AN: Thanks so much for all the encouraging reviews. They are much appreciated!
Splintered Dreams
Chapter Four
"Falling Down"
Instinct, more than actual sound alerted him and Zack spun around, hands going up just as the large beams overhead snapped, raining jagged splinters down at him. Acting on that same instinct, Zack plowed into Aerith, his arms outspread, sweeping them both to the ground and rolling, in one smooth move, coming up on his knees a few feet away just as a body tumbled through the busted ceiling with enough velocity to launch clumps of dirt and petals into the air like small missiles on impact.
Aerith gave a soft shriek into his left shoulder. When he glanced down, her face was sheet pale. He held up one hand and motioned for her to stay where she was. She nodded once, her eyes wide, but steady. He set her away from him and approached the flowerbed cautiously.
Somewhere in a dim part of his mind Zack half expected to see himself lying amidst the blossoms courtesy of some weird dimensional time warp. The body groaned. It wasn't him. But who was laying there was no less shocking.
"Tifa!" Zack dashed forward and lowered himself down beside her. He hadn't honestly expected to see her again, at least not so soon, and certainly not under such bizarre circumstances. He placed his hand on her arm carefully. "Tifa?"
Twisted on her side she lay at an impossibly awkward angle. Dark lashes feathered pale cheeks and he could hear her breaths coming too fast, in quick, shallow pants that occasionally hitched in her throat. He looked up through the open ceiling and cursed under his breath. He knew from his own past experience how nasty that fall was, and how easily it could kill someone not Mako enhanced.
"Tifa, open your eyes!" he ordered. Nothing. Zack moved his hand behind her head and lifted, jostling slightly. "Tifa!" Her eyes remained closed and her breathing labored. He shifted his weight to hoist her onto his lap to better assess her injuries. Her head rolled to the side revealing a bruising, jagged scrape that ran along her cheek and down her neck. More scrapes and scuffs traveled the length of her toned arms and he spotted several cuts on her already discolored midriff. There was a good chance a rib or two had suffered some serious damage as well.
Pastel pink edged into his vision as Aerith settled herself beside him in a crouch. "You know her?" she asked softly; concerned.
Not sure exactly how to explain his relationship to Tifa, he went with, "She's an old friend."
Aerith placed her hand firmly over his forearm when he jostled Tifa again. "Be careful of her shoulder." She pointed to a smoldering piece of metal buried deep behind the juncture of arm and back. "That needs to be removed and cleaned."
Sirens wailed. Zack swore. No doubt about it now, whatever had went down, Tifa was involved.
"One second." Once more on her feet Aerith hurried to her cart and returned a moment later with a watering can. "We can use this." She bent to tug at the hem of her skirt.
Out of the corner of his eye Zack watched her tug at her skirt. "What are you doing?"
"That arm will need a sling." A small grunt and the silk gave way. She straightened the strip and held it out to him.
"Smart girl," he commented as he took the offered cloth.
Zack maneuvered Tifa so that she was propped up against his chest and curved the material up under her elbow and tied it securely at her nape. It wasn't the best sling he'd ever seen but it'd have to do. That done he lifted the watering can and drizzled the contents along the wound, cleaning it up some.
He took a deep breath, gripped the end of the metal, grit his teeth and yanked. It tore free with a spray of crimson and a short, sharp cry from Tifa, who immediately fell back, still unconscious. Zack hated having to hurt her any more than she already was, but it couldn't be helped. Had he left that strip in it could have easily become infected.
Zack tossed the offending metal aside and scooped the watering can back up. He dipped it forward, coating Tifa's forehead and cheeks.
After a minute her lashes fluttered.
"Finally." Relief washed over him. He'd promised Cloud that he'd keep her safe, and yet here she was crumpled in his arms like a broken doll. Guilt balled tight in his gut. "She's coming around. Come on, Tifa," he urged. "Wake up."
Arms flailed and her fist glanced against his forehead.
"Ow. Stop. Stop. Easy." He did the only thing he could think to do and wrapped his arms around her, using his strength to steady her. "It's okay. You're okay."
She stilled. "...Zack?"
"Yeah. Hi." He gave a short laugh and pushed her hair back from her face. "Nice of you to drop in."
Her eyes were hazy from pain and it took her a moment to focus on him. She searched his face warily and he met her examination with an open, unguarded expression. She had beautiful eyes, he thought unexpectedly. Warm and rich and deep.
