Rox walked down the dark street, paranoid of every dark alley ever since that night a mysterious vampire spared her life. She had charged back to the cathedral as quick as her feet could carry her, terrified that he would change his mind and plunge her weapon into her neck as she ran back. The members present were dumbfounded by her story, unsure what to make of it; Rox was unsure if they even believed her, thinking it a lie to cover up why her shank was missing. Not that it mattered much to the guild as they searched for three missing members now.

She knew she shouldn't have gone out to that job, but it was just a single ghoul, how hard could it be? She knew she should have gone with a higher ranking member, but Tifa had vanished one night, never to be seen again and the others had been too busy with their own lives to assist Rox. Tifa had been with her since the day she was taken to the cathedral, mentally broken and physically battered by the machinations of a psychotic vampire that killed off her family one by one, with help from her mother after it turned her into a servant. Tifa helped her get used to the odd schedule of the guild, hugged her and talked to her when she needed emotional support, and took her out on the small jobs that they could handle together.

And now there was news she had skipped town with a vampire that she swore she would slay. Something was horribly wrong.

Tifa told her the name of the vampire she seeked to slay and why; Cloud was a loved one from Tifa's hometown, her childhood friend. Her motivation wasn't revenge but love and mercy, and Rox understood, having watched her mother kill a sibling in cold blood. Rox's mother hadn't been in control, a vampire had been. Cloud wasn't in control, something akin to a demon was. But both of them were in there, watching in their own personal hell.

She came up to the flower shop and opened the door. Aerith was alone, looking at a letter with a faint smile on her face. Her green eyes traveled to meet Rox's vivid indigo eyes, then she lifted an envelope and waved it in a cheerful fashion. "Tifa wrote to you, too!"

Rox fidgeted before striding across the store front and taking the letter in a shaking hand. It was Tifa's handwriting. She ripped it open and unfolded the letter; it smelled dusty, her nose wrinkling.

Dear Rox,

I hope you're doing alright without me around. I'm so sorry, it must be difficult. I don't think I'll be back. Back to the guild, I mean. I'm not sure when I can return to Midgar...but we can still keep in contact, Rox. I guess you have a lot of questions, and I bet Aerith mentioned Cloud, didn't she? Yes, I'm with Cloud. No, he hasn't hurt me or anything like that. He's the same as I remembered him all those years ago, he hasn't really changed that much to my surprise. I'm sure you don't believe me yet, but the guild is wrong about vampires. It's right to slay most of them, but...no, they aren't possessed.

Rox, I need you to keep quiet about this to the guild. Promise me this so we can keep in contact, please. There's so much I want to tell you but I can't. If you decide to write back, I'd love to hear from you again. Please take care, Rox, and stay out of trouble.

Tifa

Tifa was with him. No, it had to have done something to her, turned her into a servant or maybe another vampire, and maybe it was trying to lure her in. Rox glanced up at Aerith, the flower girl rereading her letter. How much did she know, was she in contact with a vampire? She had to be, how else would she get in contact with Tifa now? But why was she contacting them, what did she and the vampire want? She blinked back tears as she reread her letter.

"I'm relieved Tifa's alright." Aerith said as she put the letter away. She looked back up at Rox with an appraising look.

Rox quietly nodded as she bit her lip. Three members of the close-knit guild were missing and one had resurfaced, in league with a creature she swore an oath to destroy. Were the disappearances connected? Don't tell the guild...They would have come to the same conclusion she had and they already had their hands full searching for Master Regis and Huey, so what would be the point? More. She needed more information, then maybe the guild would take her seriously.

"I am too...Say, you said your boyfriend was in contact with her, right? When's the next time he can send out letters?"

Aerith tapped her fingers on the wooden counter. "A week. He said the courier needed a break." She looked thoughtfully at the envelope, then back at Rox. "If you want to talk to Zack about this, he should be by tomorrow, he said he was busy tonight and wanted to drop the letters off before he went to work."

Rox nodded, though she was unsure if she could make it by tomorrow. She only ever had a glimpse of Zack, and she could easily assume he had to be a vampire. He was never seen during the day and was responsible for procuring the letters. Aerith was safe for the moment it seemed, but sooner or later something would happen to her, too. Maybe Aerith would disappear just like Tifa. Maybe Rox could make a protective talisman for her? Yeah. There was enough time to protect her. "I'll try and come by, but it might be later on in the week. I better get back, Aerith. Thanks a lot for keeping me in the know."

Aerith smiled and handed her a yellow lily, like she always did. "Stay safe out there, Rox. I'll see you later."

