Hey dudes! Man, I can't believe I got this chapter out this fast! It may not seem all that amazing to you guys but consider the fact that I'm also on track with NaNoWriMo and have already written over 13,000 words for an entirely different story at the same time I was writing this!...Jeez I must be crazy. Good thing I like to write…

Anyway, as always, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed: b4k4 ch4n, The Hollow Fairy Wolf, Nekotsubasa, An Antique Heart, Becca86, DeNiSaY60, Bane-Dane, Shinimegami7, flammula, ramen-is-my-goddess, , Clockwork Phoenix, Blah..., FireHawk038, Dragi, Neko-Tang, Anonymous, ooXloveXoo582, Aindel S. Druida, jaks-phantom, Shukakku the adorable raccoon, Emerald Moonrose, MadeInHolland, and Hiki-chan! You guys are what keep me motivated and keep me going even when I feel like I never want to see a keyboard again in my life! I can't promise that the next chapter will be out so promptly (yes, this was "promptly" for me this month) but I can promise that I will try my best! ^^

O

Chapter 12

There was a long pause on the line, the seconds ticking by like days to Squall as he waited for a reply. Finally, Cloud's voice returned, his voice a little off, "…Leon?"

"Yeah. Listen, I need a favor."

"I heard you the first time. How'd you get my number?"

"You gave me your business card."

"You tore it up."

Squall grimaced before stuffing said torn business card back into his pocket to free up his other hand, "I hadn't thrown it out yet."

He heard Cloud let out an annoyed breath of air, "Why are you calling me for a favor?"

"Because, I don't have anyone else I can call—" A low curse escaped passed Squall's lips as the doors to the hotel were flung open, the three Organization members rushing outside. He ducked down further, knowing that if he ran now he would immediately be spotted.

Perhaps catching the cuss word over the phone, Cloud's tone grew more serious, "What's going on?"

"You know about the Organization from Dark City, right?" Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, Squall peeked out from behind the planter to see the Organization members beginning to head his way. They were going to find him soon.

"Yeah. That tower you tried to rob belonged to them."

"Well…Wait, hold on a minute." Squall switched the phone into his left hand so he could take his handgun back up into his right. Deciding that it would be best to try and escape now before getting trapped in a corner, he fired off a few rounds to try and distract them before leaping to his feet. As he had hoped, they had taken a second to find some cover, giving him the chance to stand and run in the opposite direction. As soon as they realized that he was escaping rather than making a stand, they began to open fire, forcing Squall to resort to evasive techniques he had been taught in boot camp as he sprinted down the street and around a corner.

Knowing that they would follow, Squall quickly darted down another alleyway. They were beginning to move back into the Second District and he was hoping to lose them in the more commercial areas. Pulling the phone back up to his ear as he ran, Squall panted into it, "You still there?"

"Yes, I am, and what the hell was that?"

"Gunfire."

"Who did you shoot?"

His accusatory tone made Squall let out a tense laugh, not an easy thing considering that he was still sprinting, "No one unfortunately. The Organization is trying to make their hit. I could use a pick-up."

"Where are you?"

"Traverse Town, west side of the Second District."

"Alright, I'll be right there. Don't kill anyone."

Squall frowned. What did he mean, he'd be right there? It took two hours to get here from Twilight Town, "What do you mean? Where are you?"

There was a pause again before Cloud spoke back up, his voice accompanied by the sound of a car engine starting up, "Don't worry about that. How far are you from that bell tower?"

"I can be there in about five minutes."

"Good. I'll meet you there."

Squall scowled as the line went dead, Cloud having hung up. The bell tower was only a few blocks away; he knew the area well because his house was only about a ten minute walk in the other direction. He didn't know what Cloud was doing but it wasn't like he had a better plan than to trust him. Frowning, Squall kept up his pace, willing his breath to stay steady as his boots pounded across the cobblestone streets. He was making too much noise but that really was the least of his concerns right now, speed the biggest thing on his mind.

Squall glanced back as he heard heavy voices echoing out from somewhere behind him and knew that even though he had lost visual contact with the Organization members didn't mean that he had lost them. Knowing that he was running right back into a populated area, he tucked his gun away again, not wanting to attract more attention than necessary or, worse, have his gun accidently discharge if his finger slipped. It had been a good decision because a moment later, he ran back out of the back alleyway and into one of the many open courtyards scattered throughout the district. A handful of kids who had just gotten out of school were hanging about, a woman with her child glancing over at him with a small, disapproving frown on her lips as he didn't slow his pace.

