Disclaimer: All characters belong to SquareEnix, we just brought them out to play.

Big thank you to our beta SephirothxAerith for Betaing and all of her contributions

000

Sephiroth stood on the edge of the 50 story skyscraper... so close in fact that his toes were beginning to curl over the side. Oblivion lay at the bottom of those 50 stories, sweet oblivion for a 17 year old puppet with his strings being pulled every which way by the ShinRa empire and a mad scientist. What meaning did life have for a puppet? Slowly he began to lean forward toward the blackness below.

"Stop!"

Startled Sephiroth straightened away from the edge, and whirled around, but managed to retain some semblance of composure. Jogging up to him was another SOLDIER about his age and judging by the uniform, a 2nd Class SOLDIER at that. The other SOLDIER had auburn hair and aqua marine eyes that gave the impression of being a brilliant blue even before the mako enhancement. He had ivory skin and a face with such refined features that he looked like he should be the pampered playboy son of a CEO, not a second class SOLDIER.

"What are you yelling about?" Sephiroth snapped coldly, understandably irritated that someone had interrupted his attempt to leave this world. "What are you doing up here anyways?"

The other youth shifted uncomfortably and absently scratched the back of his head, yet he looked more embarrassed than afraid of Sephiroth, "On guard duty sir. With all the big wigs down there the Turks have their hands full as it is."

"Then be on your way SOLDIER," Sephiroth said solemnly, turning back to the building ledge, hoping the other SOLDIER would just go. No such luck.

"Are you sure are you all right, sir?" The other SOLDIER asked making no effort to hide the concern in his voice.

"Even if I wasn't, what concern is it of yours?" Sephiroth muttered.

"Well, as my commanding officer it is one of my duties to protect you." The other SOLDIER answered firmly taking a step forward, before adding in a more somber tone, "and I was wondering why someone like you would feel that there was nothing to live for."

Sephiroth felt a bitter taste creep into his mouth at the other SOLDIER's words. Everyone assumed he had everything. No one understood the price he paid for it... "I do not think that is any of your business SOLDIER."

"Well, as a SOLDIER, no, I guess it wouldn't be," the other SOLDIER said softly, but took a few more steps forward, continuing, "but as a fellow human being I can't just walk away until I'm sure you're okay. If I walked away now, and did nothing and you killed yourself, then it would be just as if I pushed you myself."

Sephiroth was a little taken aback to be considered human by someone, particularly a SOLDIER subordinate who either looked at him with a blind adoration or whispered that he was a weird freak of nature. "Ridiculous. It would be my decision; you would not be held responsible by ShinRa."

The redheaded SOLDIER daringly took a few more steps forward so he was standing beside Sephiroth at the edge of the building. "No, but my own conscience would get to me. How could I look my fellow SOLDIERs in the eye and... talk of honor and achieving your dreams when I let someone die when I could have saved them?"

Sephiroth couldn't help but stare at the other SOLDIER. So bold and yet for once, Sephiroth did not find the insolence irritating, for it seemed the other SOLDIER was only doing it for his benefit. No one had ever done that for him before. In addition the pleasing arrangments of the other SOLDIER's facial features made it easier to swallow his words. What was the word people tended to attribute to that sort of thing? Beautiful?

"No SOLDIER left behind right?" The auburn haired SOLDIER tilted his head at him smiling. Sephiroth snorted derisively. He did not need this person using the SOLDIER slogan against him.

"But if you jumped now while was talking to you, then I would be absolved from all guilt, because at least then I know I tried." The other SOLDIER said with a shrug. Coming to stand on the ledge, he looked down and whistled. "Sure is a long way down. What if you got it wrong and didn't die?"

Sephiroth mad no response either verbally or otherwise. But internally he felt a cold sense of dread at the thought of what Hojo would do to him if he was taken back alive after his attempted suicide.

The other SOLDIERs face looked noticeably relieved at his hesitation. "Maybe you should sleep on it. Think it over again. Maybe you'll change your mind, because once you step off this roof you can't change your mind."

Sephiroth slowly shook his head; he could not deny the logic in that.

"Even if your path is predetermined with only one destination, there are always plenty of twists and off-roading along the way that you can't see just yet." The other SOLDIER said thoughtfully gazing at the stars. "And you can always strive to make it the best journey possible for yourself, and carve your own destiny and name with in it before reaching your destination."

