A/N: Yep, we're still here, of course!

Special thanks as always again goes to ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie, Kisdota-The Freak Gamer, gibs, FireSword, Vanilla Raindrops, kitsune13, Vladimir the Hamster, Stryperandohsnapples for taking their time to gives us some kind-hearted reviews/feedback, so thank you. And ten reviews for one chapter that's a new record thank you again haha!!

Anyways, here we go again, please enjoy.

E S C A P E

Chapter Ten:

Normal Life

The sunshine shone through the white curtains and lit up Tifa's room. She brought the covers closer round her body and kept her eyes shut, so she could listen to the peaceful chirping of birds outside and the total quietness besides that.

It was tiny things like that she missed the most. She couldn't wait to get up and go outside and see the bright blue sky and the sun's slight warmth in the spring air. Tifa felt like she'd gone back in time and going to Midgar was still a future plan.

Her smile faded when she could hear voices outside and her blissful peace had been shattered. She brought the covers closer round her body and threw them over her head in an attempt to drown out the noise. After a moment and realising it was not going to work she threw the covers off of herself and reached for her robe and slung it over her shoulders. Tifa felt like storming outside and telling them to be quiet that some people were still sleeping. Then her eyes landed on the clock reading 10:43.

She sighed and grumbled to herself at the same time, wishing she'd asked her father to wake her up, she might not have long left in her hometown, and she had to make the most of it while she could.

After quickly getting dressed and rushing down stairs, she found her home empty assuming her father had left for a morning walk perhaps. She could still hear someone speaking and Tifa wished they would be silent just so she could enjoy the quiet morning.

Tifa unlocked the front door of her house and opened it wide and was greeted by the small warmth of the spring sun. She peered round until her eyes landed on the young blonde man in his mother's front garden on his hands and knees, while his mother was standing on her porch muttering at him.

"They'll die if you plant them now Cloud!" She heard Mrs Strife cry at her son.

Tifa stepped into the sunlight and turned to the two Strifes. The blonde woman turned to her and smiled slightly before muttering good morning to her. Tifa turned to Cloud who leaned back and sat on his heels to face her.

He wiped his brow leaving a trail of soil in his blonde eyebrows and gave her a faint smile. He was wearing a baggy black shirt and black cargo pants, making Tifa wonder if he owned any clothes that were any other colour. Tifa held back a laugh and smiled back at him before he returned back to work.

"Don't you know anything about gardening?" Tifa asked walking over to him about to the lean on the fence when he held up his hand and pointed at the freshly white painted wood. Tifa hummed a reply and stood up straight watching him sow the seeds Aerith had given him around his mother's garden.

"And yes I do actually." He replied, not bothering to look up at her while continuing his work. Tifa glanced up and watched Mrs Strife wave her hands in defeat and head back inside. Tifa found it incredibly strange that this Soldier first class knew how to garden. She stared at his calloused hands and thought how odd it was that those same hands had obviously cut down countless monsters in the past and now they were doing the gentlest thing of planting seeds. "Aerith taught me."

The woman's name made her heart sink. He obviously spent a lot of time with her for her to teach him how to garden. She wouldn't put it past the pink clad woman to be able to turn this Soldier around and teach him how to do this. She appeared like she would have enough patience to teach him and she seemed kind hearted enough. Aerith seemed like the perfect being. Her heart dropped once more, how could she even compare to this perfect being. Tifa couldn't garden as beautifully as Aerith had done in the church back in Midgar. She couldn't make Cloud smile with her own smile. That's two things. She heard the small positive voice in the back of her head and she felt her heart rise back up. But why do you even care? Replied the much more rational voice which Tifa could easily associate with her father. The second voice was right, why was she bothered if Cloud and Aerith were together? Don't you care for him? Asked the first voice.

Well, yes. She answered.

Well, that's why you're so obsessed then.

Why can't you just admit it and we can be done with this continuous conversation! Ordered the second.

Tifa rubbed her head and put away her two imaginary voices in her head. She was over thinking this whole thing at the moment, maybe that's why she's found herself growing on Cloud. Because he was constantly on her mind. She'd just have to ignore him for a while.

That's going to be a little hard.

Pushing all thoughts and voices away Tifa's eyes returned to Cloud's gardening and smiled, Aerith probably taught him to the best of her ability but he wasn't actually doing a very good job.

"Well, Cloud you shouldn't plant them now, they'll die." She added, not wanting his hard efforts to go to waste.

