To say that she felt tense, was a bit of an understatement. Tifa was on edge. The feeling had been building up for some time now and she was afraid she was about to reach the breaking point. The reason for this? In one word: Avalanche.

When she first met Barret, his position was one she connected with personally. Like her, he came from a place that was destroyed, down to the ground. He did not go into the details, but it was all over the news. When the big man mentioned Corel, the flames depicted on the television flashed through her mind, transforming into the very real ones she had witnessed destroying the village where she grew up.

Seventh Heaven had been running for half a year, and doing rather well. Tifa never imagined she'd be able to run a successful bar, yet here she was, well on her way. And then a big, burly man stepped in. It wasn't his large stature, or scowl that could be practically felt behind his dark sunglasses, that were intimidating. It was the large gun that acted as his right arm, starting just above his elbow.

However, one element toned down the whole image by a large margin: it was the baby girl he was holding in his left arm, wrapped up in a worn, dirt spotted blanket. She was crying and he was trying his best to soothe her, but there was only so much he could do with just one arm.

On instinct, Tifa stepped out from behind the bar. It was still early, so the place wasnt even really open yet. Nonetheless, there was more than enough to do to prepare before opening for business. Dropping all of that, she approached the man worried.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah... But the little one, she needs to get fed badly. I ran out of the stuff yesterday when I was marchin' towards Midgar."

So in the middle of nowhere. Deciding not the scald man (he was desperate, but also still intimidating), she gestured to a chair.

"Please sit down. I'm sure I've got some milk, I'll heat it up and be right back."

"Much obliged."

The man first gave her the baby bottle, then sat down as he kept rocking the crying baby, hushing her sweetly. The poor thing. Tifa hurried to the back; she had some milk bottles mostly for coffee and for some baking projects she was thinking about.

Cleaning the baby bottle first, she filled and heated it up. Once this was done, she hurried back and handed it back to the stranger. Wait, how did he even...? Well, he turned the baby so that she was laying on the side where his gun was. He was very careful to make sure she mostly rested on the fabric above the cold metal, with her head resting against his bare shoulder. Taking the bottle, which looked laughably small in his large hand, Tifa could feel his eyes on her, even with the shades still there.

"It's just a bit too warm."

"Oh... I'm sorry." He could just feel it like that? That was impressive.

The man shook his head. "S'alright. Not like you get this every day, right?"

"No, not really."

It was still the slums, however. Many people around this place were down on their luck, some more than others. Tifa considered herself fortunate that Marle had helped her when she did, and she was more than willing to pay that favor forward to others.

"I'm Barret. Barret Wallace. This little one's Marlene."

"Tifa Lockheart. It's nice to meet you both." She smiled.

The smile lingered faintly on her face at the memory of their meeting; that was 3 years ago. She was of course very happy to have met the both of them, as they were close to her heart. Marlene most of all.

It wasn't that long after they had met, that Barret starting talking about his passion. Protecting the planet, even saving it. He went on about Mako, Shinra, the whole shebang. He had noticed her expression had changed and knew: she was hurt by Shinra too.

It was the biggest reason she went along with all of this. Tifa was not a hateful person; she rather held love and care in her heart. But there was one black spot; that blasted company. Because of them, the life she knew, was completely destroyed. Her father was dead, her town was reduced to ashes...

Balling her fist and biting her lip, she shook her head. She agreed with the sympathies of Avalanche, what they wanted to do. But their plan, had her hesitating. Bombing a Mako reactor. It seemed so extreme.

Tifa was actually not an official member of the small environment group; she provided them a meeting place. Not in her bar, but more specifically the hidden place underneath it. Still, they divulged their plans to her nonetheless.

Of course she had spoken up. Shared her concerns and hesitations. But Barret was like a rooted tree, not willing to change the plans. 'If you wanna make a difference, you gotta think big. It's for the good of the planet.'

A very typical thing for Barret to say. Was Mako really the lifeblood of the planet? Tifa wasn't sure. She half figured that all the plants dying was because of the fact that they were living under the plate and therefor had no direct sunlight.

"Tifa, hey Tifa. You list'ning?"

A gruff voice snapped her out of her deep thoughts. Her red eyes met with Barett dark brown's. "Huh?"

