A Time for Thought. (Open)

[Cloud Strife]

Cloud walked through the calm forest. He needed a break from the world. To clear his mind. It was dark, slightly cold, and quite. He didn't mind though. He preferred it this way. He hated the heat. He didn't know why. He just did. Cloud had just woken up after sleeping his 'normal' 3 hours. So the time was probably about 5 in the morning right now.

Cloud didn't expect anyone to be up at this time. Most people slept till at least 6. Nor would anyone have a reason to be in this forest. But, Cloud wasn't anti-social in the least. He had no problem talking to anyone. He just wanted to walk in the night air. It was one of his favorite things to do.

He walked along the bank of the river. The sound of the stream really calmed his nerves. His northern uniform shifted a little with each step he took. The black clothes probably hid him. However, his light, spiked, blonde hair definitely made him stand out. As well as the large sword on his back that clanked in its sheath as he walked. It wasn't loud though, just enough to hear it. Cloud listened to the sounds of the quite forest.

He had left his motorcycle, Fenrir back at his place at the northern base. He hadn't thought he would need it. Zombies tended to stay where people did, not out in the forest. It wouldn't have mattered though. He was a Lieutenant. Cloud's fighting skills were top notch. There was no way he would lose to a bunch of mindless piles of rotten flesh. He was very confident in his skills. This was the reason he preferred a broad sword over a gun. His belief was that it took more skill to handle a sword than to simply point a gun. You didn't need to worry about running out of ammo that way, either.

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Outfit

Annaliese “Leice” Kilroy was running for her life. Almost literally. The grunts chasing her were military grunts, and they terrified her. She had a right to be terrified of them. They’d been sneaking around in the refugee camp she’d decided to crash for the night. She found them after she’d come back from taking a piss, poking through what little she possessed. She’d tried to sneak around them, hoping they wouldn’t see her in the flickering light of the campfire. She had good reason to not let them see her. As the daughter of a publicly executed “terrorist”, saying that she was disliked by the Northern Army was an understatement. Even though it’d been ten years since her father’s death, he was still hated, and every terrorist since then, real or not, had been somehow connected to him by the Government. She was only fortunate enough that the last time the public eye had a good look at her had been ten years ago, at the death of her father. And she sure had changed quite a bit since then. Not only had she grown taller and bustier, but she’d grown her hair into dreads, to make it more manageable for her current lifestyle. And even though the features on her face had sharpened, they were still recognizable, along with her almost permanent scowl.

The grunts had heard her, though, and when they’d turned on her, she ran. They, of course, chased after her, not even knowing who she was, but the instinct of the chase was in them. Leice knew she was stupid to just have gone and kicked and started running. She knew better than that. But so see them poking through her stuff, it sent her over into fear and turned her into nothing better than a rabbit. And now she was a little rabbit being chased down by the hounds. Adrenalin pumped through her veins as the landscape became more uneven and the trees became more frequent. Not that it mattered though. Leice still didn’t know where the hell she was, nor did she care. All she wanted to do was lose those guys before they caught her, or before she ran out of strength to keep running.

Leice splashed through a river, not caring as the water seeped in through her boots and clothing and into her skin, down to her bones. Her blood was pounding in her ears, and she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. Which led her straight into a very tall, blonde-haired man. She ran into him, and the effect was similar to running into a brick wall. Her thin, wiry body bounced off the man, sending her spiraling to the ground, She sat up slowly, trying to regain herself. Looking up at the man, she froze in fear. She recognized his uniform as that of a Lieutenant, and worse, as a Lieutenant of the North. Talk about going out of the oven and into the frying pan. She pulled herself away from the man, not able to stand yet, as she heard the grunts splash through the river behind her. Now she was stuck between a rock and a hard place

[Cloud Strife]

The silence of the forest was broken by the sound of running. Who was up at this time of the morning? The sound changed to water splashing. Cloud stopped in his tracks to look at the river not far from where he was standing. A girl was headed straight for him. He didn't have time to move. The girl ran smack into him. He staggered a little, looking down to see the girl on the ground. Before he could say something, the river splashed again. His blue eyes moved to the river once more. Now what? It was a few grunts, dressed in northern uniforms. His men. What were they doing chasing a girl for?

"Halt! Shouted one of the men. They pointed their guns at her. Cloud stepped forth ward a little. "Stand down! What's going on here?" He asked in a firm voice. The grunts seemed surprised. Like they hadn't noticed him. The guns dropped to the ground. "Sir? The one started. "This girl took off running like she had something to hide. Other one spoke up. He seemed unsure of himself. "Is that... the terrorist's daughter?"

