A/N: I kept wondering how I was going to start this story author's note with either an "I'm back!" or an "I'm sorry I've been away too long!" when I realized something. Zack and Tifa are my true OTP. No matter how much I wander into other fandoms, I always see something that inspires me to write down an idea for a Zifa one-shot or story.
Unfortunately, I can't always get the time I need to dedicate to those ideas and have to desert them… but, one idea kept persisting and finally wore me down. I've rewritten the beginning of this story probably five times and still wonder if it is good enough for this fandom I'm deeply in love with.
I'll give you a little background: there was a "revolution" five years before this story and the people in the group that started it had to disperse and keep under the radar because the government didn't want people knowing the true reasons why the "revolution" started. Tifa and Zack, are as usual, stuck in the middle of the mess I create for them, but may or may not be together by the end of this story.
Cloud, in the brief scenes he'll be in, acts a little out of character. That's all I'm saying about that.
As per usual, all characters and settings are not mine, but rather the property of Square Enix and their creators and I'm just a humble fanfiction writer borrowing them.
Enjoy!
(P.S. If you read all of that obnoxiously long author's note, I give you free internet chocolate and a gigantic round of applause with a standing ovation)
"He's gone. Sephiroth's AWOL again!" someone shouted from the meeting room where they held the roster of all SOLDIER members. On the fifth anniversary of the revolution, Sephiroth, the reason why a revolution started, was missing. Zack Fair was not capable of handling the stress that information brought him.
Zack rubbed his head in agitation and wandered into the empty office. One month earlier, they'd lost another important member of their team. The person was just as important as the one they'd lost five years ago today. Zack fought the urge to sit down in his desk, slam his head on the hard surface and let tears drip from his eyes. His job required him to be strong all day and night, every single day of his life. There were no breaks. His heart needed to be at the top of its game. It was one reason why he'd started his relationship with Aerith. She stabilized him in a way no other woman had ever been able to do.
Lies, the inner voice of his conscience echoed throughout his body. Zack closed his eyes and pictured long summer nights spent in a country valley with a dark haired woman. She never let him get away with anything. He rubbed his forehead and banged his hand against the desk.
Five long years wasn't enough to sew up the wound she'd left him with. He constantly had an ear to the ground with news of her whereabouts, but she kept lower to the ground. He was a victim of many dead ends and broken hearted attempts at finding the woman he almost called his eternal mate.
"Zack, what do we do?" Zack looked up to see Reno walk into his office. Rude stood behind him and Reno glared at the older man. "He wants to retire. He said there was a greater passion outside these concrete walls waiting for him."
Zack gazed at the man with a baldhead and sunglasses he never removed. Neither man moved for almost thirty seconds before Zack gave him a nod. "Whatever you do, know there's a place here if you ever want it back."
Rude grinned, waved, and walked out the door. Reno spat exasperatedly at Zack. Zack raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to argue with your boss?"
Reno silenced himself, but Zack wasn't finished. "We have bigger fish to worry about than Rude. You can partner up with me for this next assignment, complainer."
Zack shoved a file across his desk and Reno barely caught it. Reno scanned the file, paled, and then glanced at Zack. "Is this a Level 5?"
Zack shook his head. "No, this is a Level 8. We need to find him immediately."
.
Thirty minutes downtown, a very happy Rude walked along the streets of the Sector 7 slums. He hummed under his breath and even nodded at strangers. His odd behavior didn't seem out of place with the pleasant community, but those who he worked with for years would have questioned his smiling temperament.
He stopped in front of a very small restaurant, put his glasses in his coat pocket and opened the door. The restaurant hushed and he grinned at the owner. "You still hiring for that chef position?"
A young woman with long brown hair and sparkling eyes that could change on a moment's notice, but were honeysuckled brown at the moment, gave him a gigantic smile and hug. "Of course we are."
He returned her hug and took his suit jacket off. He walked back to the kitchen, put an apron on, and started cooking without a hesitation. The woman in front just shook her head at another woman with short black hair. Rude nodded to the perplexed female and chuckled under his breath.
"What are you doing here?" Rude turned and saw a sight he never thought he'd see. The young woman with long hair came into the kitchen and put a hand on the figure's arm and murmured something quietly. The figure nodded, gazed at Rude for a long moment, and then went into an office. The woman sighed and smiled at Rude.
"We've got two chefs now," she stated. Rude gazed at her for a long moment. She sighed in response. "I couldn't tell him no, Rude."
"You aren't supposed to be talking to him at all, Tifa," Rude whispered. Tifa Lockhart, once notorious revolutionary, shrugged and looked behind Rude at the wall. "Fine. But if they come charging in here with guns blazing, I get a raise."
Tifa chuckled and nodded in response. Rude looked out at the other woman and snapped, "Lets go, Yuffie, I'm getting bored out here all by myself."
The enraged ninja almost slapped Rude's baldhead while she collected orders from the brunch rush.
.
Tifa stood in the doorway of her small office and looked at the weak person in front of her. He was in full mourning; even to the point where he shaved his once long and beautiful hair off to a buzz cut, and his cat's eyes didn't attempt to hide the sadness lurking in his soul. She sat down in the chair beside her desk, him having taken her desk chair and put a hand on his knee.
"It will get better, I promise," she murmured to him. The once magnificent warrior slumped ungracefully into her chair and shook his head. She handed him a tissue as he wiped away tears he couldn't hold in.
