stop!"

"VINCENT! -" She yelled, her voice cracking to have her natural voice break through again. She wanted him to listen, he would listen to this and shout right back that he didn't love her, they were all wrong, and he never would!

"Vincent! - You were a remarkable man who he had never come across the likes of before. But I should not cry, not anymore, because there was no other you were meant with than me. And he knew from his own experience, you Cloud, would never be able to go one day without feeling the pain of being without the one person you needed and in due time you would only ever return to me…" She ceased now, her head bobbing back up slightly in small jerks every time she sobbed a breath back.

Suddenly her head shot up, and her glare ran straight at the wall, burning straight through to him.

"But they were all wrong. You proved that, as one by one they stopped consoling me. Not one admitted they were wrong, but every one of them, in some way disappeared from the subject of you. You were gone to them. You'd failed to keep your word, and you weren't the Cloud they all remembered. They realised, they had never known you."

Cloud was breathing heavily, his hands had released their grip on his head, he had opened his eyes and now all he could do was stand limply in front of the wall. His right arm was outstretched, his palm raised to lie flat against the wall at shoulder level, supporting his sturdy frame.

"But I did. I knew you. I always knew you as the person you are Cloud. But I was the one that failed. Because I couldn't find you. I was the one meant to search for you, be the friend I lied that I was, and rescue you from your tortured mind once again. However, there was only ever one person who could find you Cloud. One person good enough for you to make the effort to go to. Wasn't there? And it's my fault she's not here. You blamed me for it. I always saw it in your eyes. But hell Cloud, I'll be damned if you let that get in the way of us helping you through this. You have no choice now, we're all going to support you. Curse me for it if you will, for forcing you to take our help. But I don't care anymore. Because I am never giving up on you. Never. The only regret I have regarding you, is that I let the woman you loved so much, take the fall when I could so easily have rushed forward and taken it myself..."

She paused, panting from her hurried words. She continued, steadier than before, if only slightly. "Paralysis of a weak woman's fear that day meant I didn't move. And you hate me for it, somewhere within you, you always have since that day. But know this, I loved Aeris myself, so much that it aches thinking about her lifeless body laying there in the ancient lake. She was more than a friend, she was family…And I'm sorry, more than I can ever put into words, for letting that day happen. For walking out of there myself, in stolen footsteps that should have been hers. I will make a promise to you Cloud, that I will force you to come to me, to all of our friends, and to let us help you. Even though Aeris cannot be here to help, we can't let you give up. We won't. I…won't. Don't you see now? "

Cloud simply raised his eyes to look at the wall. The swirling colour in his eyes seemed like it was on fire, glowing like a neon beacon in the dark.

"Say what you just said again." He asked of her, his voice cold like hers had been in the beginning of her words.

Tifa was caught off guard and her stoic attitude began to break.

"W-what?" She stuttered.

"Say, the words that you just said, again." He repeated, his voice the same commanding tone yet slower.

Tifa looked up, slightly confused, and more than anything, upset beyond belief. Had he thought this was a joke? A petty speech that was there to be mocked, and laughed at? 'Say it again'? What was he saying, what was he doing? She'd said everything out in the open, at last, her fears, her truths, her regrets and laid down the rules that she'd be damned if he wouldn't accept their help.

"I...wh-why?" She managed to stammer, her determined eyes beginning to cumble under a wall of building water.

Cloud rested against his positioned palm more securely, steadying his footing. His cerulean eyes were more determined than they had ever been. He wanted the truth out here and now. His mind could not even begin to comprehend any possible reason for having ever not wanted to tell her before. The only impossible option now was leaving here without her knowing the truth.

He stared straight at the wall, imagining her through it, fragile, bruised yet beautiful, marking his shirt with her precious scent.

"Aeris. Tell me what you said to me about Aeris." He demanded in his masculine voice she recognised when he had always commanded the group.

She felt the tears already sliding over her sore cheeks.

"Cl-oud I...she..."

"I deserved her. You all knew this. The woman I loved." He stated for her, his face cemented in a still position apart from his lips that moved evenly with every word.

Tifa cupped a hand to her mouth, shaking her head in frightened disbelief. Hearing those words from him, it was an honest truth...he was merely repeating her words, but they sealed her personal destruction.

Slowly she stepped back, walking further and further away from him, before her back came against the opposite wall with a harsh thud. It was now that her hand limply lost it's strength and moved away from where it had covered her mouth in shock. She just managed to hold it in mid-air, just away from her face as she trembled in silent sobs. Her head slowly nodded in agreement with his words.

"Y-yes..." She whispered into the silence.

Cloud could barely hear her, but he immediately thrust his attack.

