Author's Note: Sorry about forgetting one of these in the last chapter...I'm just learning how to upload and edit these things from . ^^ I've written many fanfictions, however this is the first that has managed to get itself onto here, so I hope you enjoy it. I know that it seems that I have repeated "Sanctuary" from the first chapter, but actually I'm just carrying the song over from where I left off. There are about two more chapters that will be added very soon. Constructive critisism is greatly welcomed, but please no flames. Again--enjoy! :D

In you and I

There's a new land

My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah

Where fears and lies melt away

Tifa set the phone back down against the receiver for several moments.

Why did Cloud want to come home early? He only ever did that when he wasn't feeling well—and it took a lot to make him that sick. What was so important that he needed to come home now?

Or...perhaps it wasn't needed.

The barmaid smiled. Maybe he was finally beginning to realize that a break was necessary every once in a while. Maybe he figured out that the kids wanted him home.

Maybe he figured out that she wanted him home.

What's left of me?

What's left of me, now?

He might have just forgotten something. He was probably going to be gone again by tomorrow afternoon.

Tifa frowned.

Sure—he had been coming home on regular days a bit earlier than before the geostigma; but the long delivery trips were the same as they had been. And that was what bothered her the most. It was what bothered Denzel and Marlene more than anything, too.

"...Tifa?"

The young woman turned to see the small girl standing behind the corner of the landing. Her long braid had been unraveled and fell down to her back in a messy nest; telling Tifa that she had previously been sleeping. "...Yes?"

"Was that Cloud?"

Denzel's head popped out above hers, his own brown hair bunched and frizzed. His large, hopeful brown eyes waited patiently for an answer.

She knew that if she told them that he was coming home, they would get their hopes up—only to have them crushed when they discovered him gone again by mid-day. Nonetheless, she wasn't about to lie to them. Besides, Cloud was the only person that would be calling that late anyways. Hesitantly, she nodded.

Denzel grinned. "Is he okay?"

Tifa nodded again. She pushed a smile onto her face. "...He's coming home soon."

The young boy jumped out from behind Marlene and his smile grew even larger. "Can we stay up until he gets here?"

"It's already late, Denzel. And he won't be home for a little while."

"Where is he?"

Tifa leaned against the counter uncomfortably and let out a sigh. "Kalm."

Marlene folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "That's far away. Did he lie to us?"

"No, no," Tifa laughed lightly, more to herself than to the children. "Cloud's taking a shortcut."

"How long is it going to take for him to get here?"

If he even comes back, Tifa shrugged slightly. "...A few hours."

The two kids looked at one another.

"...Do you wanna wait, Marlene?"

The girl lowered her head, her frown deepening.

"It's okay if you don't," Denzel smiled and took her by the hand. "We can just wait until morning to see him"

Marlene looked up at Tifa. "...Goodnight, Tifa."

Tifa outstretched her arms in front of her. The children wrapped their own arms around her waist. She placed soft kisses on the tops of their heads, holding them tightly to her. "Love you, guys."

The two replied in unison. "Love you, too."

Tifa watched as the two young children trudged back up the stairs, still hand-in-hand. She eventually turned to the window and looked up into the night sky. The moon, the stars...

She knew that he was looking at the same sky, too.