ONE

When I woke up, it was over.

I slowly blinked my eyes open and looked around. We were laying in Evergreen Park, or what was left of it. Rubble was everywhere, along with a few small fires. Nearby were the broken remnants of the zip line we'd used to escape from Sector 7. And at that thought, I sat up, all of it coming back to me in a rush.

The plate collapse, fire and thunder everywhere. The city above us, falling apart piece by piece as it crushed the slums beneath it. And lost in middle of all that was Jessie. Terribly hurt when the console's power surge had caused it to explode after flooding her body with electricity. She'd been thrown across the platform and into the railing, dropping to the floor in a wounded, smoking heap.

And then she'd been torn from me, ripped away in the chaos of the plate collapse. A massive chunk of debris, shearing through the edge of the platform and taking Jessie down with it to the base of the pillar and into the middle of the inferno. She was gone. But in spite of all that had happened to her, I knew in my heart that she was still alive. She had to be. And I was going to go back to what was left of Sector 7. I was going to find her, no matter what it took.

Aerith had also been taken away from us. By Shinra. I didn't know how they'd managed to do it, but they had. She and I had dealt with the Turks a few times since we'd met, but I still didn't fully understand why they were after her. Something about her being an Ancient, but… what did that mean? I didn't know. But I was going to find out. She was sure to be at the Shinra Building now. And I'd have to find a way in there to save her. I was her bodyguard, after all.

I hoped the others had gotten out, too—Biggs, Wedge, and Lena. I didn't want to lose any of them. Two months ago, I hadn't known them or cared much about them. But that had changed with time and all the experiences we'd shared together. Fighting side by side, completing the missions to the reactors and the 7-6 Annex warehouse, playing cards at night, having dinner together at Seventh Heaven. They were my friends now, more important to me than I'd ever thought possible, even if I still didn't really know how to show it.

I looked over to see Tifa and Barret stirring as well. They had a few minor scrapes and scratches like I did, but nothing serious. The deeper wounds were inside, I knew. The kind no spell or potion could heal. As Tifa sat up, she looked down, as if she didn't want to see the cold reality of what had just happened. The gate, or what was left of it, was nearby, and piled just behind it was a mountain of debris at least fifty feet high. Barret raced over to it, his eyes wide.

"Marlene!" he yelled. He kept at it while Tifa and I slowly stood up and joined him. "Marlene! Jessie! Biggs! Wedge!"

Tifa touched his arm. "Barret…"

He pulled away from her and started grabbing at the debris, calling the names of his daughter and friends over and over again. He yanked out chunk after chunk of broken concrete and metal, throwing them to the ground, but there was no way he'd get through. Some of the rubble was the size of boulders. But he tried anyway.

"Marlene!" he screamed. "You out there!? Anybody? Jessie! Talk to me! Say somethin'! Biggs! Wedge!"

"Barret, hold up for a—" I started.

He wasn't listening. "Marlene! Marlene!"

And then, his tear-streaked face a mask of rage and grief, he began shooting at the huge pile of rubble with his gun-arm as if he could just blow it apart and find everyone on the other side. But all he was able to do was send shower of rock and dust everywhere. His voice became an almost inhuman roar as he kept firing.

As much as I wished he really could have cleared us a path through the rubble, I knew there was just too much of it here for him to do that. But there had to be another way back into Sector 7. Something nagged at me then, poking at the back of my mind. Something I felt I should've remembered. But I couldn't, so I just left it alone for the moment. I felt for Barret, but we had to get him calmed down before we could decide where to go and what was next. He stopped, leaned back with his arms out to either side, and screamed again.

"MARLENE!"

Tifa tried again. "Barret, listen…"

He sighed, still crying. "Goddammit! Goddamn you all! Damn you all to hell, ya Shinra assholes! Marlene… my sweet Marlene… Jessie… I… I had so much to tell ya… Biggs, Wedge… you guys… y'all can't be gone… ya jus' can't… Goddamn…"

"Marlene's fine," Tifa gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Aerith got her out, I'm sure of it."

