Disclaimer: do I really need one of these now.

Alls well that ends well I guess. Except it isn't over. It's only just beginning. This is from the POV of tifa. This whole one character concept seems to be much easier to make lengthy. But if you the fans do not like it then I will cease its use. In short tell me what you think.

I hate you:

Tifa was on the move again. The locals at the bar would have to wait, she had finally gotten notice of cid's arrival. She ran from one end of the bar to the other doing various tasks for the soon to be held early reunion.

"Teefs. You need to chill. Your heads gona blow off if you keep this up." Yuffies concern was overlapped by her comedy as she tossed a towel at the passing woman.

"But there's so much to do and clouds not around to help out." She wined as she rushed into a room adjacent to them.

"What about me…?" clouds voice echoed bluntly down the stairs.

"Spiky? Wait. Where the hell did you come from.?" Yuffie threw him a puzzled glare remembering that she had watched him walk away not an hour ago and not come back.

"cloud……… um…. Yeah I could use some help. You didn't tell me cid was coming…… would've been nice to know." She sounded angry with him and judging from her tone she would remain so for quite a while.

'now what. He's home and all your gona do is tell him to help? He needs a lecture. An ass kicking. Something more than manual labor….. but I can't stay mad at him. He kept his promise.' the thoughts in her head blurred and flowed with ease from her brain to the void in the back of her head as cloud dawning an apron and washcloth entered the room reluctantly. 'oh my gawd…….. awww. He's so cute.' The thought of cloud and cute in the same sentence together made it impossible not to laugh.

"what's so funny." His face took a quizzical look as he eyed her suspiciously.

"oh nothing….." she attempted to mask her obvious amusement in the dishes and other what not that had to be done within the hour.

They began the cleaning process which actually should have taken hours, but lasted only minutes with the both of them hard at work and play. Tifa would occasionally make snide jokes at cloud for his strange almost habitual use of women's clothing and cloud would make fun of tifa's 'endowed figure' jesting at how impossible it must be to wash dishes without the neighbors getting a good show in the process.

The fun however came to a crashing burning halt, as sack made his presence known.

"hey spikes. You lost some weight I remember these things fitting a bit looser last time. Man musta been working out." He opened the door to reveal himself being stared at by the rest of the present group. Most of the looks being either cautious or curious with the exception of yuffie who made a joking remark at being attracted to him.

"oh zack. Sorry I was wrapped up in something." Cloud spun to see the soldier. Now in his usual soldier uniform.

"sokay. I just have to get use to the been watched. Jeez tough crowd out there." He chuckled as he pushed the door shut.

"oh I almost forgot. Zack you remember tifa?" he spoke only to realize that both of the people now had a forlorn almost angry expression glued to their faces.

"yeah I remember you." Zack said faking a smile. "who could forget that face."

Tifa never spoke but her eyes fumed with an intense anger that threatened to burn the soldier to the ground.

"tifa?" cloud was lost. "tifa I don't know how to explain this. I don't really think I believe it but somehow koty brought him back….. crazy. But he did."

The two just stared at each other and then tifa cracked. "get out. Get out of my sight."

"suit yourself." Zack threw a vindictive ending to his sentence as he rushed out of the room.

"tifa?" cloud looked confused. "teef. What the hell?"

She said nothing and continued about her work. 'how…. And why of all people him……… I don't want to upset cloud but no more. I've had enough of soldier and shinra and…….. and ……. Ahhhhhh' she screamed in her head at the sudden anger that bubbled up from her encounter with the man. She paid no mind to the now silent blond working with a turmoil of confusion and perhaps even sadness at the rejection of his friend. 'I can't stand them. If it weren't for him ……… dad………. And nibelheim ……….. damit.' Suddenly her fist found the closest countertop.

"tifa…..?" clouds shocked face provided her with a revealing answer. "calm down….. what's wrong."

"it's nothing….. let's just finish up." She concluded.

"don't be like that." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around the unnerved woman.

'he just doesn't understand. All of this was his fault to begin with. He was with soldier. He knows what horrors they did. And now he's back.' She tossed thoughts around in her head with a constant hatred for the now revived friend of her friend. 'zack …… I guess he didn't do it………. But he didn't drop out of soldier either.' She attempted to fight the coming tears but failed miserably as cloud found himself becoming her support. 'if he hadn't come to nibelheim my dad would still be here.'

"I'm sorry I just….."

"he's not the enemy tifa….. he only did as he thought was right. Sephiroth was the one who destroyed everything……… zack tried to stop him……… but."

