~Tifa's POV~

"Do you think he would mind if I gave him some company?" I ask, standing from my spot beside Cloud.

"If he did he wouldn't show it," Lightning says in a flat voice. "But I wouldn't ask too many questions. We've both had a rough couple of days."

"I won't," I nod and walk toward the wall of a man. He's so tall! And I always though Barret was a giant. His pale trenchcoat stands out against the bright grass as he stands by the edge of a short cliff, lost in thought. I slowly approach him from behind, standing at his side to take in the view. If he notices me, he says nothing. I watch him for a moment before looking away. His eyes practically match his name, their icy cold color that seems warm and friendly at the same time.

"Great view," he finally says, no hints of the frustration he left with in his voice.

"Yeah," I nod. "I never really spent much time looking from here."

"Reminds me of home," he says a little quieter. "Do you know what an adamantoise is?"

"Mhmm."

"Those were always walking around. There were these things like wolves that were called Gorgonopsids that never seemed to go away. Too many of them if you ask me." I smile and listen to him talk about his planet. How could someone from another universe be called an alien? "This place actually reminds me of someone named Serah," he says, a little sadder now.

"Who was she?" I look up at him again. He shakes his head.

"Someone... Really important to me."

"Like a lover?"

"You're smart," he smiles at me. He looks so much better when he smiles.

"So what happened to her?" His smile falls. Oops.

"I'd rather not tall about it. It's kinda my fault anyway."

"Snow," I say firmly. I've had enough of this crap from Cloud before, I'm not about to let him do the same thing. "Whatever happened was probably not your fault, and blaming yourself isn't going to make anything better. Okay?" He nods and looks back out at the plains. "Hey."

"What?"

"Don't be like Cloud. He got all depressed after Aeris and Denzel died. I'd hate to see another friend of mine suffering from self loathing."

"Who's Denzel?"

"A homeless kid we took in. He and Cloud both had a bad disease called Geostigma. We found the cure and thought that Denzel was okay, but a week later he had an attack that killed him. That's why Cloud likes Hope so much."

"Must've been hard on you," he looks over and I will myself not to cry.

"I guess. He was like my own kid." I'm suddenly enveloped in two big arms.

"Well don't end up like either of us crazy blondes then, huh?"

"I'll try," I laugh, accepting his hug. He smells so good... What the heck, Tifa?!

"So you and Cloud," he pulls away with a smile. "You two together?"

"Nah," I wave my hand. "I liked him at one point and we tried things, but he really only loved me as a sister and he was just some childhood dream to me, so now we're just friends."

"Hmm," he nods. "So why were you guys out here?"

"Just the annual get together," I grin over at the Highwind. "Everyone's always so busy that we have to set a date that everyone is free on. I'm surprised Vincent even showed up. He doesn't exactly like a crowd."

"Wouldn't seem like it. He sounds like a solitary person."

"He is," I nod. "Another example of a man depressed over a dead lover."

"Sounds like life here is pleasant," he scoffs.

"It was before Shinra, Sephiroth, and Hojo," I mumble.

"Don't make me hug you again," he threatens playfully. I'd enjoy it. My cheeks glow the tiniest bit when I laugh.

"I won't. I could be a mugger for all you know."

"Oh come on, a little girl like you?"

"Hey!" I punch him in the shoulder gently. Well, gently for me anyway.

"Okay! So the little girl's feisty! I get it!"

"And that wasn't even hard," I smirk, crossing my arms. He holds up his fists and bounces side to side, faking a punch.

"Really? Then we should spar sometime, Teef."

"I'd totally kick your butt," I giggle, imitating his position. Then I pause. "Hang on, is that how you actually hold your fists when you're fighting?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Here," I reposition his hands. "That's more effective."

"Thanks! Now I'm gonna kick you're butt with your secret!"

"I guarantee I know more moves than you, Beanie Boy."

"Hey!"

"Race you back to Fang!" I call back as I start running.

"No fair, you cheater!"

We aren't exactly the fairest racers. Once he passed me, I grabbed his ankle and knocked him onto his stomach. When he finally caught up, he pulled me back by my wrist. Then I swept my leg out and tripped him, winning by mere moments. Fang raises an eyebrow at our muddy and grass stained appearances.

"Her/his fault!" We say at the same time, each pointing at the other.

"So immature," she sighs with a smirk. "Then again, you always were, Snow."

"Hey, she started it!"

