The days that had gone by were agonizing. Sitting along the windowsill, like a child waiting on her father to return home from the service. The sky cried, feeling her pain. She was lonely. The little ones ran in and out, but she was still lonely. The fogged up glass masked her dark auburn eyes; dark from lack of sleep; puffy from fallen tears, with cheeks stained.

Why was she crying?

A hand pressed against the closed window, firmly, longing. She swore she felt his presence near on a daily basis; standing across the road; staring up at this same window. She loathed at the idea, but at the same time felt wanted. She shivered at the thought. Disgusted with herself. She sat aside, against the thick frame. Brought her knees to her chest and sighed as her lips touched them. Brown long straight strands fell over, creating security. "Cloud I need you," Tifa muttered, never feeling so afraid as she did now. Slowly she looked up, hypnotized by the hand print left upon the glass between the perspiration of her hand and the cold from outside. Her eyes narrowed. There was a second hand print, much larger than hers. She reached up and ran her fingers across it. The hand print was from the outside.

"Tifa Chan?"

She turned at the sound of her name. Kicked her feet, she stood and walked out, floor boards creaking beneath her bare feet as she made it out towards the banister.

"Whadup home skillet!," Yuffie called from the bottom of the stairs, clearly hanging out with Barret way, way too much. Tifa wondered how the new Lord Valentine was coping with his wife's 'tude? She smirked at the idea, Vincent wishing he could crawl into his coffin and lock himself away for all eternity.

"What?" Yuffie asked, a brow raised wondering what had Tifa smiling the way she did, "Do I have something on my face?" Yuffie stuck out her lower jaw, crossed her eyes, just to make sure nothing was there. Vincent had the utmost patience with her.

Yuffie gasped exaggeratedly, "Have you been crying?" She ran up the stairs two at a time, "Did Cloud say something stupid? Tell me when Tif I swear…" she raised a fist, "…I'll put spikey right back into his place!"

"Relax Yuffie," Tifa helped lowering the crazed little ninja's hand, "Just having nightmares." She walked passed the short girl and started down the stairs. Just than a flash of lightening before her eyes, revealed an image of luxious long silky silver locks, a moan,

"Sephiroth…"

Tifa stopped, shook the image from mind, and continued downwards.

"Have you even heard from him," Yuffie asked, turning about and practically running down the stairs to catch up with Tifa who was walking towards the laundry room. "No," Tifa answered as she opened up the dryer door and started scrimmaging for an outfit. The answer was quick and straight to the point. Yuffie felt the tension and decided on changing the subject. "So you're coming to Wutai tonight right?" "For," Tifa asked? "For?" Yuffie was appalled! "Didn't you get my…" she had to take a breather, give Tifa the benefit of the doubt for not even acknowledging. The ex princess, now queen of Wutai, knew her best friend was not herself lately, still felt that it was too earlier to pester the fighter as to why she felt the need to close up the bar for so long and where was she all that time?

"It's my birthday and I have a surprise!"

Finding something Tifa stood and closed the dryer door, "Are you pregnant?"

"Wha? No! Gaw No!" Yuffie sounded too relieved which was a bit confusing to Tifa. Did she not want to have her Lord's baby? "Just starting to get this sex thing down pack. I'm even thinking, of maybe, persuading Vincent to let out 'Chaos'."

"Yuffie!"

"What?"

Tifa was shocked at this!

"I'm allowed a fantasy!" Yuffie finished.

Fantasy… and there was that image again, more detailed as she remembered the strong hands around her waist, dominating her…

"Sephiroth!"

"You fantasize about doing it on the beach…"

"Doing… it…" Yuffie interrupted. Interesting choice of words, she thought,

" under the moonlight…"

"…so rated G…" Yuffie added,

" Or, or roleplay," Tifa finished.

"That is roleplay!" Yuffie justified, "Beauty," she so sophisticatedly pointed to herself, "and The Beast."

Quiet. Tifa was quiet. She stared at Yuffie. Yuffie stared back.

"You're a freak," Tifa finally said and walked passed Yuffie for the second time.

"You're coming right?" Yuffie called out. Tifa raised her arm and swung a short dark red dress as her answer. Satisfied, the ninja left the bar.

Tifa was alone.

Again.

Paused at the bottom of the steps, a hand over the ball of the banister, another pressed into her abdomen. The words played again in her mind, like a broken record, with his image coming alive for the third time. His satisfied, manicial smile, on that perfect stoned face, menacing cat like hues of cyan, piercing into her's as he recited,

"I will never be a memory."

Dress crumpling in her grip, she rubbed just once around her flat belly. God. What has she done?