Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Still don't own the characters of Final Fantasy used in this; they are copyrighted their rightful owners, but all fill in characters are copyright to me. Any relation to any one living or dead is not coincidence or meant to be.

AN: Sorry if the last chapter I posted was a little short ^^; I didn't want to drag it out too much and not have much to show for a next chapter. Now, I've added a new little player to this game. His name is known simply as Carlton. He's going to be a bumper/neutral player in this little game being played out. He'll a little bit of a particular player's downfall in the next chapter or so...let's just say, there is no reserved spot in Hell for Nicholas. He's got a Hell all his own that's been created SPECIFICALLY for him. Carlton's old partner in this tale, let's just say, he's that little conscious in person that is going to kick Carlton back into action and turn the sick game Nicholas has planned for our main duo of this game on to Nicholas and get Nicholas into some seriously hot water.

Sidenote: Once you reach the moment of Tifa, the BOLD ITALICS, is the spirit of Aerith talking to Tifa kind of like how Cloud and Sephiroth little inner Gay men...Aerith is kind of Tifa's, but if you guys more info on the whole thing between Tifa and Aerith...Um...I might create a side story for this. Don't know yet, but...Yeah...we'll see. If you guys SERIOUSLY want more in detail of the dealings between Aerith and Tifa, let me know and I'll hook you up. Either in reply to a Review or a Private Message you send me...if you guys REALLY REALLY want a Side Story for them or even anyone in this story...let me knows! I'll see what magic I can whip.

And the Italics of the conversation, is Tifa talking back to Aerith in her mind.

~Across Town~

"Pup, sit down before I have to get off my butt and make you sit down," Angel groaned as he watched Zack pace the floor what seemed the tenth time already, "I'm sure that whatever has happened, is fine. I doubt Sephiroth will go down easily if he is injured and knowing Cloud, he's liable to be all over him like you were when you came to see me."

Zack couldn't stop pacing; he had been worrying since Cloud left for Sephiroth's place to check on him. Over and over in his head, he kept replaying telling, more or less, showing Cloud the mug with the crack in the lip of the mug. The sheer worry in his friend's face and his hurried footsteps as he ran out of the apartment mixed with the sound of angry motorists screaming and honking at him. As he rushed down the busy city streets in the direction of Sephiroth's apartment; if anything happened to Cloud on the way there, he felt responsible. Then again, he had been the same way the night he had gotten the call from Cloud to come and pick him up from Tifa's; he had had an inkling even though that that particular night wasn't going to end the way it should.

Passing by the sofa once more, Zack started to slightly pace in front of Angeal, "If something happens to him, it'll be my fault like it was that one night long ago…Angeal…I'm scared…"

Softly sighing, the man motioned for Zack to sit next to him, "You can't keep blaming yourself for things beyond your control."

"But Angeal…" Zack whined as he started to play with the sofa cushions, "…Heh…I guess you're right, but at the same point…"

"If you don't stop blame yourself, I'm going to find a way to punt your butt down the stairs and bar you from the apartment till you stop blaming yourself. I have forgiven you for what happened with Genesis and I'm sure Cloud doesn't hold it over your head for that one night long ago when you guys were younger."

Angeal had a point; it may have been because he wanted Zack to just stop pacing the floor because it was starting to make Angeal slightly ill to his stomach to watch him go back and forth as well as dizzy. Others would've said otherwise that he just simply wanted the young man to stop worrying; things would work themselves out as they were on the other side of Town.

~Other Side of Town~

The police had come and gone, taken their reports, made a sweep of the general area, questioned anyone who might have seen anyone that didn't need to be in the building last night. The usual routine of things when someone is attacked in their home; paramedics had been called out to check out Sephiroth even though he had been admant that he was fine. Cloud didn't want to believe him no matter what he said, he wanted to make sure for himself that Sephiroth checked out as normal, at least, as normal as he could get. Pictures had been taken of the message scrawled on the wall as well as the one on Sephiroth's stomach; even Sephiroth and Cloud had been questioned as to whether or not they knew of anyone that might want to harm Sephiroth.

