Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: I originally wanted this to be an third person POV story, but with some advice that I shouldn't have listened to, I re-did it so that it was a singular POV per scene. I am trying to fix that, so that it is all the third person POV, so in some scenes that have more than one character in it and the POVs seem a little strange, then that is why. I am working on it though and if you see something that seems weird, let me know so that I can fix it.

I know some of you are angry, upset or just down-right pissed at me for killing Zack, sorry. Please don't throw things at me unless it is money or handsome men! Don't forget to leave your reviews and let me know how this story is going for you, critiques or ideas, or just want to tell me how awesome a person you are.

Thanks to my beta Queen of Jokers! My other beta is unavailable for now, so it is all falling on QoJ.

"Everything you can imagine is real." –Pablo Picasso

Chapter 27

During his slow trudging toward Midgar, Cloud tried to get a handle on his current situation. He remembered bits of the fire, pieces of their time in the lab, being on the run and not knowing where Sephiroth went before the attack up on the cliff. The blond wanted to know why Sephiroth had abandoned them both times that they needed help. There was the workshop when Jenova let him wake up just long enough to help Zack and then again at the cliff. All the times between then, Sephiroth was there in the small fleeting moments that he'd been able to see through the darkness of Jenova's world.

However, he still had blank spots that he desperately wanted to fill. He remembered some things from before he woke up, but they were fading like a dream. Some things he didn't mind forgetting, he wasn't sure why anymore, but it had something to do with bathing, or using the bathroom, maybe he didn't want to remember everything. Other things though, no matter what he did they slipped away, right through his fingers, just like Zack's life had.

The weight of the large sword that he pulled behind him was close to the weight he felt in his heart, he missed Zack and his smile, laugh and his continuous talking. He liked it when Zack would talk; it filled the silence that Cloud often found himself in.

Zack always said that Cloud was always too busy thinking that he was forgetting to live. His friend was always really good at getting him out of his head, just like now. Some of the things that Zack would talk about just amazed him sometimes. One particular memory caused his facial muscles to work up into a smile and a tear to trace down his cheek…

The bed had no give, his body tensed at the rigid surface of the slender mattress. The fluorescent light flickered just like it had for the last year or so. There was no discernible rhythm, just the flicker that oddly reminded him of their current situation. The flicker was always there, he just didn't know with exact accuracy as to when it would flicker again.

The chatter from the bed across the room was a non-stop reminder that he was not alone. With a slow roll to his side, his bare feet hit the cold tile floor and when he stood, his back popped several times when he stretched. Staggering to the bathroom, he wished that there was a door, he hated having to pee and not being able to close a door for privacy.

One thing was for sure, Zack never had a shortage of anything to talk about. The brunette regaled Cloud with story after story, even as he flushed and washed his hands.

The mako injections and the gym the day before and the gym time today thoroughly exhausted him, so he shuffled back to his bed…err…cinder block and lay back down on his back. He closed his eyes and relaxed and finally listened to what Zack was going on about.

"So when we get out of here, I want you to meet Aerith and then we can all move to a small town. I know a little about farming, maybe we can do something like that. Hopefully you can meet a nice girl and we can live next door to each other. Our kids can play together or something! I know one thing though, you better find somebody who can put up with your quiet brooding. Sometimes I wonder if you even listen to me," Zack smiled and threw a rolled up sock at Cloud.

A quick glance over at Zack, and with a smile, he threw it back at him, hitting him in the forehead, "How can I not? Besides, when I do get married, I will already have plenty of practice in the fine art of not listening," Cloud's laugh caused Zack to throw the sock at him again, harder and he beaned the blond in the chest.

"Well Spiky, I do have to say that you're pretty damn good at it. Maybe even a natural," Zack nervously rubbed the back of his head, "Seriously though Cloud, that's what I want for you. I want you to go out and have a family and get what you want out of life," Zack sat forward and waited for Cloud to respond.

Rolling to his side, Cloud propped his head on his hand, "Zack, I'm only 16 and you're already trying to marry me off?" Cloud studied Zack's face for a moment and he swore that was the first time he had ever seen Zack really serious when he wasn't in battle or in the company of Hojo. Concern filled Cloud's question, "What's with you all of a sudden?"

Zack sighed and rocked to his feet and circled around the cell, "I just want to make a promise to each other. I want to promise that when we get out of here, we are gonna live out our lives as we want. No matter what it is, married, not married, kids or no kids, jobs, everything," Zack turned to face him, "Okay?"

