Disclaimer: You know what this is for. I don't own FFVII

Present day, Midgar slums

Swords slash... Guns fire...

The sight of blades connecting...

The smell of gunpowder...

The glint of metal and the blast of bullets...

The tang of blood and pain...

The sounds of screams and agony...

The adrenalin rush can kill...

But the silence never dies...

...Will you mourn for me...

Cloud bolted upright as the sound of gunshots rang in his head, he gasped for air as he fumbled to turn on the lamp sitting on the nightstand next to him, only to find it would not come on. Sitting up in sweat damped sheets the blonde looked around his room for a moment, still half asleep but alert. Outside he could hear the clang of thunder after the flash of lightning, and the harsh yet soothing sound of the rain hitting the roof. The icy wind of the downpour billowed through the window, making the curtains flap in its harsh breath. Cloud relaxed as he saw he was in the comfort of his room, he shivered from the cold sweat that dewed over his body. The blonde stood up from the warm safety of the covers and strode shakily into the bathroom, ignoring the open window.

Without flipping the light switch-it wouldn't work anyway-he turned the faucet of the sink. Splashing the cold water on his face Cloud stared into the mirror for what seemed like forever, clearly remembering the dream that had woke him. It ached; the guilt he felt for the death of his first, and perhaps dearest, friend. Clouds head hung in despair, his grip on the sink tightened as he cursed himself for being so weak.

"Cloud..." a gentle voice whispered from behind him. He turned around to meet the child, her brown eyes peering through the door.

"What is it, Marlene?" She didn't answer at first, and seemingly lost for words. A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder boomed from outside, Marlene nearly jumped out of her skin and shrank towards Cloud. Cloud couldn't help but smirk and, as another lightning strike roared, he knelt down to the frightened girl and placed his hand on her shoulder. Knowing just what to do.

"Marlene," He asked timidly, "I have to admit something, something that I'm quite embarrassed about." The little girl looked up at him in curiosity as he continued, "You can keep a secret right?" She nodded, and flinched as thunder boomed once again.

"Well, you see that storm out there?" He nodded toward the window, and she followed his gaze, glancing at the lightning that was followed by the crack of thunder, she looked back to Cloud and nodded again. He pretended to have trouble saying the sentence that would probably just send the young child into a fit of laughter. "Well, you see... I'm... very... very... very... very... very afraid of it. Is it alright that maybe... you can wait until I fall asleep... Because that..." He jerked his head toward the storm outside. "Is very, very, very scary. Please?"

A smile big enough to show most of her teeth spread across Marlene's face. Nodding she giggled and wrapped her arms around the blonde. "You don't have to be scared Cloud! It's just the weather." She proclaimed. Cloud pretended he was fascinated by this piece of information. "Really? You sure? Cuz..." Thunder boomed. "It sounds awfully scary."

The small brunette shook her head. "No its not. Tifa tells me that when it thunder's, its actually Ramuh laughing at something funny. So you don't have to be scared Cloud. It's going to be alright." Cloud stared at her in mock fascination.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Oh... Well... can you still stay until I fall asleep?"

She giggled. "No silly." Then whispered as if there were prying ears. "Daddy told me I have to sleep in my own room."

"Oh." He pretended to be disheartened.

"But, if you're still scared, you could borrow one of my teddy bears."

"Really?"

She nodded again. "Uh huh. Come on, we can go get one right now."

In Marlene's room Cloud watched as she picked out a teddy bear she thought he would like, and hand it to him. Cloud smirked a bit, and then knelt to receive the gift. "Thanks, I think I feel better already."

She smiled in triumph and giggled. "Good night, Cloud. And remember, don't be afraid." Cloud nodded and slowly closed the door as the little brunette crawled under the covers. He walked back to his room; putting the teddy on the nightstand he felt cold air rush up his back. Shivering Cloud turned to find the window still open, walking over he closed it. Protecting the room from the harsh environment outside. He turned and paused, startled by his own reflection in the closet door mirror. He sighed and walked over to shut it, he felt cold against his back; he turned around once again to find the window was open. Now alert he looked around the room wary for any intruder that certainly had opened the window. Seeing there was no one in his room he walked over to the window again, he went to stick his head out to look around when it unexpectedly hit something intensely red.

"OW! Shit Cloud! Yer head is hard!" Said the red head that was sitting soaking wet just outside Cloud's window. Rubbing the bridge of his nose the blonde stuck his head out the window again. "I have a hard head? What are you doing outside my window any?"

" TRYING to get out of the rain. Now if you would excuse me." Reno shoved past Cloud, climbing out from the window and into his room. He looked around the room lazily, as if trying to take it all in. "You know," Cloud began, "You could have used the door." The blonde caught the putrid and almost gagging scent of alcohol that emanated from the red's breath as Reno pushed past him. "Well I would have. But the door was locked." Reno gave him an almost insulting gesture, mainly portraying Cloud as a retard. Cloud frowned at the drunk Turk, though he already knew that he asked the question anyway. "Have you been drinking?"

