Right... Well I know I made a LOT of errors and missed out vital plot points in the last version of this story, which is why I've revised it a bit. Sorry to those who read it before I re-submitted the chapters. x-(

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or its characters, names, blah blah blah. You know the drill. ;-)

Prologue/Details

This story is set about 7 months after the events of Advent Children.

While Midgar and Edge are restored, the minds and morale of everyone else gradually follow suit – making everything look just that little bit brighter than it did 7 months ago. But some people have found it slightly harder than others to overcome the devastation, making them a little fragile when under stress.

With the help and support of some deep-rooted and some new friends, most of the old AVALANCHE camaraderie has found a bit of solace at long last. Yet, though a lot of them may seem at peace on the outside, conflicting emotions cause their own little worlds to go off-balance.

When sentiments change, everything seems to fly by in a haze. Dealing with change is proving to be no easy thing for Tifa Lockhart, when she finds certain unlikely friends meaning more to her than she could have imagined. But not only does she have to find her way over her own obstacles - there are others that need helping out of the darkness.

After all, it was never like her to forsake a friend in need…

Chapter One – Haphazard Contemplations

Tifa awoke to silence. Her eyes opened slowly; not delighting in the sight of her new bedroom - cold, bare and impersonal. She sighed as she looked out of the window, for there was only a very dim light to hint at early morning. Sure enough, a glance at the bedside clock confirmed it was barely 5 a.m.

Tifa had been waking up unusually early and heading off to bed pretty late these days, out of a cause that was unknown to her. Hours of sleep were mostly small in number, unless she’d been off somewhere else for the entire day and come home tired. She often tried to dismiss such insignificant matters – after all, there were more important things to do.

Well, that’s what she liked to think.

But were there more important things to do? Her job at the bar usually kept her busy, but at present, she was on her summer break with no bar to attend to for now. Management had been temporarily taken over by one of her friends, who was intent on giving her a chance to settle into her new apartment. And given that Midgar and Edge had recently been brought back to a more decent level of habitation, she wasn’t needed urgently anywhere to help out. Marlene and Denzel were in the shared guardianship of her and Barret – who also insisted she got herself properly moved in – but for that very reason, he would look after them slightly more often nowadays.

But why should that stop me from looking after them just for a little while?

The kids did keep her busy when they were here, but after all, she did enjoy their cheerful company. So in all, she felt a little like she was floundering around without anything useful to do.

Fortunately for Tifa, however, there had been an air of optimism in Edge City since Sephiroth’s defeat - and she had found a new kind of alliance with the people she never expected to get on with. Like the Turks - Reno and Rude. Presented with the recent circumstances, they had all had set aside their discrepancies and given each other the opportunity to befriend rather than aggravate each other.

But there were friends that Tifa had not seen for quite some time. She knew that some were attending matters that needed to be dealt with in their own time… Cid Highwind, for one, was away dealing with something to do with piloting… Apparently. He at least had told her he would be back, in any case. Well, to put it correctly; “I’m gone for a few months. Don’t worry yerself if you don’t hear from me – I’ll be bringing my ass back as soon as the damned thing’s sorted out. See ya.”

In Cid’s respects, that was good enough for Tifa, so she had yet to trouble herself about it.

Even so, there was Yuffie Kisaragi, who Tifa had been receiving phone calls from regularly up until about a month ago. From then on, those calls had been replaced with the occasional text message. But Tifa also understood Yuffie had become involved with the World Regenesis Organisation, so perhaps she’d become busier lately.

Oh yes… WRO. Reeve. Another person she hadn’t heard from in a long time.

The last time Red XIII visited Edge was to say that he would be returning home to Cosmo Canyon for a time. Tifa was content with that. After all, it was good to know the creature was truly free at last.

Then there was Vincent.

He had left three days after Cloud had restored the security of the planet. Before the man departed, he had spoken to Tifa and Cloud more so than was usual for him. And just when Tifa thought he was beginning to be slightly more open with them, he was gone.

His leave-taking was swift and ambiguous, like an ephemeral summer breeze. Tifa hadn’t taken it contentedly, especially as he had only re-united with them a few weeks before. And there was one difference between the reaction of Tifa and that of her friends: That they didn’t seem to think much on Vincent Valentine’s shaded disappearance.