His eyes lit up. "What!? Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I asked her to find Marlene and take her out of Sector 7 to someplace safe. And Biggs and Wedge should be fine, too. I helped Biggs out of the pillar, and Wedge was in pretty good shape. He and Lena were seeing to the evacuation, so I'm sure they're alright. But Jessie… you saw what happened to her…"

"Yeah, I did," Barret's hand tightened into a fist. "You think… she's still alive, Tifa? After… after all that? I never got to tell her I was sorry. You know, for what I put her through lately 'bout her past. All she ever did was give, Tifa, an' I treated her like shit 'cause I was mad she didn't tell me she'd been with Shinra."

"Barret, I think…" Tifa murmured.

He went on. "A leader's s'posed to look out for the ones he's leadin' an' take care of 'em. But I… I didn't do that for her. Shoulda listened to her insteada rippin' her up. An' now… now she might be dead 'cause of me. An' if she is… it's my fault."

Tifa stared at him. "How can you say that?"

"She was worried 'bout goin' into the pillar," he said. "I didn't know why at the time, but maybe she had an idea of what was gonna happen to her. I coulda let her go back to the bar an' stay with Marlene to keep her safe an' get her out if she needed to—wouldn'ta been nothin' wrong with that—but I made her enter that damn tower."

"You can't blame yourself for that. Jessie knew what she was doing, Barret. She knew the risks."

He gazed at the mountain of rubble blocking the gate. "But I made her feel like she had to prove herself to me, prove her loyalty. An' that's not what a leader's s'posedta do. I shoulda trusted her, Tifa. Shoulda let her know I was still there for her. But I didn't. An' now… I might never have the chance to do that an' 'pologize to her."

"You will," I told him.

Barret glanced at me. "You think she's alive?"

I nodded. "She is. And I'm goin' back for her, soon as I can. To find her. She's out there, Barret. I know she is."

"I'm going, too," Tifa added.

"Yeah," Barret agreed. "We gonna find her. But first, Cloud, can ya take me to see Marlene? I ain't gonna be no good to ya 'till I can see for myself that she's okay. Please?"

I'd figured as much. "Yeah. I know where to go."

He sighed in relief. "Thanks, man. So… Aerith? That's the girl they took, right? In the pink dress?"

"That's her," Tifa said. "She's a friend."

"We're getting her back," I added. "After we find Jessie."

Barret pumped his fist. "If she saved Marlene, then I owe her a lot. I'm in, Cloud. All the way."

I looked at Tifa. "And you? Tifa?"

She didn't answer at first, her eyes fixed on the smoldering ruins of Sector 7. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides as she gazed at the rubble, but her face was haunted. I thought I knew why. Guilt bit at me, too. Had we brought this about by going after the reactors? Even if we hadn't caused it directly, we were still part of the reason it was done. The enemy Shinra had sought to crush.

"Did we… do this?" Tifa wondered softly. "Was it us?"

"I don't know…" I shook my head.

Barret swept his arm out, his eyes burning into us. "No! Shinra did it. Whatever came before, they pulled the trigger today. They destroyed a whole town an' killed thousandsa people jus' to make some damn gil an' get everyone up there pumped for another war. Power's all they care 'bout, guys. They're killin' the planet for it, an' there ain't no one gonna be safe 'till they're gone. Am I right?"

Tifa nodded. "Yeah…"

"Hold onto this anger, Tifa," he said, lifting his fist and squeezing it tight. "An' don't you forget it. Use it."

"Right," she answered, clasping his hand.

He glanced over at me. "An' what about you, merc?"

I folded my arms in front of me. "Yeah."

Then I walked away, heading across the ruined park to the narrow trail that led away from it toward the collapsed expressway. It was time to get moving, to act. We'd stood around talking for long enough. Jessie and Aerith needed our help, and we needed a purpose after all that had happened, something to focus our anger and energy on. Saving both of our friends would give us that.

