Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.
Reviews, critiques and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I use good constructive criticism to help my writing improve and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination.
A/N: There is some drug use in this chapter, but this is a set up for the next chapter so that makes this a transition chapter. I'm not really liking this chapter much, but I'm tired of messing with it.
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Condor - "So I should tp"
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Thanks to my before posting beta Queen of Jokers and my after posting beta SubZeroChimera!
"Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone." –Cyrus A. Bartol
Chapter 34
Sephiroth got up slowly, stretched and walked softly to get some clothes from his drawer. A yawn struggled out of his mouth and he didn't try to stop it but when he saw Aerith also getting dressed, he asked curiously, "Where are you going?"
Aerith thought quickly, "If there is something this important going on that he would call you this early, it's probably bad. I just want to make sure that everyone is okay." She had never out right lied to Sephiroth and it tasted badly.
"Okay. It will give you a chance to meet my friend. He said something about Cloud being in trouble, so when you're ready," Sephiroth turned around and she was already standing at the door, dressed, "Wow! That was fast. Let's go," He grabbed his sword as they left the bedroom.
They walked out the front door and started their long walk to Sector 7 silently. Aerith's thoughts raced. 'Was it really her Zack? Where had he been for so long? Why was he back now?'
She shivered at the cold and Sephiroth put his arm around her shoulders, "You are awfully quiet."
She looked up in his face, "I'm just a little worried. I hope Cloud is okay," Sephiroth gave her shoulders a little squeeze. If it turned out to be Zack, what would she do? What would she say?
Sephiroth spoke up when he spotted the bar. He smiled down into her eyes, "This is where I go on guy's night."
Sephiroth reached to the knob and opened it for Aerith and he followed after her. Zack was sitting at one of the tables with his back to the door and hearing the door open, he started talking to Sephiroth, "Hey, I'm sorry that I called you so early, but-" He turned and his eyes fell on Aerith. His face dropped. Time froze, the world blacked out and all that there was, was her and Zack. She studied him, his face, arms, chest and his eyes. They were just as she remembered them. The swirl of emotion plagued her ability to talk or even move. Unintelligible words would be the only thing that came out if she tried.
Sephiroth not noticing at first started introductions, "Zack this is Aer-" He looked around, suddenly concerned at the look on everyone's face, "What is going on?"
When time started again and the rest of the world came back into view, she finally saw that Tifa had stood there the whole time. She liked Tifa, ever since they met when her and Cloud came over for dinner a few times, they'd become really good friends. Tifa started leading her over to the stairs that led away from her torrent of feelings that started where Zack stood. Aerith didn't make it to the stairs before she started crying and Sephiroth questioned, "Aerith what is wrong? Why are you crying?"
When Zack took a small hesitant step forward, Aerith stepped back and Sephiroth turned on Zack, "Tell me what is going on NOW Zackary!" Sephiroth's face filled with stress.
Zack took a few steps back and sat down in the chair he previously occupied. Sephiroth yelled at everyone in the room, "What is going on?"
Tifa spoke up as she held Aerith tightly, "Seph, I'm just going say it. Before the mission to Nibelheim, Zack and Aerith were seeing each other."
He didn't know what to say at first in his shocked state. Sephiroth looked at Zack, "Is this true?" He looked over at the Ancient, "Aerith is Tifa right?" Looking back at the seated and defeated looking man, he looked up at him and Zack's eyes welled up. Sephiroth's emotions flooded him and he couldn't stop what he was feeling, "This can't be happening, No, I don't believe this." Aerith could almost see Sephiroth's words making their way out as they seemingly stuck out in the air.
Aerith went to Sephiroth and wrapped her arms around his torso and the blank look on his face scared her. In a slow movement, he blindly he put one of his arms around her.
Looking up, she tried to assure him, "He left, just disappeared years ago. Then I met you, I'm so sorry Seph, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how." She buried her face in his chest. Sephiroth's face dropped and what little color he had, left him. His eyes showed shock and pain and he looked over at Zack, he'd turned away and had his head down. Sephiroth took Aerith by the shoulders and gently pushed her back and walked out the door silently.