"Thanks." She smiled as best she could, despite feeling like a nervous wreck. "Take it easy, Aerith."

She wandered back into the darkness, back towards the cathedral. Rox was still just a student, and she had been reprimanded for attempting to do a job solo. They were happy she killed a ghoul, evidence that she survived the encounter on her arm as she ran, bleeding into the stone sanctuary, but she could see it in their eyes; they didn't believe her about the vampire. Vampires didn't spare hunters. Where else would her weapon go, in a sewer grate? She wasn't a habitual liar.

More training. Rox wasn't allowed to go on jobs for an entire month, partially because of punishment and partially because her new weapon would take time to make. But if that vampire ever saw her out there again, he promised she would be his servant, and who knows what he would make her do then. She still didn't understand it. Why did he spare her? It didn't make sense.

Rox felt a chill run down her spine as she continued down the road, and she picked up her pace. Maybe she should take that alley, it would be quicker...No, if she went straight it would be much safer...

She liked safe. Rox continued on, looking about, the flutter of some night creature reaching her ears and sometimes seen out of the corner of her eye. She hated how helpless she felt, no weapon and only a relic gifted to her by a priest that felt sorry for her after her close call with the undead. How much protection could that give her in the depths of the night? Perhaps enough to run away. Rox looked behind her, a mist gathering slowly from the alley she thought of using. Panicking, she ran.

Rox soon heard the sound of that unknown thing following above her as the cathedral came into view. She should look back...No, she shouldn't look back, she needs to keep running just a little bit longer...

She gasped for breath as she came closer and closer, mists seeping about the side of her vision and licking at her face as her lungs and legs burned. She was being chased by something, and it was gaining on her. Shapes took form in the mists, groans close to her ears but she had to ignore it, just ignore them...

A powerful blast shoved her off her feet, and she hit the pavement with a grunt, her face rubbing against the cool and clammy stone. Without missing a beat she turned onto her back but a powerful hand gripped the front of her shirt, lifting her up to meet a grisly old face partially hidden by a wide-brimmed hat. Figures formed in the mists about her like twisting tortured souls licking at her body dancing like the flames of a candle.

"It looks like I caught myself a little mouse." the man sneered, his amber eyes boring into her soul. Rox squeaked a breath, frozen in terror. Vampires always made her freeze or flee, she just couldn't help it after what had happened to her family such a short while ago. The vampire brought her ever closer to his face, his smile flashing long, vile fangs that were destined to dig into her jugular. "So close, and yet...so far."

His mouth was opening and his other hand was pulling her head back by her hair, making her eyes tear as he tugged harshly. This was it, Rox thought. A vampire's meal in front of a sacred space, defiling it with her corpse if he didn't turn her into a ghoul first. If only she had something, like holy water or a relic...

Rox's eyes lit up; the relic. As the monster's fangs pressed on her throat she whipped out the relic gifted to her by the priest that she carried in her back pocket, and the vampire hissed as he released her. Rox stood there a moment as he shielded his face, then sprinted away as quickly as she could after tossing it on him, causing him to recoil and shout in pain.

Her path to the cathedral was unusually clear, though she felt the mists curling back behind her as she made her last push towards home. Rox could still hear the vampire groaning from the presence of the relic, and she knew she didn't have much time left before he recovered. Her legs felt like giving out from underneath her, the steps of the cathedral so close. She felt a push on the small of her back, lighter than the first one she experienced as she reached for them, lifting her up as she leapt.

The teen landed onto the steps of the sacred space on all fours, the thick mists peeling away and retreating from her position as she fell onto the smooth stone pathway to the doors of her sanctuary. She dared to look back, the mist seeping back like a giant pale snake into the darkness, the vampire nowhere to be found. Squinting she noticed another man watching her on a nearby roof, arms crossed and feet dangling off the edge. He seemed to give her two thumbs up before falling off, a bat taking his place and fleeing to some parts unknown.

Rox quickly got up and ran inside the cathedral, finally safe from the monsters prowling about the night. The wooden pews were empty, mass another two nights from now, the priests most likely in their quarters. She limped towards her small room, looking this way and that in case anyone saw her. The hunters would all be out right now, she reasoned, and at that moment she would rather rest and hide Tifa's letter away.

She hid the letter under her mattress before laying down to rest. Her face hurt and there was a bloody crust on patches of her cheek and on her eyebrow when she touched it with her fingers. Rox sighed heavily. Her closest friend was with a vampire. The one that showed total disgust towards the monsters, the one that explained to her how deceptive and vile vampires could be(despite knowing all too well herself), had been caught in one of their webs. To top it all off, Aerith was being targeted as well.

