Author's note: This is going to be the last chapter of Here I Return. I've decided that Here I Return is no longer a prequel to One Last Time. The two stories don't seem to connect that well anymore. Instead of finishing One Last Time, I'm planning writing a (very spolierific) novelisation of Advent Children that will connect to Here I Return. Or I might write a story taking place after Advent Children for those that have already seen it...we'll see! Anyways...enjoy!

Weeks had passed, and still Cloud didn't leave Seventh Heaven. But life was different now. Though Seventh Heaven was still his home, life there wasn't the happy exisistence that it once was. In fact, Cloud only slept there once or twice every week. He'd return very late, after everyone was in bed, and leave the next morning, as early as possible. The Geostigma was getting harder and harder to hide. He'd try to leave before anyone woke up in the morning, but he never managed to slip out without seeing Tifa.

Cloud sighed as the sun's rays crept through his window. He had just come back the previous night, but he had overslept this morning. He could already hear Tifa moving around in the kitchen. Cloud had been hoping that he'd be able to creep out just this once without her seeing him. Because this time, he wasn't planning on coming back home. This would all be so much easier if she would just...Cloud sighed again, not completing his thought.

As he slipped into his travel clothes, he wondered briefly what Tifa would be like this morning. Some mornings, she smiled at him as she made breakfast and brushed her fingertips along his back as she passed by. She would make light-hearted conversation, and when his replies were all short and indifferent, she'd hide the hurt in her eyes with a smile. Those mornings it was easier for him to pretend that Tifa was doing alright.

Other mornings, there were no smiles from Tifa. She'd make breakfast for him like always, but her shoulders would slump as she did so, and instead of asking him about where he was going, what he was delivering, she'd sigh sadly and listlessly. Sometimes he'd catching her staring at him, but they'd both quickly look away whenever they met each other's eyes. It was that stare that bothered Cloud the most. Like a brown-eyed puppy...he thought, shaking his head. Just like an abandoned puppy...Those mornings were the hardest.

As he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen with his travel bag, he knew immediately what kind of morning this one was going to be. The sound of his feet against the kitchen floor caused Tifa to look up from the stove. Her eyes flicked from his face to the travel bag, and she turned around immediately, her eyes lowering back to her cooking.

"Eggs?" she asked softly, back turned to him.

Cloud grunted a yes before slumping into one of the chairs. Tifa continued cooking in silence. Cloud glumly rested his chin in his hand. Marlene and Denzel were much easier to appease nowadays; all they wanted was his rapt attention as they chattered on about this or that. He could tell that they too were beginning to notice something was wrong, but their worries were quickly forgotten if Cloud presented them with some sort of knick-knack from his travels.

Tifa on the other hand...Cloud sighed. He knew that his presence was beginning to take a toll on her. She probably thinks I don't trust her enough to tell her what's going on. Cloud thought, watching her slumped shoulders. But even if I told Tifa, she would be helpless to do anything. She hates being helpless. Cloud lowered his eyes to the table. I'm no good to anyone anymore.

Cloud gave a little jump as his breakfast-filled plate slide onto the table. He glanced up. Tifa was back over by the stove, fixing herself a plate. She sat down across from him, and he began eating silently. The good food is about the only thing that hasn't changed around here...Cloud thought, shoveling eggs into his mouth. Between bites he looked back up at Tifa. She was twirling her fork absently between her fingers, seemingly lost in thought. She seemed to notice him staring, and quickly took a few bites of her breakfast. When she thought he wasn't looking anymore, she continued fiddling with the fork, staring unfocusedly at the table.

The somber silence at the table was broken as two small pajama-clad figures came running into the kitchen. Marlene and Denzel were the exact opposite of Cloud and Tifa this morning; bursting with energy and happiness. They skidded to a stop in front of the table and crowded around Cloud, both talking at once.

"Cloud!" Marlene said happily, stealing a bite of pancake from his plate.

"How come you're here so late?" Denzel asked, tugging at his sleeve.

An excited smile came across Marlene's face and she let the bacon she was about to steal from Cloud, fall back to the plate.

