Author's note: I forgot to point out a mistake. Constance Truggle had corrected me about Midgard vs Midgar. Oops! Sorry _! I'll try to correct that from here on out but if I miss some, forgive me! Please excuse any grammatical/spelling errors you come across.

Constance Truggle: You are right! Poor Rufus… what is he thinking? Was he even thinking?

Tobiron: Thank you for always leaving me a comment! Your replies always make me smile!

Voyse: Thank you as well! I hope to keep providing you with that warm and tingly feeling… wait… that didn't sound right…

Skiestrife: Thank you! Your words of appraisal are highly appreciated and feeds the fire within me to keep on keepin' on!

…and to everyone else, thank you for reading! Now, on with the circus!

Disclaimer: Remialcsid!

[ VII ]

"Tomorrow, same time. I need you here to confirm my theories," Rufus instructed as a crew of SOLDIERs went about sweeping up the glass strewn office.

The Turks and their Boss, along with Cloud had taken a back seat to the mess as spectators to the manual labor. Tseng had his eyes glued to one of the SOLDIERs that was having a hard time controlling the direction of the broom. Instead of sweeping the shards toward the dustbin, he seemed to be scattering the pieces clumsily as though he'd never held a broom in his life and didn't quite contain the knowledge of how to properly sweep.

"Guess that makes you a scientist now, huh?" Cloud muttered from beside Rufus.

Rufus cocked his head a quarter to peer in on Cloud, then allowed his gaze to roam to his lips. Those sensually thin lips of his were so inexplicably sexy but only uttered annoying retorts. It didn't make a difference, he thought, he had always loved a feisty bottom. He enjoyed torturing those kinds and making them beg him for mercy. It always felt wonderful to have them inflate his sense of superiority. Why else would overpowering the weak with fear sate his thirst? He loved being dominant and seeing others suffer before his feet.

Cloud turned in time and caught Rufus with that odd appraisal again - the one that had always made him a little unsure and a bit uncomfortable. "What's your theory?" Cloud resumed when Rufus didn't answer his previous sarcasm.

"You'll get the answer once we achieve success." He looked over at the three SOLDIERs that had brought Cloud in. "Escort the man back."

"Yessir!" All three saluted and Cloud stepped down from an elevated platform.

Rufus had deliberately avoided a direct answer and though Cloud wanted a straight-forward response, he wasn't in the mood to play around with Rufus' word games. He felt like this had all been a failed meeting and he hadn't gained a single thing from it. Far from the fact, he felt it had wasted his time – time he could have put to better use. Just as he was led to the elevator doors, Cloud stopped. The three SOLDIERs halted alongside with him. He turned back around to face the Shira Boss and his Turks.

"What happened with the Gold Saucer?"

Rufus, along with Tseng and Elena were headed in the opposite direction. The trio faced Cloud. "It's been taken care of," Tseng replied with a small bow.

Understanding that he wouldn't get anywhere else with further interrogations, Cloud obediently returned to Fenrir. He sighed loudly as he took off. Too much evidence was pointed at Sephiroth returning and no one had been able to solve a thing. Thousands died at the Saucer, Terra and Sora were senselessly slaughtered and thousands more would be at stake if Cloud didn't figure out how to stop Sephiroth from returning. Deep down inside, he was hesitant. Part of him wasn't sure he had the fire in him to fend off the ex-General and buried even deeper still, he knew Sephiroth had far grander plans than to parasitically use The Planet as a vessel to sail the unknown and leech from other possible forms of life that the (probably) finite space held.

How could he stop something that kept barreling forward at full strength? It was like a train on an endless fuel tank and no brakes, running at full speed. All he had accomplished was attempted to slow it down and if he should forget to keep his feet planted, he'd be swept away on the ride. Worse even, he'd be overcome by the aggressor and fall into a horrible demise. All those times, he hadn't been able to stop the train known as Sephiroth and if he didn't find some way, he may be joining the rest of the departed in the Lifestream.

The lights were still on in the closed bar so Cloud knew that Tifa must've been awaiting his return. As thought, she greeted him from the kitchen doorway after he'd unlocked and went in. She was already changed into a deep, royal blue nightgown that resembled a tame empire dress with shoulder straps, and dark slippers.

"Welcome home, Cloud. Are you hungry? I made some spaghetti earlier."

"Yeah, I'll eat some after I take a shower," he nodded.

