Wedge, Cloud, and Jessie dismounted the motorbikes. Biggs slid off the wolf's back, allowing her to revert.

Lailah collapsed to the ground, her knees out in front of her with her ankles and feet on either side of her hips. She was trying to catch her breath after running so fast for so long. She took deep inhales and long exhales so she could catch her breath.

Biggs, having been the closest to her, kneeled in front of her. "You okay?"

With a smile, she nodded. She took a few more deep breaths and finally was able to breathe properly. Her legs were still a little achy, but she would be fine. When Biggs offered her a hand, she accepted it and he helped her to her feet. She was grateful for his help and thanked him with a nod.

Gathering near the stairwell, Jessie faced them. "We'll go on foot from here. Don't wanna draw too much attention to ourselves."

Wedge grimaced as he rubbed the sides of his head. "Hey, did these things leave a mark?"

Biggs laughed and playfully nudged his fist against his friend's stomach. "They got you pretty good."

Wedge rubbed his belly when he heard it growl slightly. "Aw...and I'm running on fumes..."

Jessie laughed. "Don't worry, we'll top you up soon enough. Before we go..." She walked up to Lailah and whispered something in her ear. The snowy-haired girl was shocked at what she was told. Giggling, Jessie backed up. "Just think about it, okay?"

With wide eyes, the shapeshifter nodded.

This made Jessie smile even more. "Great! Now let's roll."

Lailah followed Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs up the stairs with Cloud behind her. As they made their way up the stairs, she heard her childhood friend ask, "What did she say?"

The girl froze mid-step. She wondered what to tell him but decided to keep it a secret. Turning to him, she smiled and placed a finger over her mouth with a playful wink.

Cloud was taken aback and simply stared at her back while she continued up the stairs. He followed after her and soon arrived at the gate blocking their way. At Jessie's words, he opened the gate and they entered the residential area.

At the end of the tunnel, they came to a stop.

Jessie took a few steps towards Cloud and Lailah. "Here we are—the employee housing district. Where they put you when your parents work for Shinra. While their reactors were slowly killing the planet, we were living the good life..."

Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie went on ahead.

Lailah looked around the employee housing district. It was a peaceful neighborhood with parks and courts where kids could play. The houses were small, but they were the perfect size to support a small family. She walked a little ways up the street with Cloud following her.

Wedge was sidetracked by a cat but soon jogged ahead when the feline ran off. Biggs, on the other hand, found himself in front of a billboard.

At the first branching street, Lailah and Cloud caught up with everybody on the corner.

Jessie was looking at the house on the other side of the street. "Figures. Still leaves the lights on every night for the girl who only comes home once every other blue moon. Mom's an old-fashioned type like that."

"Think she'll make us pizza?" Wedge asked as they crossed the street. "Her "Midgar Special"?"

"She's quite the cook," Biggs commented. "Quick to whip up finger-lickin' food even if you drop by in the dead of night."

"And she loves guests who ask for seconds or thirds," Jessie added.

Arriving at the front door, she said, "Okay, let's head in." She then addressed the blonde and the shapeshifter. "Cloud, Lailah—you two know what to do. Why don't you guys wait around the corner over there?"

"Ah. Okay," Cloud replied.

Lailah didn't argue and they headed to their hiding spot.

"It's a shame you two won't get to try the Midgar Special. You both would've really liked it," Wedge said.

Cloud leaned against the house, arms folded across his chest. He closed his eyes and recalled what Jessie told him and Lailah at the train station before they ran into Wedge and Biggs.

While waiting for the signal, Cloud opened his eyes when he heard a 'meow'. What he saw was Lailah petting some of the cats. As he watched her, a minuscule and rare smile tugged at his lips. However, it quickly vanished when she stopped and spun on her heels to face him. His eyes locked with hers. From her expression, she wanted to say something. "What is it?" He asked.

Smiling, Lailah used her finger to beckon him forward.

Cloud was a little hesitant but his curiosity got the better of him. He uncrossed his arms and pushed himself off the house, wondering what she wanted.