"Well, well. Looks like we were right to chase you." The first one grinned. He looked like the cat who caught the rat. The guns came back up to the girl. Cloud unsheathed his blade and laid it in front of the girl at his feet, only a few inches from touching her. "I'll take it from here. Return to base." The grunts seemed confused. "But, Sir, we...." The one continued. Cloud's face turned to a scowl. "You disobeying a direct order?" He threatened. The group looked scared. "No, Sir. Let's go" The group headed out.

After they had left, Cloud stepped away from the girl. He held his sword in his right, hand but the tip was on the ground.

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Leice gaped up at the tall blonde man as he looked down at her She noticed how startling his blue eyes were, and just before he was about to say something, the grunts came splashing behind her Leice jumped, jerking her head around to see them all point their guns at her. She was ready to pass out, as girlish as it sounded. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten herself into this mess. Now she was right back where she’d been three years ago, about to be pulled away from her dead siblings off the field of battle. Except then, she’d been bawling her eyes out and screaming and kicking at whoever touched her. They still somehow got her into chains and made her a POW.

Leice listened intently to the conversation that carried between the grunts and the Lieutenant, who obviously had reign over them. The guns came down as the blonde man addressed his men. One of the grunts explained how she took off running. Leice turned her gaze to the ground, slightly ashamed of herself. She knew better. Then another made a comment that made her blood freeze.

”Is that… the terrorist’s daughter?”

She wanted to jump up and strangle the young man that had said it. She wanted to scream that her father wasn’t a terrorist. But she was frozen, looking straight ahead. She didn’t hear what the next man had said, but the tone of his voice terrified her. She felt violated just from the tone of his voice. She shut her eyes, pushing the bad thoughts out of her mind. When she opened her eyes, she jumped to see that the blonde man had unsheathed and very large sword, probably as wide as she was, and was resting it only a few inches from her. She threw a look of disbelief towards the man. Honestly, if she was going to die, she would rather have had it by guns. Those were quick. A sword… that would be painful. ”I’ll take it from here. Return to base.” the blonde man ordered his men. They argued for a small bit, but eventually, the grunts left.

Once they were alone, the blonde man stepped away from her. He didn’t sheath his sword, but he rested the tip on the ground next to her. She quickly looked at the situation. As a Lieutenant, he had to be strong, especially as a Lieutenant of the North. Which meant he knew how to wield his huge-ass sword. On the other hand, that sword was huge, and it had to weigh a lot. The man was well-muscled, but she didn’t think he had the muscles to swing that thing with perfect ease. The easiest cut would’ve been a down swing, maximizing gravity’s pull to make it a powerful death-blow. But that would be an easy attack to read. Every other attack would be slower, easy to dodge. And she had a gun. Leice glared up at the man, still not trusting her legs enough to stand. ”You think you can take care of ‘me’?” she snarled at him. ”You’s think I’d be that easy to get rid of? Lemme tell ya, I’m not!” She was jabbering away, her nerves getting to her. Goddammit, she sounded like a little chiquita that had to depend on others to take care of her.

[Cloud Strife]

Cloud waited for the girl to stand up, instead she snapped at him on the ground. "You think you can take care of ‘me’? You’s think I’d be that easy to get rid of? Lemme tell ya, I’m not!” Really? She thought she was so terrifying sitting on the ground? Maybe if she stood up, she could be considered a threat. But sitting on the ground? Not a chance.

He sighed. With his left hand he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Is that how you treat the man who just saved your life?" He asked letting go. Cloud really didn't care. She was a civilian, even if she was that man's daughter. He had no reason to hurt a civilian.Besides you can't choose who your parents are. She was not responsible for what he had done. "Whatever. Just go." He motioned with his left hand as the right place the sword on its spot on his back.

He pocketed his hands and lowered his head. The blue eyes fell closed. Without another word, Cloud continued down his path. So much for a quite walk. He complained to himself. His pace wasn't fast but it wasn't slow either. He could always rub some dirt on his uniform and face, maybe even some blood on his sword from an animal. They wouldn't check it. They had no reason not to believe him. Besides he was a lieutenant, not a lot of people had the authority to accuse him of stuff.