"Exactly what I was talking about," she shakes her head. "You're Tifa, right?"

"Yep," I smile. "Fang?"

"You got it! Best huntress in all of Gran Pulse!" She says proudly.

"Best martial artist on Gaia," I grin, crossing my arms.

"You sure, Missy? Like to see ya take Snow on sometime. Big oaf's got some power."

"I've never been hurt by a wall before, I think I'll be fine." Snow gives me a mock offended face and Fang laughs.

"Definitely a fighter, if not with fists than with her tongue."

Sazh jogs over, panting.

"I'm getting too old for this," he wheezes.

"Take it easy, old guy," Snow smiles, clapping him on the back and almost knocking him over.

"I won't even have a back if you keep doin that, Trenchcoat," the dark skinned man teases. I get the feeling that this group is usually happy go lucky when they aren't in a mess. Well, unless you don't count Lightning. She seems a little stoic and stiff. Fang is like a female Cid, I can't help comparing them.

"Not tryin to break you, Sazh," Snow chuckles. Then he looks back at Fang. "Where'd the kids go?"

"Well besides you, the kids are with Cloud," she smirks.

"I'm not a kid," he frowns.

"Keep telling yourself that," she sneers. "And they went hunting because they want to camp out here with us."

"Sounds fun!" I cheer. Yuffie jolts awake from where she was napping on the ground next to a silent Vincent.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, go to sleep, Yuffs," Fang shakes her head. Yuffie nods and shuts her eyes. "What?" The dark haired woman demands. "She's like an evil Vanille. I like it." Vincent surprises us by scoffing. "What's wrong, Vampy Boy? Got anything better?"

"She is a one winged angel," he says calmly, the amusement locked behind his crimson eyes obvious. He really changed. Fang breaks out in a smile.

"Nice one, Vampy."

"I am not a vampire."

"Ugh, the Cei'th vampires were the worst," Snow shudders.

"Agreed," Sazh nods. "I gotta go keep an eye on that Barret guy's kid."

"You go do that," Fang rolls her green eyes.

"Have fun!" I call after him.

"You're too nice, you know that?" Snow eyes me.

"And you're too tall, Mr. wall."

"Did that purposely rhyme?"

"Maybe."

He scoffs and lays down on the grass, hands behind his head. Fang fiddles with her large spear while Vincent watches her with obvious curiosity. Father off, Dajh chases Marlene around the grass, Sazh not far behind. I can see four people emerging from the woods, two shorter and two taller, dragging something behind them. When they make it up to us, I see that the people are Hope, Vanille, Lightning and Cloud. And they're dragging a giant deer.

"Wow Light. Take that down yourself?" Snow smiles. She rolls her eyes and smiles slightly.

"Had a little help, idiot."

Six holes circle the animals hide around it's ribcage. Fang notices too, a grin breaking out on her face.

"Good job, Vanille!"

"I just held him!" She stands a little taller, what looks like a huge antler in her hand, topped with barbed hooks.

"Whoa, what is that thing?" I furrow my eyebrows at her weapon.

"Watch!" She says cheerfully, swinging it behind her head and thrusting it forward, long lines ended with the hooks stretching out and striking the ground before retracting. "See?"

"That's pretty cool," I nod.

"No, Lightning's gun blade is cool," Cloud disagrees. The rose haired woman scoffs, but the pleased look on her face is clear.

"Sazh's guns convert into one," Hope offers. That catches Vincent's attention, and Fang notices, chuckling.

"Like firearms, Vampy?"

"They're what I use," he shrugs, trying to look disinterested. "And my name is Vincent."

"Fine, geeze cranky."

"Vincent."

"Vince."

"Close enough."

"Let's get set up," Cloud breaks in. "The sun's going down and that's when the monsters like to come out."

"Monsters won't be a problem," Fang states proudly.

"Unfortunately," Cloud frowns. "I don't think you know what kinds of lovely surprises we get around here. Tonberries are the worst. One cut, and you're dead."

"I think ours were a lot weaker," Vanille says after a moment of silence. More silence follows as we all get to work. Vincent carries all the tents down from the Highwind at once, which leads to extreme teasing from Fang about drugs being bad. Cloud sets up the fire, letting Hope cheat by casting a simple fire spell. Snow helps me build the tents, doing them wrong more than once. Marlene goes up to the Highwind. Once everything is set up (minus the one tent I'm fixing for a certain mentally challenged blonde that came from another planet), we all end up sitting around the fire like some cliche movie or something.