"Are you here so late because..." she began happily. "You're staying for today?"

When Cloud was silent, the two children turned to Tifa. Tifa simply shook her head and stood up to fix them a plate. Comprehension dawned on their little faces as they saw Cloud's travel bag. For a moment, their faces were as sad as Tifa's. But the two children exchanged glances, and slowly their smiles came back.

"So Cloud..." Marlene began cheerfully.

"Do you want to hear about our week?" Denzel asked eagerly, sitting down next to Cloud.

He nodded, and the two children talked rambunctiously throughout breakfast.

After they had all finished eating, and the children ran out of things to chat about, Cloud stood up to leave. He grabbed his bag and turned to Tifa briefly before leaving the table.

"Thanks for breakfast." he said.

Tifa nodded, eyes following him as he turned around and began walking out of the kitchen. Denzel hopped up and followed him, Marlene on his tail. Just before leaving the kitchen, Marlene turned back towards Tifa who was still sitting at the table. Marlene cocked her head to the side and gave Tifa a curious look.

"Aren't you coming?" Marlene asked, grabbing Tifa by the hand.

Tifa stood silently and allowed Marlene to lead her out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Cloud was pulling his boots on, Denzel watching him. When Denzel saw Tifa and Marlene come into the entrance way, he ran over to them, grabbing ahold of Tifa's other hand. Cloud looked up at them when he was done tying his shoes. He seemed to freeze for a minute, a look of hesistance on his face as he looked over their forlorn faces and linked hands.

Marlene and Denzel ran forward to say goodbye. Cloud briefly clapped a hand on Denzel shoulder, and patted Marlene on the head as she slung her arms around his middle. After the kids released him, his hand reached towards the doorknob, but a disbelieving huff of air coming from Marlene stopped him. He turned around to look at her incredulous face.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Tifa?" she asked him, a touch of anger in her voice.

He stared at her a minute, then his eyes strayed over to Denzel. Denzel looked away quickly, shuffling his feet. Finally Cloud looked towards Tifa. The hurt in her eyes was enough to make him want to drop dead where he stood.

"Bye Tifa..." he said, beginning to turn back towards the door.

Another huff of air from Marlene made him stop. He looked at the little girl, and the look on her face was almost as painful as the one on Tifa's; Marlene was disappointed in him. Cloud let go of the doorknob and looked towards Tifa again. She was trying hard to hide that there were tears in her eyes. He took a step towards her.

"Tifa..." he began, walking towards her.

He was stopped in his tracks when all the sudden, Marlene sprung into motion. In a split second, Marlene was between him and Tifa, her arms wrapped around Tifa's waist, and glaring at Cloud. Cloud took an unsure step backwards, and Marlene barred her teeth like a wild animal, contorting her face frighteningly, as Cloud had once taught her too. Tifa and Denzel stared at Marlene in surprise and shock, but Cloud understood the significance of the face Marlene was making.

Cloud began walking toward the door again. He paused for a moment to say goodbye, before letting the door click shut behind him.

After the door closed, Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel didn't move or speak at first. This goodbye had seemed a lot more final than all the other...much colder. Finally Marlene broke the silence, letting go of her tight grip around Tifa's waist and thundering up the stairs. Tifa and Denzel jumped slightly as they heard the door to Marlene's bedroom slam shut. Tifa looked at the floor blankly, doing the best she could to control her emotions. Denzel tugged at her hand.

"Tifa?" he asked her, peering at her face.

Tifa looked at him quickly. His face was begging her for answers. I don't have any answers...Tifa thought desperately. I'm just as lost as he is...She shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered.

Denzel lowered his eyes and nodded. Tifa's eyes followed him sadly as he traced Marlene's steps up the stairs. When she was alone in the entrance way, she pulled back the curtains to peek out the window. All traces of Cloud were gone. She flicked away a tear hastily and went to clean up the remnants of their breakfast. As she cleaned the plates, she had a heart-breaking suspicion that it would be the last time she would clean four plates after breakfast.

A week passed, then one week became two...then three...Cloud did not return.