"Hey!" Barret called after me. "Where you goin'?"

"You wanted to see Marlene, right?" I said.

He hurried to catch up. "Yeah! Marlene! Where is she?"

I kept walking. "Aerith's house. Should be."

"You sure she's there?" Barret asked, falling in next to me. "Gimme somethin' to hold onto. Please!"

"Pretty sure. No guarantees, but it's a good bet."

He sighed. "S'pose that's fair 'nough."

As we kept going, I thought of something else. "Either of you know anything about the Ancients?"

"I've heard of them," Tifa said. "But that's all."

Barret rubbed his chin. "Stewards of the planet. 'Least they used to be, before they all died out. They could even talk with it an' stuff. They come up in planetology books sometimes."

I thought I understood. "Aerith's one of them. Probably the last. So that'd be why the Turks wanted her so badly."

"But what for?" Tifa wondered.

"Probably to take more from the planet," Barret muttered. "Use her to leech out every last bit of its life."

I narrowed my eyes. "Not happening."

Just then, I stumbled as a bolt of pain shot through my head. It felt as if I'd been hit with a hammer across my temple, and I grabbed it and gasped in pain. What were these attacks, and why did I keep on getting them? I didn't know. As I stood there, I heard a cold, familiar voice rise up in my mind. Sephiroth's voice.

— The blood of the Ancients flows in my veins, and I am the rightful heir to this planet. It belongs to me.—

That was a memory, something I'd heard him say long ago. Back in Nibelheim, when he'd gone mad. But that had been five years ago. Why was it coming up now? I'd seen him in my dreams a few times over the past two months, tormenting me with visions of Jessie's death as well as my mom's. The future and the past. But I had changed that future, had proven him wrong and saved Jessie.

— Did you? Or did you merely delay the inevitable? —

His voice taunted me again, and I couldn't close my mind to block him out. I could barely even move, bent over as I was and holding onto my head with one unsteady hand. As Sephiroth's words filled my mind, my eyes widened and rage filled my gut when I saw him stride casually onto the trail from out of nowhere, flickering in and out as he moved. I shook my head in disbelief.

"You're not real…" I breathed.

He smiled coldly. "Are dreams real, Cloud? Again, you have failed. But through suffering, you'll grow stronger. Just as I need you to be. As you were meant to be. It is what you desire."

Then a hand took my shoulder. It was Tifa. "Cloud?"

"Huh?" I looked at her.

"You okay?" she wondered.

The pain was gone, and when I glanced back at the road, Sephiroth was, too. "Yeah. Did you see anything?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. Barret?"

"Not a thing," he shrugged.

I wasn't surprised. "Let's just keep going. Still a ways to go."

Barret grunted. "Pull it together, merc."

As we went along, we found we weren't alone out here. There were other people on the road as well, survivors of the plate collapse. Sitting or standing along the trail in small groups, their voices a low murmur. Some were hurt, some not, but all of them were either scared, stunned, or both. Tifa and Barret offered a few words of encouragement to those they knew as we kept going.

After a few minutes, we came to a small clearing, and the entrance to the collapsed expressway was just a short distance past it. A lot more people were gathered here, resting after escaping the death of Sector 7. Coughs, crying, and groans filled the air.

Suddenly, we heard a familiar voice. "Boss! Cloud! Tifa!"

We all turned around, and a wave of relief swept through me when I saw who was hurrying toward us, his red bandanna still tight over his dark hair and a calico cat in one arm. Wedge! And Lena was there with him, carrying the other two cats, her face practically glowing when she saw us. Tears glistened in both their eyes.

"Wedge!" Barret exclaimed, his face lighting up. "You magnificent son of a bitch! Damn, am I glad to see ya!"

Tifa threw her arms around Lena. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"You too, Tifa," she sniffled.