"I've got to admit, you all aren't half bad," Fang lays on her back, crossing her legs while she looks up at the sky.

"Oh just wait until Cid is in one of his moods," Yuffie scoffs. "He's the devil."

"Mhmm," Cloud nods his agreement. "Actually, Fang you kinda remind me of him. Only more... Womanly, obviously."

"Nice one, Strife," she chuckles, kicking at him playfully. "So Vinnie, you like the dark, eh?" We all look to see Vincent is (rather, was) more relaxed than usual. Now he's just uncomfortably shifting.

"It is... More comfortable and secure for me, yes."

"You're a strange man, Vincent," Vanille cocks her head to the side. "It's like darkness radiates off you." His crimson eyes flicker down to the ground. Poor guy. "But at the same time... It's like light is fighting to come through." Our leather clad companion just shrugs and looks off into the darkness. Avalanche obviously knows what she's sensing, but out new friends are probably curious.

"Well," Snow stands finally, brushing dirt off his rear. "I'm turning in for the night. See ya tomorrow, guys!" Mutters of 'Goodnight' and 'Me too' fill the silent gap, and all of us go to sleep until it's just Vincent, Fang, Lightning, and me.

"Hey Lightning?" I say to get her attention. She seems so lost in thought. "If you don't mind me asking, who's Serah?" She visibly tenses, making me think I said the wrong think. But after several long moments of her looking off into space, she answers.

"She was my younger sister and Snow's fiancée. And before you ask, she died in a car accident yesterday. Or maybe it was today. Could've been a week. Nobody knows how long we were laying in the woods."

"That's... That's terrible," I furrow my eyebrows, moving to sit closer to her. But not too close. I don't want to push the cautious woman away. She's not cold. I mam most never call someone cold. You can tell she's been through a lot in her life. Sephiroth... He wasn't cold. He was broken, and no one fixed him in time to save him.

"Well I don't want your pity," she states firmly. "Once again, something that happened to her in Snow's fault. They got in a fight and he was stupid enough to let her go rage driving while she was pissed." She clenches her fist and releases it. Fang and Vincent remain totally silent, staring into the flames, both lost in the past. "I... I really hate that man sometimes."

"It's alright," I pull her into a hug that causes her to jump, obviously not expecting it. "I hate a lot of people sometimes. All of them being in Avalanche or people at the airport." She laughs quietly and shakes her head. "But really, Light... Can I call you that?" She nods. "You can talk to me whenever you need to. We'll sit down over a beer and rant about how much life sucks and stupid men." She laughs again, even Fang breaking into a small smile.

"I am feeling the need to defend my gender," Vincent teases me, raising one ebony eyebrow.

"I didn't mean you, Vince. You're smart. Others, like Cloud, are totally pathetic."

"Well aren't you nice."

"Vincent, you have such a dry sense of humor," I say playfully.

"Thirty years in a coffin does that to you."

"I should try it sometime then."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"Because your definitely an expert."

"How many people do you know that have spent decades locked in a death box in a bat infested basement?"

"Fine, you win."

"Wow Vince," Fang smirks. "Quite the secret chatterbox, eh?"

"I speak when I wish to."

"And we're back to mid evil speech," she says boredly.

"Thou art most irritating, as thine speaking makes my head throb," he forces a mischeviously grin back. Vincent... Don't let him fool you. He's a funny dude, talks when he's in the mood, and it only takes a bad joke or two to cure his angsty moods.

"I'm going to bed," Lighting stands. I nod. "

"Me too. Oh the joys of sharing with Yuffie. I bet you that she invited Vanille and there's no space left," I smile.

"You're always welcome in mine," Lighting surprises me by offering. "There's plenty of room and Fang prefers sleeping outside."

"That I do, and don't you forget it!" The woman says proudly.

"Well then I'm in for a lovely evening," Vincent says sarcastically.

"Don't make me poke you with my stick."

"Don't make me poke you with my gun."

"I wouldn't bother Vampire Boy, Fang," Lighting smiles, earning a scowl from Vince. "Come on Tifa. Might as well try to sleep in this weird place."

"It's not weird for me, but sounds good," I laugh, following the rose haired soldier. "Night Light."

"Ha-ha, you're so funny," she retorts.

"Get used to it," I fire back, shutting my eyes once my head touches the ground. Goodnight Snow.