TWENTY-NINE

Tifa and I made our way through the dank, winding sewer tunnels as best we could. We crossed into the section underneath Sector 5 after a while, sticking to the tiled stone floor as much as possible and staying well clear of the muck that ran down many of the channels. I guided us with what I knew of the place as well as the flashlight I kept in my belt pouch. Wasn't big, but it made up for it with how bright it could get. At the moment, it was set somewhere in the middle.

"So, Tifa…" I asked as we went along. "How do you think Barret'll take it when we tell him about our mission and what happened? Think he'll be pleased with us? Or pissed?"

She thought for a minute. "I'd say fifty-fifty."

I nodded. "Sounds about right. I know he won't like hearing about what Shinra's been doing to people. But… you think he'll be okay with what happened, with what we did?"

"He'll understand," Tifa assured me. "You did fine, Jessie."

"Did I do the right thing?" I wondered.

She caught me gently by the arm and pulled me to a stop. "Yeah. It was too late for Danny. Whatever they put in him, it fried his mind. All he knew was to kill. We had to stop him."

"I guess you're right," I sighed. "I just wish there'd been some other way, that I could've reached him somehow."

Tifa slid an arm around my shoulder. "I know. So do I. But you still helped him, brought him peace. I think he'd be glad for that. And I can tell you that Barret'll be proud of you."

I gazed at her. "He will?"

"You bet," she smiled. "We struck a blow against Shinra today, and you saved your friend from a terrible fate. I think that's pretty good for your first Avalanche mission, don't you?"

I grinned. "Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it? Thanks, Tifa."

"Anytime," she said.

After giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze, she let go, then reached into her pocket and took out a small vial with a pale blue liquid inside. A healing potion. Tifa glanced at the slashes on my arms and handed it to me. I didn't take it at first, not wanting to use it yet if we could avoid it. And they still tasted utterly gross.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," I said, giving her a cheeky laugh. "Doesn't hurt all that much, really."

Tifa pressed it into my hand. "Take it, Jessie."

"But what if it's our only one?" I asked.

"It is, but I want you to use it anyway," she insisted. "We're far from home, and you need to take care of yourself."

I shook my head. "I'm telling you, Tifa, I'm—"

Just then, I winced and stumbled as the pain flared up. It stung me like a thousand bees jabbing at my arms. Danny'd gotten in quite a few cuts on both of them when he had pounced on me, and I had done my best to ignore how much they hurt ever since—getting away from that pack of Shinra soldiers and staying alive had been just a bit higher of a priority for me than seeing to my injuries. But we were safe, at least for now, and on our way home. Maybe Tifa was right.

She caught me and held me steady. "Easy, now. Sit down, Jessie. We can rest for a while. Drink the potion, and while you're doing that, I'm gonna take a good look at you."

"Guess I'm in no position to argue with ya," I chuckled.

"Nope," Tifa laughed.

After giving me the potion and carefully helping me have a seat on the floor at the base of the wall, she knelt in front of me and examined first one arm and then the other. I couldn't resist making a face when I drank the potion, but it did ease the pain a bit. As the slashes started to heal up a little, Tifa took a cloth from one of the flat little pouches that hung from the sides of her black leather skirt and cleaned the blood off my arms. There was more than a little.

"How's that?" she asked.

I gave her a weak smile. "Better, thanks. But that's not gonna wash out, you know. Blood's tough like that."

Tifa smirked. "I've got plenty more back home."

"I'm not surprised," I said. "Guess I'll have to work on these gloves, too. Danny got me pretty good."

The leather bracers that went up to my elbows had gotten slashed, but I figured I could fix them easily enough. The shops in town had all kinds of crafting materials including neat bundles of leather and cloth, and I still had the tools I'd used to make my outfit.

"You sure you're okay after… what happened?" Tifa asked.

I nodded. "I don't like it, but I'll be fine. Knowing he's at peace now instead of being used as a mindless, rampaging killing machine helps a lot. I did everything I could for him."