Rox laid there resting until a knock issued from her door, and she called out to who ever it was to come in. Master Tristitia entered, the tall woman holding a stern but appraising expression on her face. Her black hair had a stripe of silver running on either side and resting in a bun on the top of her head, her clothing grey with black leathers. She held a relic and a yellow flower in her hand. "I assume these are yours." Master Tristitia glanced at the side of Rox's head, frowning.

Rox nodded. "I was attacked...again."

Master Tristitia handed the items to the teen, then sat on her bed to look over her injures. Small bruises were forming on her throat and there was blood on her face. She looked Rox in the eyes. "Was it the same one that you claimed attacked you before?"

She shook her head. "Totally different."

"I see." Master Tristitia sighed and stood back up. "I'll fetch my materia to fix those wounds, dear."

"Do you think this is all connected?" Rox asked. Besides Tifa, Master Regis and Huey were gone. She didn't know what happened to those two.

Master Tristitia tapped her cheek with a finger. "It certainly seems like this cathedral is having a run of bad luck. Three missing members and a student nearly killed...twice, if your first story could be believed." She let out a mirthless chuckle. "It should change for the better soon, and we'll wipe those nightmares from the city once and for all."

Rox nodded. "What happens then? We kinda become useless without vampires to fight."

The master snorted. "They aren't the only things out there that need to disappear!" She went to leave. "It's not as if more won't take their place some day, anyway. You would know that if you paid more attention to your studies."

The teen groaned. "Right..."

Master Tristitia left, and Rox rubbed her face. She felt she was way over her head, and no way to escape. Looking down towards her bed she reminded herself that her goal for now was to get more information out of Tifa, and protect Aerith while she was still untouched by her so-called boyfriend. Rox opened up a book on talismans, and began to research which ones were best to help the flower girl in the nights ahead, and herself too.

Tifa stood behind the bar, fixing a drink for Cloud as he sat at the counter of the busy establishment that had hired her. It had been several days since they cleaned the house, the two purchasing pieces of furniture for the home yesterday and moving in with the basic amenities for the home. She sometimes wondered how much gil Cloud could possibly have that he could drop so much on furniture so easily, but drummed it up to being an assassin. Compensation for that must be good, she thought.

She finally did have some time to herself to cry, and the release had helped considerably. Tifa worried about Rox, hoped she would hear from both she and Aerith, and wondered how long she and Cloud would be living together. Eventually he would have to tire of her, or the both of them could separate when they finally returned to Midgar, if that was possible at this point. She was sure they would keep in contact now, at least. 'I have him around me again, even if it isn't in the best of circumstances.' She would enjoy the present with him, despite her life being upended.

Now it was just a matter of little things here and there. Squeak was delighted enough with the new house, finding himself a corner to call his own, and Tifa found him a wooden craft box that could work as a bed. She covered the insides with soft fabric and tiny pillows, wanting to show her appreciation for saving her that terrible evening. Squeak took to his new bed with glee, Cloud translating his squeaks into a lot of thank yous.

After personalizing her room Tifa felt it was comfortable enough for her. A large bed, wooden drawers, a nightstand and a television to watch the news in the evening. She helped Cloud board up any windows on his floor, though he kept the ones downstairs open at Tifa's request, so long as she put up thick curtains. He had the doors magically sealed, but all she would have to do is knock on the door and Squeak would open them for her.

Annoying, but whatever. At least she had a job to keep her busy outside of the house.

"Here you go!" she chimed, sliding him a whiskey. Cloud caught it and took a sip, puckering his lips. She leaned close to him in the busy bar, his brows raised as she put a hand over his. "Does that actually work on you...?"

He nodded with a half smile. "Yeah, somehow."

Tifa couldn't help but grin at the thought of him being a little tipsy. "Your food should be out soon." She turned around to check the kitchen for his order.

Cloud sipped the amber liquid, thinking about the future. What kind of future did he have now, he wondered to himself. He would hear from Zack again soon, his friend messaging him that everything was good; that meant he received the letters. He turned his thoughts to Tifa. Tifa would have to go off someday and maybe form a family if that was her thing, then fade like all mortals did. No, he wanted to be in her life as much as possible, but what could he possibly give her in exchange? It put a bitter taste in his mouth that he couldn't chalk up to his drink.

Things would have been so much easier if he could have had a final goodbye in Nibelheim, but he just had to write those letters.

He glanced to his right as a man a little older than he came to sit down, the dark haired male looking at him a moment before turning his gaze to a menu that had already been set out. Cloud went back to his drink, ignoring the newcomer. 'What do I do...Zack would say to go for it, but...it would just lead to more heartbreak in the end, right? If she refused me I could deal with that, but she might feel uncomfortable living with me afterwards.'