Cloud sat up and wondered why he was so serious. Did he know something that he wasn't telling him? He crossed his arms, "Okay Zack, I promise," Cloud hit him in the face with the sock, "Now let me get some sleep, I'm tired and I have to start looking for a wife tomorrow," Cloud's smile was as contagious as Zack's smile right then. The real smile that belonged to the brunette came out to display itself in its proper place, that radiant smile that so many had commented to him about...

The blond didn't know anyone and didn't really know Midgar very well, but he saw a sign that indicated that he was in the Sector 7 slums. Even this late at night, there was a bustle of activity.

The smell of old, rotting wooden buildings, abused materials and the pungent scent of pollution mixed with the aroma of home cooked food and BBQ on a charcoal grill. The smell in its entirety was unique. It was dark and he had walked for what seemed like days. Being exhausted, hungry, thirsty, lost, alone and missing his friend took didn't help his judgement so he had to rest.

Finding a small space behind a building that was well hidden from the street. He sat down and leaned against the wall and put Zack's sword next to him. He allowed himself to relax, but just a little, closing his eyes for just a few minutes.

"Hey, I'll get the trash! You finish cleaning up," The woman called out to someone inside. Taking the trash out to the dumpster, it wasn't unusual to see people sleeping on the street, so when she saw boots sticking out from behind it the dumpster, she paused and slowly walked around to see who it was.

Sticking just the top of her head around the corner, she saw a man sitting up between a brick wall and the large green dumpster. She couldn't really make out if he was dead or just asleep so quickly running back inside she looked for the flashlight, it might be someone who needed help. There were many times that she could help and others she had to call for someone to haul off someone who'd been killed by a thorough beating, mugging, or the somewhat rare self-inflicted death.

Going back outside, she walked slowly and peeked around the dumpster again. This time with a flashlight, she saw a mess of blond spiky hair and he had blood on one side of his face and his clothes, covered in dirt and his arms caked with mud.

With a gasp, she raised her hand to her mouth and asked quietly to herself, "Could it be him?" Shaking her head, she remembered seeing his body lying on the stairs in that reactor, she was sure he was dead, but perhaps she'd been mistaken. She'd been young and scared, not wanting to go near either man as they lay there, not wanting to incur the wrath of Sephiroth again. That was when her martial arts instructor, Zangan, showed up and whisked her off to safety.

Back to the man sitting in the darkened corner, she took a small step forward and nudged the boot with her foot. Nothing at first, then he raised his head slowly and shielded his eyes from the light. He said nothing, but she asked, with a quiet whisper in astonishment, "Cloud?"

His face straightened and he jumped to standing, grabbed a sword, he tried to run, but she was standing in his way. He looked to his side and sized up whether he could scale the side of the dumpster. Holding the sword out in front of him, "Please…I don't want to hurt you. Let me go…"

Hearing his voice confirmed it for her, she repeated, "Cloud! It is you, isn't it?"

He got a puzzled look on his face, "How do you know me?" Suddenly he took an aggressive stance, did Shinra find him? No way after what they'd been through, and losing Zack, would he let himself get caught by Hojo again.

"It's me, Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. Don't you remember me?"

His face changed to disbelief, "No you can't be. Tifa died in Nibelheim," He said quietly, "Everyone died…" He remembered seeing her body lying in a bloody heap on the floor of the reactor, bleeding to death.

"No Cloud, I didn't," She reached out and he flinched away from her, "Please Cloud. Look at me."

Cloud studied her; it was true that she resembled his Tifa a great deal, but Jenova was good at disguises. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that, no it wasn't Jenova, he was actually here, feeling the texture of the wall, the grip of the sword, and the loss of his friend. The sight of her long dark brown hair pulled back into a pony tail and the deep brown eyes surround his whole being, feeling like he would drown at any moment.

Every time he had seen her after the fire, it had been a trick, a painful trick by the woman in his nightmares... Jenova.

"See, it is me. Come inside. Come on," She grabbed at his hand and he flinched again, quickly pulling his hand from hers. She turned back to him but didn't try to take his hand again, "It's okay Cloud, come on inside," Following her inside, he saw that it was a bar and restaurant. A man who was wiping down the bar and a woman wiping tables were the only ones that occupied the dining room.

Tifa took him over to a table in the corner and sat him down, "Hey, why don't ya'll go ahead and take off, I'll finish cleaning up. Are you still coming in early tomorrow?" They nodded and left and then Cloud and Tifa were alone, "Where have you been all this time?" A flash of pain crossed his face and he was sure that she saw it, "We can get caught up some other time. Are you hungry? Do you need somewhere to sleep tonight? You can sleep here."

