YAY! Now that wasn't too long, was it? XD give luff to Tragedy who's back and ready for action and we both bestow upon you, our lovely readers, this wonderful update that we feel really gets things going... kinda. XP

Enjoy...


And the Spider said to the Fly...

In an instant, the blond sprang into action as several other medical staff wheeled over equipment and Soku was unceremoniously shoved aside, Cloud descending upon the failing body in a flash, his open palms held out as he was equipped with the paddles Soku remembered seeing in movies but time seemed to have slowed. The doctors were moving incredibly fast but all Soku could see was their forms darting around the still body of Everent, the mass of dark hair stark against the bleached sheets and he looked every bit the fallen angel as he lay at the hands of these men who were desperately trying to save his life: a poster child for tragedy.

Cloud sat back in his chair, sweat gleaming off his body as he tried desperately to calm himself down. It had been a close call, getting the dark prince to return to the land of the living. In those instances he was running on instinct and knowledge, using every tool he had to bring the failing soul back and it was all he could do not to think about Leon too. When Everent had finally stabilized they'd given him some calming drugs and a few painkillers to ease any pain he could have been experiencing but the prince hadn't been taking too well to the drugs they'd given him; apparently his wounds went deeper than they'd originally thought. They hadn't been thoroughly cleaned either and by the time he'd made it to Soku those few days previous they'd already started to heal with things in them. As a result Cloud had spent the past hour reopening wounds and digging out pieces of dirt, metal and various other things that shouldn't be in a human body.

He had cleaned his hands but he still felt dirty, forcing human skin apart and ending up covered in blood that wasn't your own… he was a doctor and not a soldier specifically because he hated being so barbaric and yet it was the same but you sought a different end. They fought on different battlefields armed with different weapons, a surgeon had his scalpel and a soldier his gun, but essentially they were very similar.

He'd been sat there a few moments and was slowly reaching a decision about Leon's news. Although it was fairly huge news and Cloud was shocked the elder had managed to keep something like that under his hat, he knew that what Leon had said about it not changing his feelings towards him was true. Firm in his resolve he was about to go and look for Leon when Soku burst into his office.

"Cloud, he's awake!" The little prince seemed frantic as he pulled the exhausted doctor to his feet and back into the makeshift ward and to the bed where Everent was lying now awake but obviously not fully healed, after all he had only recently been returned from surgery.

"How do you feel, your highness?" Cloud was a good doctor: Calm, cool, collected. He always remembered his manners and was always polite. Everent gave a soft laugh at the formality however.

"Please… don't c-call… me 'highness'" The dark haired prince's voice was raw from disuse and it obviously pained him to talk but that didn't stop him. "I understand you are the one who fixed me up, right Soku?"

Soku nodded eagerly, "Yeah, he's just spent the last hour or so taking things out of you."

Cloud brushed aside the comments. "As such you shouldn't be awake, you need sleep. Please, prince, it'll do you no good to stay awake."

"I'll be fine. I'm a quick healer; darkness heals fast so we can fight for longer." Everent explained but Cloud looked dubious. "Take a look if you don't believe me. Darkness isn't patient; it makes its warriors expendable but durable." Soku frowned at the analysis but Everent shrugged.

Cloud doubted the prince's claims but began to remove one of the smaller bandages, his fingers moving deftly but carefully. His mouth parted in surprise and awe, however, when the material fell away and revealed perfect, unbroken skin. He stared for a moment before he heard Soku say something like 'wow', he moved to another bandage, still one of the smaller wounds, and moved it away to see skin as unharmed as the last.

"That's impossible… I've only seen magic do something like that…" Cloud muttered slightly struck by surprise and suspicion.

Everent shrugged, "Its dark magic but it's magic nonetheless." He shifted and scratched at one of the bandages across his chest. "I'm a little tired but I'll live."

"That's my judgment, prince. I am the doctor." Cloud reprimanded lightly, gently moving Everent's hand away from the bandage he was scratching.

"I've been through this before; I think I'm the better judge." Everent replied scowling.

Cloud sighed and turned to Soku. "You have picked a man with a stubbornness to rival Leon's and you're parents all in one." The blond ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. "I think I'm going to go take a shower and have a nice long sleep."

The tent of the infirmary suddenly burst open, startling most of the inhabitants who were still waiting for wounds to heal, a crimson coloured blur suddenly raced towards Cloud, red eyes wide with a fear and worry Cloud had never seen in them before. Hand's gripped Cloud's shoulders, one gold one black, and pulled the blond close in a panic unbefitting of the stoic man.

"Cloud…" Vincent murmured, not really taking in his surroundings. He looked like he was trying to say something but was failing miserably. In the end he just gripped Cloud's hand and pulled him towards the tent's exit, ignoring the protests of the little man.

