TWENTY-FOUR

"What you said back there," I asked. "You meant it?"

Jessie and I stood for a moment at the bottom of the ladder leading up to the storage room. After we had laid together on the blanket for a few minutes, resting and enjoying each other's company in the stillness of that little place, we had cleaned ourselves off as best we could, gotten dressed, and had packed up our gear. Then, after Jessie had given me a gentle kiss, we had left our quiet refuge behind.

She knew what I meant. "I did, Cloud. I love you."

"Jessie…" I swallowed, not sure how to respond. I cared about her, but… I didn't know much about… love. "Glad you feel that way. Makes me, well… happy. It's just… I, uh…"

"It's okay," she smiled. "I understand. I know it's hard for you to say how you feel. Kinda cute, actually. Mostly because I know you really do care about me. Love is… a big thing. So don't feel like you have to say it back right away. Just take your time. I'll wait."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Jessie grinned. "Sure thing! I can see you've got a lot on your mind, a lot to work out. So don't sweat it. But when you do tell me, sooner or later, just remember I said it first!"

"Not gonna forget," I promised. "No way I could."

"Awww, Cloud, aren't you sweet?" she chuckled, hands on her hips. Then she leaned forward a little, held up her finger, and smirked. "You just love making me feel all warm and tingly inside, don't you? And not just with your words, either."

My jaw fell open as I blushed furiously and looked away. "Wha…? I, uh… I mean… I guess so…"

She giggled. "C'mon, SOLDIER boy. Let's go home."

"Right," I agreed. "This way."

"Oh, and Cloud?" she said, wrapping her arms around me. "Thank you. For what you did for me in there. Not just… you know… but also for talking me out of doing… what I almost did."

I held her for a moment. "Sure. You don't need to go it alone. We'll help. Me, Tifa, Lena, and the guys."

Jessie tapped my nose. "Same to you, merc."

"Don't expect me to get all mushy with 'em," I told her.

"Not a chance!" she laughed. Then she grew serious again. "Just… don't tell them about what happened here, okay? What I… tried to do. I don't want to worry them."

I hadn't planned to. "It's our secret."

"Then let me seal those delicious lips of yours with a kiss and we'll be on our way," Jessie winked.

"Gladly," I said, the corner of my mouth curling up.

She didn't waste any time. Her kiss was long, soft, and sweet, with a tantalizing hint of the fierce passion she could unleash. Just enough to remind me of what we'd experienced in the storage room as well as give me a taste of what was ahead of us later. Made my blood sizzle and my heart slam hard against my ribs.

When we were finished, we set out across the underplate. It wasn't far to the duct we'd come in from, but we'd only gone a few steps when I saw something fly toward us out of the corner of my eye. I knew what it was in an instant and flattened Jessie under me just as the rocket flew over us. It was a small missile, and as it smashed into one of the narrow metal beams that supported the platform, I spotted the launcher. It was in a nearby corner in this part of the underplate.

The platform lurched as the beam broke apart, but it held. But as I helped Jessie up, three more missiles came at us, smoke trailing behind them. We dove aside, drawing our weapons in the process while two of the rockets blew apart the railing behind us. The third struck the floor of the platform right where we'd been standing. Jessie managed to take out the launcher with her gun and a raspberry before it could fire at us again, and it exploded in a brilliant fireball.

But the explosion from that last missile ripped the platform in two at the same time. Jessie leaped to safety at the last second, but the floor under my feet gave way and started to fall toward the slums far below. I was being carried with it, and all Jessie could do was drop her gun and reach for me, her eyes wide and frightened.

"Cloud!" she yelled.

I acted on instinct, jumping from one falling section of the broken platform to another as fast as I could, my eyes on Jessie's. I blocked out the thought of the long drop under my feet and simply acted, springing back up toward the underplate. Launching myself off part of a severed pipe, I leaped high into the air, flipped into a forward somersault, then landed safely on the edge right in front of Jessie.

She pointed at me. "Okay, now that was pretty cool!"

I smirked as I straightened up. "Guess it was flashy, wasn't it?"

"Sure was!" she chuckled. "But if you ever scare me like that again, I'll beat the shit outta you! Got that, SOLDIER boy?"

