Behind Enemy Lines

Summary: AU Our heroes find themselves living through Wutai war and Tifa is a skilled undercover spy, but what happens when Sephiroth the most feared general of the enemy blows her cover? SephirothTifaCloud

Disclaimer: unfortunately I own nothing but the plot dancing in my mind and all the other useless crap in there. FFVII is the property of Square Enix.

Chapter 1 – The work of a spy

Seventh Heaven was unusually busy tonight, the bar was filled with raucous laughter and the air was thick with smoke. Tonight's patrons were mostly soldiers who'd just been relieved from their posts in frontline trenches on the Western Continent. Tension had been building for years between Shinra and Wutai, and relationships only worsened when the states of Cosmos and Gongaga officially allied themselves with Wutai to form the Frontier Alliance. Communications between the two sides broke down and for months the world balanced on a knife edge, people held their breath. Then at 2:25am of the 15th of March, a Wutai ship was blasted by a missile killing all 38 people on board. Shinra claimed the vessel was ferrying high grade weapons to terrorist groups, Wutai accused Shinra of obliterating a merchant ship and its innocent crew. Not a day later Wutai declared war and thing began a rapid downhill slide with months of vicious and bloody fighting. Eventually it became apparent that the Frontier army had no chance of overtaking the western continent, so tactics were changed and the Frontier troops were told to dig down and go defensive. Despite numerous attempts assaults and carefully planned attacks on the trenches, the Shinra troops were unable to break through so they too were told to dig. Thing out at sea weren't proceeding any better, because while Wutai's navy was by far superior, their army were no match for the elite SOLDIERs of Shinra. So while Wutai ships controlled the seas, they stayed clear of the Eastern continent. It was clear to both sides now that whoever was the first to mass send fighter jets into mass production first would most likely win the war.

Tifa had been operating as a spy in Midgar since before the war had begun and it was now her permanent post. Seventh Heaven was a bar popular with Shinra's SOLDIERs and mercenaries and it wasn't hard for the young woman to gather information, especially when she wore her tiny black skirt and low cut tank top. But tonight, Tifa wasn't after small fry, at this very moment five high ranking Shinra employees were under the roof.

The 21 year old woman left her two other co-workers at the counter as she carefully carried two bottles of their finest wine up stairs to their important guests. She knocked politely on the heavy soundproof oak door and waited, her heart pounding nervously. She'd been successfully passing information to the Eastern Continent for just over two years now, but even the most skilled spy would be a fool for feeling no fear as they were about to step into a room with some of their most powerful enemies.

A gruff voice called for her to enter. Taking a deep breath to steady herself and hitching her already short skirt up slightly more, Tifa twisted the shiny brass doorknob. Once inside she flashed her sweetest smile as she quickly scanned over the scene before her, she recognised every one of them from their profiles. Five men and one woman sat at a round mahogany table, it was obvious they'd been in deep conversation before she had arrived. The man closest to her with dark hair was Reeve Tuesti, head of redevelopment and civil engineering. Sitting to his right was an overweight man with a large beard named Heidegger who Head of Shinra's Public Safety Maintenance Department, which was just a euphemism for Shinra's military. The woman sitting next to him couldn't have been more different, she was blonde and beautiful but her expression showed she clearly knew it, and according to Tifa's sources her name was Scarlet and officially she was a personal assistant of President Shinra, but everyone knew she was more like his personal whore than anything. She was currently murmuring to a gaunt looking man with greasy hair, Tifa had heard rumours about the cruel experiments Hojo did in the name of weapons research and just looking at the man made her want to shudder. All four of them wore expensive designer suits and silk shirts, with Scarlet's being significantly more revealing than her male counterparts. The other two men were powerful leaders of Shinra's armed forced. One of them had dark hair and slight stubble dusting his chin, his name was Angeal Hewley, he was Brigadier and in terms of military power he was second only to the man sitting beside him. And last but not at all least the young woman turned her attention to the General himself, Sephiroth. His long silver hair contrast sharply with the black leather coat he wore and at his side was his almost equally famous sword, Masamune. To the people of this land he was hailed as a hero and women swooned at the sight of him, but to his enemies he the most feared man on Gaia.

