*****************Sephiroth's POV*******************

It was early when I awoke, I felt oddly light and that something was missing, with my eyes closed I slowly stretched my hand over the entire bed, she was nowhere to be found, I shot up to get dressed whilst looking around the room, the light was dim but still enough to see its occupants, Cloud lay on the floor curled into the foetal position as Zack laid stretched out on the bed. Cloud did say he was a jiffler. I thought to myself maybe she was just in town, after all it had been a long time since she was here and she may just want to see what has changed on her own.

As I passed Cloud I kicked his foot, he woke abruptly and scrambled into his clothes with as much speed one can muster on a few hours, it had taken me a while to fall asleep myself, Hana though fell straight into a slumber. I tapped zacks leg with my hand as I passed and of all things he groaned and covered his face with the duvet. I grabbed the end of the duvet as cloud left the room to go to the bathroom I presumed, I easily yanked the covers off the young SOLDIER and yet he still did not get up.

"Zack get up!" I used the voice that usually had the cadets licking my boots, he still refused to move, Cloud then walked pas a glass of water in his hand whilst coming back to put on his boots. I pulled it out of his hand.

"Hey" he whined. I gave him a hard look as I chucked the water over Zack. It seemed Cloud had forgotten his place, but then a stern glare from me and he stumbled in his resolve and carried on to get his boots. To my surprise he still lay there, I half expected him to jump up, but he rose slowly and seemed confused as to his current wet condition he looked at cloud as he grabbed the pillow and started to wipe himself down.

"Did you have a wet dream last night Cloud?" Zack asked with complete seriousness, and I had to stop myself from laughing, although a smirk may have passed my lips.

"UP. DRESSED." I shouted as I threw the glass at him, he dodged it with ease and got up quickly and saluted me as I left. There was no point in asking them if they knew where Hana was as I had to get them up so they probably don't even know that she has wandered off. I decided I would go to the shop first, she may have decided to pick up our provisions.

The shop was small and didn't carry a lot, we basically took everything from them, of course we paid too. But they wouldn't have much until the next supply truck returned. It was clean and cluttered all at the same time, the kind of place I could have seen Hana working if I didn't know what she was capable of.

"Ahh, General, you have come to collect your supplies." A young boy said as he placed some bags on the counter.

"Yes. Tell me have you seen a young lady anytime this morning, about 5'2", short brunette hair, and crimson eyes. She arrived with us yesterday, always has a smile on her face."

"Can't say that I have sir, sorry."

"If you see her tell her to report to me immediately." I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my tone. And the man recoiled with a small nod. I grabbed the bags with more force than necessary really and stormed out of the door where I collided with Zack.

"Take these." I thrust the bags into Zack's arms.

"What's up boss?"

"I can't find Hana anywhere, have you seen her?"

"Nope, not since last night. Hey where are you going?"

"I'm going to find her even if I have to tear this place down."

"I'm sure she's fine boss."

"You don't understand, she isn't stable here, not on her own. Not if she is left with her own company" I stomped off to check everywhere in the small town.

In the end the only place I had left to check was the manor but the mayor of this town seemed adamant on keeping me out, we had stood around for a couple of hours outside waiting for her to appear. There was no sign of her and no one had seen her since the day before I need to get in that manor there could be no end to files in that building and if she read them she might break down, I had saw in her file she was here for a few years, and so I was surprised to find out no one recognised her when we first walked in.

"She's got to be in the manor, where else could she be?" I said calmly yet filled with venom toward the mayor.

"I'm sorry Sephiroth but she cannot possibly be in there, the doors are rotted and weigh an awful lot, a mere girl couldn't possibly open it."

"But Hana is no mere girl" I spat. The young girl dressed in a cowboy outfit that was also our guide spoke back to me, obviously unhappy with the tine I used on her father.

"Even so I doubt she would be able to open that, even I can't and I'm the most capable girl here." She smiled a sweet smile, obviously this was to try and ease the tension that had started to build up, due to me mostly.

"Even so Hana is not a force to be reckoned with," Zack smiled at the young girl. "She can put full grown men on their backs; she's had the General on his many times." He sniggered obviously pleased. I could feel my fist clench and my fingers itched to grasp my blade, this wasn't exactly helping, but I could see Hana's face in my head were she hear to hear that, I could see the blush rise on her cheeks as she would look at me out of the corner of her eye as if not to draw attention to us. And then she would smile, but not her normal smile that was on her face even when she was sad, no, this smile would be gentle and reach her eyes, her eyes would glow and she would look genuinely happy, the look that completely calms and soothes me, and make me thank everything that I have her.

That was it I couldn't stand it anymore. "HANA! GET HERE NOW OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL RIP THIS TOWN APART!" I heard the little guide, Tifa mumble to herself, saying something along the lines of strength was the ability to stand on your own two feet after being knocked down, not putting men in bed.

"Did you say something." I glared at her; I wasn't really expecting an answer because I didn't ask it like a question. She jumped as she obviously thought I hadn't heard her.

"N-no Sir"

"HANA!" then we heard a grinding noise and wood splintering, all of our eyes were drawn to the manor's doors. The door opened slowly and Hana's small form squeezed through the gap she had made before she pulled the door shut. She came towards us with a skip in her step. She was acting overly happy and by the paleness of her face and the faint redness of her eyes I knew she had been crying. I couldn't keep the frown off my face, I never wanted to see her unhappy, she deserved every happiness and every love.

I stalked up to her and her smile faded a little and I may have seen fear flicker in her eyes but she hid it quickly with a dazzling smile. She made to walk past me to join the group and I held her arm fast pulling her back to my side. We were just out of earshot of the others. She looked up at me as if butter wouldn't melt. I had both my hands on her shoulders; I knew I needed to word this delicately she always read too much into what others said and I was never one to mince words, so I always sounded forced when I had to speak to her. Unless we were alone of course, then she would just laugh at my attempts to be even slightly romantic, but I couldn't see a relationship like this working with anyone else but her.

"Hana..." I drew in a large breath. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick, are you hurt? Why... why have you been crying?" even I could feel my voice rumble as she placed her hands opened palmed on to my chest, her cold fingers playing on the exposed pieces of skin through the buckles of the fastening on my jacket. She continued to smile but it appeared to be a more lopsided grin whilst she looked up at me through her lashes.

"I've been in there." She turned and pointed toward the manor, her eyes drifted toward a window on the right hand side of the building and there was a slight wave of her hand although it could have been just her sweeping her hand as if to dramatise the situation. I followed her eye-line but all I could see was a crimson curtain. "I was walking up the stairs when they creaked and gave way underneath me, it gave me a little scare but I'm alright, and I uh, I suppose it scared me enough that I cried about it." She smiled, she was a terrible liar but I couldn't probe her for answers. More than anything she hated to cry, especially in front of people she cared for, she thought she constantly needed to be this pillar of strength. But she was made of snow, pure and quiet and with a light shone on her it was blinding, she hated to be centre of attention, and placed under heat and pressure she gave way just like any other human. To others she seemed cold but to those who knew her she was fun, light-hearted and very loving, but fragile all the same. She never asked for help no matter how much she needed it, she insisted everyone's problems were hers and her problems were only hers. And that was her Achilles heel, she was going to need help one of these days but her lips will remain sealed and I don't know how I'm supposed to help or prevent it.

I released my hold on her shoulders, I hadn't realised I had been gripping her that tightly, although she didn't seemed to be hampered by it, if anything she looked more relaxed and calm in my presence and under my touch than she ever did. But she just continued to smile at me as she made her way over to cloud and Zack, that stupid and amazing childish smile that was hers and hers alone.