Seeing the small clock tower peeking up over the red tile rooftops from behind a line of houses, Squall pushed himself on. His chest was heaving by the time the whole building came into view, his grey eyes widening just a little as he spotted a car idling down at its base on the sidewalk. Hearing a loud shout, Squall realized that he had slowed down at the sight and burst back into a sprint as he saw the three Organization thugs run out into the courtyard. Having the car in view helped him forget about the pain in his lungs and in his legs and Squall didn't think he had ever run so fast in his life as he bolted for the vehicle. As he drew closer, he made out a head of blonde hair sitting in the driver's seat, the headlights flaring to life as he came within fifty feet.

Cloud leaned over and threw opened the passenger side door as Squall ran over, the SeeD barely slowing his pace before he launched himself into the car, slamming the door shut behind him, "Drive!"

Having seen the guns in the hands of the three men chasing Squall, Cloud didn't need to be told twice and stomped on the gas petal, Squall lurching to the side as he struggled to push himself upright. The tires on Cloud's car squealed plaintively before gaining traction and sending them flying forward, Squall grunting in surprise as Cloud drove right over the curb, the whole car shuddering as they landing roughly on the main street. Eyes whipping over to the window, Squall saw the three guys who had been chasing at him slowing before they disappeared from sight as Cloud roared down the street.

Righting himself, Squall heaved a breath and slowly pulled the seatbelt across himself, only turning to look at Cloud once he heard it lock in with a sharp click. "Thanks…"

The detective spared him a quick glance, Squall unable to stop the small spark that lit up inside of him as their eyes met again, if only for a second. "No problem."

Mentally brushing aside his feelings, he narrowed his eyes, "How did you get here so fast?"

He saw Cloud tighten his grip on the steering wheel before letting out a huff, "I was on a stakeout."

Squall's suspicion was only heightened further. As far as he knew, the only case that Cloud was working on right now was his, "What were you staking out?"

Cloud's lips drew down into a tight frown, his blue eyes darting over to Squall again before he seemed to give up, "I was staking out your house, alright?" The detective rolled his eyes, "I was starting to wonder where you were too…Of course you were getting into a gun fight..."

"It's not like I started it! And what were you watching my house for?"

"Because you are a suspect in my high profile case? Now are you going to tell me exactly what's going on or are you going to turn this into another interrogation?"

Cloud seemed unusually stiff, his face carefully and suspiciously devoid of any of the awkwardness Squall had been anticipating at their next meeting. Eyeing him for a moment more, Squall turned to look out the window, "Like I said over the phone, the Organization was making their move. I was separated from my ride so I had to try and escape on foot."

"What about the other two, Riku and Zexion?"

Squall opened his mouth then hesitated. If they were right, then there was an Organization informant in the Twilight Town Police Department. Any information he gave Cloud could put Riku and Zexion, and more importantly Sora, at risk, "They're hiding."

"I suppose that means that you're planning on going into hiding too then."

It wasn't a question so much as a statement of a fact, so Squall didn't bother addressing it, "Just drop me off at the city limits."

"Sorry, I can't do that."

"What?" Squall turned his head back around just in time to see Cloud's eyes redirect from his face back onto the road, "Why not?"

"I can't let you just disappear. You're a suspect in my case."

"I'm going to be a dead suspect if you don't let me go."

"Look, the police can provide you, Riku, and Zexion with protection until a trial date is set—"

"That could take forever, judging by your progress so far!"

He saw Cloud's lips tighten into a line before the blond finally met his eyes, "Maybe we're closer than you think to getting a break in the case."

Squall's brow furrowed at the detective's seriousness. It was like he was being warned and he didn't like the implications. Seeing his look, Cloud exhaled and instead of turning off onto the freeway on-ramp directed the car in the opposite direction, pulling up into the empty parking lot of an abandoned warehouse. Squall was about to ask what he was doing before the blond roughly shifted the car into park and unfastened his seatbelt so that he could bodily face his passenger, "You need to come up with a plan, right now."

Frowning, Squall crossed his arms over his chest, "I have a plan. I'm going to drop under the radar for a few days, maybe weeks, until people stop trying to kill me."

