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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
- 8
- 9
- 10
Author's
note: The
entire title of this fic is "Someone to Love/Someone to
Protect." And while I know I've only been writing Someone to
Love at the beginning of the chapters, here's where the "Someone
to Protect" side starts to come into effect.

Anyway,
Enjoy & Review!

Midori

Someone to Protect...

by Midori Bond

Chapter 9

Tifa rubbed
her arms as she entered the house they would be meeting Lucrecia in.
She slept for all of twenty minutes after Cloud had left her. And
even then it wasn't peaceful. Her mind kept replaying the day she
lost her son, as well as her father, and mother. She closed her eyes
as she moved to look out of the window. Snow was falling all around,
as per usual with the Great Glacier. Everything looked so peaceful,
it wasn't any wonder Lucrecia had a home up here. It was common
knowledge that if you wanted privacy, you came North.

"Hey
Babe, you want a sweater?" Reno asked from the stairway. He
noticed that Tifa had become prone to zoning out ever since they left
the plane. As he went to her side, he saw her wipe at her eyes.
"It's kinda cold in here, and I never did get you a coat."

"I'll be
fine," she said softly. She gave him a weak smile before turning
to look out of the window.

He felt his
frown deepen. He hated when she tried to withdraw from him. They were
family... sort of... and he knew that she needed to talk about what
was going on. It just wasn't healthy to keep it all bottled up
inside. "You want something to eat?" he asked hopefully.
"I'm sure you have to be hungry."

"Not
really," she said in a whisper. She looked at the landscape and
saw Cloud and Cid carrying in some supplies.

Reno frowned
at her. "You know, you're starting to loose weight, and that
won't be too good when we find Lucky."

Tifa felt a
faint smile cross her face. "His name's Lucien," she corrected.

"Same
difference," he said putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go find something warmer for you to wear."

* * * * *

Sophia smiled
as she knocked on Lucien's door. "Are you awake Sweetheart?"
she asked opening the large steel barrier. She looked in the room
and saw that Lucien was sitting on the widow ledge still in his
pajama pants. "Lucien, I brought you something," she said
holding up a blue bundle. When he made no move to acknowledge that he
heard her, she stepped into the room. "Lucien?"

"I had a
dream last night," he said in a whisper. He allowed his eyes to
fall to the snow on the ground. "There was a woman wearing a
pink dress, and she was really pretty."

Sophia's smile
faded into a blush. "I think you should talk with your uncle
Peter about those sort of dreams," she said quickly.

Lucien mused.
"It wasn't one of those kind of dreams Mom," he said
looking at her.

She was
suddenly struck by how much he looked like his father. Her eyes
turned to the bundle in her arms as she thought about giving it to
him. "What was this dream about then?" she questioned.

He turned to
her. "That's just it, I'm not really sure myself." He
flexed his wings and flew over to his closet. "I was surrounded
by white, and the woman in pink gave me this look. Like she was happy
to see me. When I asked who she was, and what she wanted, she just
smiled and shook her head. It was kind of disturbing."

Sophia watched
him dress. "Well, today we're going to go on a little adventure
outside, so I want you to clear your mind," she said easily.
When he looked at her, she smiled. "You're getting your Materia today."

Lucien smiled
as he adjusted his shirt. He nodded as he turned to the package on
the bed. "This is for me?" he asked.

She nodded and
gave him his present. "It's to keep you warm while we're
out." Gold eyes watched as he opened the cloak. "You can
also fight in it. And it shouldn't hinder your wings at all."

Lucien went
over to her side and quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks Mom," he said laying the cloak on the bed. He went
back over to the closet and found a pair of heavy leather pants.
"According to the maps in the labs, the Great Glacier is a good
spot for finding demons and fiends to fight against," he said in
a hope-filled voice.

"You'll
also have to fight against the cold," Sophia said, knowing what
he was up to.

"But
since I have the cloak my loving Mom gave me, I'll be fine," he
said batting his eyes.

Sophia
laughed. "I'm a pushover for you," she said moving to his
door. "Be ready to head out in twenty minutes Sweetheart,"
she said before leaving.

* * * * *

Tifa sat
curled up on a chair. Everyone had made themselves busy with doing
something around the house, but she just sat with her eyes focused on
the fire. She leaned her head against the back of the chair and held
back a sigh. It shouldn't be too much longer before Lucrecia returned
with Vincent on her arm.

Her eyes
drifted shut as she thought about the woman she had called friend.
She didn't know where the woman's loyalties were. While it was true
that they had spent months together, they never really talked about
the past. For all Tifa knew, the older brunette could still want
Vincent for her own. She felt her heart sink into her stomach at the thought.

She knew that
if Vincent was alive, the one person he would want to be with, would
be Lucrecia.

Cloud carried
a cup of hot chocolate over to where she sat and held it out.
"Can we talk?" he asked.

Tifa took
notice of how subdued he was, and accepted the peace offering. She
waited until he was sitting on the floor next to her before tasting
the beverage. "Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded as
he turned to look at the fire place. He had talked to Lucrecia. She
and Vincent would be at the house before nightfall, and he knew that
he had to clear up what was between them. "Why?" he asked,
hoping she would know what he was talking about.