Sephiroth turned his head to look at the other SOLDIER as if seeing him for the first time. He understood, but how? He understood the burden on his shoulders and the hurt it was causing him and yet didn't think him weak for it. He didn't think there were people who even could care that much.

The other SOLDIER let out a relieved breath as Sephiroth stepped back from the ledge. As if to make sure that Sephiroth didn't suddenly change his mind the auburn haired SOLDIER closed the distance between them and stood between Sephiroth and the ledge. "See that wasn't so hard was it?" He said with a smile. "Now what do you say you go back inside and show your SOLDIER toughness to those pompous assholes."

"Their opinions mean nothing to me." It was a lie for their opinions were what had driven him out here in the first place, but now their words seemed to matter to him less and less in comparison to the words of the auburn haired SOLDIER. Perhaps it was this growing importance of the other SOLDIER's presence that made Sephiroth bother to inquire to his identity. "What is your name?"

"Genesis! Genesis Rhapsodos," The other SOLDIER answered proudly. "And don't worry I already know your name."

Sephiroth nodded. "Genesis. I will remember it."

Genesis smiled and was about to walk away from the edge when a pigeon flew up into Genesis' face, throwing him off balance and tipping him back over the ledge. Without thinking Sephiroth lunged forward, grabbing Genesis' arm to stop him from falling over and pull him back. The momentum shifted sending Genesis right back into Sephiroth's arms. Fortunately the silver haired warrior was strong enough to keep them both upright, but they suddenly found themselves nose to nose.

Sephiroth felt his heart speed up at the situation. He had never held another person like this before; his arms wrapped them, their body pressed up against his. He didn't like being touched. Cold hands and instruments examining him were what he was used to. But Genesis felt so warm, and his eyes seemed to sparkle like the stars...so full of life and hopes and dreams, so different from the eyes Sephiroth was used to seeing leer at him, full of greed or madness.

Meanwhile Genesis' heart was also pounding, with some nervousness, but also absolute delight. He'd followed Sephiroth through newspapers and reports on the television and every magazine he could get his hands on. When he joined SOLDIER he give a 110% no! 200% to everything he did just to be good enough, high ranked enough, worthy enough, just to be near him, fight alongside him. And now, here he was in Sephiroth, SEPHIROTH's arms having just saved him from certain death. Oh, those eyes, those cat like eyes that looked like they had been cut from pure jade. They were staring blankly back at him, and yet behind that there was a touch of fear, uncertainty, something he had not expected to see in Sephiroth's eyes.

It both surprised and confused Genesis. What did Sephiroth have to fear? Fear so much that he had taken it in to his head to attempt to kill himself? Maybe Angeal was right: maybe the pressure, the weight of being the ultimate hero, was too much for him. It made Genesis's heart sink a little to think that his hero was so unhappy. He wanted badly to lift that burden off Sephiroth's shoulders so then maybe the man he admired so much might know some happiness too. He knew it! He would become a hero, too! He would stick to that dream he'd had when he first joined SOLDIER. He would become a hero so that he could share the burden of heroism with Sephiroth, so that the silver haired angel would not have to bear it alone.

Sephiroth continued to stand there entranced at Genesis and for just a moment he saw... something. Sympathy and determination... for him...but then he blinked and the moment was gone. Sephiroth let Genesis go and turned away. "I must get back inside before they suspect that I have done something to myself." He began to head back toward the stairwell, but stopped and cast one last look over his shoulder before fully disappearing inside again.

0000

It was a typical night at 7th Heaven: Tifa welcoming new patrons and joking around with her regulars while filling orders. This created the usual merry roar which was probably why Tifa didn't hear the sound of the door opening, or see the man entering. Otherwise she would have tossed him out straight off.

Atiliio was his name. He wasn't tall (only a few inches above Tifa's 5' 4"). His eyes were a sharp green, his skin was rough and sunburned, hands calloused from manual labor. Once, he'd been head of Sector 1's reactor, a darling boy of ShinRa. Now a laborer wherever he could find work to do it...

He waited deliberately till a stool at the bar had opened up and her back was turned, leery as their last meeting had ended... well, he knew what she could do.