"You did, Jessie," she agreed. "And he'd be grateful."

I knew he would. "I think so, too. Anyway, will we be alright? That was our only potion. I should've brought more."

Tifa shrugged. "This was supposed to be just a scouting mission. I didn't think we'd actually end up doing any fighting, so I only took one. Definitely gonna bring more next time, though."

"Me too," I said. "Never know what'll happen, huh?"

"Right. So stay close," she said.

I rubbed my arm. "Sure. You too, Tifa."

"Oh, I will," she promised.

When she was finished, Tifa sat down next to me, and we rested in the gloom for a while. The flashlight lay on the ground next to me, and I noticed that there were actually a few lamps on the brick walls and up above the doorways in places down here. The light was dim, but it was enough that we could see. So while we took our little break, I picked up my flashlight and put it away. Better to save the battery for if the lamps went out than use it when it wasn't needed. We chatted for a while, and it did feel good to rest for a bit.

"Ready to go?" Tifa asked after ten minutes or so.

I gave her a thumbs up. "You bet!"

So we stood up and got moving again, passing through more halls and smaller chambers. We also had to turn a few valves here and there to move some water out of the way when we crossed a channel or two, but between us, there wasn't anything we couldn't manage. I figured we were getting close to Sector 6 by now.

We were just passing into a larger room about twenty minutes later when I heard a loud scuttling sound and three strange creatures surged toward us across the damp stone floor. They were like giant crabs, with red shells and huge pincers as they moved about on six legs. I slapped a fresh clip into my gun as Tifa raised her fists.

"Scissorclaws," I told her as I took aim. "Heard about 'em from one of my customers who used to do maintenance down here. They like to eat dead bodies, though they're not above going after fresh meat when they can get it. Pretty territorial, too."

She nodded. "Let's show them we're not on the menu!"

"You said it, Tifa!" I grinned.

While she launched herself at one of the scissorclaws, punching at its tough shell until it cracked, I opened fire at another one. I aimed for the soft spots, its mouth and eyes. It squealed as the bullets tore into it, and a few more shots put it down for the count.

Tifa took out her target a moment later, driving her foot down into its broken carapace in a diving kick that left the monster as just an icky mess on the floor. The third scissorclaw closed the distance between it and me before I could fire again and took a swipe at me with its claws, but I managed to dart aside and avoid getting hit. Between my gunfire and Tifa's fists and feet, we beat it without much trouble, shooting and smashing it to pieces in just a few seconds.

"Whew!" I laughed when the fight was over. "Exciting, huh? Don't have much experience fighting monsters. Usually I just run if I see 'em when I'm out on my trips."

Tifa smiled. "You did fine, Jessie."

I put my gun back on my belt. "Thanks. My heart's still racing, you know? I hope we don't see more of those things."

"You'll be okay," she said. "Anything else live down here?"

I thought for a minute. "Sahagins. Big things like turtles, only they walk on two feet like us and have a bad attitude. They stay hidden most of the time, though, so hopefully we won't run into any. Pretty tough in a fight, too, from what I've heard."

She took my shoulder. "So are we, Jessie. Don't forget that."

"You are," I chuckled. "I'm just trying to keep up."

"You're doing better than you think," she smirked. "After all, it's not every girl that can hold her own against monsters and Shinra soldiers. So don't go selling yourself short."

I winked as we got moving again. "Guess you're right. Who am I to argue with the badass barmaid of Sector 7?"

We shared a good laugh at that as we made our way down another tunnel. We were over halfway home, and it wasn't long before we came to an open area with a big canal and a narrow bridge stretching over it. Easy enough to cross, though, and soon we were on the far side, Sector 5 safely behind us. So far, so good.

"Well, here we are," I said. "The Sector 6 sewers. More of the same, really. Just gotta keep going 'till we hit the trunk line. Then, soon as we cross that, we'll be in Sector 7."