"How can you do this for the one person who took everything from you?" he whispered. Tifa withdrew her hand and then looked at a picture of her makeshift family. Her body still ached from the diagonal scar across her back when it rained or the weather was due to get colder. She rubbed her cheek twice before she smiled at him.
"You asked me for forgiveness when you came to your senses. Normal psychopaths don't do that, Sephiroth. You lost a dear comrade and went mad. We dealt with our losses, trust me," Tifa reassured him. She gazed at the picture of her and Cloud Strife with a bitter smile. "I miss him every single day, but I don't let him being gone stop me from living."
Sephiroth gazed at the pictures adorned across her desk and then at her for a moment. He smiled painfully. "We lost Angeal last week."
Tifa put her hand back on his knee and squeezed it lightly. Sephiroth gazed at the picture of her and Cloud with his bike. He continued in a dry, emotionless voice. "I felt that same madness try to escape again when I found out. I couldn't understand how it was possible for two amazing warriors to lose their lives like that. I didn't want to believe it. First Genesis and now Angeal. I don't want to put people through what happened before. I couldn't handle it."
Tifa looked up at the ceiling and struggled with her next few thoughts. "I'll help teach you how to cook, if you want, or you can help me with books and inventory. My life is extremely boring now, Sephiroth. I'm not the revolutionary hero everyone seems to depict me as."
Sephiroth nodded and looked around at her cluttered office. "Can I do half and half?"
"Can you? You sound like a hesitant child, oh great and fearless General," she laughed softly and got up from the seat. She looked down at him and smiled. "Of course. I need all the help I can get."
"Deal," Sephiroth stated. Tifa walked out the door with a smile on her face. Sephiroth sat at the desk and heaved a sigh of relief. For the first time in days, the once fearless general felt something akin to peace. He finally understood why the young pup craved this woman's presence beyond what a sane person should. She provided a comforting atmosphere that many could only dream about experiencing. That was why the ex Turks showed up in droves at her doorstep, only to be turned away unless she knew them like family from the revolutionary days.
Sephiroth wondered if Tifa knew what impact she had on all the people around her. He wasn't going to enlighten her of it.
.
Zack groaned and hit his head against the desk. Two blasted months had passed and they weren't any closer to finding Sephiroth. Every second that ticked by was waiting for a time bomb to explode. Zack stared at his computer screen for many moments before twiddling a pen between his fingers. Reno sat across from him and waited while Zack contemplated their next move.
"Sephiroth wouldn't disappear unless there was someone he absolutely trusted waiting to give him a place to stay," Zack theorized. He glanced at Reno. "Problem is, he closed off every account he has, still owns his apartment but hasn't been there in over two months, and is probably living off of someone else's income."
"He really knows how to disappear for a man with long silver hair and unusual eyes," Reno muttered. Zack laughed in response and watched as his clock struck noon. Reno jumped up from his seat and grinned. "My treat today. Rude finally told me where he got a job as a chef."
"Rude's a chef?" Zack asked in amazement. Reno nodded and they made their way to the elevator.
"How's your girlfriend?" Reno asked. Zack told him all about the wedding planning and every miniscule detail that Aerith couldn't decide on. Reno laughed at Zack's problem. "It's just beginning, man."
They argued all the way downtown. Reno distracted Zack to the point where they were seated before Zack snapped his head back into reality. He and Reno looked around and fell silent as Yuffie walked up to them. Her eyebrow rose up and she gazed back at the kitchen. Zack looked back and saw Rude shrug in response.
"How can I help you today?" Yuffie asked through clenched teeth. Reno ordered a burger and Zack asked for whatever Reno ordered. "Are you two dating or what?"
Reno laughed. "We're partners since my old partner decided to quit and become a chef."
Rude laughed from the kitchen. Zack looked at Yuffie and smiled. "Do you mind if we look around at your place?"
Yuffie froze and quickly nodded. She walked into the kitchen and gave Rude the orders. Zack watched as Yuffie walked into the back of the kitchen and turn right. His eyebrow rose, but he looked at the different photos on the wall. His hand froze over a picture he never thought he'd see again.
The beach house, his heart stopped as his hand touched the photo frame. Tifa stood with two older versions of Marlene and Denzel with a gigantic smile on her face. Zack grinned as familiar footsteps came from the back.
Reno watched as Zack's whole body language changed. The man went from being a professional General in SOLDIER to a young teenager within a matter of seconds. He kept still as Zack turned from the wall of photos to the kitchen. Reno's head snapped to the kitchen and his jaw dropped. Tifa Lockhart crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground.
Zack's grin broadened. He approached her until they were less than an inch apart, with him looking down into her angry face. Reno heard some of the women in the restaurant sigh and shook his head. Zack stood in front of Tifa a long moment before he motioned for them to walk into a private part of the restaurant. Tifa whispered something to him and Zack's head nodded in response. They walked away and left Reno alone at his table with an amused Yuffie standing next to him.
.
Tifa walked him into her small office where Sephiroth was sitting and writing up the inventory. Zack's eyes widened slightly at Sephiroth's short hair, but he didn't say anything as Tifa leaned against the desk. Sephiroth attempted to open his mouth, but Zack shook his head.
"I'll tell them that you're living on a small farm in the middle of nowhere working as a ranch hand or some shit like that," Zack told him. Sephiroth didn't say anything as Zack looked at his former boss. "Stay here for as long as you need, but just keep me updated from time to time, please? You're my last mentor left and I don't want to lose you too."