Tifa turned around and felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach when her eyes fell on him. The drink she held nearly dropped from her hand, but she managed to hold on to it despite shaking fingers. She quickly collected herself, not wanting to give him the satisfaction that his very presence chilled her to the bone. It was not so much the man himself, but the bad memories attached to him and the fear that Cloud would find out.

"What can I get you?" she asked through a tight jaw, trying her damnedest to pretend all was well.

Atilio's smile and low voice were pure poison as he refused to back down, "Surely you remember what I like... Temptress. Oh, that's right, it's Tifa, isn't it?" He spoke louder now, "Kalm Fang with a twist."

Gripping her writing tablet with bone crushing force was the only thing keeping her from punching the man right then and there. "Of course, I'll get that right away, but I need some extra ingredients."

She made her way to the back room to get some ingredients she did not have at the counter and to cool off a little bit before she exploded.

Atilio's eyes were predatory, never leaving Tifa once she'd returned, boring holes into the back of her head as she mixed the drink then slapped it down in front of him. He enjoyed his first few sips, as Tifa stared at him.

"Fate's a funny thing isn't it...?"

"A barrel of laughs." She muttered.

"I was once a manager at Reactor One. Poised for greatness, to go above the plate. And you... you were one step above being some back-seat whore. And now the whore's a world a hero, and I'm slaving away for pittances."

That did it. Tifa slammed her fist into the counter in front of him. "If you're lower than dirt it's your own fault Atilio! And don't you flatter yourself by calling me that when you got no where with me and I threw you out on your ass!"

Atilio now got right in Tifa's face, grabbing her arm, "So you do remember my name. I'm so flattered! But, Tifa, you weren't complaining when we were on your pathetic excuse for a bed, my hand on your thigh, your tongue down my throat." Within a split second he had yanked her closer, forcing her her lips onto his. The whole bar fell into an absolutely shocked silence

Tifa froze, at first too shocked by the assault, then all the bad memories associated with him, with them, came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks, completely paralyzing her.

Just as suddenly as it began, the assault came to end with the unwanted lips being torn from Tifa's. The reason why became obvious in the form of a 5' 7" blond gripping the assaulter by the belt loops and the back of his shirt and dangling Atilio a good three inches off the ground over his yells, blue eyes promising death to the man who'd DARED laid hands on Tifa.

"You alright?" He said, worried eyes resting on Tifa.

Still shell shocked Tifa could only nod.

Cloud calmly flipped Atilio so he was carrying the man sideways and head first, still by the belt loops and back of his shirt, and despite the wriggling and yelling, calmly marched the intruder head first out the door and tossed him outside into the dirt, warning him off again with a snarled, "Come here again, and I will gut you. Understand?"

The other patrons at the bar remained silent for a moment after Cloud came back in, and then erupted in claps and cheers for Cloud.

Cloud looked a little bewildered at the crowd, but allowed himself a small bow to placate the patrons before making his way over to Tifa, who was beginning to come out of her shocked stupor, but visibly shaking. It surprised him to see her this affected; this was not the first time a patron "invaded her space", but usually it was Tifa herself who took care of the ass kicking and wiped her hands of the whole ordeal without a hair out of place.

He gently took Tifa into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Are you all right?"

She shook her head and pulled away a little. Her heart was wracked with guilt being in Cloud's arms after what had happened...what she'd done so carelessly in the past. She feared some of the filth and freshly risen bad memories might rub off on him. Gaia knew Cloud was burdened enough with bad memories on his own – he didn't need hers too. "I'm okay, really."

"Are you sure...?" He pressed, a little disappointed at his empty arms.

Tifa nodded solemnly keeping her eyes lowered. "Yeah, I have a job to do and you need to get some sleep. You had a long day too."

"I'm alright. I can get up a little later tomorrow," Cloud went back into the personal kitchen and returned with a stool. He then 'assumed the position' by taking a seat on the stool in a corner next to the bar. Not near enough that paying, rule-abiding customers would be intimidated, but close enough he could bounce anyone else who thought to give Tifa problems.

With a leaden step Tifa returned to her business and patrons, but her steps were not quite as heavy knowing Cloud was watching her back.

0000

Later, as night crawled into the early am, Sephiroth came downstairs. He had become a recluse for the day since returning from their road trip to Kalm and finding the Banora white sapling. His brain felt so jumbled and he always felt exhausted after an attack by Jenova.

