Chapter 2: Alone

Tifa was all for understanding and giving Cloud his space, but after a month and a half with still no contact she had enough. Tifa had been in contact with Barrett to come and look after things at Seventh Heaven and more importantly Denzel and Marlene, so she could try and look for Cloud. He had of course agreed and assured her that he could be over the following week if she needed him.

Two days before she was planning on leaving, she had put Denzel and Marlene to bed and had moved onto her own bedroom ready to tuck herself in to the world of sleep, or in Tifa's case a world of nightmares…

Not that I can sleep anyway…She thought to herself as she pondered the prospect of sleep. She brushed her very dark long chestnut hair solemnly staring into the mirror at the shell of sadness she had become. She was afraid to find out that her worst thoughts about Cloud were true…that the reason they hadn't heard from him in so long was because he was simply…dead. These thoughts were interrupted by the distant ring of the telephone in Cloud's office. Her heart skipped a beat, That ring … What if it's him!

Without another thought Tifa immediately sprung up out of her dressing table chair and ran to the phone at amazing speed. Still with the brush in her hand, her heart pounding and without hesitation she picked up the phone.

"Cloud!" She blurted. She froze to the spot and her heart pounded even faster as a soft familiar voice responded.

"I'm ok, please don't look for me. I…I'm sorry."

It was of course Cloud who had instantly hung up after he had uttered the hurtful yet reassuring words.

Tifa fell to her knees, she couldn't hold back the tears any more and they filled her eyes to create two deep pools of claret that flooded without fail. Tifa's tears were a mixture of all the hurt, confusion and anger she had built up over the last month or so and… something else…a glimmer of happiness? Because all typical Tifa could think of at that moment… He's ok, thank goodness he's ok.

Two months passed and Tifa had been slightly more freed of her depression knowing Cloud was ok…now she had just joined Denzel and Marlene in their emotions and was just missing him more and more each passing day.

Another two weeks passed and she half expected another reassuring call or message to be left, but nothing came...

After the phone call from Cloud, she had told Barrett about it and made the decision that she would listen to her childhood friend and leave him be at least for the time being. Instead she rearranged for Barrett to take Denzel and Marlene away to the Costa Del Sol for a week to which he happily obliged.

He tried to convince Tifa to come along as well, but with Cloud not being there to take care of the bar and no other friends being available to Seventh Heaven sit or bartend for her, she couldn't afford to lose out on the business. With all the pent up feelings going on at home and still no sign of Cloud, Tifa thought that a week away for the kids was just what they needed.