Chapter 1 of Life goes on.
Disclaimer: I own zip.
Posted: 1-31-06
…………………………………o
Tifa gently sucked in a breath. Cloud's bike roared, blaring into the morning air. He was gone.
Sighing, she turned back to her bar. Yes, she already missed him. Yes, she couldn't wait until he came back. But at the same time, she felt satisfaction and pride. She wanted him to go. To go and bring back that shy, sweet but strong boy he used to be. Actually, he was still shy. His short, barely noticeable and hesitant gestures when he was trying to be affectionate one night ago did not go unheeded by her. He was clearly out of practice, she thought jokingly.
But those were her selfish reasons for sending him off. There was no way he could put the past to rest cooped up in a house with two orphans and his best friend. For him, he would have been unhappy if he had stayed. And if he were unhappy, she'd be damned if she didn't do everything in her power to help him gain happiness. He wasn't lost perhaps, but he was still confused and he needed time to figure out what he wanted… what he needed.
She briefly wondered what he would eat for lunch before flipping the sign on her door from 'Closed' to 'Open'.
Morning went by relatively uneventful, but then again, after the last couple of weeks, she wasn't so sure it was a bad thing.
Costumers were few at this time a day. Her bar was a classy one, or so she hoped, and tourists as well as friends gathering for a friendly drink were often seen in the daytime. Nighttime was when the…roughness began. People trying to forget, people looking for an escape, sad, emotional wrecks, they all appeared after nightfall.
"Hey woman, could I get another?" A gruff man who looked to be in his late or mid-thirties on her left lifted his empty glass.
Most anyway.
Respect in the slums of Midgar, has of yet to sink in. The upper plate had been crushed to the point of devastation, so many of the families born with prestige had to come and live in any available inn or motel. Needless to say, snobbery had climbed new heights. The leaders of the city Midgar decided, with much prodding from the Shinra corp., to get rid of the top layer and rejuvenate the bottom into something similar to the upper layer. Post Cloud's battle with Sephiroth, of course. It was probably an attempt on Shinra's part to…what did they call it? Repay their debt to the world.
Judging by the man's annoyed and vacant expression, she deduced it would be a waste to get snappish about his choice of wording. Besides, by the looks of it, he wasn't having too great a day.
She refilled his glass. He grunted, perhaps a way of thanking her. Either man's manner's were expressed differently or he was trying to clear his throat.
She paused. "Not having a good day, I suppose."
He scoffed. "I doubt you care."
She studied him lightly. A sweep over his features that were now contorted with slight sadness. And boredom. Interesting…he couldn't be too devastated if he was bored.
"I apologize. I shouldn't make your problems into my entertainment."
He merely cast her another dull glance and slumped into his seat. "I caught my wife with my brother yesterday."
Huh. That would definitely ruin her day. Not that she would ever have a wife.
"I guess my pride just took a big blow from the whole thing. It was only an arranged marriage. I wished she'd just pack and leave. Hell, I'm actually glad that I have an excuse to kick her out now. Driving me nuts about having children…" He muttered.
"Fuck that…" He drained his drink.
She smiled slightly. She felt no sympathy for him. And even if she did, she knew this was not the type to look kindly upon being showered with pity. She would do him the simple favor of letting him vent out on her.
Now, however, the stranger was eyeing her suspiciously. "Why the hell am I telling you this?"
He looked down pointedly at his cup before looking up again. "What'd the hell did you put in my drink?"
"Tequila and ice cubes." She answered amusedly, unperturbed by his curses and accusations.
"Fucking shit…" He muttered again, running a hand through his dark brown hair.
"Sorry lady. I'm not in the best of moods right now, if you haven't noticed."
"We all have our bad days." She said calmly.
He rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, well…" He hesitated. "I'm not from the slums, y'know."
"I could have guessed." Tifa said.
"What gave it away?" He asked.
"I haven't heard of many arranged marriages happening down here." She replied.
He studied her carefully. She was used to all kinds of stares, glares, looks and leers alike. This one held contemplation, as if he was becoming aware of something.
"You're a sharp one." He said.
She smiled. "Anyone would have known if they really paid attention."
He shrugged. "I didn't expect you to. I was babbling. And now I'm wondering whether I should introduce myself after dumping one of my personal problems onto you."
"I wouldn't mind if you didn't. Everyone needs an absolute stranger they will never see again to listen to their problems once in a life time." She replied.
