The startled regulars fled out of the bar, giving Barret a wide berth and then pushing past James as they ran out. Barret stuck his head out, and called to James.

'You can come in now.'

James pushed open the door of the bar as Barret went outside to watch the drunks that he had chased out. At the bar, there was a young woman in her early twenties, and a small white girl that had suddenly appeared from behind the woman. She hesitated slightly, and then ran over to him, crying 'Papa!'. She stopped in her tracks when she realised that she had seen the wrong person, and then ran back and cowered behind the woman.

'Marlene!' reprimanded the woman. 'Aren't you going to say anything to James?' She turned to him. 'Anyway, it's nice to see you again James. Seems like everything went well. Have you fought with Barret yet?'

James shook his head, and the woman beamed at him.

'That's good. I remember you used to get into fights at the drop of a hat when we were little,' she giggled.

James just shrugged, and then produced the rose that he had bought from the flower girl earlier. Feeling uneasy, and also slightly embarrassed, he handed it over to the woman.

'You don't often see flowers in the slums,' she casually remarked. James physically put it in her hand.

'Amy, it's for you.'

'Oh...you shouldn't have,' replied the woman called Amy, feeling slightly embarrassed.

'It was no big deal,' said James.

'Thank you. Maybe I should fill the bar with flowers,' she mused to herself.

The doors to the bar swung open again, and Barret walked in. The same little girl that had almost attached herself to James' legs earlier went flying at him, clamping onto his leg, whilst shrieking 'Papa, you're home!' Barret reached down and stroked the girl's head, smiling. He straightened up and looked at Amy.

'How did it go?' she asked.

'Great,' replied Barret. He turned to the rest of AVALANCHE, who were sitting, enjoying a drink. 'Get in here. you fools! We're startin' the meetin'!'

Biggs, Wedge and Jessie all leapt out of their seats and made their way over to the pinball machine that Barret was standing near to. James watched as they lined up in front of it, and Biggs gave the machine a heavy smack. like a lift, the pinball machine, and the small section of the floor that the three were standing in lowered, into the AVALANCHE headquarters. A second later, it came up again. James made his way over to it and were lowered into the headquarters with Amy and Barret. They all had their places taken, Barret in the far corner, with Biggs trying to shake him for something. Barret was doing his best to ignore Biggs, but James could tell that he was getting more annoyed with each second. He called James over.

'James...there's somethin' I wanna ask you. Were...were there anyone from SOLDIER fightin' us today?'

'None at all, I swear.'

'You sound pretty sure,' stated Barret coolly.

'Put it this way, if there were, you wouldn't be standing here right now,' replied James sharply.

'Don't think you're so bad jus' 'cause you were in Shinra,' Barret kindly said, casting Biggs a dangerous look.

James did not know how to reply, and chose not to. Barret failed to notice as Biggs got more vigorous, and ended up getting a punch from Barret, which practically threw him across the headquarters. Marlene had suddenly appeared and was cheering on her father for decking Biggs.

'Yeah, you are pretty strong,' said Barret, staring at James. 'Probably all you guys in SOLDIER are.'

Barret pointed a finger at James, as though he had said something wrong.

'But you better remember that you're working ' for AVALANCHE now, an' I don't want you gettin' no ideas 'bout hangin' onto Shinra,' he icily told James.

'Stayin' with Shinra?' spat James. He started to go over to Barret. 'Where the hell did you get that idea from? You asked me a question, and I answered it! And now, I'm going upstairs.'

James stopped right in front of Barret, and was not impressed to discover that the AVALANCHE leader towered over him. James had to stand on his toes to get even close to being near Barret's height.

'I want to talk about my money.'

Barret started guffawing to himself, as James made his way back to the pinball machine lift. Amy came dashing over to him.

'Wait!' she cried, grabbing a hold of his arm.

James tried to shake her off, but she would not let go.

'Let go of him,' ordered Barret. 'It looks like our friend here still misses the darling Shinra.'

