Now it's public the past of the mysterious Koty. His destructive nature revealed and the group waiting to pass judgment on the enigmatic man.

Cloud has pursued Tifa upstairs. The preceding events simply too much for her to take have forced her to retreat from the group.

This is basically a regrouping chapter and things will resemble normal soon but for now we march forward to the end.

Judgment:

'Oh……… that was horrible…… pull yourself together girl you've done more horrible things than that……….. But he didn't even care that they were dying………. But they were trying to kill him….. And Kara…… wasn't there any other way….. Why did she…………… oh just the thought of that…….. I think I'm gona be sick.' Tifa released the contents of her stomach into the porcelain basin below. 'Gosh….. I've never been squeamish………… what's wrong with me………. May be that……….. Oh what was it…. Dimensional disorientation that Koty was talkin about'

"Tifa…..? Tifa baby are you in here." It was clouds voice a soothing tone for sore ears.

"Cloud I'm in…… uhhh" 'damit…..'

"Are you okay……." He snuck in behind her and knelt down to cradle the heaving woman.

"I'm fine it's just a………. ghaaaaa"

"Shhhh its okay I'll be back………" he left her for a moment.

'Oh damit my stomach….. What the hell is going on……….' She looked into the bowl to find that its contents were a slight pinkish color along with bits of the food from the day before. 'Is that………. Blood……. Oh god I can't let cloud see.'

She immediately flushed the remnants and stood.

"Here….. Take this it'll make you feel better." Cloud entered again with a concerned look. "Was that blood…?"

'Damit….. How did he catch it………..' "I don't know…….. Cloud…..Koty he……….."

"I know… for right now he needs to be alone………. I'm worried about you though…. Are you okay………."

"It hurts…….." she whimpered as she crossed her arms.

"What does……?"

"My heart……. I know I should be happy but…….. I know he's hurting so bad………"

"I know how you feel……. But I'm sure he doesn't want us to pity him…….. I think he made that clear…………"

She took the pills he had been holding and without even asking their function swallowed them.

"That's trusting. What if I had slipped you some kina date rape pill" cloud scolded her for her lack of personal concern.

"If you can't trust your future husband then who can you trust…?" she smiled at him slightly before falling into his arms.

"Tifa I love you………."

"You're not gona put your hand in my chest are you"

"Why? Would you like it.?"

The two shared a mild uneasy laugh before Tifa ultimately felt the need to kneel over again. 'Oh no……..'

"Maybe you should lie down…."cloud knelt beside her and stroked her cheek tenderly. "Ill check on 'bright eyes'" he chuckled with the use of the somber mans unusual nickname.

"Just don't let him know about me… he has enough to worry about." She took a deep breath and stood.

"Okay. But let's get you back to the bed I think you've had enough excitement for one day."

He carried her practically the entire way. Lifting her upon to the bed posed little challenge and after a slight moment of holding her to himself he found that laying her down was much harder than picking her up. This came from the fact that when he tried to leave she insisted on kissing him.

'Tifa……… something is really amiss………. This kiss is different………..' then he tasted it. 'Blood.' He looked at Tifa. 'Damn'

"What's wrong did I do something?" She prodded him for answers before feeling a strange liquid on her upper lip. "Ah crap." 'Nose bleeds…. I haven't had one of those since I was a kid….. What the hell.'

It was pure blood. Nothing else it was as if she was bleeding from a cut but she felt no pain. 'Ahhhh my head.' She winced as a sheer pain shot through her skull.

"T……fa……………….. Ti...i…fa…a" clouds voice was echoing in her mind. "H…….ld……..n……."

'Cloud……. What are you saying?' It was then that she blanked out. An immense darkness flooded her and she felt that she momentarily didn't even exist.

"Its time love….. Its time you came back…….. Don't you love me?" It was a voice she thought was her own. But it became menacing and dark. "The puppet man can't save you………. Cloud has abandoned you……… come back to me………… let us comfort you……… let us end your suffering."

"What…….. No what are you" she looked around to find piercing violet eyes glaring at her from an alarmingly close proximity.

"Don't you know……?" The monster laughed and Tifa then woke to find cloud standing over her.

"Tifa……. What's wrong……. Can you hear me……?" cloud was panicked. But it did no good she fell out once more.