"You've been polishing that glass for the last five minutes. What's on yo mind?"

"Oh." Tifa set the glass down gently, it shimmered in the lights hanging above the bar. "It's nothing, really."

She was a bad liar. Barret had no trouble to recognize she was putting on a mask, he knew her well enough by now. He placed his left arm on the bar and leaned over a little.

"You know you can talk to me, right? Your concerns, your worries. I can take the load of ya shoulders."

"Yes, I know." Showing a small smile, she nodded in appreciation. Above all her doubts and worries, she did not want to stand in the way of Barret's ambition. Sticking it to Shinra? That was an added bonus.

Very aware that the young woman wasn't about to talk, Barret sat back straight and gestured to the small counter to the right. A plate of food was set there. "What are you gonna do with those leftovers? I betcha Wedge would love to have it."

Chuckling to this, Tifa shook her head. "He isn't allowed. I saved those on purpose."

"Huh, for who?"

"You've heard, right? Lately, more and more people have come straggling into this sector. All of them practically starving."

"You mean those Mako junkies?" The man huffed, turning his nose up in disgust. "They aint worth your time, Tifa."

"They are still people, who are down on their luck. I remember a certain someone coming in here who was in a similar position, roughly three years ago." She leaned in on her turn, to emphasize her point.

Letting out a sigh, Barret raised up his arms in defeat. "Fine, do whatever you want. I'll stand guard while you're gone."

"A knight in shining armor, for sweet, little Marlene."

She couldn't help teasing him. Tifa walked over to the small counter and divided the leftovers into smaller food containers, ending up with five of them. Waving goodbye, she stepped outside with a small bag in her right hand.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. By now, the sharp smells of the slums was something she was used too. Tifa had a hard time getting used to it back when she had just arrived in Midgar. After all, she was used to the crisp, mountain air of her hometown.

Whenever she thought back to that, the fondly held smell quickly dissipates, burned away and replaced by cinder and ash. Her eyes snapped open, narrowing into a look of anger. She had no one to direct it too, not even that darned building, which was perched on top of the plates high above her head.

Shaking it off, Tifa took large strides with a clear destination: the station. Most of the poor stragglers came in from there, which meant they were most likely upper plate residents. Or used to be, at least.

Most of the people in Sector Seven complained about them, seeing them in much the same light as Barret did: nothing more than scum with a self-inflicted addiction. This harsh viewpoint was something she hoped to be able to change.

The fenced dirt road she followed led to a small food courtyard, one of the first things to greet people who had just disembarked from the train. One would think the merchants here could also do what Tifa did. But sadly, these were the kind of people who were only in it for the money.

Passing by, she saw the first person in need. They always looked the same; dressed in black robes with hoods obscuring part of their faces, it was still evident that they were very pale and skinny. Some had ripped sleeves, revealing a tattoo underneath—a number in stark black ink.

Tifa did have some one living one door down from her apartment, who was exactly like this. He barely spoke, and when he did, it was just nonsense. Marle said the man's name was Marco, and she wondered if it was just a name the elder had given him.

Placing a food container on the muttering man's lap, all she could really do was ask him to please try to eat something. She had been doing this for a few weeks now and knew that trying to force it on them did not work.

A train had arrived at the platform, and all the people that got off, did not look twice. In their eyes, this was just a normal day in the slums. Most had come back from a long night shift and just wanted to get some sleep.

"Hey, move it would'ya? Ah great, another one of those Mako junkies. Whatever, this is above my pay."

The annoyed and raised voice of the conductor, made Tifa look over. Tucked away in the corner of the stairs that led to the platform, was a figure. They were not in the usual get up, but still were dressed in all black.

As she approached, she heard the typical, rambling nonsense. A young, male voice. His head hang down, bobbing and weaving ever so slightly, but never looking up. Taking out another food container, she squatted next to him.

"Here, some food. Please try to eat something..."

Tifa wasn't sure why, but this one gave her a different vibe. And she couldn't even place what it was. When the man muttered again, she carefully reached out to touch his bare, right shoulder.

Finally, his head moved up to look at her. It were the most intense, green glowing eyes Tifa had ever seen. Mako infused eyes, those of a Soldier. Her eyes went wide as she took in the rest of his face. She knew this young man:

"Cloud?!"