The Turk rolled his eyes at the blonde. "Naw. Geez Cloud, you could be so dumb at times. Must be yer hair weighing yer brain." Reno swayed a little, "Wait, yer don't live here." It was Cloud's turn to roll his eyes at the redhead, closing the window he heard a thud and turned to see Reno on the floor looking rather surprised to be there. "I hope you didn't drive here." The blonde declared, wondering how the he the Turk had managed to successfully climb up to the roof in the first place.

Reno frowned and shook his head, when he spoke he had to concentrate to form the right syllables, though they came out sluggish anyway. "Roode. Hee took mme caard keysh. Damn fooker. Koodent git inta ma aparrtmant. Ahg, I bith my tongueth." Cloud sighed and walked over to the red head, kneeling down to help him up. "There's a couch downstairs,' He started to say, but when Reno took a step and fell down-again- the blonde almost went down with him.

Cloud decided against the idea of carrying the man down the stairs, it would probably do more harm than good. "On second thought, you can just use the bed."

The blonde led the Turk to the only bed in the room. I'll just sleep on the couch downstairs, he's so plastered he can barely move, he told himself. It was just at this moment that Reno's legs decided to rebel against their owner and his assistant, causing Cloud to trip and then fall onto said bed. "Sowwy 'bout dat." Mumbled the redhead; though his face was stuffed in a pillow he had landed on. With a huff Cloud stood and looked down at the Turk.

"How much have you had?"

Said Turk rolled over onto his back and attempted to count his fingers, giving up after a few seconds. "Hell, I dunno. But it'd take ya a while ter catch up." The blonde quirked an eyebrow at the red, "I hope you hold all that alcohol." Reno sat up as good as he could and proceeded to glare at Cloud.

"I ain't no lightweight," The Turk grimaced and looked away. "On second thought, gimme a bucket." The blonde hurried the short way down the hall to the bathroom, grabbed said bucket and went back into the room, setting it down next to the bed. "So, how much did you have?" He asked as the Turk leaned off the side of the bed, spewing his guts out, speaking when he had the chance. "I dunno, everthin' went all hazy after the… ugh, I can't remember." The Turks vision was still blurry and distorted but it was better than before, and his speech had gotten better.

Cloud had given Reno an accusatory look. "Some… guy challenged me to a drinking contest. Said I was a push over, so I had to prove him wrong." The blondes look worsened. "I ain't a lightweight, and I wasn't gonna let some punk talk to me like that. Shoulda beaten his face in…" His voice trailed off and the blonde studied him while the he stared off into space.

"So, who won?" Cloud asked.

Reno huffed and looked at Cloud like he was dumb. "Well if I was the one who passed out, I wouldn't be here spuwin' ma brains out 'ere." He told cloud. "Then Rude took ma card key. Damn prick." The red head's stomach lurched again and he had to meet again with the bucket god. This was an unusual accurance considering the Turks tolerance to alcohol, and lots of it.

"You realize your head gonna really hurt in the morning." Cloud declared, watching Reno as he leaned over the bucket, wrenching. When the Turk could breathe he looked and the blonde with a glare set on his face. "Tomorrow? My head didn't have to wait until tomorrow after it rammed inta yers."

Cloud scoffed at the Turk, he wanted to hit him but refrained from doing so, "Do you want an icepack or not?" The Turk nodded in response just before he leaned over the bucket again. With a sigh the swordsman took a trip to the downstairs refrigerator, taking a sandwich bag from the box on top of the counter and placing it under the ice dispenser. Clicking the shredded ice option so that it the makeshift pack would be easy to use, he then wrapped it in a thin washcloth and walked back up the stairs.

When he entered the room, the Turk was not leaning over the bucket, which maybe was a good sign. The red had his hand on his forehead, looking like he was miserable. Cloud sat on the bed next to him and gently placed the ice pack on top of the Turks head. Reno jumped at the touch of coolness, and he looked at Cloud for a moment before taking the pack with a mumbled word of thanks.

"You look like shit." Stated the blonde, looking as the red frowned and attempted to sit up, presumably to hit Cloud or something. But the Turk ended up grabbing his own temples as the pain in his head throbbed. He tried to maybe get off the bed, for what though was not in knowledge, but ended up falling before he his feet even hit the floor.

Cloud caught Reno before he injured himself, but let go when the Turk pushed him away a little roughly. "Get off me asshole." Mumbled the red before Cloud let go, he lay back in the bed again, whimpering a little as his head throbbed.

"What did I do?"

"Nothin'. Just leave me alone." The Turk snapped.

Cloud sighed and left the red there, feeling kind of sorry for him as he heard him gag over the bucket. But then again… he did it to himself. The blonde grabbed a blanket from the hallway cupboard and walked downstairs to the couch in the backroom. Though he fell asleep the moment he closed his eyes, his sleep was not at all restful. Nightmares from horrible things he couldn't remember, and horrible things he remembered all too clearly. For Cloud Strife, his past life came down to one big nightmare, one he couldn't get away from.