Chapter one--Home?

AN/ Well this is my first fanfic. This chapter is more of a way to get started in the real story line. Its bad but I'm gonna' post another chapter soon. The other one will be way better I promise! Please stick with me!

Rebated by Creative Spark. :D


"Tifa?" The little brunette girl asked, she was looking up at the woman with a confused expression on her face. "Are you okay?"

The bartender looked down and gave a sweet smile, "Yeah of course!" she put the glass she was drying away and knelt down beside Marlene. "Did you do your homework?"

The little girl gave a crooked smile, "Some of it."

The little brunette Marlene always had a habit of doing that. She would always worry about everyone else. She made sure she could do whatever she could to make sure that someone was okay, or see if she could help in some way. But, by doing this, she tended to get behind in her own work, and let her problems tangle up even worse.

"Go get Denzel, he'll help." she shooed Marlene away and sat down at a bar stool.

It was still early in the day, so no one was in the Seventh Heaven. Despite all of her efforts, the Turks still came every now and then. She actually got used to them, and even liked them some. Not in a romantic way, but it was there company she liked, and she liked knowing that besides her 'family', that there were people out there, who knew what it was like to see death, who knew what it was like to be hurt, and feel guilt...and to feel guilty.

Tifa closed her eyes, she was trying to think of random things. To keep him off her mind. She thought of everything she could, at least twice. But then, there he was, a picture of the wanna be SOLDIER painted in her mind, There was Cloud walking right past her. Like she wasn't there. Like she was below him.

'Cloud...' she thought, 'where are you?' Her eyes started to burn. She thought that by now that all of her tears had been cried out. She thought that she could control herself,but apparently not and before she could stop them, the tears began to fall. 'Traitors', she thought. She knew tears wouldn't bring him back. Nothing would bring him back. He left. He was gone.

After Vincent had 'atoned for his sins', Cloud disappeared again, bearing the excuse "I have to take care of a few things". That had been about six months ago and not a single member from they're little pseudo family had heard from him sense. He never answered his phone, and never called, there was no trace of him anywhere. Not even Reeve and the help of the Turks could find anything. It was like he didn't care how his disappearance effected everyone else. Her heart was shattered. Not only because she loved him. But because they were supposed to be a family, and family's just don't go and leave one another, they don't go and hurt their loved ones.

The bell to the door rang, and interupted her thoughts, and a hyper active ninja came charging at her.

"TIIFFFFAAAA!!" Yuffie came skipping toward her, a bag dangling from her fist, and a huge grin was plastered on her face. Yuffie hadn't really changed in the six months Cloud was gone. If it effected her anyway, it effected her anger problems. The minute she found out that Cloud left, was the minute she was enraged with hate toward him. She never showed she missed him. she only showed she was mad, she was only mad because she knew how Tifa felt.

Tifa quickly realizing that tears were running down her face wiped any trace of them away and turned to face Yuffie, "Hey, what you got there?"

"Stuff," Yuffie flopped in the seat next to Tifa, "Well, Vincent really pissed me off, so I stole all of his materia" She opened the sack, and snickered, "Hehehehehe, Its Allll mastered to. Aw, poor Vinnie, HAH, he deserves it!"

Tifa gave an exasperated laugh. "I'm sure he already knows you did it."

Yuffie's eyes grew with realization. "SSSSHHHHHH!! Not so loud!" You never know where he is, he is Vinnie Valentine, He could be anywhere, and we wouldn't know!"

Right then the door opened and the bell rang. "Yuffie." said a gruff voice. Tifa looked beside her to see the ninja gone. Vincent came walking toward her, "Have you seen Yuffie?"

Tifa shooker her head, "Nope, sorry. Go check with Reeve..." She gave a nervous smile, He glared at her, then shrugged.

"I'll just stay, she'll be here tonight, with everyone else." He walked over and sat in an isolated booth.


The rain was pouring down in a never ending torrent, accompanied by roaring thunder and furious lightning. All of AVALANCHE was present that evening in Seventh Heaven.

All of AVALANCHE that is, except for Cloud.

Barrett was sitting at a booth with Cid, Reeve, and a babbling Yuffie, playing cards and drinking beers, while Vincent was speaking to Shelke in hushed tones. Nanaki was contently laying down on the floor while speaking to Tifa whom was washing a build up of dishes from the evening rush, behind the bar counter.

KNOCK KNOCK

Tifa looked around, "Anyone gonna' get that?"

Silence.

She rolled her eyes,"Of course not." then walked over to the front door, "We're closed!" When no answer was forth coming, she opened the door roughly and rudely, "Look, we're closed". When she was who was standing there her mouth closed, her eyes widened in disbelief, and her knees began to shake.

There he stood, the one that had her worried, the one who broke her heart, the one who simply left. He was right there, the man from her dreams and nightmares, just feet away.

"Cloud…" she whispered, in such a quiet tone nothing really came out of her mouth.

He stood there in the doorway, soaking wet, looking at her, expression unreadable, he didn't utter a word, simply stared.