"Don't be so sure about the not meeting again part…this may be rude since I haven't told you mine, but what is your name?" He asked.
Tifa pondered for a moment. Was there any harm? He could be an enemy from who knows where. She wouldn't be surprised if he were. Cloud had many more enemies then friends. Surely, though, if he were an enemy, he would already know her name, if not much more. It wouldn't be any worse to give him something he already knew.
"My name is Tifa."
A spark of recognition lit his brown eyes. "Ah. From the infamous Avalanche group who saved the planet."
"You could say that." She answered, smiling.
"I can see you don't trust me." He said amusedly.
"I do have a house of orphans to protect."
He stood up, brushing off his rumpled clothes.
Tifa let out a faint chuckle, as something from the inside of his suit jacket flashed back at her. "I should have known. A Shinra subordinate in my humble bar."
Any traces of sadness or moodiness were erased from his face instantly and the man smirked. "You're quite laid back. I like that in a woman."
She supposed she should have taken offense to his 'visit'. But riling her up simply took more then one measly insult thrown from some company in shattered ruins.
"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Shinra subordinate." She said. They probably sent the man to find information on where Cloud had gone. Which was rather unfortunate for them considering she didn't exactly know herself. He had promised to write to her, to send her some souvenirs of the places he traveled to, but he didn't tell her where or which direction he was going in. It was only a matter of time before she found out anyway, besides, she was pretty certain Cloud didn't intend to stay in one place for too long.
Straightening his previously askew, collared shirt, the man now assumed the air that was so easily acknowledged as one of Shinra's men. He was a good actor, this one. "We aren't here for Mr. Strife, Ms. Lockhart." He stated, his tone changing from hoarse and gruff to monotone and smooth.
Her eyebrow rose lightly. What impeccable manners.
He looked her in the eye. "We want you."
That was a certainly a sentence she didn't hear everyday. Especially not from one of Shinra's men. This day turned out to be relatively entertaining after all.
She decided to play dumb.
"Well of course you do."
The man's lips twitched. "Come work for us, Ms. Lockhart."
"Ah, I'm afraid not." Tifa answered offhandedly, gathering his empty cup. "You see, I'm quite content with the work I am doing now."
"We were informed of the fight between you and the spirit Loz. A strong woman such as you should not be confined to this poor little establishment. You should be given a job with adventure and a much more luxurious lifestyle, which I can guarantee Shinra has provided me with in abundance and will do the same for you." He said.
That was amongst the poorest persuasion she had yet to be coaxed with. "If I am indeed a strong woman as you say, Mr. Shinra subordinate, you must admit I would be capable of making my own decisions. Would that not mean I am also capable of choosing what I what to do with my life? If I truly hated being 'confined to this poor little establishment' as you put it, I would have packed my bags and left already."
"Fair enough." He said as if she hadn't just contradicted him. "But a beautiful woman such as yourself must wish for some extravagance once in awhile. You cannot receive that by working here."
She chuckled softly. "Strong and beautiful. Sadly, the latter word no longer means much to me. As for strength, my definition of strength differs from your boss's a considerable amount, so no, unfortunately, by your standards, I am not strong."
The man was smiling now. Albeit cold and calculating, she sensed grudging admiration.
"I like you." He said at last. "Under different pretenses, we could have been friends."
He sighed and pulled out his sunglasses. "I am only the messenger. Since I have failed, my boss will most likely send along another one soon enough."
Tifa couldn't help but smirk. "Send Rufus my best regards."
His lips twitched again. "Good day to you, Ms. Lockhart." He strode out the door.
Tifa's gaze lingered after the man. She wasn't sure what to make of this new development. People went to Shinra; Shinra did not come to the people. Since their company wasn't exactly flourishing at the moment, they could be in a state of desperation. Rufus just doesn't know when to quit.
She sighed and began cleaning again. This would have to be thought through later.
…………………………….………………..
The fight had started relatively normal. Insults, spitting, a couple meaningless curses flung into the air.
Ever since the big battle, fights have become increasingly popular, not only in her bar, but on the streets as well. She'd be lucky if she escaped a couple days a week without having a brawl break loose in her bar. Hostile members from the destroyed upper plate against street-smart, prideful members of the slums were escalating new levels of physical animosity. She wouldn't be surprised to hear a murder anytime soon. Of course she was making it sound worse then it really was, there were plenty that were tired of fighting, ones who just wanted to start over, ones that really only wanted peace. But with the good…came the bad.