Once he was close enough, she kissed him on the cheek. Fortunately, her heels provided just enough height for her to reach his cheek. Taking a few steps back, she smirked when noticing the wide-eyed expression on his face.

Returning to reality, Cloud remembered what Jessie said earlier and wondered if it had to do with their secretive behavior. The happiness from the peck on the cheek wavered as he asked, "Did Jessie put you up to this?"

Lailah pulled out her notebook and wrote her response.

'She told me how you deserved a reward and a kiss on the cheek would be perfect.'

She then grew concerned and quickly wrote something else.

'Oh, no. Did I make you uncomfortable? I'm so sorry, Cloud.'

He sighed. He felt somewhat disheartened that this was Jessie's idea and not hers. "You didn't. You don't have to do something if you don't want to."

She held up the notebook to show her next words.

'I didn't force myself. I wanted to do it.'

Cloud fell silent out of shock.

This worried her.

'Is that weird?'

He looked away, embarrassed. The happiness he felt earlier returned but it didn't show on his face. "No..."

She wrote down some more.

'To be honest, I've wanted to do it for a while.'

He felt his heart flutter. "Why?"

'Words on paper and smiles can't convey everything. I wish I could talk so I could tell you everything I was thinking.'

Cloud read her reply a few times before one question popped into his head. "You...want your voice back?"

She smiled in amusement and wrote back.

'Of course I do. I'd love to talk to you without needing to write everything down. I feel like this notebook isn't enough and is just annoying to you and so many others.'

He placed his hand on top of the notebook, lowering it. "It's not annoying, but..." He met her gaze. "I would like to hear your voice."

She blinked wide-eyed at his honesty. It took her by surprise. She felt shy and happy, wondering how to respond. She was becoming flustered and her cheeks turned slightly red. She hid her face by turning her back to him. However, her attention was drawn to the light when it flipped on.

Although curious about her behavior, Cloud dismissed it for the time being to focus on the mission. "Time to go."

Putting her notebook and pen away, Lailah followed him to the back of the house. Quietly, they entered the home and saw the two doors Jessie told them about. They could hear the others from the kitchen as they silently made their way across the room. Focusing on the right door, they entered the bedroom. Inside they found Jessie's dad hooked up to medical equipment.

While Cloud searched for Rowan's ID card, Lailah felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow wash over her at seeing the state of Jessie's father. She walked over to him and stood by his bedside. Gently, she placed a hand on his arm and provided him with some minor healing to ease him in his comatose state. She didn't think much about her spell until she heard a small groan from Rowan. Alarmed, she gasped as the man's eyes opened. She saw him look directly at her before his eyes slid shut.

Looking over at the monitor, she calmed herself when seeing his vitals were still the same. She calmed her racing heart and stepped away from Rowan. She was too focused on him to hear the cheerful chatter of the others from the kitchen. She took a few steps back from the bed and felt her back collide with something. Turning around, she saw it was someone, not something.

Cloud, who had the ID in his hand, saw she was white as a sheet. "What's wrong?"

She quickly looked back at Rowan but decided to not say anything just yet. She shook her head and gestured to the door. She took the lead and left the house with her friend.

They walked back around to the front of the house and a little ways down the road.

"Mission accomplished," Cloud said. He glanced over at Lailah to see she was staring at the house. He knew something happened and she was hiding it from him. When he was about to question her, the others joined them.

"Hey there," Jessie greeted the two friends.

Cloud held up the ID card. "This it?"

Jessie took the card and walked a little ways up the street. "Now comes the hard part. I'm gonna use this to sneak into the 7-6 Annex."

"All right, let's get to it," Biggs said.

"Sorry, but you're staying outside. Only I know what to steal from where, so it's gotta be me who goes in."

This perturbed the man. "So...we came all this way just to eat pizza?!"

Jessie chuckles. "You think I'd let you off that easy? You're gonna earn every slice helping Cloud and Lailah. Just do the thing where you draw everyone's attention away, like you did at my parents'. What's the word again? Maybe I'm more nervous than I thought."

"Diversion," Cloud said.

"Yeah, that! Nice one, military man."