She broke their staring contest and tried to sit up. A sharp breath hissed through her clenched teeth.
"Where are you hurt?" he asked, all joking aside.
"Everywhere." She skimmed over her surroundings, her brow creased. "Where am I?"
"You're in a church," Aerith drew their attention and Zack felt oddly flustered to realize for a moment he had completely forgotten she was there. "In Sector Five." She pointed up. "You fell." She flashed Tifa a sunny smile. "I'm Aerith." She made the introduction casually, as if people falling from the sky into her flowers was a common occurrence. Then again—this wasn't exactly the first time for it either, Zack thought with a half smile.
"I'm Tifa," Tifa made her own introduction with a small nod. She pushed herself to her feet determinedly, seemingly unaware—or uncaring-- of the blood trickling down her arm and over her gloves. Zack gripped her elbow to help her stand. "Take it easy," he warned.
His words were muffled, then cut off completely by the loud thrum of helicopter rotor blades thumping and slowing. Someone was landing just outside the church. Zack turned towards the doors, then back again. "What exactly did you do?" he asked, very quiet, very serious.
The look on her face was unapologetic and stubborn. "Broke some Shin-Ra toys."
"Shit." Zack ran his hands through his hair. "We need to get you the hell out of here."
"The back door." Aerith motioned toward the rear of the church with one hand.
Zack was already moving Tifa. "Aerith, come on."
It was too late. The front doors swung open and two Shin-Ra troopers marched in.
"We're here to conduct a search. No one move!" The closest soldier barked.
Zack snorted. Like he hadn't heard that line before. "Aerith, get down!" he ordered, already moving.
She dropped to one knee and tucked her chin to her chest.
Zack leaped over her back with ease and tackled the closest trooper with brutal force. Both Shin-Ra men were momentarily stunned, obviously not expecting any kind of resistance. The first landed hard upon the wood floor with Zack's fist in his face. The second recovered quickly enough to lift his rifle and point it at Aerith's head.
"Zack! Help!" Aerith backed away, holding her hands up as a sheild.
His assistance, it turned out, was unneeded as Tifa came from the right, her forearm driving the other trooper back a good ten feet. The guard tried to grab her, but Tifa spun, lifted her slung elbow and caught the larger man in the jaw, followed by a jab to his nose and a palm thrust. With the quickness of a street fighter she snatched his gun from his hands as he fell to the floor and rammed the butt up into the soft spot under his chin, knocking him out cold.
"You ok?" She asked over her shoulder.
Aerith's mouth was parted and her eyes were wide. "That was... just wow!"
Zack removed his knee from the first man's trachea leaving him in a similar state of unconsciousness. He wiped his hands on his pant legs and gave the half open front door a sideways look."There's sure to be more men on their way. We should hurry." He approached Tifa who was whiter than before with fresh rivulets of blood trickling to her gloves.
Tifa shook her head at him, her pony tail swinging with the motion. "I'm fine. There's no need for you to get involved--"
"We're already involved," Aerith spoke briskly. She linked her arm through Tifa's good one and walked toward the back exit with quick steps. "Come on, Zack."
Zack stepped over the fallen Shin-Ra troops and followed a befuddled Tifa and determined Aerith through the back door of the church. Petite, slim and frail were accurate descriptions of Aerith's physical appearance, Zack observed, but not her personality. She was vibrant, lively and full of spunk. It was one of the things that had attracted him to her. He was glad to see the years hadn't changed that at least.
Outside the sky was darkening with shades of gray and muted black washing over the slums. Light was scarce to begin with, but when the sun went down above all that was left to illuminate the lower sections were the lights of Midgar.
The air was heavy and smelled of decay and waste. Trash littered the entrances to the crumbling buildings. Cardboard and tin were stacked around the alleyway to shelter bodies with nowhere else to go. This was where the dregs lived, the homeless, the drunks, and the predators. He knew eyes were watching him and the girls as they made their way along the church wall. Sector Five was as depressing as Sector Seven, minus the haven of Seventh Heaven.
"Going somewhere?" A voice, smooth and slightly mocking, spoke from the deeper shadows of the church's overhang.