Tifa walked over to Aerith and wrapped one arm around her, "There is more, but I don't think now is the time."
Aerith pulled away from Tifa, "I think now is the perfect time!" She turned on Zack with every emotion that she'd felt since he disappeared. She'd not been able to feel him anymore, but now that she was in the room with him, she could. Why would she be able to feel him now? It bubbled up from her gut, fear, pain, heartache and anger just couldn't be stopped from the top of the gentle curve of her mouth, "Where were you? Why did you leave me? You broke my heart Zack!" Aerith's emotions sprung out and she just couldn't stop the words. Aerith turned to Tifa when Zack wouldn't answer her, "Why won't he say anything?"
"Aerith sit down, I need to tell you something."
Zack said softly, "No Tifa, don't do this."
Tifa yelled loud enough that Zack flinched slightly, "Yes Zack! She deserves to know!"
Zack stood quickly and turned, "Would knowing change anything? Really? Wouldn't it just hurt her more?"
Aerith raised her head and pleaded, "Tifa, tell me." She wanted to know, had to know why he would leave her. What did she do to make him abandon her? Now that she could feel him again after so long, his emotions played tricks on her. She couldn't pin down one that would answer her question.
Tifa, held her, "After Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth left on that last mission, they were captured by Professor Hojo from Shinra held them prisoner for four years and experimented on all three of them. Zack and Sephiroth escaped with Cloud and made their way here."
Zack yelled, "Stop Tifa!"
Tifa glared at Zack as she continued to Aerith, "Once they got close to Midgar, Seph came here to make sure it was safe. Cloud was comatose and the Shinra army attacked him and Zack," Tifa paused and a deep breath caused Zack to flinch and close his eyes, "They killed him right outside the gates to Midgar and left Cloud for dead."
Aerith looked at Tifa, "What? I don't understand." She looked at Zack, "But…"
"Hojo stole his body and brought him back to life somehow," Tifa tightened her grip on Aerith's shoulders as she lost the strength in her legs, leading her to a chair to sit.
Zack looked at Tifa and said with an anger that was calm and soft, "Damn you Tifa," Pushing past her, he walked upstairs.
After Sephiroth had been outside working things out in his own mind he went back inside to Aerith and Tifa drinking coffee, when the martial artist asked, "Seph, do you want some coffee?"
Sephiroth fixed his eyes on the back of Aerith's head and asked Tifa, "Where is Zack?" Tifa pointed upstairs and Aerith looked up at him, worry covering her face.
With a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder, he hoped would put her more at ease. Staring up the stairs, his ankles seemed like hundred pound weights had attached themselves to him. Never being in such an awkward position before, this was all new territory to him. He knocked gently, "Zackary, I'm coming in." He opened the door and Zack was lying on the couch with his arm covering his eyes, "I… I don't know what to say."
Zack inhaled and said solemnly, "That makes both of us."
Sephiroth pulled the chair from the desk and moved it closer to the couch, "Why didn't you say something to me?" Seeing his friend like this, he didn't know what to do. It was an odd feeling. While he was the General of Soldier, he seemed to always know what to do. Now it was different, he felt more human now, less like a weapon.
"What would I have said? She's right, I did abandon her and so she went on with her life."
He couldn't believe that he had to talk Zack off the proverbial edge for a change, "You didn't abandon her, the sooner you figure that out the better," Sephiroth paused, looked down at his hands as he fidgeted, he quietly conveyed his feelings of how uncomfortable he was, "All those times that I was talking about her, I feel like such an ass. Zackary I am so sorry. If I had known…" Sephiroth leaned toward him and secretly hoped that the brunet would punch him.
Zack uncovered his eyes, "Yeah, I know… If you would've known, you would've never fallen for her," Holding his breath, he looked to his side in disgust, "I just want her to be happy now." Sephiroth could tell that Zack's eyes told the truth. He did want her happy but it still hurt him deeply. He sat up and put his forearms on his knees and did a quick change of subject, "We still have an issue with Cloud so lets just concentrate on that for now."