Sighing softly again, Tifa pulled herself out of bed, hastily seeking to warm herself up in her dressing-gown. Once she’d put it on, she stood next to the window a while, watching the weak light of the dawn turn into a slowly-rising sun; its yellow rays peering around distant skyscrapers, and filtering through the polluted air into the city. Sunrises were not exactly wonderful to look at around the Midgar area, where the layers of effluence in its atmosphere tended to make them look unclean. It ruined the spectacle a bit. Tifa inwardly wished she could see a proper sunrise, with no buildings and no pollution to obscure its splendour.

Little things like this seemed to mean more to her as time went by.

Suddenly aware that she had stayed at the window for a whole hour, Tifa sought to get herself washed and dressed. She would go for a walk around the city centre today; perhaps even meet up with somebody. She needed to talk… Today was just one of those days when she felt she wanted to be around other people. And this was an infrequent yet pleasant occurrence for Tifa, lately. Most of the time she wanted to be on her own, in peace, where she could think. What brought this change about, she still didn’t know.

After a cool shower, Tifa decided to dress responsibly for the late summer and put on something that breathed. She’d had the time over the past few weeks to get herself something decent to wear, among other things. She chose a simple vest and a pair of cropped trousers. Comfortable clothing was another little thing that seemed to have more significance to Tifa these days. In fact it appeared that, in all the time she’d spent helping to save the world, she’d seemed to have forgotten about life’s simple pleasures and necessities. So, as a relaxed social life was one of those things, Tifa decided she’d take some time to see a couple of people. She wasn’t going to plan anything… If, while on the street, she bumped into them, then very well.

Tifa was about to head out of her front door before her mobile phone began to ring in her pocket. She answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hey Tif, it’s Barret.”

“Hi!” Tifa felt glad to hear him. “This is a rare situation. You’re awake before 11 a.m.”

“Heh… very funny.” replied Barret. “Actually, it was Marlene who decided to turn her music on at ten past six.”

Tifa tried to suppress a giggle. “Unlucky, huh? Still, I wouldn’t worry. The early morning’ll do you good once in a while. How are you guys, anyway? The kids doing okay?”

“Yeah, we’re cool over here. I just called to ask when you’re good to take them back to your place.”

Tifa frowned slightly. “Anytime, really… Why, is there something up? Are they causing trouble?”

Barret laughed gruffly. “Naah, they’re being first-rate kids. I just wanted to know if you’re good to look after them this weekend - latest. I got some more surveying work to do over at the oil wells. That okay wi’ you?”

“That’s fine, yeah.” said Tifa, opening the door. “Shall I see you guys over here on Saturday, then?”

“Sure. Later, Tif.”

“Bye.”

Tifa hung up and set out of the door. She looked forward to seeing the two children whom she loved like they were her own family. So long as they didn’t start running off anywhere, they were a joy to have around. Tifa was only cautious of this after she found Marlene had disappeared from the house, and it had taken a long, gruelling and frantic five hours to find her eventually being led back by Reno, who had said he’d found her walking, lost, around the area where the sector 5 slums used to be. Tifa had, since then, been grateful to him, and that was how their friendship had begun. Yes, he was a little mouthy, but he was also like the lovably annoying brother Tifa never had. It was something she had never expected to happen… But in the end, Midgar was a home for both of them, and after what happened seven months ago, many previous rivalries had been set aside to make way for friendly unions.

The air was warm and humid outside already. As it was barely 7 a.m, there weren’t many people walking about, but Tifa took this to her advantage; the streets got pretty frustrating when they were busy. Looking up at the progressing renovation work on nearby buildings, she set off towards Edge city centre. She went at a relaxed pace, gazing absently around.

Her mind, however, wasn’t on any of the sights in Midgar… Tifa often used her walks around the city as an excuse to flit in and out of her own mind; thinking about the past and some bygone memories. Not all were good, but then again, not all were bad either. This kind of ‘escape’ had become an almost customary habit of Tifa’s. And she found that a few of her friends had to snap her out of her daydreams occasionally. She couldn’t help it.

Tifa neared the square, passed by the monument and went across to the sidewalk. There were only a few cars passing by, but Tifa was sure they would multiply in number soon enough. One of them – a large black sports car – was slowing down behind her. But Tifa didn’t dwell on this – it was probably some person about to ask her for directions. So when it stopped alongside her, she stopped as well, waiting for the window to roll down. When it did, she came across a recognizable face.

“Hi. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

She stepped up next to the car as a bald man with his usual black shades leant across to look out of the window. Tifa smiled placidly. “Hello, Rude. How’re you doing?”