Soku and Everent looked at each other in matched curiosity and without word Soku helped the taller boy up, supporting as much weight of the other as he could and the followed after the uncharacteristically frightened man Soku had thought to be a vampire on first glance. Once outside they saw Vincent pulling Cloud towards the Gummi ship, his hold not relenting even when Cloud demanded to be told what was going on or he'd do something horribly nasty to Vincent's private parts with a description only a surgeon knew. Even soldiers passing winced and scurried off but Vincent seemed unfazed, obviously whatever was the source of all this was scarier than Cloud's threats and that intrigued the two teenagers following. Finally, annoyed by the blondes onslaught of curses, Vincent picked the man up and threw him over his shoulder, carrying him the rest of the way and ignoring sturdy hands pounding on his back to let go. It really was quite a sight.

They passed a confused Sora and Riku who were beyond words at the sight of the two men in front of the teenagers, and wordlessly followed Soku and Everent, a sheepish looking Leon joined them not too much later and they were soon all inside the Gummi ship. Mickey was at the hanger to see them and he smiled warmly at them.

"Well, I thought you'd need support but not this much… my, my, even the prince of dark has come…" Mickey murmured. Vincent gave a low growl that made the mouse start, impatient to get to whatever it was. "Well, yes… this way."

The seven of them followed the mouse king deeper into the ship to an area Sora, Soku and Everent didn't know but the soldiers and doctor knew well. It was the control center, as they entered they saw a crowd of staff garbed in practical uniforms huddled around a metal recliner that was fitted with a helmet that covered the top half of the head. Most were utterly confused as to what was going, so Soku asked Riku.

"This is where the battles are overseen when we're planning an assault; it's very useful when you're trying to get somewhere you've never been before and of course so you know when you're being snuck up upon. This unit was developed a couple of years ago by a woman named Shelke Rui, she has the ability to use something called a Synaptic Net Dive which allows her to access any information. I don't understand everything but she devised a way so others could use the basics as well, that's what the chair is. You sit in it and put on the helmet and you can become a second pair of eyes for a ground soldier or use it to hack cameras… all sorts of things." Riku explained. "You can basically feed of information and relay it to someone else."

Mickey nodded, "Thank you for that explanation Riku, now… Vincent, would you like to go ahead?"

The crowd of staff and friends in the room huddled round the set up chair as Vincent got in it and pulled on the helmet. Soku shot Cloud a look who shrugged, the group of people gathered who weren't working in the area, king Mickey or Vincent didn't know what was going on and they seemed to be the only ones. Soku gasped and Everent's mouth formed a little 'o' as a holographic screen appeared before Vincent's chair and they all saw what he saw.

It was a display of a hospital room, an operating room Soku hazarded a guess as he saw someone lying on a bed in the middle, people in gowns crowded around and a person also in a gown but obviously not a doctor or nurse holding the hand of the pregnant woman on the bed. The woman was screaming and crying but the woman holding her hand seemed to be panicking just as much as the pregnant woman.

"Yuffie. Calm down." Vincent's voice sounded both in the room and in the hospital theater.

The dark-haired woman in the hospital gown started and gasped between a panicked cry, "Vince! You're here!" She looked round and then straight at the screen which was presumably collecting feed from a camera on the wall as she looked up. "Oh, heya! Shelke! Shelly! Vinny's here!" She pointed to the screen and the woman grimaced before arching off the bed and screaming. Those collected winced and they heard the doctor's rushing around, garbled cries for blankets and hot water.

"Shelke…" Vincent was at a loss for what to say, frozen at the sight of his wife in so much pain when he could do nothing to stop it.

Cloud smiled softly and touch Vincent's arm, "Tell her what you feel."

Leon stood beside Cloud and put a hand on the blonds' shoulder, "Tell her everything will be okay. She needs to know you're here for her."

"She's… giving birth?" Everent asked Soku softy, a little confused and awestruck at the same time.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Soku murmured back and he saw Riku and Sora smiling at each other softly. "I guess this is a really big deal to couples…" He looked back at the screen and saw the woman called Shelke scream again and cry out Vincent's name in pain. He squeezed Everent's hand around his neck and smiled bravely. "I think I understand though."

"Really?"

"Yeah… it's enough to love someone with everything you have and love them so much you know you'd do anything for them but to give them something a part of them…. Something so different and yet a part of both you and you're partner… it's special. It means more than words…" Soku sighed and smiled. "I guess it's the biggest form of 'I love you' there is."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my clueless, clumsy little prince who was so innocent he blushed when I touched him?" Everent teased.

Soku poked Everent lightly, "Shut up! You know what I mean."

Everent relented and kissed Soku's cheek softly, getting the blush he sought instantly. "Yeah, I guess I do."

