Jacob ran back to Seventh Heaven as fast as his legs would put up with. All the way he kept glancing over his shoulder, feeling panicked and as though he had done something wrong. Over and over, the conversation he had had replayed in his frantic mind, and something he had said, something he had done, didn't seem right. Somehow, he had messed up.
Jacob banged open the front door which shook in the frame, quivering back and forth with a slight creaking moan. The boy bent over, gasping in air as fast as lungs could handle so he could tell Tifa, or somebody who'd listen, everything. A few children had uttered great cries of alarm, a few crying or sniffling cries, as Jacob had beat down the door to get in.
"Jakey!" One complained as she wiped her terrified eyes free of tears. "Jakey, don't do that!"
"S-scary!" One little boy giggled a little.
"S-sorry guys." Panted Jacob, chest still heaving violently. Jacob's cheeks were a flushed red, sweat trickled down to sting his eyes, but he still managed to slap on a grin large enough to calm the kids. He didn't want to scare them with tales of suspicious ShinRa soldiers.
"Can you play now?" Kes had come up and was tugging at his sleeve again, almost enough to upset the package in his arms.
"No... he can't." A voice came from the stair. Jacob looked up to see a boy standing there, young, maybe ten, his hair as white and perfect as newly fallen snow. His eyes were a faded and dusty blue, scary to look into for any amount of time longer than three minutes, and his pale skin contrasted against the faded brown wood of Seventh Heaven.
"When did you get up, Dekel?" Jacob asked, straightening up. Dekel came further down the stairs, running his hand back and forth with boredom along the stair rail.
"Can't sleep today." He said simply and glanced almost shyly up at Jacob but said no more on the subject. Jacob slowly nodded as though understanding what Dekel was saying, although he wasn't entirely sure.
"You're too busy talking with those friends of yours?" One boy snickered, and a few other kids began to giggle madly, stuffing their fists into their mouths to stifle the sound. Dekel immediately grew defensive, cheeks and eyes blazing.
"Stop it!" He whined, building himself up to his full height, sticking his head in the air as though to see over a crowd. "You don't know anything about anything!"
"Not our fault you're as crazy as they come!" A girl cooed. More giggling followed. Tears began to prick at Dekels eyes.
"Stop it!" He shook his head madly from side to side. "You guys are stupid!"
"Hey, guys, lay off!" Jacob snapped. The children stopped at once, turning to stare confusedly at Jacob. He never shouted at them for anything, and this sudden change in personality startled them too much to continue their teasing. "Leave him be!" There was an awkward silence, and then one boy slowly began to pipe up.
"N-not our fault he's nuts." He muttered, taking a risk by doing this. Immediately every head turned to Jacob to see his reaction.
"What was that?!" Jacob shouted, the intense urge to protect Dekel driving him to yell. There was dead silence. Not a child stirred or even dared to breathe.
"You guys will be sorry!" Dekel suddenly screamed making everyone jump clean out of their skins. Tears ran from his blue eyes, running the course of his face to plop onto the wooden floor below. "You'll all be sorry! She'll get you one day! All of you! You'll see!" With that, the ten-year-old spun clean around and raced up the stairs, feet pounding against the wood.
"What's going on in there?" came a hurried voice. "Ah, Jacob, you got all I wanted alright?" It was Tifa looking tired and fed up, Marlene at her heals with Denzel right behind her.
"Yeah, got it." He held up the package and an arm dangling with other groceries.
"What's the fuss?" Tifa looked at the kids who looked so shell-shocked you'd think they'd been to the moon and back. "Hmmmmm?" She carried on.
"I-it was Dekel again!" One girl said. "He started it!" She pounded her foot against the floor in agitation.
"Yeah, he came down here and-" Jacob cut across the next boy who spoke.
"He came down and did nothing." He finished for the boy who instantly clammed up. "You all bit his head off before that." Jacob was still fuming. Tifa looked around from guilty face to guilty face, hers a little sympathetic but bothered at the same time.
