for ezzy, who just had to know if Chaos was all right... :-)
Chapter 14

The popping of a fireplace log roused Vincent from the nightmare he'd been having since he passed out. He bolted upright in his bed with a cry, startling a matching one out of a girl who was standing in the doorway of the room he was in.

It took him several seconds to realize that he was no longer in the mountain cave Chaos had left them in. he was, in fact, in a well lit cabin room, near a roaring fireplace. His lower body was covered by a very basic homemade quilt. The bed he was resting in wasn't at all uncomfortable.

As the girl at the door took her hand away from her chest, Vincent realized that he was completely naked.

"Where are my clothes?" he asked.

"We had to cut them off of you to get you out of them I'll bring you some others now that you're awake. She turned to go.

"Wait." Before anything else, Vincent wanted some answers.

"Yes?" The girl turned back.

"Where am I? How did I get here?"

"My brother and I found you nearly frozen to death in a cave. There was a fierce beast with there with you, and it followed us when we brought you here. This is my father's house." The girl looked at him with a small amount of fear in here eyes. "The beast won't harm us, will he?"

"I do not think so, as long as I come out of the house again. You left him outside, I presume?"

"Yes. My brother didn't think it was safe to bring it inside." She smiled at Vincent and turned away from him. "I'll get your clothes now."


"I do not understand why we are sitting around here on our asses interrogating me, when I've told you where Vincent is and that he may be dying!" There was no disguising the anger in Chaos' voice as he railed at Cloud.

"We're interrogating you because I don't believe you story," Cloud told the demon. "How can I, when we all know Vincent can't be separated from you—if you are who you claim to be."

"I've told you already, Strife! The Planet separated us as a reward for defeating Sephiroth!"

"Why would the Planet reward you?" Cloud asked.

"I helped you people didn't I? I earned a reward as much as any of you did." The demon glared at Cloud.

"You only helped us because Vincent was there."

"I never had to help you," Chaos told him. "I could have done nothing, if I chose to.

"Vincent never commanded me for anything."

"Whoa, okay, guys," Yuffie said, stepping between Cloud and Chaos' makeshift prison. "I think its time for us to stop this."

"We need answers, Yuffie."

"He gave us answers, Cloud! Why can't you accept them."

"It's a demon, Yuffie."

"You're right, Cloud. He's a demon." She looked meaningfully at eh makeshift cage Chaos was in. "He's a really strong demon. Do you really thing that this piece of crap that Cid spot welded together in ten minutes would hold him if he wanted out? Do you really think you could take him if you pissed him off?"

"Reeve did."

"Reeve got in a single lucky shot when Chaos wasn't fighting back.

"Vincent is alive, Cloud. Chaos knows where he is. I am not going to stand here and argue it with you, just because it sounds too good to be true!" She looked at Cloud with eyes of cold steel.

Cloud glared back at her for a long moment before replying. "Fine. Believe what you want. But if you go out there, don't expect our help." The swordsman turned and walked away.

She followed his path with her eyes, and realized that Cid had watched the entire confrontation from beside a stack of supply crates.

He regarded her as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag off it. Then he spoke.

"You dead set on this, kid? You're really gonna take the demon's word and go lookin' for Vince?"

Yuffie nodded once.

"Then you better spring him from that box. We'll need the fucker's help to find your boy." The pilot took another drag on his cigarette, acting if he'd done nothing more than suggest a walk in the park.

Yuffie couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face. "Thanks, Cid."

Cid shrugged. "If I didn't help you, you'd just go off on your own. I'd feel like a damn fool asshole if you did that and got yourself killed."

"We should go before Cloud comes back," Chaos interrupted. He slammed both his hands into the front wall of his "cage," knocking it down. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"You guys meet me at the Highwind. I've got to stop and pick something up first."

"What is it?" Chaos asked, as Yuffie sprinted off.

"Probably barf bags," Cid replied.