Hello readers! Here is chapter 9! The story is getting closer to its end! So much stuff is going to happen in this chapter and the next so please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Final Fantasy characters what so ever! All characters belong to their rightful owners!
Warning: This story does contain inappropriate language/ situations so if that's not your cup of tea then I don't recommend you reading this but I'm also not stopping you.
~Let's begin shall we
Chapter 9
Cloud
"Yes." Is what came out of my mouth. Why did I feel just so…unsure about everything, I mean this is what I've been waiting for, this is the reason why I'm here in the first place…
"Perfect! Now is there anywhere we can sit-" The lawyer began but was interrupted.
"No there is nowhere to sit!" Zack yelled. I turned to look at him but all I saw was the look of betrayal on his face, a pang of guilt is what I felt, but why? "Cloud…" Zack began, his voice sounded…what, desperate? No…"…Please, you have to still love me, deep down you have to at least have an ounce of love for me, right?" His question caught me off guard, I felt like an idiot just standing there actually trying to process what he just said. Do I still love Zack? No, these feelings, they can never work out…It will never work out…I began to feel a tightness in my chest and my eyes started to burn from tears. Of course I still love him but everything will just be a repeat…I don't want to go through that again.
"Of course I still love you Zack, you will always have a special place in my heart…but we both have to move on with our lives…" No…"…You have your life here in Midgar and mine in Mideel…so please…" Please…Stop feeling Cloud just stop, no more crying, but it hurts so much saying these words…"Please cooperate and sign the damn papers!" I finally forced myself to say, though it came out as a scream. The tears wouldn't stop rolling down my eyes and yet; even though it was blurry I could make out the look on Zack's face and it just looked the same way that I felt, but then it morphed into something different, anger, maybe?
"Fine…" He said in a voice that I didn't recognize. No…no! I must go through with this, it's best for both of us to do this…
We all stood in the meeting room, none of us sat down. The two documents lay on the table, one for me and one for Zack. Not wanting my mind to have an internal battle again, I quickly took the pen and wrote my signature onto the paper. I threw the pen down and backed away from it. I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up with no more problems… Once Zack signs, I'll probably never see him again and just thinking about that made things feel worse for me. All these feelings…It's because I'm still in-love with him…I'm in-love with Zack, not Vincent! I was about to take my document and shred it into pieces when I saw Zack; pen in hand, writing his signature on his document.
"There, it's all done…" He said as he carelessly dropped the pen back onto the table. The lawyer then took both documents.
"Perfect, I now pronounce you both un-married, congratulations!" and everything after that; I didn't remember, because I didn't want to… I do wish I took in Zack's features before I left.
As Vincent and I walked through the lobby that's when I paused for only a second, why? Because the Don had just entered the building. I gave him a glare as we both passed each other. He still wore his grin but it seemed to grow with every step we took, and finally we made it out of the Inn and I was able to breathe again…
I said my good-byes to everyone though I couldn't bring myself to be even a little cheerful about it, I couldn't even fake it…It made it even worse when all the honey bees cried; along with Jill hugging me. Things like this is something that would anger Vincent but at this point…I just don't fucking care…I don't care about him anymore…
Tifa had giving me a regretful hug, she probably knows that I made a big mistake because Tifa has always been able to read us like that….
I was back in Mideel, it was strange because it all felt so familiar yet foreign. Vincent and I haven't said a word to each other, I haven't even looked at him once, no I wasn't mad at him, I just didn't care about him and his needs anymore.
As soon as we got home, rather than unpacking, I started to pack even more of my clothing.
"What are you doing?" Vincent finally spoke. I looked up to see him standing at the door way with the look of anger in his eyes. I looked back down at my semi packed suit cases.
"I…I can't marry you Vincent. You deserve much more and so do I. I don't love you…" It felt as if a few pounds where lifted off my chest.
"I thought so…" Was all he said before throwing me onto the bed; I would have felt fear but this is just something that Vincent would do. I was giving him a blank stare as he hovered over me. "What is it that he has that I don't?" I didn't answer him and after a while of staring he decided to get off me. "I was fucking Yuffie while you were in Midgar…" and yet again, I felt no surprise or anger…nothing.
