I usually completely avoid playing the OC card, but blaming a sudden brain-spill of insanity and randomness, plus encouragement on my proof-reading brother, I give you this...thing...

(Forgive me those who are still waiting on the next chapters of my other stories! I'm hoping that posting something else will help me get back in rhythm...and I am working on Gomennasai, promise...)

if Zack hadn't died and fell in love with someone he really shouldn't...give it a chance and let me know what you think. I'll continue it if it proves not boring.

much love!

serah

Reawakening - Final Fantasy VII

by cherrypudding

Prologue

"Zack?"

It went against everything he'd established in his mind ever since his mind had decided to be normal. It went against what he understood of the Lifestream – or maybe at least what he believed.

Since Meteor and Sephiroth and…well, everything; he'd thought that his life was pretty normal. Or close enough to normal. Tifa still ran the bar. The kids went to school. He had his delivery service but now it was a casual thing because he wanted to make time for Tifa, Marlene and Denzel. His Tifa, Marlene and Denzel. His family…

But since everything was relatively normal as of late, he'd learned to expect normalcy – but he still kept a reasonable allowance for the less-normal; so they would be expected.

Of course, certain things did not fit under that category, such as now. This definitely classified as unexpected. Which was an understatement.

Cloud blinked at the man standing before him. Tifa, standing near him with a tray of empty glasses in her hands, had almost dropped it when she saw who'd just ignored the 'closed' sign in the door and dropped in with a hand scratching the back of his head and a sheepish grin on his face.

"Heya."

"Zack…" Tifa murmured, as if trying to convince herself it was Zack and not someone else.

"Yeah," he replied.

Cloud's voice was gone, so Tifa tried to say something. "H-how…how are you here?"

It sounded strange, but Cloud thought it was the most sensible thing either of them – or anyone else for that matter – could've said given the situation.

After all, how did you respond when your best friend appeared at your doorstep alive when your head told you he was supposed to be…well, dead?

"I…how do I say this…I guess I just…never…died?"

"But I saw you…die," Cloud managed to say, his voice still low and unsure.

Zack nodded understandingly. "It wasn't memory issues, don't worry," he said. "Its true; I was on the verge of death. But I…I don't know. I just…" Zack knew this whole situation was going to be hard. It would be weird and sort of awkward and pretty freaky and allow for an air of disbelief and – "Hey," he finally sighed; "can we like…sit? If that's okay?"

The words seemed to be the trigger that made Tifa snap out of her trance and set to getting her hands free and gesturing to a stool at the bar. "I'll get you a drink," she offered.

He smiled, thinking he hadn't needed to hang out with Tifa anymore than he had to get to know her. She had a simple yet unique personality; that helpful, loving, caring, others-before-self quality which he'd never forgotten and understood Cloud for adoring so much. "Just a beer, thanks Teef."

"So what happened?" Cloud asked, settling for water. Zack noticed he was unsure and trying to place himself in that easy 'best friend' position he'd had way back when, but it would probably take a bit of ground prodding until he remembered what that was.

"I remember fading out," Zack said, trying to put the story into words. "Like, I was going into the Lifestream. I thought I was there, but I sort of faded back in. Then I saw white again. Then back. And then I sort of…woke up?"

"After how long?" Cloud wanted to know, and Tifa was handing his drink over before leaning over to rest her elbows over the bar, listening intently.

"I don't know. A few hours, maybe? And then…someone helped me."

"Who?" Tifa asked.

"This guy; a farmer of sorts. Worked the land not far from where I'd…whatever. And he just…I don't know why he helped me. He was amazed I'd survived while I had a thousand bullet holes in me, and he thought it must be the Planet's will for me to be helped if I hadn't gone to the Lifestream."

"So…the Lifestream rejected you," Cloud drew, and Tifa and Zack chuckled.

"I guess. In a way."

"This is very...strange," Tifa murmured.

"I know. I just...something decided I wasn't ready. And sent me back."

Tifa nodded. "Maybe."

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "I...I'm sorry for just showing up and scaring you guys like this. I asked around if there was a Cloud Strife anywhere in Midgar and eventually I got the name Seventh Heaven and Tifa Lockhart located in Edge, so I knew it was you guys. I've been thinking about coming here for a while; how I'd approach and everything but...I just didn't think I was gonna find the 'right' time for this, so I just I just sorta—"

Suddenly, he realised he was being ambushed with a hug from Tifa and it pulled a surprised grunt out of him as he accepted it with a soft chuckle.

"It's okay," she whispered. "We're glad you're back. You're Zack and your alive and you're here...that's all that matters, right?"

"Thanks Teef."

Cloud put in his own five cents, clasping a firm hand on his shoulder. "Tifa's right. It's just...it's just good to see you again."

Zack grinned at his friend and as Tifa let him go he reached over and ruffled his blond head playfully. "You too buddy," he smiled with a tug of nostalgia threatening to leak out of his eyes, "you too."

So there you have the prologue. Story starts in the next chapter. *crosses fingers*