Feeling another wave of exhaustion sweep across his body, Cloud climbed the stairs slowly. Turning the corner, he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Deciding to ignore it, Cloud continued on his way to his room. A loud thud sounded in the hallway and Cloud spun round to face the living room. He was sure he heard rustling coming from inside.

Checking first to ensure Tifa's door was still shut, the blonde slowly made his way to the living room, hand on his Buster sword. From the doorway, he was able to make out the shape of a figure lying on the ground.

"Yuffie!" He rushed forward, dropping to her side.

The ninja stirred but didn't open her eyes. Cloud looked up at the sofa and saw the blanket. He reached for it and covered Yuffie. He went to lift her from the floor, when he was met with two bright eyes staring up at him. The blonde opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by a shrill cry emanating from the girl beneath him. Alarmed, he grabbed her arm. He saw the terror in her eyes and felt her squirming to get away.

"Yuffie! It's me: Cloud."

This only seemed to increase the ninja's fear, as she began flailing her arms wildly. Cloud released his grip and watched as she pushed herself over to the wall and continued shrieking loudly. The ceiling light suddenly came on and footsteps paused behind him.

"What's going on in here… Yuffie?" Tifa rushed over to the hysterical girl and took her into her arms. Yuffie immediately started screaming louder, beating her fists. Tifa grabbed her arms and looked the distraught girl in the face. The ninja was still crying out, trying desperately to escape.

"Yuffie, sweetie. It's Tifa. You're safe, I'm not going to hurt you," she spoke gently.

The ninja continued to struggle for a few seconds before recognition appeared to dawn on her features. "…T-Tifa…?" Her voice was just barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Yuffie, I'm here," she said softly, opening her arms.

Yuffie moved into the embrace, sobbing quietly. Tifa stroked her hair and kissed her crown. Standing, Cloud took a step towards them. He saw Tifa shake her head and he stopped. Go to bed. I'll be fine, she mouthed to him. He watched as Tifa covered the shivering girl with the blanket once again and resumed tenderly stroking her. Yuffie was still crying into her chest, shaking slightly. Cloud saw Tifa blink back a tear and felt his heart clench at the sight. He gave a last look to the women on the floor, before going straight to his room. Cloud was certain none of them would be getting much sleep that night.

Woken by the light streaming in through the window, Yuffie gradually opened her eyes. She felt movement above her and looked up to see Tifa fast asleep. The ninja smiled at the sight of the barmaid resting peacefully. She tried to sit up, but felt a weight on the small of her back. Realising it was Tifa's hand, Yuffie gently removed it and eased out of her lap. She sat for a while, watching the martial artist sleep. I guess we were too tired to go to bed last night. She stretched and stood up.

Yuffie made her way down the stairs as quietly as she could; Tifa had very sensitive hearing and she didn't want to wake her. She met Cloud in the kitchen, drinking his coffee.

"Morning!"

"Uh, morning." He watched the ninja carefully as she began preparing to make breakfast. "Yuffie?"

The young woman turned to look at him with a big smile. "Yes?"

"Is everything…okay?" He frowned.

"Well…" She glanced to the side before meeting his gaze. "…we're out of cheese." She flashed him a teethy grin and returned to cracking the eggs.

Cloud stared at her back and sighed. She seemed to be acting as if nothing had happened. Was last night a dream? I was exhausted, but Tifa was there…

He rose from the chair and Yuffie turned to face him. "You're leaving? Ah Cloud, you'll miss my world famous Wutaianese No Cheese Omelettes!" Cloud couldn't help but smile at this.

"Sorry Yuffie. Maybe another time," he said, looking at his watch. "I have to get going. I'll be home early."

Yuffie's expression was unreadable as she returned to the stove. "'Kay. See you later."

He stood for a moment, watching as she hummed to herself while cooking. He moved into the bar and saw Tifa standing by the stairs.

"Hey." She gave him a weak smile.

"Hey," he echoed. "Tifa, last night I…" Cloud wasn't sure what to say.

Massaging her temple, she looked to the kitchen. "Let's talk about it later." Tifa looked like she had barely slept.

"Sure." He paused. "Bye Tifa."

"Have a good day," she replied, yawning.

Cloud made his way to the garage. Once outside, he checked his phone. Three missed calls. The blonde had a feeling he knew what his call log would read if he checked it: unknown. Since yesterday's interruption in the grove, Cloud had received two more calls from the unidentified number. Each time he answered there was silence, until he went to end the call and he would then hear the breathing. Cloud was certain now that it was not just a case of wrong number. He wondered who would be calling. Was someone messing with him?