"You need a better plan. I'm not just going to drop you off in some field outside of town to let you wander off to gods know where!"

"It sounds like you almost care what happens to me."

Cloud scowled, "I care about being accused of assisting a criminal escape prosecution! If you leave now, who's to say you'll come back? Do you really think I'm going to let you out of my sight just before we manage to wrap up our investigation?"

"I'm a little more concerned about getting shot." Sensing that Cloud wasn't going to drive him any further, Squall wrestled his seatbelt off, "How about this, I'll let you know as soon as I get back into town?"

"That's not good enough!" Cloud's brow furrowed as Squall opened the passenger side door, "Where are you going?"

"I'll walk from here."

As he stepped out, Squall heard Cloud fumbling with his own door, "You bastard!" The detective climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut before walking around the trunk of the car to where Squall was standing. "I save you from getting shot down in the street and you try to skip out on me?"

"Sorry to disappoint."

Squall straightened up as Cloud stalked over, the blond man almost intimidating despite the one or two inches in height and shoulder width Squall had on the other man, "I can have you arrested you know!"

"For what, self defense?"

Cloud's blue eyes flashed dangerously, the look sending a spark through Squall, "For now, at least for carrying a concealed weapon!"

Squall tensed at Cloud's threat. If he was held in one place, there was no doubt in his mind that the Organization would find a way to get to him. Even if he was taken to the Twilight Town station for holding, the informant there, whoever it was, could put him at a high risk. "If you arrest me now, I'm as good as dead!"

"It's a chance I'm willing to take!"

Squall stared straight into the other man's eyes, "No it isn't."

"Oh yeah? How do you figure?"

Squall didn't answer with a verbal reply, instead ducking down to press their lips together in a kiss. He felt Cloud stiffen as he raised his hands up to cup the sides of the blonde's face, Squall's eyes falling shut as Cloud finally began to reciprocate. Feeling the detective's fingers run through his hair, he winced as Cloud suddenly fisted his brunette strands and gave a sharp tug, effectively separating them. Squall's eyes shot back open to find the other man panting, a very alluring blush spread across his pale skin and the blonde's voice trembling with anger as he murmured, "I hate you. I hate you so much."

About to respond, Squall was silenced as Cloud forced their lips back together, a small moan escaping the SeeD as Cloud deepened the kiss, both of their eyes flickering back closed. When the need to breathe became too great, Squall finally pulled away, a small smirk working its way onto his face as he took in the other man's composure. So he hadn't been the only one affected by their night together after all. "…You won't arrest me. Not right now anyway."

"Give me…give me one reason why I shouldn't."

"Because I can almost guarantee that if you do I won't last to the end of the week with the Organization after me."

"I'll hold you at the station then."

"It's not safe. The Organization has an informant in your station."

The news seemed to be like dumping a bucket of cold water over Cloud and the detective pulled further back, his eyes narrowing, "What?"

"I said there's an informant at your station. How else do you think the Organization located us so fast?"

"That's, it's ridiculous! Twilight Town's so off the charts it would never attract the Organization. And we haven't had a new employee come in for months!"

"Why would I lie about that? Every single detail you bring up about me, Riku, and Zexion puts us further at risk. Every time you get involved, the Organization follows. Going to the station would be like painting a big target on my back; they'd be able to keep constant tabs on me!"

"Well what the hell else should I do then, besides launching a massive department-wide witch hunt for your informant?"

"Let me run." Squall took a step back. If he could convince Cloud to let him go, he could call Zexion and meet up with them, wherever they ended up. Walking would take a while, but he could get there. Even hitchhiking might be low-profile enough to work. The train was out; judging by their previous thoroughness the Organization was sure to have men waiting there for him. Continuing to back up, Squall met Cloud's eyes with his own, "I'll wait until everything settles out then come back. I swear I will—"

He was cut off as Cloud unexpectedly drew his pistol from his belt holster, the blond moving too fast this time for Squall to do anything but stare, "If you take one more step back, I swear to god I will shoot you myself! Get back here!" Squall's stormy eyes hardened but he obeyed, walking back over to stand next to the trunk of Cloud's car, the blonde's mouth drawn back into a firm line, "What is it that you don't understand about the fact that I can't let you just skip town on my watch? I could lose everything; my case, my job, I could be criminally prosecuted for assisting a fugitive! Don't think for a second that I would give all that up for you!"