"No they won't." He answered defiantly like a small child that won't admit they have done something wrong. Tifa laughed and he glared up at her. "These are Aerith's seeds they're..." He paused and turned away from her, ploughing his hands through the soil once more. "Special." He muttered. Tifa noted the slight almost depressed tone to his voice.

There clearly was something special about Aerith and Tifa desperately wanted to know but knew it was none of her business. Not only is she perfect she's special now...great.

"How was your dad?" He asked trying to change the subject; he pushed his feet down onto the floor so he could sit up straight to face her. Tifa smiled at him, knowing Cloud didn't want to cause any ruckus between the two Lockhearts.

"He's okay." Tifa replied, smiling down at Cloud who grunted in response clearly not believing her. An awkward silence streamed in between them and Tifa turned to gaze at the sky. "I'm surprised how much I really did miss this place; I mean I did miss it to begin with, just not this much." She spoke aloud, mostly trying to fill the silence. "It's strange what you take for granted, isn't it?"

She heard a hum of a reply and continued to stare up above and a smile graced across her features. She watched the few birds fly over head and twisted round to watch them fly away from the mountains.

"Cloud?" She asked. Suddenly remembering a question she had longed to ask the blonde since they had gotten here. She heard another grunt and assumed that meant to continue. She turned back round to face him and folded her arms across her chest. "Do you remember our promise?" She asked with a slight teasing tone to her voice.

Cloud sat back up and ran a dirty hand though his blonde spikes and furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. He had no idea where to begin and certainly couldn't remember a promise he ever made with Tifa. He looked up into her dark eyes that were almost red when they shone in the sunlight. He saw the hurt expression across her face and knew she was usually quite good at faking her emotions and never gave off any bad or negative emotions.

"You don't remember, do you?" It felt like a knife stabbed his heart when he heard her pained voice. He shook his head slightly, knowing it was better to admit he couldn't remember than try and lie his way out of it. Tifa sighed and unfolded her arms allowing them to drop down by her side in defeat. She'd really hoped the blonde would have remembered and he would have instantly known what she was talking about.

Cloud looked away from Tifa; everything she did gave off her hurt feelings. He felt his guilt well up inside of him and wracked his mind desperate to find that memory so she wouldn't feel so hurt. Then in a flash he suddenly remembered standing by the well with Tifa, telling her he was leaving and she made him promise, promise that if she was ever in a bind he would come and save her.

"By the well?" He asked carefully in case there was another promise he had forgotten.

It looked like a light had suddenly been switched on inside of Tifa's mind and her face lit up. "You do remember!" She cried, her smile stretched across her face. Cloud liked it when Tifa smiled, mainly because he couldn't picture any other expression on her face. He grumbled at the thought and continued with his work trying to force any unwanted thoughts away. He listened to Tifa carefully as she told him what had happened that night, not that he already knew and could remember perfectly, he thought it would be better to allow her to continue.

When she finished he carefully stood up and gave her a soft smile that she returned. Why was she being so nice to him? He wiped the back of his hand across his face in annoyance and sighed quietly it really was tearing him apart, not being able to understand what she was thinking.

His thoughts were suddenly cut open when an ear splitting scream sliced though the perfect silence and his ears picked up turning on the spot trying to figure out which way the scream had come from. He could hear Tifa speaking to him, asking him what it was, but he muffled her voice over in his mind just so he could listen carefully. He felt his mind almost switch to a different setting, that it was no longer dealing with the horror of returning to Nibelheim and was now in Soldier Mode almost. Another scream quickly followed the previous and he stared up at the mountains.

Ignoring Tifa he leapt over the fence and reached for the keys to his bike in his pocket, he jumped onto the bike and turned the engine on allowing it to roar to life. When he heard his name he turned back round and faced his mother who stood in the door way. "Stay inside!" He cried, using a tone he only ever really used for giving orders to cadets. He watched the door slide shut and heard the lock and then turned to Tifa. "Go inside." He muttered, making sure his previous tone had been locked away. He could see the shocked expression on her face from his sudden abrupt tone.

He turned away from her piercing glare and brought out his heavy sword that was no longer in its six pieces and stared at the gleaming blade. He glanced back to Tifa and stared at her. "Go inside." He repeated, watching her gaze at the broadsword.