"Sure we won't get lost?" Tifa wondered.

I shook my head. "We're heading in the right direction. Nothing to worry about! And if in doubt, just follow your nose! The air's probably fresher the closer we get to the outside."

"Good to know," she said.

"Think we should try to find a way outta here and make the rest of the trip home on the surface?" I asked.

Tifa thought about it. "No. If those Shinra soldiers are still looking for us up there, the last thing we want is to lead them back to Sector 7. Better to finish the trip down here."

"Got it," I agreed. "Let's go on and do that, then."

We hurried forward, making our way further through the maze of tunnels and chambers that lay sprawled out underneath the slums. The smells of sewage and muck still hung in the air, and drain pipes opened along the walls every so often, slick with moisture. As we went along, I made sure to keep us well away from the corridors that ran below Wall Market. I didn't wanna have a reunion with Abzu, especially here on its home turf. That wouldn't go over well.

After about fifteen minutes, we had to stop again. We had come to a dead end, a larger room with no other tunnels leading away from it. I looked around, but the only other way out was a wide channel cutting across the floor. It led into another passageway to our right, and it was filled with murky brown water.

"Well, this is a problem…" I sighed.

Tifa knelt next to the edge. "It's not deep. If we follow this, we may be able to find a way to get to the trunk line."

I joined her. "You could be right, Tifa. It's worth a try."

There was a ladder nearby, probably for workers when the channel wasn't filled, and we used it to descend into the swirling, dirty water. It was fairly warm and went up to our waists. The smell was worse down here, but I did my best to ignore it. Tifa went first as we made our way up the channel and into the darkened passageway. We could still see as we went in, dim light from the room at the far end guiding us along. It wasn't the most pleasant trip, though.

"Ugh!" I said, waving my hand in front of my face. "First thing I'm gonna do when we get back is take a nice, long, hot bath. Maybe two. If Biggs were here, he'd probably freak out."

Tifa chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure he would, Jessie. You know how he is. And as for me, I'm heading straight into the shower. I think this is one mission neither of us is ever gonna forget."

I laughed. "You got that right!"

"I guess we can't really get on Marlene for jumping in mud puddles anymore, either," she snickered.

"Nope!" I giggled. "Not after this mess."

Tifa smirked at me over her shoulder. "And I'm not gonna forget it was your idea to come down here, either."

I grinned. "Hey, I got us out of a jam, didn't I?"

"Can't deny that," she said.

"I'll always have your back, Tifa," I winked, pointing at her.

She gave me a thumbs up. "You too, Jessie."

We emerged in the next room just a few minutes later. The channel widened into a large pool, and there was another ladder along the edge on the left side. Another tunnel led further onward from a doorway on the wall behind it. Looked like we were in the home stretch. The trunk line wasn't much further. And once we crossed it and got into Sector 7, we could start looking for a way out.

Tifa climbed up the ladder first, and I was just about to follow her when I noticed ripples swirling near me in the water. We were close to the mouth of the channel where it widened into the pool itself, and for a moment, I just stood there and watched.

"Everything alright?" Tifa asked as she reached the top.

I shrugged. "I think so. Just watching the current. I felt it ever since we got in. Seems stronger here, though."

Curious, I waded into the pool a little bit to check it out. The floor sloped downward quickly, and the water got a lot deeper. It went nearly up to my shoulders after only a few steps. The ladder was close enough that I wasn't worried, though, and I did know how to swim. As I stood there and watched the ripples, I decided it was definitely gonna be two baths when I got home. Maybe three. And I'd have to give my clothes a good wash, too. It was very smelly in here.

"You coming?" Tifa asked.

I started to head back. "Yeah. There's nothing he—"

Suddenly, a nest of slimy, reptilian arms grabbed me from behind. I shrieked as they pulled me backward and plunged me completely into the water amidst a jumble of hissing and croaking. Dark forms were all around me, clawing at me and pulling me down. My lungs burned as I fought to free myself and reach the surface.