The tone instantly grated on Zack's nerves and he bristled with recognition. When he turned, he found himself glaring at a lazy grin and a shock of redder than red hair. The Turk trademark dark blue suit-- meant to be worn pristine pressed and immaculate-- hung wrinkled and loose over a thin frame and a lethal EMR hung in a loose grip so that it tapped against scuffed shoes.
"Reno!" Aerith's voice was strained with a hint of fear and...irritation? "What do you want?"
He'd almost forgotten, Zack realized. The Turks-- Shin-Ra—had been watching Aerith before everything that had happened. Something to do with her being the last of her kind. Given the familiarity in Aerith's tone, it appeared they still were.
"For once we aren't here for you," Reno stated, confirming Zack's suspicions. "I'm looking for someone," he cocked his head to the side. "And considering that my scouts aren't answering their two-ways, I'd say there's a good chance that someone is right here."
Zack felt Tifa stiffen beside him and he stepped forward, his stance defensive. "We don't want any trouble."
"Well, that's just too bad," Reno smiled. He swung the EMR up in a wide loop and rested it in the palm of his opposite hand. "Because you found some."
"Reno, go away." Aerith glowered.
"No can do, sweetness. Tseng ain't calling the shots on this one. I'm here on direct orders from the President."
The tread of heavier boots intruded on them. It was the sound of deadly conspiracy. Zack's fists clenched. He knew what was coming now. Two scouts, two infantry, and two Turks. The Elite Shin-Ra response team; the thugs of Shin-Ra. He wondered if any SOLDIERs were left, and if so, would he be facing any?
Reno leaned to one side, his light blue gaze inquisitive as he adjusted his goggles and the other Shin-Ra men flanked him minus the second Turk, who was probably still in the chopper. "Hey... don't I know you?" Reno asked Zack.
Before he could answer Tifa was in front of him, her hand pushing him back toward the darker shadows. "Go!" Her voice was low, husky, the warning clear. She faced Reno. "I'm the one you're after."
The last thing Zack expected was for Tifa to attack, so when she hissed, "Run!" and launched herself at the Turk, he was slow to react. She went in low and mean, sweeping legs out from under the other man so that Reno landed on his backside. She kicked him hard, using the edge of her foot to try and get rid of the EMR. Reno yowled when she connected with his wrist and the weapon went spinning out of his hand. She kicked the EMR again, sending it skittering over the sidewalk then down into the gutter.
"Come and get me," she taunted, and Zack knew it was pure bravado. She was in no condition to lead a merry chase through the slums, but before he could stop her she was gone, running swiftly down a darkened alleyway, melting into the shadows. Her footfalls were light, almost a strain for even Zack's acute hearing.
Reno rolled to his feet, gave Zack an angry glare and turned to his men. "Don't just stand there, yo! Get her!" They pursued, leaving Zack and Aerith forgotten. Reno pointed his finger at Zack. "We'll meet again." Then he too was gone.
Zack glared at the Turk's back. "Count on it." He didn't want to lose sight of Tifa, knew she needed him, but he couldn't leave Aerith alone. He was torn.
She saw it. "Let's go! We can't let them catch her!"
He swore, grabbed her hand, tugged on it. "Come on." There was only one route to Sector Seven. He knew where Tifa was headed.
XXXXXXX
Tifa raced through a darkened entryway into an abandoned apartment building with crumbling walls and a caved in roof. She ran hard, her breath harsh in her ears. She was woozy and weak from her fall, but she still had her fighter instincts, and considering that it was the Turks that were after her, she would need every one of them.
She jumped over a pile of rubble and ducked through a narrow opening that took her to a stairwell. She took the stairs two at a time, going up to the next story. There was a hole in the wall, large enough for her to shimmy through, that enabled her to take a shortcut through two apartments. She pushed through a broken door and out onto a balcony where she caught the lowest rung of a rusted ladder and dragged it down.
Tifa went up the rungs fast, but without her usual ease. Her shoulder burned and throbbed in protest , as did her sides, but she continued on, determined. She had scoped out a hundred escape routes in these slums, knowing it would be an essential part of AVALANCHE's plan should anything go wrong—as it very much had.
Once on the roof, she ran swiftly, not even bothering to pause before launching herself onto the roof of the next building. She landed with a bone-jarring thud and forcibly held a scream in check as she wobbled back to her feet. Sweat beaded on her forehead, trickled into her eyes. She leapt a small, broken fan and skirted around a pile of decaying wood to jump to a third roof.
