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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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Author's
note: Okay,
we're back to the time warps again. Don't worry, this time it's
about 2 weeks. Almost everyone is where I left them in the last
chapter, only Lucien's gonna be older. Oh, and before anyone says
anything, I have a brother named Pete, and my own three year old
calls him Uncle Pelley. That's were Peter's nickname came from.

And don't
worry Empress, Sophia will die.... Just not yet. There are some
things that she has to do first.

Anyway,
Enjoy & Review!

Midori

Someone to Love...

by Midori Bond

Chapter 8

Cloud leaned
against the railing as they continued to make their way North.
Lucrecia agreed to meet them at the Great Glacier after she found
Vincent. She owned a small house where they could all hide and plan
their next move. He took a slow breath as he looked up at the night
sky. It had been two weeks, and Tifa still hadn't come to.

"You
wanna catch a cold or something?" Cid asked from the door way.

Blue eyes met
blue as Cloud turned to look at the pilot. "Are we almost
there?" he asked lowly.

Cid nodded as
he also went to the railing. "We should be able to land around
dawn," he answered. His eyes looked at the boy that led him
against Sephiroth. Just like he knew he missed Tifa, Cid knew there
was something wrong with Cloud. He reached into his jacket and pulled
out a cigar. "Yuffie told me about the kid," he said
flicking his lighter. Just as he thought, Cloud's eyes darkened.

"I don't
want to talk about it," Cloud said as he glared at the moon.

Cid continued
to watch him. Times like this made him miss both Vincent and Barrett.
Barrett was known for bullying Cloud into talking, while Vincent
could win a silence contest with a corpse. They were the ones that
knew how to deal with Cloud. He knew of the man's moodswings, he even
dealt with a few of them. But mostly, he pushed things like dealing
with Cloud, off on the others. Yuffie's words suddenly came back to
him. "High maintenance," he mused taking a long drag of his cigar.

Cloud frowned
in confusion. "What?"

"I called
you high maintenance," he said louder.

"Great,"
Cloud mumbled. "First Yuffie, now you. Is Reno going to have a
turn yet?" he asked sarcastically.

Cid shook his
head. "He respects Tifa's feelings too much," he answered
honestly. He saw the frown Cloud wore and continued to shake his
head. "You've got two women that would give their lives to
protect you, and you spit in their faces."

"You did
the same to Shera," Cloud shot.

"And I
lost her after I went back to Rocket Town." Cid frowned at the
tip of his cigar. It was from Cosmo Canyon. One of the best cigars he
ever had, but thinking about his former love interest always left a
bad taste in his mouth. "You shouldn't be too shocked that Tifa
found comfort in someone else's bed."

Cloud
straightened. "I don't want to hear this," he said as he
started for the door.

"Are you
going to run from her now?" Cid asked the sky. He glanced over
his shoulder and saw that Cloud had paused. "Are you going to
disappear off of the face of the planet because she had Vincent's kid?"

"I don't
want to think about that now," Cloud answered.

"You have
to think about it now," Cid said lowly. "She has to
think about it now. Shinra has her boy. There's no telling what
they're doing to the poor thing. Tifa needs her best friend right now."

"She has Reno."

"She
should have you."

"She should
have
Vincent. He's the father."

Cid fought
down a growl. "For all we know, Lucrecia could be coming back
with a corpse," he said hotly. When Cloud looked at him, he
knocked some more ashes from the end of his smoke. "You know me
Cloud. I'm not one for long deep heart to heart talks."

"What do
you call this?" he snapped.

Without
thinking, Cid reached out and grabbed Cloud's collar. "Let me
finish, you little shit," he hissed. "You have spent too
long searching for her, to just leave her alone when you find out
that she had someone else's kid." He pushed Cloud away from him
and glared at the blonde. "She's been by your side for too much
for you to abandon her now."

Cloud leaned
against the metal of the ship, his eyes downcast. "She left
me," he said automatically.

"After
you called her another woman's name," Cid pointed out. He saw
Cloud's eyes narrow, and frowned. "Don't blame her for your indecision."

The swordsman
straightened and turned to go back inside. He didn't blame her for
what happened, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. "Let me know
when we reach the Great Glacier," he said lowly.

* * * * *

Lucrecia wiped
the sweat from her forehead and inhaled slowly. She had finally
sealed all of Vincent's wounds, and now, it was up to him if he
wanted to live or not. Jade eyes looked at him with a tender
expression. He was still just as handsome as she remembered, and it
tore at her. As she combed her fingers through his hair, she glanced
at the Phoenix that had managed to keep him alive. "You know,
they always say that you don't know what you have until you lose
it," she said softly. The bird made a small sound of agreement
before it vanished. Lucrecia continued to gaze at Vincent. She leaned
forward and gently kissed his lips. She felt her heart swell as she
felt Vincent try to return the pressure on his lips.