He nervously fidgeted and looked around and then looked at her and quietly said, "I don't want to bother you."

"Oh hush, it's no bother," Looking at him in the light, she could see dark circles under his eyes and stress lines making their way across his face. It was definitely blood that marred his face, but it didn't seem like it was his, she saw no injuries. Verbally urging him like she'd always done since they were young, she ordered, "Come on, you look exhausted and need a shower," She stood up and reached to take his hand, but he didn't flinch this time and he allowed her to lead him upstairs. The softness of her skin sent his heart into a nervous flutter, but he didn't know if it was nerves like in childhood, or nerves of causing her more pain.

Taking him to a room, there was a large couch and a desk, "There is the bathroom in there and here is a pillow and blanket. Just make yourself at home," As she was closing the door, "If you need anything I am right across the hall," She shut the door quietly.

Standing in the middle of the room holding the pillow and blanket for a second, the small room's walls began to close in on him as he pictured his cell back in the labs. Shutting his eyes, he whispered to himself, "I'm not in the cell anymore," Opening his eyes and turning around he surveyed the room, and he placed the blanket and pillow on the couch and went into the bathroom. There was a shower and he really did want to get cleaned up, the mud had seeped through his clothes and plastered them snugly to his skin.

Starting the water, he removed his shoulder armor, shirt and belt and chunks of dried mud plunked to the floor.

Tifa walked in the office and he startled, spun around and slammed the door to the bathroom. She stood there shocked, "I-I'm sorry Cloud, I brought you an extra towel, I'll just leave it on the table here next to the door."

Using his senses, he waited to move until he heard her shut the door and head back downstairs. Sadly, he looked at himself in the mirror, seeing Zack's blood still marking his face; it was his reminder. Looking away, he couldn't see it anymore.

Locking the bathroom door, he finished getting undressed and got in the shower. As he watched Zack's blood and the mud swirl around and down the drain, the feeling of hot tears stung his eyes. The sword was all he had left of Zack anymore.

Once done with his shower, he stood in the bathroom and stared at the floor. This was real, he knew it was real, Zack was gone and he now had a promise to keep. Unlocking the door, he slowly stuck his head out and took the towel and dried off. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he went to the couch and sat down, rubbing his palm on his bare legs, he waited for something to happen, but there was nothing, just quiet, the tick of the clock on the wall and the footsteps that approached the door.

Although he was half expecting it, he still startled and jumped ready for a fight. She called from the other side of the door, "Cloud, if you give me your clothes, I'll wash them for you."

Cloud paused and took a deep breath, nervously looking around and feeling of his bare chest and stomach, the familiar scars in the familiar places. Blinking his way out of his head, he retrieved his clothes and opened the door, peeking around it. When he let her take them, he said quietly, "…Thank you…Tifa."

The hesitation in his words sent a quick concerned look across her face, but she smiled at him and it was the same smile that he remembered and dreamt about. A hesitant and nervous smile crossed his face and he closed the door. His body drained, he laid down on the couch, took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in he didn't know how long, he felt safe while he was alone, without Zack. He took advantage of it and relaxed into a sound sleep.

In the morning, Tifa went to the office and put her ear up to the door, hearing soft snores on the other side. She debated with herself as to whether she should open the door. She knocked softly and there was no answer, so she opened it slowly. Looking around the door at the couch, at the boy she knew who was now a man.

She gazed at him; his hair that she had always thought was so cute the way it always stuck up and defied gravity. His face was so pleasant to look at, his lips parted a little and his chest rose and fell with his evenly spaced breaths. Those lips, the same ones that she had always wanted to kiss. She wished for those lips to touch her. She wondered if they would feel like she had always imagined they would as they roamed her body.

The blanket had partly fallen to the floor and his muscular arms, sculpted chest and part of his stomach were visible. She remembered how skinny, gangly and awkward he was and now… She sighed quietly as the side of her head rested on the edge of the door.

One of his arms was up and his hand was behind his head, the other lay across his stomach. She had always wanted those arms to hold her and to lay her head on that chest. Wanting to fall asleep to the rhythm of his breaths and heart beat that would warm her until she fell asleep. She wanted to caress his stomach and feel his muscles contract at her soft touch. His leg that was against the back of the couch bent at his knee. Most of his thigh and calf were visible and his thigh muscle twitched with whatever it was that he dreamt about. The muscles were now taught and well-defined. Thinking about him and watching his peaceful sleep, she thought that it would be so easy to lose herself in him. She took a deep breath and smiled at the thought of waking up next to him.