"Let ussss. Help you………….." the voice again taunted her as a dark hand wrapped itself around her belly. "We cannn make it stop………… we can give you the power………. But first you need something………"

"What are you……" she hissed as she pushed the hand away.

"We have no name……. we have no destiny……. Give us one……… mother……." The hand she had pushed away drew back into the darkness and the voice laughed with sinister intent.

"Leave me alone." She shouted and the reply she received was an ear shattering cry of pain.

"Mother……. You reject us………. Give it to us please."

She woke again this time she was being watched by Barret Vincent and cloud.

"Howya holdin up babycakes….. You gona be alright?" Barret placed his large hand over her forehead.

"Tifa are you okay…?" clouds voice was barely a whisper but she nodded at him and then acknowledged Vincent who nodded in agreement.

"Ill be fine…… how long was I out." Her head was swimming and she could still vaguely make out the voice of the creature that had invaded her dreams.

"About an hour….. Are you okay? Seriously you look sick." Cloud commented with an overwhelming concern.

"Actually short of dizzy I'm fine….."

"Oh thank goodness. Now you guys can go on I've got this."

As the two left both hinting a sense of relief Tifa sat upright. Her hair fell down in front of her face and her arms stretched upward revealing to cloud the true strength she had. 'God Tifa knock it off…. I don't want Yuffie making jokes about my desperation….. Oh boy.' She apparently had noticed his struggle and sat with the arms placed delicately across her chest. She looked at him with almost a submissive glare.

"Cloud what's wrong?"

"Ummm…n...n...nothing…. I'm just thinking about earlier."

"Is that so?" she arched her back making herself seem slightly taller as she looked up at him. "You seem tense….. Should I leave you alone?"

'Tifa that's not fair. You know exactly what you're doing.' "I… uhhh….. I gota go….."

"No don't leave…!" she sounded desperate. "Please stay."

"Tifa?" 'What's wrong…? Is she hurt?'

"I just don't want to be alone for right now."

"Oh I see…….. So if I leave now…." He teased her.

"No! Cloud…. That's not funny."

"Why are you so upset?" he asked with a scoff of humor.

"I've been alone a lot….. I'm just ….. I don't know….. Uh…"

"Attention starved" his blunt phrase turned her face a deep pink.

"No….!"

"Liar…. If you wanted attention why didn't you say so?" 'Well… I guess we're gona get married so a little action won't hurt anything will it….?'

"Cloud? What are you doing…? Hey!"

He had crawled unto the bed and proceeded tickling her.

"Stop… no. haha…… cloud you…. Ahhh" a loud thump and then a sorrowful groan and then it was noticeable that cloud had fallen off the bed and almost completely knocked himself out.

"Damit that hurt." He groaned with pain as he rubbed his head with a slow hand.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." 'Is she laughing at me…?'

"Oh you poor thing."

Downstairs Vincent and Barret had finally returned to their posts when a deep ended conversation had gotten under way.

"I don't see why you're so apprehensive about him…. He doesn't look like a bad person and he hasn't done a thing to hurt any of us." Aerith's voice was heard lightheartedly trying to delude the tension in the air.

"Don't you see? He's a cold blooded murderer. He offed an entire battalion and his girlfriend in about fifteen minutes…. I'd say that makes him way too dangerous to simply ignore." Yuffie obviously had a negative opinion of the enigmatic Koty.

"But he didn't have any choice. He was forced into that situation kina like us and meteor fall. He did what was necessary."

"Yeah it was real necessary to blow up half an army that's a must for any murderer."

"That's enough Yuffie." Shelke intervened.

"Ill tell you when it's enough"

"Please calm down I do not wish to argue this further. He means no harm and you seem to be the only paranoid one among us."

"I aint entirely sure about that. The bastard did try to rip that guy's throat out without a second thought." cid interrupted. "I really don't want to find out whether or not we're next. He aint human and I don't wana know what the hell he's gona do to those of us who are."

"Well before we start trying to crucify him lets givem a chance." Zack was playing neutral as he stepped between the four arguing judges. "He hasn't tried to kill us yet…. So when he does we can act…"

"By then he'll have killed us all you moron." Yuffie's temper flared as she threw a paper wad at his head.