He had yet to ask Tifa if she had given out his number, to anyone other than their friends, but now with Yuffie behaving so bizarrely: he didn't want to bother Tifa, with something that was probably nothing more than a stupid prank.

What is going on with Yuffie? The young ninja's behaviour had been unnerving; he had never seen Yuffie in such a state. He wondered if it was simply a bad dream, but the ninja seemed fully awake when she fought to get away from him. It's like she didn't know who I was. Cloud lay awake last night, replaying the scene over and over; trying to work out if there was something he could have done differently, that wouldn't have resulted in the hysterical girl weeping in Tifa's arms. He barely recognised her as the same woman who would willingly take on a man twice her size and win.

The blonde tried to push the unsettling thoughts aside and climbed onto his bike. He just hoped Tifa would be able to get the ninja to tell her what was wrong.

Cloud arrived ten minutes early for his last delivery. He parked his bike in front of the large steel door entrance to the warehouse. Retrieving the small packet from underneath the seat, he scanned the area. The place was deserted. Few people came to the outskirts of the city, as it had little to offer aside from storage facilities and scrap metal yards.

Since the dismantlement of Shinra's military installations, Junon had become a mix between a fishing quarter and a new business district. The polluted waters had been cleaned and sea life was thriving once again. Seafood restaurants, to suit all budgets, were scattered across the city and businessmen and women could often be seen queuing around the block, just to get their hands on the latest sashimi in season. New office buildings seemed constantly to be in construction. I guess there's a third option if being a delivery boy fails. Cloud looked up and saw a large red crane moving in the distance.

The blonde walked up to the door and pressed the grey buzzer. After a few seconds, a click sounded and the door automatically released, allowing him entry. Cloud opened the door further and stepped inside. The corridor before him was poorly lit, due in part to most of the light bulbs having blown and the lack of any windows. He walked to the end of the hallway and pushed the door. It opened into another corridor. The lighting was much better and he saw that there were numerous doors.

As he walked past, Cloud noticed that each one had markings printed in a script he didn't recognise. The lettering was different on each door and he wondered if the script indicated what the rooms were used for. None of the doors had any windows and they appeared to be made of iron.

Cloud continued on to the end of the corridor and opened the door on his left. It led to a longer hallway, ending in a large staircase. According to the note he was given, it would take him up to the sixth floor. Sighing, the delivery boy began his long ascent.

When he reached the second floor landing, Cloud heard voices coming from below. He moved closer to the wall, away from the handrail. Two men, he assumed were employees, sounded like they were having a argument; one of them had a strong Wutaianese accent.

"Look, just follow my lead next time!"

"Sorry guy, that's just not how I do things…"

"Oh, really?" The Wutaianese man paused, as if waiting for a response. "The way I see it, you don't actually do anything, apart from getting in the way."

"You looking for a fight, guy?" He replied angrily.

"I don't 'fight' children," the Wutaianese man retorted.

"You Wuta-"

"Ignore him," a female voice cut in. "He's just a clown who thinks he can run with the big boys, now he got his promotion." The woman moved closer to the Wutaianese man. "I'll make sure he keeps his nose clean, this time," she said, winking. She gave a shrill laugh before walking away and disappearing down the corridor Cloud had entered from.

He shook his head, staring after the woman. "Hm. So what does it take to…" He turned to the younger man.

"A lot of money," he said with a smirk. "You like? Well let me give you some free advice: don't touch. Avairas is trouble, with a capital T. Wanna keep your head? Stay out of her bed."

The men stood in silence for a moment.

"Anyway," he started, changing the subject. "Did you find out about the next job?"

"I got it covered guy, I'm not an idiot." He sounded irritated. "Just meet me at the same place: 9 o'clock."

"Right. What about the VRO?"

"The VRO?" He rolled his eyes. "You mean the WRO. Don't worry guy, somehow, I don't think they'll be a problem."

"Good. Well, we better get to this meeting."

"Way ahead of you guy," he said, holding open the door. "After you, sensei."

After he heard the door shut, Cloud moved to the railing and glanced down. Who are these people? Cloud didn't tend to ask many questions of his customers. He only stipulated that he wouldn't handle drugs or stolen goods. Turning his attention back to the stairs, he continued on his way up.

