One thing I will like to point out is that I'm a huge music fan, and that will reflect my writing in some chapters, like this one. I guess you can say it's 'our' music. Just a heads up.

The young boy yawns as he stretches his limbs in different directions. He shifts his body to get more comfortable in his bed, but soon found himself shifting again. A soft tune plays in the distance from the front room down stairs. A woman's soft laugh fills his ears followed by a man's soft voice. The boy knew those voices. He's heard them all his life. With curiosity getting the best of him, he slowly tip toed out of his bed, being sure not to alert the adults downstairs. He went down the hall and quietly walks down the steps. He kneels down and sees the two adults dancing freely in front of a lit fireplace. The woman took a sip of her wine as another soft laugh escapes her lips. The man gently grabs her head, whispered something in the woman's ear, and she laughs again, this time a little louder than the first.

The boy smiles. He hopes to achieve this level of happiness one day. The boy sits comfortably on the step and continues to observe the two lovers without them knowing. They continue to dance, drink wine, and laugh for a few more minutes, until the pair pauses. The boy frowns and quirks his eyebrow towards the pair. A man's voice plays on the small stereo system that's hooked up to speakers that are mounted on the walls throughout the living room.

"Unforgettable." The man begins to sing. "That's what you are."

The woman smiles and replies. "Unforgettable. Thou near or far."

Another soft laugher echoes through the living room and the singing continues. The boy admires the pair in amazement. For as long as he could remember, the couple is always happy. Smiling and playing with each other like children. He sometimes wonders if he would ever have such a bond with someone. The laughter seizes and the tall, slender man presses his lips gingerly against the woman's. The boy covers his mouth to smother his laugh. The man smiles as he slowly pulled away from his wife to look at the now caught, blushing boy at the top of the stairs.

"Enjoying the show, Vincent?"

Vincent burst into giggles as his father did the same. His mother punches his father's arm softly to get his attention.

"We really shouldn't show affection in front of him."

"Liberty, it's completely fine. It's better him catching us kissing than seeing other things. Besides," The tall man motions for his son to come down the stairs. Vincent hugs his father tightly around his waist as the two smiled at each other. "One day he'll understand what we have."

Liberty couldn't stop herself from smiling. "If you say so, Grimoire."

Grimoire gives her a quick peck on her lips and returns his attention to his son. "Isn't it past your bedtime kiddo?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Hmmm. How about we have some vanilla ice cream and then you go to bed?"

The young boy's eyes lit up. "Sure!"

The young boy didn't hear his mother's protests as he dashed to the kitchen. "It's only a little ice cream. I'll be back in a few minutes." Grimoire quickly replies when he notices his wife's playful frown.

Grimoire laughs at his son when he enters the kitchen. The boy opens the freezer door, grabs the vanilla ice cream, and scoops out portions of ice cream into the bowls. He stuffs his mouth full of ice cream after he put some ice cream into the bowls. His father caught him in the act.

"I hope you're not double-dipping."

The boy smiles and closes the ice cream container, places it back into the freezer, and hops into a chair that is at the kitchen's island. His father grabbed his bowl and began eating in silence with his son. This is one way for the father-son duo to bond. They didn't talk to each other much but they are there for each other. Some days, the two could watch television all day and not say a word to each other, but have the time of their lives because they were with each other. As a man, Grimoire is always busy and often has a hard time expressing how much he loves his wife and son, and at times, that caused problems to arise in the house. As time went on, Liberty and Vincent understood Grimoire; he wasn't the lovey-dovey type of man, he's the type of man to provide and be there for them whenever they needed it; a show-one-better-than-one-can-tell-one type of man. A man filled with little words but had so much love for his wife and child.

"All done!" Vincent chirps.

"I think you froze your brain there." Grimoire muses as he notices the slight frown his son made as soon as he was finished with his ice cream.

Vincent places his bowl in the sink and rushes out of the kitchen, and heads towards his room while Grimoire places his bowl and spoon into the sink as well and follows his son to his room.

"Think you can sleep better now?"

Vincent nods. "Nothing like a bowl of ice cream before bed."

Grimoire chuckles. "Don't get used to it, son. Good night."

Grimoire tucks his son into bed and gets up from the bed. As he walks to the door, he hears Vincent shuffling around in the bed. His hand is on the door knob when he turns to look at his son. The elder man is aware of the constant bullying his son endures on a daily basis. He could only hope that one day it would cease and the damage would make his son a stronger man. There have been plenty of times where the young child would call his father to pick him up from school because a kid did a horrible prank on him. Now the calls are less frequent but he knew the pranks are still occurring; he noticed Vincent coming home one day drenched in a pickle-like smell. The boy didn't even have the courage to face his father; he ran up the stairs and immediately got into the shower to rid his body of the stench. Grimoire sighs heavily, refusing to reflect on the past pain his son had endured, and leaves the bedroom. As his father, it's his duty to support and protect his son, but at times, he feels his best isn't good enough.

