Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII

A/N: Okay, this is mostly Cloud pov..sort of. Anyway, thank you to my reviewers and hope you enjoy!

It wasn't something of a surprise when Tifa told him to bring the Denzel home that day. Since their journey in Avalanche started, he'd noticed the things she did. Scarce gil she'd need later on given to the elderly woman with ratted clothes sifting through a trash can. Her bagel (the only food they'd had in a while) he'd bought her for the man on the side of the road collecting cans. The blanket she'd purchased for the man sleeping on the cardboard box.

He'd believed it all to be just the kind person she was. Generous, beautiful, caring Tifa. Nothing personal in her actions. It wasn't until a few months after his Geostigma cure that he'd begun to piece things together.

She eventually came to do a weekly night of free food for the hungry who couldn't afford to eat, but he'd put it off as the result of destroyed homes, now being reconstructed. Same for when she'd scolded the children for not separating their trash and leftovers as was her rule. It wasn't until Reeve approached him about what kind of building Tifa'd had in mind for his new homeless shelter that Cloud wondered if it all meant something.

As he was walking out of WRO headquarters he was surprised to see Barret making his way toward him and smirked. "Damn, you look like shit."

Covered in sweat and monster guts, Cloud knew he did. "Hello to you, too." He replied in a flat tone.

"Don't give me no sarcasm, boy!" Barret scratched the back of his head and looked away guiltily. "I uh… I can't come this weekend ta see Marlene."

Cloud crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow at the larger man causing him to scowl. "Don't give me no lip!"

"I'll let her know." Cloud told him, ready to walk away.

"Just uh.. Let her know I'll be there next week. Got it?"

As Cloud watched Barret get ready to walk away, he realized the man might know something about Tifa considering they'd been living together for a period of time. "Hey, Barret?"

"Hm?"

"Tifa asked Reeve to build a homeless shelter. She's saved up a good amount to put down apparently." Cloud watched suspiciously as Barret's face softened and his eyes got a far off look.

"Figures." Was his reply.

Now he knew Barret knew something he didn't. "What?" He asked, his eyes narrowing a fraction.

"Shit, Spiky." He grumbled, "Didn't she ever tell ya?"

Cloud had to force down a scowl from not knowing something about Tifa that Barret did. "Tell me what?"

Barret raised his eyebrow and rubbed his beard. "Surprised, really. Thought she woulda told ya…"

"Barret." The annoyance and impatience was there in his tone and Barret rolled his eyes.

"Tifa was homeless fer two years." Barret answered, eyes still holding that same far off look. "We found her sleepin' under the damn bar! Clothes all torn an' shit. All bones and starvin'." He let out a big sigh and folded his arms. "Poor thing... she held 'er own, though."

Cloud's stomach twisted in knots and his brows furrowed. Not once did he ever give thought to what happened to her in between those years. He'd only been concerned about himself, even when she fixed his memories, he'd only thought about himself. She had suffered for two years... and all this immediately after Nibelheim... how could he not have-

"You okay?"

He jerked back to the present where Barret was staring at him with a frown on his face. "I gotta go. You give Marlene my word that I'll be back, ya hear?"

Cloud nodded and mounted Fenrir. So Barret had found her? Living on the streets… in the slums! His grip tightened as he realized there were so many possible situations that could have happened and he didn't know about any of them. Simply because he'd been to careless to ask or think about her. What if…?

No. She'd made it by. She was safe now. It was years ago… but still…

With a clench of his jaw, Cloud was determined to get some answers. And he would get them.

Gives hugs and hershey's to: Cloudlover2989 and sana-chan9

I love you guys! ^_^