Tifa opened her eyes, blinking at the sunlight which streamed in through the open window. She automatically turned to her side, to see Cloud, but he wasn't there. She sighed, and stood up, walking to the mirror. She gasped at her reflection. Standing behind her was Sephiroth. She turned quickly, a cry escaping her throat as she felt the familiar cold fear sweep over her. There was no-one there.

She turned back to the mirror, to her own solitary reflection. She picked up a hairbrush, and brushed her long hair absently. She sighed, and turned back to her bed, to straighten out the covers.

Sephiroth sat where she had just been sleeping. Her heart beat quickened and her breath came in short gasps as he slowly got to his feet, a wicked smile on his face. He put a hand on her shoulder, and unconsciously she moved closer to him. As he moved his arm, his black cloak fell back to reveal Masamune, unsheathed hanging from his side. His emerald eyes glowed as he gazed into her, and Tifa could feel herself drowning in them. She felt drunken, and didn't attempt to move away from him. He had an air of malevolence about him, but she didn't care. She found it exciting.

He tilted his head towards her, stroking her long brown hair with his other hand. His face came close to hers, so close she could feel his breath on her lips as he moved to kiss her. The instant before their lips touched, he vanished.

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Cloud walked through the silent town of Wutai. It was early morning, and none of the residents of the town were awake yet. Dew sparkled on the grass as he walked over it, and he could hear the gushing of the streams as he stormed through the town. He was angry. Angry at Vincent, angry at Tifa, but most of all angry at himself. What a mess this all was. Tifa...he now realised that he didn't love her anymore. Even if he had at one point, she wasn't what he wanted. She was....he didn't know. He didn't know anything anymore. He only knew that he was unhappy. He thought that if he married Tifa, everything would be fine. They'd settle down, and he would want the calm life she had prepared for them.

But he didn't want it. The thought of spending the rest of his life in the attic of the Seventh Heaven scared the shit out of him. And with Tifa....she was beautiful, intelligent, and she loved him, but she didn't hold the excitement Aeris had.

Aeris. Why did his thoughts keep going back to her? She was dead, he couldn't save her. He had only known her a fraction of the time he had known Tifa but already he had known that if he had a choice, Aeris was who he would have wanted to spend his life with. But, he had settled for Tifa. It had been expected of him.

Then what was going on with Yuffie? Cloud kicked a piece of dirt angrily as he remembered what had happened that morning. He wasn't angry at Yuffie, but confused. She wasn't the child he had been friends with since two years ago, she was a woman. And...he was attracted to her. She obviously felt the same way. But it was wrong, very, very, wrong. Before, he had loved Yuffie, as a friends. He felt towards her as he would an annoying little sister, but she wasn't that anymore. She wasn't a child anymore. She was a potential lover.

Cloud stopped, and stared up the face of the Da-Chao mountain. At the very top, he saw the hand carved out of the rock, and suddenly realised what he had to do.

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Back on the Highwind, the tension was thick. Vincent and Cid were above deck, not speaking. Cloud and Yuffie were below, avoiding each other. The crew of the ship wondered what was going on, as usually the team was friendly. Today, there was silence.

Cid swore loudly at the pilot next to him. He hadn't got a clue what was going on, but he knew something was up. The vampire, as he referred to Vincent as, was standing in the corner, silently. Not that that was unusual, but he had not said a word all morning. Cid thumped the controls in annoyance. Vincent walked over to him.

"You seem under stress," the taller man said. Cid looked at him, surprised at the communication.

"I am. What the hell is going on? Cloud hasn't spoken all morning, Yuffie has been hiding out in the chocobo stables, and you've been silently watching me. What's up?" he asked in annoyance. Vincent rested his metal claw on the controls of the ship.

"I think you should ask Cloud." he said cryptically. Cid sighed impatiently. Cloud came up onto the deck. He looked depressed. Vincent stared at him, his red eyes giving nothing away. He gazed right back.

"Vincent. Can we talk?" he said. It wasn't a request, and Vincent followed him to the relative privacy of the briefing room.

The two men sat down, facing each other.

"You know how I feel about Yuffie." Cloud said coldly. Vincent shook his head.

"No. I don't have a clue. Are you playing with her? Using her? You can't love her." he said, his eyes shining with repressed anger.

"Neither. But I do know I don't love Tifa." he said. Vincent looked surprised.

"But, you two...are so happy." he said, unsure.