"Understood," Sephiroth raised his gaze back to Zack's face, "You want to fill me in with what happened with Cloud?"
When Zack got done explaining to Sephiroth how his shirt ended up in Tifa's room and how Cloud reacted, the former General got up and went into the bathroom. Turning on the water, splashed his face with cool water and looked down to the sink drain. Sephiroth had wondered the same thing about Cloud and why he wasn't with Tifa? Alana was a wonderful person, but from what he'd heard and seen, the boy was deeply in love with Tifa. He took a deep breath, "Well, I guess we are just full of misunderstandings around here. Let's go find him," Walking down the stairs, he could understand the feeling of betraying a friend; he felt that he'd been doing that for damn near a year now.
Aerith and Tifa were still sitting at the table when they both came down stairs. Their eyes watched the silver-haired man that made a nervous twinge go right through him. Aerith stood up and out of habit she started to kiss Sephiroth, but then froze when she saw Zack behind him on the stairs. Zack flinched when actually seeing his friend and former girlfriend almost kiss, so she nervously sat back down.
Zack's eyes looked in the other direction, he fidgeted in place and when Sephiroth realized how uncomfortable the situation was, he quickly turned the subject to something else. The feelings that he held for Zack made him cringe at the display of affection and he told himself that he would keep it at home from now on. "We are going to go look for Cloud. Could you stay here if he comes back here?" Tifa and Aerith both agreed and watched as both former Soldiers left to find their friend.
They walked silently until Sephiroth finally asked, "Why did Alana kick you and Cloud out in the first place?"
A loud laugh from Zack startled him, "Well that's a funny story. It all started last night about nine."
…They'd searched for a couple of hours when Zack finally said, "I don't think we are getting anywhere. We are going to have to split up and search in a grid by grid." He then suggested at the behest of his grumbling stomach of going back to the bar to get their cell phones and some breakfast.
When they got back to the bar, Tifa was the only one they saw. Sephiroth went into the kitchen and on the back wall, there was a map of the entire city. The story of why Cloud got kicked out of his shared apartment was still fresh in his mind and he couldn't help but smile at the thought. He had to stay focused though, his friend was missing and they didn't want him to do something that might get him caught.
As Zack and Sephiroth broke the map into sections, Tifa had breakfast going and eventually they got downstairs. Being the ever Soldiers, they worked out a plan for a methodical search method. As they ate, they determined who would take what grid and in what order.
He felt betrayed, hurt, he'd been lied to, from the very people who he loved and were close friends. He walked until he was in an area he wasn't familiar with. The sun had come up a couple of hours ago and he looked at a sign that said Sector 2. He had no idea what he was going to do, so he just spent the next few hours roaming and exploring. By lunch time he found a bench that was hidden from the street. He'd been able to clear his head a little. He could forgive Tifa because she didn't know about his feelings for her, but Zack did know. True that he'd been with Alana then, but Zack should never have crossed that line.
Waking up several hours later to the laughter of children he had something jabbing him in the ribs. Opening his eyes, he looked over and saw some kids holding a stick. The game that they had come up with was whoever poked him and woke him up was the winner, "Hey, stop poking me." He sat up slowly and looked at them, "Don't ya'll have someone waiting for you somewhere else?" They giggled and ran off.
Cloud watched after the kids and stretched. It was already getting dark and he was hungry, but he really didn't care, not anymore. Walking around some more, he found a night club that the loud music playing attracted his curiosity so he decided to check it out. Walking up to the door, the bouncer stopped him by putting his hand on his chest. He became quite uncomfortable with the way that the bouncer looked him up and down.
The first bouncer turned to another one and whispered something to him, then turned and looked at him again. The second one nodded his head and went inside. After the second bouncer went inside the first one motioned Cloud to enter.
The smell of alcohol sent his nose twitching. He wouldn't mind having a beer, or a hundred. When he got into the main room, it was actually divided into two large rooms. A thick curtain separated them. It appeared like a combination strip club and dance club and people packed in pretty tight. Walking up to the bar, he ordered a beer. Turning, he leaned his back against the hard wood bar and surveyed the room, he tried to decide whether he wanted to stay or go.