“Not bad.” he shrugged. “I’m on business later on, but it’s too hot to be chasing around after stuff like this, so forgive me if I’m not the most enthusiastic person you come across today.”

“I understand.” said Tifa with a tiny smile. She then peered inside the window of the car. “Where’s…”

“Reno?” interjected Rude. “Don’t ask. He left me a voicemail saying he’d be back at the temporary ShinRa Headquarters around the late afternoon. Heck knows what he’s up to.”

“Why am I not surprised…” said Tifa with a wry smirk.

Rude smiled vaguely and shook his head. “Still, are you headed anywhere in particular? I’ve got a bit of time to give you a lift there if you wish.”

“No, I’m just walking around, really.” replied Tifa, not immediately aware that she had sighed that sentence rather heavily. “But thank you all the same.”

“No problem. I’ll see you around, then. Oh, and if you see Reno, tell the guy to page me.”

“Will do.” smiled Tifa. “Have fun.”

Rude raised his brow, but lifted a hand to her before winding the window back up and driving back off again. Tifa watched the car speed around the corner and out of sight, inwardly wondering exactly where Reno had got to. The two men were usually seen together, like totally non-identical twin brothers.

Tifa always used to muse fondly over the fact that they looked so peculiar side-by-side… Rude, with the appearance of an official bodyguard; and Reno, who looked like “the result of a sugar high, a glass of vodka and an electric shock,” as Yuffie had once kindly described him. Tifa smiled as she thought about the two guys, and speculated wryly on how the relationship between the three of them had gone from heated battles to pleasant morning chit-chat.

As Tifa rounded a corner, she came across the nearby distinctive form of the ruined church covered with flowers. The amount of vivid memories that flew around her head at that moment was enough to overwhelm anybody, but Tifa had learned to repress them until they became only shadowy reminiscences. However, this was the place she always kept close to her heart, and she decided on the spur of the moment to go and sit there a while.

The flowers were in a stunning bloom. They always gave Tifa some peace, and above all, provided her with some connection to nature in an otherwise completely urban city. So she neared the church’s stone walls, vaguely remembering where preceding battles had taken place… She decided to replace that bitter memory with more satisfying ones. The times she used to come here as a girl, and those when she came with Marlene, telling the child stories… Far nicer to think about.

As Tifa entered the church, she watched the dusty rays of sunlight filtering through what was left of the intricate stained-glass windows. She walked a while among the flowers, later coming into the main area, where old pews had been left untouched and host to sparse cobwebs. There was a peaceful quiet...

“I kind of expected I’d see you around here.”

Tifa started momentarily, and then smiled at the familiar presence that greeted her from several rows away.

She met Cloud’s friendly face with gratitude. Making her way over to where he was, she settled herself on the pew he was sitting casually on. He looked at her with a smile, warmer than it was characteristic for him.

Tifa turned to look brightly at Cloud, swinging her legs in and out in front of her. “How’s the new place?”

“In need of painting.” He smirked. “And furnishing. Yours?”

Tifa giggled. “Hmm. Well, better than yours, by the sounds of it.”

“Heh. Great.”

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ll help you out one day.” Tifa replied. “So… How long have you been here?”

He raised his head to look at the sky briefly. “Since early morning. I didn’t look at the clock, but the sun had only just come up.”

“I got up about an hour before that, but I didn’t head out until later.”

Cloud turned to gaze at her. “Early, then. Are you sure you’re getting enough sleep, Tif?”

Tifa smiled. “Are you?”

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “I don’t know. I went to bed at one o’clock in the morning; is that enough sleep?”

“Not really, considering you’ve been busy.” replied Tifa, folding her arms in a mock-disdainful way. “You should be turning in earlier.”

Cloud gave her a flicker of what looked like a smile, and then looked down at his knees. There was a pause before he said, quietly; “I guess I couldn’t sleep that well.”

“Oh.” said Tifa, her face falling. “Why’s that?”

“It’s not insomnia, don’t worry.” he smirked. “I’m just… Oh, forget it; I don’t want to burden you with my problems. You’ve got your own stuff to worry about.”

Tifa frowned, edging closer along the pew to him. “Well, not really. I don’t think it’s fair that you should bottle something up until it really gets to you. And if it’s a problem, Cloud, I think it’s best that I know. Maybe I could help.”