When he entered the sixth floor corridor, Cloud was feeling quite warm. He stopped and looked ahead. There were only three doors and the one on the right stood slightly ajar. He assumed this was the delivery destination and walked towards it. Before his hand touched the door, Cloud heard loud shouting coming from behind him. The sound of something slamming was then followed by quiet.

"What the hel…lo?" Cloud turned to see a stout, middle aged man staring at him. "Can I help you?"

"I have a delivery for a Mr. Hargreaves," he said, holding up the small packet. "I was given instructions to bring it to this floor."

"Yes, yes, I don't need your life story." He snatched the packet from Cloud and went back inside the room. The man returned moments later. "I think this should cover it. We'll be in touch."

Cloud looked at the money in his hand and blinked. It was twice the amount he quoted. Placing the money in his pocket, he took out his phone; there was no reception. If he left now, he would be home by 4. As he passed the door he heard the shouting from, Cloud thought he saw a face in the window. I must be tired.

Yuffie stood in the middle of the bar, watching the clock. It was two hours before they opened and Tifa was still resting. It wasn't like the barmaid to sleep during the day, but the ninja had seen how exhausted she was at breakfast. Tifa had barely kept up with the conversation. Last night was pretty tiring. Yuffie asked the martial artist how they ended up on the floor and Tifa's eyes had widened in shock. She fumbled for an explanation that the ninja hadn't fully comprehended. Yuffie wondered if she was embarrassed for some reason.

The last thing she remembered was listening to Tifa talk about her date with Cloud. Yuffie was sure Tifa hadn't told her the whole story. It wasn't long after the barmaid finished, that she fell asleep.

The young woman was almost certain that she wouldn't dream last night. However, almost as soon as she closed her eyes, Yuffie found herself back in the darkness. The ninja felt like she had walked for hours before hearing the voices. She hadn't understood what they said, but she noted the urgency in their tone. Apart from the sound of chains and maniacal laughter, Yuffie had only ever heard silence. When she heard the voices approaching, she had turned to go back, only to feel the solid mass behind her again.

Suddenly, there were hands on her and the ninja had screamed, struggling to break free. It wasn't until she heard the familiar sound, of Tifa's voice piercing through the darkness, that she relaxed; letting the soothing tone pacify her. Collapsing, the ninja felt herself enveloped in a comforting embrace. She felt the darkness fading away and she was then staring up at the gentle features of the barmaid. Yuffie had tried to speak, but felt Tifa shushing her, telling her to sleep and reassuring her she was safe.

Did that really happen? Yuffie assumed she had dreamt it all, but the memory of waking up on the martial artist's lap, seemed to suggest otherwise. Why had Tifa been holding her, comforting her? Yuffie's dreams of late had been so vivid, that she sometimes found herself unable to distinguish between them and reality. The ninja involuntarily shivered. If it wasn't being in that dark place, it was dreaming of her mother dying and feeling utterly powerless to help.

She wished she could just tell Tifa: how afraid she felt, how the thought of being in the dark terrified her, what happened that night…

"No. I can't." Yuffie wasn't going to give in. She was getting better. What happened at work was just a temporary setback; she would bounce back, like she always did.

The ninja looked up and saw Tifa standing by the doorway, watching her.

"You can't what?" Yuffie remained still as Tifa approached her. "Yuffie, tell me, please."

"What do you mean? There's nothing to tell. I was just…thinking aloud."

"About?"

"Stuff." She saw Tifa raise an eyebrow. "I-I mean, work. This new assignment…"

"Right." Yuffie could tell she wasn't buying it.

"Anyway, I better get started on today's menu." She turned to leave.

"Wait." The barmaid looked at the younger woman, pinning Yuffie with her gaze. "What happened last night-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"So you remember?"

"Remember what?" The ninja looked away.

"Yuffie, what's going on?"

"Nothing! I told you: it's just work stuff. I'm fi-"

"So you're still going to pretend everything is fine?"

"Preten- what? Tifa I don't need this, okay?" Yuffie was beginning to feel angry.

"I'm worried about you. You haven't been yourself lately," Tifa spoke quietly. "You scared me last night…"

"Tifa. I said I don't want to talk about it!"

"Yuffie-"

"Just drop it!"