"No, we're not! That's the damn problem! Everyone thinks we're the perfect couple, everyone thought we just had to get married, I barely got a say in it. I don't want to be married to Tifa. I don't even want to live with her. I don't love her." he said, glad to finally say it. Vincent sat back in the chair, contemplating what to say next.

"Cloud, I think you need some time alone. To consider the full implications of what you just told me." he said at last. Cloud sighed.

"I have thought about it. Damn it, I've been thinking of it for the past two weeks. I just don't know what to do." he said, feeling defeated. Vincent shook his head in sorrow. It was a very difficult situation.

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The chocobo stable was filled with notepads full of origami shuriken.The lethal paper weapons had been folded with prescision, and if thrown exactly right, could be fatal. Yuffie Kisaragi knew how to throw them. She could kill with these.

They were beautiful, but deadly.

She threw one at the wall in her anger. Cloud, Cloud, Cloud. His name circled around in her head. Why had she felt the way she did? Why? She threw another, harder this time. It struck the metal wall with a dull clang, bouncing off and landing in the straw. Tifa. If she heard about this she would most probably put arsenic in Yuffie's food. Tifa was not the most forgiving person in the world. It was easy to see why Cloud had turned to her, Yuffie.

With a slight smile, Yuffie couldn't help but feel flattered at the attention her friend had shown her. Cloud didn't fall in love easily. He didn't feel any emotion easily.He was a tortured man, that she knew. But still...this was uncharacteristic of him, to play her like this.

Yuffie stood up, angry tears in her eyes as she fired seventeen perfect paper shuriken at the metal wall in quick succession, each one hitting the painted chocobo head. Why was Cloud doing this to her? She felt confused, and confusion made Yuffie lash out. Why was he playing with her emotions like this?

Suddenly, her legs collapsed from under her and she slid down the wall, falling into a pile of straw, sobbing until she thought her heart would break.

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Tifa scrubbed at the surface of the bar, trying not to think. She loved Cloud. God, she had loved him more than half her life.

He was the only person who really understood her. The only person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He...he had her heart.

Then why...she thought, scrubbing harder....why did she keep having these dreams? Tifa threw down the harsh bristle brush and put her head in her hands, her silky dark hair falling over her face. She felt so guilty, so scared. Cloud....her heart ached for him. She almost physically ached for him. She needed him there with her. It was as if they were two halves of a whole, and each half could not function by itself. He would be back soon. That night, she would have him by her side. The dreams would go. Sephiroth....he would not come back.

She dropped her hands from her face, thinking of the silver haired man. She couldn't explain the attraction she felt to him. It was a dark, purely physical desire she felt for him. And, although her common sense told her that he was evil, and that she was to avoid him, indeed to run as far away from him as she could, something stopped her. She was drawn, like a lamb to the slaughter, like a moth to the flame.

She wanted to be burnt. She longed to be consumed in his cold, malevolent flame. She needed to drown in the green mako-enhanced glow of his eyes. She wanted him.

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"Cloud, Yuffie needs you." said Vincent reluctantly. However much he was against this affair, he was aware how vulnerable the young girl was, and although she would hide it with bravado and grins, inside she would be aching, and afraid to ask for help. Through out his time with AVALANCHE, Vincent had spent a significant amount of time studying each member of the group, silently watching. Thus, he knew how each individual thought, and how they reacted to different situations.

The best thing to do now would be to throw Cloud overboard for doing something so damn stupid. But Cloud would never agree to that, and the repercussions from Tifa would make Vincents life not worth living. Instead, talk seemed the only cure.

He gazed at Cloud. The other man seemed troubled, which was not a surprise. He sighed, and looked up at Vincent.

"I'll go talk to Yuffie." he said reluctantly.

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"Cloud?" she murmured as he entered. She was still sitting in the straw where she had fallen, and her cheeks were streaked with dried tears. Yuffie was usually a very exuberant girl, but today she felt anything but happy. He crossed over to her, kneeling next to her in the straw.

"Yuffie...I'm truly sorry," he said, his voice deep. She gazed at him, staring into his sapphire eyes. She felt a strange connection to him. She felt as if she could read his mind. Thus, she knew that he was lying.

"No, you're not sorry." she whispered. He stared back into her jet black eyes, like globes of onyx. There was so much innocence in her gaze, but he could see that she felt the same as him.

"You...meant it when you kissed me. I felt it. I...I wasn't lying to you," she said, meaning she hadn't been holding back her feelings when she kissed him back. He nodded.

"You know...Tifa," he said, unable to explain. She shut her eyes, feeling pain.

"I know. You need to sort out your feelings for her. And for me." she said. Cloud was only then aware of how much she had matured.

