AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Sigh I've gone and done it again! Got a new blast of inspiration and had to get it out there. Don't fret all my other stories are on their way up! For now please enjoy this little offering

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The young woman sobbed. Her heartbeat thundering inside her exposed chest, as her assailant approached slowly. His menacing silhouette seeming to absorb all the light in the alleyway.

"Please no, please," she begged him, her words almost lost by her sobs.

The attacker did not answer. He had already raped her, beaten her and she lay on the cold floor, clothing torn, bruised and bleeding.

"Please," she pleaded once more.

Not deigning to answer, he simply pulled out a small knife.

The last thing she saw was the faint light glinting off its silver blade.

XXX

Detective Cloud Strife was not happy. Though one might argue why the blonde haired detective had reason to be unhappy.

He was attractive, and at twenty five years of age, stable and independent. Few men could boast they had climbed the ranks in the SOLDIER division of the Midgar Police Force nearly as quickly as he had.

The most amazing thing about Detective Strife was not his achievements, not the fact that he had solved the Case of The Vanishing Cat, which had been a manic scam using a robotic cat to rob banks, nor that he was now considered one of the most reliable and reputable detectives in Midgar. It was the fact that he had settled down pretty early in life.

Detective Strife was the perfect family man. His pretty wife Aerith was as charming as could be and had already borne him two beautiful children. A pigeon pair consisting of his daughter Marlene, an intelligent little girl of four and Denzel, who had inherited his mothers curly brown hair. There were no marital issues, the couple was, by all appearances, the picture of love and happiness, just like the Stepford Wives.

Why then, did the young detective feel as if something was wrong? By all appearances he had achieved everything any man living in Midgar would want mostly. Steady income, loving wife, two beautiful children, what was missing.

He groaned as he ran a hand through his shock of messy blonde hair. To top everything off, his boss Lazard Deusericus was taking his own sweet time to show up.

After sitting in Detective Deusericus' office for what felt like an eternity, the man himself finally decided to show.

A handsome man with coifed blond hair that fell almost to his shoulders and bright blue eyes, first impressions went a long way and Lazard knew it.

"Detective Strife," Lazard greeted with a smile, extending his hand as the younger man stood up.

"Boss man," Cloud returned with a smile.

"I would just like to congratulate you on cracking the case," Lazard said. "I'm damn lucky to have you Strife."

"I'm the one who's lucky for being given that assigment," Cloud replied.

That's what it was all the time. Exhanging wooden pleasantaries. Neither of them meant it, but it was a formality that had to be observed.

"Well, take the rest of the day off, take a week while you're at it," Lazard said with a smile.

"Thank you sir," Cloud replied, before walking out. "But I doubt its necessary, I can be back for work tomorrow."

"Nonsense Strife," Lazard replied. "The media is gonna be in a frenzy now that you've solved the case that had us going for nearly six months! Take a vacation, go somewhere abroad!"

"Sir, that would-"

"Not another word Strife, just get your ass outta my office and outta my station," Lazard cut across him with another smile.

"Thank you sir," Cloud replied, knowing it would be pointless to argue.

Taking his leave the detective walked out of Lazard's office.

"So, riding on the waves of global domination, huh Spikey," came an annoying sneer.

Turning Cloud spoke. "Fuck you Reno," without flinching.

The red-headed detective simply laughed at him.

Despite being polar opposites personality-wise, Reno was one of the few people Cloud could comfortably refer to as a friend.

"Drinks after work?" Reno suggested.

"Work's over now," Cloud replied. "I got the week off!"

"Lucky bastard," Reno chuckled. "Well I guess I'm off for the week too!"

"Say what?"

"Hey I'm your partner, you can't function without me and vice-versa. And I was on that robotic cat case too, so I deserve a break!" Reno answered incorrigibly.

"Deasericus is gonna have a seizure," Cloud said.

"He should be used to me by now."

"Full of it today aren't you?"

"When aren't I?" Reno laughed, quirking an eyebrow. "So then let's go for a drink now!"