His heart ached, his best friend of all people, it was too much. He just wanted to forget, just stop living in the misery. Maybe if he got drunk enough, and maybe stayed that way, it would go away. When he showed back up at home, maybe he could get Alana to take him back. He didn't know if he wanted to go down that road again though. Cloud let out a loud sigh as he brought the bottle to his lips. He looked over at the strip club part and wanted to go there. However, his choices were money for beer or money for strippers. He let out a little depressed scoff, "Decisions, decisions."
A few beers later, a woman came up to him and started talking to him. She had light red hair, a very well-developed body and plump lips that parted into a devilish smile. The rest of her was slightly plump as well and she was about 20 years older than him, "Hello, cutie. I don't think that I have seen you here before, my name is Jillian." She touched his arm.
Taking a drink of his beer as he watched the people on the dance floor, he bared his teeth in a type of grimace, "There is a real good reason for that Jillian, this is my first time here." He continued to watch the people dance; he didn't want to look at her. He wanted to be left alone, maybe enjoy a lap dance and drink himself into a blackout.
"Are you even old enough to drink?" Shooting her a look, he wished Hojo had given him the ability to kill with his eyes. All his life he'd had to contend with his youthful appearance. Not only did he have deal with that, but he also had the problem of guys hitting on him. At least this time it was a woman who was hitting on him, "You look like something is bothering you. Maybe I can help," She reached down into a small bag that matched the color of her heels. Pulling out a small black baggie, she took his hand and put it in his palm. He glanced at his hand and back at her, "It won't hurt you; it will make you feel better though. It's a lot cheaper and faster than drinking yourself into unconsciousness," She smiled again and nodded, "Go ahead."
He put his beer down and opened the package of four different pills, tossing them around in his hand. Hands, Zack's hands… they had touched her where he'd fantasized about. Zack's lips on her soft skin, her nails scratching down Zack's back instead of his, he closed his eyes and tried not to think about it. It was of no use though; he could picture Zack taking her, her beautiful legs wrapped around him as she screamed in ecstasy. Of course she would want Zack before she would want Cloud; he was taller, more muscular and stronger. The graphic mental image was too much for him, "Oh, why the hell not." Tossing them in his mouth, he swallowed them down with his beer.
"There you go. You'll feel better in no time. Why don't you escort me back to my table? What is your name cutie?" She smiled and took his arm and pulled him with her.
Cloud sat down and swigged the rest of his beer down. She waved at a waitress and held the empty bottle at her. The waitress quickly returned and she handed Cloud his fresh beer. About 20 minutes after he had taken the pills, they started to take their effect and then he felt her hands on him. He didn't fight the feelings that washed over his body. He even had the urge to just grab the first willing woman and drag her somewhere. At this point, meaningless sex really sounded up his alley right then. His head fell back and the swimming, floating feeling took him over. His problems drifted away and he felt good all over.
Waking up, he looked around and he was in a small room, lying on a bed. He had pants on, but where the hell was his shirt? The room was dark with just a lamp on. Fuzziness clogged his memory, so when he looked around, nothing looked familiar. Seeing sunlight from the window behind the black curtain, he rubbed his pounding head. Sitting up, his head reeled and he quickly laid back down.
Thinking back to the night before, he remembered absolutely nothing after he took those pills. His problems that he tried to forget surfaced and he rolled to his side. Looking over at the chair next to a small table, close to the bed, there was his shirt. It just laid there like Zack's shirt did in Tifa's room. Just barely able to reach from where he was, he got a hold of the shirt and slipped it on after he was able to sit up without his head spinning. Running his fingers through his hair, he fell back to his back and quietly said to himself, "Why Zack? Why with Tifa?"
He startled and sitting up again at a noise coming from the bathroom. Frantically he searched for his boots until he heard, "Hello there, nice to see you're awake." Jillian walked toward him. Reaching down, she took his hand, "Here, you will want these in a little while. You might as well take them before we get to where we're going. It'll help your headache too."