Yuffie hurried past the martial artist and practically ran into the kitchen. She could feel herself shaking and she willed her body to cooperate as she began taking out the pots and pans. Yuffie heard the front door slam. She handled that badly and she knew it. Way to go Yuffie; shouting at your best friend and then running away…you're on a roll today. Yuffie wanted to go after her and apologise, but she knew Tifa would want an explanation. The ninja wasn't exactly sure what Tifa had seen, but she guessed it was enough to make her even more concerned about her.

As she watched the pancake begin to cook, Yuffie wished she could just erase the past two months from her mind.

Cloud walked into the bar and was greeted with the sight of two sullen looking brunettes. The taller of the two, was currently wiping down the counter; looking towards the door, but not appearing to have noticed his entrance. The younger woman, was serving a large order of food and drinks to a group of seniors, Cloud remembered seeing on the few times he arrived home at this time. The local senior citizen's bowls club had become regulars on Thursday afternoons and would often leave large tips. The blonde wondered if Yuffie would earn any tips, with the face she was giving the man she was currently serving.

He walked over to the barmaid and she finally noticed him smiling. He could tell she was still tired.

"You're back early."

"Yeah." He guessed that Yuffie hadn't relayed his message this morning. "I'm going to take a rest…" Cloud looked from Tifa to Yuffie. "Did something happen?"

"Hm?"

"I mean with Yuffie," he said, lowering his voice. He had a feeling Yuffie was watching them.

"Everything's fine, Cloud. Go get some sleep."

Cloud didn't argue. At the stairs, he turned just in time to see the two brunettes glance at each other and quickly look away. Women.

This is ridiculous. Yuffie had been avoiding eye contact with her for hours. Unless it was absolutely necessary, the ninja didn't say a word to her. The tension in the air was palpable. She knew storming out of the bar had been immature, but she hadn't expected Yuffie to start ignoring her. The martial artist knew that whatever Yuffie was dealing with was painful and she was trying to be sensitive, but seeing her so hysterical had made her more determined to get to the bottom of whatever this was.

Yuffie's behaviour had been worrying her for weeks. She clearly wasn't sleeping; her appetite was at a bare minimum and she just wasn't her normal carefree self. Tifa had considered calling Vincent to ask how Yuffie was at work, but with the two partners barely being civil to each other, she thought it probably wasn't a good idea. What happened between those two anyway?

Vincent had always tolerated Yuffie at best, but when they started working together at the WRO, they seemed to have become closer, in their own way. Tifa had been shocked, when Yuffie suddenly came home calling the gunman every name under the Sun. Yuffie told her that he was a 'snitch' and that had been the first time she heard the ninja call him: Saint Vincent. Tifa laughed at the image of Vincent's face when he heard Yuffie call him that. It was an improvement from 'Vampire Vinnie' and 'Vicious Vince'. Tifa suspected his new nickname irritated him more than his previous monikers, purely because Yuffie used his full name instead of shortening it.

The ninja had always said that 'Vincent' was too formal and old fashioned. She thought 'Vince' was more cutting edge and 'Vinnie' helped shed his tough man image and revealed a softer side of him. Yuffie had also suggested a change in wardrobe, since the vamp look wasn't in season and Halloween only came once a year. Tifa remembered stifling a giggle at the look on Vincent's face. He had looked directly at her, placed his glass on the bar, turned and left. Yuffie looked genuinely shocked that he'd left so abruptly. "The two of them are a double act." She remembered Reeve telling her. Hm…

"Uh, Gaia to Tifa," she said, waving her hand in front of the barmaid. "I wonder if she's daydreaming about Cloud again."

"Clou- what?"

"Ha. I thought that would get your attention." The ninja smirked. "The barrel needs changing."

"Oh right, sorry!" Tifa rushed into the back room. She returned minutes later with the new barrel. Yuffie stood for a moment watching her before the barmaid looked up. "It's 5:30, you should take a break."

The ninja nodded and went to sit at an empty table in the corner. Tifa watched as Yuffie played with her shirt sleeve whilst staring around the bar. She frowned. Isn't she going to eat something? Reading her mind, Yuffie got up suddenly and went to the kitchen. She was sure the ninja avoided looking in her direction as she walked past. Trying to push the thought aside, the barmaid focused her attention on wiping down the counter. She looked up as the door opened and she saw a familiar crowd stepping into the bar. It's gonna be a long night.

Yuffie didn't protest when Tifa asked her to handle the bar while she served the tables. Though they were apologetic following her episode on Monday, the workmen had been the last people she'd wanted to see in the bar. Yuffie was relieved when she saw that scarface was absent from their group. That creep.