She did. As
she looked at the cup she held, she saw that she was shaking. "I
didn't have anyplace else to go," she said in a whisper. "He
didn't treat me as a sister, or as someone to keep at arm's length."

"Like I
did," Cloud cut in.

"Like you
did," she agreed. She brought her legs up close to her chest
wrapped her arms around them. "He didn't want to leave me out in
the wilderness. So, he took me to the mansion."

"And you
slept with him."

Tifa nodded as
she looked at him. She saw the way his eyes darkened. "It wasn't
about you Cloud. I didn't want to be alone." She stretched out
and rubbed the back of her neck. "I knew he cared about me, but
I also know he loves Lucrecia. Things would have been awkward if I
would have stayed with you and him."

"Vincent
stopped traveling with us when you left," Cloud informed her. He
looked up into her eyes. "What about when you found out about
the baby?"

She turned to
look at the fire again. "After I had him, I was going to
disappear," she said in a whisper. "It would hurt you and
Vincent too much."

Cloud frowned
and kept his attention focused on the fireplace. She was right. The
knowledge that she had carried and gave birth to Vincent's son was
almost too much to bear. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.

Tifa shook her
head and stood. "I don't know yet." She walked over towards
the door. As she found a long white leather coat, she looked towards
Reno and Yuffie. "I need some air," she told them.

* * * * *

Vincent
followed Lucrecia as they walked through the mountain range. It would
only be a matter of time before they reached her cabin, and he would
have the chance to see Tifa again. He frowned as he thought about the
note the small fighter left him. "She thinks I still love
you," he said as he stopped walking.

Lucrecia
turned to look at him. He had been mostly quiet the entire trip, and
she had never expected him to say that. "Do you?" she asked
in a whisper.

He walked up
to her and caressed her face. "There was once a time when I
did," he said with a nod.

"But do
you now?"

His lips
pressed together in a thin line. "Now, no," he confessed.
"My heart has chosen Tifa."

A sad smile
crossed her face. "Good," she said looking into his eyes.
"Her heart has chosen you." Before he could say anything
else, she turned and started to walk again. She glanced over her
shoulder and saw the look of disbelief in his eyes. "You don't
believe me?"

He started to
walk again, only now ignoring her question. He knew that Tifa's
feelings had changed, but he wasn't going to try to assume the
direction her heart had turned. Vincent would have to guard his heart
and wait. After he spoke with Tifa, and found out what she felt, then
he would decide which path to take.

* * * * *

Lucien smiled
as he looked at Sophia. He had been having so much fun with his
Materia, and before they left, he was told that he didn't have to
take any more of those disgusting meds. His day was just getting
better and better. "Hey, Mom, can I try another spell?" he
asked eagerly.

Sophia reached
over to him and brushed the snow out of his hair. "Alright, but
I want you to try that ice materia soon," she told him.

Lucien pouted.
"Isn't it cold enough out here?" he asked. "Besides,
I'm having too much fun with this thunder one." His eyes turned
looked over Sophia's shoulder and frowned when he saw a figure in the
distance. "Hey, Mom, I thought you and Uncle Peter said we were
alone up here."

Gold eyes
turned and took in a familiar shape. "We're supposed to be,"
she said in a frown. She looked at her son and caressed his cheek.
"I want you to stay right here Lucien," she ordered before
going towards the figure in white.

Tifa watched
the pair with wide eyes. Something inside of her made her walk this
far away from the house, and now she knew why. Standing not even 50
yards from her was a teen with long raven colored hair, as well as a
pair of matching wings. "Lucien?" she called out. She saw
the way he stiffened, and felt her world tilt. She took two steps
towards him, only to feel something slam into her stomach.

Lucien's eyes
were wide as Sophia lowered her hand. "Mom, do I know her?"
he asked in a small voice.

"No,"
Sophia said quickly. She summoned Necro and forced her complete
attention on the woman struggling to her feet. "Kill her,"
she growled as her eyes started to darken.

Tifa stood and
found the thing and the woman that had stolen her son away from her.
A vicious smile crossed her face as she watched the blonde approach
her. Last time, she was weak from child-birth, and scared with the
threat of Shinra taking away her baby. Now, she was looking for a
little payback. "Epy!" she called out. As expected, just as
the thing with the scythe began its attack, Epy barreled into
its chest. Without a second thought, Tifa raised her arms and blocked
a blow from the blonde.

As Sophia's
leg collided with Tifa's arms, the dark haired fighter spun around
and drove her fist into the woman's side. Tifa straightened with
bitter hatred in her eyes. "What did you do to my son?" she
asked in a growl.

"He's my
son," Sophia hissed before attacking Tifa again. She managed to
rake clawed nails down a leather covered arm, drawing blood. As she
expected, Tifa didn't have on any armor, but the leather coat she
wore. A dark smile passed her face blood dripped on the pure white
snow. "He only knows me."