"Loud and clear," I said.

Jessie took my hands in hers. "Seriously, though. I don't wanna lose you, Cloud. And that's an awfully long fall down to the slums. Probably no way to survive it."

"Not necessarily," I said. "If you've got something to break your fall or slow it down, you could make it."

"Let's hope we never have to test that," she shivered.

I nodded. "Right. We'd better get outta here. Don't want to run into security again. Seems we've got their attention."

We hurried across the underplate the way we'd come, watching for more of Shinra's automated weapons systems. Rocket launchers, for the most part. They were set up all throughout the platforms, but I noticed that as long as we didn't get too close to them, they stayed dormant. So I made sure Jessie and I gave them a wide berth.

We were almost to the exit leading into the tunnel when a patrol of elite grunts suddenly sprang at us from another platform set at the top of a short flight of steps. They were just like their cousins from Reactor 1, but their suits were red and they were a bit stronger and faster. Jessie brought up her arm, concentrated, and hurled a fork of lightning at the nearest enemy, striking it in the chest and forcing it back a few steps. It didn't go down, though. Like I said, tougher.

I ducked under a hail of blue energy bolts and swept Buster across in a wide arc, catching three of the grunts while Jessie covered me with her gun, peppering the fourth with bullets and keeping it off my back. I followed up my attack with a series of three quick strikes that hit each of the grunts I was fighting in a blinding flash of purple energy one by one. Two fell, but the last stayed on his feet.

Jessie cried out as she took a slash on the arm from the grunt she'd been firing at. It had closed in on her, but I was still tangling with mine so I couldn't help her. She held her own, though, letting her gun fall to the floor so she could face her enemy hand to hand. Ignoring the pain, she ducked under the grunt's swinging arm, slammed her fists into its chest one after another, and drove it back.

A few energy bolts grazed my shoulder as my own enemy let loose another blast from his arm, but I just rushed him in spite of it, slashing him again and again before drawing upon my materia's magic to throw a sizzling blue bolt of electricity into him. He crashed right through the nearest railing and fell to the slums.

I turned to help Jessie, but she was already hitting the grunt with a forward thrust kick that sent him sprawling onto the floor. And before he could get up, she picked up her gun and sprayed him with bullets. It didn't take very many to keep him down. Jessie stood there a moment, smoke wafting from the barrel as she held her gun in both hands, eyes narrow and fixed on her target.

Then she relaxed with a grin. "Phew! Glad that's over."

"Let me see your arm," I said.

"Just a scratch," Jessie shrugged. "No big deal."

I went over to her. "Still, better let me patch it up. Took a scrape or two myself, so don't feel bad."

She held up her arm, and I concentrated on my materia again, this time on Restore. I didn't have Magnify yet, so I'd have to treat us one at a time, but I hoped to find one sooner or later. Focusing on the magic, I drew it out and sent it toward Jessie. Bright green particles of healing energy surrounded her for a moment.

"It tickles!" she giggled.

The long cut on her arm just above her elbow and below the sleeve of her chain vest began knitting itself closed as the bleeding stopped. It didn't heal it completely, but it would do until we got home. It was just a basic cure spell, so its effectiveness was somewhat limited. Eventually, though, if I kept it with me long enough, the materia would grow. And its magic would get stronger as a result.

I glanced at her when the spell was finished. "Better?"

"You bet!" Jessie beamed. "I'll take this over a potion any day!"

"Likewise," I agreed.

After I'd finished tending to our injuries, we moved on, heading to the exit and into the network of ladders and service ducts leading back to the Corkscrew Tunnel. We got there without running into any more trouble, and our motorcycle was still there waiting for us. After putting her dark gray backpack inside one of the storage compartments, Jessie got on behind me while I gunned the engine.

She touched her lips to my cheek. "Take us home, Cloud."

I hit the gas, and we sped off down the tunnel, the red lights on the walls a blur as we raced past them. Just as I had before, I drove with my right hand while holding Buster in my left. Jessie's fingers rested lightly on either side of my waist as her hair flew behind her. She leaned closer as the engine roared beneath us.

"Can you hear me okay?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. What's up?"

