oh, you guys are awesome! I thought my story hadn't updated or something until the reviews started coming in. Peeka-chan I adore you! Yum - details in your reviews they make me happy. Cloti22 you review for every chapter and I love following you through them because its like hearing it all again for the first time. And Horky I am so flattered and delighted you're following my story. Yeah, Yuffie's timing's terrible but don't worry, I share the terrible timing out between a lot of the other characters ;)

and for everybody - just so you know - I update every single Sunday night. Three chapters on average. Will not fail short of devious sickness. I always write a couple chapters ahead so that I make sure if something comes up I can still update. Promise. I'm on the waiting end of enough stories myself that I know how it feels :D

Chapter 23: Siblings

The younger girl stamped her foot.

"You lost your cell phone again, didn't you, Cloud? I've been freaking out – massively! I mean, sure you disappear all the time but usually you answer your phone. And then I heard about the Mako reactor exploding and I just knew -!"

"Yuffie" his voice was soft but it interrupted her as completely as if he'd spoken louder. She went silent immediately but it didn't look like the kind of thing that would last long. Cloud untangled himself from where he was sitting with Tifa and stood up to walk over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm okay. See?"

She sniffed. And then hit him hard in the chest. And then threw her arms around him in a hug. He enclosed her in his arms tightly and let her bubble out all her accusations, most of them half-finished. Tifa sat on the mattress. And it occurred to her to wonder how the girl had gotten into the house and all the way up here without anyone coming with her. Maybe Aerith had remembered her from the convention but it wasn't like her friend not to give her a warning so she thought it wasn't Aerith.

"I thought they'd gotten you again" Yuffie's voice was muffled against Cloud's chest. Accusing and – terrified? "I thought they'd stuck you in another –"

"Yuffie" Cloud interrupted again and Tifa suddenly wondered if she was the reason he was stopping his sister. 'They' had 'gotten him'? Again? The defensive way he slept flickered in her memory.

"I'm fine," he repeated. "Nothing happened. I lost my phone."

Yuffie's face, just a little puffy, peered around him suddenly and her eyes focused on Tifa in accusation. But it wasn't hard accusation.

"You didn't answer your phone either."

"I broke mine" Tifa realized, as she said it, how blatant that sounded when put next to Cloud's lost phone. Yuffie sniffed.

"It's like no one can keep a phone," she muttered before taking Cloud's face in her small hands. He patiently let her tip it one way and then the other. She started to scowl.

"Your eyes are glowing again. You're stuffed with mako again, aren't you? Why do you let them do that to you?"

Cloud pulled back at that and his face shut down.

"I didn't let anyone." His quiet voice was flat. "I got caught in an explosion."

Yuffie's eyes went wide.

"You were at the reactor… I knew it! Cloud, you're not supposed to do that kind of thing without me!"

Tifa had been debating picking up the mugs and leaving so the siblings could have their privacy. Instead she found herself sitting very still and hoping they wouldn't remember she was in the room. Cloud didn't answer his sister's accusation. Just looked at her with an expressionless face. She stomped her foot again and was just opening her mouth to say something else when the door flew open and two men and a little boy burst into the room. Tifa gave Barrett, Leon, and Denzel a mild nod of welcome.

"Holy-!" Barrett jumped back at the sight of Yuffie and even Leon's head jerked back in surprise. Tipping Tifa off to the fact the girl obviously hadn't waltzed in the front door. Denzel looked curiously at her and then moved over to sit down next to Tifa. Protective – and it made Tifa smile as she wrapped an arm around him and ruined the effect. He snuggled in against her side anyway, despite that and his age. Claiming her as much as she was claiming him.

"You could have knocked," Leon stated as he looked at Yuffie. She drew herself up to her full very small stature.

"I don't knock," she informed him. "I had to see what was really going on first."

"You were expecting her?" Tifa asked Leon and he shrugged a shoulder.

"Suspected it. She emailed me. Said she'd tried calling you but couldn't get through. She emailed everyone we exchanged emails with from the convention to see if anyone had kept in touch with you and knew where to find you."

When Tifa looked at him, he gave her a return look.

"He's her brother. I figured if you were letting him" an impatient thumb jerk at Cloud, "know where you lived, you'd let her know too."

"Good thing too" Yuffie inserted. "Because no one seems to know how to borrow a cell phone around here."