"Don't do this to me. If you have any feelings for me at all—"

Cloud didn't even let him finish, "A one night stand doesn't mean anything, and physical attraction doesn't have a thing to do with love! I hate who you are and everything that you stand for in my life! And I will not hesitate in using force to keep you from escaping. Got it?"

Squall nodded stiffly, unwilling to admit the small stab of pain Cloud's words had sent into his heart. "I got it."

A flash of regret swept through Cloud's eyes and for a moment Squall thought he had let some of his hurt show through. Seeing that the soldier was no longer trying to escape, the detective lowered his gun, his tone much more muted as he spoke next, "Good…Now, you called me asking for help." Slipping his handgun back into its holster, Cloud looked back up into Squall's face, his attitude now business-like, "And as much as I want to see you in jail for the burglary and homicide, I don't think that the Organization should get to be judge, jury, and executioner. As the lead detective on this case, part of my job is to make sure that my suspect makes it to the defendant's stand. What can I do, besides letting you run, to keep you alive?"

Squall snorted, his arms moving back to cross over his chest, "Find me a place to hide for a while, without letting anyone else at the station know about it. The only person I trust not to be the Organization's informant is you; you're too self-important to be bribed."

"You can trust my partner, Detective Flynn."

"No, I can't."

Cloud seemed to bristle at this, his gaze falling to the side, "It's not Axel..." He fell silent for a moment before shaking off his thoughts, "But besides that, I can probably arrange some sort of safe-house for you. It'd work better if you were able to convince Riku and Zexion to join in."

"We'll see about that…" Squall's voice trailed of as something caught the corner of his eyes. Following his instincts, he turned his head to get a better look, his eyes narrowing as they found what had stolen his attention. It was a black SUV, the glare of the setting sun catching off of its windows as it made its way down the city street toward their location. In any other case, Squall would've chalked it up to paranoia but in this instance, anything was possible.

Noticing that he had become distracted, Cloud frowned as he picked up on Squall's sudden unease, "What is it?"

"That car…it's the same model."

"As what?"

"As the car that nearly took me, Riku and Zexion out in that drive-by yesterday." Gaze never leaving the car, Squall's eyes widened as the SUV failed to turn onto the on-ramp. That meant that they were coming this way. There could only be one reason for that. "We should take cover."

"What, you think they're going to try and shoot you?" Cloud eyed the approaching vehicle warily as it turned into the parking lot, "If that's really the Organization, and they know as much as you say they do, then they should know who I am and know better than to try and—oof!" Cloud let out a grunt as Squall suddenly roughly tackled him to the ground behind the side of the Cloud's car just in time to avoid a round of gunfire.

Neon blue eyes widened before Cloud grimaced and smacked Squall as the brunette shielded the lithe man with his own body, "Get off! Get up and into the car!"

Squall growled at the punch, grabbing Cloud's wrist to make him stop, "You're welcome by the way."

"This isn't the time! Move!"

Trying to stay low, Squall reached up for the driver's side door handle as he heard the tires of the Organization's SUV screech. They were turning around for another go. Wrenching the car door open overhead, Squall pushed himself up onto his knees so that he was straddling Cloud. Ignoring their position, he jumped up into the car, having to crawl over all of the gadgets in the center divider left over from the vehicle's days as a police cruiser. Cloud followed soon after, shoving Squall down into his seat to make more room before slamming the door shut behind him. Just in time too; just as Cloud's hands touched the ignition key, another volley of bullets rained down on them.

Throwing his hands up to shield his face and eyes, Squall let out a breath as he realized that the shower of glass he had been expecting was not coming. Looking over he realized why. The car windows were spiderwebbed with fracture lines, bullets reaching half-way through the glass, but they hadn't shattered. They were the same bullet-proof windows the car had been issued when it was a police cruiser.

His attention was redirected to his left as the car's engine roared to life, Cloud's knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. "You might want to put your seatbelt on."

Heeding the advice, Squall quickly drew his seatbelt across his chest, snapping it into place as he watched the black SUV swerve again for yet another go. Cloud apparently had them in his sights as well, shifting the car into reverse as the SUV accelerated towards them. "Hang on, this will get bumpy." Squall didn't need to be told twice and braced himself against the dashboard as Cloud gunned it, sending them flying back. The detective had twisted around in his head so that he could look back over his shoulder and through the back window, a frown of concentration on his face as he steered them back through the empty parking lot.