"No I don't think so…. As much as I would like to agree with Yuffie on this his mentality seems a bit too honorable for murder." Vincent was the tie breaker as his rare thunder invaded the conversation. "Perhaps he is dangerous by physical means but mentally Tifa is correct… he's a child…… lost and alone. He doesn't have any refuge or even allies at this point. And his fate may indeed determine our own at this point. Like it or not we're stuck in this……… with or without him……. And I don't personally like him but I would rather have him for an ally then an enemy….."

"But he aint man Handlin Tifa like that again. I don't care if he's friend or foe…….. He be getin my fist in his face………. His ass my size sixteen boot. Haha." Barret laughed at his own failed humor. "What…?"

"I still say he's perfectly harmless….. Isn't he Shelke?" Aerith broke the silence that proceeded after the long stare that the group shared on Barret.

"I wouldn't say that…… he is perfectly capable of being a threat….. But I just don't think he is one." The reply was unexpected at best.

"Hey where are the kids?"

The children it would seem had found it interesting to interrogate the 'threat' on his rare sorrowful disposition.

The knock was unheard and Denzel was reluctant to enter the room, however Marlene on the other hand found no shame in barging in. Barret could easily be blamed for her decisive attitude. She was her father's daughter after all.

"Come on Denzel don't be a chicken." She teased him.

"I'm not a chicken…. He's just…. He gives me the creeps."

"Scaredy cat"

"I am not."

"Yes you are"

They opened the door with trepidation. Their young minds however curious were also apprehensive at the thought of what his reaction would be if they were to simply barge in. they recalled that Tifa had been quite testy with them for walking in on her while she was getting dressed. Marlene laughed at Denzel's blush but ultimately only received double the punishment for laughing to begin with.

"Hello?" Marlene in some sense of the word whispered.

"Is there something you need?" The soft tenor of the man's voice pierced the dimly lit haze of the evening sun creeping through the blinds.

"We just wana talk mister Koty" the young child sounded like she had very little experience in stealth as she stuck her head through the door.

"About what…… I'm all ears" he tried his best to seem optimistic.

"Can we come in?"

"Of course…. Make yourself comfortable……."

Denzel went in first only to be followed by a skittish Marlene and a feeling of discord running through his mind. They seemed almost fearful to fraternize with the man.

"Do not fear me…… I mean no harm….."

"Yuffie called you a murderer though….." Denzel murmured quietly.

"I am aware. I can hear their conversation. It is understandable their concern…. What is it you needed little ones?"

"Is it true….."

"Is what true?"

"Did you really kill all of those people or was that just what you showed everyone to make yourself look big." Marlene taunted him.

"Marlene. What you saw was a glimpse of my past……. It is the truth and my existence in a nutshell….. Yes I did kill those people….."

"Don't you feel bad…… what about their families….. Their friends……… don't you care?"

"Yes….. I feel great sorrow for their deaths but……. If I had not they would have ended the lives of many others……… and that is something I could not allow………. I do not wish to do harm……… but sadly that is the only way I can ensure that no more comes to innocent people……. Like yourselves."

"But mister Koty………. Wasn't there something you could do to help that girl?"

A tear came to his eye as he looked at the child with a feeling of tattered pride overwhelming him.

"No…….. She would have died……… If I hadn't……. and if she didn't die it would have been much worse…….."

"Don't cry mister Koty…… here take the moogle…." Marlene offered up her doll as a sign of peace with the man who only stared on as if confused "this is mog…. He's my moogle……. He'll make you feel better."

"Marlene. He doesn't wana play with dolls." Denzel added as if he were ashamed of her actions "he's too old to"

"Bless the innocence of the youth…….. You are kind Marlene but I do not need it…… Denzel is right I am slightly old to be playing with toys……."

"Alright but if you need him ill leave him here….."

"Mister Koty." Denzel looked at him with a different emotion in his eyes. It appeared as an emotion of determination. "How do you fight like that?"

"I am gifted…… why do you ask?"

"I want to learn how…….. I wana learn how to do that too."

"Denzel….. What your heart is so set upon is not just merely a simple ability it is a curse…… I see your desire to protect your family…… but I cannot allow you to become myself………. I do not think Tifa would approve of you learning the ways of war at such a young age…… nor cloud……. And you are with technical purposes aside their son."

"But I wana be strong….. Like you and cloud…….."

"Then that path is yours to walk and I cannot tread it for you."

"Mister Koty……. Do you have a crush on Tifa?" Marlene broke the tense moment with a random question.

