Fourth chapter! I am so sorry for not updating as I promised, please don't kill me!

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Tearing her eyes away from the mirror, Tifa shoved the last of her belongings in her backpack. She had packed all of her clothes, (they weren't many, because Tifa wasn't the kind of girl who had to have stacks of clothing just to survive), her fighting gloves, her Materia and all other little things she held dear. Even with all of those things, it had made a despairingly small pile on her bed.

She looked around the room one last time. She was running away, and she wasn't coming back. Resolutely she shouldered her backpack, and climbed out the window. She didn't dare to use the front door, in fear that Brent might catch her. / Brent..That bastard!/
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After that night when she had watched the stars with Sephiroth, she had come to work as usual, finding him standing at the door. They had exchanged a good morning, and the day went by as normal.

For two weeks, this was how her days looked like, waking up, opening the bar, giving Sephiroth a glass, and closing the bar in the evening. Sephiroth came before she did, and left when the bar closed.

Then, one morning, not more than three days ago, Brent had stopped her on her way out the door.

" Tifa, wait!"

" What is it Brent? I'm in a hurry."

His face had clouded over, and he put down his glass.

" Who is it you're cheating on me with?" He asked. Tifa was shocked.

" I'm not cheating on you with anyone! How dare you say that!"

" Cut the crap, Tifa! I know you're cheating on me! Why else do you leave home so early in the morning, and come home so late? People have seen you, Tifa! Who is the guy in black?" Brent got up and grabbed Tifa's arm, making her flinch away.

" That is just a bar customer! I'm not cheating on you!" She exclaimed, but Brent only shook her harder.

" Don't you dare lie to me bitch!" He yelled, slapping her across the face. The slap stunned Tifa, she had never expected that Brent would hurt her on purpose.

Brent only seemed to get angrier when she didn't respond, and continued hitting her. It had continued for a while, but in the end, Tifa had managed to get away, and lock herself into her room.

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She hadn't gone to work that day, or the day after that, or the day after that, either. She had stayed in her room, refusing to come out even when people came looking for her. Now she was leaving Nibelhem again, but this time, she wasn't coming back.

She regretted that she couldn't leave a message to her friends, but it couldn't be helped. If she tried, there was a good chance she would be caught, and there was no way in hell she was going back to Brent.

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Tifa stood looking out over Nibelhem. / My hometown...I hate to leave it, but somehow, I always end up doing just that./ She turned around. / Where to go? I could. go and see Cid and Shera, or visit Barret. Either way, I'm leaving. Wait! I could go and see Nanaki! I haven't seen him in a while./ Without a backward glance, she headed off to Cosmo Canyon, to see Nanaki.

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.. And that is all, for this time. I will be back, but I can't promise it will be soon. Ciao! - Metallicafangirl