Author's Note: Trigger warning for some thoughts (but as promised, no acts!) of non-con. I actually took OUT a few words to get just the optimal level of creepiness I wanted.

Chapter 67. December 15 (3pm – 5pm), εуλ0009

Marlene scampered before her, eagerly rushing into the flowers, making herself at home. Tifa found her footsteps dragging behind. Her entry rang bittersweet tones in her memory, for more reasons than one. Things she'd been trying to deny, uncertain what they were.

Actually, she knew the answer. SHE hadn't been back here since returning to Midgar – but HE had, of course he had, and it stretched imagination to think that the day he had found Denzel had been the only time ha had come here. A streak of jealousy, one she'd thought she 'd conquered, flared once again – though she didn't think it was Aerith. Not the woman herself, had been her own love as much as Cloud's (if not more) – but rather the reluctant knowledge that Aerith held part of Cloud's heart, a side she couldn't share.

She'd been denying it, but now the truth hit her like a behemoth, and she KNEW. Knew even before she found a familiar bedroll, the chest of materia indisputably marking this as Cloud's home.

A streak of smeared cotton caught her eye; another thing she'd known and suspected deep within, but had been trying to ignore. Had she not properly explained geostigma, the desperation that brought it on? Would it have made a difference? His pain was wrapped up in Aerith, in Zack, and Denzel… and none of those was anything she could touch.

Still, there was no further denying it as Marlene pucked up the bandages, her eyes growing wide and fearful. "Is Cloud sick too?" Marlene asked, afraid she was about to cry. What if she lost Cloud? And Denzel too? Would she lose anyone else? At least Tifa was here, Tifa who wasn't going anywhere –

Tifa picked up the black-stained fabric almost tenderly, the way she had with Denzel's - contemplating, sad. "He's trying to fight alone," she told Marlene, the best encouragement she could find to offer, but it rang hollow even to her.

Cloud, why didn't you tell me? she thought as if she didn't already know the answer. The men of our family suffer alone, and the women bind together to struggle on. She gazed at Marlene poignantly, her accidental ally in survival, wondering if Cloud truly expected to make it here alone, unloved – or had he already accepted his demise? "No, I don't think he will…" Her voice trailed off into regret. Had he come here to pay his last respects to Aerith, before he joined the Lifestream as well?

"Well, that's just stupid." Marlene pouted.

Not much we can do, Tifa thought. She'd been learning that about Cloud for a long time now. Even when it was for the best, for his own good, pushing Cloud was an exercise in futility – he was too recalcitrant, too frightened of being controlled. He had to make his own choice – even when it meant he chose not to do anything.

But Tifa wasn't Sephiroth, and she loved him too much to just let him give up. It was hard, but she had to learn when to give him a little push, and when to just let him go his own way.

But neither was an option here. "Come on, let's go home," she gently suggested.

Marlene wasn't having it. "We should wait for him," she insisted. "He has to come here eventually, right?"

Tifa considered. Was she just wanting to run away, same as Cloud? mIssing her chance to get some answers from the man she cared for so much? "I know, sweetie," she told Marlene softly. "I miss him too." But she smiled at Marlene, her bright light, as the two of them settled back to wait.

Denzel waited out the afternoon on that stoop. No one came back.

The sun was starting to crawl down to the skyline of Edge; Denzel was watching its lazy path when he heard footsteps coming from down the lane.

He turned, and there was the girl from before, this time relieved of her burden. But she still held the stuffed toy in her hand – the very one Denzel had picked up to give to her just a couple of hours before. Only this time, she didn't look angry anymore. She only looked sad. Tired, and sad.

A lot like Tifa had been looking lately.

"Sorry about earlier," she told him, hanging her head. "My little brother – well – he's gone now. I had to bury him myself, because you know…"

Denzel did know. There was only one place where geostigma victims were buried – an open field near a river of mako sludge, intended to isolate the contamination its victims bore. Buried by whomever would take the risk. He'd helped bury a couple of orphans there.

Denzel didn't want to end up there himself.

The girl looked down at the toy still in her hand. "I thought of burying this witwith him… so Shun would have it when he needed some company. but in the end, I couldn't do it, you know?"

Totally, Denzel thought. But tongue-tied, all he could say was, "I see." He wondered if Marlene and Tifa would bring back some flowers from the church. He thought he might very much like to give some to this girl; something to bring some beauty to her brother's grave.

"But actually, I came back to see you." Denzel perked his head up, surprised. "I know – you've got it, too. I can kinda feel it, you know?" He did. "And I met someone – well. They can fix us. Come with me!"

She wasn't taking no for an answer, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. Denzel had no idea where he was going, if he should be leaving Seventh Heaven, but the sudden hope in his chest was too strong to ignore.

She started to tug him along, then paused. "Oh, sorry, I almost forgot," she said. "I'm Mina."

The languid peace of the church had settled into a sort of torpor as the rays of afternoon sun warmed the interior of the church. Marlene, ever full of energy, skittered and played, humming sweetly as she fingered the patch of blossoms. Tifa merely sat calmly, keeping one instinctive, watchful eye upon her.

