Title: Cooperation
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Cloud, Tifa, Rufus, Tseng, Elena, Reno, Rude, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid, Barret
Prompt: 036 - Smell
Word Count: 10311
Date finished: 07/25/2006
Rating: PG
Summary: Rufus has another rogue scientist - and she's after Cloud and Vincent.
Author's Notes: I've been working on this one so long, I have no idea where it came from. And I'm sorry the ending stinks. I hate endings. And titles.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

"I was told I'd have to leave a message."

He took a moment to place the voice. "Tseng," he said flatly.

"Mr. Shinra would like to meet with you on a matter of some concern to you."

"About?" Cloud asked warily.

"Hojo's records."

Cloud hesitated, confused. "When?" he asked.

"Where are you?"

"Close to Edge."

"As soon as you get to Healin." The phone clicked off. Cloud hung up himself, then quickly dialed Tifa.

"I'm going to be late," he said. "Shinra wants to see me. Would you try to reach Vincent?"

Tifa was silent for a moment. "Are you sure you can trust him?"

"No. But it's about Hojo's records. If you don't hear from me in an hour, call."

"And if you don't answer, bring a rescue party?" Her answer was light, but he could hear the worry beneath it.

He smiled. "Right. Thanks, Tifa."

"Anytime. Bye."

He hung up and the smile faded from his face as he mounted Fenrir and kicked it into motion.

His reception was very different this time; Tseng met him, not Reno, and there was no feeling of animosity. The leader of the Turks merely gestured him to another room. Something seemed off to Cloud, but he didn't want to know the inside workings of the lives the Turks.

The rain had cleared Rufus's stigma, and he was no longer draped in a blanket. Reno and Rude flanked him; Elena stood at the door and closed it behind Tseng. She, too, did not look as sturdy as she should.

"One of my scientists was showing… an unhealthy interest in Hojo's records some months ago," Rufus said without preamble. "I warned her away from them, from pursuing what she might have found there." He paused, his eyes sliding from Cloud's to Tseng, behind him. "She has apparently ignored my warnings. She quit recently."

"I don't see what.…" Cloud started.

"She'd mentioned something about study," Rufus went on, interrupting him, his eyes back on Cloud. "We checked those records after she left."

Cloud was beginning to get a bad feeling about this. "Go on."

"She took very specific ones."

"Of what?"

"Hojo took extensive notes on what he did. She took yours and Valentine's."

"Why are you telling me this?" Cloud asked, at war with himself. He didn't know where Vincent was - but at least he'd gotten a phone.

Rufus straightened suddenly. "If you'll excuse us," he said, and looked at Reno. The redhead nodded and strode toward the door. Rude followed. There was a pause before he opened it. Cloud glanced behind him to see the large bald man with his hand under Elena's elbow - supporting her.

And he flinched as buried memories of what Kadaj - well, more Yazoo, with his guns and a very sharp knife - had done to her. Tseng, already out of sight, had suffered worse "playing" with Loz. Kadaj had watched, delighted, and shouted ideas to his brothers. Cloud looked back to Rufus with a shudder, and Rufus nodded as the door closed behind them.

"They hurt my people," he said in a low voice, leaning toward Cloud. "I know something about loyalty; I owe Valentine for their lives." He paused and straightened again. "She also took the records of the other clones. I am not interested in fighting more remnants. You want to protect yours as I want to protect mine." He paused. "I don't know her plans; she was much more careful than Hojo. I sent Reno and Rude to her residence when we found those records gone; she is not there any more."

Cloud nodded. "Thank you," he said, and turned to go.

Outside, Reno and Rude stood on either side of the door as he stepped through; there was no sign of Tseng or Elena.

"You guys need help, you call," Reno said, his voice low. "We'll work something out."

"Tell Tifa," Rude added, and Cloud nodded. If they were worried, then he had a good reason to be.

"They okay?" he asked. Now that he knew what it was that felt off, he almost felt bad for his apathy about the Turks when he'd arrived.

"They'll be fine," Reno said.

Cloud nodded and left. He grabbed his phone as he bounded down the stairs, dialing Tifa. "Did you get hold of Vincent?" he asked when she'd picked up.

"Yes. He's coming here. What was it about?"

"Someone got into Hojo's files. Rufus said she took the records of what he did to me, and to Vincent, and had mentioned something about study." He mounted Fenrir and started it. "I'm coming home now," he said. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll see you when you get here."

He hung up, tucked the phone away, and kicked Fenrir into motion.

He kept his eyes open for anything wrong, but there was nothing. Once in Edge proper, it didn't take him long to get to Seventh Heaven, and he slipped in the back. As the door closed behind him, he felt a sharp prick in the back of his neck. He reached up, knocking the dart from him, even as his vision grayed. He made it three steps before his body quit obeying him. Hands gripped him, catching him before he hit the floor, and lifted him, carrying him back outside. The faceless - masked - people set him in the back of a truck, threw a blanket over him, and then drove off as it all faded to black.

When Cloud didn't show up, Tifa began to get worried. She picked up her phone three different times before finally dialing Reno's number. "Cloud said he was leaving," she said when the redhead answered the phone. "He was coming back here. He's not here yet."

She had to move the phone from her ear as Reno colorfully and clearly swore in three different languages. "One moment, Tifa," Rude said into the phone, and behind him she could still hear Reno, only now he wasn't swearing, he was relating what she'd said.

"Miss Lockhart." Oh, she knew that voice.

"Mr. Shinra," she responded.

"I take it Cloud did not have the chance to tell you anything?" he asked.

"No. He was going to tell me when he got here, but he's not here."

He was quiet. "I'm going to send Tseng to you," he said slowly. "He knows everything I could tell you, and can give you more information." Papers shuffled across the phone line. "In fact, I should have given it to Cloud, but he left too quickly. Now I find I'm glad. He'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Okay," she said, and he hung up.

Now very scared, she hung up as well, and then dialed Vincent's phone. She sighed in relief when he answered. "I think maybe you'd better stay away from any of your favorite haunts," she said, her voice trembling. "I don't know if I'm just paranoid, but Cloud should have been back some time ago from Healin, and he's not. He called when he left, and he said he was coming right back here." She blinked back tears, hoping she was being paranoid.

Vincent was quiet for a moment. "I will do as you ask. Would you prefer I don't come there?"