When the place grew quiet and he was feeling a little more rested, he decided to head down and gather the receipts from the night and get to work on logging them and work on some end of the month stuff. Some good old fashion paperwork would help get his mind off the emotional things.

He found Tifa cleaning things up and grumbling incoherently to herself. "Do you need any help?"

Tifa, wiping down the tables and thrusting dirty glasses into a plastic tub, gave a shake of her head. As she went to grab a glass she used a little more force then necessary and missed the tub altogether, sending the glass to smash on the floor and sending glass bits everywhere.

"Damn it...! That's the third one tonight!" She growled, furious with herself for allowing that creep to get her this worked up. She stomped downstairs where they kept 7th Heaven's cleaning supplies, so she could grab the small broom and dustpan.

The waves of anger were coming off her like steam from a pot of boiling water and were bombarding Sephiroth's senses. He had heard a commotion coming from the bar earlier, but decided to leave the subject alone as Tifa seemed frustrated enough without him prying. Besides, there was a job to be finished, and he could not let a mess go unattended. He picked up the abandoned tub and began picking up the other glasses.

Tifa was just re-entering the bar with the dustpan, "Oh... you don't have to do that Sephiroth." Her smile was a grateful one, though.

Sephiroth shrugged nonchalantly. "It would be illogical and inefficient for me to stand and watch while you cleaned up the broken glass and the rest of the tables remained unkempt."

"Sorry, I'm usually faster then this, but..." Her swallow was audible.

"Are you ill?" Sephiroth tilted his head at her.

"No. Just shaken..." Tifa confessed, running a hand across her temples.

"Did I awaken some more bad memories?" He asked. "I assure you it was unintentional."

"No, actually for once it wasn't Nibelheim." Tifa took a breath, "Had a patron today. Knew me, from when I was new to Midgar."

Sephiroth picked up the final glasses and set the tub down before going over to her. "He brought up bad memories?"

Tifa rubbed her face, as if that could erase the memories, "I did some things... made compromises I'm not proud of. But it was what I had to do."

"What things?" He picked up the tub again and walked back to the sink in the bar. "Keep talking: I can hear very well."

Sephiroth grabbed a few paper towels and wet them. He came back over and set the wet paper towels over the broken glass.

This was how SOLDIERs generally discussed their inner feelings. One would pretend to do something or conduct busy work, but kept an open ear while the other SOLDIER talked out what was on his mind. You had the satisfaction of another person listening, but not the pressure of organizing your thoughts while they stared expectantly at you.

"I had nothing." She whispered, staring at the broom she was clutching "I woke up alone in a med unit in the slums... don't remember even getting there."

Sephiroth gently took the broom from her hands. "Were you in Sector Seven?"

"No, that came later. After I was released... I ended up in Sector Six. The nurses gave me clothes – had to burn my old ones that first night to stay warm – and a few gil."

Sephiroth begin sweeping scattered shards of glass into the pile of wet paper towels and then into the dust pan. "How long were you on the streets?"

"A few months. I sang on the street corners, ran errands for ladies... whatever it took to get the gil I needed to put food in my belly."

Sephiroth calmly swept the mass of paper towels and glass into the dustpan. "You said you had done some things you're not proud of. What were they?"

"A few months of living on the streets and I just... I just couldn't stand it any more. So, I became..." Oh how was she saying this to Sephiroth of all souls when she'd barely told CLOUD anything about it? "I was a dancer and singer at a Gentleman's Club near Wall Market. Those places, they don't ask about references for the management or what goes on with the girls, so l made a deal with the creep-manager. I got to keep most of my clothes on, and I'd occasionally 'liberate' some extra gil from the wealthier patrons." She sucked in a deep breathe. "I dated a bit, and brought guys back to my room once in a great while. Not for love, just.. stress relief."

Sephiroth dumped the contents of the dustpan into the garbage before nodding solemnly. "One does things to survive both physically and mentally, even if it is just for a few illusionary moments of pleasure." He let out a weary sigh remembering many nights after Genesis left him; he would try to relieve the "tension" in his body, by pretending it was Genesis' hands instead of his own. But it wasn't the same. "If for no other reason than to give you increments of illusionary strength to go on."

