Disclaimer: As always Square Enix owns the characters and I just toy with them on occasion.
Unexpected
Now, Tifa realized she should probably be paying a little more attention at the meeting but Reeve had already covered the specific topics pertaining to her. She was head of the reconstruction committee, and it was finally North Corel's time to be rebuilt. North Corel was a bittersweet topic for her; It was where her dear friend Barret had lived his entire life until the town fell to shambles taking his family with it. She knew rebuilding it couldn't help him now, but there were still families that would benefit from it and helping others is what she desired to do. Bringing herself back to reality Reeve had just adjourned the meeting and she gathered her things and stood. Nodding to Reeve in respect she let the other members exit the room before she walked over to her long time –albeit not very social friend Vincent.
"Vincent my friend, how are your travels these days?" Crimson eyes locked onto hers and he spoke softly from under his half cloaked face.
"Very productive, making significant progress and how," he paused looking like he was searching for the right words, "have your affairs been here?"
Tifa knew he was asking about her relationship with his son, and thankfully going about it a tactful way. Pretty much everyone had verbalized their distaste in her choosing Sephiroth as a lover, but not Vincent. He had always been there nodding slightly almost if he was supporting it.
"They're nice." She mentally scolded herself they're nice, really Tifa, that's the best you could come up with? She could see the hint of amusement playing in his eyes. As if on cue his PHS decided to ring, thankfully to try to break the tension, and it probably would have if Dracula's theme song hadn't decided to ring in her ears.
"Vin.."
"It seems that my device has been tampered with." It looked at the ringing item with disgust.
Laughter reverberated throughout her slender body. Yuffie had developed a terrible knack for messing with her friends PHS's. Last time poor Cloud had been the one to suffer, his phone had begun to wark loudly and everyone had lost themselves in a fit of laughter.
"If you'll excuse me Miss Lockhart."
"Of course Vincent, have a good day."
She exited the conference room and began to hum a soft and sweet melody, letting her mind drift once more. Everyone's life had changed so much, but for the better rest assured. It was shocking at first yes, but everyone had adjusted quickly. It's not every day your friends return from the lifestream. She still remembered that shocking day very had still been working at the bar..
"What a day teef."
She smiled at her childhood friend that was unloading First Tsuragi and taking his normal seat at the bar. She placed her hand over his and gave him a quick look over, he looked tired.
"I'm glad you made it back home safely." She reached down into the cooler and grabbed him a Corel Ale, popping the top off handing it to him.
"Thanks, you sure know how to make a man's day better." She rolled her eyes playfully at him and squatted back down grabbing the pen and clipboard as she went. The bar might be closed but there was still cleaning and inventory to be done.
*Ding*
She sighed, Cloud didn't lock the door behind him and apparently the newcomer couldn't read a closed sign. "Sorry bars closed for the night please..!"She was cut off mid sentence as she heard Cloud choking and then proceeded to spray the top of her head in beer.
"Cloud what on Gaia is wrong with you?!" She stood to have the older man grab her by the shoulders with a frantic look on his face. "Teef what are you putting in the beer these days, are you trying to make me lose my mind?!"Not sure how to reply she just gawked at him.
"Cloud what are you talking about?" She followed his line of vision and her face then masked his. She snatched the beer inspecting it for she didn't know what but anything out of the ordinary. She looked over once more and still saw the sight she had the first time. Slowly she released herself from Cloud's death grip and grabbed two tumblers and filled them with cactuar gin. Shooting the first one down, relishing the burn of the alcohol down her throat and dared to looked over once more. Those ebony spikes, and that pink dress..
"Nope..just overworked."She snatched the other tumbler before Cloud could even register in his head to grab and dumped the liquid into her mouth again.
"Tifa, this is it, Im finally losing my mind." He grabbed both of her hands silently pleading her to offer some comforting words. "I'm seeing dead people."
"What no hug spikey?" Came a masculine voiced laced with amusement, then followed by a feminine giggle. "Zack, I think they're in shock, give them a minute."
"No Aerith, I've been gone a long time and I want my hug now!"
Tifa began chuckling to herself. It had taken nearly a whole night to convince Cloud that his first friend outside of Nibeheim was indeed standing there with the Cetra that he had loved, and mourned for so long.
"Hmm.."
She glanced over looking at the glass of the training room to see a man slumped against his, his raven haired running wild and he appeared to be sleeping. Unfortunately for the man, Tifa would know that mass of black hair anywhere. It seemed as though was sleeping on the job and she just couldn't let that happen. She placed her fists on the glass, one fist on each side of his head, then hit the glass with such force that it shuddered and produced a loud noice.
"Oi!"
Zack sprung to life and snatched his body around to look completely horrified. Turning up a smirk on her face she waited for him to exit and stand before her.