This time she landed on her feet already running for the stairs. She didn't bother with the rungs of the ladder, but instead slid down the poles to the first story and ducked inside a broken window. A skinny man lolling on a broken down couch in his underwear and stained tee shirt looked up from his drug induced fog and stared at her. Tifa gave him a nod as she hopped over his outstretched legs. She was forced to avoid two puddles of unknown origin on her way out the door. Across the hall the opposite apartment's door was barely hanging on its hinges. She went through it fast, avoided the startled occupants as she crossed the floor to the opposite window.
She had to slow down to climb through the broken glass. The splintered remains caught at her clothes, so that she struggled a moment. She tugged at the torn fabric, her heart pounding and her lungs screaming for air. Precious seconds were wasted as she tried to drag her tank top free. The jagged pieces of glass scraped across her hand, sheared off skin, but she thrust her way outside into the open air.
Outside she tried for a deep, calming breath, but that failed when she saw the flickering of flashlights in the alley across from her and heard the steady 'whump-whump' of the helicopter nearby. She went very still, every muscle locked; frozen. A terrible shiver went down her spine. Damn they were fast, she thought. Faster than she had anticipated.
Tifa tasted the bitter tang fear in her mouth and silently cursed it. She had to escape. She hadn't survived the fall only to get captured by Shin-Ra. She had brains, skills, she knew the area, had helped Barret plan for this. She would elude them. She would!
She wiped grimly at her forehead with the cuff of her glove before setting off again. She moved quickly, working harder to keep her footfalls light, her breathing soft and controlled. She ran on the balls of her feet through a narrow corridor between two buildings, ducked around the corner and just barely avoided being struck by a bullet.
She didn't bother to look behind her. She knew they were close. Chips of mortar flaked into the air as two more bullets lodged themselves into the brick. She ran into the street, running now with long open strides, arms pumping so that her heart was beating loudly, wildly.
Aching.
Oh, how she ached.
She stumbled, but didn't fall. Blood loss was making her light headed and she was certain she had a broken rib, but she continued. Pushed past the pain. Pushed past the burn. Past endurance. Past her normal limits. Past it all until she was numb with only the mantra of Don't get caught pounding in her head in time to her footfalls.
She followed the vacant streets until they widened and she was in on the fringe of the slums. She was still in the older part of the sector with its century old buildings, all decayed and left to rot thanks to the plate hanging like an omnipresent black cloud overhead, but she knew she was close to the outskirts.
She cut through abandoned parking lots, avoiding the dancing flashlight beams with near balletic grace. Her lungs felt scorched, the pain forcing her to slow to a jog. She stopped to lean against the bricks of the nearest building, exhausted.
Oh, Gods, her side! She clutched at it, each breath a sharp, blinding pain.
The terrible tension was beginning to leave her body now, and she slid forward, her forehead pressed to the cold stones. She blinked rapidly, tried to focus. Stay conscious, Lockhart.
From somewhere came the impression of a yell. She lifted her head. Shit. Tifa forced her body to continue forward, moving through the twists and turns of the unfamiliar neighborhood until the broken pavement gave way to rocky ground. Her knees felt like jelly and her heart thudded painfully in her chest. She fell, got up, fell again.
Footfalls were coming towards her. Faint at first, but getting louder. Closer. Behind her the Turk and his men were closing in.
"Tifa!"
She lifted her head from the dirt; blinked. "Zack?" She struggled back to her feet, took two staggering steps in his direction.
He emerged from the shadows.
This time when her knees gave out it was with relief.
Strong hands gathered her up. "I've got you."
Tifa didn't resist as he swung her up to cradle at his chest, but simply let her head rest against his shoulder. As the gray fog at the edge of her vision began to close in and turn black she heard Aerith's soft, pleasant voice.
"Hurry Zack. This way..."
Tifa had no idea how much time had passed as she faded in and out of consciousness, but when she opened her eyes again it was as the three of them approached a small cottage. It was a lovely home, she noted absently. Nestled back away from the slums, shrouded with bushes and trees that gave it a semblance of privacy.
She shifted her weight, silently urging Zack to put her down. He did so gently... and reluctantly.
"You're very pale. Come inside so I can tend those wounds." Aerith wore a worried frown.
