Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII. Why disclaim it again? I feel like it, and I have nothing really to say before we get started so…

Tifa woke when darkness still begged her to close her eyelids and sleep again. At first, she didn't know what had waken her up, but a few moments passed and the sound returned.

"…nuh-no…lea-ve…me…duh…don't…" A sharp breath accompanied the pleas.

Tifa sat up in her borrowed bed, alarmed and throwing her gaze around the room wildly, wondering who she needed to save from nightmares tonight. Night terrors frequented Denzel's sleep. He still shivered at the horrors of his past and often cried out in the night when a dream twisted everything good into an endless nightmare. Marlene too suffered the occasional dark dream. Normally they haunted her after a particularly trying day when Barret was away. Between the two children, Tifa had many days she ended up sleeping all the way through after a late night of bar-tending and then acting as a mother to the children in the night. Now, with someone crying out in desperation, Tifa's motherly instincts screamed for her to do something.

But even before she located the source of the sound, she somehow knew.

"Oh, Cloud…" she breathed. He writhed on the frail cot. His breath passed in short hyperventilating spurts as though he were running from something…or trying not to cry.

Honestly, Tifa knew about his nightmares. Cloud hid it very well from the others, but she knew he struggled. Cloud's bouts of depression had decreased in frequency and intensity, but the last ten – eleven? – years of his life could not be simply blinked away. Cloud had made improvements. He had even so much as smiled genuinely at her a few weeks ago without prompting. She had been too overjoyed to ask for a reason behind his happiness and too afraid to shake that gentle, tentative, but sincere smile.

But as Tifa watched him now, she froze. She knew he came down hard on himself for letting his weaknesses show, so she hesitated on taking action.

"No…I…"

"Cloud," she began at a whisper.

"No!" Cloud's eyes snapped open suddenly, revealing a panicked look fixed on the ceiling. His breathing cut off with a shuddering exhale. He lay still for a moment as his mind seemed to process where he was and the terror dissolved in relief.

Cloud sat up slowly, dragging his legs from under the heavy blanket covering him and placing his feet on the cold hardwood floor. Tifa mimicked him cautiously so that across the other sleeping forms, they faced one another. He didn't react to her motion – hardly seemed to notice her at all. That worried her a bit.

"You okay?" she whispered across the darkness separating them. Cloud just breathed for a moment, the flecks of mako in his eyes highlighting his stare with a faint green glow. Slowly he brought his hands to his face and sighed heavily. A tremor shivered through his body. He inhaled a half-sobbed breath before breathing out slowly, if a bit shakily.

"Cloud?" Tifa motioned as if to get up and go to him, but, perceiving her motion, he shook his head in refusal of her comfort. With great effort, he dragged his palms down his face, letting his fingertips cup around his nose and mouth momentarily while he steadied his breathing. He was acutely aware of Tifa's concerned gaze analyzing his tiniest movements.

After a second's pause, Cloud pulled himself from the squeaky cot and muttered, "I just need a minute," as he passed the end of her bed. The cool sea breeze charged in as Cloud cracked open the front door and slipped out. Tifa contemplated going after him, but Cloud was not the same broken person he had been years ago. Certainly he still struggled, but his problems no longer defined him. He was strong enough to fight his battles now; he just needed a minute sometimes to remind himself of that.

The next night came swiftly, too fast for Cloud's liking and not soon enough for everyone else. The boat from Junon to Costa del Sol allowed them to keep the borrowed truck to travel in, and they had driven several hours on the west continent now. The little group camped at the base of the mountain pass to North Corel. Monsters appeared at their own risk, and though not many appeared Marlene grew nervous due to the close-call events of yesterday.

Barret took matters into his own hands, and, instead of comforting his daughter, he challenged, "You're a Wallace, righ'?"

Marlene looked at her fearsome father in the campfire light. She meekly nodded.

"Then you got enough bravery to outlast the whole lot 'o monsters out there."

She gave a timorous, minute smile, not comforted in the least. Barret observed and motioned her to come closer. "C'mere."

She obeyed, but as soon as she was within her father's reach, he scooped her up and began to tickle her mercilessly. Surprised, Marlene giggled at first, squealing with childlike joy, but soon her laughs made her stomach bounce and her sides ached. The fear had dissipated, and she no longer felt afraid. Barret paused a moment in his tickle-attack to grin at Denzel who had been laughing at Marlene's "misfortune". Barret gave a loud "Ha!" as Tifa's hands snuck behind Denzel and caught him off guard. Now Barret and Marlene roared at Denzel trying ineffectively to squirm away from Tifa as his involuntary laughter too pierced the air.

The sounds died down after a bit, but they all grinned at each other across the fireplace. Inevitably, all eyes wandered to the only member of their party who had not joined in the festivities. Cloud had cracked a small smile twice during the event, but shadows of last night's nightmare lingered in his eyes. Tifa saw Cloud's apprehension about going to sleep tonight and her mind began devising a way to jolt him out of his gloominess.

"He's brooding again," Tifa whispered to Marlene. Winking at Denzel, she made sure to speak loud enough Cloud could hear her, "You know, I seem to recall something his mother told me once about him. What was it…?" She trailed off mischievously. "Oh, that's right!" She grinned. "Cloud's actually very ticklish if you find the right spot under his arms."

Cloud stiffened slightly as Tifa smirked self-satisfactorily. Denzel and Marlene only glanced at each other before simultaneously pouncing on the defenseless blond.

At first, Cloud resisted, not sure how to react to their giggles and wriggling hands. That is, he resisted till Marlene's small fingers wormed under his muscled arms. Then it was all over.

It began small, a slight snort since Cloud struggled to hold in the sound. Then he nearly bit his tongue trying to keep from laughing, but tears crept out of his eyes from the effort. At last, the first true row of unreserved laughter escaped his throat – a sound that, once triggered, can never be contained. Cloud laughed, truly laughed. The children pried their fingers under his arms and danced over his sides till the aching laughter forced him to lie on the ground, exhausted. Marlene and Denzel only stopped tickling when Tifa called them off to get into their makeshift sleeping bags.

In the dying light of the fire, Tifa smiled at Cloud panting on the ground. He was tired in a way he hadn't been in a long time. Tired from the joy of laughing, but not at all upset about it. Tifa saw him smile to himself as he stared at the sky. After a few minutes, the kids settling under their blankets behind her, Tifa tossed a blanket to Cloud and commanded, "Alright. Time for bed."

Cloud closed his eyes momentarily, the half folded fleece resting on his chest where it had landed. Grabbing the blanket, Cloud moved closer to the fire and settled on the ground near it, the traces of his smile still lingering on his lips.

Short, but undeniably fun to write. Next time…Yuffie! Yeah, actually I've never really written her before, but I've been doing okay with these guys, right? I can write her, no problem. And Johnny. I haven't forgotten he exists. ;)

Thanks for reading!

-Dante