Sephiroth looked at Zack for a long time before he breathed in a sigh. "I can't go back. I need time to myself, Zack. I want time for myself one time in my life."
"He won't get into any trouble here," Tifa offered. Zack's eyes met hers then traveled to Sephiroth. He relaxed his tense shoulders and Zack gave a nod once. Tifa smiled at him and nodded to Sephiroth. "I'll leave you two to it then."
She walked out of the office and quietly closed the door. Zack gazed at the door long after she went out into the main restaurant. His gaze turned back to Sephiroth and both men were silent for several moments. "Why did you come to her? How did you find her?"
"I always knew where she was," Sephiroth stated as he rose from his chair. Zack glared at the man in front of him and crossed his arms. "This is truly the only place that I can relax without any interference from the outside world. I need my time to mourn, Zack."
"He wasn't just your friend," Zack concluded without judgment in his voice. Sephiroth nodded and Zack sighed. "I'll tell the office I couldn't find you."
Zack paused before opening the door. "You weren't going to tell me at all, were you?"
"She asked us not to," Sephiroth replied while he watched Zack's shoulders slump. The younger man straightened and walked out without a goodbye. Sephiroth crossed his arms, looked up at the ceiling, breathed a deep breath in, and waited for the explosion.
.
He was infuriated. The woman had been hiding under his thumb for almost five years. He growled at her and grabbed her arm, pulling them both out onto the street without a word. He walked right up to her. She backed up to the wall. He made sure that they were so close that no one could tell where he ended and she began. His heart beat in accordance with hers. If he weren't battling with his fury, he would let himself feel peace.
"Why didn't you come to me?" he growled. She sighed in response. "I have been searching for you for four years, eleven months, and five days, woman. I deserve an explanation."
"You're not getting anything from me," Tifa stated. Zack's eyebrows rose up. "You left me that day, not the other way around. You watched her and chose her! The day I needed you the most, you abandoned me."
Zack tried to reach out. Tifa shrugged his hand away and wiped tears from her eyes. "I needed you to rescue me that day and you left me."
Five years of tears and grief built up in her chest. Tifa beat her fists against Zack's chest while she clutched his shirt to her. He stood still while her fists pounded on his chest. Her breathing quieted and she brought two arms around his back. He hummed while she settled her emotions down. She pointed to a side door, which she kept unlock most of the time, and he walked her to her apartment above the restaurant.
She refused to let him go even when he brought her to bed. He opened his cell phone. He stated, "I'm taking the rest of the day off. I'll be back downtown later tonight. If you run into Aerith, tell her whatever she decides is fine by me. Thanks, man."
Zack put his cell on her bedside table and turned her toward him. They silently gazed at each other. "Why are you here, Zack?"
"I'm rescuing you," he stated calmly. He ran a hand down her back while his thoughts played together. "You and I have unfinished business."
"I don't need you." he grinned at her lame attempt to hide her emotions. She shook her head against his chest and he laughed. "I don't."
"You might not yet, but I need you now," he whispered to her. "I've missed you every second you've been gone. I didn't know where you went after the funeral. I wanted so bad to tell you that I would never leave you."
"You're with her," Tifa warned him. Zack smiled against her forehead at the irony of everything he had experienced since her absence.
"I've never touched her. Kissing, yes, but there's been nothing beyond that. I told you once, remember? You're my last," he whispered against her ear. She started sobbing again and he cuddled her closer. He said nothing as she poured her tears onto his chest. He waited until her sobs subsided before he wiped the remaining wetness from her eyes. He didn't kiss her, but his hand cupped her cheek. She watched him through half lidded eyes.
"Why did he have to die?" she brokenly asked. He shook his head. She laughed bitterly. "I lost a brother and you lost a friend that day."
Zack remembered storming the warehouse vividly, looking for the very woman in his arms. Sephiroth in his madness had claimed her as tribute to a supposed ancient goddess that would rule the world for one thousand years of harmony.
He ran down the country road. They were desperate for time and he was following someone half as trained as he was. He trusted his gut explicitly, but it was telling him that Tifa didn't have much time. "The fire."
He ran past the young man leading the search party. He broke into the main warehouse and followed pure instinct. He pummeled through a wall and found Sephiroth kneeling before a makeshift altar. Tifa's eyes widened at the sight of him, but he shook his head. Flames were starting to spread to her as part of his ruckus. Sephiroth raised his head.
Zack braced himself. Sephiroth's smile sent a chill down his spine. "I will sacrifice her to the goddess."
"We can talk about this!" Zack shouted. He heard the others in his party behind him and he stalled Sephiroth. "You need to grieve in a more efficient process, Sephiroth! Genesis is gone we all know it! Sacrificing to a god that doesn't exist won't bring him back!"
Sephiroth's face contorted to fury. Zack had bought enough time and shoved Tifa out toward Barrett. "I've got him! Don't worry!"
Before Zack could charge, the spiky haired youth ran past him and tried to stab Sephiroth. Years of SOLDIER and laboratory training made Sephiroth's blow a deadly one. Tifa cried out and Zack shoved his body into action. Before Sephiroth comprehended what would happen, Zack hit him in the neck and chest, effectively paralyzing him with an antidote. Sephiroth glared at Zack as he passed out.
