Hello readers, here is the chapter that you've been waiting for! 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 10

Zack

I didn't look at Cloud as he left the meeting room; I couldn't bring myself to because it would just make these hurt feelings even worse. After a while I finally left and made my way to my room, the CD had messed up and kept skipping and playing a certain part of the song. I didn't do anything about it; I just let it do its thing until came a knocking at my door. I was going to ignore it but the person wouldn't give up. I let out an irritated groan and went to my door and swung it open out of anger.

"Ah Zack my boy!" The Don greeted. I was ready to punch him in the face when two unfamiliar body guards showed up.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked with anger in my voice. He just smiled and lit his cigar.

"Judging by that response I'm guessing Cloud told you everything…" His eyes grew dark. I didn't like the way he said his name…

"Stay the fuck away from Cloud and never step foot in this Inn again."

"Just remember Zack, don't tell anyone…" Was all he said before departing.

It was now the second day that Clouds been gone and I had found myself yet again at the 7th Heaven, I had begged Tifa to not mention Cloud or the divorce and though she hasn't said anything, I could still see it in her eyes…

I looked at the clock to my phone, the night was still early at 6:10 PM and I wasn't ready to go home yet. My own damn home reminds me of him. My pocket then started to vibrate. I took my phone out and answered the call; not knowing who it even was.

"Hello" I said in a monotone voice.

"Zack, I need to talk to you." It was Cloud, hearing his voice made me feel sad and hollow on the inside.

"We are talking. " I slurred.

"It's about Aerith!" He said in an irritated tone. That was a name that I haven't heard or thought of in years. But then I realized that it was Cloud who was mentioning her, how the hell does he even know about her?

"How do you know Aerith?"

"That doesn't matter right now! Listen I don't want to tell you this through the phone-" I then interrupted him, I know he's going to want to meet me but seeing his face would probably drive me into some kind of deeper depression.

"I'm not meeting you." I then heard Cloud let out a frustrated sigh.

"Okay fine! But she died giving birth to your kid so you better take fucking responsibility!" He said but cracked at the end as if he were about to cry. But everything he said didn't make sense to me. I didn't understand! I grew frustrated.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I yelled.

"Are you an idiot?! You heard me the first time!" He countered. I did hear him the first time but I just didn't understand! I couldn't take this conversation anymore, "Listen Zack we just need to meet-" ,so I hung up.

"Give me another, Tifa." I called out. Tifa finished serving other people before coming to me with no drinks in her hand.

"I think you had enough Zack." She said with concern written all over her face.

"I'm fine, I had worse than this!" I complained. Tifa shook her head and went to the back. At first I thought she was going to come back with my drink but instead she came back with a glass of lemon water and crackers. I gave her a confused look. I smiled.

"It's either that or nothing." She said and walked away to serve more people. I let out a grunt and started to munch on the crackers.

It was already past 8 and I had finished my crackers and water. I felt a little bit sober but not quite…

"Somebody please help!" I heard a female call out, the voice sounded somewhat familiar and as soon as I turned to all the commotion I recognized who it was. I jumped out of my seat and ran to her. There was a crowd surrounding her but nobody as fucking doing anything!

"Don't touch her, she's a druggy…" Is what I would hear them saying.

Sam was keeping all her balance on the wall. She looked horrible and her eyes could practically glow in the dark from how much mako was in her, my anger began to boil.

"Sam!" I called out and made my way to her. She looked up to me and tried to walk but fell to the floor. When I got to her I picked her up and made my way up stairs.

"Zack?" Tifa called out.

"Tifa, it's an emergency!" I yelled. She nodded and started to yell at everyone to get out and that she was closing early.

Once I was upstairs in Tifas home, I laid Sam down on the couch. I ran t the kitchen to get her some water. She was still awake once I got back. I made her drink all of the water.

"Just rest now okay."I said but she shook her head and looked at me with panic.

"N-no! Cloud, he will die!" hearing that started to sober me up. Sam knows Cloud? I felt dread starting to form in me.

"How do you know Cloud?"

"He helped me escape, but they still have him and they will hurt them like they did to me…"

"Who, WHO?!" I started to demand, I wanted to shake the information out of her but I knew that wasn't such a great idea.

"Don…." Was all she said before blacking out, I quickly checked her pulse and her breathing and let out a breath of relief, she just passed out. Tifa then came barging in the room.

"Zack what's going on?"

