Important note for the story: I'm falling behind on some other writing assignments I have agreed, in one way or another, to do. I love writing this fanfiction, but I'm going to have to cut updates down to once every two weeks since I am unable to keep up with this and everything else. Yes, I will still update, just with a little more time between.

Tifa and Cloud stood by Shelke in front of the wreckage.

"Oh, Cloud," Tifa felt tears rising to overwhelm her. This was her home. "How are we going to fix this?"

Cloud didn't physically wrap her in a hug to comfort her and brush away her concerns, but the strength and surety in his voice had the same effect in this moment, "We'll start over. We've done it before; we can do it again. Besides, it's not that bad…" He eyed the back of the building a bit doubtfully, but he was right. Only the back half of Seventh Heaven had burned before helping hands smothered the fire. Cloud glanced at Shelke. She stood mutely beside them. "And no one knows why the fire started?" Cloud asked once more, just to be sure.

Shelke shook her head. "I was just coming back and the place was on fire. It's just a guess, but I think someone intentionally started it. I mean, it barely reached the stock for the bar, but it burned most of the living space." Which was why Denzel and Marlene were still at the Gold Saucer with Barret.

"You think someone was trying to get to us?" Kill us? Tifa's voice asked.

"There're probably plenty of people bitter about what AVALANCHE did in the past." Cloud contemplated quietly. "If that's it, then the fire isn't really surprising."

"But it's an unconfirmed speculation. I'd like to figure out just who did it, but there's no way of really knowing," Shelke frowned. "Best to focus on the problems we can solve."

Cloud nodded. "Rebuilding." His stomach sank. He knew little about building houses, and though Cid had offered to help, he knew more about mechanics then woodwork. Tifa could lift a beam, and Cloud could find just about any needed materials in the giant junkyard they called Midgar, and Shelke could run the bar from the front to keep money coming in. What they needed, however, was someone to tell them where to put what.

Perhaps the planet felt for them. Or maybe it hated Cloud more than he thought. Either way, a somber figure strode up from behind and stood beside them, his scarlet hair unnaturally bright in the afternoon sunlight.

"Heard what happened," Johnny finally said.

Tifa gave an audible sigh. They stood silent for another moment. With not-too-forced cheerfulness, Tifa smiled, "Well, we won't get anywhere if we keep standing around dilly-dallying." With that she placed her fists on her hips. A little deflated, she added, "But where to start?"

"Salvaging belongings?" Shelke suggested. "I've done a little digging around, and even though there isn't too much left, there is some."

"Alright." Tifa approved. "We can start with that."

Johnny stopped her as she started to move toward the charcoal mess. "Um, not to interfere or anything, but I know a little construction work. I built my own place, and I used to help with construction work in Sector 2. If you gals want to get started pulling out anything worth saving, Strife and I can start figuring out how to rebuild."

The gratitude shining on Tifa's face blocked out the sun. "That would be great, Johnny. I really appreciate it." The emotion dimmed a little as practicality and guilt kicked in. "But if I'm keeping you from something else you need to do-"

Johnny waved a hand. "S'no problem. I'd love to help."

Tifa smiled gratefully and Shelke followed suit as they approached the remains of the back half of Seventh Heaven.

Johnny looked at Cloud and stuck out a hand. "You've done deliveries for me before, but I don't think we've officially met. I'm Johnny, owner of Johnny's Heaven."

Cloud glanced at Johnny's hand, pausing only a moment before shaking it briefly. "Cloud."

Johnny grinned at the girls picking their way around fallen, blackened roofing. "Not to be cheery when your guys' place is half demolished, but this'll be fun."

Six hours later, the sun had peeked above the horizon in a faded rosy glow to bid the busy group goodnight. Tifa lay on the porch with her legs lying limp on the steps. Cloud and Johnny sat tiredly on either side of her. Inside Shelke pulled out a few bedding supplies she had wheedled for free from the WRO – thanks to their connections to Reeve.

"Thanks for your help today, Johnny," Tifa groaned.

Johnny beamed in the pale twilight. "Sure thing, and I'll be back tomorrow to help out with the start of some actual construction. Planning, salvaging, and clearing away debris is only half the job."

Tifa half sat up then, groaning once, lowered her shoulders to the porch once more. "Don't let me keep you from your work. We all have to make a living."

Johnny leaned back, bracing himself with one hand, so he could see her face. "Let me tell you something, Tifa. I don't really care about being away from the job, but the way you keep goin' on about imposing on me, you'll guilt me into working at my place. I get that you care, but there's a time you have to stop taking care of others and let others help you."

Tifa opened her mouth to respond, but instead she just smiled and muttered a thanks. A slight smile lifted her lips as she closed her weary eyelids.

