When You and I Collide

14) The Darkness

~Snow's POV~

"Hojo?" I raise an eyebrow, speaking up first after an awkward silence. "You mean that crazy scientist guy that you guys killed?"

"I see Avalanche has told you of their adventures," Reeve nods. "Yes, he was thought to be dead. Especially when Vincent practically gutted him." I glance nervously down at the crazy vampire man beside me and internally shudder. Creepy.

"How would he be alive then?" Tifa crosses her arms with a scowl.

"I didn't say he was. It's merely a theory. Who else has a fascination with things from other worlds as great as his? And to answer you question, Hojo enjoying creating clones, correct?" She nods skeptically. "We tested the remains only to find that Vincent, you merely defeated a clone of Hojo." Fang's green eyes meet mine and I shake my head. It's no use talking to him about it. He'll just clam up again.

"Hojo's alive then," Yuffie huffs, plopping onto the floor. "Great."

"I'm very sorry," Reeve shakes his head. "But about our theory... I need someone to tell me from the beginning what happened."

"I will," I speak up, surprising everyone. Reeve nods and starts walking to a closed door.

"Come with me then."

I follow him into the room with a small smile toward my friends and then shut the door.

"Please sit down," the robed man nods toward a chair in front of a desk I'm assuming is his. "Now, what exactly happened from beginning to end?"

"I guess... One night, me and my fiancé Serah got in a fight and she grabbed the keys to the car. I think she was gone for three hours before I finally called Light. She told me... That Serah had gotten into a car accident and died." I glad down at my lap where my balled up fists rest. Guilt fills me from the feelings I get around Tifa and I clench my jaw. I'm so sorry Serah. "I don't really remember what happened after that in detail, just that I ran. I ended up running all the way to the ocean shore where I could see Fang and Vanille trapped in the crystal... But none of this matters, sorry."

"No, actually it might help," he says with a small and friendly smile that urges me to go on.

"I think I fell asleep after that. Sazh woke me up and said something about going home. I'm not sure why everyone came to get me though. I just know that they were all there and then there was an earthquake or something and Fang and Vanille managed to break free. I was knock unconscious and then we woke up here."

"Do you have any idea how long you were out in the woods before you woke up?" Reeve looks down at his notes.

"No idea. Sorry that we won't have much information."

"You gave me more than I expected," he smiles. "And I'm very sorry about your fiancé, Snow."

"Me too," I look out the office window. I'm so sorry.

~|~|~|~|~

Tifa gives me a concerned look as I pick at my lunch. I'm not really hungry and it feels so wrong to be even thinking about her when my mind should be on Serah. I feel like I've been cheating on her or something, even though nothing has even happened between us. Fang scowls at everyone around her in this small café, on edge even as Vanille chats aimlessly with her. Vincent disappeared minutes after Reeve first mentioned Hojo and Cloud seems to be lost in space. Not even Tifa can get his attention.