"I kissed Zack…once." Though my confession was just a small one compared to his, it still felt good to let it all out.
"I guess your right then…We shouldn't get married…" He finally agreed. We then had a mutual understanding.
I had my car full of suit cases parked in front of Aerith's house. I had run the door bell once and gave her time to waddle to the door. Her face immediately lit up when she saw me.
"Oh Cloud you back! Come in!" She exclaimed and made room for me to enter.
We both sat at her couches, Aerith rubbed her swollen belly as she told me all the small things that went on while I was gone, though to tell you the truth I was focusing more on the bouquet of flowers that sat on her coffee table. I finally diverted my attention from the flowers to Aerith who held her head in one of her hands. She looked as if she were in pain. That when I started to feel a bit panicked. "Aerith are you okay?"
"O-oh just a head ache…I just need some water" She said as she got up but she immediately lost balance and started to fall. I jumped up from the couch and caught her before she hit the floor.
"Aerith!? Aerith answer me! I'm taking you to the hospital!" I said. I picked her up in a bridal style and made my way to the door.
Once I got the back of my car door open I laid her down on the bench seat of my car. I closed the door and ran to the driver's seat.
I had run a few lights and with the luck of no cops stopping me I made it to the emergency room. They had to perform immediate surgery on her and it turned out that Aerith had been in labor for a while now. I sat in the waiting room feeling so god damn useless… After a while of waiting, friends started to show up; Barret, Jessie, Yuffie and even Vincent along with a few other people that I can't even remember right now. I looked to them but didn't say anything.
We all sat there for a few more hours until finally the doctor entered the room. His face looked sullen. "May I talk to a Mr. Strife?" Me? I got up and followed the doctor out of the room and into a hallway. Something happened…
"Hows Aerith! Is she alright, and the baby!?" I bombarded with questions. The doctor looked at me and said.
"I'm sorry…Ms. Gainsborough couldn't make it…" Aerith…is dead? "…but she did deliver a baby boy, and I noticed that in some documents that you are to be the child's guardian if something where to happen to her…" Yeah… I remembered at a meeting one time, Aerith begged me to promise her to take care of the baby if something where to happen to her, and as always I went along with it…. It were moments like these that I would break down and cry but…I was all out of tears, I had used them all on Zack and left none for Aerith. "Would you like to see him?"
"Huh?!" I looked up with shock.
"The baby. Would you like to see him?" Oh… For a second there I thought…
"Y-yes…"
I held the baby boy in my arms, he had brown curls for hair; something he got from Aerith but the blue eyes he must have gotten from the father…Yes, nobody knew who the dad was, Aerith never spoke of him and never wanted to.
"He still needs a name." One of the nurses said softly. A name… Aerith always like this one name, she would never shut up about it…
"Denzel…His name is Denzel." The babies name was now legally Denzel Strife…
They had told me that Denzel had to stay in the hospital for about a week for special observation; to make sure there weren't any complications with him. I had slowly made my way back to the waiting room, I still had to break it to everyone…With each step that I made, made the fact that Aerith was gone sink deeper and deeper and seeing the hopeful looks on everyone's faces made me break down…
…Aerith is gone…
I sat in my car; I was still parked in front of the hospital. I sat there until the sun started to rise. I had spent the rest of this depressing night doing nothing… I looked in the back seat where Aerith laid, all there was left was a envelope. I didn't remember leaving such a thing in here… I slowly took the envelope and read the writing on it. It was Aerith's…
'To: Cloud Strife
From: Aerith Gainsborough'
My curiosity was now peaked. Did she leave this in here while I was driving her to the hospital? After a while of staring at it I finally decided to open it. It was a hand written letter, I was confused, and why did Aerith? Well I won't find out unless I read it…and so I did…
Dear Cloud,
You may be reading this because I have passed onto livestreem. Please forgive me for causing you so much pain.