"I think I told you guys to leave him alone." She scolded, folding her arms across her chest. "Now look what you did." She sighed.
"But he's so weird!" One girl exploded. "Not our fault he talks to things. Or says he does."
"Let him be." Tifa shook her head angrily. "No, he's not like you, but that doesn't mean you can persecute him for it."
"What does pers-persootoot mean?" One little girl innocently asked, cocking her head to the side. Tifa smiled.
"It means to bully somebody. Don't bully Dekel. Leave him alone. He's got enough to worry about." Tifa unfolded her arms. "We clear?"
"Yes ma'am." The kids chorused.
"Good, now go, and I want every one of you to apologize when Dekel gets down here." The kids ran off, some muttering under their breath. Tifa heaved another sigh and looked to Jacob. "Now," she started over with a smile, "you look like you have something on your mind...?"
"Yeah," Jacob nodded vigorously.
"How important is it?" Tifa glanced over her shoulder into the kitchen.
"Very. Least I think it is." Jacob felt antsy again. Tifa nodded once and looked at Denzel and Marlene.
"Can I trust you two to finish dinner?" She asked. Marlene nodded.
"You know you can!" She beamed. Tifa grinned in appreciation.
"Get going you two. I need things done for when Cloud gets back. Barret is off to greet them already."
"Alright." Denzel said and inched back into the kitchen with Marlene trailing behind.
"So," Tifa looked back at Jacob, her eyes steely and questioning, "tell me everything."
Jacob and Tifa sat down in the living area, well, not really a living/family room; it was less homely than one might think and messy, no real personal feeling or space to it with dilapidated furniture, but it did have comfortable chairs. However, neither Jacob nor Tifa fell to distraction as they sat down in those comfortable chairs. Jacob jumped right into his tale, not hesitating a moment despite his nervousness, and he, with an ashamed knot building in his heart, described his lack of skill in throwing off the two men.
"I-I didn't mean to sound so..." He reached of a word, "...so suspicious, but I was nervous. You know I can't lie, even when I need to. I just can't." Jacob's tone was pleading. Tifa sat back in her chair, folding one leg over the next, deep in thought.
"It wouldn't matter anyhow." She said at length, eyes darting to meet Jacobs, and there was something startling in her eyes that Jacob didn't like. A cold stone floated from Jacob's throat to settle in his fluttering stomach. "They already know." She heaved a sigh.
"W-will they come?" Jacob asked, voice quivering as his nerves shot through the roof. His hands kneaded nervously at his pant legs.
Slowly, Tifa nodded. Jacob let out a long low breath, sinking back into his chair. This was it.
"You know what to do," Tifa suddenly said, eyes ablaze. "We can't let them win." A small smirk touched her lips, and Jacob was a little startled at how easily she could smile.
"You're not thinking about-"
"Can't let them get the children. Not Dekel..." Tifa stood up and looked down at Jacob. "As soon as you can, get Terace up here and make him watch the kids. I need you to clear the escape way. After that, get up here and clear the place out. You know where to meet." She turned.
"Tifa...!" He issued a small cry, insides squirming so bad he felt sick. "Tifa, where are you-"
"Can't let Cloud and the clones in yet, you know that!" She grinned and cupped a hand on Jacob's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You'll get them through this. I know you will." Tifa's eyes sparkled for a moment, and then she was gone, running out the door, pulling on her leather fighting gloves as she went.
Jacob stood up, shaking slightly. This was all happening too fast. Too fast to understand. He had only just finished his story. And what about after he cleared out Seventh Heaven? What then? And he couldn't lead a team of children out of Midgar and escape the ShinRa! He had practiced it, the escape, with Tifa and a few other AVALANCHE members, but had never expected to ever use his training. It was dangerous the hidden passage, cutting right into the sewers. Jacob's heart was beating so fast he was sure it would burst. What to do?