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a plate of food, Tifa giving him a small smile before turning to the new customer. He mumbled a thank you and started to eat, occasionally looking up at his friend. Cloud frowned, the strange male obviously flirting with Tifa as she took his order, and to his agitation she seemed to flirt back. Maybe he felt he wasn't a right fit being undead and all, but she deserved better than just some guy that came off the streets. Who did he think he was? Dark hair and eyes, tan, muscular. Cloud narrowed his eyes as he bit down on a piece of potato.

"Thank you, ah..."

"Alyssra." Tifa pronounced. They had decided it was best she went under a fake name while in Junon.

"Pretty." The stranger commented as Tifa smiled. "I'm Domino."

She nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Domino." Tifa walked over to Cloud and leaned closer, her breasts accentuated by the dark green top of her uniform; he paused a moment as his eyes went to her face. "Do you need a refill, Cloud?"

He grunted an affirmative before she walked away. Cloud ate in silence, watching the man next to him when the stranger wasn't looking. Domino. He finished his meal as Tifa came out with another drink, the vampire giving a quick thanks and taking a deep sip of the whiskey. Cloud watched as she gave Domino the drink he ordered before returning to the kitchen again, probably checking for the next order.

'What if she finds someone and just leaves...' Cloud sighed into his glass. Too soon, it was too soon. This was why he didn't drink hard liquor often, it would get him thinking too much about everything, and his fangs were itchy here and there, agitating him further. Cloud noticed Tifa had come back with Domino's meal, the man flirting with her yet again. Cloud's face was burning as he looked down towards his empty plate, the soft giggles and silly words getting to him.

Yep. He really shouldn't have had two glasses of strong whiskey tonight. Because as soon as Tifa left for the next order Domino was gagging loudly.

"What the hell...? Maggots?!" Cloud eyed Domino as he looked in horror at his meal after choking on his first bite. The vampire smirked before leaving gil for his meal and leaving, planning on picking up Tifa after her shift was over.

Tifa popped out of the kitchen and walked over to Domino, the man looking up at her with a horrified, disgusted expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

He pointed at his meal. "Look, there's maggots every-" Domino looked down, his meal perfectly fine. He stared hard into the food, then at Tifa, the woman frowning and narrowing her eyes. "They were everywhere a second ago..." he whispered as he examined his plate again.

"I'm sorry Domino. Would you like me to get you a fresh plate?"

"Maybe another drink." He mumbled and she took his plate, getting a new drink fixed before returning to the counter as the bar wound down. Tifa took the bills Cloud had left, sighing and placing it into the till. She was going to have to talk to Cloud about this. She really didn't need him playing pranks on customers.

'Why did he do that?' She wiped the counter as she thought. Cloud didn't cause trouble for the sake of trouble unless he was showing off. Now that she thought about it, maggots in someone's food was something he would have done as a kid if he could have done it when he was upset with someone. But he wasn't a kid anymore, he was an adult.

An adult vampire acting like a kid.

Tifa glanced at Domino, the man strumming the fingers of one hand on the counter and the other propping up his head. He was obviously jarred from the experience. She came over to him and smiled at him, and he returned it, even if it was a little strained. "I'm really sorry about your food, Domino."

He shook his head before glancing at the empty seat next to him and then back at Tifa. "No need for an apology from you, Alyssra. I, uh, I don't really even know what happened, to be honest." He let out a forced chuckle.

'I sure know what happened. I just don't know why.' Tifa hummed. "Well, let's just try and forget about it." She turned around to fix another drink for yet another patron and several beers, taking them to their table before taking an order that she gave to the kitchen with haste. Again she walked towards Domino. "Do you need another drink?"

He nodded. "Just a beer, please." Domino ended up staying until closing time, talking here and there with Tifa. She clocked out, Domino following her out the door. She looked at him with a brow raised. "I just wanna make sure you get home safe."

She smiled politely. "Thanks, but I can keep care of myself. I'll see you later, if you decide to visit again."

He bit his lip and looked around, somewhat nervous. "Are you sure? There's a lot of creeps out here."

"I'm not helpless." She tried to hide the irritation in her voice.

Domino nodded. "Well, okay. Take care, Alyssra. I'll see you later."

She nodded. "Have a good night." Tifa walked home, looking about here and there. Cloud was either off somewhere and forgot when the bar closed or he was watching silently from the shadows. That was fine, she needed time to think about what she would say to him in the meantime. The further she went, the less foot traffic there was. Tifa took another turn onto a lonely street, pale lamplight illuminating her path.