"I was going to," Tifa protested. "From Barrett when he got home tonight."

The mentioned man folded his arms across his chest.

"Does this mean Blondie's going home?"

The thought, belated, hadn't even occurred to Tifa until it was mentioned and she felt her heart tighten painfully in her chest. She ducked her head, refusing to look at Cloud. Not wanting anyone to see what was probably in her eyes but especially not him. She didn't even know why she was surprised. Hadn't she just been thinking that he would leave soon?

"I'm not done here." Cloud's voice filled the sudden silence and Tifa did look up at him in surprise then. His eyes met hers. And then Yuffie was grabbing his arm and bouncing, looking ecstatic.

"We're staying?! If you're not done that means I can help this time, right?"

Cloud's eyes turned to focus on – and narrow at – his little sister and Tifa started breathing again. Against her side, she felt Denzel relax a little as well and it surprised her.

"Did he promise to teach you how to use his sword?" she murmured at him in suspicion.

"No" Denzel could fake indignation pretty well. Tifa gave him a look.

"A sword?"

"Maybe" he muttered back looking at her from under his bangs.

"So can I?" Yuffie was suddenly leaning down in front of Tifa, face bright and smile huge. Tifa blinked at her. "Stay here with you?" Yuffie supplied cheerfully. Silent, Tifa started to laugh.

"Why not?" she asked, raising a hand helplessly. "You can't possibly take up that much more room."

"Super!" Yuffie gave her an awkward but enthusiastic hug and then went bounding out of the room. "I'll go get my stuff!" Cloud exhaled a sound and followed her. Barrett glared down at Tifa, full disapproval on his face.

"My house, Barrett" she reminded him, raising a warning index finger. He scowled.

"Don't mean I gotta like it, girl" he told her and she gave him a look that was all but an apologetic shrug itself. When Barrett left, Leon unfolded from the doorway he'd been leaning against and walked over to go down on his heels in front of her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly and she exhaled and gave him a helpless smile.

"Yeah. I know it doesn't make any sense but I'm starting to like being a halfway house."

He thought it over and then his serious eyes met hers.

"How much do you want to know about what we're doing?"

It was a serious question with very serious repercussions and Tifa thought it over carefully. Fully aware of the little life tucked in against her side and listening with wide eyes. She pressed her lips together and finally nodded. Looked up to meet Leon's eyes.

"All of it" she answered. Ignorance was no excuse in Shinra's opinion as far as Tifa could tell and – "I want to be a part of what you're doing. I can't offer much – but you'll be safe here and a bar run by a woman and two kids isn't exactly a threatening place to anyone in power. I'll help where I can. But I want to know everything so I can protect my family."

He nodded. And then held out his hand with one of his shy smiles. Tifa took it in surprise and they shook.

"Welcome to the group" he told her.

"Us too?" Marlene apparently didn't catch the concept that listening at the door only worked if no one realized you were there. But Denzel had sat up straight and Tifa knew he was thinking the same question. Even if they weren't exactly sure what they were asking to join. Leon met her eyes and she exhaled.

"You too. Both of you" she answered. "But you're junior members. That means your job is to stay here and keep track of where everyone is and where they're going. You don't go out and do anything on your own until you're cleared by me and Leon." Which meant, as far as Tifa was concerned, no doing anything at all. But they'd accept the limitations easier if they thought there might be limitations on the limitations. "Otherwise – no go. You're only members if you can follow orders."

It was dangerous. But Shinra wouldn't care if little kids were a part of things or not, they'd treat them the same. And – perhaps even more – this was Denzel and Marlene's future they were all fighting for. In a way, it was more her siblings right to be a part of it than her own.

Leon was watching her and so were Denzel and Marlene, both of them looking very serious and intent as they listened to her words. Wanting something to fight for too. Tifa understood the feeling.

"Okay" Denzel nodded and Marlene nodded right after him, just as fierce.

"Right" she agreed and Tifa held out her hand so that they could lay theirs over it in their family tradition of marking a promise.

"The second you break those rules, you're out" Tifa warned and they both nodded again.

Maybe she was letting them do this too soon. Maybe they were too young. Marlene was only twelve, Denzel had just celebrated when they'd decided his birthday was, to be fourteen. She knew she'd regret this, that it would come back to haunt her. And yet she also knew she couldn't shelter them from it either. The world outside had a way of finding its way in.