"Who is she? Who Tifa? Who is the woman I love, I deserve, the one you know I do and always have? The one who more than deserves me, the one who I am thankful to God's that she didn't move that fateful day, that she didn't sacrifice herself, that she's still here with me, dammit Tifa tell me! Who is she? For Christ sake who is she!" He shouted, his voice screaming out with desperation, as his eyes burned with fear.

Tifa stood numb with silence, she had covered her ears meekly with her hands and cried over his shouts. She didn't want to hear his cries, his vows of her, of Aeris. And she hadn't heard his obvious hint that she was the woman he was talking about.

"No...just leave me..." She pleaded.

Cloud blinked, confused and more frightened than he had been his entire life. He had to make her see! He couldn't let her fall, he couldn't let her leave this place with her twisted version of the real truth.

"God damn you Tifa Lockheart! You're so damn stupid!" He cursed at the top of his voice, though he was shouting it right at himself also, for not seeing things this way before. This woman was in love with him. He'd known, and denied it all his life. It seemed obvious, yet impossible. But now, staring a losing battle in the face, there was no time for thier possible last words to be false any longer, or scared.

With his last efforts, Cloud stood up tall, both palms pressed hard against his cell wall, his head raised to look her way.

"Listen to me!"

Tifa could no longer hide herself from his honesty, and pushed herself up unwillingly, walking into the centre of the room once more. She paused, not daring to walk any further.

She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. Pushing her hair back behind her with her soft, vulnerable hands, she calmly prepared herself. As one last measure, she folded her arms around herself, rubbing her hands over the warm folds of his shirt, breathing him in.

"Okay..." She whispered. "I'm ready Cloud. Tell me about her, about your Aeris..."

And she meant it. Her loving brown eyes were full with adoration and willing self-sacrifice. This was what she wanted after all, for him to be forced to hate her after her harshly honest words, and declare he had always loved another. That way, she could treat him like a friend and be the help he needed to get through his bleak future up ahead. He surely didn't need her unwanted love burdoning him anymore.

Cloud loved her more than he could ever hope to word right, especially in this moment, witnessing her action to seemingly accept him loving someone else.

As if such a thing were even possible...

"I want her name Tifa. I want her name, from you. The woman I deserve, the one you know loves me like I love her. I want to hear you say it." He said calmly.

Tifa felt her steady nerves slip down her back, escaping her control. Her soft eyes suddenly blinked scared, as her heartbeat pulsed. He wasn't asking her to repeat what she had said about Aeris, he wasn't asking anything about her at all. He'd never said her name once. This wasn't about Aeris...this was a requst...about the present...about now...them...here.

Her lips parted in disbelief, her eyes faltering. "I want to hear you say it"...He wanted her to tell him. He wanted her to, he knew.

He...knew...

Slowly, Cloud breathed into his silence. His heartbeat thumped against his chest, his whole body tensing in painful anticipation.

"I could have waited forever Tifa...but not now. I need you to tell me her name. Only you can say it, you know me better than anyone in this world Tifa...please...Im begging you...say it...and I'll accept it."

She swallowed hard. She could place her name into her own words right now and be done with it. But still, something was holding her back. She had to say Aeris, to let him know she accepted it. She could lie for him, if it protected him. She took a deep breath, parted her lips, opened her eyes and -

"Tifa..." He breathed. "Her name."

"I - I am Cloud, just...I'll say the name just hold on, please, be patient I -"

"No..." He shook his head softly, closing his eyes. "I wasn't asking you this time. Tifa, I was telling you."

Her eyes blinked, her lower lip trembled.

Tifa was her name...the woman he deserved...the woman he loved...

Her tears returned, budging through the corners of her eyes as if they had been waiting for this cue to fall all her life, since the day her child eyes had first seen that lonely boy. Her hands froze, gripping his shirt material in an iron grip of fear. Time stopped. Her eyes widened slowly in impossible realisation of the one truth she'd been waiting for her whole life.

Words weren't coming from anywhere, she wanted to say so many things, but couldn't. She wanted to look into his eyes and see the look in them right now that was for her - but she couldn't. She wanted to run to him, grasp hold of his handsome, familiar face and kiss him for as long as she could, while feeling his arms surround her. But this too, was not an option left.

They were at the end of a road they both knew they'd never leave together. Cloud was fading from her already, so soon. And for all she knew, she would be taken from his side sooner, by any one of the people who had brought her here. She hated Reno right now, more than she ever had in her life. How could such a low-life, petty criminal, asshole be stopping her from having the best experience of her life? Her hand balled into a fist and she tried to turn her grief into anger.

She knew she had failed when her legs crumbled beneath her and she found herself crying her heart out on the cold floor once again.