Tifa nodded once at the blonde and watched him blast the bike forwards and disappear towards the mountains. She could hear a few more screams and was determined to know what was going off. She heard the door behind her open once more and she twisted round to see Mrs Strife staring straight at her. "Do you know what it is Tifa?" She asked quietly. Tifa merely shook her head and stared back into the woman's face. She could see the fear in her eyes, from knowing her son had ran head forwards into the unknown. Even if he was a First Class Soldier Tifa doubted his mother would ever be reassured by the fact. Tifa still wondered if Mrs Strife knew a hundred percent what it was that Cloud did.

"I'll find out." Tifa answered smiling at the woman. "He'll be okay." She added seeing the terror etched into her features. The woman nodded in return and disappeared back inside, the door closing quietly behind her.

Tifa tied her robe closer round her body and raced towards the mountains. It had to be a monster that had descended from the mountains and scared a few villagers surely.

She was still trying to comprehend the sudden difference she'd seen in Cloud, the moment they heard the first scream he'd almost become a different person. He'd practically barked an order to his mother which she knew he wouldn't do the previous night. There were far too many layers to Cloud Strife and she simply couldn't figure all of them out.

Earlier he'd been normal. Like he was just another villager here, not a first class Soldier who lives in Midgar.

And now he was the complete opposite.

Tifa could see Cloud's large bike at the top of the hill she was racing up. There were no longer anymore screams, but she was sure they were replaced with sobs instead. When she reached the top she caught herself and stared at the scene before her. It had been nothing more than a bunch of Nibel wolves that had strayed down from the mountains. The monsters bodies lay on the ground motionless.

She looked up and caught sight of the blonde who simply stood still, holding his sword as if it weighed nothing more than a leaf. He was simply staring at a mother and child, his face completely expressionless.

Tifa could feel her guilt begin to well in inside of her. Before she'd left for Midgar she'd always spent time in the mountains, taking care of any monsters that were straying too close to her hometown for comfort.

She looked back to Cloud who had turned away from the child and it's mother and realised the sobs were coming from the child who was clearly getting a scolding from his mother. "He strayed too close to the mountains." Tifa suddenly heard Cloud's husky voice as he walked past her. She turned round to watch him nod in the child's directions.

The memory of her racing up into the mountains when she was younger, in an attempt to find her mother who had died passed in her mind. She felt her cheeks blush from embarrassment of the situation, now understanding her father's fear for her as she watched the small boy continue getting scolded by his mother.

Cloud had followed her up the mountains as well. Although he'd been behind her and her group of friends who had abandoned her, or looking at it in another angle who had realised the danger they were in and returned home. But Cloud had stayed with her all the while.

Tifa glanced over her shoulder and stared at the blonde who was watching the child as well. She wondered for a minute if Cloud could remember her disappearing into the mountains and following her.

She remembered missing her footing on the fragile rope bridge and heard Cloud cry for her as she fell. He'd come out with nothing but scraped knees whilst she'd been a coma for a little more than a week. After that, she'd never spoke to Cloud as much, due to the fact that her father blamed the blonde boy for Tifa's fall.

She felt her cheeks flush with colour again and turned round to see him. But whilst she'd been in her day dreams he was gone.

Tifa turned back round and stared at the few villagers still around. She wondered if they realised that the blonde swordsman who had stopped the Nibel wolves creeping further into their hometown had been the outcast of the same town, Cloud Strife.

Even if they had realised she'd seen that none of them had bothered to offer him a thanks. She felt her anger boil inside of her, for the people's narrow minds. She was sure Cloud did not care if he received a thanks or not, but she was hoping they could at least help in changing Cloud's perception of his hometown.

Inside of her she'd been hoping to change Cloud's mind about this place. That he wouldn't think about it as a horrid place that would forever bring bad memories to the forefront of his mind. She wanted to show him the things that she had come to adore about the place, from the mountains to the clear fresh air that had become a rarity in Midgar.

But she was sure the twenty-one year old had already made up his mind on Nibelheim and no amount of pleading would change that now. Tifa sighed in defeat and twisted back round. She'd only just become aware that she was still in her nightwear and spun on her heel to head back home.

Cloud quietly closed the door to his mother's home behind him and lent against the pale wood. He rubbed his face in frustration while silently grumbling to himself. The moment he saw the small child getting scolded for straying near the mountains, his thoughts had instantly drifted to memories. Of Tifa climbing the mountains near their home in an attempt to see her mother again, believing she might be there. He'd followed her, like any young boy would who had a secret but deep crush for the girl next door.