"What? What happened?" Cloud rubbed his forehead, "My head is killing me."
"We just had a little fun is all," She ruffled his hair and started to the door, "Are you coming? Don't worry about your headache, you'll feel better in no time."
He debated with himself again, the images he imagined jumped back into his mind, Tifa and Zack together, sweating, moans of pleasure and the taste of her in his mouth. He downed the pills Jillian handed him. Standing up his legs felt a little like jelly from earlier. When she opened the door, he realized that it had not been sunlight; it was a street light right outside the window, "What time is it?"
"It is about 10," She paused and glanced at him and then finished, "It's the next night." She hooked her finger in his belt loop and pulled him with her. He followed semi-hesitantly and glanced around at the two big guys that walked behind them, "Come with me, I want to keep an eye on you," She continued to pull him by his belt loop while she walked. When they finally arrived, Cloud saw it was a large building with one door in the front. People stood all around the outside waiting to get in. It was a plain-looking building that looked like an old warehouse on the outside.
Jillian walked right in with Cloud in tow. There was a dance club on the lower floor and the lights were dim and intimate. He didn't know what was upstairs, but he was about to find out. Leading him up the stairs, the pills were kicking in when he felt that light drifting feeling again.
Going into a room, she said to Cloud, "Why don't you lie down and rest for a while. I will check on you a little later." He thought he heard the door lock, but even if he did care, he couldn't do anything about it now. The pills left him vulnerable. Sweet darkness took him over and he forgot yet again. He took a deep breath and let it take him to soft oblivion.
It'd been over two weeks and both Sephiroth and Zack were beginning to get frantic, "If he got captured again by Hojo, I will never forgive myself." Zack slammed his fist on the desk.
"We will find him, he is probably just letting off some steam," Sephiroth tried to reassure him.
Zack grabbed his jacket, "I'm going to go over to Alana's and see if maybe he showed up there yet."
Sephiroth nodded and went back to the map. The grids were filling in as the places they searched became more numerous. Tifa came into the office, "What if something has happened to him?" She held her arms around herself.
Sephiroth brushed past her out to the hall. Over his shoulder he said quietly, "I'm on my way to my next search area. Let Zackary know please." Sephiroth took his next search area and looked until dark.
After Sephiroth found out about Zack and Aerith's past, he'd begun sleeping on the couch. A day went by, and then another and another until almost two weeks had passed. On his way home from work and searching, Sephiroth picked up some burgers for dinner. As he got within sight of the house, he could see Aerith out in the garden. He normally would go out there to greet her, but he just couldn't.
He put the burgers down on the kitchen counter and went upstairs. Showering after a day like this, he felt it would help him relax. He thought about sleeping in the spare bedroom, but he would be too tempted to just walk next door and embrace her. So he just took the couch. He just felt as though he was on automatic anymore, his mind flooded with thoughts. He was worried about Cloud, upset about betraying Zack, angry that Aerith hadn't said anything when she had known all along. He didn't know what to do. Stay with Aerith, or step aside and let her go back to Zack. He hit his fist on the wet wall beside him. Who would Aerith want?
Once the towel was around his waist, he opened the door he saw Aerith standing there, staring at him, with her arms crossed, "How long are we going to do this Seph? Avoiding each other?"
Sephiroth said as calm as he could, "Aerith, what would you suggest that I do? You knew all this time, but you never said anything." His voice still cracked a little. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I didn't think that it really mattered because I thought he was gone," Tears welled in her eyes but did not fall.
"Yes… he was gone Aerith, but I still should have known," Sephiroth dropped his gaze and could not stop the words, "Which one of us do you want? Whatever your decision, I will accept."
Aerith gasped and pushed away from him, "What are you saying? You would just let me go? Just like that?"
He looked in her eyes and took her hand, "Please don't misunderstand. I absolutely want to be with you. I just realize that it is a decision for you to make. I will fight for you Aerith."
His arms circled around her as they hugged tightly and lowering his head, he closed his eyes when she said, "I have already made my decision, Seph."
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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