"but he didn't. he died just like the rest of them. As one of them." She was now shouting in a raised tone to no avail.

"no…….." cloud had never raised his voice at her in anger until then "he died because of them….. he didn't die for them he died for me……. He can't help what he was only show what he is."

They looked at each other for a moment. No words came out, and no sound could be heard but the tension was obvious. The heat in the air demanded contrast , and the floor seemed to want to escape from beneath their feet. Oddly their first lovers' quarrel would be over the one thing it had been based on. Friendship.

She still remembered the last time she met him. He was the dark haired soldier that had come to inspect the reactor. He came with the legendary hero sephiroth. She remembered how excited she had been. How many hours she spent teasing her hair and fixing her clothes. She remembered daydreaming mere moments before their arrival of a tall dark and mysterious man drabbed in pricy clothing and smelling of conquests. She thought that sephiroth would have been the focal point of the attention. But it was his partner who had more of a captivating air. 'zack' she had come to know when she was to be the guide. Her job was to give the members of soldier the tour of nibelheim.

It hadn't been a total loss. She had at first hoped to catch the attention of the hero and perhaps acquire a phone number. A childish thought yes but then again she was at the time a child. It was only by chance that she began to talk to zack. He was nice enough but not her goal.

They were more or less like affiliates. Tifa guided zack and zack provided comic stupidity. They were only there for a short time after all. The comedy was to tifa a quick relief from the strain of anticipation.

However disaster struck. Sephiroth after a few weeks hold up in the manor. He had emerged and with him the death of all but two of the town of nibelheim. Her father and the rest of the people she called family. Even clouds mother and the two infantry men that came with him. Everyone but her cloud and zack.

She felt justified for hating zack. She was injured and cloud had been hurt. But zack had not had a scratch on him when he showed up. That was the last time she saw him. Running into the reactor.

The last thing she had said to him was 'I hate you.' It was hard for her to even imagine that now he had come back from the grave.

"he never hurt you……… he was just as much a victim as we were." Clouds voice was now its original calm. No longer agitated or angry.

"I'm sorry." Tifa looked at the ground before noticing his hand grasping her chin gently.

"now you said stop apologizing…….. so stop it." He places a gentle kiss against her with these words.

She melted immediately. Surrendering fully to his lips. She had never been one to be dominated but she found it comforting to allow him to control her. Safety was present when she was in his arms. She fell into a small comfortable coma. Leaned passionately into him she felt reality cease and wondered whether or not for a moment if cloud felt this way. Surely if he did he would never question her feelings again.

"hey you two. Break it up there are kids in here." Yuffies voice followed by a small paper wad bouncing off of clouds head ended the moment. "if ya want I could get everybody out of the house" her innuendos seemed a tad too swift for tifa's personal comfort.

"yuffie. Can't you go….. I don't know…….. away…." Tifa scolded the young ninja for the irritating break in her moment of contentment.

"and where would I go. I'm not even about to ask who that guy was or why he's wearin clouds stuff and other than that there's nothing to do. So I came in here to bug you." She retorted with a wide grin "looks like I saved poor cloud."

"can it you little brat. Go fondle Vincent or something and leave us alone." Tifa was now grinding her teeth in an attempt not to clobber the girl.

With nothing left to say yuffie left the scene. Then tifa looked at cloud. The strange look of sleep deprivation adorned his features. He looked sickly. Almost as if he were having withdrawals from a strong dose of heroin.

"cloud what's wrong you don't look so good."

"I'm fine…. I'm just a little tired is all." He hadn't noticed himself apparently

"go get some sleep ill wake you up when cid gets here.."

He left her after that. Alone again. She almost felt like the loneliness would swallow her. The room void of her beloved and her thoughts twisted around him with such passion left her with the feeling of a grieving widow. 'man I wish I could just quit this game.' She thought to herself. 'now I guess I have to go apologize to zack for being a bitch. But…….'

"tifa…… tifa are you in here.?" Zacks voice echoed with a lack of confidence.

"yeah" her voice was hoarse as if she were about to cry

"can I talk to you for a moment."

"what do you want." She tried to sound neutral.

"I'm sorry……. I know I'm at as much fault as sephiroth for what happened. If I had just tried to stop him……. Your family"

"it's not your fault……. You tried."

"but……..I can't expect you to welcome me. Even clouds a little skeptical that I exist. Hell I don't really believe it myself."

"no….. if it weren't for you cloud might not have been the same………. That would have been the end of AVALANCHE…….. so I think that makes you at least welcomed if only for clouds sake."