"Who is is Teef?"

Yuffie's call broke the momentary spell.

She couldn't find her voice, she wanted to run up to him and hug him, telling him she missed him. And yet… And yet she felt as though she couldn't allow him to see that he broke her down. 'Again', she thought with a sigh. He probably already knew anyway, since she wasn't moving or speaking.

"Tifa." His blue eyes pierced her. His expression became some what softer.

She gave an awkward laugh and then gave the most of a smile that she could, to think, in her dreams she thought that she would of smiled when and if he returned, but in reality, she was to hurt, to broken to be happy. "I –uh, come in, sorry..." she moved so he could step in, he was hesitant at first, seeing that all of AVALANCHE was present, but he did. she kicked the door closed with her foot and walked past him quickly.

As soon as Barrett laid eyes on the intruder of their little 'familial gathering' an expression of anger immediately placed on his face, where just about to seconds ago he was laughing with a buzzed Cid."WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" he roarer as he rose up from his seat, he stomped over to their wayward friend. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" He clenched his fists together, Tifa could see it was taking everything Barrett had not to strike Cloud in the face.

Cloud didn't say anything, there was nothing he could say. He simply stood there, staring at the floor, his whole posture reeking of regret, and doing nothing to protect himself of his friend's onslaught of cruel tongue lashings.

Yuffie joined Barrett, she was a little more creative in her way of saying things, "Where the hell were you!" She pushed him, "You're a such a dumb ass! I cant believe that you think we want you here. Who an the fuck do you think you are?!" She pushed him again, and he gave no sign of defending himself, "I am so tied of this! You decide to leave, and go on a damn journey that does no damn good for you!" she pushed him once again.

Tifa intervened and separated the two from Cloud, she didn't want Yuffie to say any more, Cloud was one of taking words seriously, and if The ninja said to much out of anger, he may just leave again"Yuffie! Barrett! Sit! Leave him alone! He can explain later!"

Barrett glared and then reluctantly walked over, mumbled and flopped back in his chair, but Yuffie didn't move, she didn't plan to, the anger she had bottled up for theses six months was pouring out all at once. She was staring at him, a look of disgust was over taken on her young face, her eyes were like daggers.

She resumed her speech, dispite Tifa's angry glare"Who do you think you are?! Walking in here and not saying a damn thing! Who the hell!!--" She was cut off by Vincent.

"Yuffie. Stop." he was now standing beside her, not looking at Cloud, even he showed resentment.

She snorted, "Stop? Stop what? I am only telling him what he needs to here. Friends should tell friends what they think right? Well Cloud, This is EXACTLY how I feel!" she was just about to push past Tifa and punch Cloud in the face, when Vincent grabbed her wrist.

"Yuffie enough." He growled under his breath. "Let him be."

The young ninja yanked her wrist back and stomped back over to her seat. Surprisingly Vincent joined her.

Cloud glanced over at Tifa, then back at the floor.

"Tifa, we need to talk..."he finally said, he didn't look at her, he couldn't look at her. To Tifa he resembled a child who was in trouble.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will, but you look tired. Go get some rest, I didn't touch your room."

He obeyed, not uttering a word, he walked up the nearby steps, and was gone.

Cid looked at Tifa. " You should punch the bastard in the throat!" even the buzzed Cid was aware of the intruder, and was even angered by him.

Reeve sighed, then sipped hid drink. "I'm sure he has a creative story..."

Barrett yelled making sure Cloud would hear, "I don't know who the HELL he thinks he is!"

Nanaki was silent, content to just observe everyone.

Yuffie shook her fists in the air. "I should go and kick his good for nothing ass!"

Shelke was silent as well, and continued to look at Tifa, with a curious expression adoring her face.

Vincent looked at the steps, being the first to notice Marlene on her way down. Not fazed in the least by the ruckus, it wasnt really anything knew to her, she continued her way downstairs while holding her favorite stuffed moogle in one hand and rubbed her eyes with the other.

Vincent spoke, knowing they would hear him. "We have company, Marlene."

Marlene walked in the bar section of the house, then looked around at the people who surrounded her, she gave a simple shrug and walked over to Barrett, who lifted her up and placed her in his lap.

"Daddy?" She said clearly, "Why was everyone yelling?" She gave a look of interest, then at the wet floor, and the angered Cid.

"Uhhhh, well..." Barrett was a loss of words.

Yuffie but in "We were acting... charades... but with words..." she smiled awkwardly, "And Uncle Cid over there got a little to carried away...."

Marlene cocked her head to the left. "But I herd you clearly aunt Yuffie." Yuffie's eyes widened.

"I was trying to calm down Uncle Cid...." She gave a nervous laugh. She looked around at her friends, as if looking for help.

"Can I play?" The brunette girl asked.

Tifa walked over to where Marlene was, "Not tonight honey, it's a school night, we'll play tomorrow..."


A/N hehe, yeah it was bad. But I didn't know how to start if off. Well… at least Cloud is home!!

Yea Cloud! The next Chapter will be better. I promise