"I think it would be better if you didn't - if you stayed away from all of us. I don't know…. I'll have more information in about half an hour; Rufus is sending it over with Tseng."

"This is important to him, then," Vincent said.

"It sounds like he doesn't want to be blamed for this," Tifa said.

"I can't blame him. I'll call you in half an hour," he said, and hung up.

Tseng's arrival did nothing to ease her worry. "I have bad news," he said as he sat down at the bar. "Cloud's motorcycle is parked in the back alley."

Tifa blanched, gripping the bar to stay on her feet. "It…"

"How does he come in?"

She pointed out the back hallway, and he walked toward it, disappearing through the door. When he returned, he held something in his hand. He dropped it onto the bar. "It's a tranquilizer dart," he informed her. "They took him in your back hallway."

"Who?" she demanded.

Tseng pulled a file from inside his coat and set it on the bar. "Her name is Rita Bowen. She was employed with Shinra until about one week ago, when she terminated her contract. We found some files were missing, and once Rufus knew what they were, he had me call Cloud."

She took the file, pulling it closer to her, and looked it over. "Where can we find her?"

"We don't know," he told her. "Reno and Rude checked out her residence, but she'd cleared out." He paused. "She is still owed a month's wages, though," he said slowly. "If she comes to collect them, we'll retain her."

"Until then, we search." She took a deep breath. "I think I'd better talk to Barret, Yuffie, and Cid," she said softly. "Call in reinforcements."

"I think it's a good idea," he responded. "And keep in contact with Valentine." Then he leaned over, wincing slightly. "Keep us informed, too," he said, his voice low. "Elena and I owe our lives to Valentine. If you need help - anything - you ask." He leaned back again, and his pinched expression eased. Tifa wondered what would have injured him that badly. "I need to get back. Don't forget." He left the file on the bar and walked back out the door, taking the dart with him.

Tifa took a deep breath and grabbed her phone to start calling her friends.

Cloud woke slowly. There were a lot of things wrong, the main one that it smelled like he was in a lab, and that brought back memories he didn't really want to relive. He tried to move, only to find he was restrained. "Give it a minute," a voice said, gentle and unfamiliar. "The drug will wear off. We almost missed you."

The only saving grace was that if they were expecting Tifa not to know he was gone, she did. Although how that might help… He hadn't even gotten to give her the message from Reno. He wanted to respond, but the sluggishness in his muscles was everywhere, and his mouth felt full of cotton. So he waited, patiently, becoming more aware of things. His feet were bare and cold, and chilled air brushed across his chest. Nice, he thought. If I'm going to be naked, at least it could be warm.

"What do you want?" he finally managed to say, but his eyes wouldn't open. He needed some kind of information just to get out of here.

"I'm curious," the voice said; female, and confident.

"About what?"

"Why such a failure was so… successful." A warm hand touched his shoulder, then water trickled into his mouth, and he swallowed.

"Because Hojo didn't know success when he saw it," Cloud said when the water had stopped.

The hand slid across his chest to the small hole, where Yazoo's shot had gone right through him. "What is this?"

Cloud pulled his eyelids up, blinking to clear his eyes. They wouldn't focus. In front of his face he could see a flesh-colored blob, topped by dark brown. "It's a scar."

The blob moved, presumably to look at him. "How did you get it?"

"I was shot."

She growled. "I want details, Strife."

"If you want the story of my life," he bit out, "buy me a drink and ask."

She stood up, and the quick movement made his stomach lurch. "How did you get into SOLDIER if your Mako tolerance is that low?" she asked. He heard paper turning.

"I was never in SOLDIER," he said. Slowly, his eyes were beginning to clear, and his worst fears were confirmed. He was in a lab, one that looked like his blurry memories of his time with Hojo.

"Don't lie to me," she said, and whatever she'd been looking at thumped down on the table. "Everyone in his files was connected to Shinra somehow, and he refused to work on substandard people. Turks and SOLDIERs were his preferred subjects."

"Prey," Cloud said. "And no, it wasn't. He'd take whoever he could get. I was just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place and in the right condition."

She hesitated. "Right condition?"

He snorted. "Injured."

She came closer to him, then she touched a slender scar right under his heart. "What's this?"

"That's where Sephiroth stabbed me - and why I was in Hojo's hands." He could see her clearly, now. She was a pretty woman, with dark brown hair pulled back into a tight bun. She wore goggles, as if she'd been interrupted in the middle of an experiment, but her lab coat was pristine white.

A door opened behind Cloud, and with a twitch, the sheet he hadn't noticed was over the lower half of his body was thrown over his head. "Yes?" she asked, her voice cold and hard.

"He didn't show up." This voice was cold, impersonal. Cloud knew he'd get no help from that quarter.

There was a long silence. "Thank you," she said, and the door closed again. The sheet came off his face and she glared at him. "Why wouldn't Vincent Valentine come to Seventh Heaven?" she demanded.

Cloud gave thanks to whoever might be listening. "Because Tifa was expecting me, and probably warned him off when I didn't come home."

She smirked. "Home? You have a home there?"

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. She grimaced and went back to whatever she'd been reading. "Do you know why you're here?" she asked.

"No."

"You are here because…." She paused and looked at him with a smile he did not like. "Because Hojo had quite a few notes of experiments he'd like to try on you, since you were such a failure at the first one. He didn't like failure."

Cloud tried not to shiver at the indifference in her voice. "And Vincent?"

"I want to study the effects of his… alterations." There was a maniacal gleam in her eyes when she looked at Cloud. "I so want to see the effects of what was done, now that Vincent has had time to learn to live with it."

Cloud stared at her in disbelief. "You what?" he demanded, not really believing what he'd heard.

But she'd turned away, and when she came back, she had gloves on, and a syringe in her hands. She neatly emptied it into Cloud's arm, and went back to her paper work, speaking aloud as she did. "One dose, at…" here she checked the time, "3:38 pm."

And then he heard nothing else as his back arched in pain and he gave a gasping cry. This was utterly unfamiliar, and he wondered if she was insane as consciousness dribbled away.

Tifa sat slumped at the bar, waiting. It had been far too long, and what she'd read in the file hadn't helped her feel any better. To imagine Cloud in the hands of that… woman was more than she could do, so she forced her mind to be still. A young couple down the street was watching Marlene and Denzel, and would keep them until they had more news.