"No prob," Johnny grinned and leaned forward, bringing his elbows to rest on his knees. "So, Cloud."

"Hm?" Cloud drew his gaze away from the sky where pinpricks of light were beginning to light up the darkening sky.

"I was thinking that I could help the girls move the last of the framework while you start digging up what we need from the Midgar ruins. That way once the place is cleaned out we can get started on rebuilding as soon as possible."

Cloud glanced toward the trashed city. Denzel would be sorry he missed helping out. Denzel mentioned once that he and a group of kids used to dig out scrap parts for a living. "Just tell me what you need." He paused a moment before asking, "Do you really think it's possible to rebuild? With the fire damage and water damage…"

Johnny glanced at the bar behind them. "Well, looking at it, I don't think the water used to put out the fire got into anything still standing. So we can check off water damage on our list of things to worry about. As for fire damage, I definitely think it's possible. It's gonna take time and a lot of work, but I've had experience. We can do it." Firmly, Johnny clenched a fist. "We have to. For Tifa."

Cloud looked at him for a moment, suddenly realizing Johnny's depth of commitment to helping Tifa. Johnny caught him looking and they stared at each other for a second before a soft moan drew their attention. Looking down, they realized Tifa had fallen asleep.

Cloud glanced toward the door and back down at Tifa. Gently he nudged her, trying to rouse her enough that they could get her inside where she could maybe sleep more comfortably.

"Aw, let her sleep," Johnny protested. "It's been a long day."

Cloud made a decision then. He slid a hand under Tifa's back and got an arm under her knees. He lifted her slowly as he stood to avoid waking her further. "Hold the door," Cloud commanded, and Johnny jumped up.

As Cloud laid Tifa on the only bench their bar had, Tifa blinked awake slightly and drowsily asked, "Cloud? Wh-what are you doing?"

"You fell asleep," Cloud answered. To Cloud's back, Johnny waved his goodnight and strutted out the door, his step only slightly lagging from weariness.

"Oh," Tifa smiled, a bit embarrassed but too tired to blush. "Thanks, I suppose." Shelke brought over a blanket and a pillow. Tifa pulled the blanket over her shoulders and settled her head on the pillow, not knowing Shelke only had managed to get two from Headquarters.

Cloud began to move away to get settled on the floor near the door with a single blanket as a bare comfort. Tifa grabbed for Cloud's arm and missed, but Cloud stopped anyway.

"Could you…" Tifa frowned and blinked hard to wake herself enough to speak coherently. "Could you sit with me a while?"

Cloud glanced over to Shelke who was tossing the remaining pillow toward Cloud's bedding. "One second." Tifa nodded and closed her eyes, missing Cloud as he quietly urged Shelke to take advantage of his kindness.

"It's not worth arguing over," Shelke protested. "You are going to do most of the heavy lifting tomorrow, you need what you can get."

Cloud shook his head. "You're right. It doesn't matter. Just take it for tonight; tomorrow I'm going to grab what supplies I have at the church and I'll bring them over. Then we'll have more to go around."

Shelke conceded and took the squishy, flat pillow back. Cloud turned to Tifa thinking she had fallen asleep waiting, but as he approached she opened her eyes. Sitting on the floor beside the bench, Cloud propped one knee up and rested his elbow on it. He didn't expect Tifa to say anything, but after a moment she sadly confided, "I've been thinking a lot about the fire, about everything we've lost. I don't really think there was anything important in the house, but it still makes me sad." She looked at Cloud, drawing his gaze toward her and away from a blank space on the floor by his boot. "Did you…lose anything important?"

Cloud stared back at Tifa. "No, I don't think so," he began slowly as he brought his eyes to rest on the floor again. "Everything important to me is either already gone or," he paused, looking into her luscious chestnut eyes, "right here…with me."

Tifa smiled warmly and closed her eyes. Cloud stayed with her till the soft, deep pattern of her breath indicated she had fallen asleep.

It was still early to sleep, but after a hard morning of running from their camp in the Junon plains to Edge and then moving the half burned remains of the building, even Cloud felt sore and ready to lie in bed and never get up. He grabbed the last blanket and settled on the floor.

Johnny was right. No matter the damage to the building, they had to fix it. For Tifa.

"But, Denzel!"

Marlene's childish voice whined over Denzel's groans of protest.

"Denzel, please?" She jumped on the bed beside him and continued bouncing the mattress till he pried his eyes open.

"I told you already, I'm tired. I don't wanna play Hide-and-Go-Seek."

She formed a moue with her lips and pouted, "But you've been sleeping for hours already." She bounced the bed again. "Daddy says you have to babysit me, so come on, let's play!"