She went on. "Just wanted you to know, our ID's may have held up so far, but they could still get pinged. And if they do…"

"They'll come for us," I finished for her.

"Yeah," she agreed. "By the way, how'd you learn to drive?"

Wasn't much to it. "Had to when I was in SOLDIER. All part of the basic training program."

"Ah, I see," Jessie teased. "You're an expert?"

"You could say that," I said.

She squeezed me tight for a moment. "So then, you gonna take my breath away with your amazing skills?"

"Don't blame me if ya get sick," I quipped.

"Oh, I'll be fine!" Jessie laughed. "Feel free to impress me. I wanna see what you can do, SOLDIER boy!"

I revved the engine. "If you say so. Your ammo good?"

"Yeah!" she answered. I heard her draw her gun and slap in a fresh clip. "I'm ready, Cloud. Lock and load!"

We sped faster, as prepared as we could be. Although I hoped we'd get lucky and avoid Shinra's forces, I wasn't counting on it. We raced on down the tunnel, following it as it curved to the right and descended to the slums. It would still be a while before we got there, though. At least twenty minutes. As we drove, I suddenly drew in a sharp breath when I saw a red sensor net sweep toward us.

"ID scan!" Jessie leaned forward. "Ready?"

I braced myself as the sensor net swept over us, and as we raced on through it, an alarm went off around us. So much for getting home the easy way. I tightened my grip on Buster and kept my eyes and ears alert as we drove down the tunnel. Shinra's troops wouldn't take long to find us, and then it was game time.

"We've got company!" Jessie sang.

I saw through the rearview mirrors that she was right. Five Shinra motorcycle troops had appeared in the tunnel behind us, closing fast. It wouldn't be long before they were in range. Jessie had her gun ready as they neared, a small smirk on her face.

My eyes went back to the road. "Somebody's having fun."

"You bet I am!" Jessie laughed. "A young couple, thrust together by fate, race through the neon-streaked night! Attacked on all sides by evil forces, will they break through to safety?"

"Looks like we're about to find out," I answered.

The sound of gunfire suddenly split the air as the troopers opened up, but fortunately they didn't have very good aim. But Jessie did. And she let them know it, firing back with one hand while holding onto me with the other. One of the troopers ate two bullets to the chest and flew from his bike with a startled shout.

I took down the next one the moment he pulled up beside us with a few quick swings from Buster. He and his standard-issue Shinra bike both collapsed a second later while Jessie shot another soldier from the other side at point blank range before he could do it first. Then the last two sped up until they were on either side of us.

"What now?" Jessie asked.

Now I was the one smirking. "Watch and learn."

While she giggled and held on tight to me, I threw the motorcycle into a spin, turning a complete circle and hitting both soldiers with my sword at the same time, a wide arc of bluish energy trailing in its wake. The troopers fell before they could even fire a shot, tumbling haplessly off their bikes as they crashed and burned.

"My hero!" Jessie teased, her voice more than a little melodramatic as she squeezed me tight.

I allowed myself a little laugh. "Guess that's me."

She chuckled. "And don't you forget it!"

"We're not outta this yet," I reminded her. "There's sure to be more on the way. Stay sharp."

"Will do!" Jessie let go of me and readied herself.

But what came for us this time wasn't more soldiers. Not yet. These were drones, sparking with electricity as they flew down the tunnel. As we drove on, they passed us, then started firing blasts of current at us. I swerved right and then left to avoid them as Jessie took aim while I got Buster ready to strike. There were two drones, both of them hovering a short distance ahead of us as they attacked.

"Jessie!" I said. "Take the one on the right! I'll get the left!"

She nodded. "Got it!"

While she opened fire at her drone, I concentrated on mine. I took Buster, whipped it in a tight vertical arc alongside the Hardy, and sent a gust of pale green energy flying toward the drone. It struck it dead on, and the Shinra machine exploded just seconds after Jessie's. No time to celebrate, though. I saw more troops catching up to us.

"Ready for Round 2?" I called back to Jessie.

She grinned. "Hell yeah! Let's take it to 'em, SOLDIER boy!"

