~Cloud's POV~

I groan as soon as Tifa starts running and rush to follow her. We don't know when the heck we are, and she thinks she's just gonna take a nice evening jog?! Vincent sighs and swiftly walks behind me. I can feel at least twenty pairs of eyes on us, but I don't pay it any mind. As we turn a corner, I see Tifa latched firmly to a very familiar blonde giant. That same giant, cluelessly hugs her back. Hope, much taller than before, looks on with confusion, only to turn and grin when he sees me.

"Cloud!" He calls, waving me over. I smile back, somewhat excited at seeing my old friends again, and jog over. He beams at me and I ruffle his silver hair playfully before looking at Snow and Teef a moment. "How'd you guys get here?"

"... and accident," I frown slightly. He cocks his head to the side, giving me a questioning look. "My fault, naturally."

"So... Is it just you three?"

"Yeah," I nod, look if back at Vincent. He stands a little ways off, watching three men while they lift heavy chunks of stone around.

"He's back?"

"A little unwillingly. No doubt he wants to murder me though," I shake my head. "I'm just as clumsy as you. Accidentally hit the button. But I can't say I'm not glad to be here instead of wasting away in the kitchen at Tifa's bar. Never lets me eat, crazy woman," I add the last part quietly. Hope snickers and glances over at the two, who are chatting at a rapid, hyper pace. Ooo, now they're hugging again. How interesting.

"Ugh, Light never lets me eat either. Says I'll get fat."

"Light's here?" I perk up at the sound of her name.

"Of course," he laughs. "Did you think she was from the sun or something?"

"Well, the sun does give a brilliant flash and then fade away," I smirk. He rolls his eyes at the memory of her he shared with me. "Where is she?"

"Out killing stuff," Snow butts in, hands on his hips. "That's just what she does."

"So she got a new sword?" I ask, relieved that I didn't end up with her last one.

"Take it," Lightning shoveds her precious Blazefire Saber at me

"But Lightning..."

"And my name's Claire," she says firmly, shyly kissing my cheek.

I blink the memory away and absently lay a hand on the gunblade at my hip. Snow looks at it with surprise.

"I was wondering where that thing went, but yeah. She likes her Lionheart better anyway. She should be home in a few hours too. We've been stuck rebuilding this place for a whole year," he motions to the town. "Before it was just a pile of white rubble. Now it's this lovely place." Then he looks over at Vincent, frowning. "Also, tell your friend he's lucky.I'm too nice to beat him up for leaving Fang."

"Hey Vince!" I yell. "You're lucky! Snow's nice!" Oops... I just made him sound kinda gay. Oh well. Red eyes turn to glare at me before meandering over.

"So do you guys wanna stay over at our place until she gets back?" Hope asks... Hopefully. Haha. I'm funny.

"Vincent? You haven't gotten to have a choice at all since we've gotten here," Tifa points out, huddling close to Snow. So clingy, I swear. Vincent gives her a cold look.

"I don't care."

"That time of month?" Snow mumbles. Vincent narrows his eyes at him but says nothing.

"Well I say yes, if it's all right with you guys," Tifa beams at Snow. He smiles back at her.

"Of course! You're always welcome with us. Cmon, I'll show you the way." In a way, Snow's matured some. Less impulsive, it seems, and more polite. Definitely stronger, which is a scary thought, but it's true. Heaving rocks around for a year makes you get some muscle, and if you've already got it, it gives you more. I don't want to be on the end of this guy's arm one day.

"Here it is!" Snow leads us to the biggest of the brick houses. "Everyone had to build their own home because too many people were used to having everything done for them on Cocoon. It really helped them realize life here isn't going to be about luxury, money, and laziness. Not that you can't find it here, it's just that electricity doesn't exactly exist here yet."

"You know, you're starting to sound like Reeve," I shake my head with a small smile. Feels so good to be so close to Light... Closer than I've been in a whole year, plus one month. It feels like... Home.

"Oh jeebus, I am," he frowns a little. "Dang it."

"So what's happened around Gaia while we were gone?" Hope sits on the torn up couch they probably salvaged from somewhere random.