Cloud opened his eyes and looked desperately downwards, trying to imagine what could have been wrong in the room next to him. What had he done? Was he never meant to say what he just had? Was it always meant to be left unsaid? Had he just made the biggest mistake of his life? No...he couldn't be wrong...not about this!

Tifa answered his questions.

"This isn't fair!" She suddenly cried out in her fragile voice, her head lifting from her hands to look toward where he stood. "Cloud, you can't tell me this now! Why now? Why not sooner Cloud! Why couldn't you have just told me sooner! You had all these months! You could be holding me right now, telling me to my eyes Cloud!" She broke off, clenching her eyes shut as she couldn't stop herslef from crying audibly now. Rubbing her tears away roughly on the back of his sleeve, she tried to continue. But her voice lost it's accusation. Instead, she looked up at his wall in a child-like innocense.

"I love you so much..." She said softly, a single tear sliding down her rounded cheek. "I love you so much Cloud...I don't want this to be now...I want to go back, to that night you left and stop you, force you to tell me then instead so I can at least hold you...and kiss you once...just once, like I've wanted to all these years...I just want you to hold me..." She sounded broken, lost, and alone. When the both of them had dreamed about hearing those precious words of admitted love from each other, never could they have imagined it would cause them to feal those three emotions. Yet in the silence now, they knew it was all they could feel.

There was no way they could ever be allowed to love each other. Not even now they had said the hardest part that seemingly had always meant they could afterwards. For now, Cloud would be gone before Tifa had time to fully experience love with him. And due to their situation, they couldn't even hold each other in the one moment of honesty they'd been waiting for.

And they both knew it.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard in the distance.

Cloud shot his head up in a jolt, his mako eyes widening in instant fear. "No...not now, not now, please God not now!" He cursed, jamming a fist into the cell wall. He was quick to appear at his cell door, his hands grasping the iron bars of the small window of light, desperately looking out, though even with his face pressed to the bars he could barely make out the outside area of Tifa's doorway in the corridor. "Leave us! Do you hear me! Stay away from her!"

Tifa couldn't even get to her feet. She hadn't got the strength to move anywhere, not even as her cell door swung open and four men's boot's were marching straight for her. Their grips on her arms made her cry out in objection. She tried flailing her limbs as strategically as she could in her drained state, to strike them. But it merely felt like a cat pawing at their legs. Then she felt it - the prick on her neck. She crunched her eyes up in pain as the needle was drained of it's foreign liquid, to course unwelcomed through her veins. It wasn't long before her feet could no longer support her, and her vision was blurred. She badly thrashed to her best efforts, to try and make it to Cloud's cell, to try hold him, touch his hand just once, something. "Cloud...!" She shouted, or moreso whispered. She felt her world swirling into a nausiating blackness in time to hear her love shouting her name and vowing to keep their promise.

Cloud was left for hours afterward, his hands keeping their iron grip on the bars of her door, as if this meagre show of strength would somehow reach her, and help her escape.

Because thinking of any one of those men handling her vulnurable body made his whole self reel with anger he had never known before in his life. The bars were already forming grooves from his grip. And he feared that if he let go, he would break every bone in his hands by striking out at his surroundings.

He had to get her back.

He had to.

The look in his eyes burned through every inch of the one man who had been left to guard him. And even as a trained elite, the lone stoic figure had been forced to turn his back and stand on the side of the wall that Cloud was on so there was no way those burning mako eyes could look at him. Cloud eventually spat his threat at the man in a low rumbled voice that sank fear through him to the core.

"If she dies, I will kill every fucking one of you. And I will not stop until every inch is tortured beyond recognition. You will be screaming in your disfigurement for days, I can promise that."

Soon enough, the guard dissapeared, though much earlier than ordered. Cloud was not provided much relief however, as soon enough he was face to face with with the one man he wanted to rip apart more than any other. He spotted that shock of red hair instantly.

The man smirked his trademark look at him with amusement.

"Okay Strife, time to play."

Oh you little demon Reno! Haha, I love shoving that character in situations with Cloud, right where it hurts. So the next chapter is lined up. and I have to say, we are mighty close to the climax and so...the end. Anyway the next chapter will be a hell of a lot quicker to emerge! Lol, So don't all sigh and go 'now we wait another tow months...' because you know the story with why this was delayed. Anyway, thank you for reading, and i am DESPERATE for reviews! Or an email! Or even a signature on my website guestbook (linked as my homepage, and it's now been vamped up! Honest, my site is fully updated now with my own favourite site links too! Go looky!) just lemme know what you all think of this chapter? I've been panicking over it for a hell of a time now, so even criticism is welcome, so I can put it right.

Again, and as always, thank you!

Xx Jessie xX