Like the drones, this next group of troopers sped past us, shooting their guns as they went by. I swerved and dodged to keep me and Jessie from getting hit, and once they got a few dozen yards ahead of us, they started dropping small grenades in our path. I had to slow down a little and yank the bike hard to the right to avoid them, but the blasts shook us as we drove around them.

"Shit!" I spat. "Not good."

Jessie put her gun away. "Think you can you get us out front again, Cloud? I've got an idea."

I could do that. "Sure. What've you got in mind?"

"Watch and learn!" she winked. "Just be ready with those boosters. When I say go, let 'em loose!"

I floored the gas pedal, speeding up and dodging more grenades as I got closer to the four troopers. After swerving from side to side while they tried again to shoot us down, I drove the Hardy right through the group and got us ahead of them again. While I did that, Jessie took out two raspberries, one in each hand.

She glared back at the soldiers. "So, you guys wanna play with fire, eh? Lemme show ya how it's done!"

"Now?" I saw her pull out the pins with her teeth.

"Now!" Jessie spat them aside and hurled the raspberries overhead behind her. "Punch it!"

I did, tapping the pedal switch next to the gas, and the Hardy shot forward like a bullet just as Jessie's grenades exploded behind us. They took out the whole group in a thunderous blast that filled the spiraling tunnel with fire and smoke and practically deafened us with the noise. We just barely outran the inferno, Jessie holding tightly to me as it blew down the track after us, flames eating everything in sight. At one point, it almost caught us, but we raced clear at the last second, Jessie clinging tightly to me with her head buried in my back.

When we were finally safe, I switched off the boosters and glanced at her. "You okay back there?"

"Yep!" Jessie lifted her head and smiled. "Not a scratch!"

"That's what I like to hear," I said.

She giggled, keeping her arms snug around my waist. "So, anything you wanna say to yours truly?"

I blinked, not sure what she meant. "Like what?"

"Oh, I dunno," Jessie quipped. "Maybe tell me I'm such a genius for getting us outta that mess."

"My hero," I deadpanned.

She let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh, my! I've never been anyone's hero before. My heart be still!"

I smirked. "Don't let it go to your head."

"I won't, merc," Jessie chuckled. Then she hugged me from behind, resting her head on my back again. "Psych…"

We drove on with no more signs of pursuit and made it back to the slums a few minutes later. As we rode off the tracks and onto the street alongside the station, I let out a sigh of relief. The trip back hadn't gone quite the way we'd expected, but we'd still finished it and gotten here in one piece. Then I remembered something Jessie had said earlier before the chase had begun.

"Looks like we broke through," I said.

She laughed. "Yeah! The daring young couple fought their way free and emerged triumphant! Savoring their hard-earned victory, the rebel princess and her handsome hero rode home to get a well-deserved rest and prepare for their next adventure!"

I drove into the outskirts. "To be continued?"

"You bet!" Jessie gave me a thumbs up. "And you passed the test!"

"What test?" I wondered.

She put her hands on my shoulders. "Driving!"

"Been driving for years," I said.

"True, but you still deserve a reward, SOLDIER boy. And you'll get it later, if you know what I mean."

I did, the thought heating my blood. "Can't wait."

"Me either, merc," Jessie slid her arms around my waist and hugged me again, sighing contentedly. "Me either."

"Tifa!" Johnny called. "Another round!"

I smiled and got him his drink. "Last one, Johnny. We'll be closing up soon. You don't want Barret seeing you out again."

It had been a busy night, but the crowd was thinning out now that it was getting late. That would make things easier. Barret wanted to go over tomorrow's attack on Reactor 5 with us once Cloud and Jessie got back from the plate. Biggs, Wedge, and Lena were all here already, and while I'd insisted it wasn't necessary, they'd all pitched in to help me out tonight while Barret kept a watchful eye on the customers and Marlene played with her toys behind the bar.

"Yeah, I know, I know," Johnny grumbled.

I slid him his glass. "Here you go. One Midgar Sunrise with a twist. What's the occasion?"

He took a swallow. "Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"Well, you usually just have a few beers. This is a bit more fancy for you. Thought there might be a reason."

"Oh, that…" Johnny said. "Celebrating, I guess."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? What for?"