He looked at the floor and tifa instantly realized why cloud had been so attached to him. He was a nice person. A good soul trapped on a road paved with good intentions.

"but……. I couldn't even stop him….. some help huh. Cloud made it because he's strong. Not because of me."

"no he is him because of you…… yeah he may have already had the strength but……. You were the mold……"

"well….. what about you….."

"what about me….." her eyes fell upon the sink where she had for a few moments now stood to avoid eye contact.

"do you still hate. Me…….. I mean SOLDIER doesn't exist anymore. And well I'm short a few good friends ….."

"I don't know how to answer."

"simple yes er no."

She thought for a moment. He hadn't been the one to set the fires or attack. He had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"no……. I don't hate you……….. I just need some time." She faked a smile and motioned for zack to leave.

'highschooler. You need to give up the drama. He's not the one that did it. It was sephiroth. He's the son of a bitch that destroyed the town. Zack just simply got in the way…….. but he did help……. He was with them…….. but then again so was cloud…………. Wasn't he…………..'

The man left with nothing left to say. He had apparently exhausted his welcome in that room and went to seek refuge and conversation elsewhere. Tifa in the meanwhile was stuck mulling her thoughts over. 'he saved cloud……. So doesn't he deserve another chance………' she had a hard time being forgiving. It always seemed easier to hold a grudge. To hate was easier than love. At this point she knew from her days with cloud that love could be a real pain. And hating him would have been so much easier. But she couldn't give up on cloud. So was zack really something to hate. The questions rambled in her head until koty walked in covered in what appeared to be soot.

"is something wrong" his words showed a lack of self concern "you seem upset"

"it's nothing……"
"so he wasn't quite a friend of yours as much as clouds?" he easily saw through the ruse.

"how did you do it though?"

"the magician never reveals his secrets"

"not even to friends" she looked at him faking innocence.

"no….. but that's not what you want to ask is it.?"

"not really I guess" she replied absently

"why then…… perhaps is what you'd like to ask."

"ummm…… yeah"

"well for starters. Cloud is my friend if only just recently so. And it is a considerable gift to give that which they desire to your friends no matter how new they may be. Besides my power alone will not stem the attempts of lithium….. they are intelligent. And many of them follow under the flag. Zack is revered as one of many heroes. Perhaps maybe only known to a few but I've seen……….. I've…. Felt clouds pain at his loss. He is a good man…………. And he is strong……… we could use his aid in this battle." His words adhered to her mind for a moment.

"but why……. I mean you don't owe cloud anything…… and it's not like….."

"the friend of my friend is also my friend."

"what…… oh…." She realized his purpose of action. "so you did that for me"

"in a sense….. you helped me. And you want to see him happy….. he desires that which has been lost. So I gave him that which he sought. However…….. there is another enemy even more dangerous than lithium…….. and that will mean even more power will be necessary. Zack, cloud, and myself will not be enough to defeat them…. Therefore I'm afraid I must ask your permission to stay." He sounded serious which was normal but it bothered her all the same.

"alright but who else is after us……" her thoughts went to the night that she had traveled to his world.

"the paradox….." he responded with an ominous tone.

"paradox………. What is that." Her question was simple but it caused much distress as she realized perhaps that maybe even koty hadn't been able to answer it.

"it is many things" not what she was looking for "it all depends on how it is created. And the conditions in which it is born. Sometimes it is simply an event sometimes much worse"

"what is it….." she was now agitated and overly confident.

"in this case it is what we call a Grimm paradox……. A manifestation of absolute distortion…. A creature formed from a crossing of the realms……… something built to destroy."

"that thing…. From the bar……"

"yes………" definitely not what she wanted to hear.

"but you killed that thing……. I saw it disappear."

"no……. there are only two ways to correct the paradox. The first is to restore the order which was broken to create it. In this case impossible. Or to eliminate that which bore the paradox. I don't think you want to hear either of those possibilities. They would seem fruitless."

"how was it that it was 'created'" she asked almost in a rhetorical manor.

"the encounter you had with Elizabeth."

"who…… you mean Liz…… that girl…….."

"yes"

"but all we did was."

"contact of the soul with ones 'spiritual' twin is forbidden……… it brings a great distortion……. Which is the breeding ground for a Grimm paradox. Also known as a fatal paradox"

"you make it sound like such a bad thing. I mean it was only a kiss."

"but it was not……. You felt strangely attracted to her yes?"

