I could tell you to go easy on me, I could tell you that this is my first Final Fantasy VII story... but I know that won't change your opinion. I know this seems rushed. And I apologize for any out of characterness. Aw heck, I might just keep this as a one shot. Please treat me kindly.

If she hadn't caught him, he would have left without a word. She reached out silently and grabbed his arm in the dead of night and he forced himself not to jump. Even in the dark, she could see a guilty look cross his face, especially in his eyes. Those Mako-blue eyes burned through her almost-anger and turned it into a strong, unwavering disappointment.

"...I'm sorry-"

"Do you have another delivery to make?" He nodded, but kept his eyes down toward the floor.

"I was going to… come back," he reassured silently. He made it a point to tell her that he was coming back. She guessed it was because he always felt so guilty about leaving her and the kids, and figured it was always going to make him feel that way.

"I know, Cloud. I know," she replied, bringing him into an embrace. His arms snaked around her form. It was silent for a long spell as they stood, in each other's arms. "Cloud… why don't you ever leave in the morning? Why always at night? Why do you always sneak away?" A pang of guilt hit him square in the heart. "Denzel and Marlene would love to actually get a chance to say goodbye."

"I want…" he paused, yawning for a second or two, before continuing, "…to come back earlier, Tifa."

"So… you leave the night before, grab the package by the time you'd usually be leaving the house, and have it to the person by the time you'd be halfway there…? So you can come home earlier?" He nodded. They reluctantly broke the embrace; he grabbed his goggles off of the shelf in the closet, loaded up First Tsurugi onto Fenrir and then mounted the bike himself.

"When are you coming back?"

"Tomorrow," he sighed. "Tell the kids I said 'goodbye', okay?" Tifa nodded, keeping chocolate brown eyes pasted upon his form.

"Goodbye, Cloud. Be careful, okay?" It was his turn to nod.

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow, Tifa." Fenrir's engine started with a roar and he revved it a little bit before taking off. Tifa watched him careful as he sped away from the Seventh Heaven. A sinking feeling made its way into her stomach.

She was always trying her hardest to be optimistic… but something was going to go wrong. She could feel it.

"Please come home safe, Cloud. There are things that I need to tell you…" she whispered, clasping her hands together in a tiny moment of prayer. Little did she know, she would see him again. But it wouldn't be pleasant.

The day had finally arrived for him to come home. He's going to be late, Tifa surmised, having finally fought off the nagging, sinking feeling that had been plaguing her since her not-so-secret-love had left. She sat in the bar, quietly polishing a beer mug, when out of nowhere, young Marlene had burst in. The brunette was panicking, to say the least.

"Marlene, honey, what's wrong?" The girl, try as she might, could not stop to catch her breath.

"Denzel…"

"What's wrong with Denzel?" Marlene shook her head.

"He and I were channel surfing. The news was on… and…" Tears began to slip down the girl's cheeks. Tifa, worried about what Denzel had just seen on television, rushed into the living room.

"Top story. Edge delivery man assumed dead after cliff-side encounter with a pack of ferocious monsters." Tifa swore she felt her heart stop. She shakily made her way over to the couch and collapsed quietly. Denzel was staring forward, keeping his blue eyes locked on the television. "Amateur video was captured from a few yards away. Viewer discretion is advised, as this video depicts violence in the most graphic nature." Denzel kept his eyes locked on the screen. The clip started out uneventful, but quickly turned into a violent bloodbath. Cloud had drawn First Tsurugi and was slashing away at the monsters, but more and more began to appear and overpower him with their sheer numbers. Denzel let out a shout as he saw a monster bite Cloud on the neck. The monster had made Cloud lose his balance and Fenrir careened over a cliff. Tifa wouldn't have thought he would die from that, but then she saw him lose his grip on First Tsurugi, then he smashed his head the cliff below. Blood streamed and fell away as he plunged and hit the ground, Fenrir crashing down upon him and smashing to bits. At this point Denzel was looking away, unwilling to believe that his hero, the man who defeated Bahamut Sin and the evil Sephiroth... twice, had just been overpowered and killed by some random, rogue monsters. "A rescue crew had been deployed to find the body or whatever hadn't been absorbed in the life stream, but the crew was unable to find anything but the charred remains of the motorcycle and the victim's cell phone." Tifa nearly choked on air, but was too busy trying to console Marlene. The young girl had collapsed into a fit of tears. Tifa held out her arms to welcome the young boy into her embrace.

"Denzel… I'm here." He cast a dazed look in Tifa's direction. She looked deathly pale, like she was going to be sick. The boy stood defiantly, "D-Denzel…"

"No! Cloud is not dead! He can't be! It's not… he couldn't have gone out like that! It's not fair!" Tifa stood, Marlene stayed buried in her side.

"Denzel…!" Marlene ran to Denzel and nearly knocked him over. "Don't yell at Tifa, it's not her fault!" Denzel covered his eyes with his sleeve and tried his hardest not to cry.

"Denzel… I'm so sorry…" Tifa embraced Denzel quietly, "I'm here for you. It's okay… it's okay to cry." He shook his head and ran upstairs, shielding his face with his arms. Marlene was about to go after him, but she was distracted by the door of the bar opening.

"Yo, anyone here?" Marlene scampered over to her father, sobbing. She buried herself into his arms as he tried to blindly console her. "Tifa, what's wrong with Marlene?"

"…Cloud…" she whispered, pointing to the television. "Had a motorcycle accident and fell."

"Wher' is ol' Spike-o?" he paused, "…Oh, Teef. Y'ain't tellin' me he's… dead…?" Tifa nodded helplessly, Barrett offered her his free arm and she ran into it, trying not to sob.

"Papa… y-you can't leave, mkay?" came Marlene's muffled cry. "I-I'm scared; you can't go." Barrett nodded.

"A'course I won't leave, hon. I won't leave you." Marlene drifted off in his arms and he put her to bed. "Teef, why don't you get some rest? S'late."

"But-"

"But nuffin'. Y'look beat, y'should get some rest." She knew he had her beat; she trudged up the stairs and into her room. She silently changed into her sleep clothes and brushed her teeth. Her thoughts wandered to Cloud. He was with Aerith and Zack now… and his mother whom he'd lost in the Nibelheim fire. She bit her lip. Was he finally at peace with his inner demons? Maybe… while he was floating in the life stream, he was blaming himself for not getting that package to its rightful owner. He always blamed himself for the things he couldn't do. Her thoughts wandered back to the children, and she slipped into their room to check on them. They were, of course, asleep. Although, one bed was very empty and the other, occupied by two bodies instead of one. Marlene clung desperately to Denzel in her sleep, tearstains crusting down both of their faces. Tifa inhaled sharply and crept back to her room.

She lay in her bed, but could not sleep right away. Her thoughts drifted to Cloud… and she drifted off.