Tifa smiled faintly and Cloud disappeared from view. She heard him trudge up the stairs and turn to his room where he'd grab his towels and then head for the bathroom. She hadn't miss the deep thought on Cloud's face or the small cuts on his right cheek the moment he had walked in. At times like those, her heart wrenched at the lonesome look in his downcast eyes and the weariness of his posture. She wanted to wrap her arms around his tired frame and hold him close to reassure both him and herself that things would be okay some time soon. How she wished she could be more of a confidant to his worries! As much as she would like to, she knew Cloud's boundaries and she had her self-restraints. She gave him his spaces and remained ever patient to his ways and when Cloud needed her, he would come to her. She would accept his thoughts with a kind heart to soothe the rejections within his own self. She had done so before and will do so again. Together, the two of them could solve the errors in their lives and with the rest of their friends, they'd hold onto each other, offering strength when it's needed.

The spaghetti was nice and warmly re-heated when Cloud stepped back into the kitchen with his regular black pajamas, startling Tifa who had been lost in deep thought. She smiled gently and moved to serve him a plate of delicious noodles.

Cloud thanked her when she set it down and began to swirl his fork around, stuffing a large roll into his mouth. It tasted heavenly! The thought of delicious food redirected his thoughts elsewhere – it drifted to Terra's cooking and he unconsciously stopped chewing. A meatball shifted off the top into a lower pile of noodles as Cloud stared absently. Tifa noticed the behavior and cleared her throat softly to announce herself.

"Did it go well?" she inquired, referring to the meeting with Rufus.

Cloud resumed his chewing and nodded. "It was fine. I'm going back tomorrow though." He twirled his fork, trapping the spaghetti between the spoon.

"What's Rufus have going on?" Tifa propped an elbow on the table, probing further into the information the blond was holding.

"He has a supposed theory and wants me to collaborate with him in hopes of stopping Sephiroth before Sephiroth gains full substance." Cloud took a huge bite.

Tifa looked away thoughtfully. "I wonder what kind of theory he'd have?" It was a rhetorical question. She knew Cloud wouldn't divulge any specific details even if he knew every bit of it, however she couldn't help but wonder aloud. It also made her feel better to verbalize the question.

"I'll find out tomorrow, I guess."

Tifa didn't reply to that, only nodded. She returned to the many subjects swimming in her head. The quietness that followed gave Cloud the peace required to finish his late meal. As he stood from the chair, Tifa reached over to clear the table but knowing her intentions, Cloud denied her by gently pushing her outstretched hands away. "It's late. You go on to bed. The least I can do is clean up."

She obliged with a nod and thanked him but before she took her leave, Tifa orated the thought in her mind. "Maybe you should take someone with you tomorrow."

He placed the old china plate into the sink and ran the faucet with faint acknowledgment of the question. He didn't think it was entirely necessary, so although greatly appreciated, he placed Tifa's goodwill on the back of his mind. He already knew that if he told one of the other guys, the whole team would end up going with him and he didn't want that.

Cloud finished drying his plate and headed up the creaky stairs. He paused by Denzel's empty room, realizing that the boy was over at Barret's. He continued to his room and clicked the door softly behind him. The lights in his room remained off; the waning full moon was ample light through the window. He shivered as he grabbed a dark colored sweater from the closet to his right and pulled it over his pajamas. Tomorrow morning, he'd head out to purchase some materials to insulate his room before his meeting with Rufus. He climbed into bed and drew the covers up to his ears, turning onto his right to stare at the bare window.

"Genesis Rhapsodos," he whispered. He could see his breath in front of him as he recalled fragmented memories of the man. No, he had been chasing Genesis with Zack when he was still a SOLDIER. What happened to Genesis? He tried searching his memories but came up blank as sleep overcame his thoughts.

Cloud blinked at the morning ceiling. He had fallen asleep and woken up without having Sephiroth or his past haunting his dreams. In fact, he didn't even dream! He slept and he woke, that was all. He felt refreshed as if all that had happened were nothing but a long nightmare and here was the reality he had been enjoying the last two years. This must've been what Vincent was feeling while he laid in that coffin for years, he imagined.

He slipped out of bed and stretched his back. It was awfully sore and he frowned. Summing it up as having slept in an awkward position, Cloud nonchalantly exited his room with his face towel that usually hung on a baby blue hanger in his half opened closet. One of his sweaters laid carelessly on the floor by the door and he uncharacteristically shoved the sweater aside with his bare foot. It was something he'll take care of when he returned to change his clothes.

As he swung open his door, the smell of breakfast didn't greet him but it was fine because he felt rejuvenated!

He turned on the sink faucet and soaked his face towel in the warming water. As it turned to a scalding hot, Cloud pulled back and wrung out the towel, laying it over his face. The steaming hot towel felt great and he smiled into the relaxation it gave.

"Good morning, Cloud."

Cloud jumped from the unexpected sound and dropped the towel from his face, fumbling to catch it. Tifa stood in the doorway with an amused expression. "Good morning," he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

Tifa's eyes followed his hand and lingered at his neck for a second too uncomfortably for him before she instantly returned her attention back to his face again. "We had breakfast at Barret's and I brought some back for you. They're in the fridge."

