You can only blame your problems on the world for so long,
Before it becomes the same old song
It's not the phone call that wakes me, but the slight movement of my head as she takes the call.
"Yes?" her voice is soft, and I can only assume that it's for my sake. "Cloud? What's wrong – calm down," her urgency picks up and I raise my head in curiosity.
We'd fallen asleep upstairs in Marlene's bed, leaning against the backboard with the small child between us. I'd been using Tifa's good shoulder as a make-shift pillow, but with the phone to her ear now, I'd backed off, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
"Are you serious?" she asks into the phone.
She stands, immediately concerned, and paces a bit by the side of the bed. Instinctively I take Marlene's body into my arms, and cradle the child for comfort – more so mine – as Tifa's facial expressions were clouding.
"Those fuckers," she hisses into the mouthpiece, and it's even more curious as I'd never heard Tifa curse, especially not around Barret's daughter.
"I'll be there in – screw that, Cloud!" she pauses, and I can make-out the low muffle of Cloud Strife, "I'm not useless – and Aeris is here."
She looks at me, those eyes bright and focused.
There are no parting words as she closes the phone.
"We need to get out of Sector Seven," she starts.
"What's going on?"
The phone in her hand begins to ring again, but she merely opens and closes it without looking.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Um, sure?"
She's not answering my questions and the fear is still building. The look she gives is a concerning one and I find myself lost for words on how to pin her emotion.
"Can you take Marlene to stay with your mother?"
"Of course, but Tifa, what's going on? Did something go wrong?"
She's crossed the room and is putting some of Marlene's things away into a small backpack: clothes, stuffed animals, and a single picture frame from a drawer. Her injured arm hangs limply against her side, swaying in her brisk movement.
"Tifa…" I try again, standing to hold the little girl who is slowly starting to emerge from sleep.
"We need to get out now."
Tifa exits to the hallway, her boots heavy on the steps. I follow as Marlene mumbles something unintelligible to me, wrapping her frail arms around my neck as I shift her to support off my waist.
"Get out where?"
I'm at the bottom step, watching her assemble her gloves out of leather and buckles. Her movement is slow and pained as she begins to tighten and seal up the weapon on her left.
"Tifa Lockhart," I scold seriously, "What is going on?"
With both gloves secure, she looks up to me, fear burning in her eyes.
"They're going to drop the Plate."
I can feel my mouth open, and the air escape my lungs, but any sort of reaction is physically impossible as I stand there with Marlene. My brain reels for oxygen as I try and sort the information out.
"We need to get out of here-"
"Why the hell are they doing that?" My voice is much louder than I expected, and I can feel Marlene suddenly start. "What is wrong with you people?"
Tifa looks taken back, her brow drawing down in confusion and a tinge of anger at my outburst, her mouth opens once before closing.
"Mommy?" It's the five year old, her eyes filling with tears as she gazes at Tifa who continues to look at me.
"Aeris," she manages before some epiphany crosses her face, "it's not us – ShinRa – it's ShinRa that's dropping the plate."
"Not your terrorist group?" My voice is laced with scrutiny, and red irises narrow at me.
At this point, I can't honestly think that Avalanche isn't somehow responsible.
"No, Aeris," she says darkly, taking my arm and leading out into the street.
The backpack hangs off her injured side as we come down the front steps to the asphalt and dirt main road. It's hot and stale out, causing my hair to stick uncomfortably to my neck under Marlene's hands.
"Go straight to Elmyra's – quickly," she whispers, helping wrap the backpack around my shoulders.
"And where are you going?"
She won't look at me as she secures the straps and ruffles the little girl in my arms hair. Marlene's eyes are still glossy and her lip quivers at the sudden change in environment, but nonetheless she is surprisingly quiet.
"I'm going to help," she straightens with her head still cast downwards at the child, and begins to turn away, "Thank you, Aeris –really, thank you."
I catch her bicep before I realize, spinning her back to face me. Her look is surprised but guarded past anything else. She begins to say something before I lean in and lay a light kiss on her cheek, which quells whatever she was to say.
"Promise me, you won't get killed?" My voice is hushed, angry, and stern.
"Technically I'm already dead," she says, smiling slightly as I frown.
"Tifa-"
"I promise."
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