"Terace!" He screamed. "Terace! Marlene! Denzel!" He shouted each name, his cry a little alien to his own ears. They needed to know, and Terace, even though he was an irresponsible bum, had a job to do. "Ter-" he was about to start his wild scream again when the kitchen door banged open. Marlene and Denzel skidded out to meet him, a small wave of children behind them, each bringing the wafting smell of chicken and garlic out into the hall.
"What, what, what?!" Marlene said with eyes wide with concern. "You yelled!?"
"What's all that racket?!" snaps a voice from the basement door. "What's goin' on?" Terace stood, all eighteen years of him, in the door, eyes bleary from a nap. He was Cid's cousin's son who was a bit rough around the edges. His tousled blond hair covered part of his face obscuring one navy eye. A dusting of freckles littered his face, and he always had a slightly disheveled look about him. It was a wonder that he had never touched an ounce of liquor in all his life because he could be about as reckless as a drunk sometimes.
"Jacob?" Denzel's very pale face turned to stare at Jacob's own meek one. "Where's Tifa?"
"Come 'ere, all of you. All but the kids I mean." Ignoring the question, Jacob beckoned to the three others who approached Jacob.
"This had better be damned important, kid!" Terace snapped, crossing his arms. "I was 'sleep when you started all that yellin'."
"Yeah, I got dinner going, and Tifa will be so mad if it's not done." Marlene looked edgily back over her shoulder as though begging to go back in there and finish. Disobeying Tifa was sin to Marlene. Jacob breathed in deep, sweat breaking out over his forehead. Impatiently, he brushed it all away.
"Tifa has gone to tell Cloud and them not to come." As Jacob said this he noticed the look of confusion building in each face, well, everybody's but Terace's. He never looked like he could give a damn over anybody but himself.
"Why?" Denzel said and nervously began to chew at one fingernail.
"Yeah, why's aunty Tifa not hewe?" Said one little three-year-old, mispronouncing the r in here. Jacob really hadn't bothered to lower his voice much.
"Well-" Jacob started but Terace cut him dead.
"This it?" He muttered in a quiet voice which was rather uncharacteristic. Jacob stared long and hard at him, and nodded. Marlene pursed her lips and Denzel began to work even harder at his fingernail.
"Terace, you got'ta look after these kids here while I, er, go get our ticket out'ta here ready." Jacob instructed each, his voice dropping. "Marlene, get the kids fed. Don't worry about Cloud and Tifa and all them right now. They aren't coming back, and it will be awhile before our next meal I think." Marlene slowly nodded.
"'kay." She whispered.
"Denzel, you'll need to get the weapons ready. We're gonna have'ta be ready to protect the kids. They can't fight." Denzel nodded, dropping his chewed up finger to his side.
"I can do that." He said, voice a little more steady than Jacob would have thought it would be.
"When do we go?" Terace said. "I can't keep 'em all under control for that long. They don't like me at all." He snickered a little.
"Try being a little nicer and maybe they would." Marlene said in cool tones, giving Terace a condescending glance.
"Don't tell me off little miss!" He barked, temper flaring immediately. "Don't see what your big deal is. Not your orders to keep 'em all under control."
"I'm putting warm food in their bellies! That's more than what you do any day!" She retorted. Terace opened his mouth to retaliate but Jacob had had enough.
"Shut up!" He shouted, on wits end. The two shut it, but stood in angry silence.
"Jake said a bad word!" Gasped Kes, putting her hands over her mouth.
"Yes I did," Jacob said to her, "and that was bad of me. Sorry." He looked back at everybody and gave a nod. "Get to it. I'll get Dekel down here and go get the passage cleared up and ready." Terace shoved his hands in his pockets and sat down in a chair. Marlene bustled off to finish dinner, and Dekel ran off to do his job.
"You kids stay in here!" Terace shouted. "I ain't chasing none of you down. Can get kidnapped for all I care." Jacob hurried upstairs.