"Tifa,"
Vincent moaned as she pulled away.

She gave him a
sad smile. "And now I know what I had, is gone." She stood
and looked around the cavern, hoping to find some wood to build a
fire. As she started to move away from him, she heard his sharp
intake of breath.

"Tifa,"
he called out louder.

Lucrecia went
back to his side. "She's not here Vincent," she said
softly. When his eyes fought to open, she moved his hair out of his
face. After the third try, she smiled into bleary ruby orbs. "How
are you feeling?"

His eyes
narrowed into a blind glare. He hated that question. A snarl escaped
him as he tried to move away from the woman next to him.
"Tifa," he growled. "Where?"

Her head
lowered slightly. It appeared that while Chaos had given her
Vincent's body to heal, he hadn't released the other man's mind
completely either. "You can't reach her," she said softly.
Jade eyes widened as a hand wrapped around her throat and brought her
to the ground. She looked into his eyes and saw they were still
unfocused. "Vincent, stop," she pleaded. When he moved to
straddle her waist, she reached up and cupped his cheek.
"Vincent, please. It's Lucrecia."

Just as
quickly as he grabbed her, he released her. He backed away from the
woman, feeling as if everything around him was on a spinning wheel.
As he fell to the ground again, he snarled in fury. "Tifa!"

She sat up and
looked at her former love. "I can take you to her, after you
heal some more," she said in a gentle tone.

"Where is she?"

Lucrecia
slowly inhaled as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She knew that
she couldn't tell him Tifa's condition, not with him still in Chaos's
grip. She would have to plan out her words and moves very carefully.
"She's with your other friends," she told him. As he turned
his head towards her, she made her way to her feet. "They are on
their way to the Great Glacier." Her eyes widened as Vincent's
form started to pop and contort. "You can't go to her yet,"
she called. When Vincent snarled at her, she braved a step forward.
"The journey will kill you."

"She's
hurt," he growled. "She needs me."

How he knew,
she had no idea. Lucrecia ran to him and threw her arms around his
neck. "She needs Vincent!" she shouted. She looked into his
eyes, which were fighting between black and red, she continued.
"She needs Vincent to be with her Chaos. She needs him healthy
and whole. You cannot go to her like this." Lucrecia inhaled
slowly as his eyes returned to normal. "We all need you to
heal," she said lowly. "Rest for a while. Then we can go to her."

The sound of
her voice seemed to wrap around him, draining him of his energy. He
looked into her eyes and frowned as he looked at the woman that had
cursed him so long ago. "Lucrecia," he whispered. He saw
her eyes warmed, and leaned heavily against her. "I need her
too," he whispered before passing out in her arms.

* * * * *

She was stiff,
and in pain. She didn't want to wake up, but her body had other
ideas. Her mind replayed the events of... she didn't even know how
long ago it was. All she knew was that she failed to protect her
child. The one precious thing she had left in her life, and she let
that blonde bitch from Shinra steal him away. A sob escaped her, and
instantly, she felt a tender hand take her own. She opened her eyes
to the sight of Reno.

"Hey,
Sleeping Beauty," he said kissing her hand.

"I lost
him," she whispered.

Reno shook his
head. "We'll find him, Tifa. You don't have to worry about
that," he said wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

She heard the
door to the room open and turned to look at who entered. She couldn't
muster the smile she wanted as she saw Yuffie carrying a tray of
food. "Hi," she said softly.

Yuffie let out
a squeak of joy. "She's awake!" she cheered. She quickly
went to Reno's side and gave him the tray in her hands. She turned
her attention to Tifa and continued to smile. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I
hurt," she said, knowing that after Aeris died, Yuffie became
the most skilled healer of the group. She looked into wide brown eyes
and wanted to cry all over again. "How long have they had
him?" she asked.

Yuffie sat on
the side of the bed and sighed. "Two weeks," she said lowly.

"Where
are they?"

Reno put the
tray on his chair and stood behind Yuffie. "I told you not to
worry about that right now," he said with a frown. As Tifa
looked at him, he shook his head. "You have to finish healing."

To both Yuffie
and Reno's surprise, Tifa growled at them. "I've healed for two
weeks," she said lowly. She struggled to sit up and glared at
the couple. "I've been unconscious while that... sick...
monstrous... bitch has my son!"

"Would
you rather go after him now and get yourself killed?" Cloud
asked from the door.