"Watch her for me, sober her up. I have some business to attend to…" Was all I said before I got up and left…

It's moments like these that I really need to be calm and collected but I just can't. The Don has Cloud and is doing- I don't even want to think about what he's doing. I was driving my car way over the speed limit until I came in view of the Don's mansion. The gates where closed and locked so instead of slowing down; I accelerated and crashed my car through the gate. It gave me some serious whip lash but that was the least of my worries. I opened the glove compartment and took out my pouch before opening my car door and making my way to the front doors of the mansion. They were also locked, so I decided to ram my body into it until it opened. As soon as I walked in the mansion I was bombarded with men in the same black suits that Reno and Rude would wear but I didn't see them in the crowd. Taking my pouch with me was a good idea. I quickly took my hand gun out of it and started to shoot them each in the leg before any of them could attack and then I started to search for the door that lead down to the mansion.

I was mid-way through my search when Reno appeared; nightstick in hand with Rude by his side.

"Zack what the hell has gotten into you?!" He screamed with anger in his voice. I pulled out my gun and pointed it to him, I didn't want to shoot him but it was either that or Cloud…

"Just turn away Reno; if you don't then I'll have to shoot you!" I demanded.

"Not until you tell me what's going on!" Did he really not know? I lowered my gun.

"The Don drugged and abused one of my honey bees and now he has Cloud! I don't have time for this!" I began to scream with impatience. Reno's eyes widened and he then lowered his night stick.

"Did he really?"

"Yes you idiot! Now you can either help me or get shot, your choice!" I began to raise my gun again, Reno and Rude both held up their hands in surrender.

"We'll help man! We didn't even know what was going on!" I then put my gun away.

"Good, we're looking for a hidden door that leads to a basement. If you find it; call me." We all nodded to each other and split up.

I had been feeling and knocking at the walls until I felt a piece wiggle a bit. I ribbed the wall paper off and revealed the wooden door. Cloud was in there…

I then pulled my gun out again and shot at the door knob to unlock it. I then kicked the door in and ran down the stairs with caution; I mean I didn't actually come in stealthy… There was another closed door with sounds coming from the other side and that's when I heard a blood-curdling scream.

Adrenalin started to pump through my body. I was almost to the door when two figures appeared. More men in fucking suits. One of them looked like he was beaten to a pulp while the other just had a black eye and a few bruises. They both pulled out their night sticks and started swinging them at me. I stepped back with each swing to avoid getting hit. I didn't have time for this! Hearing another scream coming through the room sent me into a panic. I pointed my gun and shot both men in the chests. I didn't really plan on killing anyone except for the Don but I was forced to make an exception.

I was finally able to make it to the door. I didn't hesitate to swing it open but the sight that I saw left me… I don't even know… Cloud laid there; chained to a metal table and I couldn't even tell if he was alive or not. The Don stood there with a needle in hand. He looked surprised at first but then smiled.

"Glad you could make it Zack, but I'm afraid you missed the show." He taunted. I ran to Cloud, he was still breathing, thank god. His eyes were open but seemed vacant. Cloud had burns in shapes of what seemed to be a knife and cuts with bruises marking his entire body. His face was moist from sweat and tears, I then saw the IV that was pumping mako into him.

I had remembered when Cloud and I were hanging out; he told me that he had worked so hard to get rid of his addiction. He worked his fucking ass off, went to therapy, having to go through the withdrawals and now all of that seemed meaning-less because some sick fuck wanted to make him suffer.

I looked around the room until my eyes fell upon a red tank of gasoline and the lit candle. I then turned to the Don and I let a fake smile let lose. His face grew confused and he stepped back a bit. Scarlet then emerged from the back room carrying some more instruments that I didn't even recognize; they were probably planning on using those on Cloud.

"You both…" I began as I held up my gun towards them. "…are going to fucking regret this…" The Don just let out a wail of laughter as Scarlet's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh Zack you don't want to kill me! There will be evidence; they will link it to you and your precious inn with its whores! If I end; you end!" He was seriously trying to convince me, this time I was the one who was laughing.

"Oh Don, you're not the only powerful man in Midgar, in fact!" I said and pointed my gun to the tank and shot at it causing Scarlet to let out a yelp while covering her ears. The liquid started to spew out of the tank. "I can make this all look like an accident…" The don then started to look as if he were losing his cool. He looked between the door and me and tried to make a run for it. I grabbed him and threw him back, causing him to lose his footing and tripping over Scarlet, now having both of them end up on the ground.

"Z-Zack wait, wait! I'll make you and offer!" I had no interests, I said nothing. I turned to Cloud and un-cuffed him, I took a long look at his face and brushed his bangs back. "It's going to be okay Cloud, I promise…" I then picked him up and started to make my way out of the room. The Don started to look relieved until I turned around and shot at the candle that is. It fell over and ignited with the gas. I left the room locking the door behind me; hearing the screams of the Don and Scarlet; it was music to my ears. I carried Cloud on my back as I took out my phone and sent Reno and Rude a text giving them a warning about the fire. Cloud had started to make noises that were incoherent.