Even though there was nothing she feared here.

A creak at the door, and Tifa's head jolted up. Marlene, equally attuned, ran to her side, the two of them tensing in eager anticipation –

Expecting Cloud, Tifa's heart sank, realizing whoever had come through the door was not the man she'd been seeking. A fraction of a second later, her gut responded to the menace emanating from the other figure. She umped to her feet, pulling Marlene closer; the tension passed down to the girl, whimpering against her mother, hiding behind her for Tifa's familiar safety.

The shape of a man resolved itself as he emerged from the backlit sun of the doorway; gray-tinged pallor struck a vein of terror that Tifa had long thought healed. It had to be a coincidence. She ignored the nagging warning bels that cried out Sephiroth, Sephiroth – the teenage girl inside her wanting to rush forward while the woman held back, knowing –

The man, whomever he was, stopped and smirked. Equally surprised to find them there, but apparently unafraid. Tifa met his eyes, daring, steeling herself for the confrontation she intuitively felt was coming. She pushed Marlene away; Marlene got the hint, running behind a stone pillar to conceal herself as much as possible.

Good girl, Tifa thought.

Sinister green eyes, crawling over her like an insect. Tifa reached into her pocket for the gloves she never had far away.

Three words. "Play with me," he said.

Tifa responded only with motion, puling her leather gloves on with an audible snap for emphasis. The tightening of the leather around Cloud's ring bolstered her courage, as she switched to the fighting pose as natural as breathing, bracing, waiting.

Behing the pillar, Marlene shrank in fear and trepidation, barely able to keep her eyes on Tifa flying with grace as she battled the strange man. Her gentle mom, also so strong, but what if she wasn't strong enough? Debris went flying, shattered remains of the battle, and Marlene hid further.

Where was Cloud? Wasn't he supposed to come and save Tifa? Didn't he know that was his job? SHE knew it was, the flower lady had told her so, a whisper of warmth and comfort that Cloud will be the one to protect you…

The church suddenly quieted, and Marlene peeked out to see a pile of rubble now covering Tifa's opponent. Tifa stood there with hands on her knees, breathing hard, btu she had a smile on her face.

She knew it! She knew Tifa would win!

An explosion, and the man burst from the rubble once again; he didn't seem to be hurt at all. A phone rang; she thought it was Tifa's, but no, she could see Tifa's phone on the ground near Cloud's stuff, left there after they'd called Denzel. It was the strange man's; he said something in the phone that Marlene couldn't' hear, but when he snapped the phone shut, and looked back at Tifa, it didn't seem so much like he had lost anymore.

The man was THERE, and then he was BEHiND Tifa, and Marlene saw it all – he SHOT her, he shot Tifa in the back, saw Tifa recoil and crumple forward and he was THERE again, and he grabbed Tifa, and he THREW her into the flowers – and Tifa just LAY there, and Cloud wasn't there and he was supposed to take care of Tifa, the flowers told her so, and she was screaming screaming but no one was coming and she had to do SOMETHING to help –

Loz looked at her in satisfaction, crumpled and beaten. Useless. Broken. Not much of a toy to play with at all, but he liked to see her suffer, squirming in pain, fighting back the tears. So much fun to watch.

He wanted to see more. He straddled her, pointing the gun to her head, feeling the fear rolling off her in waves and he FED on it, feeling better already.

At this point-blank range, one shot would take her out for good. But where was the fun in that? He yanked her up by the collar, keeping the gun pointed to her heart, watching her fearful eyes struggling to focus. So afraid…

He thought some more. Such a pretty thing. Wouldn't it be a shame to let her go so easily? …and she was HIS, wasn't she? and hurting her would hurt HIM too…

He licked his lips. Sliding the zipper down, letting her fall to the ground as it fell away. Too weak to fight back, but he'd hold her down with one hand around her neck, and she'd whimper with him just a hair's breadth away from crushing her life.

He wanted her writhing in terror and helpless anticipation; more pleasurable than anything else he could do, seeing her not just beaten but humiliated. He hoped she'd cry out as –

BONK.

He mindlessly let her drop, his head whipping around. The little girl – he'd forgotten about her. Annoying him when he was about to have some fun. She stood there, smirking, next to a full box of materia, one of which she'd just thrown at him.

Little brat!

He was on his feet in a flash, and Marlene yelped, Tifa screaming at her to run, and she DID, if she could get out of the church she'd be okay, and she was so close and he grabbed her and she barely saw Tifa unconscious before she was whisked away , warped somehow to a place she'd never been, but felt weird like she should have once been there anyways –

and it all happened so fast there were some trees and it was dark and she didn't' know anyone but the man and so she clung to him even though he scared her –

then she was in front of some water and she felt PAIN in that water but it wasn't hurt-y pain, it was sorrow and regret and missing someone and she missed them too, Tifa and Cloud and Denzel and Papa and Vincent and Red who was really called Nanaki but he let her pet him anyway and then… and then…

But she didn't cry…