Author's Note: This story, I think, has much less suck than Ring from the Storm. I actually like how Yuffie turned out in this one.

This was still written waaaaay before Advent Children (yes, that's how old it is), as I was a frustrated FFVII fan with no where else to turn but fanfiction. Could you blame me? ^_^

This story is over 10 years old, and is here more for archive purposes than anything else, as fanfiction in XHTML isn't much fun, and having it here is just sooooo much less messy than having it on my website in case I need to hunt down a new webhost.

Souls' Desire

Chapter 1.

"Uh, actually...Ah'd kinda like to do child welfare," said Barret.

"Really, Barret?" Tifa asked with an amused smile on her face as she turned to him across the room.

"Hell, yeah! Takin' care of Marlene now since we got back from that crater for the second time really opened my eyes. I've really never had it so good. Kinda makes me feel really guilty for duckin' out on her for the last coupla years."

"Well, now that you can spend some time with her, you two can catch up! But don't call it 'ducking out'." Tifa giggled. She was thrilled that Cloud, her fiancee, had finally accepted the post of President-"or whatever," as he called it, and was now forming his forces from the little team that had rescued the Planet, plus a couple other folks they had met along the way. Cid thought it would be great to have a meeting to assign responsibilities, but since the Shinra tower was completely levelled by Diamond Weapon last year, discussing business there was obviously out of the question-especially to Cloud. It was hard enough for him to deal with his new position, let alone enter their old HQ.

So here they all sat for the third hour, on the top level of the completed Cloud Nine Bar. It was a small room, as Tifa never intended for it to be converted into an office space. The furniture was brand new. Little knick-knacks that Tifa had collected over time from the team's various travels, and also those given to her by Cloud, lined the oak shelves in the living room. Their small bedroom and a little washroom lay off to the side.

Tifa looked around the crowded room. Barret sat on the opposite couch from Tifa, leaning forward as he eyed the paperwork on the desk between them that he'd rather not even think about.

The big man was really starting to look a lot less ominous these days, as Marlene really mellowed him out. She chuckled again inwardly. They actually mellowed each other out. He had traded his gun-arm yesterday for a brand new artificial arm. He had heard of a certain man named Ken Mishima owning such an arm, and immediately began to search out more information about it. Finding Mishima's own doctor, he was soon fitted with a more natural prosthesis than his Missing Score. Not that he didn't keep his favored weapon in reserve, though. She guessed he just didn't want to scare the children away when he started his duties.

Vincent stood in back of him with his arms crossed in front of his chest, a little separate from the rest of the group, but nonetheless interested in the conversation. Even though he looked a lot less spooky now, sporting a relic Turk suit and a short, neat haircut for his jet-black hair, all knew he could never quite get over the loss of his Lucrecia.

The helpful scientist Bill Triniman was also present; he, after all, was the one who came up with the brilliant idea of Cloud as President. He was usually dressed in a neat shirt, tie, and dress slacks, and for the most part kept quiet during the meeting; his area of expertise was researching the best ways to safely clean up the mess at the Sector 7 repair project.

The three men aside of him, Jed, Luke, and David, all had fighting and spy skills that could be important for a new leader to expedite. The trio had been prominent figures in the Shinra military before AVALANCHE had toppled the system, and at first were a little hesitant to meet again the once lowly escort guard Cloud at first. However, since meeting him, and hearing what he went through for the past three years, they found a new respect for him. Had they known three years ago it would come to this point, they would have laughed until their sides hurt.

Nanaki scratched behind his ear once in a while as he sat next to the sofa Barret was seated upon. He had been PHSed to come back to Midgar to offer help for Cloud. He declined a position, mostly because he had his own Cosmo Canyon to take care of, but still arrived for the meeting to know what was going on and to show support for the new President, and to offer the help of his people in emergencies whenever they arose.