James, fuming, tried to make his way over to Barret again, with Amy restraining him.

'Shut up!' he yelled. 'I don't give a goddamn about Shinra or SOLDIER!' He felt Amy's grasp on his arm loosen slightly. He turned to her. 'But don't get me wrong, please.'

'What?' she asked.

'Don't think that I care about AVALANCHE or the planet, either!' he added, directing his final comment to Barret, who started to pummel a nearby punching bag, to take his mind off his anger.

James stormed off to the pinball machine, not realising that Amy was still on his tail. He was just about to leave the premises, when Amy called out to him.

'Don't go, please. Join us.'

'Sorry...'

'Please. This planet is dying. Slowly, yes, but it is dying. Somebody needs to do something.'

'Well then let Barret and that lot do something. It doesn't involve me.'

Amy let out an offended sigh. James turned back to look at her.

'So! You really are leaving! You're just going to go out of that door, and completely turn your back on your childhood friend?'

James seemed completely dumbfounded. He bowed his head and apologised. At this, Amy's manner softened.

'You forgot the promise, too,' she told him.

'...Promise?'

'You did forget, then. Remember...it was about seven years ago...The well. Remember that?'

James nodded.

'I remember now. I was thinking that you were never going to arrive. I was starting to get cold.'

A younger James was sitting on the edge of a well, his legs dangling. Occasionally he raised his head, to see if he could spot Amy somewhere. After a few more minutes, there was a tap on his shoulder.

'I'm sorry I'm late,' Amy told him. James jumped down off the well and stood up in front of her. 'What did you want to talk to me about?'

'Later this year, like about springtime, I'm leaving here. I'm going to go to Midgar,' James said bluntly.

Amy sighed.

'All the boys are leaving this town,' she complained.

'I'm different to all that lot!' he exclaimed, his enthusiasm almost palpable. 'I'm going to join SOLDIER, and I'm going to be the best there is! Just like Sephiroth!'

'The Great Sephiroth...' whispered Amy. 'But it's meant to be really difficult to join SOLDIER.'

'I guess I won't be coming back here for a while.' Amy was looking thoughtfully at him. 'What?'

'If you do well, you'll be in the papers, won't you?'

'...Might be. Why?'

'Promise me something,' Amy said, starting to get embarrassed. 'If you become really, really famous, and I ever get into a bind...come save me?'

'What?'

'Oh, you know what I mean, James! If I'm in trouble, then my hero will come along and save me. I want to be able to experience that at least once. Do you understand what I mean now?' James was still hesitating. 'Come on, promise me! Please?'

'Okay, okay, I promise.'

'Surely now you remember?' prodded Amy. 'After all, you got what you wanted, and joined SOLDIER. So...you've gotta keep your promise!'

'But Amy...I'm not famous. And I'm not a hero, either. So...I'm sorry, but I can't keep it.'

James turned his back to Amy, and started to make his way to the door again, when Barret came up from the hideout.

'Now wait just a minute, Big Shot! A promise is a promise!'

The ex-SOLDIER stared at Barret. He had been listening into his and Amy's conversation? He watched Barret suspiciously, as he dug into his pocket and pulled put a wad of notes. He threw the wad at James.

'This is my pay? Oh please, don't make me laugh!' scoffed James.

'What?' asked Amy. 'Does this mean...?'

'Have you got the next mission lined up?' demanded James, ''cause if you have, I'll do it for three thousand gil.'

Barret's expression turned to stunned, and he started to resemble a choked chicken. Amy noticed this and grabbed him by his arm, pulling him away out of James' earshot, and whispered furiously at him.

'Come on, we're really struggling for help!' she hissed at him.

'But...that money's meant to be for Marlene's schoolin!' he muttered back.

Amy fixed him with a stony glare. Barret sighed and turned to James.

'Two thousand!'

'Deal.'

Amy gave James a big smile.

'Thanks.'