Cloud’s azure Mako eyes momentarily left her face and gazed at the floor. “Well… It’s kinda strange. For the last few months I’ve been okay, you know, actually enjoying the sleep I managed to get. But lately, I’ve been finding my sleep has been a little… troubled.”

Tifa’s heart sank suddenly with the realisation. “You’re having those nightmares again, aren’t you?”

The young man said nothing. Tifa took his lack of speech as a yes. But how could he be having the dreams again, after over half a year of being free of them? When Cloud said this was strange, Tifa wholeheartedly agreed with him.

“I… Don’t exactly know what I can do.” she said forlornly. “Maybe it would help if you told me about them. That’s what I found when I was a kid – I used to keep it all to myself, until my father encouraged me to tell him what my nightmares were. It sorta hurt to bring them all back up again, but it was only a few days before they were gone.”

Cloud looked suddenly quite apprehensive. He clasped his hands in his lap. “Do you think it will help?”

“Most likely.” answered Tifa, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. “I know you won’t like repeating them, but it’ll probably be worse if you keep it all hidden away.”

After another pause, Cloud sighed, and spoke again. “Okay. Well I suppose they’re similar to the ones I used to have before… that day. Like people getting hurt, or dying. Sometimes they’re about old battles. Voices talk to me, and I keep trying to find out who they are, but I can’t. And then I see… him.”

Tifa’s eyes widened as the comprehension dawned on her. “You mean, Sephiroth?”

“Yeah.” said Cloud flatly, his voice hardening on hearing the name. “He just stands and glares at me. He doesn’t go away… I see him just like he was; the day Kadaj brought him back. That battle we had keeps re-living itself - particularly the point when I thought it was all going to end with me dead and the world in ruins. Miserable, isn’t it?”

Tifa’s stomach plummeted unpleasantly at the thought. “I don’t understand…Even after you defeated him… But the nightmares left you after that. Why are they coming back?”

Cloud shook his head and stared sorrowfully into what looked like nothingness. “I don’t know. They’re not like they used to be. Before, I’d see him smiling coldly and telling me something new and horrific every night. Now it’s kind of… like an echo of what he used to say, repeating itself to me. What I don’t understand is why I’ve been sleeping dreamless for the last seven months, and the nightmares just happen to choose now to come back.”

Tifa sighed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Things like this just happen, Cloud. You’re dwelling on the past. Perhaps this is just your mind’s way of telling you to move on.”

Cloud slowly turned to look at her. He fell silent. Eventually, he looked directly into her eyes, smiling weakly. “You always were smarter. Guess this is what they call ‘women’s intuition’, huh?”

Tifa laughed softly, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I’m just repeating what response my brain is giving me. I think that’s the only answer; that you should perhaps think about whether you’re just having a hard time letting things go.”

She looked up at him. Cloud may have been finding it difficult accepting this, but the broadening smile he gave her was reassuring her that perhaps Cloud felt she was making sense. Eventually, he put an arm behind her back and sighed again.

“Maybe that’s what it is after all.”

Tifa nodded. It was like a sixth sense… She was just telling him her mind’s reply to his troubles. “Does it feel better for talking about it?”

Cloud paused, and smiled again. “Yeah. It does.”

Feeling conspicuously warmer inside, Tifa pulled him close and cuddled up to him in a sisterly fashion. “Told you. It’s always better if you can talk to someone. Just keep that in mind.”

Oddly, Tifa had felt the muscles in Cloud’s arm tense up as she’d leant up against him. She didn’t think much of it, as it wasn’t long before her kindly gesture was returned. They sat contentedly with their arms around each other for quite a long time; gazing at the soft rays of sun giving light to the flowers growing on the chapel floor. Tifa smiled when he began running his fingers through her hair. She liked the sound of his gentle breathing next to her ear; the subtle movement of his chest as he did so. She felt a sense of gratifying comfort, being in his arms.

He was like family. That was good enough for Tifa. However, as time went by, she wondered to herself whether or not it was good enough for Cloud. Something at the root of all this kept telling her that he might just be seeing their companionship in a slightly different light.

Tifa couldn’t deny he was wonderful. He was a true friend to her, just like he said that she was to him. But at the moment, Tifa wasn’t sure how to take his affectionate actions. Sure, she liked Cloud. A lot. She had loved him once, as more than a friend. And she still loved him… Just probably not so much in that way any more, she reflected.

But she wasn’t going to dwell on things like this. She was enjoying this moment too much.

