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: Warning: This chapter has a physical assault with innuendo.

Thanks to my after-post beta SubZeroChimera and my before-post beta Queen of Jokers!

"Wisdom begins in wonder." -Socrates

Nexus

Chapter 12

Zack hadn't seen Sephiroth since that day in the gym, and thankfully he hadn't seen the "anti-Cloud" again.

He couldn't figure out how to tell Cloud about Sephiroth. He and Sephiroth had talked briefly, and what he knew of him from before his rampage, he believed him.

Something terrible had happened to Cloud. He didn't or couldn't talk about it, except to express how terrified he was. One bright spot however was that they really didn't see much of Hojo. Of course, like everything else, something had to change.

Davis and Drake came to get them for their morning weight lifting and conditioning. "Time to get up little lovebirds, ya'll are going to get some exercise today," Davis announced. The guards had gotten to the point that when they took them anywhere, their hands were restrained behind them and shackles were put on their ankles. As per routine, Zack and Cloud got on their knees, hands on top of their heads, and waited for the restraints. Zack had learned the hard way one day by picking a fight with Charles when they were going to the lab. As punishment, they got double injections of mako, and Zack went into solitary confinement.

After they were restrained, they got them up on their feet and started the shuffle down to the gym. Cloud was in front with Davis when he tripped on the chain. Drake walked Zack past them and kept going. Zack glanced back and as Davis picked Cloud up, he said something to him and smiled. Cloud got a grimace on his face and shook his head then lowered his face. Once in the gym, Zack asked Cloud what Davis had said. Cloud just looked at him and said, "Nothing." Zack felt his eye twitch in frustration at the same answer Cloud always gave.

They noticed there was a new piece of equipment in there. The techs had put Cloud on the leg machine and Zack at the bench. Charles walked in with Sephiroth and Cloud's eyes immediately went to his former hero. The gym was pretty small so when they put Sephiroth on the new row machine, they were able to talk.

Sephiroth quietly made his way over to the equipment. Sephiroth looked over Zack and Cloud and Cloud glared back at him. Zack looked at Cloud and he saw his muscles tense. Anger flashed in his eyes. Cloud stayed silent except for a quiet sigh of disgust. Zack asked Sephiroth, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around." Cloud shot a confused, angry gaze at Zack.

"Hojo had me in solitary confinement. I don't know why though, because I'm already alone in my cell." He shrugged and then got into a rhythm on the row machine.

"Well that's about typical." Zack rolled his eyes.

Sephiroth looked at Cloud, "Cloud, I wanted to tell y-"

"I have nothing to say to you," Cloud interrupted. His eyes held all the rage and pain he felt. Dark blue flashed in anger at the thought of that man being so bold as to talk to him. The curtness in his voice stopped Sephiroth's reps. Cloud returned his attention back to his legs and increased his pace on the lifts.

The former General looked at Zack, "You haven't talked to him yet?" A lab tech pointed to the row machine and Sephiroth started his reps again.

Cloud stopped his reps and looked at Zack. "Talked to me about what? Zack what is going on?" The lab tech tapped Cloud on his shoulder and he swatted at Wolfe's hand. The lab tech cleared his throat and Cloud turned to see Wolfe pointing to the leg machine, urging Cloud to start his reps again.

Zack adjusted his grip on the bar, "Listen Spike, when you went all vegetable on us, me and Seph here had a little…uh…talk."

Cloud began to visibly seethe in anger, "What do you mean? You're talking to him after what he did?! You didn't tell me?"

Zack blew out as he lifted the weights, "Come on Cloud, I wanted to talk to you about it, but you had a lot of things going on. I didn't even know how to start."

Cloud's face dropped and he lowered his eyes to his legs again. His jaw clenched and he did the rest of his leg reps in silence. Sephiroth and Zack looked at each other but said nothing. When they had to switch, Cloud was on the weight bench, Sephiroth went to the leg machine and he tried again, "I don't know why it happened."

Cloud whipped his face around and glared at him. Clenching his jaw again, he struggled with the weights.

"I do not know how to explain it," Sephiroth breathed out.

Breaking his rhythm on the row machine, Zack cut in, "Let me try Seph," Resting his arms on his legs, he looked at Cloud, "Apparently your noodle and his noodle are linked. When you feel pain or whatever, he feels it too."

Cloud had a puzzled look and almost dropped the bar, "Huh? What? That's not possible."

"Apparently it is," Sephiroth added as he breathed out.

"So all the times that Hojo has hurt me, he felt it too?" Cloud inquired to Zack.