Yuffie was the first in the door, and the small Ninja sat in front of Tifa, her dark eyes fixed on the brunette's. "Are you okay?"

It was so out of character for her to be still that Tifa had to blink to make sure her eyes were working. "Not… really," she said finally. "But once we get moving, I should be okay. I just…" She sighed, and Yuffie smiled at her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Vincent said he was going to be looking too, and he'll be in contact with us."

"Probably better than having him hide in one place," Tifa said, and rubbed her face. "This woman… she's obsessed with Hojo," she said. "She wants to know about them, know more than the files he kept…." Her voice broke and she stopped speaking, afraid that if she went on, she'd wind up in tears. She didn't want that.

"Tifa," Barret said from the doorway, and she brightened a little at the sight of one of her oldest friends.

"Barret. Thanks for coming," she said, and extended the same thanks to Cid as he followed Barret into the room.

"Okay, Tifa, update. What's this about?" Cid demanded, and Tifa began to tell them what she'd learned from Cloud, from Tseng, and from the file the leader of the Turks had brought her. They all regarded her in silence for a long time when she'd finished.

"I don't even know where to start looking," she said.

Cid's eyes narrowed. "You know what?" he said, getting to his feet. "I've got to make a call. Brat, see if you can get her to sleep."

"I am not a…" But he was gone before Yuffie's half-hearted protest was out. She shrugged. "It's not a bad idea, Tifa," she said. "You look… beat."

Tifa sighed. "I don't know if I can sleep," she said. "Barret, Marlene is four doors down that way; she's staying with friends so she's safe. If you want to go see her, I'm sure she'll be glad to see you. Yuffie, can you call Vincent and bring him up to date?"

Barret hesitated. "As soon as you get upstairs. Cid's right. Let us handle what we can right now, and you get some rest. You'll need it later."

"No, I'm…"

He strode over and pulled her to her feet, gently, but she couldn't ignore his strength. "You're not. Sleep, Tifa, or at least rest if you can't sleep. We can only get so far without you, and we need you fresh."

Yuffie took her arm when Barret let her go, and steered her toward the back and the stairs to her apartment. "He's right," she said as they walked up the stairs. "While you're sleeping, I'll take a look at the Materia we have. We might have to try to find more."

Tifa gave the younger girl a look, then nodded. "Okay."

She didn't want to sleep. She didn't think she could sleep. She'd gotten used to Cloud next to her, and she missed his warmth when she lay down on the bed. Yuffie didn't stay, closing the door behind her, and Tifa closed her eyes.

Only minutes passed before she fell asleep, tears on her cheeks.

When she woke up, the sun was just rising, and Yuffie was shaking her shoulder. "There's a Turk downstairs, wants to talk to you."

Tifa shot up. "Which one?" she demanded, grabbing her shoes and heading for the stairs.

"Rude," Yuffie said, right behind her. "He said it had something to do with Cloud and Vincent."

"Have you talked to Vincent?" Tifa asked.

"Yes. He still doesn't like me calling him." There was amusement in her voice.

Rude was indeed in the bar, flanked by Cid and Barret, both looking much more awake than she felt. Tifa slowed and approached him.

"Tseng sends this," he said, and handed her a piece of paper. "And requests that you tell me anything he can get you."

Tifa took the paper and examined it. It was an analysis of the dart - and the drug they'd found on it. "Oh," she said, feeling like they might have caught a break. "Tell him thank you."

"What is it?" Yuffie asked.

"A place to start." She looked up at Rude. "I'll call if we need anything."

He nodded and left. Cid locked the door behind him, and turned to Tifa. "Need anything?" he asked.

"That's the third offer I've gotten," she said, blinking at them. "Reno, and Tseng, and now Rude." She paused. "I think they'd like to help," she said slowly. "What I don't know is how much Shinra is involved."

Her phone rang; she snatched it from the wall on the bar. "Hello?"

"You didn't answer your cell," Vincent said.

"I left it upstairs," she said, and sighed in relief. "It's good to hear from you."

"Any news?"

"A little," she said, and set the paper down on the bar. "The dart is used pretty exclusively by a mercenary corps called Dark Mask," she said, talking to him and the others as they gathered around. "The drug they used is a quick acting one, and it takes some time for the recipient to recover." Her heart thudded hard, and she swallowed. "It's found mostly around Kalm."

"That is their base," Vincent said.

"Kalm is where a doctor recently set up shop, but she's not too interested in seeing patients," Cid said at the same time, and Tifa straightened.

"Wait. Kalm? Are you near Kalm?" she asked Vincent, turning away from the others.

"Yes."

"Maybe you'd better get out of there," she said. "If she's there, and she wants you…."

"Point taken. I'll call in a couple of hours."

"Bye." She hung up, and looked at Cid. "Is that the only place?"

"As far as my sources could tell me."

Tifa stood. "Then lets go."

When Cloud woke this time, he hurt everywhere. He was still restrained, and a sheet covered him again. He could hear someone moving around, and eventually, the sheet was whisked back, and the scientist looked at him. "You're awake."

"Who are you?" he croaked.

"Rita Bowen," she said, "until just recently employed by Shinra Corp., which is how I found your file." She held up a folder, then set it down. "How did you survive Mako poisoning?" she asked.

"Jenova."

She leaned closer to him. "What?"

"Jenova cells," he said, but his voice was giving out. She reached for a cup and straw, and water once again trickled into his mouth. "Jenova cells. They… created me. Recreated me," he corrected himself, and then wondered why he was even talking to her.

"He mentioned that you were part of that," she said, going back to his file. "But what happened? What do you mean, recreated you?"

Cloud didn't try to answer, his eyes slipping closed wearily, turning his head away from her. The pain was beginning to fade again, and he was going to have to try something before he got too weak - if it wasn't too late.

She grabbed his chin, pulling him back to face her. "Answer me," she hissed.

He opened his eyes. "Why?" She was furious, her eyes narrowed and her face contorted.

"Because I have asked."

"You have also kidnapped me, plan to kidnap my friend, and have started experimenting on me again," he said firmly. "Three good reasons not to answer your questions."

She regarded him, her eyes narrowed, then she shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter," she said. "It has nothing to do with what I am doing with you."