As they looked up they saw Yuffie panicking her head off, Vincent had long since giving up calming her down and focused solely on his wife. "Breathe Shelke, it won't last forever. Just pull through, everything will be okay, I promise. It'll all be over soon." Vincent was trying his best and Cloud thought he deserved a medal. Even if the words were unoriginal and did little to calm Shelke down it was Vincent who was saying them.

"Push, Mrs.Valentine!" A midwife urged and Shelke suddenly snapped.

A colorful string of swearwords left her mouth and even Vincent smirked as his little wife literally chewed the midwife out. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M DOING, BITCH?!" Shelke then screamed and Yuffie joined in as her hand was nearly torn apart.

"Shelke. Calm down, it's nearly over." Vincent tried.

"GAH! How would you know?! Y-you're n-not- ugh!- even h-here!" Shelke cried, bursting into tears and screaming again.

The sentence was laced with resentment and venom and Vincent froze in horror and guilt-ridden surprise at it until Cloud gripped his hand tightly, "She's giving birth, she's supposed to say things like that. It's normal, she doesn't mean any of it, she's in a lot of pain and when it's all over she'll be exactly the same way she's always been."

"DON'T PRETEND YOU KNOW WOMEN BLONDIE!" Shelke screamed.

Cloud laughed, "I'm a doctor, remember Shelke?"

She then snapped something that made Everent laugh heartily and Soku blush so badly he thought his face might explode. Vincent sighed, "There are children here, Shelke."

"THERE'S A FUCKING CHILD HERE TOO! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Shelke screamed and Vincent flinched.

"Please, Shelke. Just try to calm down, there's not much left now…" The desperate husband tried.

The tense silence between the screams and cries was broken by a gargled crying noise and Shelke collapsed onto the table in exhaustion as the umbilical cord was cut and the baby was wrapped in a blanket. Shelke held out her arms and cuddled the newborn baby close to her with a relieved expression and a gentle smile.

"Congratulations, Vincent Valentine." Shelke murmured softly. "You're a father of a beautiful little girl." She gave the screen a serene, blissful smile no one except Vincent had really seen before.

"Yeah, sleep well Shelke. You did very well." Vincent blushed lightly and added so softly under his breath that if it hadn't been a stunned silence no one would have heard it, "I love you."

"And I you, Vincent Valentine." She closed her eyes slowly and the baby was taken from her to be cleaned up.

"Take care of her until I get back, Yuffie." Vincent added to the smiling woman stood beside the now sleeping Shelke. "Both of them."

"You better come back." Yuffie warned.

"I will." Vincent promised. Yuffie nodded and the screen closed as he took off the helmet.

The room exploded into noise, the staff at the control center were cheering their congratulations and whooping in an undignified manner, hugging each other and patting each other on the back while Leon and Cloud held hands, shy glances cast at each other as they spoke with their eyes, Riku and Sora held each other tightly and Everent lent his forehead against Soku's softly. Mickey shook Vincent's hand but the man seemed to be in shock and didn't respond.

"I think this warrant's a drink." Sora declared before running to the door which slid open before he reached it.

They all froze in horror as they saw who was stood there; Sephiroth leered at them all before locking gazes with Everent who glared defiantly back at him unrelentingly. Sephiroth eventually broke away and fell into the role of antagonizing bad guy with ease. "Well, well… isn't this a happy sight…" He looked towards Vincent, "If we were better acquaintances I might offer my blessing to the child but as it stands no, not when you're keeping him from me… either way, however, it appears you've robbed me of my son. I only feel it necessary to even the score…"

In an instant Riku, Leon, Mickey, Vincent, Sora and the staff present drew weapons and stood ready for Sephiroth to try and take Soku or Everent but Leon and Vincent were also stood obscuring Cloud from view. In a flash, Sephiroth's hand darted forward to Sora who was stood only a foot away from him and gripped the slim wrist tightly.

Sora gasped and his hand was twisted until the weapon fell from his stunned hand. "Who said I wanted Soku?" He cackled before pulling Sora towards him and vanishing with a brief shimmer of dark energy.

Riku cried out and ran forwards a second to late and his arms closed around air. He stared at his empty hands for a moment in shock before crying out and falling to his knees and thumping the floor, "Not a-fucking-gain!"

Mickey tried to comfort Riku but the man turned bolted up and was out of the ship in an instant, Leon and Mickey running after him to try and calm him before he did something rash, the collection of staff broken from their stupor and running out with them to find help and inform others. Soku was still in shock and Everent didn't know what to say. He tried to shake Soku but the light prince wasn't responding. Cloud gave Vincent an apologetic look and hugged him tightly, "I'm sorry… you're perfect moment was ruined…"

Vincent shook his head, "It was still a perfect moment. It was just followed closely by a horrible one. I guess things have balanced out now."