They got every body, dead and alive, out of the building that night. Tifa screamed with grief halfway back to Midgard. The rest of the time she was deathly silent. When Sephiroth woke up from his long nap, he knew what he'd done. He couldn't apologize to a silent Tifa. She didn't understand what was happening around her, including what Zack said to her.
"Give her time," a doctor at her hospital had told him. She needed time away from the situation to deal with it. He gave her space and time. He never thought she wouldn't come back to him.
.
Cloud's funeral was a somber one. His girlfriend of three years, Aerith, stood at his casket crying the whole funeral. Zack held her through it all, despite his wish that it was Tifa he was comforting instead.
She never came to the funeral. Zack stopped by the hospital that admitted her after the accident, but they discharged her. Yuffie came and got her without telling him. They disappeared off his radar after that. He searched when he could, mostly finding dead end leads.
He observed the sleeping woman in his arms. He quietly disentangled his arms and body from hers. He covered her with a blanket and closed the door. He turned and Yuffie stood nose to nose against him. "You're going to break her heart again."
"I can't break what's not mine," he retorted softly. "She's already broken mine twice, once already today."
"You don't deserve her," Yuffie calmly stated. She backed up one inch and then squeezed him against the doorframe again. "She wept every night for a year after we lost Cloud. She cried for you and him. It took us a year to get her back to even consider the possibility of crying."
"No, I never deserved her." His hard gaze made the young woman back up out of his personal space. "I still don't. I can hope, though, that she allows me the opportunity to become the man she wants."
He walked out of the shop with an air that Yuffie had never seen around him. She saw Sephiroth observe Zack in the same manner, but he held a smile on his face rather than a confused expression. "What's that smile about?"
Sephiroth remained silent for one moment, but motioned for Yuffie to follow him back to the office. Once she did, she saw what he'd stumbled upon earlier that day and grinned like a fool.
Yuffie pulled out her cell and started dialing numbers that she'd memorized years ago. When the first call was answered, Yuffie whispered quickly into the phone, "Turn the talkie back on. Spread the word. Mama Bird is almost ready to call the hatchlings home."
.
Tifa opened her eyes as a new dawn lit her room. She lifted her body out of bed and was surprised at the lightness of her chest. She glanced around and saw no traces of the man who'd brought her to bed the night before. She shook her head and walked down toward her job.
Sephiroth stood in the kitchen and whispered to Rude. Rude's expression was carefully blank, but he nodded in response every so often. She came into the prep area and Rude straightened immediately. She tentatively reached for the coffee pot and poured her first cup of the morning. "Good morning."
Both men returned the greeting, Rude with a smile when he said it and Sephiroth only with a nod. Sephiroth handed Tifa the newspaper. He had it flipped open to the social announcement page and Tifa raised an eyebrow at him. She read the different marriage announcements and her hand froze.
A picture of Zack and Aerith was the centerpiece of the page, with Aerith looking beautiful in a simple societal dress and Zack looked elegant in a black suit. Tifa read over the summary about their relationship and scoffed. "Half of that is bullshit. She didn't get together with him until after Cloud's funeral."
She shook her head at Sephiroth. "He's such an attentive husband-to-be, isn't he? He ran here with his tail between his legs while she's planning how they're going to become shackled together. Good for them. They both deserve it."
There was a knock on the main door, which startled Tifa out of her tirade. She straightened and walked to the front door. A messenger stood on the city block awkwardly as Tifa unlocked her shop. The man was glancing around nervously as Tifa smiled at him. "Can I help you?"
"Tifa Lockhart?" he asked. She nodded. He handed her a slim package and she signed for it. "Have a good day, miss."
She didn't even return the sentiment as he ran down the street to safer parts of the city. She shook her head and sat down at the bar. Sephiroth and Rude looked out at her. She tore the package apart and brought another envelope out. Her hands stilled as familiar written scrawl spelled her name. She gently opened that envelope. Her hands shook as she read a letter.
"T," she read aloud. "If you're reading this, I'm probably dead. I'm sorry I can't tell you this in person, but know I'm still thinking about you. This revolution bullshit makes no sense, but you know we'd stop at nothing to find you. I don't think anything will happen with this bullshit of a rebellion, but you would hit me if you found out that I didn't leave a will. I did write one. Don't worry about anything. I left everything to you, just as you did with yours for me.
"I told someone that my number one wish for you was to be happy and protected, which I think he took literally. If I'm not there to witness your expression right now, I want you to know that no matter what happens, he probably still loves you. We talked about your future last night and I knew then I made the right decision. You're my big sister and family provides for family. When we go our separate ways, only you will have the power to call us back together. If this paper isn't a joke, I want you to gather everyone on the fifth anniversary around the place you'll reconnect me with the Life Stream. I know this is a bleak topic, but you can handle it. I love you and will always root for you, C."
Tifa wiped a tear from her eye and laughed quietly. She took the other contents of the envelope and handled them with care. A picture of them when they were younger, a time when they wandered the streets, was included. A copy of his will also made its way into her hands. She read the requirements and smiled to herself. She looked up and saw Sephiroth hand her a walkie-talkie along with a piece of paper. Her hand stilled as she read what it said.
"Where did you find this?" she managed. Sephiroth smiled and just set the walkie-talkie in front of her. Tifa pondered her next move for one small second. Her whole life passed in front of her eyes and she knew what she needed to do. She turned the device on and took a deep breath. "Mama bird calls her chickies home immediately."
