A/N: I'm sooo sorry it took me forever to update this fic. First school, than an uploading glitch.

So, yes, this is the end, the last chapter. I was going to continue it further, but this ending is how I originally planned it through, and I thought it fit the best, so I stuck with it. Part of the reason it took me forever to update, I was indecisive. Thank you to every one who reviewed and enjoyed this story, and I hope that this last chapter, although sad, does not disappoint.

--------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Nine

"The Bloody End"

Lexi struggled to get to her feet as she watched Yazoo and Kadaj with frightened eyes. She was afraid to think of what might happen next. And some where, along with all of these thoughts, she wondered where Loz was. She swept her gaze around the main room of the capital, but didn't see him. Leaning back against the wall with one hand over her shoulder where Yazoo had shoved her, she turned her attention back to the two brothers. Yazoo had grabbed Kadaj by the neck and now held the youngest brother suspended in air as Kadaj tried to pull free Yazoo's hands.

"Why must you insist on continuing this game?" Yazoo said in a low and dangerous tone, glaring at his brother.

Kadaj gazed back at him with wide eyes, not seeming to comprehend what he meant. "Brother, what the hell are you talking about?" he managed.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Kadaj," Yazoo replied.

"I haven't a clue brother," The younger insisted, still struggling to pull himself free. "Release me," he continued, a hint of arrogance creeping back into his voice, "And we can discuss this."

But Yazoo wasn't listening, instead he gave Kadaj a little shake, lifting him higher, "Stop this façade," he said quietly, "I know you do not love her as you pretend."

As these words, Lexi's eyes widened, and she felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She couldn't breathe as she turned her gaze from Yazoo to Kadaj. Kadaj, who saw her expression and started to speak. No…this couldn't be, right? He loved her, didn't he? Tears filling her eyes, she didn't stand there a second longer; instead she bolted from the Capital, almost slipping and falling in the process. She heard Kadaj try to call after her, but she paid him no heed. She also didn't see the cruel smirk that crossed Yazoo's face as he saw the rift he'd created.

She made a swift path around the spring, intending to head through the Sleeping Forest and get as far away from here as possible. But it was than that the sound of an engine drifted towards her, and a head light illuminated the path ahead of her, blindingly bright and causing her to throw an arm across her face to shield her eyes. Her heart began to pound faster as she thought of all the possible people who could be coming into the Forest…especially on a motorcycle. She ended up with only one: Cloud.

No…no…this wasn't good, not at all. Her breath hitching in her chest, she turned and started to run back the way she'd come. She had to warn them, had to warn and Kadaj and his brothers. But she'd almost reached the spring again, with Cloud gaining swiftly behind her, when suddenly three figures dropped down from the trees above her. She didn't know how they'd gotten there so fast, but she really didn't care as to how. Kadaj wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her out of the way as Yazoo and Loz, standing side-by-side, raised their twin Velvet Nightmares and opened fire on Cloud.

Kadaj pulled her all the way around to the side of one of the pearly white trees, holding her there protectively. He only peered around the trunk to see how the battle was going, than returned his attention to her. Despite the fact that her heart was jumping with his close presence, she turned her eyes to the forest floor, refusing to look at him, and her vision blurred all the more with tears.

"Lex," he said softly, sliding one hand under her chin and tilting her head up.

After a few moments, she finally raised her eyes and looked at him, seeing for the first time his concerned, bewildered expression.

"Lex…" he repeated, "You have to know that Yazoo's just jealous. It isn't true what he said."

She didn't answer, and she also found herself unable to look away from his incredible cat's eyes.

He gently brushed her tears away as they fell, his gloved fingers soft as butterfly kisses against her cheeks. "Lex," he whispered, "Please…"

Gazing at him for another long moment, the sound of gunfire and clashing metal off somewhere behind her causing her to flinch every now and then, she made up her mind. Or she thought she did. Suddenly moving, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. Holding her tight for a moment, he kissed the top of her head. Pushing her back gently, he tilted her chin up and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. Then he drew back, keeping his hands on her shoulder a moment before stepping away and drawing Souba. He started to walk away, but then paused, looking back at her over his shoulder, his silver hair sweeping lightly across his face.

"Stay here," he said, and turned again to join the fight against Cloud with his brothers.

She watched him walking away for a moment, bowing her head to look down at the forest floor. Then she suddenly looked up again, taking a step forward. "Kadaj," she called after him.

"Hm?" he stopped turned back to her.

"I love you," she said with a soft smile, wiping away another stray tear, "Be careful."

He returned her smile. "I lo-" he started.

But suddenly she caught a flash of movement behind him, and her eyes widened, "Kadaj!" she shouted.

Seeing her gaze shift to behind him, he spun, starting to bring up Souba in the process, but he wasn't fast enough. Cloud's Buster Sword knocked Souba aside and slashed down at an angle, cutting deeply into the youngest Remnant from shoulder to hip. As he fell, Lexi screamed Kadaj's name, scrambling forward and nearly tripping over her own two feet in her haste to reach him. He slid down the slight incline in the forest floor, loosing his hold on Souba in the process.