He had a few scars on his chest, stomach and his arms. She wondered what had happened to him. He seemed so different, like he'd been living a nightmare. She took a step in and in a flash, he sat up and quickly pulled the blanket up to his chest in attempting to cover himself.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was bringing you your clothes. I didn't think you would want to wear a towel forever," She flashed a smile and turned to leave.

Cloud said in a timid voice, "Tifa… I'm sorry if I scared you last night."

"Don't worry about it. I should have knocked first. Just get dressed and come on downstairs for some breakfast."

Watching as she shut the door behind her, he remembered that he had fallen asleep with the towel on. He felt comfortable here with her, he had told her once that he would be her hero, but she had said nothing. She had always been friendly and when they were kids, he wanted to be around her. Now was a different time. He had changed and was a different person than he was back then, no thanks to Hojo.

Stiff and tired muscles were howling as he slowly pulled his clean clothes on, and he sat on the couch while he folded the blanket. Stacking the blanket on top of the pillow, he ran his fingers through his hair deep in thought. 'I remember Sephiroth was at the lab with us. I thought I saw him with us before Zack…' He shook the thought. 'Sephiroth is either dead or captured. Why else would he have not been there to help Zack?'

The smell of a hot breakfast met him in the hallway when he opened the door. Taking in a deep breath, he walked down the stairs and met with Tifa, who was plating up some bacon, ham, eggs and fried potato squares, "Oh, you're just in time! Here you go." Taking the plate that she offered, he went and sat down at the table that'd been set, "Here is some juice."

Sitting down across from him, he began eating and he could tell that she wanted to grill him for information about what had happened to him after the fire. The way he had acted last night told her to leave it alone for now, "I was going to ask how it tasted, but I don't think that you tasted any of it," She smiled and he realized that he had only one bite of food left except for the small pile of eggs that he had pushed to one side of his plate, "You want more?"

He cleared his throat in embarrassment, "No thank you. I really need to get going," Cloud jumped and his eyes went to the door as it opened.

Tifa reached out and put her hand gently on his arm, "Hey Alana, Jonathan, thanks for coming in early. This is my friend from home, Cloud. Cloud this is Alana Burkhide and this is Jonathan Furlong," Cloud looked at them and Alana was pretty, with long blond hair, deep brown eyes, and was a bit shorter than he was. Jonathan was tall and thin with light brown hair. Jonathan smiled and waved at him as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Hello Cloud, it is nice to meet you," Alana's smile was disarming and then she turned to Tifa, "Is he going to be the new dishwasher and busboy?" She put her hand on Tifa's shoulder as she walked past her and around the other side of the table, making herself at home next to the martial artist.

Tifa folded her hands together and grinned at Cloud, "That is one thing I was going to ask." Pausing she eyed him carefully, "Do you need a job? Make a little extra money. I could use your help around here," Her eyes, peered at him hunting for an answer.

Needing money and a place to stay he considered it deeply, he did feel good being here with Tifa and maybe this was where he was supposed to be, "I suppose, I could stay for a while," He glanced at her nervously.

"Great, then it's settled," Tifa clapped her hands together and a fabulous smile radiated from her, "You can stay in the office upstairs, but you'll have to sleep on the couch, I hope that's okay."

With a nervous twitch, he pictured the cots in the lab that he'd called a bed for years and he felt comfortable enough to smile slightly at her, "It will be fine."

Finally making it back to the gate to the Sector 7 slums, he stopped and collected his thoughts as he leaned on a wall to a grocery store. Starving and tired from the run yesterday morning and then the walk back to the city, the emotional drain was something that he had to push to the side. He had to find Cloud before he got caught, but he couldn't panic, that would do no one any good.

The military training told him that a deliberate search was best, but he didn't know where to even start looking for him. It wasn't as if Midgar was a small place, it was the biggest city with the highest population on the planet. It was going to be a daunting task to say the least and he didn't take the promise that he made Zack lightly, but he had to get some food and a place to sleep.

His feet protested as he stood back up and took a step, then another and as he rounded the corner of the store, he heard a ruckus to his left, it looked like a fight at first. Walking briskly but quietly, he went to get a better look because there was something off about it, something called to him to get closer. Then he spoke before he'd a chance to question himself, "Hey, what are you doing?" At the sound of his deep voice, the three teens took off running, leaving a woman sitting on the ground.