"Good to see you too, guys!" Wedge smiled.

I nodded to him and Lena. "Likewise. Been here long?"

He shrugged. "Just a little while. We were one of the last to get out. Barely made it, too. Would've escaped sooner, but I, uh… had to go get something I'd forgotten…"

"You went back for your cats?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah," he chuckled, grinning sheepishly. "Had to go and save my babies, you know…"

Tifa hugged him. "Don't ever change, Wedge…"

Barret laughed and wrapped his good arm around him. "Well, ain't that somethin'! You got a good heart, man."

"The best," Lena winked.

He glanced at her. "So where's Biggs?"

"We sent him on ahead to Sector 5 before we left," Lena explained. "He should be at the Leaf House by now."

"Can we go see him?" Tifa looked hopefully at me.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's. It's on the way to Aerith's house. We'll stop in there for a minute or two."

"Thank you, Cloud," she beamed.

"Looks like you two got a lotta folks out," Barret said.

Wedge glanced at the people around us. "Yeah. I just wish I'd been able to save more of 'em."

Barret laid a hand on his shoulder. "You did fine, Wedge. Both you and Lena. I'm damn prouda you guys. These people wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. Always remember that."

"Yeah…" Wedge stood a little taller. "Thanks, boss."

"Told ya!" Lena teased him.

Tifa chuckled. "You are coming with us to see Biggs, right?"

Wedge gave her a thumbs up. "Of course!"

"We sure are!" Lena added. "We were gonna visit him anyway after we'd rested up for a bit. I just know that he'd—wait a minute, isn't Jessie with you guys? Where is she?"

She and Wedge both looked around in confusion, realizing for the first time that Jessie wasn't there. The smiles on Tifa's and Barret's faces evaporated along with our spirits as we thought of what had happened to her. And at first, none of us could say it.

"Guys…" Wedge asked cautiously. "Where's Jessie?"

"She…" Tifa began. She couldn't finish.

Lena gasped, choking back a sob as her eyes filled with fresh tears. "No! She… she didn't make it… she's… she's…"

Wedge's face fell. "Jessie…"

"She's not dead," I insisted. "She's just… missing."

Barret looked at them. "Cloud's right. Jessie's out there somewhere, hurt an' in pain. She fell from the pillar, was taken from us when it was all comin' down. But we gonna find her. She needs us right now, needs her family. An' we gonna be there for her."

Tifa nodded. "We will."

"You bet!" Wedge added. "We've gotta help her!"

"Count on it!" Lena agreed.

I looked at everyone. "We'll find her."

"Damn right we will," Barret said. "First though, we gotta check in on Biggs an' Marlene. Then we'll go."

"Aerith got Marlene out," Wedge assured him.

His eyes lit up. "So Cloud an' Tifa told me. You saw 'em?"

Lena looked worried. "Yeah, they rode out together, helped us with the evacuation. They headed for Sector 5, but… one of those choppers went after them. I hope they're okay."

"Shinra's got Aerith now," I said. "But not Marlene."

"We're gonna save her, right?" Lena asked.

Barret pumped his fist. "We are. But I still gotta see Marlene first. I need to know what happened. An' we still got Jessie to take care of, too. So let's take things one step at a time."

"I think I know how to find her," I said.

Tifa blinked. "You do?"

It had been right there the whole time, but I'd forgotten about it in the midst of everything else that had happened. "Yeah. There's a tunnel that leads from the park to Sector 7. Aerith told me about it just before we followed you to Wall Market."

"That's how we got out," Wedge said. "We figured it'd be better not to have everyone so close to the gate—it's not a pretty sight, you know. So we had everyone come over here for now. Wymer's been overseeing things since then. He had the same idea."

"Good thinkin', guys," Barret told them. "We got us the beginnin' of a plan. Better get movin', though."