Liberty stares at him with a perplexed expression when her husband came downstairs with heavy footsteps. The man sighs heavily and plops into the recliner chair. Liberty gives a weak smile over to her husband and messages his shoulders. A cool evening, a man consumed by his thoughts, whose family is also his number one priority, is a recipe for a long night. She's aware of the constant stress her husband goes through. He's such a worry-wart.

"What's the matter?" Liberty's soft voice broke the silence. Her ministrations never falls short.

"Vincent….." Grimoire's mind trails off as he mentions his son. He carefully thinks about his choice of words. Liberty waits patiently. She knew from the beginning that this man is full of complexities, and she accepts that. "…..I worry about him every day." Grimoire finally says. "I wonder would he ever fit into this society."

"Society doesn't have to accept him. As long as we do, that's all that matters."

She gently kisses her husband on the cheek and continues her ministrations. For the next twenty minutes of the night, the couple remains silent, both on their own wave of thought. For Grimoire, it is about Vincent. Vincent is no ordinary twelve year old boy. He has seen the look in his son eyes. Mere words cannot erase the pain and hurt he's enduring. Grimoire fears that Vincent would turn violent and that violence would lead to something more dangerous. All he could do is love and support Vincent.

Vincent's eyes shoots open. He slowly rises up from the floor and feels the stiffness in his back. He grunts as he lightly hit his back. He couldn't wait for the living room furniture to arrive. Glancing around the living room, he notices Yuffie and Tifa are gone. The sound of running water is coming from upstairs. Since Tifa doesn't live here, he concludes that Yuffie is upstairs taking a shower. He hears soft singing coming from the kitchen and soon after a sizzling sound. The smell of bacon slowly makes its presence in the house. Vincent folds his blanket neatly and places it in the closet near the front entrance.

Placing one foot on the step, Vincent glances in the kitchen to see a pink blur. Assuming it's Tifa, he went up the stairs towards his personal bathroom that's connected to his bedroom. There's wet footprints on the floor coming from the bathroom next to Yuffie's room. He frowns at the scene; Vincent is a very tidy man. It's a trait he got from his late father. As if on cue, Yuffie comes from her bedroom with a towel in her hands. She kneels down and to clean up the mess.

"I know, I know. I'm getting to it."

"I don't see why you would use the guest bathroom when you have one in your room." Vincent retorts.

"Besides last night, when have we had a guest in our home?" Yuffie shoots back. "Besides, as long as I clean up after myself, all is good."

Ignoring Yuffie, Vincent went into his personal bathroom to do his bathroom routine. After that, he gets dressed in a simple black t-shirt and black sweats and went downstairs. As he's going to the kitchen, he hears the radio playing and three voices; two he's familiar with but one he's not familiar with. Furrowing his brows, Vincent eases up on his pace to walk slowly down.

"You saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy I'm craaaaazzzzzyyyyy. Cause you don't think I know what you've done." Yuffie claps her hands to match the slow-paced beat.

"But whhhhheeeennnnnn you call me baby, I know I'm not the only one." Tifa mimics Yuffie as she pulls the biscuits from the oven. The pair continues to sing as Yuffie grabs some plates and Tifa starts to place the food in serving bowls. Their voices are soft and beautiful. Not like shower singing but true soul and in-tune. Yuffie prepares the table while Tifa brings the food to the table. The two women are still singing, and from what Vincent could hear, it's the fading portion of the chorus. Yuffie grabs the water and orange juice pitchers, and Tifa grabs some silverware.

"Alex! Breakfast is-"

Yuffie stops in her movements. Tifa notices the pause and turns her attention to the source. She clasps her hand over her mouth to muzzle her giggles. A pair of red orbs are staring at the women with what appears to be mirth.

"How long have you been standing there?" Yuffie questions.

"Long enough." Vincent replies. Is he trying to hide his smirk?! Yuffie thought. Tifa breaks into a fit of giggles while Yuffie playfully rolls her eyes and motions for Vincent to sit at the table.