Yuffie felt
Reno place his hand on her shoulder as the blonde walked into the
room. "Cloud," she said in a warning tone.

The blonde
didn't even glance at the other two. "I wanna speak with
her," he said clearly.

Tifa shook her
head. "I am not getting into this with you Cloud," she said
with a frown. "I have to find my son."

Before she
could do it on her own, Cloud was at her side and pulled her to her
feet. As she stumbled and fell, he simply stood over her. "Sophia
was trying to kill you Tifa. If you hunt her down now, she'll finish
what she started."

Chocolate
colored eyes glared at him. "And what would you rather I
do?" she asked as she fought her way to her knees. "Just
sit back and let her do whatever she wants to Lucien?"

"Remember
what happened to me after I rushed headlong to meet Sephiroth?"
Cloud asked in turn.

"We let
you do it anyway," Tifa growled.

Cloud shook
his head. "You don't get it," he mumbled. He lifted her to
her feet and dragged her down the hall to the bathroom.

"Cloud!"
Yuffie shouted in outrage. She then turned to Reno when he placed a
restraining hand on her arm. "You can't expect me to stand here
and watch this," she hissed.

Reno shook his
head. "It's not easy to watch, but they need this," he said quietly.

Cloud turned
on the harsh bright lights and forced Tifa in front of the mirror.
"When I went to Sephiroth, I just moved. I knew he had to be
stopped, and that I could do it. I didn't think. It cost me Aeris,
and most of my mind."

Tifa stood
looking at herself. Her skin was pale, and hair dirty and ragged.
There were dark circles under her eyes, making them look larger than
what they really were. "He's my son," she whispered. "I
have to find him."

Cloud wrapped
his arms around her. He could hear the tears in her voice as she
started to shake. "We'll find him, and get him back," he
whispered into her ear. Before she voiced a protest, he lifted her
into his arms. "But you have to rest first."

Tifa could
remember the last time she was carried like this. Vincent had taken
her to the mansion in Nibelheim after she ran away from Cloud.
Another sob escaped her as he entered her room. She had never even
had the chance to mourn the loss of her love, and now she faced the
fact that she let Shinra get their hands on her son. She felt Cloud
gently kiss her temple and shook her head. This was all wrong. Her
long time crush now held her lovingly, and all she could think about
was the mysterious gunman they called friend.

Cloud laid her
down and lowered his head. He knew she was struggling to figure out
the mayhem that surrounded her. Yuffie had told him and Cid that
finding about Vincent and Nibelheim was what sent Tifa into early
labor. He sat on the bed next to the crying woman and looked at her
tear stained face. "We're on our way to the Great Glacier,"
he told her softly. "We should be getting ready to land in a few
more minutes."

Tifa looked
around her room. She didn't want to be with anyone right now, yet, in
the corner of her room, Reno and Yuffie stood watching the entire
scene. "I'm tired," she said simply.

The blonde
nodded, knowing that she just wanted to be alone. He looked over to
Yuffie and Reno and nodded to them both. He sat silent as they both
said their goodbyes to the injured woman, and then left the room. He
sat for a few minutes with Tifa in silence. He was not going to allow
her to lock herself away, the same way he had done once.

"Cloud,"
she sighed.

"I love
you," he said suddenly. Her eyes turned to him, making Cloud
hold his breath. He felt his heart sink as he gazed into large
chocolate orbs. When he was sure that once before, she would have lit
up with joy, but now, her eyes looked void of almost all emotion, but hurt.

She turned
away from him, not knowing how to answer him. She had waited for
years to hear him say that, and now, she finally had them, and didn't
have the energy to respond in kind. She closed her eyes and started
to drift to sleep. "I'm tired," she said again.

He nodded his
head as he stood. "I'll come back to wake you up when we start
towards Lucrecia's house," he said as he walked to the door.

Tifa's eyes
opened and fixed the wall with a glare. "I'm not going anywhere
near her," she said in a growl.

Cloud looked
at his long-time friend. "She left us to go find Vincent,"
he explained. "We're supposed to meet her in another day or
two." He tried not to be hurt, or insulted as she turned to him
with more life in her eyes. He hated knowing that he lost her love,
over one simple kiss. "She didn't know if he survived or not,
but she thinks that Chaos wouldn't let Vincent die."

Tifa watched
Cloud for a long moment. Briefly, she wondered if he had felt this
lost when Aeris was killed. But she wasn't going to ask. It had
nothing to do with being respectful of his privacy, she just couldn't
bring herself to care. She closed her eyes again and settled against
her pillow. Her mind and heart were in turmoil, and she could do
nothing until she had more answers. She heard the door open, and felt
something inside twist. She had never wanted to hurt Cloud. Yet, she
knew she was tearing out his heart. "For what it's worth,"
she said looking at the ceiling. "I'm sorry," she told him.