I've seen my death so many time in my dreams that I knew that there was no stopping it, I've seen my death since the beginning. That is why I made you make that promise to me…
I want you to know my story and I want you to know who the father of Denzel is…
When I was a young girl, my mother had died of an illness, leaving me alone in the slums of Midgar. But I was discovered by the authorities and put into a foster home. The children there weren't so very nice, but luckily for me, I was adopted by a woman, her name was Elmyra Gainsborough. She was the nicest and caring woman that I've ever met. She taught me how to plant and care for flowers. We both lived happily for years until she got into an accident…
I was already an adult by then but without her, I was nothing. I went through a depression and would often wonder Midgar. Though I couldn't always do that because there where finances and money that I needed. I was about to lose Elmyras home…
Being a young desperate girl I was, I had found myself in Midgar's sin City, the Wall Market. There was this special inn in the Wall, it went by the name of 'Honey Bee Inn'….
I started to tremble at the name of Zack's Inn that Aerith had written. Did Aerith know Zack? I continued reading.
I had become a honey bee who sold sex for money. I make it sound horrible but it wasn't so bad, the coworkers where very kind but the kindest was the owner, Zack Fair.
My heart started to pound harder…She did know him.
Zack and I had became very close friends, so close that he would mention you, Cloud. He spoke of you with fondness and sadness. He loved you very much, but knowing that also broke my heart. I had fallen in-love with him…
I had confessed to him a year later but he was still in-love with you. I had started to cry to him, telling him that it wasn't fair, that I could never love anyone because they would always eventually leave me somehow. My mother with her illness and Elmyra with her accident…
It was at that point that I had begun to hate you…
Zack had felt pity for me and took me to bed with him. I had felt the love that I wanted to feel but, deep down I knew it was false. I had realized that when I woke up the next morning, Zack still slept but I knew that he only did it to make me feel better. So I ran away…
I finally paid for my mother's home and left Midgar forever. I had found myself in Mideel and thats when I met you…
My friend's had introduced me to you and I wasn't sure that you where the same Cloud that Zack would speak so fondly of. But I had recognized you from pictures that I've seen. I had always hated you till that point.
Seeing your face and getting to know you just made me love you...and I could finally understand why Zack couldn't let you go…
After a few month's I had discovered that I was pregnant. I had always used protection when I was working as a honey bee but I knew that there wasn't any used when I had spent the night with Zack.
Please forgive me Cloud but Zack is Denzel's father. I entrusted him to you because I know that you are the only person who will do this final favor for me.
Deliver Denzel to his father. Zack may run a hotel full of prostitutes but I know that Zack will be a great father and as will you…
This is my dying wish, Cloud. Please make it come true…
Love,
Aerith Gainsborough
The papers slipped from my hands and fell to the floor of my car. Zack is Denzel's dad…
"Zack is Denzel's dad." I said, trying to make it sink in.
I couldn't hate Aerith, this was no reason to be mad. I didn't feel angry, nor did I feel sad. I don't know what kind of feeling this was…determination, maybe?
The sun was fully up and I finally turned my car on and drove away to the airport….
…Zack…
I was very drained when I stepped out of the airport and into Midgar. Well the last time I slept was with Zack… I remembered waking up on Zack; I was very cozy though it sent me into a panic when I realized what I was doing.
It was 6 PM when they finally delivered the rental car to me. I had managed to put all my belongings in the trunk of my car. Before driving I took out my phone and dialed Zack's number. It kept ringing and I was sure he wasn't going to answer but to my surprise he did.
"Hello." He greeting, he sounded as if he were emotionless.
"Zack, I need to talk to you."
"We are talking." He always acts this way when he's angry…
"It's about Aerith!" I said in frustration. He was quiet for a little bit but finally responded.
"How do you know Aerith?"
"That doesn't matter right now! Listen I don't want to tell you this through the phone-"
"I'm not meeting you…"
"Okay fine! But she died giving birth to your kid so you better take fucking responsibility!" I said but my voice had started to crack, no no no don't cry Cloud, no crying…
"What the hell are you talking about?" He began to yell.
"Are you an idiot?! You heard me the first time!" I yelled back. Guh, screaming isn't going to help… "Listen Zack we just need to meet-" Then he hung up. Son of a bitch! I threw my phone at the passenger side of the seat and finally started the engine of the car and booked it.