Sephiroth had his suspicions as well as Raechel, but Cloud kept playing the "Dumb" card; hoping the police would just do their job find out who did this even though in his heart, he knew who it was.

"Well, we've done all we can do for now, we'll be checking in on you later Mr. Maximus and if you wish for it, a police car will be parked nearby in case the man or men try and come back to finish the job," the officer stated as the Paramedics stitched up cut in Sephiroth's scalp, Cloud holding on to him as tightly as possible, "You're lucky."

Sephiroth wasn't sure what the man meant as he saw a soft smile cross the officer's face, "Excuse me?"

A soft chuckle then came from the from the other men in the room as well as the officer in charge, "You're lucky to have such an extended family as it seems by the people here in the room with you; I had always figured you for a person that wanted to keep to himself. My wife, is crazy about your books and I'd have to say, her little romantic notions about you being a loner by yourself, longing for a family of sorts…" he saw the eyes of Cloud, Raechel and the House Keeper turn to the Officer, "I guess they're mostly fairy tales now. Now that I see it for myself."

"He's right, honey…it may not be the typical Mom, Dad, brother, and sister, kind of family you wished for with the white picket fence out front, but…in its own unique, dysfunctional way…" the man of his subconscious mind spoke up as he looked over to the inner self within Cloud, softly blowing a kiss at the figure, "…we truly are a family."

A soft smile allowed itself to cross Sephiroth's face as he wrapped an arm around Cloud's waist, pulling him in close as he rested his chin on Cloud's head, "Yeah…it truly is a fairy tale…"

"We'll be in touch to touch base on anything we find out about who did this, good day, Mr. Maximus."

Once the officers had left, the paramedics had made their intentions known and had done their job; Raechel and the House Keeper had gone off into the next room to take stock of what hadn't been taken or if anything had been taken. Leaving Sephiroth alone, with Cloud at his side, as he brushed a kiss against Cloud's golden spikes.

A fairy tale with a truly fairy tale like happy ending…

~Corner of City~

Nicholas was many things, but easily caught was not one of them; as he clattered away on his keyboard, the sound of a nearby phone ringing caught him off guard, "What?"

"Tch, pretty short with me, aren't you, Nicholas?" the voice on the other end of the line snapped back; the ice from the voice's words could be felt through the receiver.

"I can be more then short with you, Carlton…what is it?"

"Are we pulling the gig tonight or have you incapacitated part of your little plan so badly that we have to delay this? My guys can't hold back much longer from going forward with your little sick plan."

Nicholas growled through the receiver, "Get those dogs of yours on a shorter leash. The shorter the better. It makes this plan even more devious if they're riled up to the point that they would snap at any given moment."

Carlton was the voice's name, there was no last name. He was what you would call, a person of interest; a man that worked with individuals that had dark intentions for others. Even if those intentions were to destroy an individual to the breaking point, but little did Nicholas know was. Carlton was an ex-undercover police officer. After a few undercover operations had gone array and investigations had been put into action as to research what caused the downfall of many undercover operations. He was stripped of his badge and rank, as well as position within the Police Force. It seemed that the power he had gained from working undercover in some of the seediest places of the underworld. It had corrupted the man, even turning him into a sadist of sorts that sought others that were willing to be sadistic in nature to the target.

"Understood…" Carlton spoke as he made a gesture with his hand to one of the men nearby to hold off for now as he watched them monitoring a young woman at a local bar; another target it seemed, "When you're ready, give us the word."

A dark smirk crossed Nicholas' face, "Will do…"

Once the phone call had finished, the man lightly placed the phone back on the receiver; Nicholas was one sick puppy. He had sought out Carlton as a dog to sick on a helpless rabbit that had gotten too close to a truly big dog of sorts. And the big dog needed to be knocked down a few pegs and the only way to do that was by taking out the big dog's weak spot.

The rabbit.

Photos lay strewn along Carlton's desk; they were of the "target", more like, targets from the number of circles in the photos. At first, Carlton was open to taking on the target, but, lately, something had been eating at him that this was wrong. A few hours earlier before his phone call to Nicholas regarding the upcoming job, an old friend of Carlton's had called him to talk to him about meeting up and talking about old things. Who would've thought that even though he was an ex-officer of the Police Force; he still had friends in the Police Force?

