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Someone to Love/ Someone to Protect	By : MidoriBond Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female Views: 1756 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
Someone to Protect...

by Midori Bond

Chapter 16

Cloud growled
as he caught another harpy in its side. The closer he and Carrie had
gotten to the lab, the more of these creatures would come out of no
where. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Carrie was just off
to the side, fighting on her own. He looked around and saw that she
was fighting the last of their attackers. With a sigh, he stood back
and watched her. She moved with fluid grace. She stepped to the side
and drove her rapier into its eye. Mako blue eyes couldn't help but
be impressed as she also struck the harpy with a fire spell.

Carrie moved
away from the fallen beast and looked around. She smiled sheepishly
as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Always an adventure,
huh?" she asked playfully.

Despite the
situation, Cloud found himself smiling. She was so much like Aeris,
but so different. "How much farther to the lab?" he asked
walking over to her.

She frowned as
she looked at a small GPS. "Actually, we should be able to see
it." She looked at a raised snow dune and walked over to it. Her
eyes widened when she saw the remains of the lab. "By the
Ancients," she whispered as Cloud came to her side.
"Everything's destroyed."

He wasn't
thinking as he put his arm around her waist. "What
happened?" he asked.

She shook her
head. "I don't have a clue," she said in the same tone. She
moved away from him and made her way down to the destroyed lab.
"Let's look to see if there's anything left," she said as
Cloud followed her.

He frowned as
he looked around the area. There was nothing left. The place was
blown from the inside out. "What do you think we're going to
find?" he asked lowly.

Carrie rubbed
her neck and sighed. She was beginning to grasp at straws. "I
don't know," she said in defeat. As her eyes scanned the area,
she felt at a loss. "There's still some research in Mideel that
I can use. But I want to find Peter."

"Why?"

Brown eyes
looked at him for a moment. He did have a right to know. "I met him
years ago. I thought he was the sweetest man. A real charmer. Almost
charmed me away from Reno."

"Reno?"
Cloud's eyes widened.

"Yeah. I
dated him for a while. But we're talking about Peter." She
brushed her hair out of her face as she continued to scan the area.
"He knew who I was, and he approached me with a project that was
supposed to help the Planet."

"What was it?"

He was
researching the growth rate of Materia, and the effects on the
Lifestream. It wasn't Mako, but he was thinking that he could find
some way to harness it for good." Carrie walked over to a large
piece of shrapnel and frowned. "I convinced Rufus to hire him. A
few months ago, I found out that he was doing the same thing that my
father wanted from Hojo. A way to the Promised Land. When I told
Rufus, he said he would deal with it."

"So why
are you out here?"

"Don't
you get it? It's my fault that he could do this. I want to be there
to stop him." Carrie looked at Cloud and saw that he was
watching her with intense eyes. "What?"

Without a
sound, Cloud walked over to where she stood and leaned over her. As her
face tilted up to his, he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. He
didn't know why he was doing it. She was different from both Tifa and Aeris,
but she was so much like them.

Cloud pulled
away from the kiss, but kept her wrapped in his arms. He took note of
the way she blushed under his attention and slowly loosened his
embrace. "We should get going to Mideel."

* * * * *

Lucien
swallowed as he looked out of the front door. Tifa was shrugging into
her long white coat, and she still looked furious. He nervously bit
his lip as he stepped out on the porch. "I got my hair cut,"
he said lowly.

She turned to
look at him and couldn't help but smile. The front was long enough to
hide his eyes, but the back was short and neat. There wasn't a spike
in sight, and he was still handsome. "That looks a lot better,"
she said walking over to him. She looked at the area around her and
saw that no one was in sight. "I was just about to go to the
ship. Would you like to walk with me?"

"Vincent
thinks that you're what sets off the Jenova cells," Lucien said
looking out into the distance. "If I go with you, I could hurt
you without thinking."

Tifa smirked
as she walked over to him. "I'm a big girl Lucien," she
said with a smile. "I think I can take you."

He looked at
her and frowned. His eyes went to her neck, to the scratches he left.
"You couldn't last time," he said darkly.

She also frowned.
"Let's get this straight," she said seriously. She reached
forward and made him look into her eyes. "I was fighting Sophia,
and you blindsided me. Add that to the fact that the last time I had
ever seen you, you were only an infant." She kept her eyes on him
as he lowered his head towards the snow. "Don't doubt for a second
that in a fair fight, that I would let you harm me."

