Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: Okay, just a reminder, this story is rated M. You have been warned. I haven't had much response to the last chapter, but I am going to post it anyway. I am taking the geography of the FF VII world into account, same as with the monster population. However, I am taking liberties with some of it, just for the sake of the story.

I do not have a beta, so forgive any mistakes and just enjoy them, I do!


"What you cannot enforce, do not command." –Sophocles

To You I Give My Heart

Chapter 4

~Sometimes Things Just Happen~

His brain under his black hair churned with possibilities. What was Hojo up to? The Professor was very good about keeping things to himself and revealing just enough to panic the calmest person.

Day in and day out, Hojo would send for them, their injections and the usual round of blood draws, vitals and questions. It was one of the few times that the Professor talked to them as if they mattered. Lying quietly on the tables, he tried to listen to the exchanges; perhaps they could discover the reason for it all.

"Professor, the tests are negative for the female specimen."

"This is intolerable! It has been almost two months and I must have results, the entire program depends on it," Hojo typed away on his computer for a while, until he stared at the monitor for what seemed like hours. A frustrated groan was soon followed with a slamming fist, "Prepare the new injections, one for the female and two to the male."

"Yes sir," The three assistants, Harding included, rushed around gathering syringes and two different vials.

Holding a syringe as her former beau approached, his eyes told a story, Zack just didn't know if he wanted to know it. Harding quietly leaned down to her ear, "Cloud… I'm so sorry. I never wanted this."

Lying there, both of them drugged to keep them calm during the process, Cloud found the strength to turn away from him, closing her eyes.

She may have not been able to talk to him for varying reasons, but Zack had more than enough to say to him, albeit weakly, "Ja'cob, you shlimy bass'ard, git away from her!"

One assistant pulled her shorts partly down one of her hips and then lifted it up off the table while Harding injected the substance. Filling another syringe from the second vial, they repeated the process with him.

Looking up from his computer, Hojo informed the assistants, "The new injections are to be added to their daily routine."

Almost in unison, they all responded, "Yes sir."

Every day for over two weeks, they received their new injections along with the mako and Jenova cells. It wasn't too long after the first few new injections that Zack began to feel different. It was gradual but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was affecting his ability to keep control of himself. For a while, doing squats helped, but it just seemed to get worse as the days went by.

Cloud lay in her bed, sweating and kicking her blanket off, "Geez is it hot in here to you Zack?"

Arms crossed, a pout of anger on his lips, he felt as though he would burst. Taking every ounce of his being, he remained as calm as he could, "No." The wince in her eyes told him that the harshness that he tried to hide had in fact surfaced. Her large cobalt eyes full of innocent questions puzzled over him, studying him, he felt agitation bubble in his chest, "What?!"

A gentle rise in the volume of her feathery voice spoke volumes to him, "Zack? What is with you lately?"

For some reason, he automatically went to a defensive stance in his mind. Why was she questioning him? Didn't she think about their situation at all? Starting out in a mocking and sarcastic tone, "What do you mean?" With an impatient huff, he added, "I think that it is pretty obvious," He raised his arms and as his hands circled the cell, he yelled, "We are in here, when we should be out there!"

In a hurt tone she pleaded, "Please don't yell at me."

Furrowing his eyebrows, he glanced at her as he began to pace back and forth, "Sorry." The tightness in his chest, he thought he would explode, he wanted to explode. It was just under the surface of his personality, rippling in the undercurrent, itchy, needing to get out of that cell, trapped in a box.

"Zack, why don't you sit down, we can talk," Cloud patted the bed beside her as she sat up.

Unwillingly, he allowed his anger to seep out, just a little at a time, just to relieve some of the pressure. However, not knowing where it came from, a voice, deep and gravelly, accosted her, "That's all you do isn't it?"

"…What?"

Seemingly not in control anymore, the beast had been let loose, the walls that held it all in began to crack and the built up emotions flooded him, "Talk, talk, talk. You walk around me, with the way you smell and move and expect me not to be hostile."

"Zack, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

Not liking where this beast was taking him, he was no longer able to hold anything back. Anger, frustration, depression, embarrassment, the degrading tests, loss of everything he once held dear guided his actions now and he just quit fighting it, "If that's what you want to think, but it makes perfect sense to anyone with half a brain," Zack could feel the burning glow of mako in his eyes, he stepped to her bedside quickly, startling her, "Talk and taunt me, teasing me and that is all you do. You hate me! You never wanted me, so why do you continue to flaunt yourself in front of me!" There was just no use fighting it anymore, he just hoped that he didn't cause irreparable damage to their friendship.

When she stood up, fury suddenly burned in her eyes, the glow lit her up, bright and unrelenting. With a growling scream, she slapped him as hard as she could. His face turned to the side from the force, when he turned back to face her, a slow laugh and an almost sinister smile surprised her. Not shocked for very long, she let loose another feminine growl and pushed him back and swung a hefty punch. Catching her wrist, he held tight, she tried flailing with her other hand and he caught that one too. Mockingly he asked, "Now what are you going to do?"

Dropping the eerie smile, his temper faded slightly getting a little calmer, but still unable to stop the new feelings of desire that took over. Her curious eyes searched him, wondering what happened, she was as confused as he was. Dropping his eyes to her lips, he wondered if they were as soft as he had fantasized that they were. Wetting his lips with his tongue slowly, he pulled her by her wrists toward him.

Feeling the little pants of anticipation on his lips, she exhaled in a soft whisper, "Zack."

Keeping a hold on her wrists, he reached around and held her hands behind her back, "Shhh." Slowly he closed the short distance between the waiting need that he kept hidden around her.