It had been seven years since she had last seen him. They boy that was her very quiet and secluded neighbor, had grown up into a fine man indeed. For his stature, he had an impressive muscle build, and he had succeeded in growing his blond hair so he could style it in a very unique way.

But those eyes... First, they were intense and distant. As he focused in on her, after a long, vacant stare, he finally blinked.

"Tifa."

All of the sudden, he was on his feet, gaining a demeanor which seemed a mix of pride and confidence. "Long time no see."

She blinked, looking up at him. Regaining her composure, she stood up and looked him over. "You're alive."

"A First-class Soldier doesn't die easily, you know." He said with a cocky tone in his voice.

This kind of behavior, Tifa was not accustomed too. Sure, she did not know Cloud that well, but that was because he mostly just watched from a distance. The shy kid, the odd one out, that's what most of the kids called him back in Nibelheim.

"You... You really made it?"

He crossed his arms, betraying his upset demeanor. "Don't be so surprised."

"Sorry, it's just..." She shook her head, not wanting to trail off. "When we had that talk up on the water tower, I half expected to never see you again."

Cloud's response was not what Tifa expected. His right hand went up to press against the side of his head and he stumbled. She acted quick and grounded herself to catch him when he fell. He felt lighter than she'd expect. With his face so close, the concaves of his cheeks were clear to see.

To see him like this, it broke her heart. He was back to acting like all the other robed men she had come across. But this one, she could not let go. This was the guy she had always tried so hard to reach. The one that ignored her, but at the same time always seemed to watch over her from a distance. The last remnant of her past, all that was left of Nibelheim.

Draping his arm over her shoulder, she took him back with her. However, she did not take the same route; she took to a back road to stay out of sight. After all, most here were against helping the poor people out.

She brought Cloud to the back of her bar. A stone staircase let down to a single door; it was her food cellar. Unlocking the door, Tifa helped him inside. She was relieved that he wasn't heavy, as she had undergone rigorous training, and he clung onto her like a deadweight.

The food cellar was sparse, as she tended to use it only for backup storage. Setting Cloud up against the back wall, she hurried of to get the most basic and important things: water, food, some cushions and a blanket.

Cloud was mostly quiet, hanging his head. When he did make a sound, it was the nonsensical mumbling she had heard from Marco before. Tifa tried talking to him, even gently shaking him, hoping he'd snap out of it once again. It appeared that he was in a rough state, in a condition that defied easy classification.

"I'll take care of you," she said, her heart aching for him. "I promise you'll get back on your feet." After all, it was the least she could do.

She knew the accommodations were lackluster, but this was the best she could do. Marle had her hands full already, so bringing Cloud there was not an option. As for the space above the bar? There was one problem with that: Barret and Marlene were staying there.

One look at the young man's eyes and he'd flip. A Soldier, under their roof? Not if he could help it. So, it was too much of a risk. Besides that, Barret would most likely tell her that this was the wrong time, a bad distraction from their plans.

The cellar was her only option. Tifa had to be careful and sneaky, that's all. No one will notice. First, some more comfort. Something like a chair, and a mattress. This she did under the cover of nightfall so no one could see.

She did her very best to make it livable. The mattress she covered with blankets and pillows. Cloud was almost like a sack of potatoes by the way he sat. Tifa had to steer him, pull on his arm or push him to get him to move.

Despite his worrisome condition, the young woman was hopeful. That one moment of clarity he had, was her drive. All she had to do was get him back to that, surely, she can do that!

Tifa felt tired from the long, eventful day. "I need to go get some sleep. Please stay here, okay Cloud? Try to not make any noise..."

She bit her lip; she knew it was wrong to leave him like this. But she really needed some time to herself, to get some rest and think up a plan. When she wanted to stand up, his hand took hold of her arm, just above her wrist. His grip was unexpectedly strong yet trembling at the same time.

"Dont...leave. Dont want...to be alone."

He spoke weakly, with a voice that seemed close to the breaking point. This tugged greatly at Tifa's heart. None of this made sense; the image of his confident stance was still clear in her mind. How was there such a vast contrast, what gave him that temporary boost? And what could she do to get him back to that and keep him there?