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Leice knew that she seemed hardly a threat on the ground, but the thing was, she could barely stand. Her legs were calling time out after all that running. The blonde man sighed, then grabbed her arm, pulling her up. Instincts too over and she immediately slapped him as hard as she could with her free hand across the cheek. She was beside herself when she recognized what she’d done. She, a civilian, had slapped a Northern Lieutenant. And she wasn’t just any civilian. She was her father’s only surviving daughter! Yeah, she’d dreamed many times of doing so, but of doing so when she had the upper hand! Not now, when he held her life in his own hands! She jerked her arm out of his grip, glaring harshly at him. ”Don’t touch me!” Leice hissed, backing away.

”Is that how you treat the man who just saved your life?’

The man asked her, his voice showing how little he really cared towards how she acted. That only made her retaliate more. ”I’ll treat you however I damn well please, you army rat!” Leice snapped at him, emphasizing her words with a well-aimed spit at his boots. The man sighed, turning his back to her and walking away. Leice stood, shocked. This Lieutenant had to be dumb! Who the hell turned their backs on anyone in this kind of world! She ran after him, grabbing his arm, trying to force him to look at her. ”How dare you turn your fucking back on me like that!” she screamed. It didn’t matter what he’d just done, he had insulted her. She glared up at him, waiting for an answer.

[Cloud Strife]

The girl grabbed his arm, pulling it to turn him around. "How dare you turn your fucking back on me like that!” She screamed. Cloud stopped and sighed. What more did this girl want? He saved her and was leaving. He hadn't hurt her or at least hadn't try too. But all she had done was slap and scream at him. Why would he want to stay for that? "What do you want from me? Go, before someone else comes here. I might not be able to save you again. I have my orders too you know." He advised pulling away from her. His blue eyes matched her glare, but he was only turned half way. "I have no reason to turn you in or kill you. Well, maybe now I do." He added rubbing the growing red cheek of his. It was a pretty good hit. He had is fair share of injuries, but he had to hand it to her. She hit hard.

"Just get out of here." Cloud step forward. His back on the girl once more. "Your welcome by the way." He really didn't show much emotion in his voice. Fighting a civilian was the last thing on his mind, especially a girl. It was a few hours before he would need to head back to base himself and he didn't want to waste that time with a dumb girl who only wanted to insult him. Though, not being swooned over was nice change. He had to admit, but he could do without the threats. They just annoyed him.

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Leice glared at him. She was beginning to hate his calm attitude, and how he acted liked she now owed him. Well, technically, she did. He’d saved her ass. But that was besides the point! His cool demeanor was bugging her. He didn’t care who she was, although a part of her was in surprised relief. It was a big change for her, for someone not to care that she was a Kilroy, most of all the last daughter of Mr. Kilroy. She was used to her fellow refugees trying to turn her in for a pretty penny once they figured out who she was. She was used to running from all of them all of it.

”I have no reason to turn you in or kill you. Well, maybe now I do.”

The man rubbed his cheek where she’d just slapped him. Leice snorted. ”Like hell, you would,” she grumbled, scuffing the toe of her boot into the ground. Her curiosity began to rise. Why the hell hadn’t he decided to turn her in, like his men had been planning on doing? He would’ve been paid pretty nicely, and he might’ve even been raised to a higher position, and wasn’t that what every army rat wanted? Looking at his blonde hair, she had a sudden ache in her belly that made her sick. She wanted to cry, and she couldn’t figure out why until images of her brother and sister, Aaron and Amanda, flashed through her head. She didn’t know why she was thinking of them all of a sudden. She thought of her whole family every day, but it usually wasn’t this painful to remember anymore.

”Why are you letting me go?” Leice questioned, trying to catch his eyes. ”Your higher-ups would love you for it, if you turned in the last Kilroy,” She had no idea why she was telling him this, but she needed to know. It was killing her to see that not all army rats were greedy little ladder climbers.

[Cloud Strife]

"Why are you letting me go? Your higher-ups would love you for it, if you turned in the last Kilroy.” The girl questioned. He half-turned back to her. She seemed in pain looking at him. If she was so pained to see him, why wasn't she letting him go? Then again she did look familiar, not just because he knew who she was.

"Like I said, I have no reason too. No one can choose who their parents are. Just because your father was an enemy of the north, doesn't make you one." He answered stepping all the way around to face her. "As for my higher-ups, I could care less whether they 'loved me' or not. I got this position for doing my job, not sucking up. And its my job in the war to protect those who need it, not for my own personal gain."