~|~|~|~|~

"Let me see... I think Sazh and Vanille are still at that Font of Namva place," Snow leans his head back to look at the ceiling. All of us are sitting on the dirt floor between the two holey couches, save for Hope, who happily hogs the one behind Snow and Tifa. Vincent sits beside me, across from Tifa, keeping his distance as always.

"The what?" I furrow my eyebrows. Snow face palms.

"Sorry, I forgot you're not from around here somehow. You're like my little brother, ya know?"

"... I'm older than you," I point out. "At least, I think so."

"Really?" He moves his head back up. "How old?"

"Twenty four," I shrug.

"Dang, you're old. I'm rockin the good ol' Twenty Two song." I roll my eyes and look at the wall.

"Gods, we talked for a long time. Nearly two and a half hours."

"I'm hungry," Hope whines.

"Shut up, you're always hungry," a stern yet playful voice comes through the room,the sound of the front door closing. My heart skips. Light! Snow's eyebrows fly up and he jerks his head to the side, a sign for just me.to hide. Smirking, I follow his orders and crouch behind a potted plant. I can tell all three of them want to face palm at my hiding spot choice.

"Tifa?!"

"Oh, hey Lightning," Tifa smiles up at the rose haired beauty in front of her.

"How... Vincent? Odin forbid, I could strangle you with your intestines right now," she grits. "But I won't, because I swore to Fang I'd let her do it herself." Yeah, and I swear Vincent just turned fifty shades of white. She shakes her head and looks back at Tifa.

"How'd you guys get here?"

"We were clearing a few monsters out of the building when I slipped and accidentally hit the portal button to catch myself," Tifa gives a fake sigh. "Guess we're kinda stuck here... Forever."

The realization hits everyone in the room like a ton of bricks. There will be no more tea parties with Marlene, going to the Highwind's house to help Cid out with some engineering stuff while Tifa helped Shera with the kids, no more star gazing with Red, or volunteer coal mining with Barret. The thought makes me sick to my stomach. And they won't ever know what happened to us... Tifa looks ready to cry.

"Barret..." She gasps, burying her face in her hands. "He'll worry himself sick... Think I left Marlene all alone."

"No he won't," Snow says quietly, touching her shoulder. "He knows you wouldn't do that. You're too trustworthy. And you wouldn't let any bad ever happen to you, so maybe they'd figure it out eventually. Sure, some of them night not want to join you, but at least they'll be happy knowing you're safe with a tough guy like me!" She let's out a sad laugh through her tears and wipes them away quickly.

"You're right. Sorry."

"Don't be," he smiles softly, hugging her to his side. Vincent looks down, away from the kinda touching scene. Guilt.

"Want me to heat up some of that pizza you got yesterday?" Lightning raises an eyebrow finally.

"How would you keep it cold?" Tifa sniffs, trying to act as if she didn't just break into sobs in the middle of the living room.

"Magic," Light smirks. "Literally." Can I just jump out of nowhere and kiss her to death please? Wait, what?

"Sounds good then," the brunette nods back. "I'm didn't realize how.hungry in was until now." We all remain silent, waiting for Hope's input of the conversation of food, but he's sound asleep, napping on the torn up, spring exposing couch. Really makes you wish you didn't take this like this for granted.

Once everyone's seated at the table, I sneak out of my hiding place, creeping to the kitchen. Did I say everyone? Vincent stands at the back of the room, arms crossed as he leans back against the wall. I can tell he can see and hear me, but he won't tattle. This is Vincent Valentine we're talking about, you know. So I continue my slow sneaking until I'm right behind Light's chair. I very slowly stand up straight and Snow's eyes twinkle in a laugh he's holding back. As quick as her name, one hand claps over her mouth, the other speedily finding her thin waist. She stiffens, fingers ever so slightly crawling toward her sword. I bring my mouth to her ear with a smirk directed to my amused friends.

"Hey Claire. Miss me?" She stops all movement, turning her head to look at me. She sucks in a quick breath through her nose, the closet thing from a gasp I've every gotten from her.

"Cmmmd!"

"Huh?" I raise an eyebrow teasingly before releasing her mouth.

"Cloud!"

"Yeah, well, that is my name and all, so I can't..."