Tifa made an agreeing noise, "Three years after Nibelheim, I had a lapse in judgment. I bumped into a patron from the club. Cute, not a total perve, made me laugh for the first time in what felt like forever." Her lips twitched, "We got back to my room, and did a little fooling around. But I hit the brakes for going further, patron and all. He thought he could force 'further' on me... picked the wrong girl. I ended up with a few bruises, but he... well... let's just say there was no point in him coming to the club any more after that."

While she was talking, Sephiroth had gone back to the bar and filled a clean glass with water and brought it back for Tifa. "At least you stood up for yourself that time."

"Well... I am proud of that." And Tifa was. "But it's sad that it took something like that to wake me up; remind me I could still 'open a can of whoop-ass' as Cid would say."

"Sometimes, after experiencing something terrible, we fall into stupor where we are only half conscious of the world around us; we barely hear, see, smell, or feel anything. Only just enough to get us by." Sephiroth said soberly. "We go about the daily motions, but never really awake as if walking through an unending nightmare. It took something traumatic to put us in that state. Sometimes it takes something traumatic to bring us out of it."

"I thought you'd understand." Tifa murmured, her smile wobbly.

Without missing a beat, Sephiroth picked up the tub and made his way back over to the sink and began washing the glasses. "More than you know."

Tifa sat for a moment sipping her water, trying to get herself under a little bit more control.

After he finished washing the glasses, Sephiroth looked over at Tifa and saw her expression still remained sad and troubled. He racked his brain trying to think of something to cheer her up. She had been so kind and comforting to him in his troubled times, he could at least return the favor. He had one idea, but he wasn't sure he was ready to share it with anyone else. On the other hand, who better could he trust but the people who welcomed him into their family. "Would you like to see a hidden talent?"

Tifa looked up at him for a moment before nodding.

Sephiroth picked up a notepad and a pencil off the counter and began sketching out Tifa after about five minutes he'd finished and held it up for her to see.

Tifa grinned as she looked at the rendition of herself, "That is a hidden talent!" Then she got a even better look, "Wow!"

"Did I portray you accurately?"

"I'm impressed! I mean... this is good!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Hm. Let me try something else." Sephiroth took pencil to paper again. This time he sketched out a beautiful pair of eyes purely from memory.

"Ooooh!" Tifa breathed, staring at the eyes.

"Yes, beautiful eyes..." Suddenly the silver hair SOLDIER let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. "They're no good..." He crumpled up the paper in his hand.

Tifa sat in surprise for a moment, before asking him, "Compared to other artworks... or the real things?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "There's no warmth in them... Artists can breath warmth and life into their pictures. I merely put pencil lines on a piece paper that happen to resemble his eyes. Beautiful but cold, just like his eyes then..." He trailed off as memories of Nibelheim threatened to bubble up in his head and he definitely did not need those right now.

He quickly switched subjects in and effort to deflect them away. "Hojo said I should learn every aspect of human anatomy; it would make me more efficient at killing. The best way was to study it, replicate it by detailed anatomical drawings so I would know every bone, muscle fiber, tendon ligament nerve and blood vessel. But he didn't teach me how to make it alive, they were just parts..."

"From everything I know of him... Hojo couldn't teach about being alive, period." Tifa said, "... was he the one who raised you?"

"Mostly, from when I was about five years old," Sephiroth said. "Since Dr. Gast disappeared or as I later found out was killed." A touch of sadness betrayed his stoic demeanor at the mention of Gast.

Tifa had to fight the urge to reach out and cover one of Sephiroth's hands, as she would with any friend, "Gaia... I can't even imagine."

"I suppose it is fitting since he might be my actual father," Sephiroth said with a defeated sigh.

"Who on Gaia would-" Tifa gave an involuntary shudder, "with him?" Then realizing who she was talking too, blushed, "Sorry."

Sephiroth shook his head. "My mother, Lucrecia Crescent apparently. I have often wondered the same thing. Maybe he was different back then. But any pride or love he had for me as a father, he gave up the minute he made me feel I was not human enough to love or be loved. It took me almost 22 years to realize that and just as I did... it all fell apart."

Tifa reached out her hand and brought it to rest right next to his... but still not covering. "What happened?"