Only three invited were not present-Cid, who had taken the liberty of a smoke break outside, Cait Sith, who was in the shop at the Gold Saucer for repairs-something about fixing his fortune telling device-and Yuffie Kisaragi, who had flatout refused Cloud's offer to come to the meeting, besides threatening Midgar with another strike from her hometown of Wutai if Cloud "didn't produce his Materia immediately"...well, she was another entirely different story, one none really took all that seriously.

"Are-are you sure, Barret?" Cloud asked in his usually hesitant, disbelieving way. Tifa turned her head toward him and studied his face as he sat closely next to her on the new couch across the table from Barret. They had held hands lightly throughout the meeting, much to Barret's feigned annoyance for "bein' so damn cute". She thought he looked real good in his white Oxford shirt and close fitting denim jeans that left nothing to the imagination. Tifa was quite pleased she made him wear this. She thought back to earlier in the day, when she had "helped" him roll up his sleeves and undo the top few buttons of his shirt before the meeting, since "he was sooooooo hot and nervous". She giggled again and fixed her white tank top and flared-leg denim jeans just to keep her hands busy.

"Well, why not, ya spikey-hair-kid?"

"OK, fine," Cloud sighed as he rolled his eyes away from the big man. He was really doing a good job of not arguing with Barret in front of Tifa when the big guy let something distasteful loose. She hadn't appreciated that too much in the past, and Tifa threatened action if they ever argued. Barret didn't want to be kicked out of the bar by a gang of bouncers on his next visit, and Cloud REALLY didn't want to sleep on the couch...alone.

"Um...next on the agenda," he continued as he nervously scratched the back of his head, "we need to start some kind of recruitment for protection forces...for an army. Any ideas?"

"Put up real big #$%^ signs with messages like 'Strife Electric Company needs YOU!' 'SEC-The best job you'll ever love!' %^$*." Cid loudly suggested as he came back into the room after his smokebreak.

"Dang, man, I think those are taken already, ya doof." Barret said.

Cid innocently shrugged his shoulders. "By who?"

"Wait a minute... Did you say, 'Strife Electric Company'?" asked Cloud with lowered brows.

"Yeah, kid!" Cid answered as he gestured with his half-smoked ciggy in his hand. "That #$% SEC that's spraypainted on almost everydamnthing's gotta mean that since you're the man now, huh?"

"Well, I don't want it to mean that. No, really...this...this is the bottom line for this. I'd like this to be known as the Midgar Electric Company. It IS all of us, not just me."

A low grumble throughout the room answered his question. Tifa unlocked her hand from his and gave his thigh an encouraging rub, smiling warmly. He felt it and smiled back at her. She took his hand again.

"Sounds good, kid. Whatever you say."

"And don't say stuff like that! That scares me more than anything!" Cloud gasped with wide eyes.

"About the recruitment..." Vincent started as he stepped forward. "I could take Jed, Luke, and David with me to find some old members of Shinra...those in good positions when it collapsed...maybe they'll join us, too."

"Good. Do so, Vincent." Cloud rubbed his tired eyes from the three-hour meeting. "another imprtant thing...If anything happens to me, Cid, you're the man."

Tifa gave an audible whimper from aside Cloud.

"Um..." he glanced back at Tifa's whimper for a second, then snapped his head back. "Like I said, if anything happens to me, Cid, you're it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid."

"I think...we should stop here before our brains stop working...We'll meet again."

"Sure, kiddo. We'll be back." Cid started toward the door. turning back, he waved an arm towards the door. "And if anyone wants a coupla drinks on me, follow me down to the bar!"

"I'm with you!" said Triniman.

"My pleasure, Cloud. May you be pleasantly surprised at your new position." With that Vincent stepped out of the room along with Jed, Triniman, Luke, and David to start their work.

Nanaki added, "PHS us anytime if you need assisstance, Cloud...or should I say, President?" If Nanaki could grin, he'd be doing it now.

"Sure." Cloud and Tifa got up from the couch as the crew filtered out of the room.

As the last comrade left, the door shut and all was quiet. Cloud rubbed his eyes with his stiff hands. "Phew. Three hours."

"And finally, we're ALONE!" Tifa half-squealed, and threw her arms around her fiancee's neck.