The sun had already set by the time I got through traffic and made it to the Inn. I half assed parked my car and ran inside the Inn. It only took a second for the honey bees to see me and bombarding me with hugs.
"Cloud you came back!"
"Are you sick? You don't look well" They asked. I gave a nervous laugh and said.
"Haven't been sleeping well. Is Zack here?"
"Oh no," Jill said. "He's gone to the bar."
"Which bar, do you know?" I asked. Damn it why can't he just be non-complicating!
"Sorry but no…" He might be at Tifa's! After telling the honey bees that I needed to go and that it was urgent they finally let me go.
As I walked out of the Inn, I had started to pat at my pockets. My phone must still be in the car. I needed to call Tifa.
I was almost to the car when I was pulled from behind and thrown to the ground. A man in a mask held a white cloth and he started to bring it down to my face. Oh hell no! I managed to bring my leg up and kick the man in the groin. He doubled over and I jumped up from the ground and kicked the man down.
"The hell do you want-"then everything went black…
I sat next to him under the bleachers, we both where eating chocolate bars.
"Man, I can believe they want to hold me back!" Zack exclaimed with irritation.
"Well that's what happens when you don't do work…or go to school." I said as I bit into the bar.
"Oh shush you, you're getting held back too!"
"Yes, but you don't see me sulking about it…" Zack then let out a sigh. I looked at his gloomy face and started to feel bad. I leaned into him and gave him a kiss.
"Why don't we quit?" I asked once we pulled away.
"What?" Zack asked, looking confused.
"High school. Let's quit and go somewhere…" I smiled. It wasn't like high school was doing us any good anyways. Zack looked up as if he were thinking about it, he then smiled and looked to me.
"The Wall Market?" He asked. And I smiled back and nodded.
"The Wall Market."
I had woken up from sounds. I opened my eyes, though everything was blurry at first but after a while they adjusted. The room was dim and dirty but that was it, the only thing there was, was a light that would flicker every once in a while. I sat up and immediately regretted it. My head was pounding. What the hell happened? I remembered I was attacked while leaving the Honey Bee Inn and beating the shit outta the guy but then it went black. Some ass hole must have nailed me in the head or something. I finally noticed that I wasn't the only one in the room.
The girl who was in here with me was very familiar. I could have sworn that I've seen her before…Then it hit me, I have a picture of her on my phone…its Sam. Her brown hair was messy and unkempt and she looked as if she were in need of a shower. Her eyes where glowing with the color of mako, fuck… I though she sent Zack a message telling him she was ok.
"Sam?" I called out. She jumped and looked to me with frightened eyes. I held my hands up to show that I mean no harm. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, Sam. Sam is your name right? Listen I'm a friend of Zack's…" She relaxed a bit when she heard his name.
"Does Zack know where we are?" She asked with hope. I looked around the room for anything that could help us get out. My eyes then landed on a piece of the wall, it was high up; almost touching the ceiling. It looked like a patch.
"No… but I think I can get you out of here." I said. Her eyes lit up.
"Please help me…" She started to beg. I made my way towards her and took her hands.
"It's ok, calm down. I'm going to help you…" I lead her to the corner of the room. She looked confused at first but then jumped back a little when I started to punch at the patch. Luckily they didn't fix it with brick. I was able to break in a new hole. It was too small for me to crawl through but I know Sam can. I turned to her.
"Listen, I need you to go get help. No police you hear me? There's a place called the 7th Heaven, you heard of it?" I asked. She quickly nodded. "Go there and that's where you will find help." I then stepped aside to reveal the hole. She made a small gasp and giving me an unsure look. I smiled. "You're the only one who can fit through… I'm going to have stay here." I nudged her toward the hole. "My name is Cloud by the way. You will get a quicker response if you use my name at that bar." Sam nodded. At first I thought she was going to start squeezing through the hole but instead she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Cloud" and with that, I gave her a lift and she managed to squeeze through the hold. I really didn't know where the hole lead but hopefully it lead outside.