The sahagins were too strong, though, and I felt myself weakening as they dragged me toward the depths. Everything started to fade away like a dream that was almost over. Eventually, I stopped struggling, and my gaze locked on the surface that I couldn't hope to reach. Everything started getting dark, and my thoughts jumbled together in a mush as I grew sleepy and my air finally ran out.

But then something splashed into the water, slim and familiar as it tore like a bolt of lightning through the sahagins. It threw them back in a blazing flurry of punches and kicks that the water barely slowed, then grabbed me and hauled me back to the surface. Before I knew it, I was out of the water and laying on my stomach on the stone tile floor above the channel, gasping in one sweet gulp of air after another as I coughed up water and realized I was still alive.

"Jessie!" Tifa called, kneeling next to me. "Are you okay!?"

It was moment before I could answer. "I… I think so. Had no idea those things… were in there."

I was soaked, we both were, water dripping off of us onto the floor, and I realized that Tifa had dove in after me and gotten me out. Slowly, I reached out and took her hand as my breathing finally steadied and I started to feel more like myself again. The worry didn't leave Tifa's face for a second, but she didn't let go, either.

"Can you walk?" she asked. "We'd better get moving. The sahagins might decide to come after us."

I chuckled and nodded as I slowly got to my hands and knees. "I'll manage, Tifa. I'm the guide, after all. You'd be lost without me! So don't you worry. I'll get us home."

Tifa helped me stand. "Then let's go."

But before we could take a step, the water suddenly erupted behind us as the sahagins leaped out of it. Tifa and I whirled around to see six of them jumping toward us, their razor-sharp tridents grasped in their hands. We backed away as they landed, Tifa to the left as I went right. I quickly drew my gun and hoped that the water hadn't clogged it up as I took aim at the nearest of the turtle monsters.

Tifa knocked one right out of the air with a hard roundhouse kick, then sent another one flying with a quick chain of punches that ended with a brutal uppercut. At the same time, I fired at my target and hit it, but the bullets just sparked off the sahagin's tough shell as it charged at me and thrust its trident toward my heart.

"Shit!" I swore as I dove aside.

Dodging its next attack, I fired again, this time at the thing's head. It croaked and fell when the bullets hit it, dead before it hit the ground. But another sahagin struck me across the chest before I could get away, slamming the side of its trident against my armored vest and knocking me flat on my back onto the floor. Then it jumped up above me with a hissing yell and dove straight down, its trident aimed right at me. I had only a split second to act, so I shot it in the head several times as quick I could and then rolled out of the way.

The monster crashed onto the spot where I'd been laying. It was as dead as the first one I'd killed as I got back up and looked around. Only two of the sahagins left, and Tifa had them both pretty well handled. A blinding shower of punches and kicks took one of them down a second later. As the last one fell back under her relentless assault, I didn't think I'd even get a hit in on it before the fight was over.

But then, four more sahagins suddenly sprang from the water, each with their weapons ready. I took aim again, but when I tried to fire, all I got was a hollow clicking. I tried shooting them again, but still no joy. Two of the monsters turned toward me as I kept fumbling with my gun and struggled desperately to get it working. Seemed like the water had gotten to it after all. I shook it, but once again, it didn't work, and I was out of time. Two of the sahagins came after me.

Quickly slipping my gun back into my belt, I brought up my fists. I didn't have the training Tifa did, but I could throw a few punches. As I braced myself for the attack, I saw one of the other sahagins reach back with its arm as it got ready to hurl its trident straight at Tifa. She hadn't seen it yet, though, as busy as she was with fighting the other monsters. And then the trident was flying toward her.

My jaw dropped. "Tifa, look out!"

I was already moving, ignoring the sahagins who'd been closing in on me, and ran right for her. Tifa's eyes widened as she saw me coming, and just a split second later, I was there, shoving her back and sending her sprawling onto the floor out of harm's way. I turned just in time to gasp and cry out as the trident punched its way into my stomach, pain exploding inside me like nothing I'd ever known.