Tifa felt uncomfortable intruding. Bringing blood and the ugly darkness into such a quiet, homey place.
As if he sensed her hesitation Zack urged her forward. "It's late. You need to rest up."
Aerith opened the front door. "You can stay here for the night." She ushered them through the threshold. "Mom! I'm home!"
"Aerith! I was beginning to worry..." The woman that came down the stairs was as lovely as the cottage, with chestnut hair, only flecked with a few strands of gray, tied up in a tidy bun and sparkling hazel eyes. Her pale blue dress was neatly buttoned beneath a floral apron. She looked like a Mom. She paused at the foot of the stairwell, her hand on the banister.
"Sorry to make you worry," Aerith said quickly, smiling so as to relieve her mother's tension. It failed. "Uhm, you remember Zack?"
The older woman nodded, her eyes widened in surprise at first, then narrowed. "Indeed I do."
"Ma'am." Zack rubbed the back of his neck. His cheeks, Tifa noted, were a dull red.
She glanced between the three, and knew that she was obviously missing some shared history. She didn't have time to ponder it because the next moment Aerith was gripping her hand and pulling her towards the stairs.
"This is Tifa. She was hurt by the Turks and her and Zack need a place to stay for the night so I told them they could stay here."
Tifa's mouth fell open at Aerith's rushed explanation. She looked at Aerith's mother, expecting panic or censure but all she saw was concern.
"The Turks? You were followed again? Are you hurt?" Worry caused lines to form around the corner of her mouth.
"No, I'm fine." Aerith reassured her. "They weren't after me. Besides, I had Zack with me."
Hazel eyes returned to Zack. "I see."
He shuffled his feet, stared at a spot on the wall.
Aerith continued, apparently oblivious to the odd exchanges between her mother and Zack. "So I figured that Zack could stay in the guest room and Tifa could bunk with me, alright?"
"I don't want to be any trouble--" Tifa quickly interjected.
"Nonsense." The older woman took a breath and plastered a too sweet smile on her face. "I'm Elmyra," she held out her hand.
Tifa glanced at her bloodied gloves and back up. "Uhm..."
Elmyra also glanced down, then, "Perhaps you should take your guest upstairs, Aerith, and help her freshen up. I'll fix you something to eat." She gave Zack a look. "I'm sure Mr. Fair can help me."
Zack looked like he had just been optioned out for a root canal. "Uh, sure."
"Okay. Come on up, Tifa. I'm sure I have something that'll fit you." A dubious glance was cast at her chest. "...I think."
Tifa fought the urge to cross her arms.
Their home was as charming on the inside, Tifa decided as she followed Aerith across the neat kitchen and up the stairs. She glanced at the photos on the wall as they walked the hallway.A vase of flowers stood on a small hall table and candles flickered softly from votive cups along the wall.
"This is my room," Aerith opened a closed cream colored door.
It suited her, Tifa thought as she stepped inside. Delicate, lacy pillows and soft fabrics covered the plush bed, and small stuffed toys lined a dresser. Aerith, following her gaze, gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "Gifts," she murmured, blushing.
"They're cute." Tifa reassured her.
"Thanks."
Tifa strolled the room while Aerith hunted in her closet for clothes. Knick-knacks, doodles, and trinkets dotted the nightstand. A photograph of her mother sat beside Aerith's lamp and a few scraps of stationary lay on the bed. All in all a very normal, very feminine room.
Tifa quelled an unexpected flare of resentment. She must be tired, she thought.
"I think these will fit." Aerith turned from her closet holding out a pair of drawstring pants and a pale green shirt.
Tifa took them with a nodded thanks.
"The shower is right through that door," Aerith pointed. "Towels and soap in the closet beside the toilet. Will you be okay?"
"Yes, thank you." Tifa felt weariness sinking in.
"Okay. When you're finished I have some medicine for you." At the door she turned. "What you did was very brave."
Tifa felt anything but. "Or very stupid. Depends on who you ask."
Aerith gave her a hesitant smile and closed the door softly behind her.
XXXXXXX
"Who's your new girlfriend?"
Zack grimaced, his back to Elmyra as he filled the tea kettle. "Tifa's a friend," he informed her, impressed that he'd managed to keep his tone neutral.
