-Chapter 13-

"Cat Fight,Cat's Eye."

Aerith, Ellie, and Tifa stood in their places. Their eyes wide and inquisitive. Ellie was biting down on her lip trying her best not to say anything. Aerith herself was unsure of what to say. Tifa on the other felt a wave of jealousy flow over her. Cloud was her boyfriend, he was the father of her baby, no one knew about the baby. But everyone in motor club did know that she was Cloud's girlfriend, and that they had been dating for over a year!.

Who was this girl to come in and grab onto Cloud like that? Who the hell did this chick think she was? Tifa gritted her teeth angrily, her nose wrinkling up in anger. Tifa followed the girl with her eyes, Cloud seemed confused from what she could see. He also looked incredibly irritated. The girl noticed it too. Not that it stopped her from touching him, from rubbing his muscular arms and wrapping her arms around his left bicep.

"That's a new girl." Ellie spoke up "She's a transfer from Tetra reform school, I've seen her hanging around after school during M-Club get together s. She's a total skank and Biker groupie."

"Ellie..." Aerith whispered softly, Aerith knew that whatever Ellie said at this point would only hurt and anger Tifa beyond all belief.

"Oh...I was just..."Ellie stopped mid-sentence, she did not know what to say now.

A silence fell over them. No one moved, uncertain of what to make of this situation, what to do next? Run over and confront that girl? Tell her to keep her mitts off of him ? That this young man was taken?. Tifa could have run over and smacked that girl hard in the face. In fact she was tempted to do just that, she felt the urge in her fists. Yet what she did stunned even her, she turned around and walked away. Both Aerith and Ellie 's mouths dropped in surprise.

Ellie was at Tifa's side, questioning her why she would just choose to ignore this. Tifa kept silent, closing her eyes tightly she stopped in her tracks momentarily and took in a deep breath. On the inside she was fuming. Tifa felt as if she were about to explode. Yet she kept it all in. Tifa opened her eyes and smiled at Ellie.

"You say that she is a loose girl, right?" Tifa spoke softly, Ellie nodded "I know Cloud, I trust him. I know him, he's not the type to go and fall for a girl like her." Tifa side stepped Ellie and headed down the hall Ellie and Aerith watched Tifa as she walked down the corridor and around the nearest corner

"Wow, I would have figured that she would have gone ballistic on that girl." Ellie said in a hushed tone. Looking back towards Aerith, Ellie noticed a smile form on the lovely green eyed girl's face.

"She has no reason too." Aerith nodded towards the courtyard. The transfer student from Tetra was yelling at Cloud, Cloud looked at the girl; annoyed. Cloud shook his head and left the girl standing in the rain. The girl screeched and stalked off toward a nearby classroom.

Tifa was right, he was not that kind of guy.

.

Cloud dropped the box full of decorations near the stage. He was drenched from head to toe, so he looked towards Johnny for some sort of towel.

"What am I your wife?" Johnny snorted. Johnny gave Cloud a towel none the less, Zack had ordered the group to bring a few from the locker rooms earlier that day. Knowing well that someone might drop something and make a mess.

Cloud had made a mess by going out in the rain. Zack instructed Cloud to take a seat until he was dry enough to get back to decorating. Johnny was keeping him company, as was Biggs. Both were still recovering from the ladder incident that had occurred no less than twenty minutes ago.

"How's your back Biggs?" asked Cloud, trying to keep them entertained.

"Hurts, but it's not as painful as looking at your ugly mug." Biggs snickered. Johnny grinned. Cloud quirked his eyebrow, showing Biggs and Johnny that he found the remark amusing.

"Really? I would imagine having another man land on me would be a little more agonizing, I mean he landed on your butt didn't he? I didn't know you guys went that way" the blond remarked.

Both Biggs and Johnny's mouths dropped in awe. Burn!. They had not expected Cloud to say something like that, it was actually a pretty good insult too!. Whenever Cloud would ever try to burn someone, his insult usually fell short. Cloud was good at many things, but trash talking was not one of them. A guy couldn't be good at everything.

"Holy crap! I can't believe you actually came up with a good one!. You suck at lighting fires!." Said Biggs. Who quickly ducked to the floor as Cloud had thrown his wet towel at him. Biggs hit the floor with a loud thud, a howl escaped him and everyone in the gym stopped to see who was getting tortured.

"Oh! My back!. You suck Cloud! You made me duck on purpose!" Biggs whined, the towel had fallen on him anyway. The attempt to dodge it had gone in vain. Forcing a laugh out of Johnny, Cloud, and the rest of the motor club.