.
Two men were arguing about how to proceed on their new technological advancement on energy when they heard the call. Both ceased arguing and grinned at each other. "First one there wins a crate of beer."
They ran toward the door and yelled for every one of their workers to take a vacation. Barrett hit Cid on the back of his shoulder and told him, "I'll see you around that table at dusk. I gotta go get my kid."
.
Marlene stood with Denzel in their afternoon class. They were in Costa del Sol for summer term and currently she stared at a painting for some abstract reason. She pursed her lips together and Denzel's shoulders quietly shook with laughter. "We need to concentrate."
"We both know that you don't give a shit about this fucked up world," he whispered back. She smiled at a group of her friends across the room. The image she'd created around herself was one that her father would be ashamed of, but she needed a way to blend in with these people. She and Denzel were only children of new wealth and Tifa stubbornly refused to leave the slums for a better place in the downtown neighborhoods. Her friends thought that their house was a servants' house or Tifa's poor house, not that it was their actual home.
Marlene had a crowd to please and an image to uphold. "I care about everyone in our class."
"Bullshit," Denzel whispered. She gazed at the maturing boy in front of her. The past five years of peace had been good on his looks. His once shaggy hair was now clipped closer to his face and his brown eyes spoke emotions that only she understood. She wondered if he knew she loved him. Knowing him as she did, she wouldn't be surprised.
"Marlene!" a voice from her nightmares shouted into the art gallery. She saw Denzel's face transform into relief and amusement. He crossed his arms and they watched Barrett march into the gallery. He looked around and Denzel waved at him. The older man was in his work clothes, covered in oil and dirt. He shot a hand out to Denzel, who shook it respectfully and then they hugged briefly. "Mama Bird called."
Denzel's smile grew into a grin. The students around them were confused and the teacher approached them. "Ma'am, we need to get back to the city. We'll send all our work to you when our family emergency gets settled."
"Are you…?" the woman asked Barrett. He raised an eyebrow at her, shoved a card in her face, and she flushed. "Thank you for what you and your team did for our world."
"It was just a normal day for our family," Barrett responded and shoved Denzel to start walking while he walked with Marlene by his side. Her cheeks burned all the way out of the gallery.
Denzel muttered a few words to Barrett, who in return laughed boisterously. Marlene was silent the entire way back to Midgard.
.
Tifa stood in the kitchen, directing Rude to keep up with her cooking pace as they dished out customers' orders and prepared the evening meal on a stove that was rarely used. Yuffie could be heard in the main dining room laughing and telling stories. Sephiroth even took his turn out with the customers.
Tifa grinned the whole day. She sweated alongside Rude to get their service done, but they closed down the earliest since she'd opened the business. Yuffie and Sephiroth placed all the tables together. Yuffie rubber her hands excitedly and gazed at Sephiroth. "This is a night you will never forget."
They heard the door open and Cid exclaimed, "Well, I guess I get my own crate of beer! He lost this time!"
He rushed over to Yuffie and they hugged. Cid drew back and regarded Sephiroth for a long minute. He slapped Sephiroth on the back before he walked into the kitchen. Sephiroth stood silently in the corner while he watched Cid gently touch Tifa's shoulder. She turned and her whole smile lit up her face. She hugged Cid fiercely while the man whispered, "Hello, beautiful."
"I'm glad to see you," she returned. Cid grinned and sat down at the bar in front of the kitchen. Tifa served him a beer. Yuffie stood at the end of the bar while Cid retold certain adventures that neither of them knew he'd been involved in. Tifa laughed at his antics while Yuffie scolded him.
Before Sephiroth could say something, the backdoor slammed. Tifa tensed up and sighed. A young teenager marched through the restaurant to a door that led up to the apartment. She didn't spare Tifa or anyone one glance while she slammed that door as well.
"Get your disrespecting ass down here!" Barrett roared. Sephiroth's eyebrow rose slightly at the darker man. He didn't even notice Sephiroth as he looked at Cid exasperated. "That little girl needs to get her haughty priorities right!"
A young man walked in behind him and hugged Tifa quietly. Sephiroth saw Tifa wipe tears from her eyes and hugged the teenager tightly. "I missed you."
"Me too, Teef," the boy muttered. She ruffled his hair. She introduced Rude to him and then motioned for Sephiroth to come out of his corner. Barrett's tirade on Marlene's character ceased when he saw the other man.
"Shit no! This asshole is not allowed in my house!" Barrett shouted. Sephiroth gazed at Tifa. She shrugged and then pointed to Denzel and Denzel held his hand out. Sephiroth shook it. They smiled at each other. "How can you let this bastard into your house after everything? Fucking shit doesn't work like that, Tifa!"
"Barrett, close your mouth before I do it for you," Tifa warned. Barrett sat down on a barstool next to Cid. He swiped Cid's beer and drank the rest of it. Cid hit him in the arm, but neither said anything when they saw Tifa's serious look. "Now, the ones that matter are here."
"Where's Valentine?" Cid grumbled. Tifa smiled and then pointed to her cell phone. "Off radar again, huh?"
Sephiroth crossed his arms and Tifa chuckled. "Cloud's will was delivered to me this morning."
Cid and Barrett regarded her seriously. Yuffie had been through the conversation earlier and chuckled at their bewildered looks. Both men asked in unison, "How did you get it?"