"Jessie!" Tifa yelled.

The trident's three prongs were buried in my abdomen, just below the bottom of my armored vest. I staggered back, my own eyes wide as they rose up to meet the cold gaze of the sahagin ahead of me. When it got close enough, it tore the trident out of me with a single, rough pull that made me scream in agony. Then my legs just gave way underneath me, and I collapsed, falling to the floor, my hand clutching my stomach as I lay helplessly on my back.

The sahagin walked over and raised its trident over its head, ready to stab me through the heart this time and finish the job. Tough as my armor was, I knew it couldn't possibly stop a thrust like that. The tines were too long and too sharp, glistening with my blood, and the sahagin was just too strong. Its arm started to move.

But the blow never landed.

I heard an angry roar, and then Tifa was there, slamming the thing with one ferocious punch after another. She shattered the sahagin's jaw with one blow and crushed its skull with another, kicking it away from me with a devastating somersault. She kept on fighting as I lay there on the floor, wet and bleeding, and soon she had killed or driven back the rest of the monsters. I was barely aware of it, though, hurting like I was and leaking like a sieve. Pain was all I knew.

Tifa was back just seconds later, kneeling next to me and pressing a fresh cloth against my abdomen, her hand over mine. "Here, hold onto this. Can you move at all? We need to hurry."

"I'll try," I winced.

With her help, I slowly sat up, my face coated with sweat. Then she gently pulled me to my feet. They were unsteady as I tried to stand, but Tifa was already there, draping my free arm around her shoulders and sliding hers around my waist to support me. My legs felt all wobbly as I leaned on her, but I managed to stay upright.

"That's it," Tifa encouraged me as we started moving. "You're doing fine, Jessie. Just hold onto me, alright? I'm going to get you out of here as fast as I can. That's a promise."

I gave her a shaky smile. "Gonna… hold you to that."

She smirked as we hurried into the tunnel. "You'd better! And stay awake, you hear? You're still our guide."

"Right," I nodded, my breathing heavy. "A little… stick in the gut… by some turtle with an attitude… isn't gonna do me in. Still, I… I knew we should've… held onto that potion."

"I've got plenty more at home," Tifa said.

I knew that. "Yeah… we're not that far away now…"

Suddenly, there was more splashing behind us, and we turned for a moment to see more sahagins jumping out of the water, tridents ready. I obviously wasn't in any shape to fight, and there were at least a dozen of the monsters, too many for Tifa to handle alone. They were coming toward us, and fast. Then I had an idea.

"Tifa!" I told her. "Grenade… in my belt pouch. Grab it and toss it! Hurry! Before they get too close…"

She did as I told her, using her free hand to open up my belt pouch and take out a raspberry. Then, still holding me, she pulled out the pin with her teeth and let fly as we ran down the tunnel. Well, Tifa ran, and I just stumbled along with her as the raspberry went off behind us only seconds later. Thunder filled our ears along with the terrified gurglings of the sahagins before they were abruptly cut off.

It was quiet once the dust had settled, and we moved on. Each step was an effort, every one of them more difficult than the last, and soon I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. But Tifa kept talking to me, asking me for directions and doing whatever she could to keep me awake. Even so, I knew shock was setting in, and before long, the cloth I held over my stomach was soaked and dark red.

"I-Is it me, or did it get a bit c-colder in here?" I murmured. "Feels l-like the inside of your fridge, T-Tifa."

I was vaguely aware of her worried gaze as she looked at me. "Hold on, Jessie. We're almost there. Now tell me, which way? This corridor's led us to an intersection. Right or left?"

I tried to think, but my mind was all fuzzy. "I… right, I think. Or is it left? Sorry, it's just… so hard to concentrate."

"It's okay," Tifa assured me. "Just try. Stay with me."