His gaze went first to his drink, then to me. "Gonna be leavin' this town soon, Tifa. Got me a nice payday from my last job, enough to try my luck on the plate. So I'm goin' for it."

"That's great, Johnny. I hope it works out for you."

"Thanks! My folks aren't too happy about me leavin', but I gotta try and make somethin' of myself instead of stayin' here my whole life. It'll sure be a challenge, but I'm up for it. And don't worry, you'll always be my Tifa! No matter how far I go!"

I laughed. "Just be sure to visit from time to time, alright?"

He nodded and finished his drink. "I will. Anyway, goodnight! I'm leavin' tomorrow, so take care of yourself."

With that, Johnny stood up, more sober than I'd seen him in a long time, and ambled out of the bar. I watched him go, hoping he'd be okay on whatever journey he went on. I didn't know where he'd end up, but I was glad he was trying to pull himself together. And it also relieved me to know he'd be gone. Not that he bothered me, but he could be a talker and had some suspicions about Avalanche.

Not long afterward, I heard a motorcycle powering down the road toward the Seventh Heaven. It wasn't hard what with most of the traffic in the slums being on foot and the bike's engine being as loud as it was. Sounded like Cloud and Jessie were back. Wedge walked over to one of the windows up front and looked outside.

"It's them!" he grinned.

He was right. Less than a minute later, the revving of the motor cut off as they parked the bike, and then the double doors swung open and Jessie strode inside, all smiles as Cloud followed behind her. Barret and Biggs nudged the rest of the customers outside while Lena and I closed up the bar for the night.

I poured Cloud and Jessie each a drink as they sat down. "Hi, guys! How was the ride?"

Jessie winked. "Awesome, Tifa! Really exciting!"

So, the bomb was in place, then. What we'd said had been a code of sorts, since we couldn't talk openly about it with customers still here. It didn't take long for the others to usher them out, though. When it was just the seven of us—well, eight if you count Marlene—Lena locked the doors, and we all joined Cloud and Jessie at one of the long tables. We'd planned all this out before they had left so that when they got back, we could get right into the meeting.

"Bomb's ready, then?" Barret rumbled.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. We hid it in the main storage room. Inside a wall panel. No one'll know it's there."

I sighed. "So we're really doing this, then."

"Ain't no gettin' offa this train we on, Tifa," Barret said. "Like I said in my message to Shinra today, either they shut down them reactors or we do it for 'em. That's jus' how it is."

"I know how you feel," Jessie added, serious now. "Believe me, I… I really do. But I've double and triple checked the bomb. It won't do what Reactor 1 did. It'll only take out the core."

I knew that had been bothering her. "I know, Jessie. It's just… what Shinra might do in response that worries me. Have you had any luck in unlocking that file you found?"

Jessie shook her head. "Not yet. It's a toughie, alright. So it's sure to be something they don't want us to know about. I'll keep working on it, though. Something tells me it's very important that we find out what it is they're hiding in there."

"So let's go over the plan again," Barret said. "Biggs?"

He leaned forward in his seat. "Wedge and I'll board the first train along with you, Cloud, and Jessie. Only we'll be in disguise. While you three wait in the back, Wedge and I'll sneak into the first passenger car and disable the security locks on the door."

"After that," Wedge took over, "you guys'll join us just before we hit the security checkpoint. Once we open the doors, you three are gonna jump off into the tunnel and hoof it to the service duct, and that'll take you into the underplate outside Reactor 5."

Jessie went on. "In the meantime, you two'll get off the train at the Sector 4 station, ditch your disguises, and meet us in the underplate to help clear us a path. Shinra's got their security troops in there, tougher than what we saw in Reactor 1, as well as rocket launchers set up along the platforms. Cloud and I barely got away from them."

"Biggs," Barret ordered. "You go get yourself set up at the entrance to Reactor 5. Get it open for us, you hear?"

"Will do, boss," he shot him a thumbs up.

Cloud went next. "After we pick up the bomb, we'll head inside the reactor. Layout's the same, according to the blueprints. So we just go to the reactor core, plant the bomb, and get out. We'll head up to the first floor, leave through the main entrance, and ride the train back down to the slums. Mission complete."

"What about the doors, though?" I asked. "We don't have the codes to open them this time."