"He ordered it sealed for five years," Yuffie pronounced slowly for them. Tifa glanced at Yuffie's monotone. The younger woman shrugged. She walked back into the kitchen.
"He wanted us to rebuild Sector 7," Tifa stated. "He left money for whatever type of education Denzel and Marlene want to pursue and enough for us to purchase two blocks worth of property. He wanted our family together at his graveside in… twelve hours."
"The fifth anniversary," Cid mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair and gazed at Tifa. "You got us here."
"We've already heard from everyone else. They'll be there tomorrow morning. We'll have a small ceremony to remember him and thank the Lifestream for taking him." Tifa smiled. "Then, we go to the realtors and get land."
The men smiled at her. She called for the meal. Marlene crept down and ate with the family, despite being silent throughout the meal.
.
"Tomorrow's the big day," Tseng stated to Zack at three in the morning. Zack nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Are you nervous?"
Zack shook his head and resisted the temptation of pulling out his phone and dialing Tifa's number. "Numb more like it."
Tseng watched his old friend groan into his hands. He felt sorry for the man, especially given the circumstances around his wedding date. Every year to the day, Zack got roaring drunk. He and Tseng drank all night to remember a fallen comrade. This year, Zack drank for three of the men he'd respected and called closest friends. "I finally found her, Tseng."
Tseng froze. He saw Zack laugh bitterly and run a hand through his night's worth of stubble. "I almost convinced myself I could end it with Aerith. I promised him I would protect her to the end, but I can't protect my heart from going back to where I wanted it. You should have seen her. She hasn't aged a day. Her hair is shorter, but the fire in her eyes is still the same. She looked at me with disdain, did you know that? But all I could do was think for the first time in five years, I felt alive. Fucking woman is an addiction. She kills me with each passing breath."
Tseng watched his friend reach for the bottle. A knock echoed across the apartment from Tseng's front door. He unsteadily walked to the door, opened it, and saw Sephiroth staring back at him. He laughed at the hallucination and made his way back to his couch. Zack rose. Sephiroth gazed at both of them with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing, puppy?"
"Mourning for Angeal, Cloud, and Genesis." Tears fall inhibited from Zack's eyes. Sephiroth sighed and looked at Tseng. The man straightened and followed Sephiroth into the kitchen. They talked for fifteen minutes before Sephiroth deposited Zack on Tseng's guest bed.
"Is she ready?" Tseng asked as he escorted Sephiroth to the door. Sephiroth nodded. Tseng smiled. "Don't worry. Your girl will be there tomorrow."
.
Zack groaned as he opened his bleary eyes to the world. His head pounded uncontrollably as he struggled to get up out of Tseng's guest bed. He ventured out into the open living area and saw Tseng preparing their breakfast. "Breakfast of champions."
Zack grinned while his eye twitched from the headache. "I can't remember anything that happened after midnight. I swear I thought Sephiroth was here at one point."
"Aren't we still searching for him?" Tseng asked cautiously. Zack nodded and laughed to himself. "You were really out of it."
"I've been out of it the last month, man," Zack confessed. Tseng watched his old friend stare at the wall and unwillingly showing the emotions of a man past his tolerance point. "I finally found her, but I'm in this commitment with Aerith. It's the morning of my wedding and I'm here thinking about another woman. That's not normal."
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Tseng questioned. Zack nodded. It wasn't a nod of desire, but one out of duty. "He's been dead a long time, Zack."
"If you can't honor the dead, who can trust you completely?" Zack retorted and downed the rest of his coffee. He looked around and groaned. "I gotta get to the church. I'll see you there."
"I'll be the guy right beside you," Tseng stated as Zack raced out the door. Three hours until the ceremony, Tseng thought as he picked up the telephone.
.
Zack rushed through his apartment. He paused at the pictures on his dresser. He opened his top drawer and found the picture he'd been hiding for the past four years. Tifa sat on a bench laughing at him while Cloud was on the other side making faces behind Zack's back. He grinned and sat down on his bed.
He deepened his breathing and muttered, "I'm not a religious man, but if you can help me set my wrongs right, I'll be eternally grateful."
Pushing himself up, Zack started his mental preparation for any normal battle. He forgot what was important and focused on his goal. He wouldn't let his dead friend down. When Zack Fair gave his word, he fulfilled it to his dying breath.
.
Marlene was not in a good mood. Tifa forced her to get out of bed two hours earlier than a normal human should see the earth, made her get ready, and then they went to a depressing part of town. She saw Tifa kneel down at a spot and touch the spot tenderly.
"I miss you, little brother," Tifa whispered. The wind whipped around her as if in response. Tifa looked at her family and rose. "This is where one of our beloved fell."
Sephiroth stepped forward and cleared his throat. Marlene's interest grew. She wondered if they spoke of a person Marlene barely remembered. "I have something I need to share with all of you."
Everyone in the group tensed as Sephiroth cleared his throat. "I went mad after we lost Genesis in a special mission. I kidnapped Tifa and brought her here, the place where Genesis was shot."
Tifa smiled and nodded at him. It wasn't Sephiroth who continued. "We needed someone to replace him on the mission."
Everyone froze as two figures came into the circle. Marlene saw Tifa wipe back tears from her eyes and walk toward the two men. One had black hair and almost red eyes. Yuffie stepped forward and punched the black haired man and hugged him close. Tifa cupped the other's cheek and smiled at him. His blue eyes smiled back at her and she ruffled his blonde hair. "How?"