A muse escaped him
as he stepped back. "Peter has a lot of records on you," he
said with a nod. "From what they say, you don't know how to have
a fair fight."

She allowed
him his escape. She stretched her arms over her head and walked away
from the house. "I do. But most of what I had to fight back then
had an unfair advantage. Bare knuckles against guns or swords. I had
to do what I could to survive."

Lucien watched
they way she carried herself. He could remember when he had to fight
against Sophia's harpies. He would stretch in pretty much the same
manner as Tifa was doing now. "Do you still practice?" he
asked suddenly. When she looked at him curiously, he shrugged.
Fighting I mean. Have you kept up with your training?"

"Yes, but
when I was about six months along with you, I had to stop." She
smiled as she looked him over. While she carried him, she didn't want
to think of her child being a fighter, but now, she was thrilled at
the idea of her son taking up her fighting style. "There's still
some time before we have to leave." Her smile turned playful.
"Wanna learn a thing or two from a pro?" she offered.

Lucien
couldn't help but return her expression. "Why not? If Vincent
tries to shoot me again, I'll tell him this was your idea."

Tifa laughed
and shook her head. "I thought you two were learning to get
along," she said as he stepped off of the porch.

"We
are," he conceded as she took off her coat. "But that
doesn't mean that I'm going to forget it any time soon. I mean, how
many kids can say that their father shot them?"

She pulled on
her gloves as she continued to laugh. "Okay, let's make a deal.
If I win this little match, you leave your father alone. He feels
guilty enough over what happened."

"Okay,"
Lucien said with a nod. "And if I win, you start calling me Lucky."

Tifa's face
fell. "You like that name?" she asked with a squeak.

"It's
different. and Cid said that Lucien's a mouthful." He flexed his
wings and pulled off his cloak. "And Reno said that the girls
will go crazy over it."

She was going
to kill that redheaded ass, Yuffie's happiness be damned. "You're
not dating until you're at least fifteen," she said with a frown.

"I'm
already fifteen."

"No, I
mean really fifteen."

He smirked as
he ran his fingers through his short hair. It would be so much easier
to fight now. "I changed my mind. You can call me Lucien. If
I can start dating next year. On my first birthday."

Tifa rolled
her eyes. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation.
"Alright," she said with a wave of her hand. It wasn't like
he was going to win anyway. "You can date next year, if
you win."

Reno and
Yuffie walked out of the house. They both exchanged a look when they saw
the mother and son. "What's going on Babe?" Reno asked.

Lucien smiled.
"Mom and I have a bet going. If I beat her, she'll let me date."

"Next year,"
Tifa added quickly. "And when I win, he'll forget that Vincent
shot him."

Yuffie smiled.
"What are the rules?" she asked jumping off of the porch.
"And who's the judge?"

Tifa shrugged.
"No Materia," she said with a nod. "We want this to be fair."

"Then
that means that Lucky can't use his wings either," Reno said
sitting on the stairs. "It wouldn't be right for him to start
flying up where you can't reach him."

Lucien nodded.
"Alright. And you and Yuffie can be the judges."

Tifa smiled as
she looked into soft purple eyes. "Okay, I guess that's
everything. Ready to start?" she asked.

Yuffie jumped
up and down excitedly. She hadn't seen Tifa fight in ages, and it
would be fun to see what Lucien could do. She raised her hand in the
air as both Tifa and Lucien took their places. "Okay, begin!"
she chimed before bringing her hand down.

* * * * *

Vincent gently
knocked on the door to Lucrecia's room. He hadn't thought about the
fact that he had not seen her since her return last night. But seeing
that it was almost noon, and he hadn't seen her all day, he was beginning
to worry. He frowned when no answer came. "Lucrecia," he
said slowly opening the door. The sight that greeted him wasn't one
he was expecting.

Instead of
seeing the tall woman sleep in her bed, the entire room was empty.

He walked into
the room and soon spotted a folded piece of paper in the center of
the bed. A sigh left him as picked it up. He was beginning to hate letters.

"What'cha
got there?" Cid asked as he stood in the door. "Wasn't
Lucrecia staying in here?" he asked looking around.

Vincent
continued to frown as he waved the letter slightly. "She
left," he said darkly.

"The
letter's her goodbye then."