The man said nothing for a moment. He simply stared wide eyed at the young girl until a slight smile crossed his face.

"Hahaha….. You do have quite the imagination there little one." He chuckled. "But no…. Tifa is cloud's to have…… I have no inclination towards her."

The look on the children's faces told him he had to be blunt.

"It means I do not have a crush on her."

The heated argument downstairs at this moment had ended with zack managing to play the arbiter of the battle between Aerith and Yuffie. But the tension was still obvious.

"He has caused much controversy Vincent." Red spoke over his shoulder at the silent man.

"I am aware….. But for now it would be best to keep him around... lithium is no joke…….. They aren't easy to defeat and having him for an ally might indeed be a good way to kill two birds with one stone."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"If they wage a war with him he can weaken them. Even if he dies that leaves us to finish off what's left of them. This way we don't have to worry about the psycho or his pursuers."

"I see."

Upstairs cloud was far from disliking his current position. Tifa was now with him on the floor relentlessly cooing and kissing him. 'Well must've done something right…… wonder how long this will keep up.'

"Cloud have I ever told you how handsome you are" she allowed a mischievous grin play her features as she twirled a strand of his hair between her fingers.

"Actually to be honest no….."

"Well that just won't do…. Gota find some way to fix that." She planted a soft kiss on him before standing.

She moved to the bed and lay down upon the sheets. The motion for him to follow was not ignored as he complied with a nervous tension welling up in his chest. 'Gota keep it together you're not married yet…… that could end rather bad if you jump the gun here…… but she's so ……..' he lay next to her and the kisses began again. 'Oh no you're not. I'm not letting this go one-sided again. Come'er"

He returned her display with power and purpose leaving her with a shocked look as he pulled away. 'That's the look….. I'm getting better at this…..'

"Cloud…..."

"What's wrong….. Did I do something?" 'Uhoh.'

"No…. it's just….. You have beautiful eyes…… I've never got the chance to look at them before but."

"Look as long as you want….. Yours aren't exactly ugly Tifa………" 'Not what I wanted to say.'

"Was that a compliment?" she scoffed "you suck at telling a girl how pretty she is."

"Really. Well you said words weren't the only way to show how you feel remember."

Blush rose to her cheeks and he took the opportunity to land the best kiss he could muster. He landed dead on. The accuracy of a proficient marksman with the gentle nature of a heated lover. 'I'm not letting you go….. Ill never let go again…. I'm here now and always…….. Ill never leave…. I love you … Tifa….'

They shifted and she was underneath him then pulling hungrily at his back as if the mere cloths they wore put too much distance between them. This sated she grabbed his hands and gently forced them under her top. 'Tifa…. Well……. If this is what she wants I don't see why I should deny….' Cloud was nervous he knew well one false move could be disastrous.

He took control again gently brushing her sides with velvet fingertips, and sending shivers up her spine. 'Cloud that's not fair you jerk….. You know I can't stand that' she screamed at the pleasure in her mind. 'Wow she's into this…… are we gona…. Gulp……' he nervously pulled his hand back until she took control again forcing him to continue. 'Okay geez your choice I guess…….. Damn her skin is so soft….. Tifa……'

"Teef have I ever told you how beautiful you are"

"Cloud I thought we went through this already you suck at compliments….. But no you haven't……. why."

"You're ……. All the colors I could never be……… everything I've ever wanted and all that I've needed. My light……….. My shelter…….. My best friend………."

"So articulate…….. Save it for the wedding babe…….." she giggled at his rare display of poeticism and brushed his lips with hers "right now I wana give you something."

"What…" 'Tifa…. We can't do that yet….'

"Me………" she was shy.

"Tifa…."

"Cloud if you keep running I'm just going to follow you until you come back to me……… and I can already tell you want me……."

"I do Tifa."

"Then come here."

"We shouldn't not yet…."

"Oh you pervert I didn't mean that…."

"huh?" 'way to go you idiot.'

"I just want you to…….. I don't know how to put this………"

"put words into action" 'shut up you moron she's gona kill you'

"yes" her eyes pleaded with him.