They spent most of the morning in the chapel. They spoke for hours about things too randomized and insignificant for Tifa to recall, specifically. But she and Cloud seemed to find entertainment in the simplest of conversation topics. On a hot day like this, nobody particularly wanted to focus on pressing matters. So in the afternoon, they both took a walk around the city centre and reminisced on some unsystematic yet positive things.

As they came through the square, the conversation shifted again. There was a contented pause before Cloud began to stare at the sky and narrow his eyes in thought a while.

Tifa looked at him. “What’re you thinking about?”

Cloud shrugged and put his hands casually behind his back. “Dunno. Things just pop into my mind at random intervals.”

Tifa smiled in curiosity. “So what is it this time?”

“I guess I just wonder where everyone’s got to.” Cloud mused. “You know… The old crew. Not all of them, obviously – just the ones we haven’t heard from yet. Makes you wonder where those guys are at the moment.”

Tifa looked ahead, suddenly feeling just a little less cheerful. Today it seemed Cloud was indeed thinking about the same thing she thought of almost every day. Except the manner in which he spoke made his contemplation seem slightly trivial… Like he was just mentioning it as a means of polite conversation. Tifa felt much different from that.

“How long did Cid say he was away for?” asked Cloud.

Tifa shrugged. “He only said he’d be back as soon as he’d sorted this ‘piloting thing’ out.”

Cloud raised his brow and smirked. “Good enough for me. So at least we know he’s coming back, at any rate. I don’t know about Yuffie… She was pretty vague about this whole WRO thing, but the way she spoke to me before she left sorta indicated we would meet her again. Although, Vincent is a different story.”

Tifa all of a sudden felt herself tighten at the mention of him. There was an abrupt feeling of heaviness in the pit of her stomach that would have made her frown, had she not quickly replaced it with a look of polite interest. “Why would you say that?”

“Well, he never really made a big thing about leaving.” replied Cloud. “It was one of those old ‘depart without a trace and talk later’ things, wasn’t it? Except he kinda missed out the ‘talk later’ part.”

Tifa looked at the floor, having a sudden yet grim thought. “But… didn’t he get a phone shortly after he arrived here?”

“Yeah… he did.” Cloud frowned suspiciously. “Never gave me his number, never contacted my phone. It’s a little creepy if you ask me, but then again, this is Vincent. He’s like some big, quiet old shadow… I suppose it’s only to be expected.”

Tifa said nothing. She suddenly found a strong urge to scowl at Cloud; to say something in denial of how he had spoken about Vincent… But that would have seemed out of place in their otherwise strongly agreeing conversation. Instead, she pursed her lips and nodded briefly.

Apparently satisfied that any discussion on their friends was exhausted for now, Cloud continued to stare ahead, leaving them both to walk on in silence a while.

Tifa wasn’t sure what to make of this unexpected, sharp reminder of Vincent, and she didn’t know how or why it had just suddenly jumped into Cloud’s head; now of all times. Maybe it was just a phase; one of those occasions when you remember things at haphazard times. But why now, after several months of never even bothering to bring Vincent into a conversation?

Why now, when I’m starting to wish he was here more than ever?

Cloud walked Tifa back to her apartment in the evening. By then, the temperature had dropped considerably. In truth, it was hard to think about it having been so hot during the day… Tifa regretted not taking a jacket or something, because her thin vest certainly wasn’t helping. So she let Cloud walk with his arm around her. It certainly compensated for the body heat that Tifa was so prone to losing unless it was warm outside. Plus, she couldn’t disagree that it was nice walking around like this, in the security of Cloud’s arms.

When they eventually stopped outside Tifa’s apartment, the sun was setting. Tifa paused at the door before entering, and pulled Cloud into a gracious hug. She was received with warmth and contentment, and it seemed; as they stood outside the doorway, that Cloud wasn’t in any hurry to break their close embrace.

“It was sweet of you to tag along with me today.” said Tifa. “I appreciate it.”

“Likewise.” replied Cloud, leaning his head over her shoulder. “Thank you for reassuring me about…”

Tifa looked up at him with a smirk. “No problem. But like I said, if something’s bothering you, don’t keep it to yourself. I’m always here to listen to whatever you’ve got to say.”

Cloud smiled warmly. “I’ll remember that. Thanks, Tif.”

Tifa winked playfully at him in acknowledgement, and then turned to open her door. “I’ll see you around, Cloud. Try and sleep well.”

He nodded, smiling. “You too. Goodnight, Tifa.”

Casting him a small wave, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.