With every bit of willpower I could manage, I focused my jumbled thoughts. "Right, Tifa. Definitely right."

We moved on, but as we went and the bleeding continued, I had to fight every second to keep my mind alert. I felt dizzy, light-headed, and weak, and I couldn't stop shivering. But somehow I kept moving, a step at a time, one stumbling foot in front of the other. Tifa was always with me, and she kept me going, constantly urging me not to give up. And I didn't intend to. I was gonna live.

"You can do this," she told me. "Keep going, okay? Can you tell me where we are now? It's a room with another big canal and a bridge in it. Like when we left Sector 5."

I saw it, alright. "T-T-Trunk line, Tifa. We cross this a-and we're in S-S-Sector 7. Almost h-home."

She nodded. "Alright, Jessie. Let's go."

"Right here… w-with you," I said, my teeth chattering. "I g-guess I should've stayed away f-from that p-p-pool, huh? A-Always was w-way too c-c-curious for my own g-good."

Tifa brushed it off as we started across the bridge. "Let's not worry about that now. What's important is that we get you home. It's bed rest for you for at least a week. No arguing."

"Y-Yes, Mother," I quipped.

"You always have a joke, don't you?" she chuckled.

I managed a weak laugh. "K-Keeps my spirits up. Yours t-t-too, I'm guessing. W-We've… m-made it this f-far, right? Remind me to… t-tell you the one a-about the… t-tonberry and the ch-ch-chocobo. Y-You'll laugh your a-a-ass off, Tifa."

"Tell me when you're feeling better," she smiled.

I definitely would. "S-Sure thing. Probably for the b-best. I f-feel so out of it I'd m-mess up the p-p-punchline."

Tifa smirked. "You could still pull it off, Jessie."

"Thanks for the v-vote of confidence," I laughed as we made it over to the far side of the canal. "B-But I think I'll wait 'till my m-mind's not so s-swimmy, if it's a-all the same t-to you."

She guided us toward the next tunnel. "Sure thing. So… Sector 7 at last. Now we just need to find a ladder, right?"

I tried to think. "Yeah… but be c-careful, though."

"Some of them aren't safe?" Tifa asked.

"W-Well, if I… if I remember right… a f-f-few lead smack into the middle of the T-Train Graveyard," I answered. "D-Definitely not where we w-wanna go. So stay to the l-left, Tifa."

She nodded. "Left. We'll skip the ghosts this time."

I laughed at that even though it hurt. "G-Good one, Tifa. You're… not so b-bad yourself… you know."

"Learned from the best," she chuckled.

We went on, making our way through the winding maze of tunnels and corridors under Sector 7. I was stumbling more, and I only stayed on my feet because Tifa was holding me up. My head drooped forward, and it was all I could do to keep the blackness from overtaking me. But it was getting closer. So tired… I felt like taking a nice, long nap. There was nothing like a good snooze. And my bed was so comfy. I'd found a really soft set of linens to go on it. So sleepy…

"Jessie! Wake up!"

My eyes flew open. "Huh? W-What happened?"

"You passed out for a minute there," Tifa said. "Scared me to death. I thought I'd lost you, Jessie."

"I'm… still kickin'…" I assured her.

She flashed me a wry grin. "Better be. You saved my life back there, you know. When the sahagin threw that trident. You took the blow for me. And I'm not gonna forget it. Thank you."

"T-Told ya I'd have your b-b-back," I smiled. "Besides, you s-saved me too. D-Dove in after me when those things… p-p-pulled me under. Isn't that what s-sisters are supposed to d-do?"

"It sure is," Tifa agreed.

I pointed. "L-Look, Tifa! Our t-ticket outta here!"

"I see it," she said. "Come on!"

It was an iron ladder, damp with moisture and attached to the wall at the far end of the tunnel we were in, and it rose all the way up to the surface. We hurried over there—well, actually, Tifa pretty much carried me the whole way—and soon we were looking up at our exit from this smelly, dangerous place. I sagged weakly against Tifa and tried to see if the manhole cover was still there, but my mind was trying to run away from me again and I couldn't focus.

