Tifa didn't bring it up. She didn't want to anger him further. He was up there, looming down on them like a hawk. His clawed hand covering the side of his face and the other holding onto the metal chain that was rocking gently under his weight.

Tifa looked to the other wall. She could see his shadow. The outline of the man silhouetted on the wall of gothic paintings. Surely Rufus would notice him. She held her breath, trying not attract his attention. One false move and he might lose it again; strike her again. She couldn't risk it. Perhaps Vincent could help her. She had been able to trust him before and relied on him in bad times. He had been with her, been with the whole group, when they fought Sephiroth and Shinra. But she was never quite sure where his allegiance lied.

Rufus tugged again at Tifa's wrist.

"Come on, hurry up," he said, his expression as cold as ice. "Look you're safe here. I'm not going to hurt you, not going to rape you, it's just part of a larger plan. You'll see that soon."

"What plan?" Tifa cried. "You bastard!" She touched the bruise on her cheek. It still hurt. "You can't hit me and then tell me I'm safe. I don't believe anything you say anymore."

Rufus tried to remain calm. He fought back his instinctive rage which would have seen him grab Tifa again, maybe harder, maybe by the throat.

"Look, you don't have any choice but to trust me. What other options do you have?"

"I'd rather die!"

Rufus fell silent. He realised she was serious and that she had been planning to kill herself the whole time and maybe, if left unguarded, she would try to do it again.

"I'm not going to let that happen. You're not going to die here, I promise you that and neither am I. I know I haven't exactly been upfront with you about our plans. But in a short while, you'll see. Shinra will rule once again. The people will accept us. We just need to give them a reason to."

Tifa struggled in his grip. She pulled back as hard as she could. That was a dumb move. Pain shot through her wrist as Rufus was too heavy for her to move. He yanked her back and her head slammed into his chest. Rufus looked down at Tifa and the blood stained towel around her wrist. He pitied her. She looked so afraid, shivering in his arms.

There they were in their underwear. Rufus with both arms wrapped tightly around Tifa's upper body. She couldn't budge her arms an inch. His biceps seemed stronger than any rope. Tifa seemed so small in comparison to Rufus and he held her like a child. She was a good six inches shorter and at least sixty pounds lighter. She was simply engulfed in his embrace. Trapped like an insect. Rufus didn't even break a sweat restraining her.

There is a way out.

It was that voice. It came from deep within. That deep booming voice. It was one she instantly recognised. She looked up at chandelier, still rocking gently. But Vincent was gone.

There is a way out.

The voice ran through her mind again. But there was no way out. She was trapped. Vincent was gone. There was no help.

Tifa squirmed again hoping something would give. Maybe Rufus would stop concentrating or he would weaken. No such luck, it was just her who weakened. Struggling against his muscular body, pushing and wriggling to break free. Her strength didn't last long. Rufus, not even using his full strength. just contracted his deltoids and pecs and with his arms encircling her, squeezed like an anaconda until breath started to leave her body.

When Tifa stopped struggling, Rufus relaxed his hold too.

"Stop it Tifa! You know how easy it would be to knock you out with a chop to the neck or a blow to the back of the head. Don't fight me anymore, ok?"

Tifa was silent. Rufus shook her violently. He was losing his temper again.

"Do you understand me?" he shouted.

"Yes, I understand. You win, Rufus. Now release me."

Rufus didn't loosen his grasp on her. He didn't believe that she would try to get away. He held her up against him. He liked the feeling of her soft body, and her large breasts pressed against his hard body. Tifa was still shaking, looking disorientated, looking like she could faint at any moment. He hadn't fed her enough. She looked much skinnier now and pale. Her feet were practically off the floor as he held her the same way a child would hug a teddybear.

"You look pretty faint, Tifa, you should rest. If you struggle again, you'll swoon. "

Tifa agreed. Her throat felt raspy and dry.

"Water," she said, her words barely audible, her body melting, oozing down Rufus' clutches. Limply letting her head flop back, her eyes began to close.

"Water? You got it!"

