Cloud opened his eyes.

The last thing that he'd remembered before the explosion had sent him haultering off into oblivion was thinking about Tifa. How she would cope without him in his heart he knew the loss would devistate her to her core but at the same time he knew how strong she was someone she would use that strength to carry on without him, however painful that was for him to acknowledge.

However hard it was to know that he would have to wait her whole lifetime to be reunited with his wife it felt worse to know that he'd never get the chance to see his children grow up. Cloud didn't want Zack and Aeris to grow up Fatherless but at the same time he didn't want anyone else to fill his shoes, he wanted to be there but that had been snatched away from him by the cruel hands of fate.

It just wasn't fair!

All this was rolling around Cloud's head as he swam through oblivion twisting and turning as he made his way into the lifestream.

'Cloud.' And then he stopped floating and opened his eyes at the sound of her voice. He tried to speak he tried to open his mouth but the words choaked in his throat and he realised that he was dumb.

'Cloud!' The cry was ripped from Tifa's lungs as she jumped off the airship running as fast as she could towards the debry of what had been left of the building her husband had been standing on with Yazoo and Loz.

'Tifa!' Barrett called after the bartender chasing after her as fast as he could persude by Vincent, Cid and Cait Sith.

'Cloud!' Tifa sobbed her eyes desperatly searching for any trace of her husband, it couldn't end like this not like this not after everything they had been through.

'It's okay well find Spike Teef.' Barrett motioned breathing hard when he finally reached her, even when he'd said them he knew in his heart that he was lying to her Cloud was long gone he had to be no-one could have survived and explosion like that but that last thing he wanted to do was let his friend know that.

'Over here.' Red exclaimed his nose had picked up a familar scent, bounding over the rubble he located Cloud's lifeless body, which was chard badly.

'Cloud!' Tifa started to move forward but Red shook his head and before she could reach Cloud Barrett had caught her pulling her back.

'Somethings you shouldn't see.'

'Let me go, let me go I want to go to him!' She sobbed the tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to struggle free from Barrett's matalic grip but even she wasn't strong enough.

'&!' Cid breathed as he reached Red glancing over at the young worrior's body, frowning hard Barrett fixed the pilot with a harsh stare.

'Sorry it's just...' His applogy died in his throat as he realised how careless his words were.

'What should we do?' Cait Sith questioned, no-one answered no-one moved no-one even tried to breath everyones eyes were ither on Cloud or Tifa.

'Clouddd!' Tifa wailed her strength failing her as she sunk to her knees supported by Barrett's strong arms, none of them had ever seen such misery. People had died before they'd all lost someone they'd all been there when Aeris had been killed and when the news of her murder had been broken to Elmrya but none of them had ever experienced anything like the sight of Tifa mourning over her husband.

'I have a suggestion.' Vincent was the first to speak breaking the spell that had fallen over the other members.

'Perhaps we should transport Cloud's...' He tenativly glanced at the weeping brunette before continuing. '...remains to Aeris' church.'

'Vince is right we should give the kid some god-damn dignity.' Cid interupted, for some reason he had started to talk much louder than he normally did he was almost shouting with the stress of the situation.

'I don't think that's what Vincent means Cid.' Red's voice seemed to calm down the pilot long enough for Vincent to continue his train of thought.

'I don't believe that he's dead perhaps if we take him back with us to Aeris' church and place him in the flowers then she may be able to bring him back his body hasn't been called to the lifestream yet there is still a chance.'

'Well what the hell are we waiting for!' Cid boomed again leaning down grabbing one of Cloud's arms, Vincent joined him and reluctantly Barrett let his friend go to join the others in their grim salvage opperation.

'The flowers are gone, there's only water there now.' Tifa breathed as Red and Cait Sith helped her to her feet.

'Rude!' Elena exclaimed as she helped Tseng untangle Rufus from the net they had caught him in before he'd plunged to his death.

'Elena.' The tall bald Turk whispered under his breath, he wanted to hold her he wanted to squeeze her so tight and never let her go almost losing Elena had been the worst thing that had ever happened to him. But Rude being Rude he held himself back he wasn't sure weather she was ready or not for Rufus and Tseng to know about their relationship.

