Chapter 1: Heartbroken

„I'm so worried about her. She hasn't eaten for days!" Jen explained into the receiver of her phone. On the other end of the line, Cid Highwind responded.

"I understand her fully, Jen. Ever since he died…Tifa's not the same." The usually grumpy pilot replied with surprising and unknown gentleness in his voice. Jen sighed.

"I understand her, too, but we can't let her go on like that! It'll kill her in the end." The young nurse spoke, worried to no-end. "We have to make her moving on."

"We can't make her moving on, @%&%$%!!" Cid replied, his voice harsh all of a sudden again.

"Cid! Language!" Shera's voice came from the background, and Cid grumbled for a while before he talked on.

"She has to move on, but she has to do it out of her own will. We can't push her into moving on, not as long as she suffers from her loss." The pilot exclaimed.

"Wise words." Jen sighed, finally realizing that her friend was right. "But I want to help her so badly!" she then cried out, hot tears stinging in her eyes all of a sudden.

"I know. Shera and I want to help her, too." Cid replied softly. "We'll come over to Midgar as soon as possible, Jen. Pilot promise."

"Okay." Jen replied, letting out another sigh. "I'll take care of her in the meanwhile…and I'll make sure that she won't do anything stupid." Cid nodded, then remembered that Jen couldn't see that, since they were on the phone.

"Good thing, Jen. We'll see you soon." With that, the two hung up, and Jen leaned back in her chair. "Tifa." She sighed to herself, staring up at the ceiling. "Just let me help you…"

***

Cloud Strife

Devoted Lover

Loved Friend

We'll miss you – may you rest in Peace

Hot, salty tears ran down Tifa's cheeks while she stared at the tombstone that showed where Cloud had been buried. The tears mixed with the rain that dripped from the sky and slowly wetted her clothes, but the brunette didn't care about that. All she had been caring about was her lover Cloud, and now that he was gone…she felt empty. As if her soul had died with him and only had left a shallow casing which looked, acted and behaved like Tifa, but which wasn't her. Not at all.

"Why?" Tifa whispered, sinking to her knees in front of the grave. "Why, Cloud? Why did you just leave like that?" Another racked sob shook her body, and she buried her face in her hands. And then, all of a sudden, all her pain and sorrow broke free in one heart-wrenching scream: "WHY?"

***

Jen's head came up from the newspaper when she heard how the front door opened. "Tifa? Is that you?" she called out, although there weren't much more possibilities who it could be.

"Yes." Came the tired sounding reply. Tifa entered the room shortly after, her long hair and clothes dripping wet.

"My God, Tifa, you'll catch a death cold if you stay in those wet clothes. Come on, let's get you dried up." Jen exclaimed while she rose from her chair. Tifa just shot her a short glance.

"Maybe catching a death cold isn't such a bad idea." She then spoke, her eyes glued to the floor. "After all, I'd be reunited with Cloud again if I die…"

"Don't you dare to think that way!" Jen cried out, grabbing Tifas shoulders and forcing her to look at her. "Don't you dare." She repeated, in a more gentle tone. Tifa shrugged her hands off and left the room without bothering to look at her once more. Jen let out a heavy sigh and sat down again. It was obvious that Tifa's heart was broken, and the young nurse saw no way to heal it again.