~Flashback~

His fingers played with the rim of the coffee cup as he sat in a dingy restaurant booth; it was an all too familiar place for him. He could recall almost each time he had been here after a sting operation or after a bust that had gone either really well or had gone in a direction no one had counted on it going towards. Many long nights had been spent in this place. So many long nights. And of course, many of them had been spent after fights at home with the wife, God rest her soul that he just needed somewhere to get away to and talk to someone. His partner, now ex-partner, was always willing to come down at whatever the hour and just spend long hours until the break of dawn, or the owner of the restaurant kicked them out.

And now, today was one of those days, but now, his ex-partner wanted to talk to him about some things that had come up lately, particularly regarding a case that had landed in his lap recently.

Once he saw the once youthful eyes of his ex-partner coming towards him, he knew that those eyes had changed since the last time he had last seen him, "Matthews."

"Carlton."

"So you're telling me that you have some idea I might know of who would want to harm this guy?" Carlton's fingers brushed over the picture of the man that he had dozens of back at his office, "Just because I work with the seedy end of individuals?"

Matthews offered a soft sigh as he started to pack up the photos, "Not because of that, I just figured you might want to get back to working on the side of helping out people. Because whoever attacked this guy, they wanted to send a message and if he doesn't follow through with it…there is a chance someone close to him might get hurt," his gaze turned up to Carlton, "And in the means of hurt, it might be many things; I'd rather not get a call that someone close to this guy has ended up dead because I might have had an inkling who might've done this."

"…Let me think about it and if I hear anything, I'll get in touch with you," with a heavy sigh, Carlton started to climb out of the booth, "I don't know what I can find out for you, but all I can tell you is…I'm risking my neck even speaking to you."

"What if I could promise you immunity for helping us?"

Carlton shrugged his shoulders, "Nice thought, but as I said, I'll get back to you if I hear anything…but it varies."

"So tell me, what makes you guys so hot to trot ready to get the drop on this guy who attacked the guy you showed me? Is this guy behind on alimony payments or child support for some bastard kids who he hardly sees?" Carlton softly chuckled, but it stopped as he saw the look come over Matthew's face that had him worried, "What is it?"

Turning towards Carlton, he showed him the photo of the message on Sephiroth's wall, "There is reason to believe the guy responsible for attacking him has attacked him and another person in his life's life once before and has a grudge against the man. We have our fears that he is liable to go after the young man in the man's life and he might have someone hired to attack the young man," he looked away as he tried to hide the anger and disgust on his face, "I have fears that the guy responsible for attacking him might have reason to attack the young man in the photos I showed you and the ones he might send after them are liable to be sick minded men that would do whatever to destroy the older man in the shot."

"…I see," Carlton muttered; he knew in his heart that he had to tell Matthew the truth.

He and his men were hired to attack Cloud and do it in front of Sephiroth to destroy the man and send a message that Nicholas would not be a force to be ignored. And by doing so, ruin the career of Sephiroth much like Sephiroth had destroyed Nicholas' career; as the old saying goes, "An eye for an eye"; but the eye for an eye was going to be Sephiroth's eyes being visually destroyed. Destroyed by the image of his young love interest being taken by strangers in front of his eyes; his little Muse would not be any good to him anymore. Everyone's lives would destroyed and thrown out of balance so that Nicholas' sense of self worth would be restored, knowing that he destroyed another.

"Hey Boss, who was that you were talking to?" one of his men asked as he looked in through the ajar door, "Was it last night's customer?"

Carlton put the photos away, "Yeah. I was just verifying with him about when we are to make our next move," his gaze turned towards the man, "Tell me. What did he have you do last night?"

The man was more then willing to let his Boss in on what happened, "We just roughed up the target a little bit, and left a nice little note on his stomach and his wall; I bet you they found him this morning and are scared out of their minds!"

"That would seem like it…but as for the next move; we have to hold off a little bit longer because it seems the cops are aware of the attack on the target last night…"

"Tch, at least you aren't a cop any more, right Boss?"