Well, back to the main point. The fight that was currently in action had quickly proved to be the most brutal one yet. Or it would have been.
"Stupid fucker!" A medium built, bald man slurred slightly, slamming his offender's face into a chair, causing the piece of wooden furniture to crumble in resounding snaps. "This is our territory, not yours!"
It was impressive he managed to get those seven words out of his mouth considering the fact he could hardly stand upright. Swinging a badly aimed fist, he miraculously collided it with the cheek of the man still struggling against the cracked wooden remains. That was as far as both men got.
Tifa yanked back the thrashing, bald-headed one none too gently, not bothering with the other seeing as he had passed out a split second ago, and slammed him back against the wall near the entrance. She placed her boots onto his chest, pressing down with warning, her expression varied between exasperation and slight amusement as she watched him wave his arms around in vain.
After many futile struggles, his form grew limp, his breathing heavy.
"Are you done?" Tifa asked softly.
He didn't answer.
Removing her foot, she hauled him up by the collar. He was almost twice her size. He lifted his head, glassy, dark orbs gazing back at her in contempt and confusion.
"This is the second time you've started a fight in my bar. I paid for this bar, so it is technically my territory." She tightened her hold on his dirty black shirt. "You have no say in what goes on in my territory and you would do well to bring your issues away from my establishment next time."
He continued to look at her. She sighed. It wasn't like he'd remember when he woke up anyway. Dropping his body like a sack of potatoes, she turned to survey the damage. They had destroyed a table and a couple of stools along with one chair, but nothing that couldn't be replaced by tomorrow. The bar was still relatively full so at least half the occupants were still turned around, but they resumed their business quickly enough. A thump sounded next to her.
Looking to her side, she saw the slumped form of the second accomplice in the fight.
"Couldn't let you strain yourself, yo."
She cast him a wary and amused glance, as the earlier visit from Shinra hadn't completely escaped her mind just yet. "Thank you, Reno. Though it was unnecessary."
"No problem, a pretty lady like yourself shouldn't be dealing with scum like this, yo." He said, flashing her a charming grin.
She raised a brow, but decided to rid of the two men first. As if on cue, both men emitted a groan. "Do you mind making sure he gets back home? I'm going to take care of this one." She nudged the man she had previously talked to with her foot.
Reno shrugged. "Sure, yo."
Tifa smiled slightly at him and bent down. "Where do you live?"
The man's blood-shot eyes blinked back at her. He shook his head. "Sumware…S'ctr Six." What a cooperative drunk.
She nodded. Heaving him up by his arm, she carried most of his weight, as he couldn't walk without stumbling. Looking over her shoulder at Reno, she saw him doing the same. "Just drop him off under a place with a roof and maybe somewhere shielded from the wind."
"Got it, yo." He saluted her lazily.
She led the man through the garbage and debris lined streets and into Sector Six. Spotting an old phone booth with a side ripped out, she leaned his body inside after clearing the place with her foot.
"This is Sector Six. Next time you enter my bar, there will not be another fight. Three strikes is my limit." She left him clutching his head.
The streets were no different at night. Homeless crowds huddled near bonfires and the wind swept across the tar streets, scattering litter. In the near distance, a few shops could be seen still open and neon lights illuminated the signs of other bars or clubs. Ten O'clock at night was still early. A couple shouts of laughter reached her ears, reminding her briefly of the children. She'd promise to take them out…
Slipping in the back door of her bar, she wondered if Reno had gone, then redirected her thoughts to the boy she wanted to see. "Denzel?" She made sure to say it loud, but not so loud it carried over to the bar. When no answer came, she checked each room. Puzzled, she headed downstairs. Marlene was living with Berret for a short amount of time, so her absence was not as worrisome. Pushing open the swinging doors and stepping into her bar, she immediately spotted the charming boy with auburn hair. And he was chatting with…Reno.
At least she found Denzel.
Hiding her disappointment, she walked toward their direction, stopping behind Denzel just as he finished his sentence. "…not here."
He was talking about Cloud most likely. Was Reno trying to find information through a kid? Good tactic…using a little kid. However, this little boy was under her care, and she was alive and breathing next to him. Talking about alive and breathing next to him, she was wasting time thinking those few words.
Reno was staring at her, his emerald gaze relaxed and intense at the same time. Denzel whipped around to see what he was looking at. "Tifa!"
"I've been looking for you." Tifa said reprovingly.
