A/N: I hope this chapter turned out alright. Wasn't entirely sure where to go with the first part... Well, enjoy. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"I should be out there," Cloud said sullenly from his place on the bed. Tifa looked at him from across the room. He was on Denzel's bed, his arms beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling. It was obvious his thoughts were elsewhere, leaving him frustrated and restless. No matter how exhausted and tired he must be, he kept his eyes open, his mind dwelling on all the possible scenarios before them.

"You should sleeping," she replied.

They were the only two in the room. The children had been kind enough to give up their room so Cloud could rest, since the other room was otherwise occupied. Marlene and Denzel were downstairs in the bar, taking care of the regular customers who were coming. Tifa wondered how comfortable those regulars would be if they knew the men who had terrorized their town two years ago were there, just up the stairs.

Shelke was at her station in the other room, making sure their "guests" didn't go anywhere.

Tifa stepped closer to Denzel's bed, staring down at Cloud till he was forced to meet her gaze. "You're not the only who's capable of fighting Sephiroth."

"I know," he said, "It's just...I feel like I should be doing something."

"You wouldn't do Vincent any good passing out."

"I know."

"And you didn't do any good running after Kadaj in the first place. You're lucky Reno came to your rescue and Sephiroth didn't kill you right then!"

"I know!" he snapped this time. Tifa backed down, sighing as she turned to the window. She walked over and rested her hands against the sill, looking absently at the city outside.

She couldn't believe it. Cloud was finally here again. They were together, and the first thing they could do was get into an argument. Why couldn't things just be peaceful, for once?

"I wonder why he didn't kill me," he said softly.

"What?"

"Sephiroth. Why didn't he kill me? Reno wouldn't have been any match for him, yet he left, for no reason."

"You'll drive yourself crazy trying to understand Sephiroth," she replied, walking over to the other bed and sitting down to face him.

"Maybe it wasn't Sephiroth. Maybe it was Kadaj."

"Whatever the reason...I'm glad you're alright, Cloud." She offered him a slight smile as he met her gaze again. "And you are doing something by being here. Vincent asked you to watch over them."

"You could do that by yourself."

She paused, the light-hearted touch disappearing from her gaze. "Maybe I don't want to do that by myself. Maybe I want you here with me. Maybe I've missed you. And maybe I've resented you for being away from me for so long."

Cloud rolled over and sat up, looking at her seriously. "You know I only left because of Kadaj."

"But you didn't tell me that. You didn't tell me that, and I had to find out about the remnants by running into one. Do you know how afraid I was? It was Sephiroth! I know now he's not the same, and maybe they've changed, but...I was scared."

"Tifa..." he swung his legs over the bed and went to stand, just as she rose from the other bed and walked out of his reach.

She sighed heavily. "I've been waiting for you for so long, Cloud. Why do you still keep me at arms length?"

He walked over to her slowly, placing his hands on her arms as she kept her back turned to him. He stroked her skin gently, placing his face against her hair, taking in the soft, sweet scent. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Tifa turned to face him, allowing herself to remain in his hold as she looked up into his gentle blue eyes. Her distress was still visible on her face, but this was all she was hoping for. All she wanted out of him. Their problems were still there. Sephiroth was still here. But if they could settle what was between them, that would make all the difference in the world. She drew closer to him, as he cupped her face in his hands.

He kissed her softly, gently. This was the kiss she remembered, the kiss she always wanted to feel. Having him there was enough to wash away her insecurities, to bury her fears, and to remind her that their situation wasn't hopeless.

Aeris had acted for a reason. She must have had a plan for all of this.

Tifa softly pulled the door closed, watching Cloud through the crack, before it was shut completely. The blonde had finally fallen asleep, so she would do everything possible to at least keep him that way. The rest of Seventh Heaven was quiet, except for the soft murmur coming from the patrons downstairs. She took a quick glance down; everything seemed to be in order. She would join the children in a second, but she thought she should check in the other room first.

The door was kept ajar, and a rather cold breeze was wafting into the hallway. She quickly pushed it open. Cloud's bed was empty, Yazoo was missing. The window was left open, the cool morning breeze rustling the curtains as it came in.

She quickly ran to the window, looking outside, trying to find any trace of the remnant. But she knew by now, he was gone.

Accepting what happened, she closed the window. She glanced over at Shelke. The girl was on the opposite bed, her chin against her chest as she sat against the headboard. She had obviously dozed off, and Tifa couldn't blame her, after being awake all night with them.

That didn't surprise her. What did surprise her was Loz. He was still there, sleep on the floor, curled up like a child.

Why hadn't he gone with his brother? Or better yet, why did his brother leave without him? Was Loz even aware that he was gone?

So many questions, never any answers. And thinking about it wouldn't help her. She was amazed though. She wasn't concerned, not even a little bit, that Yazoo had left. Maybe it was because Loz was there, indicating that he would be back for his brother. Either way, she was completely at peace.

She pulled the cover quietly from the bed, draping it over Loz. She went down on the floor beside him, tucking the blanket around him to make sure it covered him completely. She couldn't help but smile, noticing how innocent he looked.

"Mother..." the word slipped past his lips, a soft whisper. She sat back against the bed, watching him fondly as she gently touched his head. She hoped that in his dreams, he would find his mother, or something that could fill the empty void in him.

She closed her eyes, resting her head back against the bed. She figured this was best place for her to be now, and let the sleep she had been denying come and take her over.

A/N: Curious now, aren't you? Tee hee. Please review. :)