The driver of the SUV wasn't deterred however and kept pace, "Cloud, they're catching up…"

"That's alright, we're almost there."

"Almost whe—ah, shit!" Squall held on as suddenly the car bounced up over a curb, having reached the end of the parking lot. Whipping them around, Cloud steered right over a neglected planter box that separated the parking space from the main road, dirt and plant debris flying up into the air as the tire tore through the soil, the car giving another jolt as they bounced back down onto the street. Not even waiting for the car to come to a full stop, Cloud threw it into drive, the sudden change in direction causing Squall's stomach to lurch.

The black SUV was hot on their tail, not having been slowed at all by Cloud's off-roading detour. "Can't this thing go any faster? They're gaining on us!"

"This isn't exactly a new car. It's got horsepower but I don't think we'll be able to outrun them!"

Turning back around in his seat, Cloud slammed the gas pedal down again to try and get them to the on-ramp to the freeway. Glancing over, he motioned towards one of the panels mounted on the dash, "Switch on the radio for me."

Finding the proper label, Squall flipped a switch and a soft static filled the air. Cloud reached out and snatched the radio up, "This is Detective Cloud Strife of the Twilight Town PD requesting immediate assistance. I've got a two seventeen, shots fired, being pursued by a black SUV, license plate number unknown. Do you copy?"

A second passed before the radio flared back to life, "--Detective Strife, this is dispatch at Traverse Town PD. What is your location?--"

Cloud glanced hesitantly over at Squall who grabbed the radio from him, "The northbound intercity on-ramp on the east side of the Second District."

"--Copy that. We're sending someone out to you now. All units be advised, we've got an eleven-ninety-nine, northbound on the intercity highway, east side of district two. Eleven-fifty-six, officer being pursued with shots fired. Any units in the area report to location immediately for assistance—"

Squall hooked the radio back in its place, looking back as Cloud sped up the on-ramp and onto the highway, the blond checking the traffic before careening onto the freeway. Once again bracing himself against the dashboard, Squall prepared himself for the screeching of breaks and a collision but Cloud seemed to have maintained control of the vehicle despite the wild driving, quickly pulling into the fast lane to try and avoid slower traffic. As Squall glanced over his shoulder, he noticed something strange. The black SUV had gotten onto the freeway as if to follow them but was staying in the far right lane, quickly falling out of sight as Cloud gunned the engine. "Hey, you're losing them."

"What?"

"They're not following. Either the driver suddenly got shy or their giving up."

Slowing his speed to a somewhat less manic pace, Cloud searched his mirrors for their attackers, "Why are they giving up now? It doesn't make sense."

"Don't ask me."

"Why not? They were after you and you seem to have a better idea of what's going on than I do right now…" Cloud growled out this last part and Squall knew he still must be thinking on the idea that they had a rat lurking in the Twilight Town Police Department. When Squall failed to reply, Cloud let out a sigh and snatched the radio back up, "This is Detective Strife. Code four, pursuer has abandoned the chase. Lost visual contact on the intercity highway."

There was a short pause before the dispatcher responded "—Ten-four. Do you need any further assistance?—"

Cloud scanned the roads one more time before shaking his head, "Negative."

"—Understood. All units, be on the look out for suspicious black SUV coming off the intercity near district two.—"

Motioning for Squall to flip the radio off again, Cloud shook his head again and he hung the handset back up, his brows narrowed in confusion. "I still don't get it."

Squall frowned, "I doubt they've given up. I wouldn't be surprised if they fell back but are still keeping tabs on us."

"You sure know how to make a guy feel at ease…" Straightening up in his seat, the blond relaxed his death grip on the steering wheel a little and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his cell phone, "But in the meantime we should get you to a safe place."

"Who are you calling?"

"Axel."

"Why?"

Cloud gave Squall an annoyed expression, "Because the only convenient place I can think of to take you is his house. He lives out in the country right now, about half an hour away from Twilight Town. If you gave me a week, I could have set up something else but we don't have that kind of time. The sooner we get off the road the better."

Uneasy at the idea of bringing yet another detective into this mess, Squall nevertheless settled back into his seat to let Cloud make his call.