"Yeah and well there is something else," Zack paused, "He didn't remember anything that happened the night of the fire. It's like he was possessed or something, kinda like you, when you freaked in our cell." Cloud glared at Zack for mentioning that. "Well anyway, when you went all raving lunatic on me, Seph here had his own loony-bin episode and got his memory back."

"Eloquently spoken Zackary," Sephiroth said in a deep sarcastic tone.

"So when that…you know, happened to me in the cell, he got his memory back? But it wasn't really Sephiroth the night of the fire? It was something else that killed everyone?" Cloud lowered his gaze and went silent and stared blankly, deep in thought.

"Exactly! I knew you would….wait hold the phone. Does that mean that…?" Zack stopped and joined Cloud in silence.

"Jenova," Sephiroth breathed hard and lowered his gaze. "I think it could possibly happen again." He looked directly at Cloud who wilted beneath the scrutiny of the unique eyes and turned his full attention back to the weights.

They switched machines again and worked on their exercises in silence. When Sephiroth and Zack were done with their reps, Harper and Charles restrained them, ready to take them from the gym. Cloud was struggling to finish his last few reps on the row machine. Charles told Davis, "We're gonna take them on down to the lab." They started for the door and the lab techs followed.

Stepping into the lab, Zack noticed another chair added and the only tank was taken out. Getting Sephiroth and Zack restrained in the chairs, the silver-haired General suddenly bolted upright and the sudden movement caught Zack's attention, "What's up with you all of a sudden?"

"I don't really know, but something is wrong… very wrong," Sephiroth said with a lot of stress in his eyes as he looked back at Zack.

Cloud was finishing up his last remaining reps when it struck him that his assigned tech wasn't there. Davis was across the room, staring at him, again. The guard would stare at him every chance he got. It really disturbed Cloud that he wouldn't leave him alone and he never told Zack about the profane things he would whisper in his ear or the light touches that spoke of something more. The guard always found a way to touch him, his hands would brush against his butt as he restrained Cloud's hands. Lightly rubbing his leg while putting on the shackles around his ankles. He didn't know why he had never said anything to Zack, but the whole thing just embarrassed him and he just hoped that it would just stop.

Once he was done, he got up and started for the door and Davis held up his restraints, "Forgetting something?" Cloud turned around hesitantly, clenched his fists and closed his eyes as he sighed out. He didn't want to just stand there and take the harassment this time, so he decided to try run for it and when he dashed toward the door, Davis somehow grabbed his arm and got him to the floor. Getting the blond restrained, hands behind his back and ankles shackled together, Davis pulled Cloud back to his feet and turned him around to face him. Looking up, Davis was standing right in front of him, much too close. Cloud backed up a few staggered steps, but Davis closed the gap, "Where ya going sweet thing?"

Cloud continued to back away as best as he could. He moved to the right, Davis blocked him, he tried the left and was blocked again. In frustrated anger, Cloud yelled, "What do you want?" The young blond knew deep down what Davis wanted, but he just didn't want to admit it to himself. The shackles only left a few inches between his ankles so he couldn't use his legs to kick or run and his hands were behind his back. Cloud was essentially defenseless, but he guessed that was exactly how Davis had planned it.

"Oh, I think you know what I want," Davis backed him all the way to the other side of the room. Raising his hand to Cloud's face, he attempted to caress the soft skin, but Cloud turned his head away from him. Trying to move as far away from him as he could, which wasn't far, Cloud winced when Davis put his hand on the wall behind the younger man and leaned in, "Do you remember what I told you?"

"...Yes…" Cloud responded quietly with his eyes gazing at the ground, unwilling to look into those lust-filled eyes.

"I think it's time to make good on that, don't you? "

Cloud shook his head, "Just leave me alone! Please!" Panic began to settle in and the hard thump of his heart made an ache fill his chest.

Davis put his finger up to Cloud's lips, "I think you should be quiet, I don't want you to get hurt, at least not yet," he smiled.

He leaned in to kiss him and Cloud moved to the side, but Davis grabbed him by the neck and pushed him back up against the wall with a thud. The guard leaned in again and his lips touched Cloud's this time. The feel of the guard's lips sent a shiver of revulsion down his body and Cloud squeezed his eyes shut and tried to trick his mind into thinking this wasn't happening.

As Cloud wiggled in disgust, Davis kissed him down his neck and around his thumb that dug into his throat. With his other hand, he reached his hand down to the front of Cloud's shorts. The blond squirmed, but Davis squeezed harder on his neck and his wind pipe was beginning to close under the pressure of Davis' hand. Fear rose as he started to get light-headed, but Davis turned him around to face the wall and slammed him into it. Jamming his forearm into the back of Cloud's neck, he pushed the side of his face into the wall. Reaching down to his shorts again, he pulled the elastic waistband down to his hips.