He knew he had been treating her badly. He had meant to keep her safe. All the champagne she had drunk had dehydrated her and she had barely eaten at all. Her body was weak. That's why her struggles felt so pathetic and he overpowered her with such ease.

"Water," Tifa called out again, hoping the words might spring some kind of emotion from Rufus' stoic face.

He turned to guide Tifa in the other direction. He was going to take her back to his room. The washroom was there. He could give her a couple of glasses until she regained her strength. He tried to pull Tifa along with him but he soon realised that Tifa's body was limp and languid. Her feet dragging along the floor - she was dead weight.

Rufus looked at Tifa, concerned. Her eyes were rolling up into the back of her head, exposing the white of her eyes and her body shaking, looking like was having some kind of convulsion.

"Come on, Tifa, you're not going to die yet."

He put her right arm around his neck and hauled her up, supporting her lower back with his left hand. He walked with her like he was helping a drunk friend home, her body swaying, barely able to support itself. He walked like that for just a few seconds before her head flopped back, dangerously so. She could have suffered whiplash or swallowed her tongue. He couldn't let that happen.

Rufus rested Tifa's head on his shoulder. He looked down again, her eyes now closed. Damn bitch, you actually fainted. His conscience weighed heavy, much heavier than the weight he now actually carried. It pressed down his heart. The feeling of guilt, he couldn't escape it. Damn bitch, actually fainted. She might die. Not here. Please not here.

"We don't have time for games Tifa! Gotta move fast!"

It was much too slow dragging her along with her, he had no other choice. Rufus reached down and scooped Tifa up, cradling her unconscious body in his arms. Tiny droplets of blood still seeped from her wrist. Rufus moved quickly. The girl was as light as a feather, like a tiny porcelain doll. Rufus carried Tifa back along the main corridor. Stopping only once when he noticed the painting of Vincent Valentine on the wall. He hadn't seen it before, it was all just background. Rufus hated the whole place and didn't like looking around. He suspected it was haunted.

Rufus only looked at the painting for a moment, his attention soon changing to the lifeless girl in his arms. Don't die, you bitch, he thought again. Rufus carried Tifa into his room and sat her on the bed, propping her up using a large pillow against the headboard.

He immediately shot up and grabbed an empty glass on the dresser, he went to washroom, turned the small tap in the wash basin and filled the glass to the top. He went back to Tifa, her head now lopped to one side. He set her straight again and held the glass to her lips.

"Drink this," he whispered.

Rufus slowly poured the water across her lips, some of it spilling onto the bedsheets mixing with the blood from her wrist. Rufus slapped her face lightly trying to wake her up.

No response.

He inspected her face more closely. He saw the bruise on her cheek. It was black and purple, a real shiner. He saw the damage he'd done. Another wave of guilt pressed down on his heart. He had really hurt her. He had hurt her so easily. She was like a delicate flower, not to be mistreated.

"I'm sorry, Tifa," he said, tilting the glass to her lips one more time. He wanted her to bloom one more time. Just open your eyes, please. I'm sorry about everything. I promise I'll let you go, you'll be free. Just please don't die here. This is not what I planned. Rufus thoughts consumed him. He couldn't focus. He shook her again, more violently this time.

"Wake up, damn it!"

His temper was getting to him. He stroked her cheek and tears began to form in the corner of his eyes. Then her eyelids began to flicker. She's not dead, thank god. Some movement. A twitch of her shoulders, just an involuntary reaction but at least it was something. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Rufus put the glass to her lips again and she started to drink by herself. He could she her throat moving as she gulped down the liquid. Soon the glass was empty and Rufus found himself racing to washroom to fill it up again. He came back as soon as he could. Tifa's eyes were still closed and without Rufus there to support her, her body fell to one side.

Rufus sat her up and forced her to take a sip of the water. Tifa's eyes flickered again, but only the whites, the pupils were still rolled back. Her body then shook suddenly like a bolt of electricity had just passed through her. Her eyes sprung open and she was instantly wide awake.

"Tifa! You're back!"

"Water!" she cried out again.