"It could
be." Vincent held the thin piece of paper in his hands getting
ready to tear it when Cid's hand stopped him. "What?"

"Don't
you want to see what it says?" Blue eyes widened when the letter
was pressed into his hands.

"If you
want to read it, feel free. I don't care."

Cid stood
silent as the gunman walked out of the room. He knew that there was
some history between the pair, and now Tifa and Vincent being
together, there was bound to be tension between the the two. Cid
shook his head. The relationship between them was becoming more and
more complicated. He opened the letter and sat on the bed. Hopefully, Lucrecia's
letter would give Vincent some closure.

Dear Vincent,

Hopefully,
when you read this, I'll be gone. I know that you and Tifa have
enough to handle with Lucien and your relationship. I don't want to
be a burden of your past. There is also something that I have to tell
you. Something I know you don't want to hear, but it needs to be
said.

Sophia, in
her twisted mind, believes that you belong to her. And since you were
captured because of me, it's all my fault. Her bearing Destruction,
your bearing Chaos, all of it. It also doesn't help that the Jenova
Cells in me are calling for her to kill me. After living so long with
the things that I have or have not done, I think that it's time for
me to die. That's why I don't want you to look for me. I don't want
you to feel guilty for what has to happen between me and Sophia.

Goodbye
Vincent. I hope that you and Tifa make each other happy. You both
deserve it. And I'm sorry for everything that I have done to hurt
you. And for not loving you when you loved me.

Please, don't
forget me.

Lucrecia

"Shit,"
Cid breathed as he folded the letter again. He stood and started to
look for Vincent. This wasn't something he could just allow the other
man to throw away. It was her final goodbye. She left, seeking her
death, and even if he didn't love her anymore, he owed her to at
least read it.

He found the gunman
watching the front porch with a sour expression. Before he could ask
what was wrong, he heard Tifa's growl and Lucien gasp for breath. He
looked out of the door and saw the mother and son locked in a heated
fight. He rubbed his eyes and held the letter out to Vincent.
"You need to read this," he said in a hushed tone. Whatever
was going on between Tifa and Lucien couldn't be that bad if Reno and
Yuffie were sitting by laughing and cheering.

"I don't
care what it says," Vincent said as Lucien struck Tifa in the
stomach with a solid kick.

Cid frowned as
he looked at the dark haired man. "She left you to go die,"
he said seriously. When ruby eyes looked at him, he held up the
letter. "Take a look for yourself."

"I
already know," he said darkly. "During breakfast I felt
something. All that letter is, is proof that I was correct." He
turned from Tifa and Lucien.

"Are we
gonna go look for her body?" Cid asked quietly.

Vincent shook
his head. "The snow will cover her well enough."

"That's
heartless, even for you," the pilot shot. When ruby eyes glared
at him, he pushed on. "She went out of her way to take care of
Tifa. And then left to find you, so you could be here for her."

"You're point?"

"You're
going to leave her out there to die."

Vincent ran
his hand through his hair restlessly. "She's already dead,"
he growled. He looked at Cid before stalking over to the window. "I've
felt it. I feel it now. Going after Lucrecia now would only lose
ground that I barely made with Tifa." A sigh escaped him as he
looked out of the window to the mother and son again. "And take
away from time we'll need to get Lucien to the church."

"So
you'll leave her? Just allow her to become a memory?"

Tifa was
doubled over Lucien's fist, but she was bringing her leg up to kick
him with her heel. "She's always been a memory. Cloud still wallows
in self-pity because of them, I refuse to let that happen to
me." He looked at Cid with serious, aged eyes. "I would
rather let this become another sin I have to bear. I can deal with
them. Live with them. But I can also move on with them." He
turned away from Cid and started for the door. "I'll make a
memorial for her in the city. That's the best I will be able to do."

TBC...

** Message from Midori:
To everyone that's been with me and this fic since the beginning, I
thank you. I have to say that I'm so sorry for the lack of updates
recently. I was overworked, underpaid, and then I started to read actual
books (the horror). But on that note, I want to let everyone know:
I've started my own novel. And while I love the reviews that I'm
getting from this fic, I'm gonna have to put it on hold until I'm
finished with that. So, you can all get my e-mail, if you're really
bored, drop me a line. And just know that I WILL finish this fic.... eventually.

Read, enjoy, and
review!!! Love Ya!

Midori Bond
- 15
- 16
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Someone to Love/ Someone to Protect