She turned away from him, and his heart sped up, knowing what was coming next. When she turned back, he was proven right; there was a syringe in her hand. Cloud had nowhere to go, so he closed his eyes, teeth clenched against the pain that hit as she again wrote down the time… and he slid into welcoming blackness.

The trip to Kalm was short. Yuffie, however, still managed to get sick, and she was still looking pale when they left the Sierra to venture into the city. Tifa kept close to her until her color evened out.

Cid led the way into a pub and settled them in a corner before moving toward bar to order. When he returned, he had another man with him.

"This is Dale," he said shortly, sinking down in a chair. "He's got some information for us."

Dale did not look happy. "Man, Cid, you didn't tell me it was all of them!" But his eyes flickered around them, and seemed to come up one short. But he didn't say anything. Tifa wasn't sure she trusted the guy.

"Just tell 'em, it'll save me the trouble of repeating it all," Cid said flatly.

"All right," Dale muttered, and pulled a chair closer. "The doctor started setting up a couple of months ago, but when the office opened, people were turned away. Except about three days ago, someone was carried in."

Barret's hand closed around Tifa's arm before she could ask, and she glanced at him before turning her attention back to Dale.

"Anyone else been in?" Cid asked.

"Some of the mercenaries from around here. They go in and out all the time."

"Dark Masks?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah." He glanced around nervously. "Look, Cid. I gotta go."

Cid handed him some gil. "Thanks, Dale."

Dale pocketed the money without a word and left the pub.

"If that was Cloud, she either isn't very careful, or she's trying to lure us in," Barret said, letting Tifa go.

"Why?" Yuffie asked.

"To lure Vincent in," Tifa said. "Cid, how much do you trust Dale?"

"His information has always been good, but I don't trust him any farther than I can throw the Sierra," Cid said. "We should probably go."

They got up, leaving money on the table, and started for the door. They got out on the street before the expected attack hit. They weren't as caught off-guard as the men in masks probably hoped. Yuffie sent her Conformer flying at small group even as Barret's hand morphed into his three-barreled gun and he opened fire on them. Tifa pulled her gloves on and went after the closest one even as Cid went after a couple to her left.

It was a short, intense fight, and when the surviving Dark Masks retreated, they were one short. Cid cursed a blue streak as he picked up Yuffie's Conformer. Tifa felt her stomach drop.

"What would she want with Yuffie?" she asked.

"Oh, that's easy," Barret said as his gun returned to a hand. "She still wants Vincent. Probably any of us would have worked."

Tifa wondered. But how would Rita have known about Yuffie's attraction to Vincent? "We'd better tell Vincent," she said with a sigh. "We'd better warn him."

Cloud woke up in less pain this time - and slumped against a wall. He wore only shorts, and in a short time began to shiver again. It was so cold!

It took an amazingly long time - or seemed to, anyway - before he could get up. He leaned against the wall, struggling to figure out where he was. The light was dim, the room, small and empty but for him. The wall felt like stone under his shoulder and fingertips.

As long as it wasn't glass.

It still smelled like a lab. He moved along the wall, trying to find a door. The was nothing else in the room, nothing to impede his progress, so he kept moving. After a few rounds, he began to feel better. Eventually, though, he got bored and he slowed.

Across from him, a door opened. A large masked man stood in the doorway. He stepped in, eyes narrowed, and Cloud waited for him to move, wanting to try something. As the masked man started toward him, Cloud dodged to one side, making for the doorway. He reached it the same time the man did, and crashed into the wall as the other man knocked him into it. Cloud hit it hard and fell, but never reached the floor as the man yanked him to his feet, twisting Cloud's arm behind him.

The trip into the lab was painful. The masked man was taller - naturally - and used his height to an advantage, nearly dislocating Cloud's shoulder. Once in the lab he wasn't released immediately. Another man, also masked, helped put Cloud on the table, ignoring his struggles as they strapped him down, and then covered him to his neck with a sheet.

It was embarrassing, how easily they'd done that. He caught his breath and looked around. The lab hadn't changed... No, wait. It had.

Another table had been added, and dividers had been set up to be put between them. But what had made her so confident, that she'd have another subject?

The next moment, more people came in, two masked men holding someone between them. Whoever it was shouted incoherently through a gag until the two men slammed her - now he could see it was a her - against the wall and bound her there. Then the gag was removed, and Yuffie's angry yells filled the lab as the two men left.

"Stupid cowards! Too ugly to show your faces! What is...." She stopped suddenly as her eyes met Cloud's. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He swallowed his fear. "I'm not sure. What happened?"

"We followed you to Kalm, and got attacked," she said. "They... got me."

"To lure Vincent?"

"So I guess." She sighed, but said nothing else.

Neither did Cloud. Only a moment later, Rita came in. She paused next to Cloud, smirking down at him. "Do you like having company?" she asked.

Cloud didn't answer, glaring back at her. "Why is she here?"

"To lure your friend in," she said, her eyes turning maniacal. "Why else?"

Yuffie snorted. "You do know what we did to Hojo, don't you? The same will happen to you, I can assure you of that."

Rita turned to her, stalking toward her. "They warned me about you," she said. "They said you had a mouth on you." She produced a piece of cloth and gagged Yuffie. "Now, be quiet and watch."

"No!" Cloud insisted. "No."

Rita turned to him, eyes narrowed. "You have no say," she told him flatly. "Soon, I'll know the exact proportion of this to use on you, since Hojo didn't write that information down, and I can truly start."

Cloud said nothing, looking past her to Yuffie, who stared defiantly at the scientist, silent for now. He was worried about the young ninja; she'd been through everything, but there was still an innocence in her he was sure would be ruined by this.

Rita pulled his gaze to hers by stepping between the two as she gave Cloud the injection of... whatever it was that flooded him with pain. He struggled to keep from showing how much it hurt, but couldn't keep from gasping for breath. It took much longer for the blackness to fall. He caught Yuffie's tear-filled gaze just before he lost consciousness.

Tifa stood nervously in a park on the edge of Kalm, not entirely sure what to expect. Vincent had been insistent about joining them, an edge in his voice that hadn't been there before. She knew she was being watched, could feel the skin between her shoulder blades crawling.

The park was dead, but beginning to recover. Green shoots pushed their way up in the sun-blasted grass, and here and there, a brave flower showed its color.

Movement to her left caught her attention, and she turned to look.

