Forever Forward

Author Notes: Hi, guys! Just a few quick thoughts about the journey ahead of you. This is my first fanfiction ever! It is my attempt at a character study and the internal struggles they face. I've been a Final Fantasy fan for the majority of my life and these characters have found a way to really pull me in! I hope you enjoy the story, but be warned! This fiction contains some really violent/graphic scenes at times, (as well as a bit of romance), so please do not read if that sort of stuff bothers you! Also I'm always happy for reviews and constructive criticism! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its character, though I'm going to borrow them for a short while here! This is purely for the fun of expanding on their stories!

Chapter 1: Meetings

As expected the bar was off to another busy afternoon, though most of the patrons that managed to wonder in seemed more interested in shocking their brains into alcoholic overdrive with all sorts of mixed drinks and fancy cocktails rather than calmly nursing a beer to dull their trouble minds. Which was all well and good. Tifa had learned long ago that the most active business happened on the weekends mostly anyway. People seemed to gravitate to bars in the later hours of the day, looking for fun, or chicks, or a place to disappear in for a while. Everyone saw it differently.

Today was business as usual. The only hic-up was she was short staffed…just herself and Susie managing the growing crowd. Jennet was sick at home, calling to say she had some kind of head cold and wouldn't be able to make it for a few days. So here she was… bussing tables like the old days, while Susie manned the bar. She had her hair tied back into a tight ponytail, dressed in blue jeans and a fitted, red print t-shirt. So far she'd managed to ignore the occasional catcalls and sexist remarks, but it wasn't always easy. It had gotten easier over the years; used to be she'd want to throttle the bastard, if just to teach him a lesson. Now it was almost expected, as long as they kept their hands to themselves, of course.

Making yet another trip to the counter she set her empty tray down waiting for Susie to load it up with the next batch of drinks. Susie watched her warmly, a small smile playing across her lips. "Rough night, sweetie?"

Tifa didn't look at her, propped up carefully on the bar messaging a temple with her free hand. "Yeah…you could say that." Susie smiled knowingly; her light green eyes shimmering as she gently pushed some of her shoulder length, curly blond hair behind her ear. "Well don't let it get to you…men will be men. Only happy if there's enough beer and ass to go around. They're not much good with anything else." Tifa shot her friend a bemused look. "Yeah, that's probably pretty true. Just wish the one I had was that simple. Then I wouldn't mind so much. At least he's cute. That's got to count for something."

"Are you kidding me? It's the cute ones you can't trust! Always got some sorta baggage or a toucha crazy mixed in." Tifa laughed a little to herself. 'You have no idea…'

Susie slapped her arm playfully. "Hey! Don't go getting all moody on me. It's gonna be a looong night and this party is just getting started!" Tifa grinned at her infectious enthusiasm. It was one of the things she loved about Susie…the woman could always make her laugh, keeping that smile on her face even in the worst situations. Susie was probably the biggest reason she hadn't gone crazy yet. Yep…even Tifa needed a cheerleader once and awhile. Susie sighed dramatically, "Still…really doesn't matter to me. I'll take what I can get…you don't get to many offers after you're 35." Tifa smiled mischievously. "Oh, shut up. You're still beautiful and you know it!" They both laughed heartily, before Susie reminded Tifa of her waiting patrons.

She stood slowly, waiting patiently for her friend to put the various orders on her tray. It seemed at least one person hadn't come to welcome the evening with open arms. Grabbing her loaded tray, Tifa balanced it carefully on her arm, shooting a dirty look at one man who thought it was a good idea to start pinching first thing in the evening as she expertly weaved her way around chairs.

Finally arriving at the table of interest she set the drinks down. "Alright, one Scotch on the rocks, two cold beers, and a Gin and tonic. Hope you enjoy, let me know if you need anything else." Just as she turned to leave, she spotted someone sitting at the table in the far left corner of the bar. When had he shown up? Oh well, she'd take his order in a minute. Walking the familiar path back to the counter she couldn't help but feel that something was different…like the atmosphere was more…subdued somehow.

The normal evening chatter had quieted itself considerably, although there were a few patrons who seemed oblivious to the hushed atmosphere. Even Susie had noticed the change. "Susie, what's up? Did I miss something?" Her friend turned towards her sharply, her expression a mixture of excitement and mischievousness. "Well..yeah… You didn't see him come in?" she asked pointing a finger towards the far wall. Tifa followed her arm spotting the same stranger she'd just noticed. She immediately turned back to her employee. "Susie, don't point! It's rude." She just gave Tifa a smug look, but didn't comment, dropping her arm in compliance. "Well, I can't believe you missed him. Did you see his face? He…He had RED eyes. Can you believe it? Red eyes! I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before."

Tifa blinked in surprise. "That's it? You're worked up because a guy walks in with different colored eyes?" Susie just smiled, punching Tifa playfully in the shoulder, "He's probably just wearing colored contacts or something."