"Won't need 'em," Jessie assured me.

I glanced at her. "You've found another way?"

She took out her tablet, turned it on, and tapped it until the layouts for the reactor came up. "In here. The main control room on the upper level. There's a security override in there that'll open the doors, so we'll use it to get out. It's tricky, but I know what to do."

"If that's all," Barret stood up, "then I think we're done here. Go get some rest, people. We got a big day ahead of us."

He was right, and as we all got up and pushed our chairs in, I knew mine would be just as busy. Work and watching Marlene. Not nearly as exciting, maybe, but I didn't mind. Helping to plan our operations was one thing, but actually being a part of one was something I wasn't very comfortable with. I wasn't sure I ever would be.

"So, you decided not to go," Cloud joined me by the bar.

I sighed. "Yeah. Just… didn't feel right."

He nodded. "I understand. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. You'll be here when we get back?"

"Yep! Just like last time. Don't worry about me."

"Sounds good," Cloud said. "I—"

Before he could finish talking, he suddenly doubled over, his hand flying to his temple and his eyes squeezing shut. He staggered and fell, pulling a nearby stool with him as he tumbled into it while Jessie and I ran to him and the others looked on in concern.

"Cloud!" I called to him.

Jessie knelt by his side. "What's wrong, Cloud?"

But he wasn't hearing us. He slumped over and would have landed flat on his back on the floor if Jessie and I hadn't caught him. What was going on? He hadn't had one of these strange attacks in a while, and I'd hoped it was over. But it wasn't, and I didn't know what to make of it or why it kept happening. Jessie looked as worried as I felt. And while we held onto him, Cloud lapsed into unconsciousness.

Darkness was all I could see.

There was nothing. No sound except my own breathing. And nothing around me but blackness. What had happened? One moment, I'd been in the bar talking with Tifa, and the next I had found myself here. It had to be a dream, but why? I had never passed out like that before. As I looked at my hands, I realized I was trembling. Was I afraid? Of what? Or who? I didn't understand. I ran one way and then another, back and forth as I tried to escape the darkness. But it was everywhere.

"What's happening to me?" I murmured. "I'm shaking…"

I was, as if my body was acting independently of my mind and I was just a spectator along for the ride. Something or someone was coming, it was like needles in my head. Taking a deep breath, I tried to get myself to calm down, but I didn't have much success. I looked around, hoping for a way out of the dream, but there wasn't one.

A thought shot through my mind. "Jessie? Tifa? Where are you? Talk to me! Say something!"

"They're not here," a familiar voice whispered.

"Sephiroth!" I recognized it at once.

It was him, alright. I turned, and there he was, Masamune in hand. His pale green eyes glowed. "And so it begins."

My own eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm here, Cloud," he said, his smile colder than the Great Glacier. "I am always here. Ever by your side."

My blood boiled. "You're dead! I know you are!"

Sephiroth laughed softly. "Am I? Are you sure about that?"

I hated to admit it, but I wasn't. As I'd told Jessie in the storage room, I couldn't remember what happened that day. To him or me. It was like a wall in my mind, keeping me from the answers, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get past it. I felt as if I didn't even know who I was. Not entirely, anyway. It was maddening.

"No," I admitted. "And if you're not, I'm gonna find you."

"As you should, Cloud. Hold on to that hatred."

As if I could ever let it go. My hands clenched into fists as I glared at him. "So how's this gonna end?"

Sephiroth swept his katana before him. "In fire."

Suddenly he was gone, and I was at the base of the Sector 7 pillar. It was night, and the slums were burning. The smell of smoke was in the air as I gazed up toward the top of the pillar, dread in my heart. And then it began to explode, the upper section above the platform flying apart piece by flaming piece as lines of fire raced across the underside of the plate. It was like something out of a nightmare.

What was going on? All I could see was a blazing inferno swallowing the entire sector, and in the midst of it all I saw something else, a terrible image that tore through the dream and replaced it with something much worse. A fiery hellscape like nothing I'd ever seen. A massive ball of rock, burning in the sky as it descended upon Midgar.

When it struck, the dream shattered.

My eyes flew open. "Jessie?"

"I'm here, Cloud," she said, her hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Tifa asked.