"He didn't deal a lethal blow," Marlene heard the man whisper to Tifa. She nodded and turned to Sephiroth. Sephiroth smiled and pointed to the church across the street. "We concluded the mission a couple of months ago."
"Cloud," Tifa breathed in and out deeply. Tifa turned to Sephiroth. "The will and the funds?"
"Genesis's," Sephiroth replied. Tifa nodded and then glanced around her. Sephiroth was the only one that smiled at her. "We have a wedding to crash."
Barrett and Cid rubbed their hands together. "Security's going to be tight."
"Nothing we haven't handled before," Vincent said. Marlene watched Cloud hand Tifa gloves. She pulled them on and grinned.
"We'll need a big distraction." Tifa looked around at the group in front of her. They all awaited her orders. Their loyalty to her was unquestioned as was hers to them. "I'm going to assume that there will be SOLDIER and Turks lurking around the square in front of the church."
Barrett and Cid grinned at each other. Vincent crossed his arms and looked down at Yuffie. Rude nodded to Sephiroth. Tifa smiled at Cloud. "Wallace and Highwind, I need a gigantic distraction. Valentine and Kisargi, you do what you do best. Strife and I will walk right into the church."
"What about the kids?" Rude asked. Sephiroth smiled as it dawned on him what they're duty was. "I'm not a babysitter."
"No, you're not. You'll be helping them help Barrett," Tifa stated. Tifa looked down at her watch. "The wedding starts in a half an hour. We've got this, ladies and gents."
"Our pit bull is back," Barrett whispered to Cid. "Too bad she isn't over the shock yet."
"She's gonna be a mess when that hits," Cid agreed.
"Where's Red?" Yuffie yelled. Everyone in the group stopped and looked around. Sephiroth pulled two fingers to his mouth and whistled a high pitch tune. A roar was heard after that and Red XIII appeared in front of them with Cait Sith on his back. Cait looked up at Sephiroth.
"This is where you disappeared to?" the doll asked sarcastically. Sephiroth shrugged and continued to walk toward the square. Barrett and Cid argued over what tools they were going to use all the way back to the shop and then again while Tifa grabbed her fighting gear.
Yuffie watched Tifa transform into the person she thought she'd never see again. Tifa grinned at her with a level of strength that wasn't part of her physique in five years. She grinned at Yuffie. Yuffie laughed and whooped. "Lets create some anarchy, bitches!"
Tifa smiled and Vincent walked after Yuffie. Vincent remarked before he left Tifa, "We'll make sure that it is a spectacle for the sophisticated to remember."
Cid and Barrett dragged Marlene, Denzel, and Rude with them. Tifa saw Rude's face break into a grin as he slipped his suit jacket back on and his sunglasses adorned his face. Cid yelled back to Tifa, "Fun spectacle time!"
Tifa looked at Sephiroth and Cloud. Sephiroth crossed is arms and Cloud clasped his behind his back. Tifa smiled in reaction and glanced at Sephiroth. "Did the sale clear through?"
"Yes, it did," he whispered. She nodded. That made their joint property venture amount to four blocks worth of land. That was enough to build low-income housing and businesses for their own ventures. "People from the outside will say we are slum lords."
"Better than slum scum," Tifa retorted. Sephiroth chuckled. "Besides, we will offer outside investment and create a self-sustaining neighborhood. It can be a social experiment."
"What outside investment?" Sephiroth questioned. In reply, Tifa smiled. Sephiroth snorted. He took a very dull blade and examined it for many moments before strapping it over his back. He saw Tifa's curious expression and smiled. "I promised I'd never kill another human after I injured you."
"I guess your boss wasn't grateful for that vow," Tifa replied. The scar on her back twinged in pain, but she held her gaze steady on him. Sephiroth shook his head. "I forgave you a long time ago, you know that, right?"
"I figured that out the day you let me in your door. When I wanted help, you did the motherly thing and picked me back up," he admitted. "For that, you became family to me. I guess I'll do anything to protect the new family around me."
Tifa touched his shoulder lightly and then glared at Cloud. "You owe me a gigantic explanation after this is done, mister. Then I'm going to give you the biggest lecture you never wanted to imagine."
Cloud swallowed a couple of times and could only manage a nod. Tifa turned to look downtown and rubbed her fists together. The trio walked in silence until they reached the downtown square. Tifa looked around and grinned at all the media poised outside the church. Sephiroth analyzed the landscape and gave her the safest route for them to get in the church without being seen.
"We have ten minutes," he whispered. Tifa and Cloud nodded while Sephiroth quietly walked along the outside of the crowd. Cloud wore a hat to tame his spiky hair and Sephiroth wore a ball cap and sunglasses to keep people from guessing who he was. Tifa just wore her hair up in a braid without having to worry that she could blend in.
They spotted Yuffie and Vincent lounging on the roof next to some gargoyles. Vincent gave a nod and motioned for to the crowd. Every media person looked up and gasped. Barrett grinned and hoisted his gun. He shot a couple of rounds. People scattered and the Turks came out of nowhere. Tifa, Sephiroth and Cloud made it into the church without anyone noticing. Sephiroth gripped the blunted sword hilt and pulled it from his back. Tifa pulled her gloves on tighter. Cloud sighed and took a similar fighting stance that Tifa had.