Sam had only been gone for a few minutes when the Iron door in the room opened. Two men in black suits walked in.
"Where's the girl!" One demanded.
"Go fuck yourself." I said. Both of their eyes went from me to the hole that I made in the wall.
"God Damn it!" One of them yelled as he pulled out a radio. I couldn't have him telling everyone that Sam was gone so I ran towards him and kicked the radio out of his hands.
"You little shit!" He threw a fist to me but I quickly dodged and nailed him in the face, causing him to fall back and passing out. I turned to the other guy; he had pulled out some kind of nightstick and started swinging it at me. I crossed my arms over my face to shield my it; it still hurt to get wacked in the arms though. He had swung again but I managed to grab a hold of the nightstick and yank it away from him. I wacked his face with it until he fell to the floor. I threw the nightstick to the other side of the room and started to punch him in the face repeatedly. I was about to land another blow when someone grabbed me from behind. Damn it I'm so sick of being grabbed!
"Some of a bitch!" I yelled. It was the other guy, he had woken up. I couldn't get out of his hold no matter how much I struggled, I then froze when the Don appeared in the door way. He was wearing his ugly smirk and was smoking his usual cigar. "Don you sick fuck, let me go!" I demanded as I continued to struggle in the man's grip.
"Cloud it's been a while…" He said as he came towards me.
"Stay away!" I started to lean backwards in hopes that the guy would step back a bit.
"…I've missed you." He was close enough to caress my cheek with his hand. "So soft…" I tried to pull my face away but he just painfully grabbed a hold of me. "Your still disobedient as ever.." He then let out a laugh. "Don't worry I'll fix that…" He pulled out a white cloth and held it up to my face, that's when everything went black.
I had no dreams, it just felt like I was staring into nothing but darkness; it felt like hours and I felt as if I were beginning to go insane.
I slowly opened my eyes but it was still dark. Am I still out of it? No I'm wearing a blind fold…
"Ah you're finally awake" came a voice, it was the Don's. I then heard movements and metals tinkering. "You managed to get the girl out and she is no were to be found…" Oh thank god, I was glad that my efforts bought her enough time to escape. I then felt a harsh tug at my hair and a warm breath hitting my ear. "But it won't be too hard finding a mako druggy so don't get your hopes high…" I tried bringing my hand up to smack him away from my face but they couldn't move. Damn it! "Oh and Cloud…" He began as he took off my blind fold. My eyes went wide once I saw where I was. "…I told you I was going to get you on this table…" I was in the basement.
A surge of panic went through me. I started to squirm and trying slipping out of the chains but it was useless. "Let me go!" The Don smiles walked around me until he stopped at a metal drawer. He pulled the first one open and took something out. I didn't know what it was but it couldn't be anything good.
It was a lighter; he had started lighting a candle at a nearby table. Once he was done he started to call out to someone. "Scarlet, darling can you bring the stuff now?" I kept my guard up even though it wasn't much use since I was immobile but if the Don was going to torture me to death then I better prepare myself. A woman with blonde hair and wearing a red dress entered the room with a case. Maybe it was the tools he was going to use to cut me open or something, but once they got the box open that when I started to feel panic. The Don pulled out the IV and a bag of mako from the case and started to make his way toward me. I struggled against the chains once again in attempt to get away.
"Get that shit away from me! Get it away!" I couldn't control the desperate tone in my voice because in reality, I was desperate. I could never do mako again, I can't, no more. The Don managed to stick the IV in my arm with all my struggling. "Please stop, no!"
"Starting to beg are we?" The Don's smirk grew. "good." He then turned and picked up a knife and held it over the candle. I wanted to scream at him some more but then my body started to react to the mako that was being pumped into my body. This mako was different…much stronger. It felt….good.
The knife was now glowing from the heat of the candle and he made his way back to me. I tried to struggle through the chains again but my body felt so heavy…The Don then ripped my shirt off me and slowly brought the knife to my chest. No…I couldn't speak, this mako was taking its toll. Stop… He then pressed the knife onto my chest, the pain was excruciating.
I couldn't do anything but scream…
End CH 9