With a fury she'd never seen in them before, both Yazoo and Loz attacked Cloud in unison, driving him back away from Kadaj. Lexi knelt beside him, her heart pounding in her chest, and fresh tears blurring her vision. No, oh god no, this couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening, it just couldn't… She reached out a trembling hand to him, sliding an arm under his shoulders. God, there was so much blood. It was already pooling around him, on her hands as she touched him, staining her skin red and the forest floor around them black.

"Kadaj," she whispered, raising her other hand to his face, brushing back his silver hair from his eyes.

His gaze was unfocused, and for a moment he just blinked before finally looking up at her. She could see so many emotions reflected in his feline eyes; surprise, pain, anger and…regret… Was that what it was? The sounds of the fight echoed still in her ears, more vicious than before, but it all seemed so far away now, and it was only Kadaj that mattered to her now. Her tears were coming faster now, stinging her eyes and sliding down from her chin to fall against his leather coat, to mingle with the blood there.

"Oh god, Kadaj, I'm so sorry," she whispered, "This is all…if I hadn't…than this…it's…"

"Shh," he said quietly, raising a gloved hand gently to her cheek, "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is," she protested through gritted teeth, lifting her hand to lightly cover his, "If I hadn't…" If she hadn't called him back, Cloud wouldn't have been able to sneak up on him, and this wouldn't have happened.

"Hush," he whispered, placing his thumb against her lips to silence her, "It's not your fault," he repeated.

But it WAS her fault, she wanted to say again, all of this was her fault, this right now, all the trouble she'd brought the three of them, all the ways she'd screwed up. She found herself wishing he wasn't forgiving her like this; she wanted him to be angry, angry like he should be, because it was her who was to blame now for this. But he wasn't angry, and that pained her all the more. And now, as she watched him trying and failing to blink back tears of his own, she wanted to scream and rage, she wanted to hurt Cloud for this, but she couldn't move, she couldn't leave him.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated, her words choked as she softly caressed the back of his hand.

Kadaj shook his head a little, still refusing to blame her. "I love…you…" he whispered.

"I love you too," Lexi responded, her breath hitching in her chest as she leaned down to kiss him.

Even as her lips touched his, the light was fading from his eyes, and she closed her own tightly, wishing for the hundredth time that this wasn't happening, that this was all a…bad dream… Even with her eyes closed, she could see the shadows of flickering green lights dancing about, and she felt him starting to fade away. No, no, no, it couldn't take him from her, it couldn't. She held onto him tighter, but her efforts were in vain, and within seconds, she was left sitting there on her knees alone, clutching only air.

Sobs choking her breath from her now, she sank down further, resting her head against her arms on the bloody ground before her. No…this was all her fault…why, why, why did she always screw up? Why couldn't she ever do anything right? He was…gone…now because of her and there was nothing she could do to get him back…

Silence reigned all around her now, and she knew that the fight must be over now. But who was the victorious? She found that right at that moment, overcome with sorrow as she was, she didn't care. What had mattered most to her here was gone now…and it was all her fault… Over her sobs, she heard the whisper quiet sound of footsteps, growing slightly louder as they reached her, and then paused. Then another set of footsteps, louder than the first, heavier. She knew who it was, but she didn't move, couldn't. And yet a softly resounding click that seemed magnified to her, seemed to echo back a thousand times, caught her attention and caused her to flinch a little.

Slowly, she sat up, keeping her head bowed for a long moment before finally looking up. And finding herself gazing up at the double barrels of Yazoo's Velvet Nightmare. Swallowing back a last sob, she looked up at Yazoo himself, his eyes dark and even more lost than usual. Her gaze flickered over to Loz, who stood beside and a little behind his brother. He was crying silently, and when she looked at him, he stubbornly refused to meet her gaze, looking away until she turned her attention back to Yazoo. So…this was going to be it then…was it?

"You killed him…" Yazoo said, his voice low and dead, nearly emotionless, "This is your fault."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her own voice wavering slightly as she gazed up at him.

"None of this would have happened if it were not for you," he said, "If not for you, he would be alive."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, still whispering.

"I don't care for you apology," Yazoo said coldly, "It will not change what has already happened."

She closed her eyes as he started to tighten his finger on the trigger, whispering inaudibly one last time that she was sorry. She braced herself for what she knew was coming. There was a deafening gunshot, and then-

------------------

Lexi awoke with a shout, sitting up so fast that she fell off of her bed and landed on the floor with a muffled thump. As she lay there, panting, trembling and staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes, she couldn't figure out where she was at first. Then, as she blinked back the tears that were blurring her vision, she realized that she was home, in her room. She'd been asleep. So…that whole thing had been a dream…? Sobbing softly, not sure whether to start crying or laughing at herself, she raised her hands to her face, but suddenly stopped. Her hands…they were covered in blood.

She sat up with a gasp, noticing then what she was wearing. A black leather outfit that she most certainly had never bought before in her life…or had she… As she stared at the blood on her hands, it slowly faded out. Trembling worse than ever, she drew her legs up and hooked her arms around them, resting her forehead against her knees. Dream…or not…? The deep ache of lose in her chest just passing over into her waking moments…or was she really feeling it? Crying again, she hugged her legs tighter, and knew deep down, that it had not been a dream.

END