As she poured wine for Tuesti, the AFI agent looked up and suddenly her ruby orbs locked with green-blue ones that glowed with mako. His eyes would have been beautiful had they not been so cold and merciless. It was only a split second, but Tifa felt like she was naked before his gaze and that he had pierced right through her soul and she couldn't help but bite her lip anxiously. When she had to fill his glass, it took all of her self control to keep from trembling, and Tifa was most relieved when Sephiroth chose to completely ignore her. And despite her edginess she managed to catch a glimpse of what Scarlet was saying to Reeve before he subtly shushed her. From her lip reading abilities thought the blonde had said the words 'Operation Strike' and 'Turks'.

When she finished serving drinks the undercover agent left the bottle and two more unopened ones in the room and when she'd shut the door securely behind her, leaned against a wall and practically collapsed from nerve wracking experience. She didn't have much now, but hopefully the listening bug hidden in one of the corks would pick up plenty. But Cloud doing his rounds tonight and due to stop by soon, she supposed she give him what she had now and just tell him the rest next time or if it was urgent she would use another communications channel.

Tifa steadied herself before arranging herself again as Tiffany, the shy yet bubbly barmaid.

*************************************************************

After another hour of drink serving, kicking out drunken brawlers and warding off gropers Tifa heard the low rumble of a motorcycle. Sure enough when she opened the old wooden door, she found Cloud sitting on the powerful machine pulling off his helmet. Official the young man worked a delivery service, but unofficially he was the go between link between undercover spies in Midgar and HQ in Wutai.

'Safe journey, I hope?' asked Tifa politely.

'Clear road all the way,' replied Cloud as he began unloading glass bottles.

Tifa nodded, Cloud had just told her that her previous message had gotten through and they weren't under suspicion. After the blonde finished placing the exotic liquor in a crate, the supposed barmaid disappeared inside for a moment to deposit the goods in a storage room then returned carrying a glass of beer.

'Thanks,' said Cloud as he gratefully accepted and quenched his parched throat.

The young spy watched her childhood friend sadly, they'd been out of contact for five years before she took this job and by chance was reunited with him. Both parties were both so shocked they'd frozen on the spot, Tifa didn't doubt that if they weren't in the presence of company she'd have suffocated him in a hug there and then, but that wasn't to be and the two friend spent the remainder of the afternoon faking introductions and forcing polite conversation, unable to ask what had really occurred in the past number of years. Unbelievably that had been their second chance reunion. The first had been when she was 16.

Flash back

She'd just started officially working as an agent for FAI, and was heading for a routine morning briefing and as she was walking past the receptionist she didn't see a security guard rushing around the corner. The two collided resulting in her sitting sprawled on the spotlessly white tile floor, huffing she looked up to see exactly who had run into her. As Tifa looked up to his face she gasped and her jaw dropped, even after eight years there was no mistaking that face with those vivid bright blue eyes and the crazy chocobo yellow hair. The hand which he'd instinctively offered as help was frozen midair in shock.

'T-Tifa?' he'd asked disbelievingly.

'Cloud!' she choked before ignoring the hand and leaping up to throw her arms around her old friend. 'God, I can't believe it's really you!'

As he embraced her back Cloud said softly 'Neither can I, Tifa. You just vanished one day and never sent a word to say where you'd gone.'

Tifa looked honestly into Cloud's eyes so he could see the sadness and guilt she truly did feel. 'I'm sorry, Cloud. I wish I could have told you, but I didn't know I was leaving till the very last minute too. My father arranged for me to be sent here in hopes of keeping me safe.'

Cloud nodded, she'd been his best friend when they were children and her sudden departure without so much as a goodbye had left him feeling hurt. But he'd moved on and honestly hadn't expected to see her here of all places, but it was a pleasant surprise, one that made him happier than he could say.