The phone rang a few times before Squall heard someone pick up, the volume of their voice loud enough to let him heard the whole conversation. "Yo, Cloud, what's up? Did you find anything at Leonhart's place?"

Squall raised a brow at the statement but Cloud only threw him a frustrated look. That's right. Cloud had been in Traverse Town in the first place because he had been staking out his house. "Listen Axel, there was a change in plans."

"Uh-oh. Why do I have a bad feeling about what you're going to say next?"

"Yeah," Cloud stole another glance at Squall before turning his attention back to the road, "Leon called me while I was out."

"What? What the hell for?"

"Turns out the Organization got to him and he needed protection. I picked him up; he's here in the car now."

"What?! Can he hear me?"

"Probably, your phone's always so loud I can barely hear myself think…" Squall gave a small nod and Cloud confirmed it, "Yes, he can hear you."

"Well shit. He's not giving you any trouble, is he?"

"Like you wouldn't believe…I'll tell you the whole story when we get to your place. You're home, right?"

"Wait, wait, what? Yes I'm home, but what do you mean you're coming over? Now?"

"Yes, now. Why, is that a problem?"

"Sort of! Besides, I would like a little warning before you start inviting murderous psychos over to my home!" Squall scoffed a little at this but Axel apparently hadn't heard, continuing on, "I also sort of have a life on my day out and company wasn't exactly—"

"Hey Ax, who's on the phone?"

Squall saw Cloud tense as a second male's voice came on, his voice holding a dangerous tone to it that even Squall hadn't heard before as the blond held his cell phone closer to his face, "…Axel? What is Roxas doing at your house?"

"What? Oh, um—" Squall blinked as he heard the sounds of muttered voices come over the line before Axel's voice returned, "Just to hang out, is all. No big deal right? Anyway, uh, how long are you going to be?"

"One hour. And if I find any sign that you did anything else besides 'hang out' I will make you regret it."

"Gotcha. See you soon then!"

Cloud scowled down as Axel hung up before shoving the cell phone back into his pocket. Curious over who could make Cloud have such a reaction, Squall raised his eyebrows, "So Roxas would be--?"

The blond looked over before rolling his eyes, "My younger brother."

"And he and your partner, have a thing?"

"Hell if I know. I try to stay out of it." Squall gave a small hum and Cloud eyed him, "What?"

"Nothing. You just always seemed more like an only child to me."

"Since I think that was supposed to be an insult, I'll ignore it. In the meantime, how about you call up your buddies and tell them to meet us at Axel's place?"

Squall's eyebrows rose further but he reached into his pocket to pull out his own cell phone, "You really think that's a good idea? Telling guys like that where one of the detectives who is working their case lives?"

"Axel already agreed to let you come over, didn't he? What difference is two more criminals going to make?"

"Alright, your call, your funeral." Ignoring Cloud's chilling glare, Squall dialed Zexion's number. He hoped that they were alright. It had already been about an hour since he had spoken with them last. A lot could happen in an hour when the Organization was after you. Ever since he had gotten into Cloud's car he had started to second guess his decision to have Riku pick Sora up. He hadn't even been sure that his brother would've been in trouble but now, in the hands of two desperate criminals, he definitely would be. A million scenarios had run through his head about how Sora could've gotten hurt or could've gotten into trouble.

The phone rang once before Zexion picked up and this time it was Cloud who had to sit by and listen to the conversation unfold, although Squall was fairly sure that the detective wouldn't be able to make out what Zexion was saying on his end, "Z…Ienzo," Squall caught himself at the last minute, Cloud shooting him a small look of amusement. "Are you guys alright?"

"Ah, Squall. Yes, we managed to make it out of town without incidence. Are you by chance in the company of a law enforcement officer?"

Zexion's medication must have been wearing off since the man was sharp enough to catch the meaning behind the usage of his real name. "Yeah. It's a long story but basically, I'm with Detective Strife right now. He says he'll offer us protection in exchange for keeping us in town."

There was a pause before Zexion spoke again, "I am not sure I am completely comfortable with that arrangement. However, seeing as I believe we are being periodically followed by the Organization, protection, no matter what the source, is tempting. Hold for a moment."