"Thank you."

She was about to turn when she stopped. "Have you thought about what I said last night?"

Cloud searched his thoughts for the question in hand and quickly found her query from last night. "I have but I think it's best I go alone."

She bowed her head, respecting his wishes and headed back down the stairs with Cloud resuming his morning routine. He was going to eat the breakfast Tifa brought and then head out to the shops and find insulation for his window and door. After that, he was going to see if Cait Sith had arrived or if the sneaky cat had other plans since Tifa made no mention of him.

He finished brushing his teeth and took a glance at his reflection in the medicine cabinet, smiling softly to himself. His brows furrowed. The small cuts on his right cheek were only faintly visible.

"What is this...?"

There was a purplish spot on the left side of his neck just below the shirt collar. He yanked the neck down and found a few more discolorations. His heart sped up anxiously and he grabbed the hems of the shirt to lift over his head and examine the rest of his torso and back, his lean muscles rippling along his skin.

"What is...?"

There was a handful more spots of varying sizes decorating his torso. Cloud suddenly felt sick. He couldn't be facing another disease like the Geo-stigma, could he? No, maybe he was bitten by bed bugs? He had been sleeping in different places the last few days...

He sighed, the good mood slipping away. That meant he was going to have to make an extra stop at a pharmaceutical store for ointment and be more aware regarding his resting spots. He was sure it wasn't from the church though.

Before Cloud made it to the top of the stair case, the delivery phone rang. He darted into the office room that he rarely occupied and picked up the receiver.

"Strife Delivery Service." He wasn't as articulated as Tifa so he kept it short and simple.

"Yo, it's Reno. The Boss has been summoned to an appointment later tonight so he asked to have you come in now."

Cloud didn't like that Rufus was behaving as if Cloud were there for his beck and call. I'm not one of your Turks! Yet, he also needed to know what Rufus was planning. He needed to know what steps he had to take as well. With a purposefully audible and heavy-hearted sigh, Cloud agreed.

"Alright, I'll be there."

He hung up the phone and headed for the refrigerator. Rufus could spare a few minutes while I eat, he smiled as he chewed on his sandwich.

Taking the same path he had taken the night before led Cloud to the headquarters earlier than he had anticipated. It had grown colder so before leaving the bar, he had pulled on a turtle-necked sweater, reminiscent of the old First Class uniform he had received from Hojo's lab, under his black outfit. It also aided in hiding the bruised patches on his neck.

As he pulled up, three uniformed SOLDIERs stood awaiting him. He couldn't tell if they were the same three guys but they didn't behave as if they were and so Cloud acted as if he never met them the day before either - not that it really mattered. Similarly, the men disarmed him at the 70th floor. The large cube of bullet-proof glass had not been replaced, leaving Rufus open to terrorism if it should happen. Tseng and Elena were not present either and the SOLDIERs had gone back into the elevator. Rufus smiled at him from his pedestal and beckoned Cloud closer and into one of the expensive seats. It felt surprisingly comfortable despite its rigid appearance. You get what you pay for.

"Welcome, Cloud. I'm elated to see your handsome face before me again."

"What are you planning today?" Cloud queried, partly from being suspicious of the missing Turks and feeling awkward as Rufus was unguarded. The man was more or less, surrounded by his Turks or watched from a distance by them. Cloud had often wondered how Rufus came to hold sway over such a loyal group of people, however, he had yet to find a reasonable solution.

Rufus smiled again. "I call it 'cause and effect' but in layman's terms, we'll refer to it as an 'experiment'."

"Okay, what kind of experiment are you planning?" Cloud leaned forward, placing both elbows on his thighs and intertwining his fingers. To anyone else, it would appear that Cloud's interest had been sparked but the only two men in the room knew well that it was a meaningless gesture.

"I told you that if I couldn't go to Sephiroth, I'd bring him to me, correct?"

Cloud stared in response.

"Well, there's something that I've been itching to try. Come, follow me."

Rufus stood from behind his desk and headed to his right where a door led to an open-aired balcony. Cloud found it awkward that they were going to the one place where they'd first encountered each other face to face and squared off.Cool air blasted into the large room when Rufus opened the door. Cloud followed Rufus' lead and the two walked to the center of the enormous balcony.

"Ah, standing here reminds me of our first meeting. You were more cocky then," Rufus commented. "And you hurt my Dark Nation."

Cloud shrugged and glanced around. What happened to Dark Nation anyway, he pondered. Were they going to fight on the balcony again? How is that supposed to lure in Sephiroth?

"Let's re-create those juicy moments, shall we?" Rufus announced, withdrawing a shotgun he had concealed under his white coat.