He placed a fist on his hip. "If you really want to get turned in, find someone else. I'm not interested." He waved away. She was persistent. But she looked so scared when she ran into him, why wasn't she taking this chance to escape? Didn't she want to to free? Woman. Cloud just didn't understand them. They never seemed satisfied with what they got. He moved his other hand through his hair and looked at the sky. Things never were as simple as he hoped for. A sigh fell from his lips. Was she going to leave him alone now? He had answered her. What other reason did he have for staying here? "Is that all, Miss Kilroy?

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Leice closed her eyes as she listened to the man talk. She was surprised to find that he did not call her father a terrorist. That seemed to be all people referred to him as, “The Terrorist”. It hurt her to hear those words, and it also made her want to hurt the people that called her father that. She wanted to strangle them, punch them in the gut, make them feel the pain she felt at those words. So hearing ‘enemy of the north’ was a welcome change. But she refused to let him know the relief she felt at the change of words.

”Is that all, Miss Kilroy?”

Lecie looked up at him, shocked. Where had she heard that voice before? She was sure she had heard it before. Where, though? Memories of her time spent as a POW flashed across her eyes, and the night she’d escaped… No, she hadn’t escaped alone. Someone had helped her. A blonde man with shocking blue eyes. Lecie’s had flew to her mouth. She backed up into a tree, using it to support herself.

”You… I know you…” Images flashed across her mind again, this time from the death of her siblings. The same man had pulled her off the field. That same man, she’d always assumed killed her brother and sister. ”You killed my siblings! You were the one that pulled me away from them!” Leice hadn’t realized that she’d started screaming. Now she was scared again. This man, this man had killed the last of her family, had taken her hostage, and then, for some damn odd reason, had set her free. And now, after three years, he was saving her life?!

[Cloud Strife]

Suddenly, the girl freaked out and backed into a tree. Cloud gave a confused look. What was her deal? All he said was, "Is that all, Miss Kilroy?" Why had that freaked her out? Now if he said, "I'm going to kill you." That would make sense for her to freak out. "What's wrong?" He questioned. The girl was so demanding and cocky a second ago. What happened?

"You… I know you…You killed my siblings! You were the one that pulled me away from them!” She started screaming. He winced at the loudness of her voice, it started him for a second. Was she trying to call attention to anyone else in the area? His face became angry. "Will you quite down? Or do you want someone else to show up?" Blue eyes caught the fear in the girl. His face softened. What did she say? Killed her siblings? Then it hit him. He knew why she was familiar. That day played in his mind. The two girls who surrendered, when one of his friends ran to them. Their commander ordered the lot dead. He, however, hadn't followed the order. One reason because he didn't have a gun. The second was because he couldn't kill his friend or two woman who were surrendering. That's why he went and got her, to save her.

His eyes closed. She was wrong. But how could he prove it? "Yes. That was me. However, I didn't kill anyone that day." His blue eyes looked at her. "Aaron was a friend of mine. He even saved my life once. He had mentioned having two sisters and he didn't know where they were or if they were alive. Seeing him run to two girls set on surrendering, I knew it had to be the sisters he missed. That is the reason I saved you, to pay him back." Cloud was sincere in his words. He really did miss his old friend.

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Leice shook her head in disbelief, feeling the back of the tree press into her skin. She shook her head, shutting her eyes tight. She wanted out of there, out of that place. She should’ve left when he’d given her the chance, but now that he recognized her, he’d probably turn her in. She was sure he hadn’t gotten off lightly when he’d let her escape. She tried to shut out what he said, but it still came through loud and clear.

”Aaron was a friend of mine. He even saved my life once.”

Leice sank to the ground pulling her knees to her chest, hands gripping her ears. ”No, no, no… she whispered, a mantra against the man’s words. It couldn’t be true. Aaron had hated the North and all it stood for. He had hated it even more than Leice hated it. There was no way he’d become friends with someone in the army, much less save one’s life!

”He had mentioned having sisters… Seeing him run to two girls set on surrendering, I knew it had to be the sisters he missed. That was the reason I saved you…”

Leice’s thoughts stopped for a moment. Aaron… had told this man about Amanda and her? What had he seen in him that made Aaron trust him so much? Her brother had never been one for trusting, not since the death of their father. Did those three years alone change him so much. Leice looked up at the blonde man. What was he, that he could’ve had such an effect on her unwavering brother. Leice’s face softened.

