Epilogue

Tifa walked along the beach and let the warm waves lap over her bare feet. The sea breeze blew gently across the wide expanse of deserted beach and picked up her long brown hair, swirling it around her shoulders. The hem of her long skirt got soaked by a wave that crashed against her, making the fabric stick to her legs. She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the warm sun soak into her skin and the clean breeze caress her face.

Off in the distance, she heard the lilting sound of a child's laughter. She brought her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun and saw two figures running towards her. One was a tiny girl with long blonde hair. She was being chased by a taller figure that scooped her up in his arms and put her on his shoulders. They ran towards Tifa, both laughing at their game.

Cloud pulled Tifa to him and circled her slim waist with his arms. A chubby little hand slipped over one eye.

"Down, Daddy, down," his daughter demanded. Cloud smiled and swung his daughter back down on the sand, patted her on her rump, and watched as she ran off to look for sea shells.

"She wanted to come and find you," he said. He turned back to Tifa's and watched her face as she watched her daughter run across the sand. He turned her face to his and kissed her lips softly. Tifa slipped her arms around Cloud's neck as he pulled her close.

"I love you," Tifa whispered. She smiled as she felt him grow hard through the thin fabric of her skirt. She looked up into his eyes and kissed him passionately.

"It's her nap time soon. We need some more practice," she said with that sexy smile that drove him wild.

Author's Note: There are many plot threads that I have intentionally left unresolved. The obvious ones are Yazoo and Loz. What are they planning? Also, I have not offered a cure for Geostigma as the movie did. What happens to Reno now that he has gone against Rufus and what of Rufus himself? All these are grist for the mill for future stories.

Some of you have asked if you can expand on some of the back stories I have introduced in Rebirth, such as Vincent's past. I'm proud that you may have been inspired by something I have written and would love to see some of your work. In fact, I am thinking of issuing a challenge to anyone who might want to develop a storyline that branches off Rebirth and explores some of the places I haven't gone yet. Let me know if you're interested.

I am very grateful for the interest Rebirth has generated. The story has over 7500 hits so far! Wow, I never expected that when I started. In fact, I really never knew where the story was taking me until the last few chapters. It's been a blast following Tifa and Cloud on their journey. Thanks again for all your kind words.