The man crossing the grass toward her was tall, clad in jeans and a long sleeved black button up shirt. He wore sunglasses, and his dark hair was slicked back, tied with a pale red ribbon. Black hiking boots raised dust as he walked toward her.

It took her a moment to recognize Vincent without his cloak or clawed gauntlet. Then she grinned and walked toward him. "Nice," she said as they met.

"Thank you. Tseng's idea of casual."

"For a Turk, he's got good sense," Tifa told him.

"He also sends this." He gave her an envelope and a small pouch. She opened the pouch first, and gasped. She pulled out a Heal Materia and a handful of gil. "Wow," she breathed. "They are serious."

"Let's get back to the others," Vincent said, and took her arm as she opened the envelope.

She read the first paragraph, then stopped dead and reread the next line. "She's got.... How did she.... Where did she...." She thrust the letter at Vincent. "I'm going to kill Rufus Shinra," she growled as Vincent took the letter and read. He paled, too, but he finished it.

"He didn't know," he said, folding the letter back up.

"So he says," Tifa bit out. She didn't want to know what this Rita wanted with a collection of Jenova cells, possibly the last.

"Tifa," Vincent said gently.

"I don't trust him," she growled.

"I know," he said gently. "But he told us. That's something."

"Why did he have them?" she demanded. "Why weren't they destroyed?" She held onto her rage, willing herself to swallow her tears. She couldn't afford tears right now, not until they found Cloud and got him back home.

"I don't know," Vincent said. "You need to tell the others."

Tifa nodded and started off again. Slowly, her rage turned from Rufus Shinra to where it belonged - Rita Bowen. Let her see one of those Dark Masks, and she'd take it out on him, and force him to tell her where Cloud was.

When Cloud woke this time, he wasn't alone. Yuffie sat against the wall, and his head was in her lap. He groaned and sat up.

At least, he tried to sit up. His whole body protested, and he groaned again. "Hold still," Yuffie said. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh.... Cid could answer that better than I could."

Yuffie's smile flashed and was gone. "What does she want?"

"She's trying out the experiments Hojo apparently wanted to try on me, and wants to see how Vincent has... adapted to what Hojo did to him."

"She can't!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"She is," Cloud said, and tried to sit up again. This time, he made it in spite of the pain, and took a moment to catch his breath. Yuffie's hand on his shoulder was warm in the cool of the room. "It's always cold," he said, and got to his feet. He made one circuit of the room. "How's Tifa?"

"Holding up," Yuffie said, but she sounded worried. "She got us to Kalm."

"Is that where we are?"

"Yeah." She gestured to the room. "She listening?"

"I'd guess so."

"Hmph," she said, and pulled her knees to her chest. "Figures."

"Yeah." He kept walking, working it out of him.

"She said she was getting close," Yuffie said a couple of rounds later. "She said it just before they brought us here."

Cloud didn't respond, feeling his strength return even though he knew it wouldn't help. At least, it couldn't hurt. He hoped. "Have you spoken to Vincent?"

"Yeah. He's staying away from us."

"Good," Cloud said.

He'd stopped, sinking down next to Yuffie, before the men - three this time - came to collect them. They resisted, as hopeless as it was, but soon found themselves back in the lab. Cloud sighed in disgust and looked around.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw Vincent unconscious and strapped down on the other table in the lab.

Tifa wanted to scream. She couldn't believe she'd lost Vincent, too. She didn't even know how that had happened; one minute he was there, the next minute gone. She paced around the room, gloved hands clenched into fists, ignoring Cid and Barret as she stewed.

An idea struck her, and she pulled out her phone, dialing frantically. "Tseng? I need help. She's got Vincent."

Tseng was quiet. "I see. One moment."

Her pacing began to slow, and she finally stopped when Tseng returned. "Can you send Cid for Reno and Elena?"

"Hang on." She turned to Cid. "Will you go and get Reno and Elena?"

"Gone." He turned and left.

"He's on his way. Thanks."

"Anything else?"

"Thank you. Truly."

"You are welcome." He hung up, and she snapped her phone shut.

"Barret," she said, turning to the big black man. "We should have spoken to Reeve a long time ago. Let's see if he's got the layout of that office."

Barret smiled. "Good idea."

They headed for the WRO headquarters, Barret's gun ready, Tifa's hands still gloved. "Does she even realize what she's done?" she asked idly as they stepped into the lobby.

"She will," Barret said ominously, and looked around. "You ask for Reeve."

He remained by the door as she did so. And soon, in spite of wary looks from security, they were allowed up to Reeve's office. He greeted them with a smile, had them sit down, and listened as Tifa explained.

When she'd finished, his smile had faded and he looked angry. "Call Cid, have him bring them here," he said, and reached for his desk phone as Tifa did as he asked.

They hung up at the same time, and Reeve looked at them grimly. "The Dark Masks are a scourge we've been trying to eradicate for months. This might help us."

"We don't want a big force," Barret said.

Reeve nodded. "I understand."

There was a knock on the door. "Come!" he demanded, and a young man stepped in, carrying a roll of paper. Reeve spread it out on his desk and beckoned them over. "When the Sierra shows up, allow them to land and bring them here," he said, and the young man nodded as he closed the door.

Reno, Elena, and Cid arrived as they sat down to a quick dinner Reeve had catered. Reeve brought them up to speed as they ate as well.

Tifa was just glad to have more people; it was times like this that she really missed Cloud for more than just companionship. He would know how to handle this situation.

"Tifa," Reno said, pulling her aside, his voice low. She didn't even know how long she'd been staring at the blueprints Reeve had supplied, but the lines were blurry now. "Sleep will help. How long have you been up?"

"No," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I can't. I don't know what she's doing to Cloud and Vincent. I can't stop."

"He's right," Barret said, laying a massive arm around her shoulders. "We'll all think better with some sleep."

She turned pleading eyes to Reeve. "There are rooms for you to use upstairs," he said gently. "I think they're right." He held up a hand before she could protest. "While you sleep, my people will be working. We'll have more information when you wake up."

Angry tears pressed her eyes, but she could see she'd lost. "Okay," she said through gritted teeth. "Where?"

Curled on the bed in the room she shared with Elena, Tifa pulled her pillow over her head and cried herself to sleep.

Cloud woke up slumped against the wall, just in time to see the door close. He ached so badly that even the thought of moving made him wince.

And where was Yuffie?