"So are you in, Carlton?" Matthew asked as he climbed into his car, "I can talk to the Commissioner and make sure you aren't tied in with this and I will be in touch with you to set up a time to set you up with a wire. I want you to talk with this guy again and we're going to try and catch him on tape. And when you go to spring your little jump on the young man, we'll be nearby and before it gets too bad, we'll pull you out of there. Make the capture and get the perps."

"Right Boss?" the man asked again as he saw that Carlton had seemed to be not listening.

Carlton faltered, "Y-Yeah. Yeah, I'm glad I'm not one of them; it would make it awkward to make business go down. I have to go into town and run some errands and do some business; I'll be back later."

"Sure thing, Boss; you want one of us to go with you? Or follow you?"

"No."

That's the last thing I need. My cover blown that I'm working with the Feds to get Nicholas caught and save a young life; that will be a great story to answer for, 'Yeah, I'm working with the Feds because I hate the idea of being the bad guy and I want out so I'm playing rat for the Feds.' Yeah. That'll go over so well with the guys.

Silence is a hindrance for what is truly going on and it was becoming an annoying tick that was starting to drive everyone insane; Cloud hadn't let go of Sephiroth's arm even after the paramedics and police had left. He had stayed on the man's arm, even at his side while he worked on the story; there were only a few more pages, or at least, half a dozen left to work up before the release date in a few weeks. Raechel had decided to keep herself busy instead of being distracted by all that had recently happened, the House Keeper had kept herself busy with cleaning the apartment and left a few short hours ago. As much as Sephiroth enjoyed having Cloud so near to him, it was becoming smothering as now and again, he was forced to change a keystroke.

A little thing about him that he hated doing was going back and deleting a word or letter because it was misspelled or whatever it was.

Most of the students had gotten used to the Substitute teacher in class, but one student that had not gotten used to it was the seemingly class loner. He had been worried about the Teacher ever since the Principal had made the announcement that the Teacher had had a terrible accident over the holiday weekend. Before the words of the Principal talking about how the Teacher was perfectly fine and was healing at the local hospital, the student had run from the Auditorium. It was his fault. All of it was his fault that he had gotten in the accident; they had had a huge fight at a coffee shop that afternoon and out of fear, the boy had sputtered out that he loved his Teacher. Before the Teacher could have caught up with him, the boy had been disappeared; in an utter flurry of worry and whirl of the boy's words running in his head. His mind must have been reeling back by the utter shock of the boy's confession and caused him to loose focus on the road during the rain storm.

"…If he dies, then it's all my fault. ALL MY FAULT!" the boy screamed as he ran through the quiet halls of the school.

Sephiroth's gaze turned from the monitor to the head resting against his arm; it seemed that in worrying over the man and not wanting to let go of him, Cloud had fallen asleep Sephiroth's arm. There were so many things that could have happened last night when walked into his apartment to find himself ambushed by Nicholas and a few thugs; they could have very well left him for dead. He pushed all of the "What ifs" from his mind as he saved the last little bit of story before the climatic finish, scooped up Cloud into his arms and stretched out on the sofa, still holding the young man in his arms. A free hand ran itself through Cloud's gold locks as he let his eyes slowly close.

"…If anything were to ever happen to me, I don't want you to ever think that it was your fault…don't ever blame yourself," Sephiroth whispered as he dropped off to sleep on the sofa with the young man cradled in his arms.

~A Small Bar on the Other Side of Town~

A soft sigh came from the young woman's lips as she sat at the counter alone, "Stood up?" the bartender asked the raven haired woman as he watched her fingering the outer rim of the shot glass.

"No…just needed to get some air. I just got back home from Rehab and my Mom can't stop harping on me about making better decisions…for all she knows, I'm off at a friend's house, blowing off steam."

"Whatever suits you…"

At least no one has decided to hit on you yet…

What makes you think they won't start?

You're pretty, and alone…

Isn't that how you found me?

Touché…

"Excuse me Miss?" a voice called off to the side of her peripheral vision as she turned to find a man in a pressed suit, suave and rather handsome; much like the snake Nicholas was, "But, I couldn't help noticing you were alone, may I buy you a drink?"