"Shhh, shhh, your safe now…." I comforted, he must have heard me because he was no longer tense and was quiet but I could still feel his heart beat…

When I was back in my car; Cloud lying in the back seat. I took out my phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, I need you to clean something up for me…I don't care about the cost, just do it….Thanks Angeal…"

Cloud lay in my bed; he had finally fallen asleep after speaking nonsense for an hour. I wasn't sure if that was the mako talking or if the torture that he endured actually made him go insane…

I had called everyone up to meet at my place. Angeal, Geneses, Reno and Rude sat in my living room. We had made up a story to tell the authorities and told Reno and Rude to pass it on to the people that I injured.

"They will keep to the story, they don't want to go to prison for knowing what the Don was doing…" Reno said before he left. I then turned to Angeal and Geneses.

"I need you guys to get rid of any evidence that Cloud and I were there." I said.

"Piece of cake, the fire probably destroyed most of the evidence anyways." said Genesis.

"Yeah but still…" I grew quiet. I didn't want Cloud to go through anything else, no more stress no more anything…

"We'll do an extra clean up, don't worry" Angeal said. I looked up and gave a small smile.

"Thanks…"

"Alright, we'll get right on it then. You get some rest." Angeal said as he and genesis made their way to the door.

"Yeah…" Was all I said before they left.

I made my way back to my bedroom and sat on my single seater. I couldn't rest while Cloud was like this. Though about an hour later I must have fallen asleep…

"Do you want to marry me?" slurred Cloud as we sat in a booth at a club. I didn't hesitate to answer him because it was quite obvious. I wrapped and arm around him.

"Of course!" I said and I gave him a sloppy kiss, we we're both intoxicated. I wondered if we were going to even remember this in the morning.

"Let's get married then!"

I had woken up from a crashing sound I jumped out of my seat, but only saw Cloud sitting up in the bed and the broken glass of water that I had left for him.

"Sorry…It looked really far away when I was reaching for it…" He said. He sounded exhausted. He still wasn't completely sober but it made me happy to see that he wasn't acting crazy anymore, I couldn't help myself; I ran up to him and pulled in into an embrace. To my surprise he hugged me back and dug his face deeper into my chest. He then started to mumble something but I couldn't understand him.

"What?" I asked. He then lifted his head up to look up at me.

"I said I love you…"

My heart began to pound like crazy. It must still be the mako talking… I smiled and laid him back down.

"I'll get you some more water…" I ten picked up all the broken pieces of the glass and went to the kitchen.

I had made him a sandwich; I was about to bring it to him when he appeared in the kitchen.

"Cl-Cloud you should be up!" I quickly sat the plate down and made my way towards him.

"I'm fine…" He said as he went to sit down at the table. I decided to just let him do whatever makes him comfortable, so I sat the plate with the sandwich down in front of him along with the cool glass of water. Cloud looked down at the foot before looking back up to me.

"Did you...come for me last night?" He asked. I didn't blame him for not remembering.

"Of course I did, I could just leave you with that sick fuck!"

"And where is he now?" That was a question that made me hesitant to answer.

"W-well, that uhh…I sort of locked him in the basement and set his house on fire so he's most likely burnt to a crisp…" I was really REALLY hoping that Cloud doesn't freak out on me. Please PLEASE don't freak out. Cloud then looked back down to his sandwich and picked it up; taking a bite out of it he then set it back down.

"Thank you, it's good." Was all he said. He then looked to me and smiled.

"Listen Cloud I'm going to help you get through this-"

"Zack its fine, you don't have to. I can deal with it…" Hearing him say that made me feel enraged. It was my fault that he is like this in the first place! I took a chair and threw it across the room causing Cloud to jump a little; look back at me with wide eyes.

"I'm going to help you whether you like it or not, you hear me!"

"Why?!" He yelled. His outburst caught me off guard. Why? He should already know why!

"Because I fucking love you! Isn't it obvious?" It was Clouds turn to be caught off guard.

"I thought you didn't…" He mumbled. Why would he even think that?

"How did you even get that idea in your head?!"

"W-well, when I told you that I loved you, you didn't say anything…" we were both quiet. So he really meant it, it wasn't the mako? I couldn't keep the distance between us anymore, I made my way toward him, he looked confused at first but then I took him and planted a kiss on him. He then wrapped his arms around me and kissed back. And for once since this whole mess started, our relationship finally felt right.

Though I was reminded of the dream that I had just had.

What was it again….?

END CH 10

A/N

I really loved this chapter and yes this story is starting to come to it's end but it still has some chapters to go!

Please stick around till the end, thank you for reading