Cloud tried to smile bravely but it was a horrible attempt and Vincent's expression told him as much. "There is nothing we can do…" The blond sighed. Unlike the other who had already run off, he wasn't so fuelled by his emotions anymore. Sure, Sora was a nice guy but he wasn't overly attached to him, add the to the fact the he knew without a doubt Sephiroth was miles away and perfectly capable of holding into his prey he knew running round aimlessly would do no good.

"Do you think Sephiroth is after you?"

"He could be… but then why did he take Sora? Even if he didn't see me, he knew I was here." Cloud sighed, "Maybe this isn't about me anymore."

Vincent looked dubious but it was at that moment Soku burst into tears. Everent looked thoroughly taken aback as he tried to move away from Soku to try and comfort him but was unable to stand by himself. Taking initiative the dark haired older man took the younger ebony male by the shoulders and helped him to stand as Cloud pulled Soku into a warm hug, Soku's arms clamping around the blonds' waist in panic.

"That heartless bastard has my Papa!" Soku cried as Cloud gently petted his hair. "Look what he did to his own son, what's he going to do to my Papa?!"

Before anyone could say a word, Everent broke free from Vincent's hold and hurled himself at Soku and Cloud, knocking the blond to the floor with Soku squashed between them before the two boys wriggled free and Everent sat on top of the still sobbing prince's stomach. Cloud looked utterly surprised, his hair even more messy than usual as he stared blankly at the change in scenery.

"Sephiroth won't do anything to your Papa." Everent said firmly, his voice soft due to its disuse over the past three or four days.

"H-how do y-you know?! Soku cried, hiccupping every other word.

"He wouldn't have taken Sora for any other reason than to toy with Riku. Riku's got my loyalty and, in his eyes, control over Cloud. He thinks he can kill two birds with one stone by providing enough incentive for Riku to come to him, arrange for Cloud to be traded for Sora and kill both Sora and Riku before they leave the castle. Up until the point Cloud enters the castle, however, you're parents are safe."

The three in the room stared at the dark prince in shock, even Vincent's guard fell as he realized what Everent had just said. Cloud was the first to speak, "J-just how m-much do you know?!"

Turning his head around elegantly with an appropriate swish of his dark hair he flashed a dazzling smile, "Everything worth knowing."

Cloud groaned and Vincent jumped slightly as the blonds' forehead crashed into his shoulder and the surgeon began gently dropping his fist off the back of his head in a theatrical display of frustration. "Could this day become any longer? Already we've gone beyond the normal daily allowance of events. Vinny's a daddy, Sora's gone missing, Leon and I have fought and made-up within a very short space of time, the dark prince is up and well if not fully healed and his dad's still obsessed with me. Shoot me now…"

Vincent replied in all seriousness. "Only if you really want me to."

Cloud let out a stressed manic laugh and rubbed his tired eyes. "I may just hold you to that, Vincent. However, not just yet. I have a hot shower calling my name and a bedroll I believe missed me last night."

Vincent snorted and accompanied the blond out, silently listening to the heated complaints as they went. As soon as the door closed Everent turned back to the now not crying silveret still lying beneath him. "Hey, love. Come here often?" The elder teen winked saucily and blew the littler teenager a kiss.

Soku rolled his eyes. "What? Beneath you and held down by your legs?" Before he could stop the ill-thought-out words from their escape, they had already been spoken and Everent's act was broken with a look of surprise before it returned with a filthy leer.

"Mm… I hope you're a regular…" Everent bent down and licked Soku's ear seductively, grinning at the shudder he felt go through the body beneath his.

"N-no… Everent… you're n-not better y-yet…" Soku's protests were feeble and half-hearted as he knew in his mind that Everent needed rest, his body dearly wanted this.

It was slightly frightening as any other times he'd been in this position it had been unwilling and he had been scared out of his mind but now… now the guy above him was unbelievably hot and taking things so gently and slowly he thought he'd be the one to hurry them along if it continued. To Soku's dismay and Everent's disappointment, the doors opened and Leon stepped in. He regarded the position they were in and the flushed look on Soku's face rather warily.

"In your condition, I wouldn't advise you try anything too soon." Everent froze, thinking Leon was making a threat then calmed at his next words. "You're still not very well, you need to rest. And you, Soku, shouldn't encourage him." Leon scolded and Soku was so mortified he couldn't reply. Everent made quick excuses and with the help of Soku's support they managed to escape from Leon's gaze until they were almost out the door. "Where'd Cloud go?"

"Bath and bed." Soku replied curtly and scurried off, carting Everent with him hurriedly.

As they left Leon muttered to himself, "Interesting combination…" Only himself being privy to the filthy thoughts his mind conjured.


Would you believe that? Not only did we not give you an evil cliffie, we didn't have one scene change the whole way through! Ah well, we'll repay you doubly next time! XP

Akaiba and TragedyInTheMaking xxx