Cloud squirmed again and shouted at the top of his lungs, "NO!" Cloud could barely reach the waist band on the back of his shorts and he held on to them tightly. Davis pushed harder on the back of his neck and the side of Cloud's face rubbed roughly against the wall. Undaunted, Cloud continued to hold on to his shorts, but that was when Davis moved his arm under the blonde's arm and hitched it upwards and got a stronger hold on the back of Cloud's neck. Cloud let out a grunt of pain as his arm was forced up behind him.

Feeling desperate, Cloud pushed his hips backward and pushed Davis back, "Get away from me!" Cloud swung himself back around to face him.

Davis took a step forward and backhanded him across his face. Grabbing his shoulder he pulled him back to standing and punched him in the gut. Curling forward, he gasp, but Davis got a handful of his hair and pulled him up, "Now are you going to cooperate?"

Cloud looked at him and in anger he hoarsely ground out, "Never," and then spit in his face. Davis wiped at his face and slapped Cloud across the face again.

"If I have to beat you into unconsciousness I will," Pulling back his fist, he punched him in his mouth splitting his lips open. Another punch got him just below his eye. Falling to the floor on his side, darkness crept in from the sides of his vision. Davis reached down and grabbed the front of his shirt. Getting in Cloud's face again, he said, "I am going to get what I want. One way or another."

"What is going on in here?" Doctor Chase interrupted.

Davis jumped and stood straight, "Oh well, he was just having a little trouble remembering the rules around here. I think we've got it straightened out now." Davis gave the doctor a wave of comprehension.

Chase studied Davis, "We are waiting on him in the Lab. May I suggest you get a move on?" Chase turned to leave, but paused and turned back around, "Davis, keep your hands to yourself." Then he pushed the door open and left.

Pulling him up to his feet, Cloud wobbled a little from dizziness as Davis pulled his shorts back up. In the motion of pulling them up, he grabbed Cloud's groin and the blond gasped in pain. With his free hand, Davis stroked Cloud's hair, leaned over him and licked his neck all the way up to his ear. Cloud groaned in pain and disgust, "One way or another, sweet thing." Davis finally let go of him and headed to the lab.

Davis had a tight hold on his upper arm and Cloud stumbled down the hall. Entering the lab, Zack and Sephiroth immediately turned their attention to Cloud. His lips busted open, a black eye already starting and some bruising starting up on his neck, his head hug down slightly as he swayed under his own weight. Zack and Sephiroth looked at each other and back at Cloud, "What the hell happened?" Zack yelled at Cloud.

Davis answered with a smirk before Cloud could say anything, "Oh this? He tried to leave without his restraints."

"Put him in the last chair," Hojo demanded.

Zack glared at Davis but Cloud couldn't look at Zack, "I'm okay Zack," He said unconvincingly.

Once restrained in the chair, Hojo began, "Today we will not be administering mako today." All three of them sighed silently. When the vitals and all the injections were done, "I will be taking some more samples of your DNA." He read from a list, "hair, blood, skin and saliva. I do not want to miss anything."

"What's next pee, toe jam, eye juice?" Zack said sarcastically.

"Shut up Zackary, do not give him any ideas," Sephiroth warned.

Hojo's eyes brightened and Zack immediately regretted saying anything at all, "Z you make a valid point, I will need a semen sample as well."

Sephiroth shot a glare at Zack, whose eyes snapped up at Hojo as he yelled, "Hey I said nothing about THAT!"

Cloud kept his eyes focused on his legs and angrily said, "Thanks a lot Zack."

Sephiroth angrily spoke through his teeth, "Zackary, if I was not in this chair right now, I think I wou-"

"Now, here we go," Hojo interrupted.

Zack hung his head, "Sorry guys. You know he was gonna think of it sometime." Zack added arrogantly, "What if we refuse? I mean you need us to cooperate for that particular sample." He sat upright in confidence.

"Shut up Zack!" Cloud interrupted.

Hojo explained, "Actually I don't need your cooperation. I can do it for you by sticking this electric probe up your-"

"Okay, I got it! Just put the probe away, save it for when you're alone," Zack interrupted. The brunette sighed angrily at himself for saying anything at all. Hojo's techs went around gathering the various samples. Once they got around to the semen sample, one of the techs, Burton, walked up to Zack who looked at the tech from under his black, furrowed eyebrows, "Dude, you touch my junk, I will break you in half."

Burton turned around to Hojo, concerned, "Uh sir, would it be alright if we took them to the bathroom for this?"

Hojo was busy with labeling and writing on his clip board. Absently he waved his hand, "Yes, just get the samples and bring them to me as soon as you have them." Burton let out a sigh under his breath.