Tifa and Yuffie carries the rest of the food to the table. Silverware begins clinking away as the trio digs into their breakfast. A silent breakfast is tradition for Yuffie and Vincent; absolutely no talking during breakfast. This is something Tifa isn't used to. She always had a bubbly conversation with her Papa. Papa….. She's worried sick about him. Sadness fills her heart as she thought about Papa worrying where she is at and if she's all right. The sudden movement from Tifa makes Yuffie and Vincent look at her suspiciously.

"I'm sorry." Tifa notices the looks from them. "I have to call my Papa."

Tifa hurriedly leaves the kitchen. Vincent and Yuffie continues to eat their breakfast in silence.

"She's so family-oriented." Yuffie spoke as she took a bite out of her biscuit.

Vincent doesn't say anything. He has also observed how the young woman carries herself. She's so professional, nice, and seems to be the type to tend to others needs before hers. Unbeknownst to Vincent and Yuffie, Tifa is indeed that type of woman. Tifa is always last in her life. Her late mother was before her, and after her demise, Papa became her new focus. Deep down it is grueling and tiresome for the brunette to take care of family while working and pursuing a higher degree in her field. She is a therapist and it is an honor for her to help people. Somewhere along the lines of helping people, she forgets to tend to herself. At times, when she does remember to tend to her needs, she often feels guilty for such self-indulging acts and reprimands herself in silence.

"I'm so sorry, Alex and Naomi! I totally forgot about work not to mention my Papa had to call an electrician over because the power outage last night caused a few electrical problems."

Tifa begins rushing around the house, grabbing her clothes from last night and putting on her shoes hastily. She doesn't realize that she still has on Vincent's borrowed pajamas.

"I promise to wash and return these as soon as I can."

"Hold on Tifa. You're giving me motion sickness with all this rushing." Yuffie stands up from the table. "I don't think your car will get you through the day. At least let me make sure you get home."

Tifa's eyes softens by Yuffie's kind offer. "Thanks Naomi. Thank you for your kindness and you too, Alex."

Vincent nods and Tifa leaves the kitchen to make sure she didn't forget anything. Yuffie grabs a container and places Tifa's food inside the container. The woman will need to eat something later on. Yuffie leaves the kitchen to put on something decent while Vincent stays behind to clean the kitchen.

"I'll be back soon Alex!" Yuffie calls out to Vincent from the front entrance.

The door closes behind the pair. Vincent waves his hand in the air, flinging soap suds on the floor, to let Yuffie know he has heard him. After the dishes were cleaned done, he dries his hands with a piece of paper towel, and reaches into his pocket for his phone. As much as he hates it, he has to call Reno. Though he doubt there are any movements made by Genesis and Elena because of the thunderstorm, he has to check in with Reno to see if he knows anything. The problem with Reno is well…..everything. He is an irritant to Vincent and he avoids contact with him as much as he could. Vincent has known Reno for a good portion of his life, and he, by know means, hates the man. He only wishes that the man would simply grow up. The red-haired man is still immature about a lot of things in life. Reno is a great asset to their deadly group, and he's a man with a good heart. It's just that sometimes a person has to be in a certain mood to deal with Reno. It hurts that Vincent has to admit the matter, especially since he's well aware of his situation with Yuffie, but it's the truth. Perhaps that is why things are stagnant between him and Yuffie. Vincent dials his number and grabs a piece of paper for future references.

Tifa thanks Yuffie for all of her help before she pulls away from in front of her home. Tifa bolts in the home and sees an electrician inside of the kitchen inspecting an electric socket. She calls her Papa's name and seconds later she hears heavy footsteps dashing down the stairs.

"Tifa! Oh I'm so glad you're okay!" He hugs his daughter tightly and Tifa starts explaining what happened to her and how Yuffie and Vincent opened their homes to her.

"I'm glad they were able to help you. I'm fine. You need to get to work."

Work completely slipped her mind again. She darts up the stairs and hurriedly got ready for work. Hopefully Rufus won't be upset.

Two Days Later

The rays from the sunlight peers inside Cloud's car as he drives to his destination: Nibelheim. As promised, Cloud is taking Amanda to the station to make a statement to Reeve Tuesti. The ride is quiet, as to be expected from both ends. Nibelheim brings back a lot of memories for the blond; some memories are bad, and he's the cause of most of them. For his sake, he could just come and go without any tender moments emerging from within him.

The sign reads 'Welcome to the Town of Nibelheim' in bright red letters. Cloud slows his car as he cautiously looks for the station. There are a lot of branches and leaves scattered about on the ground from the thunderstorm two nights ago. Even in a quiet town like Nibelheim, citizens quickly got on their feet to clean the town. Some were town workers while others are volunteers wearing bright yellow vests on. Teamwork is nothing shy in Nibelheim. It warms Cloud immensely. He wishes togetherness is a factor back at home in Midgar. Locations of local business and landmarks may have changed in Nibelheim, not the hearts of the citizens.

