AUTHORS NOTES: OMG I'm so, SO SO SO sorry for how long it took me to write this! Everything's just been all messed up with moving again and new job and night-classes and all that crazy stuff! But that's just no excuse! I'm a bad bad person and I'm so sorry! Hope at least some of you will continue reading after this screw-up of mine! Again I'm so so so sorry! It's unforgivable!

Anyhow. I've had a lot of trouble with this chapter (Duh!) and it was really hard to write! Hopefully it doesn't show.

If you don't hate me too much by now, please enjoy this VERY delayed chapter. AGAIN! SORRY!

The encounter with the three men had proved a strain on Yazoos already fragile health and he was once again bed-ridden for a day or two. Marlene waited on him and foot during this time, bringing him food and extra sweaters (still Tifas) juice, books and various other items to Yazoos great disapproval. He didn't want to be a bother, and he didn't need four wool sweaters but thank you anyway and no, no more juice please. It got so bad that Tifa actually had to tell Marlene to stay away from Yazoo because he would never have any time to get better if she didn't let him rest. After sleeping for almost 24 hours Yazoo felt strong enough to walk around the house, to Marlenes outmost joy.

To Tifas surprise Yazoo actually proved a big help around the house. Not much as doing the heavy work, but he was a distraction, both for her and for the children. He did his part and quietly aided Tifa. He was very quiet, she noticed. He didn't speak unless he was spoken to, most of the time, but Tifa assumed he listened all the more and those feline eyes didn't seem to miss anything. But not once did he touch Tifa, of any of the children. In fact, he seemed to shy away from the slightest threat of human contact. It was quite an odd behaviour and Tifa wondered a lot of the origin of it watching Yazoo silently slipping out of the way of running children.

He was still unnaturally tired though and would fall asleep instantly, half-way through a task. Several times Tifa had found him asleep on the floor by the sink, his hands still wet and a plate by his side. These sleeps were scary, quiet, and just as unnatural as the suddenness of their occurrences. With he slept like that Yazoo hardly breathed, his eyes didn't wonder underneath his eyelids and he was almost impossible to wake up. It worried Tifa more and more, for what if he was sick, and what if it was contagious? Tifa tried to speak with Yazoo about it, but he would give any satisfying answers.

One afternoon two weeks after the fire in Seventh Heaven, Tifa was making dinner and Yazoo was humouring Marlene by letting her show him some drawings she'd made. He came with polite little comments that made Marlene outshine the sun with pride. Tifa noticed that Yazoos voice was lower then usual, and a little sore. He'd had a coughing fit half an hour earlier and now there was a slight wheezing when he breathed. Tifa suddenly realized that something was really familiar with that wheezing.

"Yazoo" she said, immediately getting his full attention "How long have you had that chough of yours?"

"All my life" Yazoo responded.

"Does your chest hurt afterwards?" Tifa asked "Like, does it feel like there's a whole lot of grains of sand stuck in your throat and lungs which tares at your insides when you breathe?"

Yazoos eyes narrowed at this detailed metaphor. He turned his profile to her, placing one hand of his chest and closing his eyes, as if to really feel it trough, before responding.

"Yes, it does"

"I think you might have asthma" Tifa said triumphantly.

"Asthma?" Yazoo turned to her with surprise on his face.

"Yeah, I had it when I was a kid, so I know what it sounds like" Tifa continued "The condition is easily treated with the right medication. It's not even hard to get"

"That means that you can be all better!" Marlene cried, jumping up and down in front of Yazoo. He, however, seemed lost in thought. His eyes narrowed and he frowned, pushing a long strain of silver hair out of his face.

"But that can't be" he mumbled "It's so simple. Surly the professors should have …. Unless… "

His head snapped up, his eyes wide with the realization.

"Unless they kept me ill on purpose"

Something changed in Yazoos eyes. They became hard, cold, angry – so much like…

"Tifa?"

She snapped her head around to the front door as that familiar voice called her name. A dark-dressed figure stepped into the room, his huge sword hanging from his back and dust covering his clothes. His blue eyes caught hers for just a millisecond and she saw his pain, then Cloud noticed the silver-haired man sitting at Aeris dining-table. Yazoo had half-risen from his seat as if to greet the man that had to be this Cloud of which Tifa so often spoke when she thought no one was listening. But when the blonde snapped to him and their eyes met in a clash of radiant green and glowing blue Yazoo felt something he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Fear. A cold chill ran down his spine and alerted his body of the danger. He was able to throw himself out of the way before Clouds blade cut the table in half at the place Yazoo had just been standing. Flashes of memories which wasn't his own ravaged his mind. A battle someplace else. Fire and screams. Those eyes, filled with hate. Why did he fear those eyes?

He manages to dodge the slashes of the mighty sword, but for how long? Automatically, his hand had reach for Velvet Nightmare, but his gunblade wasn't with him. He hadn't even brought it with him into Midgar. He wasn't supposed to be long. And all the resistance he would have faced within these city-walls would have been easily dealt with by hand.

Damn the blonde was fast. How could he swing that blade and move at that speed at the same time? Had they been out-doors, Yazoo thought as he used a chair to swing Clouds sword of track, he would have been able to escape. Be would have been faster. More silent. But as things now where, he was trapped. And to his great frustration, he felt his body giving in. It didn't have the strength for this. He was vaguely aware of someone screaming. If he could just get outside. Pass this fierce man somehow, pass those eyes and get out, perhaps he would be able to disappear. Though it was unlikely. It was still bright outside, and this was Midgar. Street-lights would glow all night and day. There would be no shadows to hide in. Besides, would he even have the strength to run? His breathing came hard and ragged already.

There, an opening! Cloud had been too eager and thrown himself of balance with a miss-placed swing of the blade. Yazoo took the opportunity and tried to drive a foot into the blondes side. But Cloud was too fast to recover. He managed to grab Yazoo by the ankle and throw him around, on to the floor. Something twisted and cracked in Yazoos leg and he knew he was not going to be able to get up again. Cloud hadn't been clumsy, it was a trick, and Yazoo had been too stupid and too worried to notice. He hadn't kept his focus. Damn. Laying on his side, gazing up at those blue eyes, he felt an odd sense of dêja-vu. His thoughts went to his brothers, where they where and what they were doing, and if they would look after each other. He was sure he was going to die when Cloud lifted his sword for a last blow. The scream came closer and then it landed right on top of Yazoo. A small, light, brown-haired angel who had thrown herself un to Yazoos chest, hugging his shoulders while screaming.

"You can't kill him leave him alone!" Tears ran down Marlenes face as she held on to Yazoo with all her strength "You can't kill him why are you fighting you can't"

Cloud looked completely dumb-founded with his sword still raised. Yazoo couldn't breathe.

Sweet, sweet little Marlene….