"What? I forgot my sword. Give it a break," he answered Tifa's incredulous look. Sephiroth let out a low laugh. Within seconds, Turks led by Tseng surrounded them. Tseng's eyes widened when he saw Cloud. Tifa crossed her arms.
"I have objections to this ceremony," she announced. Tseng sighed. They followed him to the altar. Zack stood in front of Aerith in a protective stance until he saw Tifa. He hopped down the stairs and the Turks scattered in front of him. Zack touched her shoulder and then looked around. He gaped when he saw Cloud.
"I can't let you marry her," Tifa whispered to Zack. His gaze transfixed on her. "She's already married to Cloud."
Cloud nodded. He looked up at Aerith. She ran to him and crushed him in a gigantic hug. Tifa heard Zack's sigh of relief and felt his arm drape over her shoulder. She glared at him. He smiled in response. "Guess we can get married now, huh?"
"Not for a while, buster," she replied. Zack grinned. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. Everyone in the church watched Tifa slap him and Zack howl with laughter. "You aren't going to get back in my good graces that quick!"
She yelled at him about moral character and respectable behavior. No one saw Cissnei quietly walk into the church with the rest of Tifa's family and slide a hand around Sephiroth's waist. Tseng nodded to her and she smiled as she snuggled into Sephiroth's arm. Tseng watched the former SOLDIER killing machine smile tenderly down at the former Turk.
Cloud looked down at Aerith. "I'm sorry."
She smiled at him and settled against his chest. "Don't worry. Zack acted honorably. We had different rooms the whole time and he made no move to touch me."
Cloud chuckled and played with a loose strand of her hair. She gazed up at him. "It's all finished. No more running and second lives. I'm here to stay now."
Aerith smiled. She watched Yuffie, Vincent, Rude, Barrett, Cid, and the children run into the church. Tifa and Zack squabbled on as Barrett collapsed in a pew. Cid slid into one and Rude greeted Tseng. Aerith turned her head back to Zack and Tifa. Zack grabbed Tifa, pulled her close, and kissed her. Everyone laughed at them. Tifa quieted when the kiss ended and swatted him on the chest lightly. Zack kissed her forehead.
"I guess we have enough food for all of you," Tifa conceded. She smiled at the sight of Cissnei and Sephiroth. The press started taking pictures before Tifa comprehended. Zack pulled her closer to him and marched right up to the head reporter.
"Cloud and Aerith Strife are celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. While Cloud was undercover, we created an identity for Aerith to pose as my partner as a part of her safety. Cloud Strife was declared dead at the scene when Genesis Rhapsodos died to continue on with the mission. The mission concluded two months ago, and Cloud was sent home with Vincent Valentine of the Turks," Zack reported to the reporter. Before they asked any more questions, Zack started walking through them with Tifa holding his hand. Sephiroth and Cissnei followed until Aerith and Cloud were the last to go through.
.
Zack pulled Tifa aside when they got into the restaurant and lowered his forehead to hers. He breathed the same air she did and their heartbeats matched. He smiled as his eyes closed and he just breathed her in. he felt her arms close around his back and her fingers run up and down his spine.
"Do you still have my spare clothes?" he asked. She blushed when he opened his eyes. He grinned in response. "In the same spot?"
She nodded. He ran up her stairs and into her bedroom. He opened her massive closet, walked to the back, and pulled out a pair of his old sweatpants and a shirt. She laughed when she saw him tear out of his suit. He discarded the clothes on the floor and pulled the sweats on gratefully. "You still don't like suits?"
"I hate them," he answered and pulled the shirt on. She walked over to him and looked down at his bare feet. "We'll have to figure something out for sharing the closet tomorrow."
"Are you in a hurry to move in?" Tifa laughed at him. He nodded seriously. Her eyes widened as she figured out what he did. "You gave her the apartment."
"You're scared how fast we're going," Zack observed. Tifa nodded and shrugged. "Love with us is fast and deadly."
"You're a poison to me?" Tifa cackled at that. Zack laughed softly. "I'll drink the juice. You'll just have to get used to sharing the same bed."
"He really tricked us all." Zack's expression grew hard. Five years separated from this woman was a gigantic waste of their time. Tifa touched his arm and drew him out of his angry thoughts. Her thoughtful expression told him she'd thought the same exact thing. 'I love you."
"I'm glad I rescued you this time," Tifa stated quietly. Zack grinned at her and drew her into his arms as he sat on the bed. "We've got a busy year ahead of us."
"I'm retiring from SOLDIER," he confessed. She nodded and rubbed his arms consolingly. Zack grinned. "I'll be your old retired man toy around the house."
"I'll keep you busy," she stated suggestively. Zack laughed at her and kissed her. "Where do we go from here?"
"With you in my arms, babe, we can change the world." Tifa thought of the plans she and Sephiroth had created and grinned at Zack. He looked down at her for a long moment. "I'll let you lead, babe. All you need is me to back you up. And you'll be there for me when I need you."
Tifa gazed up at him for a long moment. She reached up for him. Her whispering voice told him all the plans she'd constructed. He grinned the entire time and whispered his own plans back. He received a punch on the arm in response.
A/N: So, I never planned on this story being the length that it is (props to you for reading this far – I love you very deeply for that dedication). I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I loved writing it.
I hope you leave me a review. I'm all for the constructive criticism love. Let me know how you felt about the story.
Until Next Time,
DBA