-1Memories. They have a way of getting away from you.

Cloud and Marlene sat across from each other in Clouds small, dark home. He couldn't believe how much Little Marlene had changed. She went off and got herself grown up quick, or at least Cloud thought so. Not the confused child he had known all those years ago - no. This was a young woman now. A beautiful young woman to boot. Her long, reddish-brown hair softly framed her sharp-featured, intelligent looking face. She was so tall now… even taller than Cloud himself (by just a bit). His gaze shifted from her face to her gear. She had pulled off her protective sand clothing to reveal a tough looking outfit. It was a full-body suit, made from a heavy cream colored cloth and some sort of dark red leather. She wore a small holster on the inside of her right ankle, which housed a long blade. Another holster at her waist held a smaller dagger. Cloud looked straight into her eyes.

"Some sort of an anti-shinra resistance, I'm guessing."

It was the first words he really spoke since she revealed herself. His voice was low, and a bit frightening to Marlene. She didn't know whether to answer him or not. He hadn't really said it in a questioning manner. His silence afterwards told her otherwise.

"Yea." She finally spit out. Oh, screw it. This is Cloud! I don't have to hide anything from him! She thought. "Yea, Cloud! That's right! I'm all grown up, and now I'm with the resistance!" Her face went a little red immediately after she said the words. She thought her voice sounded like a childes. Like she was saying "Look mommy! Look how big I got! I'm a grown'd up!"

Cloud stared at her for another moment before dryly saying

"You look the part."

She stared back at him and wondered how stable he really was. He had aged, and not well. He was only in his forties, but could easily make his way into a sixties-only bar. If such a bar existed.

Mako. She thought. All that mako exposure probably messed him up somehow. She looked at him, staring at her with those cold blue eyes, that had seemed to lose their pigment. She shifted in her seat. He made her uncomfortable. Trying to break the tension, she grinned slightly and cockily said

"You should see me with my gunarm."

Clouds face, for the first time, changed. She thought maybe he was going to smile, but instead he just took a long, deep breath.

Memories. They had a way of finding you again.

"Like father, like daughter, I guess." He said, staring at the ceiling. She had enough of this little game.

"Look, Cloud I-

"I'm not joining any resistance Marlene." He cut her off, abruptly sitting up in his chair and looking at her. She was a bit surprised.

"I-

"I'm sorry. And I know, that doesn't mean much, but it's all I can give ya' kid." He said, his voice never leaving its steady low tone.

She stared at him, her brow frowned in concentration. Her eyes narrowed as she began to shake her head.

"When did you stop carrying?" Her voice was quiet, yet passionate.

"A long time ago."

"Why!?" She noticed she was yelling at him now, but she didn't care. "You owe me this Cloud! You owe my dad! You owe-

"That's when." He suddenly said, cutting into her shouting. She stopped and looked at him. "I stopped carrying when the world thought I owed myself to them. I don't."

Marlene bit her lip, suddenly fighting back tears. And for the second time, Cloud had made her feel like a child again. He nodded his head.

"That's when." He repeated.

Without another word, Marlene stood up and threw her desert robe back on. She yanked her hood from the table, spinning around and heading for the door. Cloud silently watched her go. Just before she was at the door that led back into the sand storm (which she wasn't even sure she could finer her way out of) she turned around to face him.

"They've got Tifa."

She watched him closely. At first, it looked like he was going to say something right away, but he stopped. Then his eyes just dreamily faded off into nothing. She waited a moment longer, then she spit air out of her nose in frustration, and spun around to face the desert.

"Marlene, wait."

She did.

Memories. They could make you feel good. Make you feel alive again. Make you feel like there's still something worth fighting for.

"Whose got Tifa?"

Marlene smiled.