Memories are in the past and that's where they should stay.

That was one of his main rules to his life. Zack had occasionally used that quote on him, like the time he'd accidently trodden on one of Aerith's blooming flowers back when he was still a cadet. He'd been wracked with guilt for the next few days and Zack had constantly told him to forget about it. It wasn't until Aerith's kind words had he finally forgiven himself. The black haired soldier had told Cloud that his guilt would eventually be his downfall.

"Everything okay?" He heard his mother ask him quietly. He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced into the woman's bright blue eyes, reminding him that his own used to be like that, but was now tainted.

"Yeah." He muttered in reply. His mother seemed happy with any response he gave and it made him feel slightly guilty for not giving her a full proper answer. He watched his smiling mother as she quickly frowned at him before licking her fingers and stepping forwards to wipe dirt off his face. He quickly batted her hands away. "I'm twenty-one." Was his answer as he rubbed his face once more.

"Still means you're my little boy." Smirked his mother placing a kiss on his cheek before heading to the back of his house. Cloud glared after her, wondering if she had ever spoken to Zack before and knew exactly how to annoy him.

"Tifa's a nice girl isn't she?" She cried to the blonde man still standing in the hallway.

Cloud strode forwards and leant against the kitchen door frame as he watched her wipe the dishes from the morning's breakfast. He'd been expecting this conversation the whole time he'd been back home. He could read his mother too easily and knew she simply wanted to ask. He simply hummed a reply and prepared himself for the rest of the conversation.

"Do you still like her?" He heard the teasing tone to the woman's voice and if it had been anyone else he would have been tempted to throw whoever it was through the window.

"I never liked her." He answered, folding his arms defiantly.

"Don't lie Cloud Strife, I didn't bring you up like that." Cloud frowned and rolled his eyes, he couldn't understand how his mother could mix authority and teasing into one tone. She defiantly had been speaking to Zack somehow. "Tifa's a sweet girl, she'd be good for you."

"Please, stop." Cloud said abruptly, he still and never would be comfortable talking about these sort of things with his mother. He watched her laugh before twisting round to smile at him.

Tifa is a sweet girl, he believed that too. But he was struggling to understand her. Maybe she was just a really nice girl and while he'd been in Midgar those five years she'd grown into herself as it were, that she was able to understand everyone and had practised that pretty smile of hers in the mirror.

Okay, he had feelings for her he had to admit it. But he put them down to a teenagers crush that more or likely will probably linger for a long time. After all Tifa Lockheart was the only girl he has ever liked.

"No one will be good enough for my Cloudy." He almost jumped when he felt his mother's hand rummage through his spikes before kissing him softly once more.

Yes, his mother has met Zack Fair there was no other explanation.

As Tifa walked back inside of her home she briefly stared at the black bike that had been parked at the front of the house just like before. She'd been surprised that he was still here.

There was a faint ringing coming from upstairs of Tifa's home. She twisted back round and headed inside before she quickly leapt up the stairs and found her phone that she'd left on the side table and flipped it open. "Hello?" She asked quickly, knowing she should have looked to see who it was ringing.

"Teef, you okay? I've been ringin' for ages and you ain't been answerin'!" Tifa smiled as she heard Barret's sudden deep rough voice. It was a nice reminder of Midgar that allowed her to remember she was escaping the normality of Nibelheim.

"I'm fine Barret, I'm in Nibelheim." She answered, not being able to help but smile as she spoke to the man. She smiled more when she was sure she could hear Marlene's voice in the background crying hello.

She heard Barret's sudden deep rumbling sigh and dropped down onto her unmade bed. "Why, what's wrong?" She asked, hoping there was nothing terrible going off in Midgar like the leader of Avalanche had been found out and was currently being tracked down in the city.

"Nah, it's okay Teef, I was just wonderin' if you could take care of Marlene tonight, but it don't matter."

Tifa felt her guilt well up once more. She'd promised she'd be there to take care of the man's adoptive daughter and now he had called her she was miles away from the two. "I'm sorry Barret. I'll be home in a couple of days." Tifa caught herself, realising she'd just called Midgar her home. Was that what it was to her now, her home? Instead of where she was now?

"Don't cha get yourself all worked up over it girl." Tifa laughed back at the man and listened to him tell her how the small girl was and how she misses her. He eventually whispered a goodbye and then put down the phone.