He knew why
she was apologizing. A soft smile crossed his face. "Me
too," he responded before leaving the room.

* * * * *

Peter sat in
front of his computer while a fourteen-year-old Lucien fought with
one of Sophia's Harpies. He should have expected these results, but
he still hadn't had the heart to tell Sophia yet. The boy had his
mother's natural fighting talent.

The blonde
smiled as she walked into the lab. She looked at the pair and frowned
when the Harpy scratched at Lucien's face. She was about to say
something when Peter stopped her. "She better not hurt him,"
she hissed.

Peter shook
his head. "She won't," he assured her. "If anything,
he's going to hurt her."

Sophia felt
her eyes widen when Lucien landed a hard four-hit combo to the
creature's chest. She sat next to Peter, and caught a glimpse of her
partner's smile. "Where did he learn to fight like this?"
she asked as Lucien rolled to one side of the Harpy, and clawed at
its back.

He looked at
Sophia, knowing that she was impressed, but also fearing her reaction
to what he was about to tell her. "Alright, that's enough,"
he called. He looked at Lucien and nodded. "That's enough combat
for today, Lucien. After you take your meds, I want you to work on
your chemistry. The grades on your morning quiz were good, but not
good enough."

Lucien nodded
as he walked over to where Sophia was waiting for him with a pair of
pills, and glass of water. "How much longer do I have to take
these?" he asked, looking at his mother.

"Only a
few more days, Sweetheart," Sophia said with a smile. "After
than, then we can all head to the North Crater and look for whatever
is left of Jenova."

The teen
grimaced as he took the pills he was given. He hated medications. He
didn't know why, but for as long as he could remember, he had been
forced to take them. As he drank the glass of water, his ruby eyes
caught a glimpse of Peter's computer screen. "Who is Tifa
Lockheart?" he asked innocently.

A low growl
escaped Sophia as Peter coughed to clear his throat. "She was
one of the fighters that saved the planet from Sephiroth," he
said patiently. "She is also one of the few bare knuckle
fighters that has studied the fighting style that seems to come to
you naturally."

Lucien frowned
and rubbed his eyes. He could remember more than one argument
involving the name Lockheart, and he was sure it had something to do
with him. "Why would she and I have the same fighting
style?" he asked looking at Sophia. Her lips were pressed in a
thin line and her eyes were a deep amber. "Mother? Are you
alright?" he asked.

Sophia forced
a smile on her face. "I'm fine," she lied. Before Lucien
could respond, she turned him around and started to walk him out of
the lab. "Come on. I'll help you with your homework."

Peter rubbed
his eyes as they left. While watching Lucien these past few days had
been interesting, Sophia was becoming more and more prone to
unleashing flashes of temper. Anything that had to do with Tifa
Lockheart sent the woman into a rage. Luckily, this time, she
wouldn't blow up as badly as she had in the past. Hopefully, Lucien
would calm her.

As he settled
against the back of his chair, Sophia stormed back into the lab.
"Whatever game you're playing needs to end," she hissed.

He looked at
her. "What game is that?" he asked tiredly.

"Do you
want Lucien to know that I'm not his mother? Don't you understand
that I'm the only reason why he hasn't fought against the meds, or
his training, or the examinations? What are we going to do if he
finds out what we did?"

"What you
did," Peter corrected. When her eyes narrowed at him, he looked
back at his computer. "You were the one that probably killed the
poor thing. You were the one that wanted to raise him as your own.
You will have to deal with the consequences."

Gold eyes
narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Sephiroth
was like Lucien. He was taken as a baby and experimented on. Look at
what happened to him."

"Cloud
Strife killed him."

"But that
was only after doing things that no other would have ever thought to
accomplish." He looked at her. "Sephiroth went mad after
finding out the truth behind his lie of a life. We have been giving
that child Jenova cells since he was five. What do you think will
happen when he finds out about Lockheart all on his own? He's going
to make Chaos and Destruction look like low level fiends."

Sophia shook
her head. "No. Lucien is my son, and he will understand the
lengths that I went through to make sure he had the best in life."

Peter rubbed
his eyes again. He was getting no where with her. "In the
morning, you need to see how well he will be able to control
Materia," he said standing. "I will see you then."

Sophia frowned
as she watched his retreating back. She was going to bide her time
for now. It wouldn't do for her to kill the one that had been her
friend for so long. "Only a few more days," she growled
before leaving to go to her own room.

TBC...
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Someone to Love/ Someone to Protect