As we started heading toward the collapsed expressway and Sector 5, I realized Wedge was limping. I hadn't noticed earlier because I'd just been so glad to see him and know that he and Lena were alright. When he stumbled a little, I caught his arm and helped him up, motioning for the others to stop for a moment.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Just fell and twisted my ankle a little on the way out," Wedge said, rubbing his leg. "It's better than it was, but…"

I touched his shoulder. "We'll handle it. Tifa?"

She understood. "Right."

Giving Wedge an encouraging smile, she dropped to one knee and focused on the Restore materia in her mythril bangle while I held him steady on his feet. The green sparkles swirled around him for a minute before fading away as he slowly relaxed.

"How's that, Wedge?" Tifa glanced up at him.

"Still a little tender, but it feels good, Tifa," he gave her a thumbs up and grinned as I let go. "Thanks!"

I nodded. "Sure, Wedge. Glad you're alright."

"Aw, thanks, bro!" he gushed.

"It's a little weird when you call me that," I said.

Or tried to say, anyway. Just as I finished, the cat in his arms let out a loud meow, and I backed up a step. Tifa and Lena giggled together as I let out a resigned sigh. Barret snickered, but fortunately he didn't say anything as we all got underway again.

Lena glanced at us. "You guys haven't seen a SOLDIER in a purple uniform, have you? Maybe riding on a motorcycle? Green and silver? I think it was a Motonox Gust."

"No, we haven't," Tifa said. "Why?"

"He's a friend. He helped Aerith get to Marlene, and he also fought alongside us against that Turk, Rude. Then he came back after that and saved Wedge's life. I hope he got out."

I didn't doubt it. "He did. He was a SOLDIER."

She sighed in relief. "Thanks, Cloud. His name's Kunsel. That ring a bell? You were a SOLDIER, too, right?"

"I was," I said. "But…"

"What is it?" Tifa wondered.

The name did sound vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it. Like a faint memory from a long time ago. I didn't know who it was, though I felt like I should've. But he had helped us, saving my friends and taking Rude down a peg—now I knew why he'd been so beat up when he had joined Reno on the platform. A SOLDIER could certainly do that. And Wedge and Lena had helped.

I shook my head. "It's nothing. Don't know him, Lena. Sounds like Second Class from the uniform, though. Pretty tough. And I saw what you guys did to Rude back there. Good job."

Lena beamed. "Nailed his ass!"

"She and Kunsel did most of it," Wedge blushed. "I wasn't really all that much help. Just got knocked down."

"That's not true. You burned him good!" she insisted.

I knew from what I'd seen of Rude that Lena was right. "You stood against a Turk, Wedge. Be proud."

"Yeah…" he grinned. "Guess I did, didn't I?"

"Damn straight!" Barret agreed.

Tifa smirked at me. "You're being awfully nice, Cloud."

"Huh?" I blinked. "I, uh… we'd better hurry. I'm sure Biggs'll want to see us. And Marlene."

She chuckled. "Sure. Whatever you say."

We went on, leaving the clearing behind as we made our way down the short trail leading to the collapsed expressway. Although Jessie was still missing and Aerith was being held prisoner in the Shinra Building, it did help to know that the rest of our friends were alright. Tifa hadn't looked quite so down since we'd found Wedge and Lena. As for Barret, I knew he wouldn't truly be himself again until he'd seen Marlene. And I understood it perfectly. I felt the same way about Jessie. Nothing was gonna be right in me until I saw her again.

And I knew that I would.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was in bed, blankets up to my chest. In one of the upstairs rooms at the Leaf House, judging by the ceiling. Just as clean as ever. It was wood, but with not a smudge or stain on it. The kids hadn't forgotten what I'd taught 'em. I was glad for that. Didn't get back here too often anymore. Though now, if Sector 7 was gone, that'd probably change pretty quick.

