"Bad news," Tifa announced as Jessie kicked the door closed behind her.

"Huh?"

Her room-mate was sat on her bed, knees drawn up to her chest. "I think the shower's broken."

"What again?" Jessie sighed, glancing at the bathroom as she dropped the shopping bags onto the counter-top.

"This has happened before?" Tifa blinked at her.

"Every couple of weeks," Jessie said. "Thought it had been working for a bit too long." She wandered into the bathroom and turned the tap on. Nothing except for a distant grinding; a moment later the shower head spat out a dribble of rust-coloured water. "Yeah, that's busted." She leant back out of the bathroom. "How about the kitchen?"

"The sink still works." Tifa wandered over to her. "And the toilet still flushes."

"Small mercies," Jessie replied.

"You don't-"

"Yep," Jessie interrupted with a grimace. "One time it all stopped working for the whole building. That was not a good month. And pretty expensive."

"Month?" Tifa exclaimed and slumped against the wall. "Is... is there any way we can fix it? You fix things all the time..."

"My speciality is electronics not plumbing sorry," Jessie said appraising the shower. "I can try though; the principles can't be that hard. Cheaper than paying for a plumber; though we might end up doing that anyway."

"No way we can try tonight?"

Jessie shook her head. "After hours is going to cost way too much for someone else to fix it. And to get the tools... Hey, there's the public baths if you want to wash up though. If it's not fixed soon we'll probably need to go there."

"Public?" Tifa asked, panic stricken as her hands clutched at her chest. Right over the scar.

"Uh, yeah," Jessie said looking away as she scratched her head. "If it helps it's not mixed bathing or anything?" Tifa still looked unconvinced. "I admit it's not private, like, at all, but they do provide towels and some people are really uncomfortable getting undressed so they wear the towels in the bath too..." She took a deep breath. "Not sure I'm explaining this very well." Tifa did not look encouraged. Jessie checked her watch; just after seven - the baths would be open until eleven. "If you're okay with it we can go when it's quieter. That way there'll be less chance of anyone seeing you?"

Tifa gave the shower one last, forlorn glance. "I do want a bath. I... I'll try." Jessie smiled.

"Here we go!" Jessie announced. It was an hour before closing and the bath house was already close to deserted. Barely anyone on the women's side - some boisterous noise from the men's. Tifa dawdled in the changing room until Jessie realised why and made sure she was between her friend the other two strangers in the room. Neither paid them much attention, but Tifa was visibly less tense once they were gone. Jessie purposefully looked away as her friend undressed, turning back to find Tifa's towel wrapped as high around her chest as possible. Not even the end of the scar was visible anymore, though there was now the slightly unfortunate side-effect of basically no material was covering her waist.

Tifa sighed as she tugged the towel down a tiny amount, clamping her arms tight against her sides. "Just going to have to put up with it, I guess."

"You don't want another towel?" Jessie asked.

"No."

"Sure?" A nod. "Okay. Let's wash up." She lead Tifa through into the main room and the washing stations. "Wash here first and then we go soak in the big bath."

"Never been anywhere like this." Tifa gazed around the room. Like many other occasions, Jessie resisted the urge to use this as a starting point to pry into the mysteries of Tifa Lockhart's past.

"I think you'll like it," Jessie said. "Not as convenient as home obviously. And when it's busy it's just a pain. And if you come during day time, half the time you have kids charging around..." She shrugged. "But as long as you come latish, it's pretty good. And you don't need to clean the room up after either."

Tifa nodded rubbing her shampoo into her hair. "It's okay. Really."

Jessie smiled and left her to her ablutions as she teased out knots and tangles with her fingers. "I forgot how good this is after being at work all day," Jessie groaned as she poured the warm water over her head. "Eats up free time, but it's not like we're going to do this every-night is it? Well, at least I don't plan on it."

"Would be a little expensive," Tifa commented and carefully re-wrapped her towel.

Another tub of water over her hair and the last of the conditioner washed out. "Okay. All clean, washed and ready to soak?" Tifa nodded. "Then let's go." They rounded the partition and Jessie managed a few more steps before realizing Tifa was no longer beside her. "Tifa?" Her friend was a few paces back, quivering and staring ahead of her in terror.

"What, what is that?" she asked, stammering as her hand clutched her towel, knuckles white with tension.

"Mount Nibel?" Jessie asked following her friend's gaze. "It's a- Are you okay?" she asked in a softer voice as she stepped closer.

Tifa's had closed her eyes and she was breathing hard. "Why is it here?"

"Why? Tradition I guess. Shinra used to make a really big thing about the mountain and the reactor. First one they ever built." Wrong answer? Tifa screwed her eyes up tighter, her body shivering despite the heat of the room. "Do you want to get out of here?" Tifa shook her head. "I don't mind. We got clean, we don't have to stay."

"I want to have the bath," Tifa said, her eyes still closed. "I just- I can't look at... it." She took another deep breath.

The mural was instantly recognisable if somewhat stylised; how had it provoked such a reaction? "If you're sure; I think I can get you to the bath okay. And if you're facing away that should help right?" Tifa nodded. "And I promise you, I will learn how to fix our shower so if it breaks. That or I'll wind up flooding the place." That got a smile. Jessie glanced around, working out a route. "Okay, so, can you look down?" Tifa lowered her head and opened her eyes. "Let's get in the bath. Don't worry - I've got you."

Tifa did not relax even as she sat down in the bath. Her tension made Jessie tense. So many more questions now - and why did the image affect her so? More answers she could never seek - and no visits to public baths with Tifa; it was likely all of them had the same mural of Mount Nibel's towering bulk.