I tried to shake it off. "Is it… is it c-clear?"

"The cover's still in place, but don't worry. I can get it off," Tifa told me. "Can you climb the ladder?"

"You bet…" I smirked. "It'd be s-silly to get this far and n-not make it across the f-finish line. I-I'll be… r-right behind you, T-Tifa. D-Don't worry about m-me. I'll k-keep up."

After I had taken hold of the ladder, she carefully let go of me and started to climb. But as I moved to follow her, letting go of my stomach to grip the rungs with both hands, I glanced back the way we'd come. A thin trail of blood ran back down the tunnel, and drops of it were likely all along the route we'd taken to get here from the sahagins' lair. I didn't want to think about how much I'd lost. As I held onto the ladder, Tifa's voice came down to me, urging me onward.

"You can do it, Jessie," she said. "I know it hurts, but you're strong. Take it one rung at a time and you'll be fine."

I did as she said, gritting my teeth against the pain as I climbed up the ladder. Every unsteady step was a monumental effort, and I felt the blood still leaking out of me as I moved. I had to rest with every rung I reached, but I never did stop. Tifa kept encouraging me, and I clung to her voice as if was the only thing keeping me awake and alive. Maybe it was. By the time I finally caught up to her, I was totally exhausted. But I held on while she pushed the cover off.

"Did… d-did we make it?" I asked, panting.

She climbed outside and then turned around and reached down to help me. "Yeah! We're home, Jessie."

I took her outstretched hand. "Awesome…"

Tifa pulled me out, and then I was laying flat on the ground on my back, gazing up at the underside of the plate and the pillar rising up to meet it. Looked like we were on the road right in front of the complex. Tifa and I were both still wet, and I was clutching my stomach again as I heard her dialing on her phone.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't go any further. I just didn't have the strength to move. Fog filled my mind, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. After what might've been a minute or ten, I heard another voice. Two, actually. Familiar, but my thoughts were so muddled that I couldn't remember who they were.

I felt someone holding my head up, and then something thick and gross was going down my throat. A healing potion, by the taste of it. As I swallowed it, I felt the pain recede a bit, and my mind cleared enough that I could finally make out what the voices were saying and who they were. My friends. I listened as my eyes closed, but I didn't fall away just yet. I wasn't quite ready to sleep, even though I knew I was safe. For the moment, I just wanted to hear them.

"Hand me those bandages, Biggs. Let's get her bound up," Tifa said. "Then we can move her."

I heard him next. "Right, Tifa. Here you go. Those bastards cut her pretty bad. It's a miracle she made it this far. Scares the hell outta me to see her like this. Will she pull through?"

She sighed. "Jessie's lost a lot of blood. It's still too early to say. But I think if we can keep a close watch on her through the night and get her wounds treated, she'll have a chance."

"She'll make it," a gruff voice said. It was Barret. "Don't worry 'bout that. Jessie ain't goin' down easy. She's tough. Let's jus' get her on home so she can rest. Wedge's got everythin' ready."

Then I felt a pair of big, strong arms pick me up and carry me only a moment later. I could tell from the feel of the hard metal barrel under my legs that it was Barret. His good arm was wrapped around my waist as he moved. My eyes were still closed, and I didn't have the energy left to open them anymore. But I managed to murmur a few words to him just before I finally passed out.

"Finished the mission, Barret…" I breathed.

"I know, Jessie," he said. "Did me proud. You gonna be awright, ya hear? We've gotcha covered. So you jus' go on an' rest for awhile an' let us handle everythin'. You earned it."

I intended to do just that. But first, as sleep finally closed in on me and my head sank against his chest, I whispered to him one more time. "Thanks… for believing in me…"

"Always did, girl," he replied. "Always did…"

Content now, I let myself rest.