"Aerith's probably waiting for me at home," Cloud said tersely.

"Screw her!" Reno laughed. "Obviously after we hit the bar," he amended.

"You're the only one who has a dirty mind Reno," Cloud replied.

"Go have no fun somewhere else," Reno rolled his eyes. "C'mon Spike its just a couple of drinks!"

"Tch, fine."

XXX

"So why don't you wanna go home Cloud?"

Reno, after much alcohol and banter, finally decided to ask the question that had been bugging him for a long time. For someone who had shown such reluctance to come in the first place, Cloud sure didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.

"Who said I don't?" Cloud asked. He was a little tipsy already by Reno's reckoning.

"No one said it, but we both know it," Reno said with uncharacteristic seriousness. It was weird how their usual roles reversed under intoxication. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing's happened," Cloud replied. He was silent for a while before he spoke again. "Aerith is going to have another baby."

"Wow that's great news!" Reno said jovially. "Number three! Dammit Cloud! If I were you I'd be home this very instant!"

"Yeah," Cloud said indifferently.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not too excited?"

"I am, don't get me wrong its just..." Cloud took another chug at his beer. "Well what's the fucking point?"

"Uhm shouldn't you be asking this like four years ago? Y'know when you had the first one?" Reno asked curiously.

"No not that dumbass!" Cloud snapped. "I mean about my life! Everyday its the same thing. I've gotten...bored of everything. Same routine. Wake up for work, slave away for Deusericus for eight hours, go home, eat, have meaningless chit-chat and then bed!"

"Oohhh so that's what this is about," Reno said dismissively. "At twenty five, you're probably the youngest guy to have a mid-life crisis!"

"That's not it!" Cloud snapped. "I just...wish something would change, to shake things up!"

"Cheat on Aerith and you'll have me to deal with buddy," Reno said seriously.

Before Cloud could reply, his phone rang. Aerith.

"What is it with you and not answering the phone?" Reno demanded, as Cloud set it on the table.

Rather than argue, Cloud rolled his eyes and answered his wife's call. "Hey baby whatsup?"

"Hey Cloud!" Aerith's bright voice came through the receiver. "Just wondering what you up to?"

Cloud gave Reno an uneasy glance. "Just out for a couple of drinks with Reno."

"Isn't it a little early for that? What about work?" She sounded shocked.

Damn here comes the nagging.

"Cloud..."

"I got the rest of the week off this morning," Cloud started.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Aerith demanded.

"I was just about to," Cloud replied. "I'll be home in a few okay?"

"Okay, don't take too long okay baby?"

"Got it," Cloud replied before shaking his head and snapping the phone shut.

"Well then off with you!" Reno said, frog marching Cloud off, slapping a couple of notes for the drinks on the counter.

"Since when are you the responsible one?" Cloud demanded.

XXX

Dinner had been a pleasant affair with Aerith happily chatting away about the day's happenings. Cloud had long ago mastered the art of grunting in appropriate places without actually listening to a single word his wife had said.

Marlene was growing up far too quickly for Cloud. She was already attending kindergarden where her teachers repeatedly assured Cloud and Aerith of her intelligence.

As if he didn't already know that! Marlene had read back to him a story-book on memory!

"So now that you're on a paid time-out, I was hoping we could actually do something tomorrow!" Aerith said happily.

"Yeah dad!" Marlene chirped.

"Why not," Cloud replied with a warm smile. "What do you guys want to do?"

"We could go to the movies-"

"I want to go to the zoo!" Denzel interupted.

"Movies!"

"Zoo!"

"Okay, okay, calm down both of you!" Cloud hastily said, as Aerith laughed. Cloud had now gone into "daddy mode". "We have the whole week, so we'll go to the movies tomorrow, and visit the zoo day after, okay?"

Both children seemed happy with the arrangement until Denzel realised something of extreme importance.

"How come we do what Marlene wants first?" He demanded.

Cloud groaned as Aerith laughed.