The line went silent, Zexion undoubtedly covering up the receiver as he discussed the options with Riku. After three long minutes of being put on hold, Zexion finally uncovered the phone, "After having spoken with Riku about it, we have come to the agreement that the best choice of action, given our unfortunate circumstances, would to be to accept the detective's offer, but only on the condition that there will be no legal strings attached."

Apparently Cloud had better hearing than Squall had thought because he leaned over and spoke into the phone loud enough for Zexion to hear him, "Don't worry. You won't be arrested or anything like that. Like Leon said, this is just to keep the three of you from disappearing on us. This plan was made way too offhandedly to be anything more complicated…"

"I see." Cloud straightened up again and continued to eavesdrop, "Then where should we drive to?"

Squall glanced over at Cloud, "I'll text you the address so there's no mistake but start heading towards Twilight Town. We're heading for a residential address about half an hour out of town. Before you hang up, did you pick Sora up?"

"Yes, he is with us. You were right to be worried about him by the way; they arrived at his school just as we left."

So the Organization had gone after him then. He had been doubting that they would sink so far as to use a boy to get an upper-hand; apparently he shouldn't underestimate what they were capable of. "Let me talk to him."

Squall heard Zexion let out a small huff but, after the sound of some jostling, he heard Sora's voice. "Squall?"

"Yeah, Sor. You alright?" Catching Cloud's eyes on him, Squall turned to face the car window to avoid the man's gaze. He wanted his family matters to remain private.

"I'm fine! We've just been driving around in circles pretty much. Riku's trying to lose the bad guys."

"Good. I'll see you soon, okay? Take care of yourself until then. Hand the phone back to Ze—Ienzo." Damn, that was hard to remember.

"Okay. Bye!"

Murmuring a quick good-bye back, Squall waited until the rustling from the phone being passed from person to person stopped before talking again, "So Ienzo, as soon as I hang up I'll text you the address. Will you be able to figure it out from there?"

"My phone has a GPS application, but if I require assistance I will call you back."

"Okay. And if Riku starts driving badly, tell him to knock it off for me."

"You need not worry about that. I would not let Riku drive if doing so would put my life at risk."

Of course not. He should have expected that answer. "Alright. Just get the car here in one piece."

Ending the call, Squall got Axel's address from Cloud and, as promised, promptly sent it as a text to Zexion. Watching as the message was sent out, Squall let out a breath. Sora had sounded fine when they had spoken, maybe a little stressed out, but physically fine. That was pretty much the most he could ask for right now.

"Sora's your brother, right?"

Squall glanced over at Cloud before tucking his cell phone away. It would be stupid to lie, since Cloud probably already knew full well that he had a brother named Sora if he had done any sort of background check. "That's right."

"Why is he with Riku and Zexion? Is he involved in this whole mess too?"

Squall's grey eyes sharpened defensively, "He has nothing to do with this! That is until the Organization brought him into it. They went to his school to try and pick him up but Riku and Zexion got there first."

Cloud actually looked concerned. Apparently it was no surprise that Organization was after Squall but having an innocent being targeted as well bothered him. "They went after your brother? To try and gain a hostage?"

"I'm not sure. Whatever they did, it wouldn't be good. They went after Demyx too, Ienzo's roommate."

"Is he alright?"

"I think so. Ienzo didn't mention anything about it so I assume he handled the situation."

Frowning, Cloud turned a thoughtful gaze back towards the road, "I could have the Traverse Town PD to send out a plainclothes unit to watch his location."

"I don't think Ienzo wants the police involved."

Cloud's frown deepened, "You can call him 'Zexion' you know. Axel and I both already know we have the right guy."

"I don't want to incriminate him."

"Your calling him Zexion won't do much to close our case. Besides, it's not like this conversation is being recorded, it's off the books."

Squall hesitated then gave a small nod. He still couldn't let himself relax too much in Cloud's presence. Cloud had already made it clear that his first priority was to put him, Riku, and Zexion behind bars. "Off the books" or not, if he said anything too damning he was certain that the detective wouldn't hesitate to use it against them.

After that silence fell between the two, although it wasn't as uncomfortable as Squall had expected it to be. Cloud was more at ease now that they weren't being directly followed by the Organization, and, sitting up in the front, Squall could see now that Cloud seemed to genuinely enjoy driving. When they weren't arguing or fighting with each other, Squall had to admit that Cloud made a decent companion, perhaps because of the fact that he didn't say much.