"Because
you stole him away," Tifa grunted before lunging at the woman
and scoring a heavy blow to Sophia's chest.

Lucien stood
in the distance with wide eyes. The woman in white seemed to know the
same fighting style he did, and for some reason, Sophia wanted her gone.

Sophia
countered with a slash at Tifa's chest. She growled as all her talons
came in contact with was cloth. She wasn't going to dignify that
statement. She wasn't going to stop until the other woman was dead.
There is no way that she could let that whore near her little boy. It
didn't matter if she never gave birth to him. Sophia knew that she
was supposed to have Vincent's child, this harlot had no right in
getting in her way.

Tifa jumped to
the side before lunging at the woman. She was going to show her
exactly why no one messed with her. As she tackled Sophia to the
ground, she pulled her fist back and slammed it into the blonde's
face. Tifa felt something crack under her knuckles and pulled her
fist back again. She was going to pay this woman back for what she
suffered. This time, the blow had more power behind it.

"Mom!"
Lucien's voice called out in alarm.

Tifa pulled
her fist back a third time, ignoring the blood coating her knuckles.
Before she could strike, Tifa felt something slam into her back. She
struggled with the form on top of her and turned around. Her eyes
widened when she looked up into the enraged face of her son.
"Luci..." she was cut off when his clawed hands wrapped
around her throat.

"I won't
let you hurt my mother!" he growled into her face.

Tears filled
her eyes as she struggled in his grip. She didn't want to hurt him,
but he was beginning to leave her no choice. She brought her leg up
between their bodies and pushed him away from her. Tifa cried out as
she felt his fingers draw blood. Dazed, she sat up and looked at the
boy in front of her. "Lucien," she panted. She straightened
as he looked at her with wide eyes. "You don't understand."
She brought her hand up to her neck, trying to slow the blood flow.

He looked at
the woman. He had seen her face on Peter's computer before.
"You're her, aren't you?" he asked. "You're Tifa Lockheart?"

She smiled. He
did remember her. "Yes," she said about to take a step
towards him. She paused when a sense of dread washed over her.
Without thinking, Tifa jumped back, barely avoiding the crash of
lightning where she had been standing.

Sophia stood
on shaky legs with a hand outstretched. "Come here Lucien,"
she ordered.

"Mom,
what are you doing?" he asked running over to her side.

Sophia looked
at him with crazed eyes. "I won't let her take you back,"
she said in a small voice. "You're my little boy." Before
either could move, Sophia attacked Tifa again.

Lucien was
horrified as he watched Tifa and Sophia. He had never seen his mother
like this before, and Tifa was one of the people that battled with
Sephiroth. He felt his breath leave him as Tifa struck Sophia with a
bolt spell. The more he watched, the more he realized that this
wasn't a battle like Peter taught him about. This was a fight, and he
had no clue over what.

* * * * *

Vincent
frowned as he smelled the crisp cold air. They were another six miles
away from the cabin, but up ahead, he could smell blood.
"Lucrecia," he called out.

The brunette's
eyes were wide as she felt various fluxes of power. She turned and
swallowed. "It's coming from the dunes," she said touching
his arm. A gasp escaped her as she felt a familiar echo of darkness.
"By the Ancients," she whispered before looking at him.

Vincent felt
the echo and growled. "Sophia," he growled before taking
off towards the disturbance.

"Vincent,
wait!" Lucrecia called out. When he ignored her, she bit her lip
nervously. "She has your son," she whispered to herself.

* * * * *

Tifa landed on
her back hard and rolled away from the kick Sophia aimed at her face.
On instinct, she came to her knees and tackled the blonde again. As
they fell back into the snow, Tifa rammed Sophia's head into the
ground. She didn't think about what she was doing. Something inside
of her cried out for this woman's blood as Tifa slammed her head into
the cold ground for a second and third time.

"You're
killing her!" Lucien yelled out. Without thinking, he ran over
to Tifa and pulled him off of Sophia. He looked at his mother and
felt his heart sink. Her face was covered in blood, as was the snow
under her. He growled as he felt Tifa fighting in his grip and shook
her roughly. "Stop it!" he yelled at her.

Just as she
was about to turn to him, a gunshot rang out. Tifa's eyes were round
as Lucien fell back and Vincent practically appeared in front of her.
"Vincent," she breathed.

Lucien growled
as he held his shoulder and sat up. His eyes glowed a bitter red as
he looked at the man pointing a gun at his face. His growl turned
into a snarl when the man in crimson pulled back the hammer to his gun.

"Vincent,
no," Tifa said moving between the pair. She didn't falter as she
went to check Lucien's arm. "You can't hurt him."

Vincent didn't
look at her. Whatever was left of his self control would shatter if
he looked at her blood covered body. His eyes were trained on the
teen that looked so much like the nightmare he had those long months
ago. "He was going to kill you," he said with a growl of
his own.

Tifa shook her
head as she caressed Lucien's face. "No, he won't," she
whispered before looking into the eyes of the man she loved.
"He's our son."

TBC...
- 8
- 9
- 10
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Someone to Love/ Someone to Protect