MUST READ: This story is set after the game, Aerith is alive in this fic but Tifa and Cloud are still living together, with Marlene and Denzel in their care. Please take note that this is a Noctis x Tifa fic.

Final Fantasy VII and VX solely belong to Square-Enix.

Chapter 1

Tifa stirred her cocktail as she looked down glumly at her drink. She sighed with her eyebrows furrowed while everyone else were enjoying the party, dancing, laughing and whatnot. It was the reception of Cloud and Aerith's wedding and she was the only one that was not happy at all, well, the rest of their AVALANCHE crew were uneasy because of her and there were a lot of reasons.

For a long time already, she had been questioning where her place in the 'family' was, her and Cloud had been raising Marlene, Barret's adoptive daughter that was left on their care so Barret can pursue his dream on finding oil to use as an alternative energy source, and Denzel, the boy Tifa found sleeping outside the bar that they've established on Edge after the fall of Meteor, who she took in and gave him a home, fed him and gave him everything he needed, she had become his mother figure and the boy loved her to no end, she found out that his parents had died when AVALANCHE attacked the mako reactor in sector one two years ago, from that moment on, she knew she had to make it up for him, she was one of the ones responsible for his parents' death after all. But ever since Aerith and Cloud started dating, she was always left alone at home while Cloud and Aerith would take the kids with them for days, and it hurts her that the kids really enjoyed their time with the couple.

When they were home, all the kids would talk about was how great their Aunt Aerith was, or how kind and sweet and funny she was, or they would tell stories of they all went and what they did. Tifa will just go along with it even if her heart was cracking and breaking beyond repair.

There was one time the kids were away and it was Denzel's birthday the next day, she had prepared everything for a surprise birthday party, cake, streamers, balloons, a feast of all his favorites, Cloud had promised to take the kids home with him for the boy's birthday, but on the last minute, he called and said that him and Aerith will take the kids to Gold saucer instead. She was so angry that she destroyed everything she worked hard for, angry tears falling on her face. She ran away from home after that, Cloud was so guilty when they found the state of the bar and went looking for her, he eventually found her in Nibelheim sitting on the well and begged her to come back and told her how sorry he was, Tifa had an outburst and told him how she really felt inside, her love for him and how hurt she was being, which completely shocked the blonde swordsman. She forgave him, but their relationship was never the same again, Tifa never talked to him unless he talked first, trying his best to always start a conversation but failing, she ignores his calls like he did to her before, he never called unless to tell her that he and kids won't be home, but ever since she stopped making contact with him while he was away on deliveries or when he was with Aerith, he felt like something inside him died so he would always call her instead, but she would never answer. Before, she would always keep a straight face when Aerith was around, but she now showed how annoyed she was when her friend was there, her bitter self had emerged even if she didn't want to and it changed her drastically, she was always frowning, she never smiled anymore and she would always lock herself up her room when she can. The Tifa their friends had known was long gone and all they wanted was her to be back on her old self.

That's why she had made a decision, her bags were already packed and she was ready to leave before the night was even over. She will get away from them all and start a new life for her own. The kids have a new mother anyway so they won't be too upset. Nothing, not even the kids, can stop her from going anymore. She felt so empty and lost already and she will not be able to take another day of this life of hers. She had already suffered enough and she knew that she was at her limit.

"Time to go..." She turned around to look at each and everyone of her friends. She was going to miss them, she lingered her eyes to her two kids, she was going to miss them the most, but they needed someone who was more stable than her, she was already too damaged. Then her eyes landed on the couple on the presidential table, she kept a straight face when she realized that Cloud had been staring at her with a pained expression. She wanted to scoff but decided against it, he stood up, not taking his eyes off her. That's when she stood up as well to start walking away. Cloud sat back down when he realized she doesn't want to talk, he sighed with a sad look as he stared at Tifa's retreating back, not knowing that it would be last time he would be seeing her.

Tifa went back to Seventh heaven without any regrets, the look on Cloud's face before she left was pissing her off and all she wanted to do was meet her fists with his face before she left to teach him a lesson but fought hard not to, it was his wedding day after all. She was determined to go, it was now or never, she knew that if someone would see her leave, they would beg her to stay, the kids would cry and it will be very hard for her to leave, so she needed to hurry before someone would find out what she was planning to do. She went inside the house to change and she grabbed her bags before coming down the stairs. She hurriedly went out the door before locking it securely, then she looked around making sure no one she knew was there before she walked to her pick up truck.

Tifa loaded her bags on the back of her truck, she secured them before she slid in the driver's seat, not even sparing a glance on her home, she started driving away, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. Her chest hurts a lot, her face was numb, trying her best to be strong, this decision will change her life, she knows it.

"Dammit." She muttered to herself when tears started rolling down her cheeks. She angrily wiped them away with her hand while she continued driving, she was already on the outskirts of Edge when she started sobbing. She knew there was no use to stop herself from voicing her anguish, she knew that her agony and home sickness will be just for a while, so she just let it all out, and then she will move on. She kept crying as she drove away, remembering all the memories she had, the good ones, with the people she loved, but there was more hurt and she needed to get away from that, she was thinking of going to Costa del sol, maybe open a bar there, meet a great guy who will love her unconditionally, settle down and be happy. Her bitter thoughts continued throughout her journey, her sobs became louder and harder that she didn't notice the twin headlights coming her way. Her eyes widened and her screams of horror filled the air.

A/N: Sorry for the short first chapter, but I'll make it up on the next one.