"Tifa, are you trying to kill me!"
"Well we see how that worked out the first time."
"Har-Har"
Tifa prodded her tiny finger into his chest and did her best imitation of a scowl.
"I believe that you are supposed to be training those new recruits in there, and here I find you taking a mid-day nap. Would you care to explain yourself?"
Zack formed a pout on his lips and accompanied it with a small sniff.
"Aw Teef…"
"Don't you aw teef me!"
"But I don't feel well!"
She let out a snort. "Im sure, anyone that would be brave enough to drunk dial Genesis in the early morning would bound to have a terrible hangover hours later."
"But it was that really cute girl from the materia departments birthday. You know..wait what was her name again..Lacey..Laura..Leah.."
She shook her head at the man. "Zackary I would advise you to go attend to your class, had Angeal or Goddess forbid Sephiroth have found you it probably wouldn't have had a pleasant ending."
He merely nodded and squeezed her into a bear hug then ran back off to the training room. "Thanks Teef, I owe you one." He was lucky she didn't keep count, Zackary Fair 'owed her one' atleast every other day.
She finally made it to her office. Lieutenant Lockhart was inscribed on her door, she entered and any happiness she had present on her face quickly disappeared and she dropped her things onto the desk. A desk that happened to be smothered in paperwork. She sank down into the leather chair and pinched the bridge of her nose letting out a sigh. Domesticated life was nice but some days she found saving the world was less troublesome than the amount of paperwork that was required on a daily basis. By the looks of it her lunch would be canceled with her love. Glancing at the clock she sighed once again. "12:45..damn."
She began pilfering through the files when the intercom on her office phone went off. Really, am I going to achieve anything today?
"Lieutenant Lockhart?" Mei, the secretary sounded.
"Yes?"
"Commander…"
"I told you she doesn't need to be informed of my arrival! I am-"
"Send him in Mei."
"Yes mam."
Seconds later Genesis came bursting through the door looking agitated waving a clipboard in his hand. She laughed and gestured for him to take a seat.
"I do not have to answer to office personal, I am Genesis Rhapsodos I'll go where I damn well please!"
"She's only doing her job." She started flipping up the pages of a report. Mei and Genesis weren't exactly on good terms after he eavesdropped on a conversation that she had on the phone. She had called him 'a hot headed spoiled drama queen' if her memory served her right.
"Useless I say." He propped his boot clad feet on her desk, his eyes averting back to the clipboard.
"So, what do I owe this great pleasure of your presence Commander?" He feigned a small smile but she still saw the anger flashing through his cerulean eyes.
"This." He handed her the clipboard and she put the current report down to look over the tidbit of new information she had received. Her eyes gazing over the title.
"Deployment notice?"
"Read further."
"Effective tomorrow at 1100 hours, A team will be dispatched to North Corel to oversee the beginning reconstruction and to neutralize the situation if hostility should arise." She rose her eyebrows and continued on.
"Leading the unit General ," her breath hitched slightly as her eyes looked to Genesis who had his chin up in defiance and waved his hand gesturing her to continue.
"Commander and the following recruits."
"As if I am not qualified enough to accompy them on some miniscule mission." Ah, so that's what's bothering him.
She got up and walked over to him placing her palm against his face. "You know that you are more than qualified for this mission, but if they took you who would be here to enjoy my cooking and play games with me?"
He smiled genuinely and grabbed her hand placing a soft kiss on her knuckles, then releasing it.
"How do you do that?"
She looked at him questioningly. "Hmm?"
"You can calm a raging storm with just a few of your words. No wonder yonder General loves you so." Pink tinged her cheeks. It was still hard to fathom sometimes how the man she once despised had captured her heart entirely.
"Well um.."
Genesis let out a hearty chuckle and glanced over to her desk. "Well I guess I shouldn't complain, at least I don't have that mountain of paperwork to attend to."
Tifa elegantly snorted and returned to behind her desk. "You do Gen, you just refuse to do it." He smiled innocently and stood, smoothing the creases out in his duster. "Well I'm off my love. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you figure out something to do with that." He pointed at the paperwork and started out the door.
"Oh but no fear, I have no intentions of interrupting you and thy General from your previous engagements..tenshii." He waggled his eyebrows. She grabbed the stapler and hurled it at him only to have it hit the door.
Seph.. She knew he had missions and had to go out in the field but it always made her sad when left. They had little personal time as it was, with their jobs, the interference with their friends, although she loved them dearly, there just never seemed to be enough time in the day. For example, their lunch date had been blown to hell and back.
"Well Seph was definitely right, its going to be a very long day." With that she turned her attention back to her paperwork hoping she could make it home before he fell asleep.