Elmyra opened the cupboard, retrieved some plates, closed it, before she asked, "Then I suppose you have your sights set on Aerith again?"
He sighed. It was no secret—well, not to him anyway-- that Elmyra disliked and distrusted him, and given the fact that he was a former SOLDIER that used to date her daughter, he couldn't really blame her. But that didn't change the fact that her condescending tone chaffed his already frayed nerves.
Zack turned now and faced Elmyra. "Wouldn't that be between me and Aerith?"
"Humph." She set the plates on the counter with a bang. She scowled at him with one hand on her hip, her mouth thin. "It took her a long time to get over you. A long time, and I refuse to see her heart broken like that again."
He felt both guilty and angry. "It wasn't exactly voluntary," he stated. "I never meant to hurt her."
She shifted her position, aimed another narrow look at him. "Maybe not, but you did."
He really didn't want to be having this conversation. "And for that I'm sorry," came his terse reply.
"Be sorry all you want, but that doesn't change what is. What you are." She pointed her finger at him. "You're trouble. You lead a life that lends itself to tragedy. Look at that girl upstairs. She looks like she was mauled by a pack of wild animals."
Zack didn't point out the fact that Tifa's state of disarray had nothing at all to do with him. In fact he didn't bother to try and defend himself against Elmyra at all. He knew it was futile. She was a mother with a mother's concerns, and having been raised right, he knew better than to try and interject any comment anyway. It was hard to bite his tongue, but he did.
"Mom? Zack?" Aerith called from the stairwell.
Elmyra dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Aerith doesn't need that kind of trouble. It would be best all around if you and your friend left here and never came back."
A moment later Aerith stepped into the kitchen. The tension in the air was thick."Everything okay?"
Elmyra brushed her hands on her apron. "Everything's fine, hon." She gave Zack a meaningful look. "Right?"
He reached for the sugar container. "Yeah. Right."
Aerith hardly looked convinced. "Mom, can I talk to Zack alone please?"
Elmyra hesitated for a brief second, then nodded. "I'll get the extra blankets from the attic."
Once they were alone, Zack slid his hands into his pockets and waited for Aerith to speak.
"I'm sorry about my Mom." Obviously she had heard more than she let on.
"Hey, no worries." He said, and meant it. "It's me that should still be apologizing, and thanking you. I appreciate you helping Tifa."
"Of course," she said easily, and Zack was reminded of just how generous she really was.
They stared at one another in the awkward, heavy silence following, and Zack made painful note of the absence of the familiar kick in his gut. She was still beautiful, still kind and warm and all the things young, foolish Zack had fallen in love with. But he was older now. Changed. So was she. And she knew it too. He could see it in the way her eyes drifted away from his each time they met. He sighed and decided to shoot the elephant in the room. "Things are never going to be like they were, are they?"
Aerith lifted her eyes to finally meet his. It was a rhetorical question, but she answered regardless. "No...I don't think they can be."
"I didn't think so either." He gave her a half-smile, all apology and regret. He stepped toward her. "It was good though."
Her eyes glittered. "It was," she agreed with a watery smile.
He opened his arms. She stepped in and they held one another. "So...where does that leave us?" she asked hesitantly, her voice muffled by his chest.
"Friends?" he was hopeful.
She flashed her sunny grin up at his chin. "Definitely."
XXXXXXX
Upstairs in the bathroom Tifa, now stripped of her wet, sweaty clothes, watched her skin turn pink under the hot water. She sat in the shower stall with her arms hugged around her knees, trying to wipe away the guilt and the fear and the anger that seemed to bleed from her pores as the adrenaline left her.
She could feel the tears on her face mingle with the water pouring over her body. It was wrong to cower in her shower like a child, she thought with an angry swipe of her cheek. She knew it did no good. Someone had to face the monsters of the world and do something about them; otherwise they would swarm everything and suffocate everything and everyone, and Shin-Ra was the biggest monster of them all.
Slowly, she drew herself reluctantly to her feet. She washed the fear from her body along with the sweat of running. She closed her eyes and dropped her head forward. It felt as if she had been running for most of her life.
Since Nibleheim.
Since HIM.
Once upon a time she had thought that she was running toward something. Toward a future. But that was gone now. Taken away by Shin-Ra...
She ran her fingers through the knotted strands of her thick hair in an attempt to untangle them and her depressing thoughts. She turned off the tap before she stepped out of the stall to wrap a thick towel around her.