Gingerly, Jacob knocked on Dekel's door, waiting for the voice on the other side to allow him entrance. It took a few tries, but finally Jacob got his answer.
"Go away," came the voice.
"It's Jacob," there was a pause.
"What is it? What do you want?" came the sulky voice again. Jacob paused, and slowly he put his hand to the knob and tried to twist it. It was locked.
"You need to come downstairs. Dinner..." Jacob said vaguely.
"Liar," Said Dekel, and soft footsteps echoed from behind the locked door. A small click later, the door was open and Dekel's white haired head poked out from around the door. "Dinner is never this early. Not when we have guests." Dekel was a sharp boy, part of the reason why Jacob liked him so much. Since Jacob's own brother had died, Dekel had sort of taken that place in Jacob's heart. The two shared a bond like brother and brother, and Dekel even looked like Jacob's late sibling. The really light hair, blue eyes, even the way they talked was the same. "If you want me to come," said the boy, coming a little further out of his room, "please, tell me the truth." His voice had lost the hurt edge it had just had, replaced by something a little more curious.
Jacob bit hard on the side of his mouth and nodded. Dekel needed to know, even if he was ten, he was a clone, and this was a war against the clones. The ShinRa, after Kadaj and his brothers were dead, decided all clones were dangerous, unstable and 'failed experiments.' A new president had come to power at ShinRa after Rufus had gone away with the Turks on some secret mission. Rufus had never intended on giving away his power, but the man who he had bestowed the temporary place of president with turned out to have his own agenda. Now there was an ethnic cleansing of all those born from Jenova cells. The clones were killed in such a way that they had no hope of going to the Lifestream and could therefore never be reborn. They were simply erased.
AVALANCHE of course didn't agree with this. Cloud took it once again upon himself to put a stop to the government's plans. He and a few teammates were always off finding clones, bringing them back to Seventh Heaven, and then off to the City of the Ancients. There was no safe place for the clones, nowhere was safe from the hate of the ShinRa and the brainwashed people supporting them. That and there were so many clones, there wasn't a place to keep them all. So, to ensure their safety, they were destroyed and sent to the Lifestream where Aeris would meet them. The clones were not killed inhumanly, Cloud and the others tried to explain. They were lead to a pit of water collected from the Cleansing Rains that fell to destroy the geostigma, and there their bodies would disappear. Then they could be reborn.
Many people said this was just as bad as what the ShinRa were doing, but Cloud was convinced it was the right thing to do. He never said why, but he was so sure about it, so dead sure, it was hard to doubt him. And now the ShinRa had found Cloud out, him and everyone associated with him, and if captured, everyone would be jailed or executed.
Dekel blinked a few times at Jacob, waiting.
"We have to leave here." Jacob said slowly, quietly, trying to keep some order in his voice despite the chaos behind his words.
"They coming for me?" Dekel knew about the situation. Jacob and the others had tried to hide the truth from him so that he may live his life without fear, but he found out. Somehow, he had.
"Yeah, all of us." Dekel's face went sour.
"You're not sending me to the Lifestream!" He shouted, shaking his head. "I don't care what you say, I won't go!" He wiped his eyes before they started leaking again. He was already pushed to his limits. Jacob draped an arm around Dekel's shoulder, and the boy let it rest there. "She says it's wrong, Jakey. And if She says it's wrong, it is." Jacob had no idea who this 'She' was. Dekel often brought Her up and never said who, but Jacob put it off as just nightmares. That was until Marlene claimed that when Dekel talked of this strange woman, she could often feel something moving as though there was somebody there next to her, but she had trouble explaining it. This freaked Jacob out, and now whenever this woman was brought up in conversation, he had a habit of looking over his shoulder as though looking for her.
"You won't." Jacob said, leading him away down the stairs and glancing over to look into Dekel's room. "You won't."