"I hate you guys." Biggs mumbled. Taking his seat once more as the laughter began to die down. Zack was scolding everyone in attendance for halting production like that; Zack wanted thirty percent of this project finished before heading home for the day. Distractions like that annoyed the motor club president greatly.

"No more screwing around guys!. We have to get this done TODAY! We don't have much time till the twelfth. So let's get this done pronto!" Zack clapped his hands loudly and everyone did indeed get back to work. Zack was acting differently today, the side lined friends noticed this.

"Wow, notice the vein on Zack's neck? I think it's about to pop." Johnny pointed in Zack's direction. Indeed Zack did appear as if he were under a lot of stress. It was a strange sight for the brood, since Zack was usually such a carefree individual. Cloud felt himself relating to Zack's situation, except that he was a tad on the serious side.

It's funny how a being responsible for such a huge event could change a person like that. Being under pressure can do that. But Zack had a party to plan. Cloud's predicament; in no way equaled up to that, it surpassed it. Here he had a child's life to worry about, not some shin dig.

"Hey! buddy you okay?" said Biggs. Cloud had zoned out (again) in public. He was doing a lot of that lately. Even at work. One time in front of Barret!. Cid had been told of this, Cid had recommended Cloud take some sort of energy drink; that maybe lack of sleep was responsible for his being out of it.

Indeed he was losing a lot of sleep. But he thinking about the future did stress him out, he did not know how things would work out once the baby was born. At least he was sharp while on his fenrir, he needed to stay sharp while out on deliveries. He had no record of ever getting into an accident, a record he wanted to keep spotless.

"FIGHT! FIGHT!" Jade, one of the motor club girls hollered at the top of her lungs as she sprinted into the gym. The sudden wail alerted Cloud, and the rest of the group, distracting many from whatever project they were busy with. Cloud, Johnny and Biggs jumped up from their seats, looking towards Jade for further information. It was the very agitated Zack who ran over to the girl and demanded to know who was in the middle of this fight.

"It's Tifa! And that girl Nicki! Tifa is wailin' on that girl big time!" Jade answered hurriedly. The blood in Cloud's face drained upon hearing his girlfriend's name, whatever feeling he had in him went numb as his feet began to move, without a word he was dashing out the door with Johnny and Biggs close behind. He heard Jade faintly in the background, saying something about the lunchroom, that they were fighting in the lunchroom. Her voice was drowned out by the sounds of dozens of shoes slamming on the gym eager to see what the commotion was all about.

Cloud could only think of one thing. Getting to her before the baby got hurt.

.

Moments before Jade's announcement in the gym. Tifa had been quietly walking down the ghostly corridors of Nomura high, her head was spinning and her insides were churning. Though she had assured her friends that she was alright and that she trusted Cloud and knew that he would not cheat on her. She still felt that strong rush of adrenaline that just told her to go over and smack some sense into the Tetra girl-for trying to move in on her boyfriend. Tifa knew that she needed some time to clear her head before going back to join the motor club in the gym. She wished that she had a punching bag nearby, that certainly would have helped greatly.

Tifa was visibly shaken, and she knew that upon entering the gym that a storm of girls would just come over and ask her what was wrong. Fake sympathy, that's what she called it. A lot of girls often gave her that in an effort to spread some sort of gossip. Blather she did not need.

She figured walking it off would calm her down. Tifa decided to give it at least fifteen minutes before heading back, she figured that would be enough time to simmer down and rejoin her friends with a clear head. She did not want to make Cloud panic either, knowing him-he would probably quit working on the gym and insist on taking her home. Tifa felt that she had distracted Cloud enough these days. No need to make him worry about her any more.

Walking past the cafeteria she heard voices. Instinct made her turn her attention towards her right, where she saw Jessie and Nicki. She saw Jade, a motor club girl in the back trying to lift a box full of posters. Jade was busy and without a care in the world, Jesse and Nicki on the other hand looked quite heated.

"I just saw Cloud out in the courtyard, that slut from Tetra was all over him!." Nicki fumed.

"She had her arms all over my man? Er! I hate her!, I hate her and Tifa!." Fumed Jesse, her lips pouty and eyebrows scrunched into a scowl. To which Tifa's face dropped. Tifa felt her blood curdle once more, that girl from tetra and now this? It didn't help that she was already emotional from being pregnant, in fact it heightened her current mood and at last the brunette had reached her breaking point, as the words that Jesse had muttered repeated over and over. Her man? Her man? Where the hell did Jesse come off calling Cloud hers?.

"She's just a big slut, she is almost like Tifa, only I think Tifa is much worse." Nicki added mindlessly, she was about to add to it when upon glancing up she saw Tifa standing in the door way, red faced and her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Hm...Guess you heard us didn't you slut?." Nicki hissed icily.