My stomach and side still hurt from where I'd been shot, but not as much as before. And I was bandaged, my abdomen and shoulder. Took a scrape on the head during the battle, but it looked like that had been bound up, too—I could feel the gauze against my skin. For a minute or two, all I did was just lay there staring at the ceiling. And then I heard a sweet, familiar voice call softly to me.

"Biggs…"

I knew that voice. "Tifa?"

When I turned my head to the left, she was there, sitting in a chair by the bed. Worry and relief were both on her face as she looked at me with those reddish, wine-colored eyes that always seemed to make my breath catch in my throat whenever I looked at them. Just like they did now. Neither of us said anything else at first.

She ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, it's me. I'm so happy you're awake! I was worried about you. I-I mean, we all were."

"We?" I blinked. "The others are here?"

"Most of us, yeah…" she said.

I gazed cautiously at her. "What do you mean, 'most of us'? What's goin' on, Tifa? Is Sector 7… gone?"

Tifa sighed. "Yeah, Biggs. We couldn't stop Shinra. Almost did, but they… they still beat us. Wedge and Lena got a lot of people out, but… Sector 7's gone. And… so's Jessie…"

For a moment, all I could do was lay there and stare at her, hearing her words again in my head. Sector 7 was gone, and so was Jessie. They had both been taken from us. I didn't want to believe it, but the pain in Tifa's eyes wasn't lying. I closed my own and sighed, then looked at her again, needing to know what had happened. Jessie'd been like a sister to me, just as much as Lena. And now…

"How?" I asked.

"Jessie was hurt in the tower on the way to the top," she explained. "Cloud saved her, though. After I caught up to them, we made it to the platform, met up with Barret, and fought the Turks. We beat them, and Jessie convinced them to walk away."

I blinked. "She did?"

Tifa nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, they helped her once, a long time ago, even though it went against orders. Then she disabled the console, but… Shinra had a backup system, one she couldn't stop. And… they'd also laid a trap for her."

"No…" I breathed. "Those bastards!"

"It… it exploded right in front of her, Biggs," she went on. "Threw her across the platform. And then… the pillar started to come down. A big chunk of it smashed through where she was before Cloud could get to her, and she… she fell…"

I clenched my fist as anger and grief swirled around inside me. My home and my friend, taken away. I'd been interested in her once, a long time ago, but… she hadn't been ready for anything like that at the time. Jessie hadn't wanted me to wait for her, either, feeling that it wasn't fair to me. She'd been looking out for me, not wanting me to miss a chance at happiness because I was stuck on her. So she had cut me loose so I'd be free to find it, telling me that while it wasn't gonna happen between us, she'd still always be there for me.

I felt wetness building in my eyes. "Jessie…"

"She's not dead, Biggs," Tifa shook her head. "Not yet."

"Huh?" I stared at her.

She took my hand. "Cloud believes she's still alive. And I trust him. Jessie's lost somewhere, back in what's left of Sector 7, and Cloud won't stop until he finds her—you know how much she means to him. We're all gonna help, too. We're gonna save her."

I sat up, or tried to. "Then I'm goin' with ya! I—"

"Easy now," Tifa gently took me by the shoulders and laid me back down onto the bed. "You're in no condition to go anywhere, Biggs. Not for a while, anyway. You need to rest."

"But Jessie—" I protested.

She wasn't having it. "We'll find her. Just leave it to us."

I sighed. "Guess I got no choice, do I?"

"Not at all," Tifa smiled. "Anyway, I should be going. The others are waiting to see you, and Barret's anxious to go check on Marlene. I don't need to tell you he's worried about her."

"Nah, I get it," I chuckled.

She stood up, waved, and started to walk toward the door. But then she stopped for a moment, slowly turned around, and went back to me. I watched as she sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes never leaving mine as she moved. And then, Tifa did something that took my breath away and made my heart skip a beat. She leaned in close and pressed her lips lightly against my forehead just below where the bandage was. I gasped at how cool and soft and good her kiss felt.