"Yuffie...It's going to be difficult. If you want to just forget..then I'll stay out of your way..." he offered. She shook her head.

"No. I'll wait for you. Decide, Cloud. It's your choice. I'll give you time." she said quietly. He smiled at her, taking her cold hand in his.

"Yuffie, I'm not playing you," he told her truthfully. She looked up at him solemnly.

"Cloud, you're playing yourself. I know what I'm getting into. Do you?" she asked him honestly. He looked away.

"I...think so." he replied.

Just then, the Highwind landed just outside Midgar.

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Tifa saw him coming, and ran to him. She threw her arms around Cloud's neck, pressing herself against him. She was so glad he was back, so happy to have him with her. She stroked his hair as she laid her head against his chest, embracing him tightly. She breathed in the scent of him, reminding herself how lonely she had felt without him last night.

Behind, Yuffie felt a sudden stab of jealousy as she watched how Tifa claimed Cloud for her own. Cloud himself had his arms around the slender woman, pulling Tifa closer to him. Yuffie turned away, and was met with Vincent's ruby eyes, gazing intelligently at her. She gave him a cold look, and looked down at the ground. She was surprised when he put a hand on her shoulder, and looked up, seeing compassion in his red eyes. The pair followed Cloud and Tifa into the Seventh Heaven, Vincent silently supporting Yuffie.

Inside, the place looked fresh and clean. There was a vase in the window, but, as usual, there were no flowers gracing it. Flowers reminded everyone of Aeris, and the memory of her was still too painful for some. The four sat down at a table, Tifa hugging Yuffie, as the girl tried to squirm away.

"Yuffie! You've got so tall!" said Tifa. Yuffie smiled weakly, and glanced at Cloud. He was staring at a point in the distance, trying to remain indifferent. Tifa let Yuffie sit down and smiled around at her three friends. Yuffie looked away.

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"You must stay tonight. You can't fly all the way back to Wutai without rest!" Tifa exclaimed. Yuffie opened her mouth to protest, no way did she want to spend the night under the same roof as Cloud. But before she could object, Vincent spoke up.

"Thank you, Tifa, we'd love to stay. If it is no trouble." he said graciously. Yuffie scowled at him, but he ignored the young Wutain girl. Yuffie turned away as Tifa explained to Vincent how it was no trouble at all, and besides, she'd appreciate the help in the bar. Yuffie walked away from the pair, and stepped out into the cool Midgar night air. It was dark, as always in Midgar. But tonight was different. At night, you could see the stars. The plate which had fallen long before had provided a window through with Yuffie could see into the universe. She sighed, her heart feeling strangely heavy as she looked up at the stars.

She felt so insignificant, and utterly alone.

She was the Lady of Wutai. Just as her father had surrounded himself with concubines, the Lady of Wutai was also expected to have an entourage of lovers. Never, ever was the Lord or Lady of Wutai lonely. They never married though, at least not in Yuffie's memories. But she was also the first Lady in over a hundred years. If a boy was born, any girl, regardless of age, gave up the rights to ruling Wutai. Yuffie had been lucky.

Lucky, she thought wryly. Luck, that she and Cloud had shared a dream. Luck, that he couldn't make his mind up over whether to chose her, a mere girl, or Tifa, his wife, and a woman. In Yuffie's mind, it was clear who he would choose, even though it made her feel sad.

Tifa...she was the lucky one. To have Cloud's love.

Yuffie turned away from the stars, instead focussing on where she was. She had wandered away from the safety of the Seventh Heaven, and was now standing under a doorway to a caravan. Entering the shop, she realised it sold materia. Yuffie smiled as she went up to the counter, gazing at the green and yellow orbs of power in their velvet cases. She knew each one by heart, and knew that the materia here could not possibly compare to the materia she had got while on their travels.

The man behind the counter eyed her suspiciously. Yuffie turned to leave, feeling better at the thought of all the materia she had stored back at her home. Materia always cheered her up. To Yuffie it was a symbol of power, and wealth. If that were true, she was one of the most powerful people in the world. Reluctantly, she headed back to the Seventh Heaven, feeling tired.

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Cloud lay awake next to Tifa. She was asleep, and had her arm across his chest, protectively. He sighed, and looked down at her as she slept, peacefully. She trusted him, he thought, she loved him. How could he do this to her? Yuffie....he couldn't explain the feelings he had had while in Wutai. Now he was with Tifa, he was reminded of what he had with his wife. Yuffie was his friends. She was much younger than him, and far less mature. He had taken advantage of her as well, he thought guiltily.