"Maybe." Tifa said through clenched teeth. Never in her life had she been so...so...pissed off! "You think I'm a slut?...huh?...well everyone else does. But Cloud doesn't think that, and that's all that matters to me." Tifa felt her body shake uncontrollably. Last year she had been branded a slut by Rufus Shinra's admirers, and here a year later she was being called one again and to her face!

Tifa knew that she was still being called names. But it still stung, being called such a degrading word, who did this girl think she was to insult her like this?

"Of course." Nicki snorted "The Crazy Wolf likes you, for now. But we know you don't love him, your using him like you used Rufus! And as soon as someone better comes along you're going to dump him too!" Nicki spat. Jesse's smug expression that she had worn only moments ago was now non-existent now wearing a mask of disbelief, Jesse could not believe that Nicki was saying these things to Tifa.

Tifa's eyes watered. She fought back the heavy flow of tears that wanted to poor out of her sockets, she did not want Nicki to get that satisfaction. But Tifa did not want to back down. She was sick and tired of girls like Nicki, spreading rumors, lies and doubts about her dedication to Cloud. Girls who believed Rufus Shinra's bogus story about the break up from last year, she was sick of it!.

"I went out with Rufus...because he kept asking me out...I didn't want a boyfriend but he insisted on at least one date so I agreed to it." Tifa's voice quaked, she was on the verge of breaking down in tears but she continued to fight them back, she would not allow herself to let this girl break her down now. "I broke up with him because I got picked on and he did nothing to help me when the girls attacked me...But no matter what I say...girls like you will just keep believing him won't you? Why? Because He is rich? Because of his status? Because you guys wanted him for yourselves?" Tifa shouted that last part out. She had kept this in her for almost a year, it was only a matter of time before it would come out in the open. It could have been her hormones pushing her to it, the events of the day weren't exactly jolly either.

Both Jesse and Nicki were stunned with Tifa's outburst. But Nicki would not back down, Nicki was not the type of girl to back away from any sort of fight.

"You're a slut! You need to stop using Cloud and making up stories about Rufus! You have Cloud following you around like a dog, you have him waiting on you like some sort of servant! You're a user and you need to stop it! Cloud is way too good for you and he could get someone way better!" Nicki fought on, though she had no real reason to call out Tifa about why Cloud was so attentive as of late.

"You don't know what is going on between us! You don't know me or Cloud! So stop acting like you know what is good for him. You are not his damn keeper!" Tifa shot back. She paced herself and thought carefully before she spoke her next words. She did not want to blurt out that she was pregnant, but lord knew she wanted too. "You don't know what the hell we are going through! You don't know why he is the way he is right now. But it's none of your business anyway so quit judging us! Go on about your life and quit meddling in our affairs and stop judging us!"

"I think I know enough to judge you! You Damn slut!" Nicki walked forward and shoved Tifa.

"Don't touch me…" Tifa quivered as Nicki glared, Tifa looked towards the corner of the lunchroom and saw Jade, who had stopped dead in her tracks to stare at the situation before her, her eyes were huge and Tifa saw that Jade's hands were shaking. This was so embarrassing. She wanted this to end…she wanted everyone to stop staring at her like this, she did not want to be bullied anymore.

"Leave me alone…" Tifa took several deep breathes. Nicki scoffed and shoved her again. Hard.

"Or what? Huh!" Nicki shoved her once more. This one was enough to force Tifa to step back.

"Stop that!." Tifa grimaced, she was trembling she did not know what she would do if this kept up.

"What'll you do?" she pushed Tifa once again "What will you do? Huh? Slut? What are you gonna do about it sl-" Nicki was cut off as Tifa finally retaliated. The brunette moved forward and with all her might pushed Nicki as hard as she could. The red head went flying back towards the nearest table, crashing into a seat that fell over along with the girl.

"Nicki!" Jesse gasped and ran to her friends side. Tifa stopped and looked at her hands surprised with what she had done. Nicki who was not flat on her rear looked up at the brunette and seethed with rage, her face red with embarrassment.

"I-...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry" Tifa stuttered "I'm really sorry!." Tifa apologized over and over, she meant it. Though Nicki's words had hurt. She truly meant it. Tifa turned her back to leave hoping to avoid any further altercation with this girl. Something that would not be.

"You Bitch!" Nicki sprang up to her feet and launched herself at Tifa. Her hand reached for Tifa's long hair, pulling it back hard forcing a sharp scream from Tifa's lips. Jesse ran over, and tried to get in between the girls. She hated Tifa, but she did not want this!