Holding out his hand, he asked with a feeling of concern for this woman that he'd not felt for a stranger before, "Are you hurt?" She held a vague familiarity to him, did he know her from before? He was sure that he would've remembered her.

She took his hand and he pulled her up from the ground, "I'm fine. I don't think I will come to Sector 7 alone anymore though," She smiled and her eyes lit his soul, "Do you like holding my hand?"

Sephiroth realized that he was still holding her hand and he blushed, "I'm sorry. I am Sephiroth, but you can call me Seph, a really good friend calls… uh called me that," His face fell and a sudden sadness crossed it.

She stood straight and her face stiffened, but only briefly, she smiled at him after a beat.

Internally Sephiroth slapped himself in the head for not using a different name. Then she looked deep into his face. He knew his face was filled with distress, then she smiled wider and made a point to make eye contact, "It is very nice to meet you Seph, I'm Aerith," She took his arm and started walking as he pushed her cart with one hand, and he followed along, and not reluctantly. He wanted to go with her, but he didn't really know what pulled him to her, "Would you mind seeing me home?"

"It would be my pleasure," Sephiroth smiled and blushed again, "So where exactly are we walking too?"

"I live in the Sector 5 slums. It's not too far," She smiled as she walked, "Thank you for helping me back there, they were after money as usual, but I held them off for a bit, thanks to a really good friend teaching me some self-defense," She gripped her staff and made a thwacking sound, making the General laugh out.

Walking for a while, Sephiroth hadn't realized that they'd walked so far, the time went by effortlessly. Trying to keep the conversation going as she slowed down, he added quickly, "The flowers you're selling are beautiful." His thoughts rambled from nowhere and he thought to himself, 'Almost as beautiful as she is.'

"Yes, they are, thank you. I grow them myself." Twirling her staff, she asked, "So what do you do when you're not rescuing flower girls?" Her smile was intoxicating to him.

"Well actually, I am looking for my friend. We lost track of each other," His eyes didn't and couldn't leave hers. The sudden feelings he had shot him in the heart, but Aerith was different and his confusion must have shown on his face because her eyebrows knitted together.

Aerith put her hand on his arm gently, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well if you need, you can stay here at the church," She smiled and pointed to an old church a little farther down the road.

"Well I don't want to get in your way," Sephiroth hoped that she'd let him stay regardless of his protests.

"Oh, don't be silly! Of course you won't be in the way," Her eyes sparkled.

After walking her up to the church, he pushed the cart up the stairs, "Thank you again Seph, I will be in Sector 7 again in a few days."

"I thought you weren't going back there alone?"

"If your there, I won't be alone, will I?" With that she smiled at him again, "See you in a few days."

Sephiroth turned, surprised that he already felt such a bond with a woman so quickly. The last person he felt that way about that quickly was… Annabelle. Since he was already in Sector 5, he would start looking for Cloud there. He stood outside the church for a short time before he left to go get something to eat and as he walked, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

For a little over a week Cloud stayed in the office, sleeping on the over-sized couch, and Tifa made sure that he was never late to work. His job wasn't too bad, cleaning the tables and washing the dishes, he didn't mind it, he liked being busy. People left him alone and he was busy enough that he didn't think about Zack or the labs too much.

Of course Tifa always seemed to have a smile on her face around him, letting him know that she was comfortable with him around, but he got the feeling that she was scared of him. It was little things here and there, which reminded him of her fright, nervous smiles and glances at him when he wasn't looking and he supposed that he couldn't blame her, Hojo and Jenova made him something else, a monster in the making. He hardly recognized himself in the mirror, so how could he expect her to see what he once was over what he was now.

Coming down stairs before his shift, Tifa had some food out and Cloud made himself a plate and sat down at a table close to the stairs. Tifa and Alana came in and immediately headed for him. He choked down the food in his mouth and prepared himself for the onslaught of questions that were bound to be just around the corner. Everyone had a knack for always wanting to question him while he was eating.

Alana sat down and looked at Cloud, "Do you have a place to stay yet?"

Picking up his glass, he took a drink to help him swallow the bite of food. Pausing and pulling the glass back with a grimace, he looked at it and then smelled it and rolled his eyes when he realized that his orange juice had gone bad. Nevertheless, he still had to answer the question "Well I am kind of in the way here, so I guess I can go look for a place," Cloud shifted his weight in his chair.