Rufus fumbled around with his glass before putting it to Tifa's lips. This time she took long, voluntary gulps. She needed every drop. The water washing down her throat, washing away the tingling feeling she had. Just to have water felt like heaven, like the best orgasm she'd ever experienced. Just pure ecstasy. The endorphins ran through her brain as she took gulp after gulp of water. She asked Rufus for one more glass. He obliged. She took the glass from him this time, able to hold it by herself. Using both hands, she held the glass and drank the water before handing the glass back to Rufus. Her dryness now gone. Her throat felt like an ocean.

"Thank you," she said, wiping away some of the water that had dripped down her chin. Then she felt the pain, it was now a dull aching in her wrist.

"Are you ok?" Rufus asked, sitting down beside her, r unning a hand through her hair.

"I don't know what happened. I must have just blacked out back there."

"You really scared me. We need to get you a proper bandage for your wrist. I think I might have something, just wait there."

He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. He had been reckless and impulsive just dragging her off being tending to her wound first. His conscience weighed on him again - a five hundred pound block crushing his soul.

Rufus rummaged around in the cabinet above the sink. He found various medical items. Some ointment, band aids, pincers and in the corner was ball of bandage. He took it out and brought it to Tifa. She seemed much more awake now, able to sit up on her own and was just quiet and seemed relaxed.

Rufus wrapped the bandage around her wrist. It matched the one on her ankle. She was beginning to look a bit like a crash test dummy.

"Can you stand?" Rufus asked, putting an arm around her.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine."

Rufus knew she wasn't fine. She was just stubborn. He liked that about her.

Rufus found her clothes scattered on the floor. He went over and picked them up, his black skirt, white vest and braces. He tossed them to her. She smiled seeing that was still in her underwear.

Tifa regained some strength and raised her body until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. She slipped on her skirt and put on the tight white vest clipping on her braces.

Rufus then realised he looked ridiculous in his blue and white striped boxer shorts. He found his white suit draped over the chair next to the dresser. He dressed, brushing his hair back and turned to Tifa.

She had already dressed and was standing.

"See?" she said. "I can stand, no problem."

He was glad to see she was in such high spirits. For the first time, she didn't look angry or scared.

"I'm sorry about what happened."

"That's ok. We all make mistakes. Accidents can happen. I just want to go home."

"I'll take you home. We just have to wait for the radiation to clear up. It's not safe yet."

"I understand. But please as soon as it's safe, let me go."

"I promise."

Rufus felt good inside. This was the best conversation he had with her. He just had to make sure things stayed that way and maybe she could eventually start to love him. It wasn't completely out of the question. He knew all about Stockholm Syndrome, how captives fell for their captors. It was only natural. There was no one else left to trust. Tifa had gone through all the normal stages - fear, anger, denial. Now was acceptance. Accepting her fate as his captive.

Rufus extended his hand and she took it as he helped her to his feet.

"Ready? We'll just go back to your room."

It crossed Tifa's mind that he planned to take her back to her room and tie her up again, possibly torture her. Still she accepted the gesture. She didn't have a choice. Her legs were still a little wobbly at first and she fell into Rufus. Rufus was ready to carry her again at a moment's notice, but Tifa refused and pushed him away. This time Rufus let her walk by herself. He watched her making sure her steps were steady. He followed closely behind.

They walked down the long corridor back to the room where he had kept her. He always referred to that as Tifa's room. It was far from a place she wanted to be though. It wasn't a place where she could relax and rest easy. It was small dark pit, filled with nightmares and pain. Being alone. The room is what she feared the most.

Still she walked with him, unresisting. Her ankle rolled as she walked, she fell into him again. He smiled.

"Are you sure you can walk?"

Tifa nodded in reassurance.

Rufus let her walk but put an arm around her shoulders to support her. Tifa was suddenly finding herself melting into his strong embrace once again. She found it hard to fight the feeling. The feeling of tranquility. It was so easy to relax when he held her. Don't do it.

Kill him now.

Join us.