Tifa shifted in his arms, and he smiled slightly at her. She made a little moaning noise in her sleep, and he stroked her hair, thinking how sweet she looked. Then she began to talk. Quietly at first, but he heard her clearly, and what she said made his blood freeze.

"....Seph...iroth..." she murmured. Cloud stiffened as he lay there, his eyes wide open as he listened to her.

"Seph...please...love you.." she said. Her voice...Cloud couldn't believe how she sounded. This was the way she talked to him when they were alone...when he was in her arms...how could she use the same tone on....

"Sephiroth!" she said, her voice louder, her tone sharper, but still seductive.Again, he recognised the tone, and felt shocked, as well as slightly disgusted. She stroked his chest, and he recoiled at the touch, knowing it was not him she was feeling.

Cloud sat up, letting her fall back onto the bed. She didn't awaken, and he stared down at her sleeping form.

"Tifa..." he whispered, sorrowfully. She was dreaming of another.

*just... like.... you...*

"What?" said Cloud sharply. He had heard anothers voice, but he and Tifa were alone in the room. He laid back down uneasily. That voice....sounded familiar. He looked down at Tifa, saw her mouth curled upwards in a smile. It made him shudder.

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That morning, so different from the morning in Wutai, Cloud and Tifa sat alone at the table, eating breakfast together. Cloud had remained quiet since last night. He was still trying to think about what this meant. Tifa...betrayal in a dream was the same as betrayal in the flesh. Cloud himself felt guilty though. She didn't know about his sin, even if he knew hers.

"Tifa..." he said quietly. She looked up, and smiled at him, but it was automatic. She met his cold blue eyes, and frowned.

"What is it Cloud?" she asked, irritated at his calm stare. He shut his eyes briefly before continuing.

"Last night, you were talking in your sleep." he said, watching her reaction carefully.

She drew in a deep breath, and turned away from him, pretending to be re-arranging glasses.

"So?" she asked, her voice falsely calm.

"You said someones name. Do you remember whose?" he asked her coldly. She shrugged.

"How would I know? It was a dream." she said, her back to him. He sighed, and stood up.

"I'm going out. I've heard about a job which needs doing. I might not be back til late," he said, collecting the Ultima Weapon from where it lay near it's case. Tifa turned to face him.

"I wish you would give up this lifestyle. Don't you want to settle down properly? Being a mercenary prevents that. You could get yourself killed, arrested," she said, a pleading note in her voice. Cloud looked into her soft brown eyes and relented.

"I.....I'll think about it." he said, turning away from her. Tifa watched as he walked out, the sword on his back. She sighed, and crouched down behind the bar, pulling out various bottles.

Suddenly, her legs collapsed beneath her. She let out a small cry of pain as she hit the floor, a bottle smashing beneath her arm. Her blood mixed with liquor as she lay on the floor, trying to stretch her legs from under her. "Cloud....Seph," she whispered, as she blacked out.

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The lights in the hospital were too bright. Fluorescent tubes of light shone their harsh beams onto Cloud and Barret as they sat outside the small room. The artificial light made Cloud look pale and ill, turning his blonde hair into a mass of greenish-yellow spikes. He was worried, and longed for time to speed up so he would know what was wrong with Tifa. Barret had found her on the floor of the Seventh Heaven, bleeding from several deep cuts to her wrist and arm. They said it was from where she had fallen on a bottle, but Cloud couldn't see why she would have fallen.

He put his head in his hands as he thought about her, wishing desperately that she would be okay. He had no idea what could be wrong with her, she had been in perfect health when he left her. The he remembered the young doctors words.

The one Cloud had punched.

He had come up to Cloud when he had first got to the hospital. Cloud had been worried sick, and was yelling at the receptionist for information on Tifa. The young doctor had walked up to him, explaining that he was the one treating his wife. Cloud had begged him to tell him what was wrong with her, but the doctor had looked at him coldly. The he had accused Cloud of beating her up. Not in those words, but as good as.

Cloud had felt a cold rage sweep over him. Usually he was able to restrain himself well, but the added factor of being terrified for Tifa made him act rashly. He had punched the doctor then and there, screaming at him that he would never hurt Tifa. Because of his anger, Cloud partially missed the doctor, instead hitting his right ear. Otherwise, the other man would most likely be unconscious.

Sighing, Cloud regretted his actions, even if the little prick had deserved it. Tifa....he hoped she was alright. No-one had told him what was wrong with her, although they had stopped accusing him of being the cause of her injuries. Looking to Barret, he saw the older man was asleep. Cloud couldn't sleep if he wanted to, he was too worried.