I was laying on the floor of the bar, looking up at the others. Jessie and Tifa were kneeling on either side of me, and above me, Barret and the rest all stood in a circle, their faces worried. Mother hens, the lot of them. I was fine, just blacked out for a moment, but… I had to admit it was nice seeing them all so concerned about me.

I glanced at Tifa. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"Jus' hang in there, merc," Barret said. "Pull it together."

"Worried about me again?" I said as I sat up.

He snorted. "What? Hell no! I jus' don't wanna hafta postpone the mission 'cause of your sorry ass."

Tifa smirked. "Oh, yes you are. Don't try to deny it."

"You were more worried about him than we were!" Jessie chuckled as she and Tifa helped me up.

"The hell I was!" Barret muttered.

I scratched my head. "So how long was I out?"

Biggs let out a relieved sigh. "Only a minute or two. Sure gave us a hell of a scare, though."

I thought back to the vision I'd seen in my dream. The images were scattered, fading fast, but I could still remember them. Fire in the sky. I didn't know what it all meant, but I shivered at the thought of it. What was Sephiroth trying to tell me? What did he want? I still wasn't sure if that had really been him, but I couldn't dismiss it.

"You sure you're okay?" Wedge asked. "You look a bit pale, bro. See a ghost in there or something?"

If you only knew. "I'm fine, Wedge."

Jessie hadn't let go of me. "I hope so, Cloud."

Tifa looked away for a minute, as if in thought, then gazed back at us. Her eyes found Jessie. "I've changed my mind. I know you planned to go inside the reactor with Cloud and Barret, but I'd like to take your place, Jessie. I have my reasons."

"You sure 'bout this?" Barret asked.

"Positive," Tifa answered, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "I'm going. I have to go."

Jessie frowned. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"You can help Biggs an' Wedge," Barret answered. "Gettin' the door on the train open an' helpin' to clear us a path through the underplate. Wait for us by the hidin' spot where ya left the bomb. Then, once we're in, fall on back to base with the boys."

"Alright," she sighed. "I guess I can do that."

Barret laid his good hand on her shoulder. "I know ya wanted to be there with us. An' I promise you'll be there on the next one. Jus' let Tifa do what she needs to do, Jessie. It'll be fine."

I folded my arms in front of me. "And the doors?"

"I can hack into the reactor's main computer from my tablet," Jessie said. "I'll watch your progress, and I should even be able to talk to you through the monitors in there. So once you get to the control room, I'll patch in and tell you what you need to do. I might even be able to help you out in other ways, too. I'll stay in touch."

"Awright," Barret agreed. "You do that, Jessie."

Although she wouldn't be going with us like we'd initially planned, Jessie would still be part of the mission. I knew she wouldn't want to be left behind, and I was glad she'd be there even if it wasn't quite the way we'd expected. I didn't fully understand Tifa's abrupt decision to join us on the mission, but I was sure my little episode here had something to do with it. That couldn't have been all there was to it, though. I decided I'd ask her about it later on, maybe tomorrow.

Tifa knelt in front of Marlene when she took her hand. "What is it, sweetie? Something on your mind?"

Marlene glanced shyly at me. "Is Cloud okay?"

"He's fine, Marlene," Tifa smiled. "That was very nice of you to ask about him. Wasn't it, Cloud?"

I blinked. "Uh, yeah. Thanks, Marlene."

She giggled. "You're welcome!"

"So who's gonna watch her while we're gone?" Jessie wondered.

"I can do it," Lena offered.

Barret nodded. "I'm good with that. Thanks, Lena."

Jessie patted my arm and walked over to the pinball machine with the hidden elevator. "Well, I guess I should get to work on your special ID, Cloud. Gotta figure out a disguise, too."

"Any ideas?" I asked.

"I've got one, yeah," she winked. "You'll like it, I'm sure."

As I watched Jessie descend out of sight into the basement, I found I was almost glad she wasn't going into the reactor with us. It wouldn't be as dangerous for her to hang back with Biggs and Wedge. Although I knew she could take care of herself, I still worried about her. Tifa, too. We had a tough mission ahead of us, and there was no telling what was going to happen tomorrow.

No telling at all.