And Vincent?

Slowly, the pain faded. It had taken so long for him to lose consciousness, he hadn't been able to hide how much he hurt. His short period of unconsciousness hadn't helped any, either. He sighed and pushed himself up, groaning as he moved. It took much longer before he could actually step away from the wall, and even when he did, he couldn't move at anything close to his normal speed.

"Your immune system is failing," Rita had told him as she'd given him his fourth dose. "You'll be ready soon."

Cloud didn't know what she had that made her so confident. Tifa had to have reinforcements; surely she'd called Rufus Shinra when he hadn't shown up.

His thoughts spun as he walked slowly around the room, but he didn't recover as quickly - or as much - this time. He'd paused for breath when the door opened and Yuffie stumbled in. Her eyes were wide, and she looked like she'd seen a ghost. Then her gaze met his, and she moved quickly to his side. "Maybe you should sit down."

"I can't," Cloud said wearily. "It's too cold." He took a deep breath and started walking again. "What happened?"

"She forced Vincent to… transform. Turn into Chaos."

Cloud stumbled to a halt. "She what?"

"Cloud, I don't even know what she did! And when he transformed back, I've never seen him look so bad." She breathed in, then took Cloud's arm. "You do not look good," she said. "You'd better sit down."

Too tired to argue, he slid down the wall, folded his arms on his knees, and rested his forehead on them. "What do we do now?"

Yuffie settled next to him, an arm around his shoulders. "We survive."

Cloud was shivering in spite of Yuffie's warmth at his side when they came to get him. All three men looked a little worse for wear, but one of them handled Cloud easily. Yuffie grinned fiercely as the other two directed her after Cloud, a tight grip on her arms. "Let me guess," she taunted. "She released the demons, and expected you lot to cage them again."

Cloud took their silence for assent.

Vincent was awake when they entered the lab, bound to the table and looking pale. His red eyes watched them - watched Yuffie, Cloud noted - angry and scared. Rita watched them in delight, actually clapping her hands like a school girl. "Oh, lovely," she said, and she reached down to touch Vincent's shoulder. He flinched away.

She didn't seem to notice, walking around that table to approach Cloud. He still shivered, shaking so hard he could barely focus. "Good," she said. "You're close. Very close."

"You've been saying that the last two doses," he stammered. Her fingers on his cheek burned, and he flinched away from her touch.

"And I'm right," she purred, and took his wrist in her hand. "How are you feeling?"

He stared at her in disbelief. "I'm c-cold," he stammered.

"Yes," she said, satisfied, and placed a hand on his forehead. He tossed his head to get rid of it. "Yes," she repeated distractedly, and turned away.

When she turned back, she had a small vial of a dark, viscous liquid he recognized and never wanted to see again. "Where did you get that?" he choked.

"Never mind," she said with a smile, and filled a syringe with it.

When she reached for his arm, he evaded her as well as he could. "Get away from me!" he yelled, terrified. "Leave me alone!" It was all he could think of to yell, and he continued to repeat himself, struggling to keep away from that needle. After a while, she stepped back, scowling.

"Hold still," she snapped.

"Hold still?" Cloud demanded, his voice shaking from cold and terror, sounding hysterical. "You want to inject me with Jenova cells, and you want me to hold still?"

"Jenova cells?" Vincent demanded, and his eyes glowed in anger.

"Are you mad?" Yuffie screeched, eyes wide in disbelief. "Jenova cells? You've got to be mad!" She went on, repeating everything she'd picked up from Cid.

Rita stared at her, then stalked toward her, setting the syringe on the cabinet top on her way. "I have had enough of you," she snarled, and backhanded Yuffie. The ninja stopped speaking, staring at her in disbelief. "In fact," Rita went on, "I know how much my associates would love to have you to play with. And eventually, I'm sure they'll kill you."

"Keep your hands off her," Vincent growled.

Cloud stared. There was a menacing undertone in Vincent's voice he'd never heard before.

Rita turned on Vincent, scowling. "Your threats are meaningless," she said, stalking past him to the door. She wrenched it open and shouted something Cloud couldn't make out.

The door closed again, and Rita walked past him to the counter where she'd left the syringe. Two masked men followed her. "She's yours," Rita said, gesturing at Yuffie. "I have no use for her any more."

The two men exchanged looks, smiled nastily, and reached to untie her.

"Keep your hands off her," Vincent growled again, and Cloud shivered more from the menace that the cold he still felt. He kept his eyes on Rita and that syringe, shaking so hard he couldn't concentrate on anything else.

Until the table next to him cracked, and Vincent - not Vincent, Chaos - stalked toward the two men who stood on either side of Yuffie. He shrugged off the shots they fired, and then swept them aside. They fell against the wall and didn't move.

Yuffie stared up at Chaos, no fear on her face - and then Rita's hand gripped Cloud's arm and his eyes found the syringe in her other hand. "No!" he shrieked, pulling away, but she had too good a hold on him. Shivering, he tried to get away, struggling against her grip.

The door splintered just as Chaos turned toward them, one clawed hand reaching for Rita. "Keep her alive!" Reno shouted from the doorway.

"Get her away from me!" Cloud shouted back.

"She's got Jenova cells!" Yuffie shrieked.

Barret's gun cut through the noise, and silence fell. Cloud kept struggling, terrified, but he was beginning to tire - the kind of tired that made him want to just collapse and sleep for days.

His friends closed in around him and Rita. He saw Tifa (thank heaven she was still alive), Cid, Barret, Elena (Elena?), Vincent, Yuffie, and Reno all out of the corner of his eyes, but he didn't try to look at them. He was focused on that syringe.

"Put it down," Reno said in a low voice, his baton out of sight but surely in his hand. "I cannot guarantee your life if you inject him with that."

"I'll die anyway," she said, the needle getting closer to Cloud's arm. He tensed and tried to pull away, only to find he was already as far as he could get.

"They've agreed to let me take you into custody," Reno told her. "Stop now, and they will do nothing to you."

Someone slid along Cloud's left arm, and then Tifa's hand slipped into his and he gripped it, terrified.

Rita looked down at him, a look of frustration on her face, then she set the syringe on the table next to Cloud's arm and stepped away. Elena deftly plucked it from the table, and Cloud relaxed - relaxed so much that he blacked out.