'That's okay, Tifa. After all these years, it's good to see you again.'

'What about you, huh? How'd you end up in a place like this?' And since when have you looked so hot, Tifa added mentally, she couldn't help but notice his handsome features and lean but muscular body, and damn the fact that even in heels she had to tilt her head a little to look him in the eye.

'I could ask the same of you,' Cloud counted raising an eyebrow.

'Right, how about we catch up at lunch?' asked Tifa smiling. 'When's your break?'

'One till two.'

'Great, meet me in the lobby then. Oh God, I still –'

'Tifa! Hurry up!'

Annoyed but having no choice Tifa sighed.

'Damn it, guess I'll see you later.'

'Yeah, later.'

She gave a final friendly shoulder squeeze before jogging towards her partner.

End flash back

The lunch she'd shared with Cloud that day was only the start of them reaffirming their bonds, and even with the blonde's naturally introverted personality, it didn't take long for the two to become close again. But as the global peace situation became more volatile, Tifa was sent on increasingly lengthy assignments and she spent less time with Cloud and all of her other friends. Then she'd received her orders to become permanently stationed in Midgar. It seemed so cruel, after eight long the two childhood friend had finally been reunited to spend limited but enjoyable time together, only to be torn apart again less than two years later.

Three years had passed since then and she only had a rough sketch of Cloud's life in that time, and likewise he didn't know much more about her recent past. They'd agreed for the sake of their safety to keep a façade of casual friendship between business partners, and Tifa hated every moment she couldn't talk and act freely with him.

'You okay?'

Cloud's gentle question shook Tifa from her unhappy reflections.

'Yeah, just tired,' she said running her hand over her face and before suddenly remembering the info she'd picked up earlier. 'Oh and this is what we need for the next shipment.'

Tifa pressed two sheets of crumpled paper into Cloud's warm hands, to anyone who didn't know how to decode the message it would look like an obscure list of alcohol and a cocktail recipe, but the blonde understood and gave a small nod.

'I have to go now,' he said swing his leg back over the vehicle.

'I know,' Tifa sighed for once dropping all pretence for a second and simply staring into his sapphire eyes, and for a fleeting moment they weren't spies in a war ravaged world, they were just two people, two old friends.

'I'll see you in two weeks,' said Cloud before he hit the ignition and sped off, disappearing in the maze of Midgar's streets and back alleys.

Come back safely Tifa silently prayed before arranging herself as Tiffany aka Tif the shy yet bubbly barmaid. She smiled in the all too practiced way as she returned to stand behind the main bench with her co-works Jessie and Aerith. Though she hadn't revealed her true identity to the two girls, going through the same day in day out routine with them had slowly drawn the three of them together and there was a mutual bond of affection between them.

As Aerith trot around delivering drinks, Jessie nudged Tifa under the ribs.

'Hey Tif, I reckon Mr Spiky's got it in for our Princess, huh?' she muttered grinning widely.

It didn't take long for the young brunette woman to find the pair. A soldier with dark hair that could rival Cloud's in terms of gravity defiance was casually chatting with a slightly blushing Aerith.

'Mmm, looks like a bit of player though so we'd better keep a close eye on them.'

The next few hours flew by and when the girls were finally able to close up for the night, Tifa was tired to the bone. She walked slowly down the filthy streets back to her house and was almost at her door when her instincts suddenly sent danger sirens screaming in her head. Confused and alarmed the young woman instantly dropped into a defensive stance and turned around expecting maybe a thief or two, but she saw nothing. Suddenly Tifa felt an arm grab her waist and before she could retaliate a hand flew up to cover her mouth and nose causing her to immediately inhale the potent fumes. Tifa felt her body slacken and her eyelids become heavy, realising she was in deep shit she tried to fight the drug but it was no use. Less than ten seconds later a herd of stampeding chocobos wouldn't have woken the spy.

A/N: Yes I know cliffie, but I hope you liked it. This is my first fic so any reviews would be extremely, ultra helpful. Till next time MUAHAHAHA.