After a few minutes she heard footsteps behind her, and glancing back she felt it might be Domino from the look of the silhouette's build. She let out a heavy sigh. "Cloud, if you're around...no killing." she said in a firm whisper. Now if she would just walk a little quicker, put a little more space between her and Domino...

So Domino was following her. Tifa quickened her strides and soon a cool, moist sensation ran by her legs. She dared to look back, a thick mist slowly blocking her vision as the man behind her seemed to begin jogging towards her and calling her assumed name. Turning back she took a right onto the dark dead-end road that would lead her home. Domino would think she was still going straight if Cloud put a shape of her in the fog.

Halfway down the road she hissed a sigh angrily. "You shouldn't have done that."

Above her, a voice asked innocently, "Done what?"

Tifa turned her head back and up, Cloud's arms crossed as he floated behind her. It was too dark to make out the expression on his face. She scowled. "You made it look like there were maggots in his food!"

He shrugged as he landed on his feet next to her, the two walking side by side now.

"Why did you do that?" she pressed. "That could hurt the establishment. Please don't tell me you do things like that when you drink too much..."

'I did it because he should piss off.' Cloud shrugged again. "I guess I don't like him."

She raised a brow. "Why, he did nothing to you or me. He was pretty nice actually."

Cloud bristled. "Oh? Are you gonna go on a date with him then?"

Tifa stopped in her tracks and gave him a good, long hard stare. "And what if I did?"

He avoided eye contact. "Then...that's your choice." he mumbled. "I just don't think he...deserves you." Cloud brought his eyes back to her.

"Yes, it my choice, and no, that's not for you to judge, Cloud. I'll decide who deserves me." She resumed her walk.

He sneered, squeezing his fists as he followed behind her. "Hopefully it's someone better than Domino."

"What is your problem?" Tifa stood outside the door with her arms crossed, waiting for Cloud to open it. "Are you upset he was flirting with me?"

He opened the door. "You were flirting back."

"So what?" Her eyes searched his for a truthful answer, a glimmer of hurt residing within.

Cloud looked away as they entered. "I just...never mind, Tifa. I won't mess with his food again, okay?" He ran a hand through his spikes and looked back at her.

"Thank you." she said tersely, her eyes lingering on his with what looked almost like disappointment before heading upstairs to shower and get changed. Cloud plopped onto the sofa, arms crossed and still stewing. He shouldn't have to put up with this. Tifa was here, and maybe this Domino guy would get her to move out, with him. He'd be alone again; he liked having her in the house. It was nice to hear her downstairs when he woke up.

He rubbed his canine with his tongue. They were getting itchy again. He was going to need blood soon, before he got his mark. Cloud figured he would hunt someone down in a night or two, not wanting to risk any longer with Tifa in the house; her neck looked inviting enough and it made his toes curl in his boots as he thought back to how good she tasted that night he bit her.

Cloud pushed it out of his mind. The need for blood was going to get stronger every night until he finally had some, even just a little taste. He felt like a filthy addict. Huffing, he marched upstairs, passing Tifa as she walked towards the shower. He glanced at her pale, creamy neck as he passed by, and decided he needed a shower, too. A cold shower.

The icy water was a shock, it always was despite temperature never really being much of an issue anymore. Put him in a cold room and he wouldn't shiver, bring him into the tropics and he wouldn't sweat. But the cold would calm him for a time. He would just lay on his bed later, his body slowly warming back up to room temperature as he read a book or talked to Squeak.

He let the rushing water drown out everything, his blood thirst, his yearning and jealousy. Cloud needed it gone for just a little while before he went crazy. He felt embarrassed, and sighed loudly as the frigid water cascaded down his scalp, the tingle making him involuntarily shudder. The vampire stayed under the shower head a good half an hour, broken out of his thoughts by Tifa calling up the stairs to ask if he was alright. He yelled out that he was before shutting off the shower and drying off.

Even after arguing she was checking on him. Cloud couldn't help but love her, even after all these years. Tifa had grown up to be rather independent and from what he had seen during her ghoul battle and fight in his last lair a capable fighter. She was still that kind, brave soul with a big heart, but it had been tempered with terrible experiences and a slight bitterness that came from her former profession. Cloud couldn't say he wasn't hardened to death and bitter about his heroic demise, so why wouldn't she be affected? He was surprised she hadn't changed more.

As he laid on his bed after putting on some new clothing he wondered if anyone really deserved Tifa in his opinion. He knew he probably didn't.