"So what, does this mean we're gonna ask some Shinra folks out to dinner?" Wedge asked.

"You know damn well what she means." Biggs playfully punched him in the gut, earning a grunt from him. He then turned back to Jessie. "While you're inside, we make sure the guards are focused on the outside. Yeah?"

Jessie nodded. "Exactly. Couldn't've put it any better. When you see a flare go up, that's your cue. Rush the front gates and make for the warehouse plaza. The more hell you raise, the more time you buy me."

Biggs gestured to Cloud and Lailah. "You're gonna run these guys into the ground, aren'tcha?"

"How much time do you think you'll need?" The blonde asked.

"Not too much. I'll be in and out. I'll send up another flare when I'm done. We rendezvous in the vacant lot up ahead," Jessie answered.

"Hold on," Biggs stopped her before she could run off. "How are we supposed to get back to the slums? Wait for the first train?"

"No, I wanna be back before that. Don't worry, I have something worked out. Now, let's get this done." Jessie ran off.

Biggs threw his hands up into the air. "Well, that diversion's not gonna create itself."

Sector 7-6 Annex Infiltration...

The group proceeded up the road in the direction Jessie went. It was only then did Biggs ask, "Jessie's dad was in there, right?"

Cloud noticed Lailah tensed at the mention of Rowan but tried his best to ignore her strange behavior. "Yeah."

"Mako poisoning. Happened while Jessie was doing a show at the Gold Saucer—Ah, but what do you both care?"

Lailah wanted to hear the story. She grabbed Biggs' hand and tugged to get his attention.

Cloud also expressed interest. "No, I wanna hear it."

Biggs looked at Lailah before giving her and the ex-SOLDIER the details. "Jessie always wanted to be an actress. Worked her ass off for years until finally she caught a break. Top billing. Parents were thrilled. And then...right before opening night..."

"Her dad had an accident," Wedge spoke up, his voice laced with sorrow.

"Collapsed from overwork...and in the worst possible place. Mako storage. Lay there half a day before someone found him. Been like that ever since. No change whatsoever. That's what got her into planetology and led her to seek out Avalanche. How far we've come..."

"Jessie's got a theory about it. Thinks her dad's spirit is stuck now—between his body and the heart of the planet. So if we don't shut down the reactors soon..."

"He'll get caught up in the flow and...poof." Biggs heard a dejected chuckle from the blonde. "What's so funny?"

"Just that I understand how you feel," Cloud replied. "Unlike most of the time."

"I see..." It was then did Biggs notice the girl had stopped. "Lailah?"

Cloud hadn't realized she fell behind until he turned to see her frozen in place, eyes wide. He couldn't keep quiet any longer and walked up to her. "Something happened and you're not telling me."

Lailah met Cloud's gaze for a second before looking over at Biggs and Wedge. She saw their concerned expressions and sighed. She knew she couldn't hide it any longer. Pulling out her notebook, she told them what happened.

'Back at the house, Jessie's father woke up. It was only for a few seconds, though.'

"Wh-What...?" Wedge sputtered in pure shock, eyes wide as saucers. "Y-You saw Jessie's dad wake up?!"

She quickly wrote down her reply.

'Yes, or maybe I'm delusional and it was all in my head.'

"How... How is that even possible?" Biggs asked, sharing the same shocked expression as Wedge.

"Because of who she is," Cloud replied. "Remember what I told you?"

Biggs' attention was solely focused on Lailah. "A direct descendant from the planet herself... You have a direct link to the lifestream. That's where you get all your magic."

"Not only that," Cloud said. "Ever felt something strange while being around her?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah," Wedge responded.

Cloud crossed his arms, glancing over at her. Receiving a nod of approval, he told them more about her. "Mako flows through her blood. She needs it to survive."

Wedge gasped in horror. "Th-Then that means if the lifestream dries up, Lailah will..." He couldn't even bring himself to finish his sentence.

The ex-SOLDIER uncrossed his arms. "It's because of that I can't let Shinra get their hands on her. If they found out who she was, who knows what they'll do to her."