”What… what did he tell you… about us?” she asked hesitantly, quickly wiping away the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes in her moment of fear. ”And… why did you let me go… then, I mean?” she added.

[Cloud Strife]

The girl pressed against the tree as he spoke. His words seemed to tear her apart. She even started crying. He felt bad for her. Cloud never intended to hurt her, physically or emotionally. Then the strong woman side started to come back just a little. "What… what did he tell you… about us? And… why did you let me go… then, I mean?” Cloud took his sword off his back and stabbed it in the ground next to a large rock, so he could sit down. Obviously, he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"Not much. Just said he had two sisters and he really missed them. He never told me any names. As for letting you go then, the reason was to repay him. The reason now was because I saw a pathetic girl who needed help." Cloud deliberately tried to get her mad to bring that fighting spirit in her back. He hated seeing girls cry, even if they annoyed him.

He gave a small laugh. "Aaron gave me hell for the first few months, though. We were on the same squad and the two youngest on it. So naturally I tried to befriend him. It took a good 4 1/2 months of trying before he even started to listen to me." Cloud was looking at the ground as he spoke. He really did miss his old friend. If only he had waited that day, Cloud would have gladly helped the 3 of them escape. "I was the only one he'd talk too. Man, the trouble we got in together." His hand traveled through the blonde mess again, followed by a sigh. Thoughts of the two of them went through his head. Cloud shook his head in an attempt to shake them out. Now wasn't the time to reminisce about it.

[Annaliese LEICE Kilroy]

Lecie hid her face in her hands, trying to keep her laugh hidden. Of course her brother wouldn’t have shared names with anyone. She didn’t care what that man said, even if he and her brother had been friends… Her brother never would’ve let anyone know who his sisters were. He was just like that. Once she gathered herself together, she wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. She looked at the man inquisitively, trying to read him. Unfortunately for her, he was good at wearing the funeral-mask that the French were famous for.

”The reason now was because I saw a pathetic girl who needed help.”

”Hey!” Leice cried out. She picked up a rock, throwing it in his general direction, but not making an effort to hit him. She slumped back against a tree, crossing her arms. ”I would’ve been fine if you hadn’t gotten in the way…” she grumbled, loud enough for him to hear. The man went on, telling her about the first few months he spent with Aaron. She couldn’t hold back a laugh. She and Amanda used to joke about how Aaron had to be making someone’s life hell. She was glad to hear he had been successful in that. She began to wonder how much trouble his beliefs had probably gotten him into. Speaking out for their father, his ideals, must’ve caused him lots of pain. She shut her eyes, quietly hitting her head against her knees. She missed them all much too much.

”I was the only one he’d talk to. Man, the trouble we got in together.”

Lecie lifted her head up, expecting a laugh. Instead, the man ran his hand through his hair, following it with a sigh. She wondered what made him act so upon remembering Aaron. She lifted a brow, tilting her head to the side. Was he upset that he’d aligned himself with her brother, or did he not wish to remember, because it was painful? Then she remembered that she didn’t know his name. ”I think this is a bit unfair,” Leice began, ”That you know so much about my brother, and I know nothing about you.” She said, hinting for his name. Like she was just going to come out and ask for it.

[Cloud Strife]

"Hey! I would’ve been fine if you hadn’t gotten in the way…” The woman snapped and through a rock at him. Cloud laughed. There was the attitude again. He moved slightly to avoid the badly thrown rock. She either had bad aim or wasn't really trying. Why was he wasting his time talking to this fugitive girl? If someone saw them he could get in a load of trouble.

”I think this is a bit unfair. That you know so much about my brother, and I know nothing about you.” The brunette started. Cloud's blue eyes looked up at her. "I suppose your right." He looked back at the ground. "My name is Cloud Strife. You probably guessed that I'm a Lieutenant of the North."

Cloud looked back at his companion for the moment. "Anything else you want to know, Miss Kilroy?" He was fairly formal. Well that and he didn't know her first name.

He looked up to the sky. The clouds moved slowly as the sun came up. It would be getting hot soon. He shrugged at the thought. He hated the heat. Maybe that was the reason he liked to walk at night. It was always cool. He needed to get back to the base. Cloud stood up swinging the large sword on his back. "I'm sorry. I really need to get going. I suggest you don't follow me unless you want to spend the rest of your life in a cell. I can help you out here but not at the base." He started to walk off, but half turned around to salute to her and say. "See ya!