"well yeah"

"that was the quickening…. The pull of one's soul towards itself. Alone we do not feel it. But should we encounter our spiritual twin…….. it is the process of collecting ones soul into a single area. That creates temporal distortion. Which is the womb of a paradox. if I had been able to stop you then perhaps you would not be in this current predicament………… but you need not worry. The paradox is week. Easily destroyed but ever-present."

"now how do I get rid of it." She stopped his explanation knowing that it was not safe until the creature was gone. "I can't let it hurt Denzel or Marlene. And I don't think you'll be able to fight it forever. You said it was impossible to correct it. Why"

"well one of the paradoxical benefactors has been killed. And sadly I can only bring back the dead of this world and only under certain conditions……" the conversation was cut at the quick as the sound of cid's booming voice was heard as he came through the door.

"alright now how bout we get this party started….. I aint gona have to ask ya twice am I…… let's get this show goin…. First rounds on me…."

"a friend of yours." Koty voiced with a slight chuckle "seems eager."

"yeah that's cid. He's a hoot. You'll love him… but first go wash up ill introduce you later. But I can't let you go out looking like you've been in the chimney. By the way why are you covered in black……"

"I made a slight miscalculation during my experimentation."

"so that was what all the banging around was earlier."

"yes…. Nothing was broken I assure you."

"okay………. Well go clean up and ill see about the rest of the party….. oh by the way…. Um we're kina having a reunion"

"understood I will make myself scarce." He said with a since of compliance

"no..no no…… um you're welcomed to join if you want…… I mean yeah they don't know you but they're good people…. I'm sure they won't shun you." She gave him a tired smile and walked into the other room.

As usual cloud had found himself brooding in the corner apparently taking Vincent as a good accomplice and refused to converse with the rest of the group. Shera and yuffie sat at the bar conversing over various matters and barret cid and strangely zack were all having fun giggling and laughing at various humor tifa had apparently just missed. Marlene and Denzel were playing by the stairwell thankfully to tifa not outside. And the biggest surprise red sat perched on a stool idly eaves dropping on the random conversation.

"ahh. Tifa… my its been so long." The rather large feline purred as he noticed her presence "two years now correct. The time has flown. But for such timeless beauty I find myself stunned at how little you've changed"

"oh red. Knock it off. Your such a flirt"

"ahh but at least you need not worry of my intentions. With all seriousness it is good to see you well."

"nice to see you too. So how's it with the canyon. Things going well."

"as well as they can. Though the restoration of the planet is slow it is in progress."

"that is good to hear…….. so any reason you're here red….. I mean cid said cloud told him to come but why are you here.?"

"well I was told that it was a need to know basis and I didn't need to know. So said." He gave a slight chuckle with the phrase.

"well I guess everybody but reeve is here. And well he's a workaholic anyway so I guess we'll just bump up the reunion a week in advance. Sound good to you?"

"indeed. But I'm puzzled as to why cloud called cid. Generally you are the one who does all of the planning and executing. What reason would he have to take a wild hair of that sort….. something is not right with this particular picture. Interesting."

"well cloud has been acting strange lately. On top of… well never mind." She thought twice about making introductions for zack by telling them he had returned from the dead. "anyway I almost forgot for those of us who don't know, everybody this is zack he's a friend of clouds from a while back."

The intro was obviously well taken as the eyes from around the room focused on the dark haired man.

"well. Nice to meet all of you too." He said with a small nervous smile. "I assume I'm not going to be the main course."

The room burst with laughter at this form of abnormal comedy. All except for cloud and the Omni stoic Vincent. Vincent was normal in his general stoic attitude, however cloud was slightly off in his silence. It seemed as if he was in deep contemplation of a very important subject. But the thoughts on his mind were always even if blunt very enigmatic to tifa. She never really could tell what was on his mind. Only certain things were obvious. Like regret or sorrow. Some things simply came forward.

Noting that his demeanor was less than usual, she decided to make it a point to take him aside.

"cloud can I talk to you." She was lucky he wasn't in an arguative mood. He followed without hesitation. But in their simple gesture tifa had concentrated so much on cloud that she failed to notice zack's keen eyes zeroing in on them.

They walked outside and around the curb before tifa practically clamped herself to the dumbstruck blonde.

"what's up with all of this.?" He gave a half hearted smile before looking at her with a slight tint of red in his face.

"something's bothering you….. spill. What is it." She didn't hold anything he needed her to be blunt.

"well…….. its zack. And well its kina koty too……… I mean…… zack was dead that I'm certain of……… and koty…… well to be honest he's a freak……. Its like we've known each other for years but I have no idea who he actually is. Only a few things make sense around him. But still the big problem is that he brought him back…….. how…… is that even possible. Zack has been dead going on nearly a decade. How……… did he?" cloud was still hiding something it was obvious but tifa felt he was sincere in his questioning of koty.