Elena smiled she'd never smiled so much in her whole life she'd never been so happy she felt as if she'd been given a second chance and this time she wanted to do things differently.

'Elena!' Tseng complained as she let the corner of her net slip moving away from a tangled Rufus, taking Rude by suprise when she started to walk towards him and seemed to have no intention of stopping. Elena didn't stop she moved closer until she wrapped her arms around the silent but deadly bald Turks' neck pushing herself up on the tips of her toes as she was a good foot shorter than her boyfriend she planted a warm passionate kiss on his lips. Behind his dark glasses Rude blinked he'd never been in a situation where he didn't know what or how to be around a woman but this time he found himself wondering what she wanted from him.

'Lena I thought...I mean you said you weren't ready for anyone to know about us yet.' He questioned when Elena finally realised him from the kiss, glancing over her shoulder at Rufus and Tseng who stared at them open mouthed the blonde giggled.

'I think they might have guessed.' She teased wrapping her arms tightly around Rude's waist burying her head in the fabric of his chest, he glanced down at her a smile falling across his features hugging her close a wave of protectivness flowed over him.

'I love you.' Rude whispered his deep voice low enough so that only she could hear what he said, inside Elena's stomach suddenly backflipped on itself. She been waiting for him to say those three little words and she'd never even known it.

'Rude, Elena now!' Tseng's bark rescued the female Turk from a sticky situation, although she had been more than ready to hear Rude say that he loved her she was quite ready to admitt to it herself especially not in front of her boss.

'Yuffie, Yuffie!' Reno shouted as he stumbled over the rumble that littered the what had been Edge's main road. He'd managed to slip away before he'd gotten dragged into helping un-tangled Rufus from the net he'd fallen into. For once no-one noticed his absence they were all to engrossed in Rude and Elena's revelation to bother about him, it felt strange not being the centre of everyones attention.

He had to find her he had to know that she was safe. Reno had never cared about anyone before he'd never had to he'd never had a family or even a serious girlfriend not even a pet, but it was different now and it wasn't just because Yuffie was carrying his child it was because, because he frowned hard.

'Because I love her.' He mumbled to himself speaking aloud his thoughts.

'What?' Reno didn't here the voice at first it was soft and almost squeaky to quite to be Yuffie.

'What did you just say?' Her voice had grown in strength and it was unmistakable, turning on his heels Reno just stared at her she looked terrible but at the same time to him she'd never looked more beautiful. Yuffie was covered in grimey brick dust from head to foot her knees and elbows were cut and bleeding from where she had climbed out of the debry, which had rained down on top of her. She had a black eye and a gash across her forehead her clothes were dirty and torn but it was nothing that potion couldn't restore.

'Are you okay you look like...'

'I could say the same about you.' Yuffie spat back rolling her eyes more than a little tempremental that she had missed the fight.

'You could be right.' Reno snorted glancing down at his blood stained collar and torn jacket, it was a good thing that his dry cleaner had always been so understanding about things like that.

He moved towards her and for once she didn't back away she just glanced down at her dirty trainers, her eyes not wanting to meet his.

'How you travelling?' Reno questioned reaching out running his hand across the fabric of her stomach, she shivered against his touch.

'Okay I think.'

'Come here you little idiot.' Reno chuckled as he wrapped his arms tightly around her pulling her against the fabric of his strong torso, resting her head on his collar bone Yuffie started to cry.

'Why, why didn't you tell me about this why didn't you tell me you were gonna have our baby?'

'I don't know.' Yuffie mumbled softly sliding her arms around his waist.

'You wanna keep it though right?' Her eyes suddenly shot up meet his gaze fully she was back to being his old 'pain in the arse' Yuffie again.

'I thought so.' He grinned at her silent answer planting a kiss on her forehead he patted her slim belly.

'Did you really mean what you said, please Reno you've hurt me enough I need to know.'

'Yuffie I...it's hard for me I've never told anyone I, look this is embarrising.' She pulled away from him roughly grimacing at him.

'I was such an idiot you'll never change, you'll always be a jerk!' Grabbing her roughly Reno stopped her from leaving him.