Tifa felt Cloud's hand go slack, and panicked inside. She reached to check his pulse as Vincent, Cid, and Yuffie released Cloud, and Reno bound Dr. Bowen.

"Why not just kill her?" Vincent growled. Yuffie looked up at him in confusion as he returned to her side.

"Rufus would like to speak to her," Reno said, but the menace in his voice was clear. Dr. Bowen flinched.

"Miss Lockhart?"

She looked up at the head of the security force Reeve had sent with them, distracted by the buckle on Cloud's arm. "Yes?"

"We're ready to go."

"Okay." Tifa glanced around. "Is there a gurney or something? We need to get Cloud out of here." Even unconscious, under her hand on his shoulder, Cloud shivered.

"And a blanket," Yuffie agreed.

"Tifa, he needs medical attention. A Heal Materia will help, but he's been given multiple doses." Vincent reached over to a vial and gave it to her. "It will take him some time to recover. Give the nurse this; she'll be able to know what to do to help." His voice was urgent, his red eyes haunted as she met them.

When they got on the street, that same guy - she couldn't remember his name to save her life - got them into a vehicle and directed the driver to the nearest medical facility.

On the way, Tifa used the Heal Tseng had sent with Vincent, and found that her friend had been right. But at least it got Cloud to stop shivering.

The people at the medical facility were waiting for them. While Tifa filled out the paperwork as quickly as she could, Vincent and Yuffie followed Cloud, looking menacing when someone told them they were not allowed to follow. Barret and Cid stayed with Tifa. When she finally gave the paper work to the person waiting for it, she looked around. "Where is he?" she asked.

Cid's phone rang, and he snatched it up. "Yeah." He listened, and closed it again without speaking. "This way." He started off down the hall.

In moments, Tifa stood by Cloud's bed, and really had a chance to look at him.

Even sleeping - unconscious - he looked exhausted. Black smudges under his eyes looked permanent, and even his hair seemed wilted. He lay still - something he rarely did when he was sleeping, and when he did, it was because he was so exhausted he hadn't even had energy to eat something. There were angry red spots on his right arm, probably where Dr. Bowen had injected him with the stuff Vincent had given her.

"Miss Lockhart?"

Her head whipped up, but she wasn't too on guard; Barret, Cid, Vincent, and Yuffie were outside the door. "Yes?"

"My name is Dr. Sunshine," he said gently. "I will be Cloud's physician as long as he's here." She thought that statement was strange, but he went on before she could ask. "Do you know what might have caused his condition?"

She dug in her pocket and pulled out the vial. "Yes. A friend said he'd been injected with this, but I don't know how often. Yuffie Kisaragi would be able to tell you an approximate number."

Dr. Sunshine nodded and pocketed the vial. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Oh," Tifa said. "I'll be fine."

He gave her a piercing look. "You should rest, too," he said sternly.

"Okay," she said, but her attention was back on Cloud. She didn't even hear the doctor leave.

Some time later, Reno touched her shoulder. "Mr. Shinra would like to speak with you."

She looked up; she hadn't even heard him come in. "Where?"

"Reeve offered his office."

She glanced at Cloud. "I'd rather not leave the hospital. Or even this floor."

Reno gave her a cocky smile. "I told him that. He's in a small conference room down the hall."

Reluctantly, Tifa got to her feet and followed him. Vincent nodded at her when she glanced at him, and went into Cloud's room. When Tifa glanced back, Yuffie - who had been sitting at his feet - was gone as well.

Cloud woke to the sound of someone crying. His eyes felt glued shut, but he could move, the bed under him was soft, and he was warm. It smelled… sterile, but not like the lab. He relaxed a little more.

"I couldn't do anything," Yuffie sobbed softly. "We couldn't even find the door." She gulped a little. "She was just so… prepared for us!"

"It's okay," Vincent said softly.

Vincent? Cloud struggled to open his eyes and finally managed. He could see Yuffie curled up in Vincent's lap, crying on his shoulder.

What?

Never mind. He was pretty sure he'd seen Tifa, and opened his mouth to ask about her. Unsurprisingly, nothing came out. He cleared his throat, and Yuffie bounced to her feet, wiping her face with one hand. "Tifa will be right back, she's talking to Rufus." She'd missed a few of the tears, and she swiped at her face again, clearing it. "Do you want a drink? They said you'd be thirsty."

Cloud nodded, and she carefully held a cup with a straw close enough for him to sip. The water helped a lot. "Are you okay?" he asked, and it came out a whisper.

"Of course!" she said, but her smile fell far too soon, and she couldn't meet his eyes.

"How are you?" Vincent asked, coming up behind Yuffie.

"Tired," Cloud said, and yawned.

"It will be that way for a long time," the former Turk told him.

"Oh." He blinked slowly, having to force his eyelids up again. "Hey," he said suddenly, remembering. "Uh. Chaos?"

Vincent actually smiled. "We've… come to an understanding," he said.

"Is that good?" Yuffie asked, turning to look up at him.

"Quite. Chaos… likes you."

Yuffie stared at him. So did Cloud, who's mind was stuck in thigh-deep snow.

"A dubious honor," Vincent went on, "but it does."

"Why?" Yuffie asked.

"You were not scared of it when the doctor forced its transformation. It was impressed."

To Cloud's surprise, Yuffie blushed a bright red. He smiled faintly, then his eyes fell closed and he drifted off to sleep.

The next time he woke, Tifa sat next to him. She looked incredibly tired. "Hey," he whispered, and she smiled in relief.

"Hey yourself," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Glad to see you," he admitted. "You look tired."

"It's been a long day."

"So, join me?" He lifted the blanket in invitation, and she only hesitated long enough to kick off her shoes. She crawled in next to him, helping him scoot over to give her more room. She snuggled up next to him, and he felt something in him relax. Tifa's arms were tight around him, and it felt so good, so warm to be next to her.

"I missed you," she said softly, and he realized his shoulder was getting wet.

"I missed you, too," he said, and she laughed in a choked sort of way. "Tifa, you did good."

"It took too long. I lost Yuffie and Vincent. I forgot about Reeve." There was a tone in her voice he didn't like.

"You're breaking some rule, too, by being in bed with me," he said in the same tone of voice. "And I don't care. You came, Tifa. Regardless of anything else, you came for me." As he said the words, he realized then why Aerith had never blamed him for what had happened to her; he'd done his best, no matter what the outcome, and it was something of a relief to understand, finally, why her forgiveness had been so frank.