Gently touching his lips to hers, he inhaled at the feeling of ecstasy that washed over him. Slowly, his kiss became more demanding, her battle for control began to wane and she relaxed into his arms.

Releasing her hands, his hands hungrily grabbed at her and pulled her closer to his body. A flooding emotion ran him over, it hit him like a Shinra transport truck, lust, he had to have her right then and he couldn't take no for an answer.

Lacing her fingers in his hair, her pull entangled him. Breaking the kiss momentarily, he lifted his shirt off and tossed it to the floor as she hastily helped him with her clothing as he tossed it as well, modesty be damned.

Scrambling forward, the wall stopped them when her back hit it and anxiously she wrapped herself around his waist. Without breaking the kiss, Zack moved to the bed. At the feel of her soft, bare skin, his hands caressed her thigh up the curving hip to her chest. Kissing and biting down her neck to her collar-bone, her moans and the way she held his head to her small, but perfect breasts told him he had permission. Once he had removed the rest of his clothes, he lifted one of her legs over his hip, leaned up and captured her lips with his.

When he thrust into her in one quick and harsh movement, and the pressure broke, his ravenous kiss muffled her pain filled scream. Stopping for a moment, looking at the tears as they formed in her beautiful eyes, he could see the painful passion in them. The pounding in his chest told him that he was finally with her, the same one that he had wanted for years, and now he had her, in his arms, right where she belonged.

Instinct and an inhuman urge sent him into a lust driven panic, he had to finish claiming her as his before she stopped him or someone tried to take her away.

Blissful tranquility, an infinite amount of time that he wanted for the rest of his life was exactly where he wanted to be. When her muscles tightened around him, his shortness of breath and her moans of fearful desire, he was finally awarded liberation of his burden.

Closing his eyes and collapsing halfway on her and partly on the bed, he worked at catching his breath. The sound of her panted breathing, the feel of her heart under his hand beating hard in her chest, he took a deep breath.

Hearing his name in a breathless whisper, his eye lids burst open in sudden alarm. The frightened blue glow met his gaze and more tears met her wet cheeks as they spilled over and hit the pillow.

Hurriedly sitting up, Zack's conscious spoke for him, "Oh, Gaia! I… I'm sorry! I don't know… what just happened…"

Rolling away from him without saying another word, she rose and took up her clothes and quickly ran to the bathroom, "Cloud!" All that he got in return was the sound of the bathroom door sliding closed.

A realization hit him when he saw a fair amount of blood. Whispering to himself, "Oh, no… no, no, not like this…" Grabbing his clothes, he quickly dressed and gathered the soiled sheets and put them next to the door. Zack was sure that Cloud and Harding had been together, but obviously they hadn't. Silently he thanked Gaia that none of the guards or assistants took advantage of the beautiful blond.

What the hell had happened to him? Why had he ceased being human and to all appearances, turned into an animal? He had hurt his friend. Sinking in his heart, a gut wrenching pinch of betrayal from the only person left that she had trusted anymore.

Walking to the wall next to the bathroom door, he slid down to the floor and nervously raked his hands through his hair. Listening to the water run in the shower was all he could do right then. The real stab to his heart was when he heard what sounded like sobs. If anything could have made it better, heal her wounds, soothe her heart, he would gladly throw himself on any sword. It was bad enough that Hojo and his minions mistreated her, now the one who was claiming to be her best friend had ripped a hole in their friendship.

Hearing the door slide open, he jumped to his feet and wanted to grab her into a hug, but he was afraid to. He didn't know what to do or what to say. The sting of tears only made the picture of her face blurry, he said the only thing that he could right then, "Cloud… I am so sorry. I know that doesn't undo anything, but… I-I'm sorry."

She seemed frozen in place. The only thing that let him know that she was alive was the sound of her breathing. Opening her mouth just a bit, she looked as if she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself.

"Cloud…Please say something."

Trepidation led her words, "I… that was my first… time."

At her verbal confirmation, he just couldn't look at her, he had taken something special from her, "I know that now… I am so sorry. It shouldn't have been like that. It should've been with someone you love, not with-"

"It was…" Her interruption drew his eyes to meet hers. Confusion and sadness marked her pale face. The darkened circles under her eyes told of a scared girl who just wanted and needed love, to be free. So after everything, hidden behind those sapphire pools of Gaia's exquisite artistry, had been feelings for him. Whether they were old feelings, or ones that had developed over the years in the lab, it didn't matter to him.

Before he could say anything, he had her wrapped in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. Gently laying his cheek in her hair, she stayed longer than he ever thought was possible. His heart bound out of his chest and it too wrapped her in its warmth, keeping her as close as possible.

They hadn't seen Hojo for two whole months. In the third month, however, when they were taken for their daily injections, to Zack's horror, the Professor was back and was in a good mood. Usually when he was in a good mood, it meant bad things for his specimens. Zack hoped that now that he and Cloud were together, he wouldn't take her away from him again.

Harding had changed as well. Zack could only guess that his darkened soul had finally caught up with his guilt.

Addressing the three assistants, Hojo inquired, "So is it proceeding as I planned?"

Harding lowered his head and quietly stated, "Yes sir."

"This is fantastic news! Get all of their blood work done and run all the necessary tests," Hojo went over to his computer and Harding winced. As Hojo worked the computer, an odd giggle came from the mad scientist, Harding almost dropped the tubes that held Cloud's blood. Without taking his eyes from the screen, he happily squirmed around in his chair, "Excellent!"


A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

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