"Stop it! Stop it!" Jesse shouted over and over. But Nicki would not let go, her hold was strong and she wanted to make the brunette suffer. In the scuffle, Tifa bum rushed her entire body against Nicki, hoping that it would shock the girl into letting go. In that she was successful as both Nicki and Jesse went falling towards the cafeteria floor.

Tifa stood up grabbing at her scalp, it burned with pain, in that moment she wished that she had tied her hair in a bun to avoid this sort of thing. She was not allowed to think any longer as Nicki pushed Jesse away and was back on her feet. Nicki's right hand balled into a fist, She swung forward aiming for Tifa's flat stomach.

With Tifa expertise in Zangan-ryu she easily dodged, but barely, Nicki had almost struck her in the belly! Tifa's eyes burned with anger , that bitch had almost hit her stomach! Her baby could have been hurt! Nicki could have killed her son or daughter. At that moment, all logic went out the window, Tifa Lockhart was no longer the sweet and composed honor roll student.

She was out for blood now.

"You wanna die!" Tifa screamed suddenly her eyes searing with tears "You wanna die?" and she was on her pulling Nicki's hair she smashed her shoulder into the other girl, momentarily knocking Nicki off balance, Tifa felt some of Nicki's hair rip out as she pulled back her left hand and balled her fist and began to punch her in the face, no slaps or pulled punches, she was going all out. Jesse screamed, as did Nicki, the screams drowned out Jade's footsteps as she ran out of the cafeteria to tell Zack. Tifa felt Jesse's hands on her, trying to pull her off Nicki. Tifa would not have it and with quickness she nudged Jesse who fell back easily.

The world around Tifa blurred as she pushed Nicki to the floor, pinning her down by straddling her stomach. Nicki tried to fight back immediately realizing her error in underestimating the petite brunette who over powered her with hard punches to the face. Tifa was a trained martial artists, she had been training for years. It was only clear that she would have the upper hand. Nicki covered her face and screamed. Tifa at this point had failed to realize that Nicki was no longer fighting back, and continued to hit the girl, not even hearing the thundering footsteps that echoed into the cafeteria.

"Get her off me!" Get off of me!" Nicki howled "Get her of me!"

"Tifa! Stop! Stop it right now!" Tifa could not make out who's voice it was until she had been pulled off of the red faced Nicki, her face swelling from the hits to the face. Tifa was still shaking all over even after she was pulled away from the fight. The world seemed hazy as the lockers in the hall seemed to whirl by and the chanting crowd seemed to die in the background.

Only after she was out in the courtyard did she realize that it was Cloud who had pulled her away from Nicki. Tifa then noticed that her shirt was torn on the sleeve and that her skirt had been torn on the side.

"Tifa! Tifa!" Cloud was shaking her "What's gotten into you? What have you done!" Cloud demanded, his tone harsh, the look on his face said it all. "Tifa, you could have hurt the baby!" he shouted he had never raised his voice at Tifa in such a way "What were you thinking! I know you don't like Nicki, but that's no reason to endanger our child! What if she hit you! You could have had a miscarriage!"

"I...I don't know...I'm sorry...I don't know what got into me." Tifa spoke in a daze, tears were streaming down her face. "She shoved me...she just...she kept calling me a slut and...I don't know...I'm sorry! I'm Sorry!" Tifa cried. Ashamed of her actions. She knew that no matter what explanation she gave she would not be able to justify her beating of Nicki. There was no way that she could take it back "She almost punched me in the stomach." She was shaking violently now "and I just lost it...I'm sorry!" over and over she apologized.

Cloud's arms were around her, her face cried into his chest, his mind was in a tailspin, Tifa's vague explanation left him wondering. Instantly he was on Tifa's side, quickly regretting yelling at her only seconds ago. Tifa was not the type to get in a fight, but still he felt a need to hear the full story. Had Nicki attacked Tifa first?. Did Nicki really aim for Tifa's stomach?. If so than there was now a new name to add on his hit list. For that could of endangered his girlfriend and unborn child.

First he had to calm Tifa down. If he wanted to hear the full story, and so Cloud kissed the top of her forehead.

"Tifa its okay, calm down before you end up having the baby here and now." Cloud hugged her tightly, the rain pouring on them dramatically. A twig cracked. Both Tifa and Cloud turned, someone had heard. The baby, they had heard them talk about the baby.

Cloud felt his breath escape his body, he turned frightfully pale and cold as a new pair of eyes stared blankly at him and at Tifa.

Vincent Valentine.

He had heard it all.

It...is done...-cries- it's been so long since i've written. I hope it turned out ok. I know it's been months. But i hope that some of you are still reading. I'm really sorry if it's sloppy. It's been awhile and my jobs taken up most of my time...

Thank You guys for your patience. And please review.

Love

Rina.