The bar was quickly filling up and Tifa joined her behind the counter to lend her a hand.

"If you don't feel well…" Seeing the look on Yuffie's face, Tifa shut her mouth and turned her attention to the customer. "What can I get you sir?"

"Yuffie."

"Excuse me?" Tifa looked to said girl, puzzled.

"Abe." Yuffie smiled at the familiar face. "Scotch, on the rocks?"

"You know my poison," he returned her smile, handing her the change.

"I'll bring it right over."

Though she too had been serving a customer, Tifa couldn't help but watch the exchange. The barmaid couldn't recall seeing the man before, but Yuffie seemed to know him well enough to know his poison. When the rush died down, Tifa noticed that the ninja wasn't standing next to her. Scanning the room, she just made out her green shirt through the crowd. She appeared to be having a conversation with Abe.

"So you're really twenty?"

"Yes. I am."

"Still too young." Abe shook his head. "A bar's no place for a young lady. Too many rascals around." He looked over at the table in the far right corner of the bar.

Yuffie followed his line of sight and felt her stomach churn when she was met with a familiar pair of eyes staring at her. Her skin began to crawl as she watched him lick his lips. The ninja quickly looked over at the bar and saw the martial artist busy serving a long line of customers. When she glanced over at the large table, Yuffie saw the man talking to a brunette. When he went in for a hug, she was sure he winked at her. The ninja couldn't stop the memory of his hand on her from resurfacing, and she cringed. She momentarily closed her eyes, willing the panic to pass quickly.

"Yuffie?"

She jumped at the sound of her name. The ninja looked up at the face of the middle aged man sitting across from her.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Abe laughed. "I didn't mean to put you to sleep with my babbling." He glanced over at the bar. "I don't want to keep you."

"No, it's okay." Yuffie forced a smile. She didn't feel like going back behind the bar. "I was just…preoccupied." She looked at her hands.

"How long have you been working here?"

The ninja gave him an odd look. "Uh, well, I live here…" She saw the surprise on Abe's face. "We're family," she said, looking over at Tifa.

"I see." He was quiet for a while and Yuffie watched him take another gulp.

"You should still keep your eye out for those rascals. There sure seems to be a lot more around these days."

He's old fashioned. For some reason, this made her like him more.

"Is that so?"

"It is," he said, nodding. "I should know, I used to be one of 'em." He gave Yuffie a wink and she laughed.

"Well, I'll have to keep my wits about me then."

"Be sure to do that." He put down his empty glass, looking straight at her.

"Another?" She asked, indicating the glass.

Shaking his head, he replied: "I only came for one drink."

The ninja couldn't hide her disappointment and she reached for the glass. Yuffie wasn't sure why, but she felt comfortable in his presence. She rose slowly and saw Abe replacing his cap.

He stared at her for a moment. "I'm usually in the memorial gardens at lunch time," he said, standing. "You take care now Yuffie."

"Bye Abe."

Yuffie watched him leave. Was that an invitation? She turned towards the bar and saw Tifa watching her. Instead of looking away, the ninja gave her a weak smile. She still felt bad about earlier. Tifa was only worried about her. Sighing, she made her way back to the bar.

"Tifa," she glanced at the clock. "Break."

Before she could respond, she heard Cloud behind her. "Tifa, go. Yuffie and I can handle the bar. We'll close up tonight. Get some food, have a relaxing bath and sleep."

When the barmaid saw she was outnumbered, she removed her apron and moved to the kitchen. "Thanks," she called behind her.

Yuffie looked at Cloud and saw him giving her the same careful look he had that morning. "Something the matter, chocobo head?"

"Nope. How about you, ninja girl?"

"No."

They shared a quick smile and went to work. Cloud wasn't a half bad barman and though he lacked Tifa's skill, he made up for it with charm. There weren't many female patrons at 7th Heaven, however, the few that did visit, seemed forever enamoured of the blue eyed, spikey haired blonde. Yuffie could see why the women fawned over him. Having the man who fought Sephiroth twice and lived to tell the tale, in his own way, in your neighbourhood, was sure to attract some admirers. When she first met him, four years ago, Yuffie had found him quite attractive. His near constant brooding had been a slight turn off, and the ninja realised, that a certain well endowed barmaid already had her eye on him.