At the mirror she hesitated. The ghostly outline of herself shifted behind a veil of steam and Tifa frowned. She was tired of hiding. With a grim look, wiped one hand in a circle through the steam.
The woman staring back at her was virtually a stranger. She was all enormous eyes; so dark they were nearly black now with smudges beneath them. Light skin was drawn tight and shaded white with loss of blood. Her hand was throbbing and she looked down at it with surprise. The skin was shredded from the top of her hand to her wrist, and it stung like a bitch. Fresh blood was oozing from it so she wrapped it in the towel and padded barefoot back into Aerith's bedroom. She pulled on the drawstring pants and shirt.
She took a breath, and on the inhale caught the scent tea. Her stomach growled.
"Looks like I'm just in time."
Tifa gave a start.
"Sorry, didn't meant to scare you." Zack inclined his head apologetically, one dark lock of hair falling into his impossibly blue eyes. He gestured at the tray in his hands with his chin. "Aerith thought that you looked tired, so I thought I'd bring your food to you instead of making you climb those stairs again."
Tifa raked her uninjured hand through her wet hair. She wasn't sure how to take his kindness. It wasn't overt or flirty like the types of niceties she was used to, or fake and put on. Zack Fair seemed to be a genuinely nice guy.
He was still a virtual stranger, yet every time she looked at him something stirred in her and she felt a jolt of connection that she had only ever felt with one other person. She shook that thought free."Thank you. You didn't have to do that."
He set the tray on the bureau before turning his blue-violet eyes on her. "Lemme take a look at that."
Tifa cocked her head as she flexed her hand. "What?"
"Your hand."
She shook it out. "I'll be fine."
Dark brows lowered to form a groove just above the bridge of his nose. "Are you always so impossible?"
"What do you mean? I'm not being impossible."
"You aren't exactly being cooperative."
"Oh, fine." She held out her hand.
His was warm when he took hers. Solid. Strong. She felt a subtle shiver travel along every nerve ending and it startled her.
He seemed unaware of it as he made a tsk sound under his breath and he examined the cut. "What were you thinking, Tifa?" he asked, so soft she thought maybe the question was in her head, but when he looked at her expectantly she knew he had indeed voiced it.
She didn't pretend ignorance. "I was thinking that I've had enough. Enough of living under Shin-Ra, in the shadows. Enough watching them roll over people like their lives are meaningless."
Zack was silent as his thumb traced the meaty part of her palm absently. He seemed to be studying her, and Tifa got the crazy idea that he could see straight through her, into and passed all the dark shadows she tried to hide, even from herself.
"It won't bring him back," he commented quietly.
"Don't you think I know that?" Her voice cracked and she was forced to clear her throat.
The door creaked."I brought an extra pillow." Aerith slipped into the room. She stopped, her gaze darting between the two. "I'm sorry; am I interrupting?"
Tifa slid her hand out of Zack's. "No."
He stared at her longer than was comfortable before he turned to Aerith. "Her hand needs your touch," he told her.
"I'll do what I can." she replied. "There are blankets for you in the guest bedroom."
"Thanks." He bent toward her cheek, retreated, rubbed his neck and gave a laugh. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Aerith echoed.
"Night," Tifa murmured.
When he left Aerith gestured towards her bed. "Have a seat, and let me have a look at you." She pulled a small tube of lotion from her pocket and settled herself in front of Tifa.
Tifa held out her hand.
"That's a nasty cut." Aerith squeezed some lotion into her palms, rubbed them briskly and placed her hands over Tifa's.
Immediately Tifa felt an easing in pain. Her eyes widened as she watched her skin knit itself back together. She looked at Aerith, who had her own eyes closed, her mouth moving silently. It looked like she was chanting.
"That's some gift you have there." She flexed her healed hand.
Aerith blushed a bit. "It's mostly the lotion. It's a special blend of healing plants that I grow."
Tifa didn't think it was mostly the lotion, but didn't say so. Her shoulder, cheek, sides and stomach were next, and all healed up just as good as new beneath Aerith's ministrations. When she was nearly finished Tifa felt fingers in her hair and she drew back, startled.
Aerith apologized instantly, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to feel—it's so pretty. I'm sorry. I don't have many girlfriends and I...I'm just going to shut up now."
