A/N: This chapter is just a prologue chapter, it's setting the story up for the following chapters. The rest of the story will be from Cloud's point of view.
Disclaimer: I, of course, own none of the characters, locations or items used in this story that are part of the FF7 Compilation.
Enjoy =D
"Hello, Strife Delivery Service, how may I help you?" Tifa said as she picked up the phone.
"Hey, Tifa," the voice on the other end said.
"Oh, hey, Cloud," Tifa said, brightening up and smiling at Cloud's voice, "how did the delivery go?"
"I delivered the package in time, but I've been asked to take another package to Junon, so I'm going to be gone another few days," Cloud informed Tifa, very to the point.
Tifa pulled out a small notebook from under the counter and took down the details.
"Was it standard price?" Tifa asked.
"No, we got more for this," Cloud answered, "it's a delicate package, apparently, so the client wanted to make sure it definitely reached Junon without being broken."
"And they asked you to take it?" Tifa asked with a little laugh.
"We got 5,000 gil for the delivery, I'll see you in a few days," Cloud said, ignoring Tifa's little joke.
"Be safe, Cloud," Tifa said before the phone went dead.
She put the phone down and sighed a little to herself, before taking the notebook into the office and making a note to add it into the accounts.
The Strife Delivery Service wasn't an overly used firm, but they made enough money to live well enough. Of course, after all they'd been through, a quiet life was enough for Tifa. She loved the fighting, but settling down with a routine job was so peaceful after everything that had happened with Sephiroth years before, and then with Kadaj not too long ago. Cloud, on the other hand, still seemed to revel in the adventure a little. He, too, enjoyed the quiet life, but there was still that fighting instinct in him, and he always loved danger, if only a little bit.
Tifa was sat behind the counter for another 10 minutes, when the door opened. Through the door walked a fairly large black man with a gun where his hand should be. Just behind him walked a little girl of about 7.
"Hey, Barret, hey, Marlene," Tifa said, smiling at the two. "What brings you here?"
"What, can't a guy just pop by an' say hello?" Barret laughed.
Tifa laughed in resonse, "I guess so."
"Actually, I do need a favour from ya," Barret said, becoming more serious, "will ya watch Marlene for a few days for me?"
"Sure, Barret, we need to catch anyway, don't we Marlene?" Tifa said, direction the question towards the little girl.
"Sure do," the little girl said brightly, with a large smile.
Tifa giggled at the little girl, "go into the back and play whilst I talk to your dad for a bit, ok?"
Marlene nodded and ran into the other room, closing the door behind her, as she knew that this conversation was something that her dad didn't want her to hear.
"So, is this another mission?" Tifa asked, turning serious.
"Ye, the WRO were gonna ask Cloud to take this one, but Reeve said that it'd be better to not involve him in this one," Barret explained.
"How come?" Tifa asked, a little concerned.
"It's in Nibelheim," Barret said, cautiously.
"What's going on?" Tifa asked, worried something big might be happening.
"A few of the villagers have gone missin' in the mountains, and a kid who went into the mountains got really sick," Barret explained, "the WRO are worried that it's somethin' to do with the damn reactor out there."
Tifa let this information sink in, but it made her more worried.
"Maybe I should go with you, you need a partner and I know the area really well," Tifa offered.
"No, Tifa, I need you to look after Marlene, an' with everythin' that's gone down out there, it'd be better for someone who's not too involved with the town," Barret explained, "an' I'm takin' Yuffie with me. It's just a recon mission, so there's not a thing that'll go wrong, we just gotta check out what's happenin' and then report back."
"Ok, but call when you get back and tell me everything, ok?" Tifa asked, still worried.
"Sure thing, Tifa," Barret said, turning towards the door.
"Oh and..." Barret started, but Tifa cut him off.
"I won't tell Cloud about this."
Barret nodded his thanks and then left. Outside, Tifa saw him get into a car and drive away. She picked up a cloth and started wiping down the counter, as she always did when she was nervous about something. It seemed like there might be trouble brewing around the reactors again, even though they were all supposed to be shut down and cleared out. This worried her.
A few hours later, Tifa was watching cartoons with Marlene. Cartoons had never really existed before a few months ago. There were a few children's programs, but they weren't really mainstream. However, as part of some new schemes that the World Regenesis Organisation had put in place, cartoons were now broad cast regularly. They were designed to make the world seem like less of a depressing place to be for children, and to inspire them to want to improve the world. The phone rang, right in the middle of one of the cartoons, so Tifa went to answer it, letting Marlene watch alone.
"Hello, Strife Delivery Service, how may I help you?" Tifa asked.
"Hello? Ah, good, it's working,"
"How may I help you sir?" Tifa asked again, a little amused.
"I need you to deliver something for me," the person on the phone said.
"That's what we do," Tifa said brightly.
"Ah, fantastic," the voice said, in merriment, "I need to transport a box of very rare greens to the Chocobo Farm in the Grasslands."
"Ok, sir, and can I get your name and where we need to pick this up from, please?" Tifa asked, scribbling down everything on her notepad.
"Yes, of course, I'm the Chocobo Sage, or at least, that's what people call me, I live in the mountains of the Northern Continent," the man explained.
"Ah, yes, sir, I know where that is," Tifa said, writing down the location of the Chocobo Sage's house.
"These greens are very important, so I'll give you guys 25,000 gil for making this delivery," the Chocobo Sage said enthusiastically.
Tifa was taken aback by this, not expecting such a large amount to be offered straight away.
"Thank you, that is very generous," Tifa said happily.
"I shall expect you soon, then" the Chocobo Sage said, hanging up the phone.
"Living in the mountains has sure made his social skills active," Tifa laughed to herself as she put the phone down.
She considered the job for a second before picking up the phone again and dialling another number. A gruff voice sounded on the other end as the phone was answered.
"Whaddya want?" The gruff man said.
"Always the charmer, aren't you, Cid?" Tifa laughed.
"Ah, Tifa, what ya doin' callin' so early in the morning?" Cid asked.
"It's the afternoon, silly," Tifa laughed more.
"It is?" There was a moments pause. "Ah, shit, I slept in again."
Tifa laughed more, she always found Cid's grumpiness to be funny.
"Anyway, I've got a job for you if you want it. Client is paying us 25,000 gil so I'll give you 10,000 of it if you take it," Tifa explained.
Tifa heard Cid sitting up quickly.
"Hell yeah I'll take it," Cid said enthusiastically, "where is it?"
"Remember the Chocobo Sage?" Tifa asked, still amused, but more serious now.
"Yeah," Cid said, "weird guy who lives in the mountains."
"He wants us to transport some rare greens to the Chocobo Farm, so you'll need your airship," Tifa explained.
"Got it," Cid said, sounding noticeably exuberant, "I'll get right on it. Thanks for the job."
"No problem, Cid, I'll see you when you get back," Tifa said, as she hung up the phone.
Tifa proceeded to walk into the other room and sit with Marlene to watch cartoons again.
"Was that a delivery?" Marlene asked.
"Yeah, sweety, just something for uncle Cid to take care of," Tifa explained.
"Where's Cloud?" Marlene asked.
"He's got a delivery to Junon, he'll be back in a day or two, don't worry, ok?" Tifa explained.
"Ok, but what about Nanaki and Vincent?" Marlene asked, "I haven't seen them in a long time."
"Vincent is... busy, and Nanaki is staying in Cosmo Canyon for a while," Tifa explained.
Marlene heard the pause in Tifa's voice, but realised it was probably something she shouldn't ask about. There were very few things that would make Tifa look concerned, and this was one of them, so she figured it was best left alone. She turned to the TV and began watching the cartoons again.