Tifa shut the voice up inside her head. It was disturbing her peace. Rufus guided Tifa along, encircling her in his arms. She remembered the same situation, just a few minutes earlier. Her thoughts floated away, washed under a deep haze. Then they came swimming back. It had only been minutes, but it seemed like hours. She had blacked out. Time had stopped. She didn't know how long. She felt strange and uneasy and the only reassurance she could feel was the warmth of Rufus' strong body supporting her.

She looked up and blinked.

"Don't pass out on me again." Rufus said.

He put both arms around her and pulled her in to real hug. Tifa reciprocated for the first time, putting her hands around Rufus's waist. She was at peace.

Then a screeching sound. A voice coming from the lower floor. A high-pitched squeal. Rufus and Tifa looked down and saw Scarlet yelling up at them.

"Hey what are you doing?" she yelled.

Scarlet quickly ran up the stairs, holding her long red dress up so she wouldn't trip over it. She confronted both of them and pushed Rufus away from TIfa.

"What are you doing?" she asked again. "What are you doing holding this bitch like that?"

"I was just helping her back to her room. She passed out."

"Well you could just drag her along the floor like an animal. You don't need to be that nice to her. She's our prisoner. Remember what you said?"

Rufus vaguely remembered their conversation. He remembered how delighted she was that Tifa was locked up. How she enjoyed toying with her. He just wanted to please her, letting her believe anything she wanted to.

"Look, Scarlet, let's talk later, ok?"

"No! It's not ok. Are you in love with this girl? You shouldn't hold her like that!"

Rufus moved away from Tifa and put his arm around Scarlet. Tifa watched on. He could tell there was something deep there, something she didn't understand.

Rufus led Scarlet away for a moment.

"Scarlet, please listen, it's not what it looks like. I was just helping her back to her room."

"Why was she out of her room in the first place? DId you take her to your room? Did you have sex with her?"

Scarlet looked far more stern now and she slapped Rufus across the face.

"Don't lie to me, Rufus!" she said.

Tifa saw something was about to blow. She looked around her. Above the chandelier, still swaying from where Vincent had perched earlier. Paintings above her and a corner. It was so near. There must be something there around the corner. She inched over. Rufus and Scarlet weren't even paying attention to her.

She inched a little closer to corner, so close she could now peer round. It was safe. She had to take the chance. As quietly as she could, Tifa edged around the corner and tip-toed down. The corridor stretched out far, even longer than the one she had been on. There were doors either side - at least six or eight.

Tifa then realised she was trapped. The corridor had a dead end, or was it? It was another door. Was it locked? Was it the way out? She didn't have time to think. She instinctively chose the second door on her right. The door clicked as it shut.

Rufus and Scarlet heard the click. They both stopped arguing and turned around. Tifa was gone. Oh shit, Rufus thought. He had let his guard down for just a moment and she was gone. He had to find her.

Rufus and Scarlet looked around. There was no sight of her on the lower floor over the banister. She must have gone around the corner. Rufus and Scarlet hurried around the corner - still no sign of her. She couldn't have vanished into thin air.

"Check every room!" he cried. "Damn bitch couldn't have gotten far!"

His temper was coming back. It even scared Scarlet when he was angry. His rage sometimes boiled over until he was uncontrollable. That's when he always made rash decisions. That was when he was at his most vulnerable. She knew she had to calm him down or they wouldn't be able to find her.

Rufus kicked the first door open with his boot. She wasn't there. Just a small empty room.

Tifa heard the loud crash as the wooden door splintered and shattered. She held her breath. Careful not to make a sound. She could hear their footsteps as they inspected every inch of the room. She knew her room was next. She had to get out. Rufus was going to kill her. Her plan of leading him into a false sense of security hadn't worked. It had only made him more angry.

She shivered as she heard Rufus slam his fist into the wall in frustration. She felt so cold. Please save me, please god save me. The footsteps were getting nearer and nearer her room.

Then suddenly a clawed hand reached round and clamped down on her mouth. She gasped, but it only turned into a small muffled cry. She noticed the red cape dangling around the both of them as he held her from behind in his powerful grip.

"Just be quiet and stay with me." he whispered in her ear.

To Be Continued...