She held up her still half full shot glass.

The man softly chuckled, "I stand corrected then…" taking a seat beside her, he ordered a drink for himself, "So tell me, what is a young woman like you doing in here alone by yourself when I'm sure there is some special guy you could be with tonight?"

Tifa, be mindful of this windbag…I don't like how he smells…

Evil has a smell now?

Just be careful. Something isn't sitting right about this guy…he's not like any of the other guys you used to date after Cloud…

And here I figured all guys were scum…

This one is their King.

"I just recently got back into town after a break up with a guy…I'm not ready to hit the dating scene again, just yet…" the young woman played with the shot glass a little more as she crossed one ankle over the other under the stool, "I would've figured you for living under a bridge and scaring little kids."

Nice one, Tif…just be careful. You don't know if he'll take it the wrong way.

Whose the one still alive here and whose the voice in my head, Jiminy Cricket, conscious?

Shutting up. If you need me, you know where I'm at.

At first, Nicholas wanted to feel slighted by the comment, more or less, comparison of a child like well loved fairy tale of the three little Billy goats gruff who tried to cross a bridge but were faced with a nasty old troll. Nicholas was being compared to that Troll.

He softly chuckled to himself, "I know when I've been burned," holding out his hand in the gesture to greet someone, "Nicholas and you are?"

"Tifa," she took his hand as she shook it, "Any reason why you chose this bar to prowl through tonight? I'm sure there is some lucky little lady out there just waiting for you."

"Maybe she's sitting in front of me…" the man could have purred at that moment as Tifa pulled her hand away, slowly from him, "So tell me, what made a man break your heart?"

I think now is the best time to start backing, slowly, out of here…if he finds out you used to date Cloud…he's liable to use it against you. I don't like where this is going.

I know, I know…

Tifa pulled her hand back to the counter as she turned her gaze towards her shot glass, keeping a wary out for the Bartender; she knew better then to have come to such a place after coming off a time at a Rehab place for going out on a bender. But alcohol would've been the only friend she had for a while after coming back, but, she had to be the one to stop that friendship from even starting.

Turning her gaze back to Nicholas, "It seems he couldn't handle it with a girl and he decided that, after about five weeks of seeing one another, that, he had to come out to me and tell me that," here, she pretended to laugh; the old her would've laughed at the notion, "he's been seeing a guy on the side. He was gay. And yet, he was seeing me."

"Guess he wanted to test out whether or not he was really gay?" Nicholas commented as he took a sip of his shot, "Or just one last spin on the Ferris wheel of being straight before making it legit?"

"You could say that; he said he wanted to tell me sooner, but he was afraid that I'd reject him right off the bat, but I guess I should've noticed he wasn't as straight as a pole."

Nicholas leaned forward towards her, "How do you think you knew?"

Tifa…

I've got this handled…If he asks for a name, I'll make one up.

I wasn't going to say something about the conversation, but, I'd be mindful where his hands are because he's trying to get second, maybe third base under the counter while you're talking. You know that's only my territory…

Can it, Aerith. You never even got that far when we were "experimenting"…Maybe a feel under my blouse around my bra, but never the Southern regions…

Hmph…maybe if you were just willing to admit you were gay as well like little Cloud…I could've made your head spin so many directions you wouldn't have know which way was up, darling…

…Either way. Enough talk of what could've been.

Of course…

"You know the typical, stereotypical signs of a guy that is gay; into fashion, the show tunes, looks cuter in an outfit then you do, willing to hold your purse while you shop and a dozen other things, and…" Tifa sunk her nails into the man's flesh hand, "I'll ask that you not try and feel me up under the table. For all you know, the I.D. I used to get in here could be fake and I could be a minor. I don't think the Police would take kindly to a man such as your self trying to take advantage of an underage minor."

Nicely done, Tifa…That's my girl.

I just learned from the best…my girl…

Nicholas backed up as he started to attend to his hand wound, "I apologize for getting fresh. It's just been a long time since I've been another woman and let's just say, with the hours I work as a Journalist, I never get the opportunity to go out with many women."