"he's not human……. Well…… not normal at any rate……… cloud he…….. he saved me……… but he has so much power. He could have easily killed us all if he had felt like it…….. but I'm not scared of him….. you have to get to know him………… he's like a child…… the other day I had to teach him what coffee was…….. funny as it sounds. Its true. He's really intelligent but I think he's a bit sheltered when it comes to daily life." Tifa chuckled at the memory of koty's coffee revelation.

"sheltered. I thought he was just a freak. Earlier he was telling me to kill this thing called a 'peredocs' or somthin like that…….. and when I tried it just got pissed and tried to kill me instead. Then out of nowhere comes zack."

"I know he told me……." Tifa lied to hide that she believed she was the one to create it.

"and that freeky distortion shit he does……. Makes everyone sick………… but I guess its useful…… but he's still a freak."

Tifa had felt now that she was being watched. For clouds sake however she let him rant. He had never talked so much. And she wandered briefly if his past silence was finally getting to him. He seemed almost apprehensive to actually ask questions but stated facts as though they were obvious. Kotys impression on cloud had apparently been less than good. Then again he had attacked koty so she had to assume that his first impression of cloud was slightly negative as well.

"cloud…………… I think……. Oh never mind" she looked at the ground trying to force thoughts of the last few days away from her mind.

"what's on your mind.." he asked breaking the momentary silence.

"I think………. He wants to be……….. close to us……….."

"who….."

"koty……. I've talked to him…. And for some reason……. He seems to want to be around us……… I don't know if he's just curious or maybe he wants to be part of something……. But it seems like he wants to be with us so bad that he's willing to try anything……."

"or maybe he's waiting for an opportunity to slit our throats."

"no……. as I said he…… he would have already done that if he had been that intent on killing us wouldn't he…… oh forget it…… he just seems harmless……… I mean granted he does have that power but he's like a talkative Vincent………… all of the bravado in the world can't make him a bad guy no matter how much you dress it up. a good person is a good person."

"I dunno." Clouds skepticism was both charming and infuriating.

Without any further interruption tifa landed a light but passionate kiss on his lips. To her mouth they had been calling with sweet whispers and delicate words. Thus sated the fire within them drew an inferno from her heart. The same hunger that had threatened to swallow her a week prior now drove her to part his lips and taste him from the chasm of his mouth. Her nameless passion consumed her and she felt it necessary now to be dominant in thrusting the course of events forward.

He didn't seem to mind it. Though he had hesitated at first he soon fell into it and welcomed her intense and curious nature. He seemed to almost enjoy being pulled around. Thoughts beyond erratic at this point now tifa payed no attention to his submissive nature and simply drove forward crashing into his lips with a fury that almost appeared angry.

She could feel him under her fingertips. Strong tone muscles laid with an expert hand over a slender frame. Firm skin laden with scars from battles past. His countenance was that of a great stone statue. But his lips were soft. Almost feminine. As if he hadn't used them for much more than basic necessity. 'oh come on cloud……. You have no idea how much I need you………….' Her thoughts raced as she pulled away from him.

"wow…… I guess…… I should have seen that comin…….. but."

Tifa held no quarter for him as she planted another of the unabashed kisses in the exact fashion. 'no' she demanded from him with her mind. No words to exchange but the conflict of her lips with his gave him all the orders he needed. 'no more words. Just shut up and do what you do best………. Free me.' Their lips were now in a free for all. And tifa found herself wining without question to his relaxed almost accepting lips.

'this is so much more…….. I dunno. Powerful……. Than before…… what's wrong with me………. I can't control myself……… do I even want to……..' her tongue danced with his before she felt a small drop of something wet land on her shoulder. 'oh great rain……….. now my hair is gona be a mess' cloud then pulled away slowly.

"tifa I think its gona" he was muffled by her mouth again.

'I don't care……' she looked at the sky and then fell back into the kiss. 'let it rain I don't care…….' The thunder in the back ground protested to her defiance 'I hate you mother nature……….. I'm not moving from this spot I don't care if I get struck by lightning I'm not moving.'

"tifa…."cloud giggled through the kiss attempting to pull away before surprisingly strong arms pulled him back into the moment.

'don't go…..' another clap of thunder brought her attention back to the coming rain. Soon the clouds poured out their burden and cloud with them released his restraint and joined her in the moment of bliss. 'I love you cloud.' Another blast of thunder. 'I hate you…..'