I wanted to move this story along a bit and get Angeal and Reno more involved in Cloud and Zack's lives. As a result I have ended up creating four smaller chapters.

Zack's character is going to fluctuate a bit, but I think the feel of the story is still there. As always, please let me know what you think.

Darkness within

"I have to see him" the solider demanded, his angry tone falling on deaf ears.

"No Zack, he is not to have any visitors."

"But I have to Angeal, you don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"It's my fault that he did this ... that this happened."

"How is him getting beaten by Reno your fault."

"Because I ... I ... Oh God Angeal, it's all my fault" the soldier whimpered as he slumped into the office chair and buried his face in the palms of his hands.

The commander took in the pitiful form of the man he knew and sighed heavily. He knew something had happened between the pair, even knew it was something bad based on the way Cloud had reacted and started a fight with a Turk, but he had never imagined it was this bad.

"What did you do puppy?" he asked as gently as he could.

"I asked him to open up, to talk to me."

Angeal blinked in confusion, surely this was a good thing, wasn't that a sign of progress in someone's healing.

"Did he, open up to you I mean?"

"Yes" Zack choked.

"Then what could he have said that caused you both to argue?"

"We didn't argue" Zack responded quickly, too quickly in Angeal's opinion.

"Then what happened?"

"I ... I doubted his feelings ... for me" the soldier whispered his face still hidden by hands and spikes of black hair.

"Oh Zack" Angeal breathed, slumping into a chair beside the soldier "Tell me what happened, I need to know everything."

They spent the next twenty minutes going over the event's, Zack trying to be as honest as he could without telling all, and Angeal digging until he knew everything.

"I see" was Angeal's response once all the facts had been absorbed and digested. "You understand that this changes things"

"What?" Zack croaked his head snapping up to meet the commander's eyes.

"It will be hard for you both to live together now."

"What? Why?" the soldier stammered.

"Zack" Angeal scolded gently "You asked him to be honest and then ignored what he confessed to you. Your doubt has indeed done some damage."

"Oh god" Zack cried in despair, once again burying his face in his hands.

"Come now pup, we should be able to fix this ... somehow."

"How?" Zack almost begged.

"For a start you will need to move out of your apartment."

"What? Why?" the shocked reply almost screamed.

"He will not want to be around you at first and we cannot have him homeless" Angeal said shaking his head a little to clear the ringing in his ear.

"But ... but ..."

"He has no place in the barracks now and even if he did I do not feel it is safe for him there" Angeal pointed out sadly "You will stay with me for now, until things between you improve."

Zack was silent for a minute as he processed the idea and then sighing heavily nodded his head.

"When should I move some of my stuff over?"

"Soon, but I believe you have a couple of days still."

"Why? What's wrong with him? He should be healed by now."

"They have fixed the damage Reno did, but he is refusing to eat or take his medication. They will keep him there until he shows signs of improvement."

"Medication, why is he on medication?" Zack stammered, afraid of the answer that he knew was coming.

"Pup, don't pretend to be so naive. This is his second try, you're lucky they only want to medicate him and not send him to the ... special unit"

"Second try" Zack tried innocently, already knowing what Angeal meant by special unit.

"Zack" Angeal warned his voice getting stern.

"He got beaten up by Reno, it's not like he hurt himself."

"The fact he challenged a Turk is worry enough and I am not a fool, I know that what happened before was no accident. I am not angry at you for trying to protect him, but even you must admit there is a serious problem here."

"I tried to protect him, tried to make him better, but it's all gone wrong" Zack admitted, his whole body slumping forward.

"We will protect him as best as we can. The fact these incidents have been explainable in other ways is he only saving grace at the moment, but if it happens again ..." Angeal's words trailed off as they both considered what another incident would mean for the cadet.

"How long before ... If he doesn't eat ... how long before ..."

"Before they transfer him?" Angeal finished the question sadly.

"Yea"

"A couple of day's maybe three. He has gained some weight in your care, which is a good sign, but it is not enough. If he continues to refuse, they will be forced to act."

"I need to talk to him, to explain."

"I fear that may do more harm than good at this point pup."

"Then can you do it, can you tell him ... warn him ... please Angeal, he won't survive if ..." Zack's words trailed off as the unshed tears began to choke his throat.

"I will do my best" the commander said laying a protective arm over the soldier's shoulders and pulling him into a reassuring embrace.

He held Zack's trembling form until it calmed, until his phone rang and he was forced to leave the soldier, until their duties pulled them apart.

Cloud woke in a familiar place, his senses hit by familiar sights and smells. The stench of antiseptic filled the air and the harsh lights which shone down on him to brightly in the plain white room. The empty chair beside his bed should have created some reaction within him, he knew that much. He wasn't sure if he should have felt sadness that it was empty or joy that the soldier was not here, but instead he felt nothing.

A strange eerie smile ghosted across the blonde's lips as he took comfort in the fact he was alone. The plate of food they had given him still remained at his bedside, the meal having gone cold hours ago, remaining untouched and unwanted by the cadet. There were also the pills, the small hard lumps which they wanted him to take, which would make him feel better. But Cloud didn't need pills to make him feel happy, he was perfectly fine as he was. Why didn't they understand that there was no need for the pills, that he wasn't feeling bad, because in fact he felt nothing at all.