Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII

A/N: Last chapter. Sorry for errors. Thank you reviewers! Enjoy!

Once, when she was young, after her mother had died, her father told her as if he were sharing a secret that tears were the best form of medicine.

"Will it get better?" Tifa asked, lying down and picking at the tattered fabric covering her while watching a woman across the street cry hysterically over a man that had been shot just moments before. Her long raven hair fell across her eye, obscuring the scene. She didn't pull it back.

The man across from her sighed and adjusted his beanie, looking down to pick a scab at his knuckle. His eyes, though covered with dirt and sweat, always had a glossy shine to them, a tale of the years he'd suffered. "Can't be no harder. Worl' is dyin' and people's is sufferin'... Nah, can't be no harder…"

Sometimes she missed the broken speech of her then-savior. Marv was a man of many thoughts, most unspoken. She truly did miss him. In present, she was determined to have Reeve build a proper home for those less fortunate, in honor of her dear friend.

Her thoughts came to a halt when the door opened, and a disheveled Cloud walked in, tracking mud through the bar as he made his way toward her. "Hey," He said quietly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Hey." She greeted, smiling brightly as she stacked the last chair. "Your dinner's in the oven. Sit."

He sat on the stool and dug into his meal when she placed it in front of him. "You're filthy." She noted, eyes roaming his figure.

Cloud nodded, swallowing before answering. "Monsters on my way back from Kalm." He finished his dinner, and the two made their way upstairs.

She was sitting in front of her vanity, brushing her now damp locks as Cloud sat on the edge of the bed, watching her. She'd let it grown out even more, the length falling just above her hips. "Is something wrong, Cloud?" She asked, seeing his intense gaze on her, with a hint of emotion she couldn't decipher. Ice blue met claret and she licked her lips at the swirls of emotions in them.

"Tifa," He began, sounding unsure. "I… Reeve told me you're helping with a new homeless shelter."

Tifa's brow furrowed. Surely he couldn't be upset about that. Was it because she hadn't mentioned it to him? "Yes, I am. I've saved up some gil on the side, Cloud, if that's why you're upset."

He shook his head as she placed her brush down, turning fully to him. "I just… why?"

"Why what?" She asked, genuinely confused. "Why help him?"

"Why a homeless shelter?" His eyes searched hers and she suddenly felt the room get a little heavier. He couldn't possibly know her reasoning… she'd done her best to conceal that part of her… it was too shameful to admit the things she'd done; the things she'd considered…

She looked away, the blue too much for her, and tried to sound nonchalant. "A homeless shelter is what Midgar needs, Cloud. At least while reconstruction is still happening."

Tifa risked a glance and felt a kick to her chest when she saw a flicker of hurt flash across his face. His voice was low and held just a hint of pleading. "You know, I'm here to talk to, Tifa."

She felt her throat close up and glared at her knuckles. He knew. He knew. "You know."

She heard him sigh and saw him shake his head. "Only what Barret told me."

Pursing her lips, Tifa felt her brow twitch in irritation. Of course Barret told him. It wasn't a big deal, being homeless… It shouldn't be something she was ashamed of, most everyone these days dealt with poverty in some form or another. Besides, she had invaded Cloud's mind before, seeing his most hidden secrets. Why was she so reluctant to open up to him about this? That's right, it wasn't because of her homelessness; it was because of her actions during her homelessness. "I…"

She looked up when he place his hand on her knee, and felt her heart clench at his usually unreadable eyes so expressive. "I'm sorry. If it bothers you, you don't need to tell."

She clenched her fists, disgusted with herself; her hypocrisy. She was always telling Cloud to open up, to communicate with her about his feelings, his problems; yet, now, when he was here, open and willing to, she hides. He was trying. He was trying so hard.

He made to stand when her hand snapped to the wrist of the hand on her knee, keeping him from moving. It was silent for a few moments before she could get her voice together. "Please don't judge me."

Cloud started. He would never judge her. Moving his hands up he cupped her face, swallowing when her ruby eyes shined with unshed tears. "I would never." He told her honestly, wiping the tears away when they finally fell at his words.

She sighed shakily and re-gathered her voice, playing the words in her head to make her explanation short. "I was living on the streets for two years." She told him, avoiding the eye contact he was determined to have. She couldn't see him when she admitted her sins. "I wasn't like I am today… I- I was angry and lost and alone…"

Cloud had such patience, she thought wryly as she gathered her thoughts. "I met a few people, they were my friends… but, they were killed and that only made me angrier." Tifa closed her eyes, thinking back to the night the red had taken over and started again, shakily. "I killed someone." She choked out, "For no reason other than trying to touch me… It wasn't something I wasn't used to. Every night I'd defend myself, but that time… that time I was just so angry after that Turk killed Trixie…"

Cloud noticed when Tifa's eyes reopened that they had a far off look and he knew she wasn't talking to him anymore. "I snapped, killing him in a most violent way. I'd never do something like that, I'd promised myself I wouldn't be like them…" Her eyes gained their focus again and locked with his, and Cloud felt a knife through his gut at the pain in her eyes. He recognized it within himself only months before. "I was seventeen, Cloud!" She cried, shaken by her memories. "Seventeen! I killed him with my bare hands for no reason! He could've had children. A family…"

He clutched her hand in his, shaken by her emotion, her guilt. She didn't deserve to feel this way. Not Tifa. "You were surviving." He told her sternly.

"No, I wasn't." She admitted quietly. "I was angry. At the Planet. At ShinRa. At myself… At that time, I wasn't a good person."

"Tifa," He tried protesting. Was this how she had felt during the time he'd buried himself deep in his memories of guilt and depression? He could only now realize the pain she must have suffered because sitting there and hearing these things pour out of her heart literally pained him.

"Please, Cloud." She shook her head, feeling only a bit lighter at getting these things out. "I even considered prostitution…" She admitted, feeling his hand tighten around hers painfully and watching as his jaw locked and eyes hardened. "I was so hungry and tired." She tried explaining, "Trixie had offered a place for me with her pimp and for a brief moment I actually considered it. I- I'm not proud of this, Cloud." She whispered.

He felt himself tear at her confession. If Tifa had considered something like that, he couldn't imagine what it had been like for her.

She lowered her eyes in shame. "Please don't judge me." She repeated, dismally.

"Tifa," His voice was heavy. "Look at me."

She didn't, but wasn't surprised when calloused fingers gripped her chin lightly and aligned her vision to his. "Tifa," She was waiting for the disgust and the disbelief… but there was none. Only tenderness and understanding. "I would never." His voice firm yet soft all at once.

Tifa moved forward then, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face into his neck, letting herself mourn for her lost innocence, youth and fallen friends.

Gradually, the tears stopped but she still clutched onto Cloud. "Thank you." She whispered into his neck.

He ran his hand through her hair and pressed his lips against her hair. "Everyone has a past, Tifa." He spoke lowly against her crown. "I love you. All of you."

"Will it get better?" She whispered, running her fingers through his spikes.

He lowered his face to hers and his breath tickled her skin. "I promise you, Tifa, it will."

And as she felt Cloud's lips lower onto hers, she knew then that it would. Cloud would help her. Like she was there for him, he would be there for her.

The wounds would heal. And so would she.

Big thanks to Pookyilicious, cloudlover2989, and sana-chan9 for being so wonderful and just so amazing. You guys totally rock! *hugs* Hope you all liked it! :)