Denzel inwardly complained. Normally playing with Marlene was not a big deal, but after dragging his numb feet around North Corel, cramming the information into a three page rough draft research paper, seeing Tifa and Cloud off at the station, and trying to sleep off his exhaustion from a few days ago, he was still not ready to be up and active.

Not that he could get much sleep with Marlene jumping on his bed. He could yell at her like he'd seen some kids do to their younger siblings occasionally. He could ignore her or even put on a show of seniority to command her to leave him alone. But Denzel wasn't that kind of person. The ideas only touched his mind lightly before he threw them away. No, he was the type of person to get up when he was tired and to play a game he had never liked much to begin with, all for the sake of his little sister's happiness.

But he didn't want her to think she had her foot in the door with him, so Denzel compromised.

"Okay, okay," He moved his arm from over his eyes and sat up, one hand out placatingly so Marlene would stop moving around. "I'll play with you, but only for twenty minutes."

Marlene beamed, disregarding the condition to Denzel's agreement. "Yay! I'll hide and you can find me."

As much as Marlene mimicked the adults in manner and speech, she was still just a child.

Denzel leaned back onto the bed. "Just remember what Barret said."

"I know," Marlene said impatiently. "I'll stay in the room. Now start counting."

Denzel closed his eyes and began, "One Foulander, two Foulander, three Foulander…"

Denzel had reached forty when Marlene's muffled words suddenly interrupted the roll of his voice. "Denzel? What's that?"

Denzel frowned and opened his eyelids. Looking around, he couldn't spot Marlene. Wherever she had gone, she had been smart about it.

"Where are you?" he asked, wondering if this was part of her version of Hide-and-Go-Seek.

"Under Daddy's bed."

Denzel peeped into the small space. "What is it?"

Marlene's finger pointed to the floor. Confused, Denzel shook his head and lowered himself onto his stomach so he could slide into the cramped space. Feeling around with his hand, he realized what Marlene had found.

"Come on, Marlene," he scooted backward to get out, "We've got to move the bed."

"Why?" she crawled out carefully.

"I want a better look."

Together they pushed Barret's queen bed far enough toward the door that they had clear access to the loosely boarded up hole in the floor. There were enough boards loose and moveable that a small child could fit through them into the darkness below.

"What's down there?" Marlene kneeled beside Denzel.

Denzel squinted into the darkness. "I don't know."

As he examined it, Marlene burst out, "It's like my fortune said!"

Denzel raised an eyebrow.

"Remember?" she pressed. "I had that paper from the fortune teller, and it said to avoid dark places. This is what it was talking about!"

Denzel shook his head with a smile. "Nah, it's just a funny coincidence. They say broad things like that so you think it's a real fortune when really some things just are."

Unconvinced, Marlene scooted back on her shins till she was a full foot from the edge of the hole.

Denzel almost laughed. "It's not a real fortune. Look," he straightened his back and lifted his shoulders, "I'll prove to you that it's not a real fortune. I'll go down and see what's there."

"But what if there're monsters at the bottom!" Marlene paled. "Or you get hurt, or you can't get up, or-"

"Then you'll get help," Denzel said. In honesty, he was a bit frightened of the endless blackness himself, but he did want to do something new. Being at a place made of entertainment, he had learned, could get boring after some time. He craved a real adventure. "It'll be fine; you'll see." Putting his legs in first, Denzel sat on the edge of the hole. "If you don't hear from me in thirty seconds you have permission to go get help."

Marlene stared at him in terror. "Denzel, don–"

But he had disappeared.

After a few frightening seconds, Marlene crawled cautiously toward the dark hole in the floor. Placing her hands on either side of it, she leaned down and called, "Denzel? Denzel! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

She stayed frozen in that position, afraid of the silence, but Denzel's voice echoed up to her.

"I'm alright. It's a pipe so I just slid all the way down. Neat, huh? Boy, is it hot down here, though!" His voice faded as he moved away from his end of the "slide".

Still scared, Marlene leaned further down to let him hear her voice more clearly. "Denzel, I'm going to get Daddy." But as she tried to pull herself back up, her hand slipped from the grip she had on the floor and she slid headfirst into the blinding heat.

Any guesses about where they are?

If you are interested: In regard to how long this fanfiction is going to be…? I never even meant to post the first chapter! I just had an idea, thought the first part sounded good, and stuck it up here for y'all to read. That said, I do have an outline for this story. I'm never good at judging space or time so I can't exactly say how many chapters are left. I'm not trying to drag it out. No, I'm actually working on bringing things together now even though it doesn't yet seem like it. So…your guess is no better than mine in regards to how long this will be. I'll say this, though: I'd be surprised if it crossed twenty chapters.

-Dante