She flipped the phone back shut and chewed on her lip. She hadn't truly given Midgar that much thought, but now she was starting to realise how much she missed the bustling city. She missed listening to Jessie's cheery stories about what had happened at the bar, Marlene's inquisitive questions or for that matter even the black haired Soldier Zack's brilliant smile.

The peaceful sounds of outside were invaded from the Soldier's next door sudden abrupt voice. Tifa flipped round and stared out the window and watched him as he paced the small lawn in front of his mother's house quietly arguing with whoever it was who was on the opposite side of the line. She watched him snap his own phone shut and then grumble slightly to himself. Feeling a sudden urge to know who Cloud was arguing with overtook her and she quickly dressed.

Tifa raced outside into the dimming sunlight from the grey clouds above. She skidded to a stop and turned to look into her neighbour's garden. She stared at the blonde haired woman who stood in the middle of her garden with her shawl wrapped round her arms to protect her from the spring air chill. "Cloud has to leave." She said quietly to the brunette. "Someone called him and told him to leave and go back to Midgar." Tifa frowned and turned to the door as Cloud walked out. He had a sorry expression on his face, like he didn't actually want to leave at all. It made her smile slightly in return. But this is what Cloud wanted to do when he was younger, he wanted to be a first class Soldier and that's what he was now. She wondered if he realised when he was younger, his life might not be his own anymore, that he might be on this company's beck and call.

He'd changed out of the baggy clothes he'd been wearing earlier and from what it looked like she guessed it had to be his uniform. He walked towards his bike and pushed the black duffle bag into one of the side compartments to his bike and then stood up straight. Tifa wondered to herself if Cloud hadn't realised the sleeveless jumper he was wearing looked too tight for him or was made to be like that to purposefully show off his chiselled chest. You shouldn't be thinking about things like that! She screamed at herself. She felt her cheeks warm from embarrassment before quickly smiling back at him and watched as he carefully cast an eye down at himself like he'd spilt something all over him.

"I have to leave." He muttered staring back at her, bringing himself back into reality and ignoring whatever Tifa had been staring at.

"Now?"

"Yes. There's been an attack on one of the reactors back in Midgar and I've been called back."

Tifa felt her mind race, had that been Barret? Was he finally putting his plans on overthrowing Shinra into action, by attacking the reactors that stood round the city? What about Marlene, would she be okay? Was that why he rung so he could make sure the little girl would be safe?

"Can I come with you?!" She cried too quickly for her liking and quickly stared back down at the ground scolding herself.

"If you're quick enough." She looked back up and saw the small faint smile on his face. "It's taken you long enough to get dressed." He smirked once more. Tifa opened her mouth to argue back but couldn't form a perfect sentence.

She heard him laugh and then saw his perfect smile. She stopped herself to watch him. It was a proper smile, not one of his small turn of the corner of his lips smile, but a proper teeth and all smile. It made his whole face light up and made his eyes look like they were shinning even more, did Cloud realise he could have this affect on people?

Tifa nodded and tore her gaze away from him as she raced back inside to gather any belongings. She glanced round quickly eager to leave this place and return to Midgar. She caught sight of her father who was staring and frowning at her for not noticing him earlier. She cried a garbled goodbye and quickly hugged him. She was half surprised when she felt him tighten his grip round her. "Come back soon Tifa." He whispered in her ear before kissing her softly on her cheek. She nodded in reply and watched him smile before racing outside. Neither he or she was ones for long tearful goodbyes, she'd miss her father but she'd see him again soon.

She watched Cloud make his own goodbyes to his mother before walking to his bike and swiftly sitting back down. The bike roared to life and Tifa jumped on behind him. She waved to Mrs Strife and saw the small tears run down her face. As soon as they got back to Midgar, Tifa made a mental note to remind the blonde occasionally to call or even write his mother.

Tifa gripped onto the blonde before the bike shot forwards and headed away from Nibelheim. She managed to make herself much more comfortable this time and wasn't clinging for her life to the young man this time. She was pretty sure in the man's driving capabilities by now.

She glanced over her shoulder and at the disappearing town, wondering when would be the next time she'd see her Nibelheim and if it would be in the blonde man's company again.

"I think that was productive!" She heard Cloud's voice over the whistling of the wind. "Don't you think?" Tifa nodded as she gripped tightly onto the blonde, feeling like she could stay in this position forever.

I had to add a Cloud and his mother scene no matter how pointless it might be, I couldn't help it. Anyways there we go, the next chapter will get things going a little more so, watch out and we will try and update asap.