"You're not in the way here," Tifa shot out quickly.

"I'm in your office. Don't you need to use it?" Cloud fidgeted with his fork on the plate and pushed his last bit of potatoes around fully coating them in gravy before scooping them up for his last bite.

"Tifa, I have that extra room at my place since my roommate moved to Kalm," Alana seemed excited about having a roommate again, but Cloud felt uncomfortable at the thought of staying with someone other than Tifa.

"Okay, if it's alright with him, I suppose. Cloud what do you think?"

Shifting his eyes from Alana back to Tifa, he said quietly, "I don't really know her," Alana smiled and elbowed Tifa.

"It's okay Cloud. I have known her since I got here after the fire," Tifa reached over and put her hand on his hand. She patted it softly and winked, "Just don't be late to work."

After 7th Heaven closed, he went upstairs to retrieve Zack's sword. Looking at it, there were several small nicks and then there was something he hadn't noticed before. A closer look, a small splash of dried blood had been over looked when he'd cleaned it. He purposely kept the nicks there; it reminded him of the fight and lively life that Shinra took from the world, but most of the blood had come off though. With a sigh, he put the rest of his few possessions in a small plastic bag and walked with Alana back to her apartment.

After she opened the door to the second story apartment, she gave him her extra key, "Here is your key and your room is over here." Alana had gathered up the rest of her other roommate's things and they sat neatly in a stack next to the front door. It was a small living room with a little kitchen. It was the perfect size for two people.

She walked him around the couch and over to the door that was to the right of the front door, "The bathroom right next to your room right there," There was a television between his bedroom door and the bathroom door. The tiny kitchen was to the left and the even tinier table set in the small space between the kitchen and the back of the couch. She pointed to the door at the back wall, "That's my room if you need anything just give a yell."

Cloud went in his room, flipped the light on and it was a nice room, it was plain, no pictures or anything, but he thought about maybe getting something to put on the wall. When he was growing up, he had posters of Sephiroth and Genesis on his wall. His mother had also hung generic pictures of landscapes in there, much to his disliking. His favorite poster that she'd gotten him when they first moved to Nibelheim featured Sephiroth holding his sword in front of the Shinra tower, his stoic face held an heir of knowledge beyond his years and the will and ability to kill anything or anyone he wanted. It was the real beginning of his hero-worship.

Going to the small window just above the headboard of the full size bed, another building blocked his view, but he had a great view of the alley if he looked straight down.

A dresser and a small closet topped off the total tour. He propped Zack's sword up against the wall next to the bed so he could see it every time he woke up, he never wanted to forget Zack's sacrifice.

Laying down, he put his hands behind his head and thought of Tifa and why she seemed to run him out of the bar. He knew he scared her, but he didn't realize how much until she urged him to become Alana's roommate. That was okay, he scared himself, all the memories he was missing told him that he didn't want them, but there was more to it, he just didn't know how deep it went.

The next morning, he woke up to his new roommate knocking at the bedroom door, "Cloud? Are you awake? It's almost time to go to work," Getting up and opening the door slowly, he looked around cautiously. Alana was not lingering at his door like Tifa did to make sure he indeed was awake; instead she was entering the kitchen and making herself a sandwich, "Good afternoon sleepy head."

"Afternoon? What time do we have to be at work?" He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair.

She smiled, "Today we don't gotta be there til 4. It's almost 3 now. Tifa said your new days off are Tuesday and Wednesday since Jonathan had to change the days that he was bus boy," She took a bite of her sandwich and as she walked back to her room, she mumbled, "My days off are still Monday and Tuesday thank goodness."

Cloud went into the bathroom and rushed to lock the door, but he didn't know why bathrooms seemed to make him ready for a panic attack, but he needed to shower for work. While the warm water drenched him, he thought back, he'd slept well last night, lots of dreams of Tifa, but that wasn't unusual, he always dreamt of her, he didn't have any nightmares that he remembered.

Avoiding looking at himself in the mirror, he finished cleaning up and heard Alana call to him, "You coming?"

As he finished drying his hair, he called with a sigh, "Yeah."

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads, favorites, subscribes and/or reviews, I appreciate your time and I dedicate all of this to you. To quote another author, "Getting reviews makes me feel all warm and squishy."

Please send me your reviews if you want. It is really easy. Just click your arrow in the little box, write what you thought or felt about the chapter and then click right down there, just below the box. A little lower… a little to the right… yeah, right there! Click it! *grinning*