They drove down the highway for about forty five minutes before Cloud merged onto a country road. The pavement was old and cracked and Cloud skillfully maneuvered them around lines of potholes that littered the area. There were houses about every quarter mile nestled back behind a large front yard and a dirt road driveway. It looked like a few people had started up a small personal farm in their backyards, other yards littered with small groves of trees. It was quaint but Squall was having trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that Cloud's partner lived out here. If he had learned anything about the redhead it was that he certainly did not act like a country boy. "Axel lives all the way out here?"

Cloud seemed to understand the question and a smirk slipped onto his lips, "It's strange, huh? From what he's told me, it was his grandparents' house. When they passed away, he moved in because the rent was free, as he puts it. He says he hates it but can't afford to move."

"I'm sure there are some benefits…"

"None that he's interested in. He keeps talking about renting an apartment in downtown Twilight Town but I don't think he can find it within himself to sell the place."

After about five more minutes of driving, Cloud drove down a side road and slowed his speed. They were in front of house that Squall could only describe as charming. It was small, probably only with two bedrooms, with white siding and navy blue roof tiles. The small porch out front was surrounded by a row of hedges and led up to the front door and a large bay window. It definitely was not somewhere Cloud's redheaded partner belonged. "This is it?"

"This is it. Before we go in, I'm going to try to radio Twilight Town." As Squall opened his mouth, Cloud motioned for him to be quiet as he grabbed the handset, "Don't worry, I'm not going to mention details."

Reaching over, the blond flicked the radio on before pressing down the button to talk, "This is Detective Cloud Strife, calling for Twilight Town PD. Twilight Town, do you copy?" The detective frowned as he was met with silence, "Twilight Town, do you copy?"

He fell quiet to wait for a reply and Squall glanced around. He had worked a lot with radios in SeeD and knew something about the ranges of the radios they used there. "Maybe the signal doesn't reach out here."

"Hmm, maybe. I'll give it one more try." Holding down the button again, Cloud spoke into the receiver, "This is Detective Strife calling for Twilight Town PD. Do you read me?"

A minute passed and Cloud let out a sigh. Reaching over, he was just about to turn the radio back off when a voice echoed back at them through the light static, "—Detective Strife, this is Twilight Town PD.—"

Cloud smiled a bit and Squall couldn't help but be surprised at the clarity of the reception. The Twilight Town Police Department apparently had better radios than SeeD did. He would need to talk to Seifer about that when went back out. If he managed to get back that is. The way things were going now he wasn't sure if he'd ever make it back to the desert again. The city was turning out to be just as much a war zone as the battle field was. "I want to call in my location" Cloud listed Axel's address by memory and Squall wondered how often the blond drove all the way out here to visit his partner. "It's about thirty minutes south of Twilight's city limits. I will be off-duty for the next twenty-four hours. Please inform the station of my absence."

"—Copy that. We'll let the PD know.—"

"Thanks. Strife out."

Squall gave Cloud a look as he turned the radio back off, "You went to all that trouble just to tell them you wouldn't be back to the office? Why didn't you just call someone?"

"Because the PD is a bureaucracy. To make a leave of absence official, you have to jump through certain hoops and calling it in through dispatch is an easy way to avoid paperwork. Since they have my location, they won't try to call me while we're here either, which means that I'll have to explain less to my supervisor, which is always best."

Squall took one more look around as Cloud turned the car down onto the long dirt driveway. The location was good in that it was isolated, but that same isolation could lead to problems down the line. "Are you sure that this is a good move? If the Organization finds out that you and Axel are harboring us out here, they'll probably come after us. And I doubt they'll spare you or Axel a second thought if you get in their way, even if you are cops."

"I wouldn't expect them to. But they would have to know a lot about the situation to come looking for you here. First, they would have to know our location and how to find the place. Second, they would need to know that I hadn't dropped you off somewhere, like a jail cell, before I came here. And third, if they wanted to try and get you they would need to catch us by surprise to get the upper hand. Hardly anyone drives down these roads and you can hear cars coming from about a mile away so we'll know. It's not the best solution, but it's the best one that I could come up with on short notice so it'll have to do. Now," putting the car into park, Cloud stared at the bay window as he unlatched his seatbelt, "let's go find out what Axel and Roxas have been up to…"