Biggs chuckled lightly. "Looks like Lailah's got herself a knight in shining armor. Guess it would be more appropriate to say "merc" in shining armor."

"Lailah's my friend too!" Wedge interjected. "I'll protect her too!"

The man laughed a second time. "Just admit that you like her."

"Wha—?!" He shrieked. "Why would you say that now?!"

"Because I'm tired of hearing you go goo-goo gaga over her whenever she's not around. Grow some balls already, man." Biggs then took notice of Cloud's warning glare, which was directed towards both him and Wedge. Tifa had told them how overprotective of Lailah he was. "On second thought, maybe—"

"No! I will say it here and now!" Wedge interrupted, having missed Cloud's threatening glare. "I think Lailah is cute and pretty and badass! What makes her even better is she loves cats! Biggums, Reggie, and Smalls would love her!"

Lailah was too stunned to speak. It sounded like a declaration of love, but she wasn't positive. She's never had anyone profess their love for her and wasn't sure what to do. However, she didn't get to pull out her notebook. A certain jealous blonde had seized her wrist and tugged her towards the bridge in front of the Sector 7-6 Annex.

"We don't have time for any of this," Cloud snapped.

"Okay, okay," Biggs said as he and Wedge caught up. "We'll drop it only if you promise not to tell Jessie about this little chat. When she gets pissed, she gets punchy."

Cloud let go of his friend's wrist. "Well... No promises."

"He's serious, Cloud! She'll beat the shit out of us!" Wedge screeched.

"Not my problem."

"This guy!" Biggs scoffed. "Then go ahead and tell Lailah how—"

Cloud sent his sharp glare towards him, successfully silencing him.

Crossing the bridge, they were close to their destination.

"Hey! It's the lot Jessie was talking about. We rendezvous here when we've got what we came for," Wedge said.

Trekking up a stairwell, they hid behind the wall just before the security checkpoint.

"Gotta stay hidden—wait for the signal," Biggs stated.

Wedge noticed how the area was eerily silent. "It's so quiet..."

Lailah poked her head out from cover. She examined the security office to see it was empty. Puzzled, she got Cloud's attention.

He too saw the empty room. "Wait. Where are the guards?"

Sneaking over to the checkpoint, they peered through the glass to see the guards were unconscious.

"Looks like someone beat us here," Biggs commented.

"And I don't think it was Jessie," Wedge added.

"This had better not get in the way of our plans..."

"It won't," Cloud sternly declared.

Entering the S7-6 Annex, there were no guards patrolling the area. All was quiet. It made the group feel unsettled.

"Don't see anyone. What the hell happened?" Biggs asked.

"Hey, man, the plaza's that way. Warehouses are further in. Jessie's supposed to be circling around from the back, right...?" Wedge inquired. The two members of Avalanche took cover behind a wall regardless of the current lack of guards.

Lailah was looking around the area when she overheard the conversation between the three men.

"No need for us to rush. Let's scout it out first," Biggs said.

Cloud, feeling rather confident, replied with, "Lailah and I can handle this by ourselves."

"What, you're trying to keep us out of it now just so you can show off to your "friend"?" Biggs scoffed. "Don't be a jackass."

"We're in this together!" Wedge cheered.

Cloud's brows furrowed. "I'm not—" He sighed, deciding it would be pointless to justify his decision. "Don't expect me to save you."

"If you need to check your gear, now's the time. Give the word when you're good to go," Biggs advised.

Wedge pointed to a vending machine across the way. "You can use that vending machine over there to stock up!"

Looking to his left, Biggs spotted another find. "Guess there's a training center too. Could go a few rounds before the main event."

Lailah rejoined the boys after buying a few things from the vending machine. She sent Cloud a smile to tell him she was ready. Seeing as he too was prepared for what lied ahead, he didn't waste any more time. He told Biggs, who proceeded to share the rest of the details of their plan. "Okay. Let's go over the plan one last time. You and Lailah start things off by cutting loose where everyone can see you both."

"And us?" Wedge inquired.