Tifa lifted her head and looked at him, tears glimmering in her hazel eyes. "We would have killed her," she said after a minute, "but I think Rufus wants to do that."

"Let him," Cloud mumbled, fighting to keep his eyes open. "I don't care."

She lay her head back down. "No," she said, and they lay in comfortable silence until they fell asleep.

Cloud woke again when Tifa got up, leaving him cold. "Hey," he protested.

Tifa tucked the blanket around him, and then gently kissed him. "I'll be right back."

He looked around as she left, finding out he was in his own room. At least it didn't smell like a lab. That would have given him nightmares. But nothing caught his attention - although probably nothing but Tifa would have.

"The apathy will go away in time."

He turned his head to see a doctor standing beside his bed. "My name is Dr. Sunshine. Miss Lockhart gave us the drug you'd been given. We analyzed it, and have determined what we can do to help you."

"Probably not too much," Cloud murmured.

"No. Except give you a place to sleep and not worry about catching anything. Your immune system was hit pretty hard; you'd find even a cold hard to fight off right now."

"How long am I just going to fall asleep like this?" he asked.

"We're not sure. Mr. Valentine said it took him some weeks to recover, but there were different circumstances; he wouldn't elaborate."

There was a bit of a question in the doctor's voice. "No," Cloud said softly. "He wouldn't."

"Let yourself sleep as much as you want," the doctor went on. "That's the best thing for you. Let us know when you get hungry."

At his words, Cloud's stomach growled. "I hadn't thought of food," he said, suddenly ravenous. "I'm hungry now."

"I'll send someone in." He turned and marched out.

Before long, a nurse came in with a small lunch, and helped him sit up. As hungry as he was, he couldn't eat much, and finally had to give up. He leaned wearily back on the raised bed, and was asleep before he could even reach to call the nurse back in.

Tifa returned to find Cloud asleep, his bed raised up so he could eat. The contents of the tray had barely been touched, but he'd obviously eaten as much as he wanted - or could.

She sighed, lowered the bed so he lay down again, and moved the tray. She wanted Rufus to go away, to stop speaking with her uselessly…. Well, okay, he was trying to keep her up to date, trying to take care of her....

She froze as she smoothed the blanket over Cloud's chest. He was trying to take care of her?

After a moment, she shrugged the thought off and sat down. What a ridiculous notion.

The days passed in their sameness; after two, Barret had convinced Cid to take him back to Edge for Marlene and Denzel, but then had called and said they were taking care of Seventh Heaven. Tifa didn't want to even think about the chaos they could be causing.

Vincent and Yuffie left a few days after that; Tifa had seen Yuffie watching Vincent in wide-eyed wonder, and had only understood when Cloud explained about Chaos. "I think he thinks a real life is possible, now," he told her.

"It's about time," she muttered, and he smiled at her.

It was nearly three weeks before Cloud stopped sleeping all the time. And a week after that, Rufus offered them a ride back to Edge, and a place at Healin. "I'm going back in a couple of days; the doctor said mostly what you need is rest. They can't help any more here," he told them.

Which was what the doctor had told Tifa yesterday. "Can we talk about it?"

Cloud was awake, sitting up in the bed, but he'd been up for a while and he was beginning to look tired again. "After I sleep for a while?" he added.

Rufus stood. "Of course. You can reach me at any time, either of you." He swept out.

"It's weird, thinking of him as… an ally," Tifa said softly, helping make Cloud comfortable as he lay his bed down again.

"Yes. Want to join me?" he asked, and she smiled.

"Definitely."

But she couldn't sleep, and she lay quietly next to him, listening to the sound of his breathing, thankful to be able to hear it. She hadn't told him yet what Rufus had told her, about what they'd done to Rita; she was still alive, after all, and she didn't know how he'd react.

Well, he'd said he didn't care. She decided to take him at his word.

Her mind drifted; to be honest, she'd like to go back to Edge, where Marlene and Denzel could help her bring a smile and color to Cloud's face again. It would be good to be closer to the bar, and it would be good for Cloud to be around familiar people. Still, she'd have to run her reasons past Cloud, but only if he didn't want to go.

But he did; it seemed he was as anxious to get back to Edge as she was. He was all for taking Rufus up on his offer, and soon enough, they were back in Edge, tucked into a room at Healin.

His improvement seemed to speed up after that, although the doctor who was watching over Cloud warned him against doing too much too soon. Cloud merely shrugged, and did the things he was allowed. But he still got tired, and Tifa could see he was getting frustrated.

Tifa finally cornered the doctor a couple of weeks later and, without letting him consult with Rufus, got him to release Cloud. She immediately called Barret for a ride, and went to get Cloud.

He followed her slowly out to the gate. While they waited in the late morning sunshine, his head tilted back and he basked in the warmth of the sun. Tifa controlled her flinch; last time she'd seen him standing like that, it had ended in a gunshot and an explosion. But she knew how much he needed the warmth, after being so cold, and no one was likely to shoot him now.

She nearly swore when Reno and Rude clattered down the stairs just as Barret pulled up in a borrowed car. She turned to them as Cloud climbed in.

Reno smirked at her. "You move fast," he drawled, winking at her. "The President was caught off-guard, and that doesn't happen often.

"Thank you for your help," she said. "And thank Rufus as well. I'm sure we'll see you around."

Reno laughed. "Probably," he said. Rude only nodded, and they watched her climb in. They hadn't moved when she checked behind her, just before turning the corner so that Healin was out of sight.

Cloud sighed, shifting his shoulders. "Thank you," he said quietly, and Tifa smiled.

"Any time."

The bar was closed, but that didn't stop Cid and Barret from putting together an impromptu welcome home party that only grew as others showed up to join in. Cloud stayed as long as he could, but he was already tired. Tifa found him in a chair leaning against the wall, asleep, and she recruited Barret and Cid to help her get him upstairs.

Cloud woke up in a familiar bed, a familiar warmth by his side, and felt the rest of his tension melt away. "I thought it was a dream," he murmured.

"I was starting to think so, too," Tifa said softly beside him. "Welcome home."

"Thanks," he said, turned to her, and nestled into the warmth she offered.

Advent Children Table | Challenge Main

Home | Stories | Links | Contact me