Pulling the chair next to the mattress Cloud was laying on, she sat down. She gently took his shaking hand in hers.

"I'm here, Cloud. You're not alone."

It seemed to settle him down a little. He curled up on the mattress, bunching up the blankets. He muttered nonsense before he finally closed his eyes. Tifa observed that even though Cloud appeared to be asleep, he did not exude a sense of peacefulness or complete relaxation. Her suspicions were confirmed when she shifted in her chair to adjust her posture: his eyes immediately flickered open, momentarily alert before dimming like fading light bulbs.

The first night, she mostly just watched over him, getting close to no sleep as a result. Though she hated having to leave him, there wasn't much of a choice. People would wonder where she is, and she had other obligations too.

"Cloud, I have to go. But I promise I will be back. I'm going to make you better." Tifa told him once again, determined to keep her word.

It felt unsettling to do so, but she had to lock the cellar once she stepped outside, making him seem more like a prisoner. However, it was for his own safety. As Cloud was not in a clear mindset, Tifa worried that he might wander off, get lost, and she would never see him again.

Tifa went on her days as normally as possible, to not to create any suspicion. She checked on Cloud often, using the excuse she had decided to do something more with her food cellar and thus had to go there to make adjustments.

He did not take her food when she offered, but he ate it when she left it for him. She tried talking to him, ask him questions. Mostly he either did not answer, or muttered the usual nonsense. Maybe he just needed some more time.

There was a problem with Tifa's plan; she did not really have a medical background. No one really knew what was wrong with the robed men, but all seemed to agree that their addiction to Mako had to do with it.

It wasn't an option to just get any doctor in. Discretion was needed and next to that, not many of them specialized in Mako related health issues. Next to that, Cloud was a Soldier, which made things even more complex.

"Cloud, do you remember who I am?" Tifa asked him on day four, bracing for his answer.

He looked up, but not at her; instead, he stared straight through her. His eyes still had that bright green glow characteristic of all Soldiers. It was a disconcerting sight, one that almost instilled fear in Tifa's heart.

"You had such pretty, sky-blue eyes..." Would she never see those again? Tifa shook her head; she shouldn't think like that!

Sounds then came from behind the back wall. The elevator was loud enough to hear it go down, followed by Barret's loud voice.

"Okay, y'all. Sit down. We gotta talk progress."

Tifa was surprised by how clearly she could hear it; the walls had to have been thinner than she thought.

There was a short silence, until Barret spoke up again: "Well?"

"Me and Wedge have been keeping tabs on the perimeters. We got a good idea of the security schedule." Biggs explained.

"What about the inside?"

"Listen, boss. HQ is out of the picture, so I had use my charms to get anything that would help. It was hard enough for me to get those passwords." Jessie explained.

"So that means we're going in blind?" Wedge clearly didn't like the idea judging by the tone of his voice.

"That's all we got."

"Well, it can't be that difficult right? I mean, it's a reactor; it's gotta be straightforward." Trying to lighten the mood, Wedge chuckled.

"Even if that were the case, security is already tight outside. How'd you think it's gonna be inside? It's madness to go in just four men strong."

"Uh, excuse me, Biggs? Three men and a very talented lady, thank you very much."

An audible sigh. "My point is: what we need is a goddamn army. Or even better yet, a Soldier."

"The hell are you on about?!"

"Wow, dont shoot the messenger, boss. I'm just saying that would be perfect. They'd know the layout of the reactor and can handle security with ease."

"Are you forgetting that all Soldiers work for the enemy, for Shinra?!"

Cloud began to shake, almost violently so. He talked under his breath, but it wasn't the usual nonsense, it was one very clear word.

"Shinra... Shinra." He repeated it a couple more times as he tried to stand up.

Doing her best to not make any noise, Tifa hurried next to him, taking hold of his arm in an attempt to shake him out of it. He fell away from her, hitting the stone floor with a loud thud.

"The hell was that?" Barret called out from the other side.

"Damn it." She muttered under her breath, first trying to pick Cloud up. But that was a no go. As she pulled at the young man, one other word came from his lips. Or rather, another name:

"Sephiroth."