Biggs pointed to the path they would be using to climb up to higher ground. "We're the backup. First, we climb high enough to get a vantage point—then we go to town on 'em."

Cloud looked up, only to be drawn to the stars above. A memory of him and Tifa as children in Nibelheim resurfaced. It was the night they met on the water tower so he could tell her about his plans to become a SOLDIER and the promise he made her. The memory then transitioned into to when he talked to Tifa earlier that day at the bar. He recalled what she said.

"I know we have to think big if we're going to make a difference...but not like this. I just... I feel trapped."

Suddenly, another memory from his childhood swam to the surface. This time, it was of him and Lailah.

*****

It has been a year since Lailah arrived in Nibelheim. She had been taken in by Cloud and his loving mother, Claudia. Although he was a recluse, he had grown close to her and spent most of his time with her. He tried not to get close to her, but his mother begged him to get to know the mysterious girl. Now, they were practically inseparable.

Looking for the girl, Cloud walked outside in the dead of night. He didn't find her in the spare bedroom and wondered where she went. He looked up at the water tower to see she was pacing back and forth up top. What made him anxious was how close to the edge she was.

Climbing the ladder up to the top, the blonde called out the girl's name. "Lailah." He wound up startling her, resulting in her making a misstep. One foot slipped off the edge, earning a sharp gasp from her. Cloud was quick enough to grab her arm and pull her back before she fell off the water tower. He glared at her. "What were you thinking? It's dangerous up here."

With a troubled expression, Lailah leaned against the wooden tub. Slowly, she sunk down with her knees tucked to the side.

Cloud knew something was wrong. He sat beside her and gazed up at the nighttime sky before looking over at her. "You're acting weird."

She hung her head, using her shoulder-length snowy locks to hide her face. She refused to look at him.

The boy sighed. "We're friends, aren't we? Don't friends usually talk to each other about everything, even the stuff that's bothering them?"

Slowly, the girl lifted her head. Still troubled, she curiously glanced at him. She was surprised to hear him call her a "friend" after he tried to avoid her for so long.

"You have that notebook my mom got you, right?" He asked.

She nodded and pulled out the cute floral notebook and matching pen from the pocket of her overall dress.

"Now write down what's wrong. We're not leaving until you tell me."

Lailah pressed the tip of the pen against a fresh page of the notebook. She hesitated for a few seconds before writing down what was troubling her. She showed him the page.

'What if those people come here and hurt us?'

Cloud read her words a few times. He knew she was referring to the people who attacked Tellus. Ever since she arrived in Nibelheim, she was plagued by a nightmare. She kept seeing the men who invaded her village and killed not only he parents but also the entire population. All except for her. She was a lone survivor.

"If they do, then I'll protect you," he said, staring into her golden eyes. "No matter where you go, I'll find you and protect you. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you."

Lailah was taken aback. Cloud had really opened up to her in the past year. It took him a few months to hold a proper conversation with her, but now he was comfortable enough to speak his true feelings. She smiled and closed the notebook. She slid it and the pen back into her pocket. Just when she thought their conversation was over, he held out his pinky. She stared wide-eyed at it, remembering she was the one to teach him the gesture. With a smile, she wrapped her pinky around his.

A rare smile appeared on Cloud's face. "It's settled, then. I'll protect you, Lailah."

*****

Cloud was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a tug on his shirt. Blinking a few times, he saw a worried Lailah peering up at him. He gazed into her eyes, remembering all the memories he made with her before she left for Tellus. He even recalled the moment he realized he liked her as more than a friend. He thought maybe it was simple admiration for her magic but he was sorely mistaken. He had fallen in love with the girl so many years ago. And now, they were back together, almost as if they had never been separated.

Not caring that Biggs and Wedge were watching, Cloud connected their pinkies like that night in Nibelheim. "You've gotten stronger, but I'm still going to keep that promise we made."

Lailah's emotions were a mix of confusion and happiness. Confused because of his sudden behavior change but happy at his words. Titling her head, she wondered what came over him.

Cloud unlatched their pinkies and read her expression easily. "Don't ask."

She smiled in amusement and decided to not ask for his sake.