When she thought of the two, she often wished she could just knock their heads together and make them see what was right in front of them. They were obviously in love but seemed too blind, or too stupid, to realise the feelings they had for each other. Maybe I should just lock them in a room together… Yuffie thought of the story Tifa told her about their "…it wasn't a date." date. The ninja was certain if they'd kissed, the barmaid would have been too embarrassed to tell her, but she got the feeling that hadn't happened, yet. Glancing at Cloud, she made a decision: she would grill Tifa later, after she apologised.

Tifa lay in bed, camera in hand, looking through the photographs she took yesterday with Cloud. Though her camera was the latest model, it couldn't truly capture the beauty of the scene she witnessed. Stopping at one picture, Tifa zoomed in on the image and smiled. Mountain goats. The barmaid remembered her father telling her about his childhood; helping his father with their herd of goats.

Before Shinra took over, Nibelheim was a simple farming community. Her grandfather had always been proud of coming from a long line of Nibel Mountain farmers. He often berated her father for abandoning the family tradition and raising a daughter without any true sense of culture. Tifa remembered the countless times her father tried to explain that the world was different now and farming just wasn't sustainable anymore. Her grandfather didn't understand that the world had changed and the people moved on, her father had explained to her.

Tifa had enjoyed the time she spent with him; listening to his stories and learning about her father's escapades as a boy. As the years passed, her grandfather's health steadily declined and he died when she was twelve. Tifa wished she had paid more attention to his stories of how Nibelheim used to be.

A knock at the door brought her back to the present. "Yes?"

"Tifa."

The barmaid went to the door and opened it, revealing Cloud. "Hey. How was closing?"

"Fine. There wasn't any trouble." As if you'd tell me if there was. The martial artist stepped aside. Cloud walked in slowly and saw the camera on the bed. "So how'd they turn out?"

"Beautifully." She paused, looking at the blonde. "I think your promotional posters will be very eye catching," she said, trying not to laugh.

Cloud didn't take the bait and instead took a seat by her bed. Tifa watched him. He looked as if he was trying to find the right words.

"Cloud…?"

He looked up. "It's probably nothing, but I wanted to ask if you'd given my cell number out to anyone besides our friends."

"What do you mean?" Tifa thought for a moment. "I don't think so, no."

"You don't think so?"

"I mean, no. I haven't. I only gave it out to Yuffie, Vincent, Barret, Cid and Reeve," she counted on her hand. "Cloud, what's thi-"

"…and you're sure?"

"Yes."

"…"

"Well. Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"It's nothing."

"Clou-"

"So what happened between you and Yuffie?"

"Nothing," she said automatically. "We just…well… I don't know."

"You don't know? What about last night?"

"You tell me. I came in and she was screaming blue murder."

Cloud paused, recalling the previous night's events. "I came home…" He was sure he saw Tifa mouth 'late'. "…I came up the stairs and when I reached the corridor, I thought I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye. I was tired so I figured it was nothing. Then, I heard a loud noise, like something dropping and the sound of rustling."

"Rustling?" Cloud nodded.

"I thought maybe someone broke in, so I went to the living room to catch them. When I got there, I saw Yuffie lying on the floor. She was still, so I thought she'd knocked herself out or something. I went to go check on her and grabbed the blanket to cover her. When I tried to lift her, she opened her eyes and started screaming." Cloud saw Tifa looking at him with a worried expression.

"It…caught me off guard and I held her arm, telling her it was me, but it looked like it frightened her more and she started struggling to get away. I let go and she moved over to the wall and then…"

"…I came in," she finished. "I heard the shrieking and I thought, at first, that it was coming from a distance. Then it got louder and I realised it was Yuffie." She felt the bed depress, as Cloud sat next to her.

"When I went to her and she started fighting to get away…" The barmaid tried to hold back her tears. "It's like she didn't recognise me. After I heard her say my name and she collapsed in my arms shaking, it nearly broke my heart Cloud. Seeing her like that… I didn't know what to do." Tears were now flowing freely down Tifa's cheeks and Cloud held her hand.

"All night she was in my arms. Sometimes she'd wake up screaming again, trying to get away, and I'd have to remind her that she was safe and slowly calm her down. Other times… She'd look up, almost as if she saw right through me. Then she would murmur things…"

"Like what?"

"It didn't make any sense and I think some of it was in Wutaianese." She wiped her eyes and looked at Cloud. "I have to stay awake."

"Tifa?"

"That's what she said."

"What-" he was interrupted by the sound of Yuffie coming up the stairs. It was almost midnight, so he hoped she would go straight to her room. After what seemed like an eternity, they heard the door of her bedroom close.