It made Tifa stop dead in her tracks, freeze up. Images flashed through her mind, of her hometown on fire, her father, lying dead on the reactor's floor and finally of the man himself, slashing her with his Masamune.

Knocks on the door of the food cellar, snapped her out of it. She struggled to catch her breath, close to hyperventilating, and forced herself on her feet.

"Tifa, are you okay?" Barret called out.

She hurried over to open the door just a bit, hoping to prevent the man from kicking it in.

"I'm okay. I just dropped a keg of beer, so now it's a mess down here."

The look in his eyes betrayed that Barret did not fully believe the story, but he did not push it. "You need some help?"

"Ah, no. It's fine. It's my mess, so I should clean it up."

"If you say so..."

"Don't let me keep you, Barret. Thanks for checking on me, though."

After giving him a grateful smile, she closed the door right in front of his face. Letting out a long breath, Tifa leaned up against the door. She glanced at Cloud, who was still lying on his stomach on the floor.

Did she really hear that right? Persing her dried-up lips together, she approached with careful steps. Just like the first time she found him, she squadded next to him and reached to touch his bare shoulder.

Letting out a grunt, Cloud moved to a sitting kneel. He glanced around for a moment, until his bright eyes rested on her.

"Tifa."

He spoke clear; no shaking, stammering or nonsensical ramblings. Tifa had to resist grabbing him by his turtle neck, desperate to hold on his moment of clarity.

"Cloud..." So many questions ran through her, but she was afraid that if she asked him anything, he'd slip away again. She kept it simple: "How are you feeling?"

Even that, gave him pause. After a silence, he spoke in a much softer voice: "I'm not sure."

Gently, she guided him back to the mattress to set him down there. "Are you feeling sick?"

At that, Cloud shook his head. "No."

"Then what is it? Can you tell me?"

The young man just stared straight ahead and his eyes were starting to glaze over. No, not again! Not stopping herself this time, Tifa grabbed him by the collar.

"Cloud, stay with me."

But it was useless. He reverted back to his sickly, muttering state. She let go, allowing him to curl back up on his mattress. Seating herself in an attempt to calm down, Tifa pulled up her legs, feeling tears stinging her eyes, but managing to hold them back.

What was going on here? Out of the blue, the man from a past the young woman for the most part tried to forget, steps back into her life. In the worst state ever. So why? Why did he say that name?

What was the use of keeping Cloud here? She could not help him. The moments of clarity never seem to last. Will he ever get better? Then again, Tifa couldn't just put him on the road, leave him to his fate. Not is this state.

I am not given up on you. I will keep going, keep taking care of you, talking to you. Just as long till you are back. You are still in there. You can come back, I have to hold on to that hope.

Standing up, Tifa straightened up with this resolution. She was going to keep to her schedule, and even try to find more moments to slip away and check on him. Perhaps the more he saw her, the more frequently and for longer periods he would snap out of it.

However, with putting Cloud first, she placed herself second. It wouldn't be much of a problem if it were for a short period, but that was not the case. Days turned into a week, then into several with very slow progress.

This started to take a toll on Tifa. And Marle, her grandmother in every way but blood, took notice. Of course, she would.

"My dear, dear girl. What's bothering you? You don't look so good."

"Huh? R-really?"

"Does it have to do with that whole Avalanche thing? If it's too much for you, you can always back out. There is no shame in that, sweetheart. Your health comes first."

"It's not that, not exactly." Brushing some locks of her hair behind her ear, Tifa weighed her options on what to say.

"Rule number one on the ground floor: get some sleep. It's obvious you haven't gotten much of that."

"Yes, I know." Biting her lip, the young woman stopped herself from saying too much. "I will do my best to do better."

"I'm only looking out for you dear."

"Thank you, Marle. I really do appreciate it."

And Tifa did keep to her word once again. Not only because it was better for her health, but also that way, other people wouldn't take notice.

With small steps, Cloud seemed to be getting better. His mumblings lessened and he was starting to eat more. Still, he did not answer any of Tifa's questions about what happened, where he came from, things like that. To her, it wasn't clear if he just willingly refused, or there was something wrong with his memory.

"How's the cellar process getting along? You've been busy with it for some time now." Barret asked the young woman one day.

"Hm, it's getting there. But I'm still not happy, so it might longer."

