Chapter one: Cloud's Return, Tifa's Disappointment

Have you excepted forgiveness? Have you forgiven yourself for a crime you've not committed?

He sat heavily on the crumpled bed, resting his weary head on his hands as he thought of all the battles he had encountered, and won, of all the people that had died in those dark times. Of Her...

'Where do I go from here? I've taken down all my enemies--fought till the very end. How do I move on from this point when fighting is still fresh in my blood, and her...her death is still fresh in my memory? It's been two years, how do I forget? How do I move on?'

He heard the front door to the bar downstairs open, then the sound of muffled voices and clangor of boots as they made for the stairs.

'Marlene. Denzel.' the thought of the small children brought a tiny smile to his usually frown set lips. 'They'll be surprised to see me. It's been awhile since I've seen or spoke to anyone. I wonder if they feel I've abandoned them--maybe I have.' Shaking his head with distaste he got up and started stripping off his dirty clothes; getting ready for the shower he much needed. 'No need to look like I've been rolling in mud and smelling like I've been sleeping with pigs in the time I've been away.' He shook his head, his face scrunching up at the thought.

A frown etched on Cloud's lips as he set his weapons aside. His hand gliding down the hard steel--his mind in a whirl. ' I'm a delivery boy now,' he thought as he fingered every niche in his sword.

' What use does a delivery boy need with a weapon...' He angrily rubbed at his face trying to banish the thought away, then grabbed at the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger trying to take the edge off the headache that seemed to have sharpened and poke at his brain with every thought that entered his head.

'I need a long hot, hot shower.' He thought tiredly as he made way towards the door that would bring temporary relief; the bathroom.

"Hey would two be careful please, I don't need any accidents around here!" Tifa hollered at the two excited children running up the stairs.

She put down the two bags of purchases she had gotten for the day and reached into her pocket for her cell phone. 'Maybe today he'll...' Her thought cut off as she opened her phone.

TWO MISSED CALLS

TWO NEW MESSAGES

Her brow raised in curiosity. ' Maybe a call is from him.' She thought hopefully.

Incoming

Barret--12:43

Incoming

Yuffie--2:35

She looked down at the names disappointedly. 'Not him. It wasn't him last week, it wasn't him this week either. When is he ever going to call?' She listened to both messages with feigned interest.

Voice call number one--

"Hey girl, It's Barret! What up boo, when did you start not answering your phone. You tryin to be like Spike head?...say hello to Marlene." BEEP

'Cloud, where are you?'

Voice call number two--

"Hey Tifa, it's me, Yuffie! I just went down to North Corel; you have no idea how hard I had to work to dig up some materia! And how much harder I had to work just to persuade the cheap bastards to let me keep them! It's mine! I dug up so much I just may have more then Cloudy-face!...see ya later Tifa!" BEEP

She sighed heavily and shook her head to get rid of the disappointment. 'At least they're okay.' She thought, putting her phone away. Grabbing the bags she headed to the make shift office she had upstairs.