"You don't want to know..." Sephiroth murmured.

"Maybe I do." Her voice was calm, "If it has something to do with... Nibelhiem and what happened there, I do. Please. I know it wasn't just what you found in that library that broke you. Not the man who walked into our town."

"I was going to be the successful experiment, the leader SOLDIER, the hero, crown jewel of ShinRa's creations: their hand made god." Sephiroth said bitterly. "A euphemism for puppet. Whether I wanted to be or not." Tifa nodded, the disgust burning in her belly.

"To err is human, in order to be a god I could not be human," Sephiroth explained stoically. "The mental and agility and strength tests weren't so bad, those were just physical trials. As hard as they were, at least I could control the outcome of my fate."

"Of course." Tifa then braced herself for ugly.

Sephiroth noticeably tensed and his hands began to tremble slightly. "But the immuno tests, the wound repair efficiency tests, building up my resistance to poisons and diseases so nothing would effect me, so I would never be sick or ill or hurt or weak in front of my admirers."

He sighed the tension releasing from his body and his shoulders slumped in a strange regret. "Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if he had been kinder about it, patted my head and hugged told me it would be all right... that it would make me stronger, so I would be protected down the road and just let me cry it out. But crying was a weakness. I was told that gods and SOLDIERs don't cry, that I was always meant for this to be strong...

And even when I finally entered SOLDIER ranks I was told allies and professional associates were all right and to be respectful and professional to my peer and superiors. But that friends and comrades were beneath me, that emotional attachments to others would only slow me down."

"Manure." Tifa scoffed

Sephiroth nodded solemnly. "I know that now, but I didn't then. When I was a child, anyone I did form any kind of emotional attachment to disappeared. Gast, some of the lab assistants that would sneak me candy when Hojo wasn't looking, some of the lab animals I played with..."

The hand slowly came to cover Sephiroth's in a gesture of comfort.

Sephiroth glanced at her hand on his but made no motion to remove it, and continued stoically. "There was one moment when I was 17, at ShinRa's winter solstice party when I heard people talking about me. It became also horribly clear when everyone spoke of me it was always with Hojo or Shinra's project attached to my name; never was it spoken individually. I was their puppet and nothing more." Tifa swallowed back tears, but frankly wasn't all that shocked.

Sephiroth removed his hand from under Tifa's and looked away from her, as if ashamed for what he was about to say, but could still trust her enough to hear it.

"I went to the roof top. There was no railing, only a small divider there, and more than 50 stories. If I aimed right, not even my enhanced skull would survive the fall. I was standing at the very edge when someone called out to me to stop."

Tifa nearly asked if this youngster had brilliant sea-eyes and spikey black hair... and was named Zack, but caught herself. Zack would not have been old enough to even join when Sephiroth, eight years his senior, was only 17.

And for the first time that night a smile crept a cross his face. "He had auburn hair and blue eyes..." Sephiroth trailed off as he picked picked up his pencil again.

Sephiroth fell silent as he worked on the drawing. After awhile he stopped and studied his creation. Another pair of eyes, but he didn't crumple it up, "I think I got it right this time."

For a moment, Tifa was breathless. "They're... stunning!"

"Yes they were," Sephiroth murmured, then rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired, I think I can sleep now."

"Yes, think I can, too." She gave Sephiroth's hand a gentle squeeze as he passed by, "Thank you... for telling me about Genesis."

"You're welcome. I wish you could have met him." Sephiroth said a sad but fond expression crossing his face as he continued.

"Me too." Tifa agreed.

As Sephiroth departed, Tifa looked harder at the sketch, a gnawing sensation of familiarity grasping at her, but she finally dismissed it and set the drawing back on the table. She should go to bed. Cloud would be asleep and wonderfully warm... but his nice warm body was as good as a glass of warm milk.

Or she could read one of the fashion magazines she kept stashed under the couch.

0000

Chica's Chatter: For Tifa's life between waking up in Midgar and meeting with Cloud again, I took some serious time and thought. She was 15, orphaned, well built, from a little podunk town on a different CONTINENT then Midgar that got dropped in the slums. The chances of her NOT ending up in a Gentlemen's Club is very very tiny, to my mind. And combined with when she goes to Don Corneo's in FFVII she seems to know EXACTLY how the girls dressed and acted.