"Just what are you doin' down there?" He frowned.

"Uh, it's a surprise. I can't tell you." Tifa came up with a quick excuse, smiling at him.

Marlene approached the two of them, holding a pink ball in her hands. "Daddy, Tifa, can we play outside together? Pleeeaaase?"

Who could resist such a cute face paired with those big, soulful brown puppy eyes? They accompanied the little girl to the backyard, where there was more space and it was safer to play catch.

Tifa stood in the back, Marlene half way and Barret was closest to the building. That way he couldn't accidently toss the ball too hard and break a window (yes, it's happened in the past).

They happily played in the afternoon sun. Moments like these, Tifa was extra thankful for. It gave her the chance to just let everything be and laugh like there was not a worry in the world. It felt so nice.

"Yoh Tifa, go long!" Barret called, already winding up for the toss.

"Not too hard, don't break the windows of the neighbors again!"

"Then catch it and we'll be good!"

The ball went high and hard. Tifa ran and jumped, applying her training to catch it. Very impressed by her style and expertise, Marlene clapped her hands.

"Hmf, show off." Barret muttered to himself.

Sounds behind him, made him turn around. It came for the food cellar; the place that Tifa had been working so hard on to improve. And now it sounded like something was messing it up. Or maybe even a thief, trying to steal provisions.

Readying his gun arm, he approached the door, trying the knob first; it was locked. Tifa only now spotted what he was doing and started rushing back.

"Barret, wait!"

"Stay back, I'll take care of this. Marlene, go inside."

The girl hurried back into the bar. With a single, harsh kick, the door snapped out of the lock and swung inward. Instead of a rummaging animal or a straggler pick out stuff, a young man was lying face down on the stone floor.

"What the..."

"Cloud!" Tifa ducked under Barret's arm to get passed him and hurry to the young man's side.

She did her best to lift his upper body to then drape his arm over her shoulder. When she struggled to get him back towards the mattress, Barret snapped out of his stagger. Begrudged, he picked up the stranger at the other side and helped carrying him.

When he was set down, going back into the typical mannerisms, Barret looked over to the young woman fussing over this man.

"Tifa, explain?"

She let out a sigh, there was no getting out of this now. On the other hand, she was relieved that she could at least share her worries with someone.

"This is Cloud. He's... a childhood friend of mine." Maybe a bit excessive, but she couldn't really find a better word for their relationship.

"So, this is what you've been doin'? The hell's gotten into you? Hidin' a guy in your food cellar of all places!"

"I had no choice..."

"And he's sick too. Just what are you thinking?"

"Barret, I—"

"Stop it." Cloud raised his head up, his intense gaze staring directly at the big man in front of him.

He couldn't conceal his astonishment; his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"A damn Soldier?!"

Tifa opened her mouth, but Cloud cut in, his tone sharp as a knife. "Ex-Soldier."

"Are you outta yo mind, Tifa?"

"I found him at the train station. I couldn't just leave him there. Cloud, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good." He tried to stand up, but faltered and fell back to the mattress.

"Damn stubborn, the both of yah." Barret shook his head. "Fine, do what ya want. But this better not get in the way of our plans."

"It wont. Please don't tell anyone about this."

"That there's Shinra scum is under our roof? Yeah, no worries."

It was clear the man wasn't in the mood to hear her out. Hopefully he will come down eventually and Tifa will get that chance.

Cloud was getting more adventurous; moving around, even having more moments of clarity. Focusing on his health first, Tifa left the questions for later. She wasn't quite sure what she did, but he was coming around, much to her relief.

One and a half month after she had found him at the station, he seemed to be better. Mostly. No more nonsensical muttering, or dropping into a pitiful pile. But he also acted like nothing has happened.

"You want to go...?" Tifa looked up at him in worry. She was aware that she had no right to keep him here. Now he was no longer lucid, that really would be like keeping him prisoner. "What are you planning to do?"

"Become a mercenary, make money that way."

Cloud brushed passed her, his eyes set on the distance. She took hold of his arm before she realized it. Don't leave. Don't disappear out of my life again. That what she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't form.

He looked at her over his shoulder. Those eyes have not gotten any less intense. The eyes of a Soldier. Wait...

"I may have a job for you."