Denzel looked sheepish. "Sorry, I got bored."
"I can see that." She said.
"But I wasn't going to leave the house!" He said hurriedly. "I was just coming to ask you a question and Reno was looking for you, I didn't plan on staying or anything…"
"You sound guilty, Denzel."
Tifa broke into a smile. "I'm surprised you haven't nagged and whined to me about your lack of activities for the whole day."
Denzel's boyish features shone relief.
With that sorted out, she made a mental note to take Denzel out as soon as possible. Or he wasn't incredibly young to do some chores around the bar during the daytime…
Switching her gaze back to Reno, she said, "Drink?" Might as well be hospitable.
"Always, yo." He replied, his eyes following her as she led Denzel behind the counter.
"Want to help me wipe off the glasses?" She asked her charge, swiftly checking the surrounding area for uncapped bottles of alcohol. One of the reasons she didn't like letting the children in here were the number of beers and wines in proximity. Marlene and Denzel were responsible for their age and she trusted them around once in a while, but other then that, she'd rather keep them away from this area of the 'house'.
He nodded, a little eager. He was tall enough to reach the washed ones. Handing him a clean, dry rag, she picked up a clean glass. "What will it be, Reno?"
"Something strong, yo." He said carelessly.
She chuckled. "Are you sure you'll be able to persuade me in an intoxicated state?"
"I have my ways, yo."
She chose a melon Chardonnay. Placing them in front of him, she poured. Waiting patiently for him to take a sip, she recapped the bottle.
He seemed lost in thought. Finally, he set it down. "This is good, yo."
"That's why I have it." She said mildly.
"I don't suppose you'd make this easy for me, yo." He stated, more then asked.
"Of course not…yo."
He cracked a grin. "You're different from other women, yo."
"So I've been told."
He studied her for a moment. "Cloud's lucky to have you."
"And I'm lucky to have him." Tifa said calmly.
Reno gestured to the now humming Denzel as said little boy grasped another cup in his hand. "He looks happy here, yo. Denzel? Is that his name?"
"Yes."
"He seems a little skinny for his age, yo." Reno remarked offhandedly.
"I'm glad you noticed." She replied.
They stared at each other for a moment. Reno broke it, and took a gulp of his wine. Fingering the glass, he scratched the back of his red mane, muttering something that sounded like 'damn'.
She couldn't say she wasn't enjoying this to some degree. At least he wasn't as tactless as the last one. But then again…that wasn't saying much. The last man had practically shoved his plan to 'entice' her in her face.
A thud sounded to their side, signaling another customer. She gave Reno a glance and turned to the new comer. It was Rude. "Here to help your partner?" She questioned amiably.
"No." He said in his deep, droning voice. "I'm here to tell Reno something."
She shrugged and stepped back. Deciding to check on Denzel, she found him sitting on the floor, having finished his task, flipping through a magazine that she bought for when business was slow. It was a magazine filled with pictures of places to travel, traveling tips, entertainments, and other subjects surrounding that topic, and she could tell he was enjoying it by the look in his eye. Leaning onto the counter above him, she said, "Denzel?"
He looked up. "Yeah?"
"I was thinking of a hike tomorrow." She said, knowing he'd pick up her hint.
"Where?" He grinned.
"Kalm. We'll head out at around noon. Then we can eat lunch at the market. And we'll see what happens after that." She was well aware of the two Turk's break in their conversation.
Denzel's eyes widened, "You're taking me out for the whole day?"
"I think a trip is way past due." Her tone softened. "It's also an apology, I forgot what it was like to stay trapped in a house all day."
Denzel's sparkling hazel green eyes faltered for a second.
Tifa laughed. "You snake!"
He rubbed his head guiltily.
"Where do you go?" She asked curiously.
"The swings in that broken down park, most of the time I stay inside, though." He said.
"I knew I wouldn't be able to keep you caged in for too long." Tifa said mirthfully.
"It's just boring because Marlene isn't here." He said.
"She'll be back soon." Tifa picked some lint out of his hair and glanced at the clock, noting the two Turks had left. "Do you want some snacks before you go to bed?"
"Yes!" He put down the magazine and stood to his full height.
She nodded. After handing him a juice drink and a pack of chips, she watched him bound back up the stairs after informing him to take a shower.
She would make it worth his while tomorrow.
"I see everything's back to normal." A masculine drone cut in.
………………………………..o
'til next time…