"Should we call Godo?" He whispered.

"Godo? What would we tell him? No, Cloud. Yuffie is part of this family now, we have to help her."

"How?"

"I'll call Reeve in the morning."

"Reeve, why? What's he got to do with Yuffie acting-"

"He's her boss at work. These past couple of months she's not been herself. He must have noticed something's up," she turned to him.

"So why not ask Vincent? He's her partner."

"Vincent?" Tifa struggled to maintain her whisper. Does he go around with his eyes closed? "You mean Saint Vincent?"

Cloud stared at her blankly.

Tifa sighed. "They had a…disagreement a few weeks back. He's the last person Yuffie would want me talking to about work."

"And she'd be fine with you checking with her boss?"

"Do you have a better idea?" The blonde's silence was her answer.

"Has she even said anything about work?"

"Hm." Tifa looked at the picture of her and Yuffie. "Before I left her in the living room, to go to bed, she told me about being put on sabbatical, while Reeve transferred her to a new division he's setting up…"

"He put her on leave? What's this new division about?"

"I don't remember the exact name, but she said it was focusing on Wutaianese operations."

"You think that's what's bugging her?"

"Possibly."

They sat in silence for a while. Cloud felt a weight on his shoulder and rested his head on top of hers. After a few moments, he realised she had fallen asleep. He lay her down on the bed gently and pulled over the covers. She looks so peaceful.

"I heard you that time, when you thought I was sleeping." He watched as she turned on her side. "Do you still love me?"

Yuffie sat on her bedroom floor, looking at the selection of volumes spread out in front of her. When Reeve left his office on Wednesday morning, she had gone and taken another look at his Wutaianese book collection. Noticing some new titles, Yuffie had picked a number of them out. She realised many were self help books and the ninja had quickly discarded them. There were, however, a few that piqued her interest.

She fingered the script on each cover. Yuffie didn't read as much as she did when she lived in Wutai. Though she loathed her father's lectures on the past, she enjoyed reading about the history and folklore of her home town.

She held up a book and placed it on her lap. Walking With Wutai: A step by step guide to Gaia's most unique culture. Yuffie wasn't sure why she'd chosen this book. Glancing at the cover, she saw that the author had a Wutaianese surname. After flicking through a few pages, Yuffie tossed the book to the side. That guy has obviously never been to Wutai.

A large book, poking out of her canvas bag, caught her eye. She reached for it and examined the cover. It was clearly very old and the lettering was faded. She assumed the colour had bleached in the Sun, as it now appeared to be a pale blue. Opening the book, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was written in the old cursive script. Yuffie turned the page and read the title: Ritsumei.

She looked up when she heard the door to Cloud's room closing. Turning her attention back to the book on her lap, she stared at the page. The ninja felt her eyelids feeling heavy and she shook her head. Maybe reading isn't the best way to stay awake. Closing the book, she moved to begin placing the volumes in a pile by her bed. She stood for a while, considering her options. Making up her mind, she walked to the door.

Silently, she made her way to the stairs, avoiding the creaky floorboards as she went. Yuffie quickly descended the stairs and went into the kitchen. She switched on the light and went to the refrigerator, retrieving her blue bottle. She opened the drawer by the kettle and took out a small set of keys. The garden door unlocked easily and she stepped outside.

The cool night air hit her face and Yuffie was glad she had worn her warm sweater. She glanced up at the full Moon. The ninja made her way to the tree that stood in the centre of the garden and smiled.

"Hey. Thought I'd come pay you a visit. How's it going?" The tree blew in the wind as if in response.

Yuffie touched one of the blossoms. She could still make out its light pink hue. Apart from the Moon, the sky appeared devoid of all life. She wondered what it would be like to leave all her troubles behind and just fly away. She laughed. If only life was that simple. Yuffie looked behind her and saw the rocking chair resting against the outside wall of the kitchen.

Tifa dragged her along to an antiques market last year, and the barmaid had instantly fallen for the old chair. The stall holder told them, that the rocking chair was once used to rock the royal baby of a foreign kingdom. Yuffie hadn't bought the story for a second, but Tifa had bought the chair. The martial artist said it reminded her of the rocking chair her mother used to have.

Yuffie eased into the chair and began to rock herself slowly. When she felt sleep trying to take her, she didn't resist. Closing her eyes, she imagined her mother's arms wrapping around her in a loving embrace.