"It's been a pleasure speaking to you, Nicholas, but…I probably should start heading home before my Mom wises up and calls my "friend's" house to make sure I'm actually over there."

With a faint bob of the head, "Would you like me to walk you out or hail you a cab?"

Tifa. Calmly reach into your purse and fetch out your mace and your cell phone. And the minute you're out of ear shot of this guy, call up someone that will still come to your aid. I don't want to see you get hurt…and I can tell he's a manipulative type.

Reno probably wouldn't answer a call from me and I hardly remember Zack's number; and I don't know if Cloud will even pick up his phone after the message I left on his machine before I went to Rehab…

You've got to have a little faith in people, sweetie…I would've picked up, just give someone a call once you're free of this creep.

"No thanks…I have a way home, but thank you for being a gentlemen in offering," Tifa simply gave the man a faint smug smile as she took her leave, paying for her drink and left into the dark of the night, Cloud…You were the only gentleman I could ever trust…as well as Reno…

Just go home, sweetie…I'll be waiting for you in your dreams…

~Two Weeks Later~

"Come on you two! We're going to be late and I don't like being late to anything!" Raechel barked up the stairs to Sephiroth's apartment; it had been merely two weeks since the attack in Sephiroth's apartment and it had taken only two weeks to get the rest of the story finished, "Come on guys…you don't need to primp and preen one another anymore like a pair of cockatoos…I want to get out to the Book Store and see the display before it gets too dark!"

Cloud chuckled as he held his chuckles against Sephiroth's chest while he tried to fix Sephiroth's tie, "Is she always this screechy about a silly display?"

"You should've seen her on the first book's release tour date day…she about tore the Store Manager apart because the water wasn't "sparkling" and that nearly cost some teenagers their lives for giggling at the term "sparkling."

"Why is that?" Cloud looked up him with a look of curiosity in his face.

Sephiroth pulled Cloud away from him as he finished his tie by himself, "Let's just say, the biggest rage back then was a love sick fantasy story of a girl in Washington who falls head over heels for a mysterious guy that not only is cold to the touch, and has fangs. He also has an obsession with sparkle body glitter and when he steps into the sun, he sparkles like a gay trout…"

"And the biggest joke of the year was that the male protagonist of the story was "sparkling", hence why Raechel about ripped them apart when they started giggling at her getting upset over "sparkling" water."

"And I will do the same to you two if you don't get a move on!" both men were startled to find Raechel standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, "At least you two aren't lip locked and molesting one another like the other day I found you two while doing a "victory lap" over getting the story finished in record time."

Cloud blushed while Sephiroth rolled his eyes; she just had to bring that up. How else were they suppose to celebrate the success of the story? Hardy hand shakes or war hoop like Zack on week old Halloween candy with the sugar content of a five year old that ate his mother's whole bag of sugar? It wasn't Cloud's fault that she walked in on them molesting one another one.

Besides, Sephiroth was a willing participant.

Sephiroth shook his head, "Not our problem if you walk in on two men in love, but you're right, we need to get going because I want to go over the details of the upcoming book tour and get to bed early tonight."

"Alright then, let's get a move on!"

(Another AN: Get ready. Chapter 28 is going to set up the stage for the dark twist in this little game. All the players are going to be moving into place, and I might even slip in a little bit of what is going on with Genesis since we've seemed to have left him for dead as it is to rot in a prison cell ^^; But, all the pawns are going to be moving into place SOON. Especially the newly added neutral player known as Carlton...I'm going to try my hand a Police Sting set up...If I phail, then I phail. I'm going to be drawing on the numerous Lifetime Movie Network movies I've watched where such things have been played out...so, let's hope I can pull it off. Chapter 29 is going to have flashback moments of what happened...but I don't have the stomach or heart to go out in detail of what happens...If you guys want me to tell you what happened...I might be able to make a side story and if I can keep my stomach from turning on me...I'll do what I can. But its all up to you the reader. You make this story happen. Chapter 30 will be the OFFICIAL end of this story, more or less, the Epilogue so that everyone gets a happy ending!)