Reeve had given the blond directions, but even with help, the streets were a little foreign for him. He manages to find the station and on their way in, Amanda is immediately intimidated. Several people are walking about; some are on the phone while others are talking to one another about a case. It doesn't appear to be as busy as typical police stations such as Midgar and Junon.

Cloud walks to the front desk to tell the secretary about the situation while Amanda hangs back and looks at the bulletin board. There are a few 'Have You Seen Me' signs. None of the people in question are from Nibelheim, nor were they abducted in Nibelheim. For a split second, she ponders the thought about moving to Nibelheim. It seems like nothing too much happens here but maybe a few snatched purses.

Moments later Cloud motions for Amanda to follow him and the secretary to Reeve's office. She walks slowly behind them with her head low. She feels uneasy as she enters Reeve's office. Reeve politely closes the door, giving Amanda a small smile before going behind his desk and motioning for his guests to sit in the two chairs in front of him.

"Please excuse my office. I've been really lazy as far as tidying this place up." He notes. Several stacks of papers and folders are misplaced and thrown about in an unruly manner. Reeve is usually tidy and well-organized within his workplace. There has been a number of attacks in Rocket Town and even Junon, which have been keeping Reeve busier than usual. Don't get him wrong, the money is great, but it's dirty money if one isn't able to complete the task one is paid to do. At least that's how Reeve sees it.

Noticing Reeve's attempt, though weak, on breaking the ice, Cloud simply replies with a nod and thank you. Returning the gesture, Reeve turns on the 'serious button' within himself.

"Now, from what I hear from Mr. Strife, you were attacked a few days go correct, Ms. Gainsborough?"

Terrified eyes meets with a pair of cerulean eyes, silently asking is this okay. "His reputation speaks for itself." Cloud says firmly and with no hesitation.

Amanda's eyes roams the office. Plenty awards and trophies are perfectly placed along multiple shelves. All of the degrees Reeve has ever earned are mounted behind him on the wall. There's a picture on the desk that shows a much younger Reeve and a woman he's holding tenderly. It appears the photo was taken back in his college days and the woman he's holding is his lover.

"Rosemary….she was such a lovely woman." Reeve speaks as he reminicses about his days with her.

"Was a lovely woman?" She notices the use of the past tense word.

"She was shot and killed in an armed robbery." Amanda clasps her hands over her mouth. She didn't mean to bring about terrible memories.

"It's okay." Reeve smiles. "Her death was the reason why I took my studies very seriously to be in the position I am now. And you wanna know something else?"

When Amanda didn't reply, Reeve continues. "The police didn't catch the guy. For years the man that took the woman I loved away from me got away until eight years ago." He slowly leans back in a more comfortable position and sighs heavily but it isn't laced with sadness. It is more like a wave of relief. "Don't get me wrong, I do miss her but she had shown me that people need to get put behind bars for the things that they've done. They shouldn't be allowed to roam around so freely."

Amanda nods without saying a word. She now understands why Reeve is able to do the things he do. Cloud feels a wave of relief himself. He is right to bring Amanda to him.

"This is why I need you to tell me what happened a few nights ago." Reeve concludes and waits for Amanda to tell him the tale.

For the next ten minutes, Amanda explained what happened to her that terrible night. She isn't even sure why they chose to abduct her. She informs Reeve the descriptions of her abductors, and she realizes that she didn't get a real good look at them. Sure, she'd saw them but she was so petrified by her fear that she didn't take a good look of the perpetrators or her surroundings. When it came to her savior, all she could recall was that he's tall, slender, and have hazel-like eyes, though she could tell they were a deeper shade of hazel than normal. She mentions that small detail to Reeve in case it may come in handy. Not everyone has very distinct eyes like those.

"Believe it or not, this is a pretty solid statement." Reeve says as he glances over his notes. "I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but you didn't get to hear their last names did you?"

Amanda sorrowfully shakes her head. Reeve gives her a small smile and jots down a few notes. "I'll start looking into this personally. Cloud, if you can, I would appreciate it if you stay in town for a few days. Just until I can kick start this investigation."

"I'll be vacationing in Rocket Town for two weeks. If you need me, I could come here."

Reeve nods happily. "Thank you so much, Cloud." He glances at Amanda and then back at Cloud. "Protect her."

"Aeris will have my head if I don't."