"You guys made me think he didn't come! That would be messed up!" She shrieks at the three laughing people at the table and the man in the corner's twinkling blood eyes.

"That was the point," I smirk before releasing her.

"I hate you all," she grumbles. I laugh and sit in the empty chair beside her.

"Well we can always leave..."

"Don't make me hurt you," she narrows her eyes at me. Then she looks down at the small portion of my leg that she can still see. "You still have it?"

"Yep," I pat the weapon holder. "Safe and sound. Did you want it back?"

"No," she shakes her head. "I gave it to you."

"Okay," I shrug.

"What have Sazh and Vanille been up to in that chocobo area?"

"Dajh is obsessed with chocobos, and Vanille is even more obsessed. So I guess you could say they spent the past year fan girling over giant birds," Snow yawns.

"What about Fang?" Tifa just has to ask. Lightning finally sighs.

"Nobody's seen her since the day we came back. But there's been a rumor going around that Oerba is populated again, which means someone had to have killed all the Cei'th."

"And you think Fang did?" I frown slightly.

"Who else would?" She shrugs. "Knowing her, she's probably leading the town without knowing it."

Vincent glares at the wall across from him, probably brooding about females. The poor guy has the worst luck with love, but this last time was his fault, and he knows it.

"Hey! You guys were eating without me?!" Comes a sleepy voice from the doorway.

"You were sleeping," Light shrugs. "You get cranky when I wake you up."

"Only if there's no pizza," he grumbles, grabbing a slice.

"Snow!" The front door swings open, a frazzled looking woman standing there. I recognize her as Clark and Mark's mother. "There're Cei'th out there!"

"Let's go," Lightning stands, pulling her new blade out. I gape at the orangish blade, the wicked curve of the metal. She smirks at my reaction before leading Snow out. Hope groans.

"I just woke up!" But he shoves his dinner in his mouth and follows anyway.

"Cmon," I nod for Tifa and Vincent to come.

When we get outside, people have already locked themselves away in their houses, waiting as their protectors move toward the bluish creatures in the middle of the town. There are three of them. Each have one large, split arm for heavy blows, and a giant hand on the other side. In the middle is the a frozen face, it's face looking like it's screaming. Horrible. But our friends still charge on like it's an everyday occurrence.

"Relentless assault," Lighting calls to her companions. They nod.

"What's that?" Tifa frowns.

"Must be a battle method or something," I reply quietly. I watch as Lightning fearlessly slashes at a Cei'th three times before flipping back and firing at the same time, something I've only seen Vincent be able to do. Snow then charges in a punches it, but splashes of water and ice seem to be doing damage instead of his fists. Elemental, maybe? But they don't use materia... Finally, Hope puts on a magnificent show of color, casting a high level lightning spell that makes the whole town light up.

"Stagger!" Hope calls out.

"Launch it!" Snow yells to Light. She does just that, launching it high into the air with her weapon. But the most amazing part is how high she and Snow have to jump to hit it. That, and how they stay suspended for so long. Wow. The rest of the Cei'th are gone just as fast as the first one. Lightning sheathes her weapon and smirks back at us.

"Didn't even break a sweat."

"I could tell," I shake my head. "That was pretty cool."

"Yeah, well," she looks back at Hope. "Heikes to throw temper tantrums with his magic sometimes. Just be glad he didn't use Firaga."

"Then it looks like he set off a bomb," Snow chuckles.

"I'm hungry, so I'm going back," Hope announces. Vincent silently turns to follow him.

"Cmon Tifa," Snow smiles mischeviously. "Let's give these two some alone time."

"Shut up," Lightning rolls her eyes. He winks at me before grabbing Tifa's hand and running for the house. I turn to look back at Lightning, giving her a small smile.

"So, how've you been?"

"Don't act like a stranger," she scoffs, wrapping her arms around me tightly.

"Wow, you never struck me as a 'touchy feely' person."

"Shut up."

"Is that all you know how to say?"

"Cloud."

"Okay, geeze," I chuckle. "I guess that means you missed me then, huh?"

"More than you know," she mumbles against my chest before pulling away.

"Good," I smirk. "Now can we go back? I'm hungry too."

"You're horrible," she rolls her eyes. "Fine."