"Wha… what was that for?" I gazed at her in wonder.

She touched my cheek. "Being alive…"

Then she slowly got up again, her face turning pink as she hurried out of the room before I could say anything else. I still didn't know how or when I'd started to fall for her. Tifa'd always had a friendly ear and a good drink ready for me after Jessie had turned me down. Dunno why, but I had felt comfortable opening up to her about what had happened. It had hurt, finding out Jessie didn't have the feelings I did for her back then, but I'd understood and hadn't blamed her.

It had also been a bit of a relief in a way, as I'd told Tifa later. Jessie was a good friend, and by keeping it like that, she'd made sure that our friendship wouldn't get messed up. Wasn't easy, but over time, I started to appreciate what she'd done for us. Tifa'd been a big help, giving me a woman's perspective on the whole thing so I'd be able to see better just where Jessie'd been coming from. Maybe that's where it started, all that time Tifa and I had spent together.

Lots of late nights, just talking and sharing a few drinks. She was a friend, too, but… it was different with her somehow. Dunno why. And somewhere in the middle of all that time and talk and listening and her sweet smiles, I guess I began falling for her. But I didn't tell her. I didn't want what had happened with Jessie to happen with Tifa, too. I wanted things to be different this time.

So instead, I'd begun to help her out whenever I could. Keeping the bar clean, washing dishes, stocking the shelves for her, that kinda stuff. Anything I could do for her to make her life a little easier. Felt good to do it, too. I didn't know why she'd been acting so differently around me lately, but I wasn't gonna complain. I liked it. And as far as I knew, Tifa still didn't have a clue how I felt about her.

Then the others came in, Lena rushing ahead of them to give me a hug. Almost had to pry her off me, but I couldn't really blame her. She was my little sister, after all. And I was glad she was alright. So I let her hold onto me while Barret and Wedge crowded around me and Cloud stood just a little behind them. Tifa waited over by the door, letting the others have their turn to visit.

"You feeling okay?" Lena asked.

I laughed. "Better now that you guys are here. Kinda surprised Tess and Ms. Folia let you all up here at once, though."

She smirked. "We promised not to cause a ruckus."

"Guess that'd do it," I said.

"Wedge and I even brought the cats," Lena chuckled. "We left them with the kids downstairs for now."

I glanced over at him. "Got 'em out, too, eh?"

Wedge nodded. "Yeah. Wasn't gonna leave my babies."

"Good call, buddy," I grinned. "Always gotta look after your family. Even if it is mostly fur."

"Right!" he said, giving me a thumbs up.

Barret went next. "Glad to see you're awright, Biggs. Seems they're takin' good care of ya here."

I couldn't deny that. "Sure are, boss."

"Good to know," he said. "I'll tell Marlene you said hi."

I smiled. "Thanks. Give her a hug too, will ya?"

"You got it," Barret promised.

"Hey, Cloud…" I glanced over at him. "Tifa told me about Sector 7. And Jessie. You'll find her, won'tcha?"

He reached over and clasped my hand. "Believe it."

I did. "Thanks, man. I do."

"Awright, people," Barret said. "Biggs needs his rest. Better clear on out now. We'll come back later."

"I wanna stay," Lena didn't budge.

Neither did Wedge. "Same here. We'll take care of him."

Barret clapped him on the shoulder. "I don't doubt it. Fair enough, then. While you two're here with Biggs, we'll go see Marlene. Shouldn't be long. Then we'll come back and start plannin' out Jessie's rescue. She ain't got a lotta time, so we'd best get movin'."

After that, he and Cloud left. Tifa smiled at me, then followed after them. Damn feathers flew all over my stomach at the sight of it. Wedge and Lena stayed close, and I was glad for the company. I worried about Jessie, though. She was alone, hurt and trapped somewhere in the ruins of Sector 7. Tifa'd been right, though. Cloud would find her. But I knew I wasn't gonna rest easy until she was safe.