'I love you okay, I love you I love you I LOVE YOU!' He screamed at the top of his lungs, Yuffie burst into laughter laughing hard the reder his face turned.

'That's all you ever had to say Re I never would have left you if you'd just told me that you cared.'

'I love you Yuffie Kisaragi.' Reno chuckled pulling her close, cupping the sides of her small elvin shaped face he kissed her hard pouring all his love, and fear and longing into the simple act.

'I'm glad you came and got us.' Shera smiled glancing down at Molly as she spoke running her hand over her daungter's blonde curls.

'Well I didn't want you worrying about me.' Cid motioned as he lifted his daughter into his arms planting a kiss on the side of Molly's cheek.

'Yuck Daddy!' The little girl indignantly snapped whiping what she considered to be his druel off of the side of her face Cid and Shera both chuckled at the sight of their daughter's funny habbits.

'Do you think Cloud will live, do you think Aeris will be able to save him.' The pilot frowned his eyes moving in Tifa's direction watching her sorrow filled outline, his gaze slipped from her to the mass in the water Cloud had sunk like a stone when they'd put him in the water it was then that they had realised he was dead.

'She's one hell of a girl that Aeris if anyone can it's her.' He stated truthfully although the prognoses was looking hopeless.

'I watched you...I mean I saw some of the battle you were very impressive.' Shera informed wrapping her slender arm around her husband's back sliding her body against his as she deftly changed the subject.

'Jeez woman I got my hind tanned maybe it's right what they've all been saying maybe I am getting old, to old for that kind of s...'

'You're not old Cid how many times, you're only thirty-six you've got the rest of your life ahead of you yet. And besides you're only as old as the woman you feel remember.' The enginer found herself giggling in the terrible situation it relieved the stress somehow plus it stopped Cid from swearing.

'And how old are you again.' Resting her head on his shoulder Cid smiled down at his wife relieved that she was back where she belonged save and at his side, squeezing her slim shoulders lightly his voice died in his throat as he saw movement from the water.

Cloud opened his eyes the white, which surrounded him quickly started to fade and he found that Aeris and Zack were no longer with him. He sat up and realised in a trance-like daze that he was suddenly standing waist deep in cold water. How he'd gotten in the water was anyone guess but his eyes soon floated in the direction of his friends he glanced at the smiling faces of Barratt with his children and Cid and Shera and their daughter even Vincent seemed to be smiling his gaze was drawn however to her.

He didn't even get the chance to look at her properly before she had dived in the water, suddenly she was wading through the water tears following down her cheeks.

'Cloud!' She gasped fighting her way through to reach him.

'Tifa!' Cloud regained control of his body quickly at the sight of his wife, feeling a sudden surge of energy hit him he moved towards her. Tifa reached him first wrapping her long slender arms tightly around his strong neck pulling her body forward so that it was flat against her husband's.

'I was so scared, I was so scared.' She sobbed clinging to him burrying her face in the strong familar fabric of Cloud's shoulder blade.

'It's okay now, Tifa.' Cloud's eyes squeezed shut as he held his wife for a moment everything else seemed to fade nothing else seemed to matter but them. His hand shook as he ran his fingers through her hair comforting her with him touch.

'Don't you ever do anything like that to me again Cloud Strife, I never want to lose you.' Tifa exclaimed lifting up her head their eyes meeting seeing the expression on her face Cloud smiled. His soul felt light in a way it never had before he'd always been brooding and waiting for the worst but now the worst had happened everything had been thrown at them but together and with the help of their friends they had survived they could get through anything now.

'It feels so good to hold you in my arms.' Cloud grinned he really had changed he would never have said anything like that to her in public only when they were alone together but that didn't matter anymore.

'I mean it Cloud.' She smiled kissing him warmly pulling away from him Tifa blushed lightly as she turned smiling at their friends and the others who filled the church.

'There are still children with the stigma.' Red breathed moving forward cutting through the silence that had fallen over the crowd inside the church.

'Cloud.' Squeezing his hand tightly Tifa let him go moving backwards as she watched him moving through the water towards Marleen and Desiel she'd never been prouder of him and she'd never loved him more.

Her Cloud was finally back.