Tifa, ashamed of herself for her abrupt behavior, softened. This girl owed her nothing yet had shown her kindness and hospitality. The very least she could do in turn was offer her friendship. "No, it's fine. I'm the one sorry." She smiled reassuringly. "You have very pretty hair too."
"You think so?" Aerith touched her ringlets.
"Very," Tifa emphasized, adding, "I like your braid."
"I could braid yours. That is if you want."
Tifa got the impression that Aerith was probably lonelier than she was, and nodded. "Sure."
Aerith rose and tossed her lotion onto her dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out a blue ribbon and a hairbrush. "So you know Zack--"she began.
"No, I don't." Tifa cut in.
"But-"
"We've crossed paths a couple of times but I don't really know him."
"Oh." Aerith digested that. "Well, then how did you two cross paths?"
"It was a long time ago." A time Tifa didn't really want to recall at the moment. "How do you know Zack?" She changed the line of questioning.
The answer was immediate and laced with tenderness. "He was my first love."
Tifa didn't miss the was but refrained from asking for elaboration. It wasn't any of her business, not really.
Aerith returned and motioned for her to turn around. The bristles along Tifa's scalp were soothing, and Aerith's voice nearly lyrical. Tifa found her heavy eyelids drooping before too long. The last thing she recalled was a soft ribbon being tied to her hair and a blanket being tucked over her shoulders.
It was completely dark when Tifa opened her eyes again. She sat up slowly and allowed her vision to adjust to the darkness. Aerith was asleep on the opposite side of the bed, her pink lips parted as she emitted the daintiest snore Tifa had ever heard.
Careful not to jostle the bed too much, Tifa swung her legs over the side. She eased her way off the mattress and picked up the stationary and pen beside the bed. She quickly scratched a note: Thank you for all your help. Tifa onto the paper and tiptoed to the door.
She winced as the door creaked, but a one eyed look over her shoulder revealed that Aerith was still sound asleep. She retrieved her boots from the hall and headed fro the stairs. She felt bad about sneaking out without a proper goodbye, but she had no right to involve innocent people in her mess. Chances were that the Turks were still looking for her, and the last thing she needed was for them to trace her to Aerith's home. It was bad enough that Aerith was already implied, but perhaps if she left, Aerith could say she was coerced.
She took the stairs lightly, her bare feet near silent. In the kitchen she paused to slip her boots on. A hand on her arm caused her to reflexively strike, but Zack sidestepped easily. He didn't, however, release her.
"What are you doing?" He hissed, hand tight on her arm.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she whispered back. "I'm leaving."
"Shin-Ra is all over the place looking for AVALANCHE," he pointed out.
"Exactly. Nice people like Aerith and Elmyra don't need to be drug into this. They've risked enough just by allowing me to be here, and the best thank you I can give them is to leave. Besides, I can take care of myself, Zack." She removed her arm from his grip.
He stared at her and his eyes seemed to glow in the shadows. "Fine." He said after a minute. "Let's go."
"What?" She couldn't have heard that right. "Where do you think you're going?"
"With you." He picked his own boots up from the floor. "Someone needs to keep your ass out of trouble."
She rolled her eyes. "I've been taking care of myself for years--"
"And I am totally amazed you've survived this long. In the past few weeks you've been poisoned, involved in an explosion, crashed through a church and been shot at. I'd say extra protection isn't a bad thing."
She gave an indignant snort.
"Look, either I come with you, or I follow you. It's not like I don't know where you're headed. Besides, I make a much better partner than stalker."
Tifa shot him an incredulous look. "Walk away, Zack. This isn't your fight."
"What if I want to make it my fight, huh? You telling me AVALANCHE doesn't have room for one more? You think you're the only one Shin-Ra has ever fucked over? Well, you're not, and I want in."
So it wasn't just about him wanting to protect her, she thought, but about his own need for revenge. That much she could relate to. "You'll have to be cleared by Barret," she answered.
"He'll clear me." He flashed her a wicked smirk.
Hand on the knob Tifa asked him over her shoulder. "What about Aerith?"
His voice held a hint of melancholy and a wealth of determination. "She'll understand." He leaned past her and turned the handle, his fingers meshed over hers. His hair brushed her cheek and his breath tickled her ear. "Let's go."
They stepped out into the night together.