AN: Major apologise for the lateness of this chapter. Writer's block and personal problems. Then, when I got some motivation, the internet decided it wanted to go ker-splat on me, lol. But I've got this chapter sorted out at last, so I can only hope that it's worth the wait!

'Cloud, are you in there?' Tifa hammered on the bedroom door, and opened it, where she saw Cloud Strife sitting on the double bed, staring into outer space. She bent down in front of him, and waved one hand before his eyes, bringing him back to reality. 'Are you okay?'

'…Yeah, I guess I'm fine,' he replied.

Tifa knew only too well what that meant. He still missed Aeris, ever since she had been snatched cruelly away by Sephiroth. Tifa had been there when he was in a black pit of grief, helped him to see the light, to see that all hope was not lost, but she knew that his thoughts still occasionally wandered back to her.

Her helping him through his pain had brought them closer together. Almost two years ago, Cloud had realised that he had fallen for Tifa, and she had given birth to a pair of baby girls, both with identical tufts of brown hair, and brilliant neon blue eyes. The girls shared characteristics of both parents; they had Cloud's strong chin, but Tifa's petite nose. She also noticed that they liked to explore. She had lost count of the amount of times either herself or Cloud had to pull them away from whatever they were about to touch before they injured themselves. Looking after Jandi and Teaka was taxing at times, but neither Cloud nor Tifa would change parenthood for anything.


Sephiroth, fully recovered from his battle against Cloud, and the rest of AVALANCHE, swept into Mideel, after leaving Bone Village. He was hardly surprised to see that Cloud was not there. He was haunted by the image of the lifeless Jenova-SYNTHESIS, the picture preserved in his mind. He saw it every time he closed his eyes. He could only imagine what Strife had done to her. Every time he allowed his mind to ponder about the battle, he felt his anger intensifying greatly.

He stepped into Mideel, which was still hardly anything more than a giant pool of gathered Lifestream. A few people lingered, trying to rebuild the ruined village, but none of them was the one whom he searched.

Sephiroth turned away, flowing silver hair blowing gently in the breeze.

Months past, before he reached his next destination. Another small village, where he knew Cloud had set foot in before, where one of his colleagues was from. A rocket stood tall, slanted, once the village's pride, now hardly anything more than a tourist attraction. He stood near one of the houses, just watching everybody, ignoring the occasional curious stare that he got.

'Can I help you?' asked a villager suddenly, having watched Sephiroth glare at everybody around. 'Are you looking for somebody?'

Sephiroth hesitated. The temptation to strike with his Masamune was growing. But no. He had to resist. He did not want to alert Cloud to his presence too early. He turned back and swept away, leaving the villager staring at Sephiroth's back.

'Manners cost nothing!' the villager called after the retreating ex-General, a frown forming on her face.


The following morning, Shera, still living in Rocket Town, was peering absentmindedly out of the window, lost in thought. She saw someone she failed to recognise stalking through the bustling people. The man looked directly at her, his piercing green eyes glaring evilly at her.

A strange sensation of fear shot through her, causing her to duck down, and out of sight. She clasped a hand to her chest, breathing heavily, feeling more scared than she had for a long time. But she was also confused; who was this man? And why had his stare made her feel so intimidated?

'The hell's up with you?' Cid snapped, coming out of his bedroom, and seeing Shera hunched under a window.

'Just...just someone I saw outside. He was...weird,' Shera replied, struggling to find the right words.

Cid peered out of the window, and only just caught sight of Sephiroth's retreating back.

'No...' Cid whispered. 'It can't be...'


Weary of all his travelling, Sephiroth finally came to another stop. He had lost count of how long he had been trying to track down Cloud, and secretly, was ready to give up, but then the sight of the JENOVA-Specimen flashed up in his mind, and the anger, the hatred came screaming back.

He stopped. He saw the street in which Rufus Shinra paraded down, when he was made President of Shinra.

Sephiroth stalked through Junon, staying in the shadows, the keeping the blade of his Masamune out of sight, so it would not catch the light, and give off a tell tale glint. He rested, leaning a shoulder against the wall, still bathed in shadows. His senses failed him, and he did not detect the villager coming up behind him.

'Are you okay -?'

He did not get a chance to finish his sentence, as Sephiroth acted on pure instinct, spinning around, lashing out with the Masamune. There was a small noise as the man's throat was slit as the blade penetrated the skin, a trickle of blood, and a heavy thump as the body crashed onto the ground.

A noise. Sephiroth jerked his head back, thinking that he had been seen, that somebody had witnessed his act of cold blooded murder. When he noticed a few lights flicker on, and heard soft voices in the distant, he fled, running clear out of Junon. If Cloud was there, he would find out soon…


Tifa stared out of the window, at the dreary, overcast sky, and listened as the heavy rain pounded the ground, splashing the rapidly forming puddles.

'So much for being warm and sunny today,' she remarked, turning back to Cloud.

He was trying to fend off the twins, who were pretending to wrestle with him. The living room sang with laughter, which brought a smile to Tifa's face better than the misinformed weather man did.

Teaka poked Cloud in the face, and shrieked with laughter as Cloud tickled her, while Jandi decided to try and pull his socks off.

'Help, Tifa! I'm being attacked by two toddlers!' Cloud called.

'Why should I help you?' she grinned, watching the three playing. 'If anything, I should be helping the twins. Us girls have got to stick together, right?'

'You evil –' Cloud started, and got cut off as Jandi handed Teaka one of his socks, who then stuffed it in his face. 'Bleugh!'

'Smell nice?' Tifa asked.

Cloud pulled his other sock off before Jandi could get to it, and threw it at Tifa. She could see that the twins were getting sleepy, and placed them in their cots, before slumping down on the sofa with Cloud. The pair idly stared out into space, and chatted, as the hours drifted past. They both got up several times to tend to the twins when they woke up, and before either of them knew it, it was getting late.

'Shh, shh, it's okay,' Tifa soothed, as Jandi continued to shriek.

Tifa walked out of the twins' bedroom, so that Teaka would not be disturbed by her sister's screaming. She glanced at the clock, and groaned, as she rubbed Jandi's back. It was coming closer to midnight.

'Go to sleep, please,' Tifa begged quietly, yawning.


The living room clock hit the stroke of midnight, and began to play its dainty little chime. Cloud sighed, and rubbed the side of his face. He could feel stubble starting to grow on his cheeks.

'Are you sure you don't need a hand?' he asked, voice raised, to Tifa.

'I'm sure! Just give me a few more minutes; she'll probably calm down soon,' Tifa called back.

'Hopefully,' Cloud muttered to himself.

There was a slight tapping at the front door. Cloud frowned, wondering if it was something knocking against the door in the wind, or if somebody was standing outside, and knocking.

Who'd be knocking at this time of night? He wondered to himself, getting off the sofa.

When he opened the front door, he froze. The blood coagulated in that split second, freezing the blonde to the spot. His skin turned to a ghostly pale, his breathing rate increased. His knuckles turned white and began to ache dully from the strength in which he was clamping the door. He seemed to lose all power of speech.

Small rain drops splashed on his face, into his eyes, yet he did not blink them out. He was too busy staring, horrified at the apparition before him, which was sodden from head to toe.

The silvery head was raised, the evil green gaze fixated on him.

'Hello Cloud,' smirked Sephiroth.

Because the internet's still crapped out, I can only come online when I can get to the library, which will be at the very worstonce every fortnight, so bare with me please