He finally clicked. He understood what she wanted. 'you could've said that earlier. Would've saved me a lot of trouble earlier…..' he traced her face with his hand and watched as her eyes closed softly. 'she just wanted some attention….. humph now I feel like a dumb ass' he followed his former hands path with his lips. He tasted her skin and felt the texture of her as he gently sipped at her with reverence. 'god she tastes like sugar….. I think I could get use to this…….' He continued down her neck and to the base of her shoulder where he delivered a carefully placed line of kisses to her collarbone until she arched upward and startled him into ceasing his actions. 'uh oh…. May not wana do that?'

"don't stop." She whined with something resembling disappointment.

He resumed his progress and found her making soft noises behind her chest. 'she's really into this.' He traced her curves with his hands as his lips returned to her like a pet to its master.

"mmmm" she mumbled against his lips incoherently. "clou……mm…."

With Tifa unable to see he finally let the one thing that he had never allowed but twice before to happen. He smiled. Contented and warm it wasn't a casual grin or a cheap smirk that was common for him. It was a true smile. 'you don't have to speak Tifa….. I can hear it in the way you move.'

The bar downstairs at this time was getting restless again and zack could tell that cloud and Tifa were having a private moment due to his heightened senses picking up muffled laughs and a loud bang. However he hadn't anticipated Marlene and Denzel to be coming down the stairs and almost proverbially dragging a bewildered Koty behind them.

"hey you... we gots some talkin to do." Barret assaulted his ears with a deep bark.

"papa! Leave'em lone. He didn't hurt her." Marlene whined.

"oh…. I see…. It's about Tifa." The man incurred as he halted bringing Marlene to a dead halt. "yes……. I apologize for my gruff behavior but at the moment time was not a luxury and she was being how I can put this…." He yanked his arm from the little girls grasp with an exasperated grimace. "stubborn."

"whatever. Just don't manhandle my girl like that no more. Or you gona get real friendly with my cannon. "the man taunted as he brought the metallic appendage into Koty's view. "ya dig?"

"hmmm?"

"ugaaa…. He means do you understand him you murderous bastard?!!" Yuffie incurred as she shoved him out of her path.

"you are angry with me….. why?"

"you killed them you animal." She turned around to deliver a glare but when she met his eyes she stopped.

The expression he bore was one of simplicity confusion mixed with a deep seated sadness. His eyes held a map to a world of pain she could not describe. 'oh no you're not pulling a puppy face and getting off from all of the people you've killed.'

"just go away you……. You ……… just get outa here!"

"I apologize for your inconvenience….." he lowered his head as his expression changed to a more serious demeanor and he headed for the door. "ill take my leave of you now."

"wait…." Shelke stepped in. "come with me…."

"why…?"

"Yuffie just needs some time…. And you could use some recuperation time yourself…….. ill keep the rest of them at bay…. But don't leave yet……. Tifa……… she still needs you."

"they've made it quite clear that I am not necessary."

"no…. don't listen to Yuffie……. She tends to get emotional and jumps to conclusions. And Barret……….. I haven't known him long but he's a good person just simply over protective….. I want to talk to you though."

"I vote you just get the hell out and save us all the trouble." Yuffie barked vindictively.

"and I vote you shut yer bratty trap" cid spoke up to silence Yuffie. "before you make him mad and I have to pick your ass off the floor."

"cid!" Shear scolded him and ushered the children away from the bar. "watch your language around Marlene"

"oh please Barret'll teach'er what I don't."

"not the point you idiot…. If you don't watch your language ill take your cigarettes." A grin played her face.

"now Shear sweetheart please don't be like that."

"do be careful before passing judgment Yuffie…… Koty hasn't done a thing but your reckless nature could easily make enemies of the wrong people." Shelke paid no heed to the bickering couple as she shot a disproving look in her direction.

Koty made no attempt to look like he was further interested as he watched zack and Aerith curled up with each other on a sofa near the back wall. 'so that was their connection… they are lovers…….. an odd couple to be sure…… I wonder…….. I shall not intervene in their affairs……huh? Tifa is having difficulty controlling her emotions…….. I can feel her distress from here…….. cloud must be a strong lover.' He thought to himself before being dragged outside by Shelke.

Once outside she ushered him to sit on the sidewalk with her.

"Koty……. Tell me something." She gazed far away from her seemingly in no particular direction as she rested her chin on the knuckles of her hand.

"what is it you wish to know?" He had obviously expected a scolding but he seemed as ready to give answers as he was to leave moments before.

"why do you stay…….. wait…… more importantly………. Why do you help cloud… and Tifa?"