The two men nods respectfully. "Amanda, do you mind waiting at the entrance for me? I have to speak with Reeve for a moment in private."

Amanda nods and leaves the office. Reeve is slightly confused as to why Cloud wants to speak to him privately. Once the blond felt the young woman was far away, he turns his attention to the taller, short-haired man with a serious look upon his face.

"There have been recent murders in Midgar lately."

"You think they are somewhat tied to this particular case?" Reeve questions.

"Yes and no. As you know, I work in the homicide department, but the murders are so bizarre. The victims have a troubled past, and by looking at the crime scenes, multiple people are committing these crimes."

Reeve thought about Cloud's words for a moment before responding. "Hmm. Do you think this Genesis and Elena have anything to do with it? In my professional opinion, they are sex-crazed fiends and killing is a last resort deed."

"Again, yes and no. This crime happened in Rocket Town. Isn't it bizarre that something like this just randomly happened so close to Nibelheim?"

"It is bizarre." Reeve agrees. The press would be at the station soon and once he makes his statement, the people here will begin to get uneasy. "I have to solve this soon. I can't have the citizens in this town worry."

"I'm joining you." The blond doesn't leave any room for a debate. "If this isn't solved in two weeks, I'll ask for an extended stay from my boss and a statement from you saying you need my assistance. Seeing as you're the sheriff, you have that sort of power."

Reeve smiles. "That I do. All right then. Have it your way Cloud. This crime seems a little personal for not only for you but for Midgar and Amanda as well. I want you to know that this case may require extra work."

It is now Cloud's turn to be confused. The questioning look he gives Reeve makes the older man chuckle. "If we're to catch these two in the act, we need to do a little spy work is all."

Cloud's features softens upon hearing this. "Leave that to me. You just give me the information."

"I'm glad to see that you're adamant to solve this case."

The two men nods towards each other and shook each other's hand. Cloud leaves the office and guides Amanda to the car while Reeve stays behind and begins his research based on the information he was given. Hopefully the two people who committed this crime lived in Nibelheim. If they do, the search would be easier but catching such criminals will not be easy and he has to be prepared for the worse. If they are able to travel to Midgar, Junon, and Rocket Town in such a short span, there's no telling where they may be at currently.

Cloud is driving back to Nibelheim after dropping Amanda off back at Rocket Town. He told Aeris that he needed some fresh air. He could tell she didn't buy his story not one bit, but she let him go. Here he is, supposed to be on vacation, but instead, he's working. He could never rid himself from work. He wants to solve this case as quickly as possible and maybe it'll help solving the other cases back in Midgar. Behind every evil doer, is a psychological background. That's where the professional help comes into play. Sure, Cloud could make a general profile about a criminal but only a person who specializes in psychology can really understand a murderer, maybe even sympathize with them. Acting sympathetic towards a criminal always rubs Cloud the wrong way. How can one feel empathy or sympathy towards a criminal, especially one that takes the lives of others? Shaking his head furiously, he pushes such derogatory thoughts out of his head and continues towards Nibelheim.

When he arrives at his destination, he parks his car outside of a youth center that, according to the locals, a bright young woman works at Monday through Friday. He hears from the locals she's a dedicated, young woman whose passion oozes when psychology is being talked about. He needs that type of person to help him. He was honestly surprised he was able to get information just by stopping by a gas station and asking a local about someone who specializes in psychology or mental health in general. It shouldn't come off as too much a shock. After all, this is Nibelheim, a town filled with helpful inhabitants. He shouldn't expect less from his childhood town.

He walks inside the center and is amazed how tidy, clean, and warm-inviting the center is. Several vending machines and friendly pamphlets about sex, religion, and other cities are perfectly aligned in bookshelves along the walls near the front desk. He notices some directions leading to a clinic, human resources, and therapy.

"Excuse me ma'am. I'm with the Midgar Police Department, and I heard the therapist here is great. I want her professional opinion about a case I'm working on."

The secretary smiles in response. "Just give me one second, sir."

Cloud thanks the woman and waits patiently for the secretary to do what she needs to do. Moments later the secretary spoke to Cloud. "Sir, just go down the hall to the left, and she'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Cloud walks down the hallway and knocks on the door. A soft voice tells him to come in but he pauses. That voice sounds so familiar. It can't be…. The voice tells him to come in again but this time with slight hesitation. The woman isn't sure if she actually heard a knock or not. Slowly opening the door, Cloud sees the one person he never wanted to see again.

"….Tifa…"

The brunette looks at the blond with shock. She never thought she would see him again. "….Cloud?"