Opposite the two, a door opened. Automatically, Cloud stood. A young female doctor came out of the room, carrying a clipboard. She had blonde curly hair, and startling green eyes. She looked sympathetically at Cloud as she walked towards him.

"Mr Strife?" she asked gently. He nodded, unable to speak. She looked down as she spoke to him.

"Your wife's condition is stable. She's going to be fine." Dr Celiera told him. Cloud breathed a sigh of relief, and looked beyond the doctor to the door to Tifa's room.

"Can I see her? Is she awake?" he asked. The doctor nodded.

"She is still asleep, we gave her a mild sedative, but you can sit with her. Mr Strife..." she began, not sure how to carry on.

She thought he looked like a scared child standing in front of her, with his wide blue eyes. They showed the pain and anguish he was feeling, and she didn't want to make it worse.

"Mr Strife, were you aware that your wife was pregnant?" she asked him finally. Cloud's eyes widened further as he heard this, and stared at the doctor as if she had kicked him.

"Wha...she..." he shook his head. How could Tifa be pregnant?

"There must be some mistake," he said, frowning. The doctor shook her head.

"We took several tests. I'd say she's about three months pregnant." Dr. Celiera told him. Cloud walked past the doctor, trying to let the news sink in. He couldn't believe it. There must be a mistake. A cold, empty feeling began to creep over him, and he whirled around to face the doctor.

"What did you just say....three..."

"Three months. At least." she said with a smile, assuming he thought it was good news.

Cloud swallowed hard, and pushed open the door to Tifa's room. He gazed at her for a second, his eyes moving from her face to her stomach. Three months.

"Tifa....how can this be....?" he asked her, his voice almost inaudible. The sleeping Tifa didn't reply. Three months ago he had been killing the last of the weapons with Vincent and Cid. Three months ago Tifa had been in Nibelheim, with the others, investigating the Shinra mansion.

"Whose it is Tifa?" he asked her quietly, sitting beside her. The betrayal hurt, more than he could ever have imagined. He found his voice go cold as he spoke to the unconscious woman, but he didn't care. He just wanted to know.

Cloud sat there, in the dimly lit room, staring at Tifa. He forced himself to stop thinking about it, made his mind a total blank.

He spent the whole night by her side, staring into her face.

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"Red!" squealed Yuffie, flinging her arms around the beast. Red XIII licked her affectionately as the girl nearly choked him.

"Hi, Yuffie." he said. She pulled away, and grinned at him. "You look well," he complimented her. Yuffie smiled, and stroked his mane absently.

"I am. I'm the new Lady of Wutai." she said with pride. Red raised an eyebrow.

"Yuffie and responsibility? Why do I not think these things belong in the same sentence?" he teased her. She gave him a sarcastic smile, and sat down beside him at the Cosmo Candle.

"It is a responsibility. I means I can't get caught doing anything I shouldn't." she said with a wicked grin.

"I'm sure you're used to that." he replied. The held up a mythril bracelet, and showed it to him. Surprisingly, the materia slots were empty.

"What is it?" he asked her, examining it with his one good eye. She sighed, slipping it onto her own wrist.

"It's the Cala." she told him. He nodded gravely.

"Given to each Lord or Lady, I assume," he said. She nodded.

"Yes. It's my personal one. My father had it made for me a few months ago. Look...a huge number of materia slots. He knew me well," she said sadly. He smiled at her to cheer her up.

"Why aren't they full? You have more materia than any of us," he reminded her. She grinned back.

"Yeah...but this is too precious to wear everyday. I only wear it for those boring tea ceremonies." she said, rolling her eyes at him. He laughed, although it sounded more like a growl.

"Have you...met anyone yet?" Red asked her casually. Yuffie's smile immediately dropped, and a shadow passed across her face. He noted all this.

"No...well, thats really why I am here. I need some time....and peace," she said. Red got the hint, and didn't ask her anymore about it. Eventually she spoke again.

"He...it was a problem, Red. Someone I could never have." she said with a sigh. Red was mildly surprised. He knew that as the Lady of Wutai, no-one was above her, and most of the men in her kingdom would be queuing up for her."

"He wasn't from Wutai?" Red prompted her. Yuffie shook her head.

"No. But...if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it." she said quietly. He nodded, and walked away from her slowly, ensuring she could catch up if she wished. She didn't, but remained at the Candle, staring into the flames.

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