Cloud tsk'd. "Was that why you had my weapons confiscated?"

"Of course not. Cloud, I know you have more than you let on. Now, draw your weapon and fight me."

So, he knew all along that I had left part of First Ken hidden in the holster. Never underestimate Rufus, he reminded himself mentally. It was becoming a chant in his head lately.

"What are you trying at, Rufus?"

Rufus raised his shotgun and aimed the barrel at Cloud's forehead. "3..."

"Rufus!"

"2..."

"Stop this!"

- PING! -

Rufus fired and Cloud deflected the shot with the hollow V-shaped blade of First Ken which he withdrew at the last second. The bullet ricocheted back to Rufus to which he side-stepped it easily. Rufus aimed and fired again. There was no hesitance in his movements. Either he was confident in killing Cloud, or he was confident in Cloud's ability to defend himself.

Cloud avoided the shots by leaping aside and held the blade in front of him in a defensive stance.

"Rufus, this isn't necessary!" Cloud shouted from across the cold, windy balcony. "What are you planning?"

Rufus smirked from the other side. "To get a reaction out of you."

Cloud frowned at the response which served to make Rufus smile disappointedly. "Not quite the expression I wanted to see but I'll surely bring it out."

Cloud's frown deepened. He strengthened his grip on the piece of sword and lept at Rufus, who casually reversed sides with him and shot at Cloud in mid-air. Cloud twisted around and diverted the bullet with a swipe, landing with a hard thud onto the hard floor. He hastily rebounded onto both feet and dashed for Rufus, who fired three times in rapid succession, something a shotgun wasn't made for. It forced Cloud to distractedly ward off the unexpected triple bullets and just as he swung the third shot aside, Rufus slammed the butt of his gun against the back of Cloud's head. Cloud crashed onto the pavement, his hollow blade sliding across to the other end. His exposed arms scraped and burned when he fell. Not taking any chances, Rufus quickly pinned Cloud down with a handful of Cloud's surprisingly soft, blond hair and sat his full weight on the downed man's back. Cloud tried to push him off, which was against Rufus' plans so he smashed the middle of Cloud's back with the gun again. Cloud groaned loudly, spat up a trail of blood onto the floor beneath him and shook his head to ward off the white stars in his eyes.

Rufus licked his lips at the man now at his mercy. "You're gonna enjoy this, Cloud."

Rufus' free hand brushed up the back of Cloud's left thigh and grabbed hold of his butt, kneading it erotically. Cloud's muscles tensed at the unwanted grope and he squirmed angrily, effectively causing Rufus to raise an eyebrow at the involuntary muscular reaction. Rufus definitely enjoyed the response Cloud's body gave. He smirked as he wondered what that tight, well-toned ass would feel like without the tough pants in the way.

"Rufus! What - "

Cloud let out a small yelp as Rufus yanked his head back harshly by the hair. It felt like his hair follicles would be ripped from his scalp and his eyes watered. Rufus bent over, his tongue slid behind Cloud's ear to taste his skin and nip at the lobe surrounding the wolf earring. A cold shiver rose from Cloud's body from the root of his toes. "Rufus!" he growled.

Rufus laughed deeply into the violated ear, feeling his own body grow aroused at the sights and sounds below him. He wanted to rip those pants off and bury himself hard up inside the blond, watch him gasp in sheer pain and listen to him beg desperately for him to stop violating that body. "Wrong tone of voice, Cloud. It needs to be sexier - "

Suddenly, Rufus' grip on Cloud's hair softened and the weight lifted off his back so Cloud flipped around, on guard, to find Rufus standing in the distance with the barrels of his gun pointed high over Cloud. Electricity sparked and jumped over Cloud's skin in various places. The pavement below him seemed alive as the currents crossed and uncrossed between him and Rufus. He quickly stood and noticed that Rufus had plastered a gleeful smile on his face but his eyes were not looking at Cloud - rather, they were looking behind him.

Cloud uprighted himself by kicking off the ground and leaping to the side so that he could escape whatever had Rufus' attention and see Rufus at the same time. What had Rufus smiling was causing a dangerous spark around them. His eyes widened in shock as he landed. The sight before him was almost enough to turn his landing into a disgraceful tumble. On instinct, Cloud jumped away from the undeniable man to his left, closer to the less threatening Rufus on his right.

"Sephi - " Cloud felt the name die in his throat.

Standing before them was the oft described silver-haired, ex-General with his Masamune fully drawn in his gloved left hand. This time, Sephiroth was not a reflection, nor a ghost from a dream. He was standing on the balcony with Rufus and himself, breath fogging before him from the chilly air. Sephiroth's black coat flapped in the wind, his hair danced like silver ribbons and those hypnotic emerald orbs blinked excitedly.