Charles, Drake and Harper were called into the lab. Burton instructed, "Take them to one of the cells." They began the process of the restraints and waddling down the hall. Once reaching the cell, two of the techs followed them in.

Charles and Harper set Cloud and Sephiroth down on Cloud's bed. Zack was told to go first and Charles removed his restraints. He went in the restroom and Wolfe went in with him. "Oh, no! You have got to be kidding! If I have to do this I can't do this with you in here watching me! I can do this all by myself." He gently pushed Wolfe back out of the room. Wolfe stood patiently right outside the door-less restroom.

Cloud and Sephiroth sat quietly, still in their restraints, until Sephiroth broke the silence, glancing at the blond and asked somewhat coldly, "Are you okay?"

Cloud let out a loud sigh, "Well, I really don't want to do this, but since Zack opened his big mouth, I guess I have to."

"That is not what I mean," Sephiroth leaned forward some so he could make eye contact.

Cloud clenched his jaw and winced at the pain, "I don't know what you mean?" He averted his gaze away from Sephiroth.

"I felt something…panic and Davis was-"

"Just stop, I'm fine okay. Just drop it!" Cloud clenched his jaw again, ignoring the pain. He didn't want anyone to think that he couldn't take care of himself. Deep down he was terrified of Davis, but he wasn't going to say anything to Zack and especially Sephiroth.

Zack stood in the bathroom for a few minutes, "Okay, happy thoughts, happy thoughts." He stopped and got angry, "Freakin happy thoughts?! In this hell hole! This is impossible. Wait. No. I can do this! I certainly don't want Hojo with a probe anywhere around my…" He sighed loudly, "Gee, no pressure!" He took a deep breath and tried again, "Happy thoughts, happy place, happy thoughts." Then he closed his eyes, and smiled at the thought of HER, Aerith… Gaia how he missed her...

He had finished gathering everything he was going to need to make the flower cart. Aerith walked through the door and she was wearing that pink sun dress that he liked so much. She smiled at him and he melted.

"Is this all the stuff we'll need?" She tilted her head slightly to the side.

"I think so," Zack studied everything and rubbed his chin.

"I will be right back."

"Hey, where are ya going?" He asked, sounding disappointed.

"I'll be right back silly!" She pushed gently on his arm.

As she walked away, Zack got lost in thought, 'I think, yeah, as soon as I get back from this next mission to Nibelheim, I think I want to ask her to marry me.' He sat on the floor, his legs straight out in front of him, leaning back on his hands. He looked up at the hole in the roof, 'I want to wake up next to her every morning.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, 'Yeah, I'm gonna do it.' A big smile crossed his face.

"Hello"

Zack startled, "You scared me!" He was so lost in thought that she was able to sneak up on him. He looked up at her and smiled.

Aerith giggled, "I thought Soldiers had super hearing?"

"Well we do, but I was just day dreaming a little," he said, still smiling.

She mocked in a deep voice, hands on her hips, "At this rate, the cart is never going to be finished!"

He rocked back onto his back and quickly arched his back and jumped onto his feet. He knew that Aerith liked it when he did that, she giggled again. Zack quickly snapped to attention, "Yes Ma'am!"

She giggled, "That's right! Now let's make this cart," she said, still in a mocking voice.

He picked up a piece of wood, looked at it, then looked at the pile of wood, then rubbed the back of his head. He put the wood on the opposite side of the wheels and studied the pile a little more. "I have the flowers ready to put in the cart when it's finished." She turned back to him. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just thinking about this a little before I get started," he stalled.

A little while later, he presented it with a grand gesture. She giggled at the comical movement he made with his arms, "Well, what do you think?"

She stopped giggling and put her hand to her chin and looked at it all the way around, "Hmm, I don't know, it isn't quite what I expected."

Zack's face dropped, "I was sure you would like it."

She lightly shoved him, "Silly, I do like it. We can sell lots of flowers now." Her smile was infectious.

Zack reached out and grabbed her around her waist and pulled her to him and looked into her eyes, "You had me thinking you were disappointed in me." He faked a frown.

She reached her hands up and ran her fingers through his hair, "You could never disappoint me." She pulled his face toward her and she kissed him deeply. His head swam in thoughts and imagined what their wedding day would look like. Her long white wedding gown made with lace as delicate as her. A bouquet of her flowers in one hand and holding his hand in the other. Her letting him take care of her forever. The thought of her one day carrying his child and looking up at him with eyes full of love warmed him inside and out. He got lost in her again, but she had that power over him. He liked that she had that power, and he welcomed it every time he was around her. She was the one and only for him and always would be.

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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