"Oh, don't act like you're not interested. Hurry! Go take his order! I want to see what he gets. You can tell a lot about a man just by what he drinks!" Tifa slit her eyes slightly, "Ugh…that's ridiculous. And who's the boss here?" "You are, of course. I'm just keeping you focused." Tifa huffed, putting her hands on her hips in a mock display of offence, before turning to face his table. Just as she was beginning to walk off, Susie grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face her, before leaning in closely to whisper "Hey, if he's nice put in a good word for me, k?" Tifa just smiled at her, shaking her head in amusement. "I'll see what I can do."

This time when Tifa turned to go, nothing stopped her. As she crossed the 800 feet or so of floor to his table, she couldn't help but study him, or what she could see of him. He was sitting with his back to her, gazing silently out the window, chin propped up with his right arm. From what she could see he had long black hair, well black was an understatement…it was raven, so black that the lights gave it an almost navy hue. His skin looked pale, the side of face composed of long angular features. He wore mostly black, black jean pants, with a glossy dark charcoal dress shirt tucked securely into the waist band of his pants. Folded over the back of his chair was a long black coat. Suddenly a thought struck her, causing her to stop in her tracks. 'Could it be?' Tifa walked the rest of the way to his table with purposeful strides, pausing a short distance away. He didn't turn his gaze from the window; seeming not to know she was even there. But Tifa wasn't surprised, excited maybe, and a little nervous. If it really was him, it had been nearly 2 years since they'd last seen each other. "Vincent?" The man in question seemed slightly surprised to hear someone call his name. He turned to face her, locking his crimson eyes on the woman standing next to him. 'It was him!'

Vincent blinked once, "Tifa?" She smiled brightly. "Wow! It really is you! It sure has been awhile. How're doing? Where ya been all this time?" Vincent dropped his gazed to the dull brown table in front of him, not speaking for several seconds. "Around."

Tifa smiled a little to herself, 'same old Vincent.' "Uh huh…that's probably the understatement of the year, but I won't pry. If you're up to it, you should stop by the den sometime if you're going to be in the area for a bit. I know Cloud would be glad to see you. We're not too far from here in the Daylon apartment complex a few minutes down the road. But, enough of that. Can I get you anything this evening?"

Again, a long silence. Just as she was about to give up and leave him alone, he spoke in his deep, steely voice. "No. Thank you. It's good to see you are well. I apologize for not keeping in touch." Well that was odd. Vincent apologizing…he'd never cared before…it just didn't seem to fit. Tifa grinned a little internally, bursting into another bright smile before placing a hand on his shoulder with a friendly pat. "It's fine. I'm just glad to see your face around here. You look good…all things considered."

He tensed almost immediately when her hand touched his shoulder, but he didn't stop her. It was just her way; love and friendship to everyone, even to someone like him.

She stepped back a second later, losing some of her smile when she noticed him relax ever so slightly as she pulled her hand away. She'd forgotten he wasn't a huge fan of being touched. "Sorry Vincent. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Still, you really should have something. Sure you don't want a beer or…a glass of wine maybe, while you're here?" Vincent sighed slightly; he really wasn't expecting any of the former Avalanche members to be living in this part of Neo-Midgar…to close to too many bad memories. He turned away from Tifa again, staring blankly out the window to the busy evening outside. She stood there a moment longer, waiting, watching him. He was still the quiet, morose man from before, but something was different about him. He seemed to have finally gained some small measure of closure…perhaps one less burden on his shoulders, like his silence was more a remembered habit than a conscious effort to keep people out.

"Well, let me know if you want anything, Vincent. All you have to do is ask." Content for the moment to leave him to his thoughts, she turned to leave, surprised when he spoke up.

"Do you serve hot tea?"

Tifa beamed in delight, "Sure. I'll have it ready for you in just a moment." Before she turned to leave she couldn't help but add, "It really is good to see you again, Vincent. We've missed you. I hope the soul searching did you some good."

Amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth, though the emotion was short lived. He hadn't truly smiled in quite a while. Leave it to Tifa to crack his shell with just a few friendly words. It would seem something was determined to keep him connected to his comrades from Avalanche no matter where he went; a strangely annoying blessing in and of itself, though he was hard pressed to deem Tifa's presence an annoyance. He'd have to be careful around her though…the fact the woman could be surprisingly perceptive at times may prove problematic if he decided to stay in this city for any length of time. Although the former members of Avalanche knew more about him than any others, there were still many aspects of his past and his current life that he wished to keep private.

He sighed tiredly, right hand threading through long hair as he leaned back in his chair, continuing to watch the world outside. Sometimes it seemed as if there would always be something holding him back…something that stood between him and the rest of the world. He could see it, watch it and contemplate, but never touch it…like a sheet of glass. But she had insisted he move on, that he attempt to live with the people he so desperately tried to stay away from. She told him it was the only way she could forgive herself for what she'd done to him. To forgive herself for hurting him? Vincent had to bite back a smug laugh. Hell, why not? It was funny. He'd always thought just the opposite. He owed her for turning his back on her when she'd needed him most. He owed the world for not stopping ShinRa's crazy experiment in its infancy when the option was still a possibility. But so much had happened…so much more had been revealed in the last year in a half that he wasn't sure who he was anymore. She'd told him to find out, to try again. So… here he was, sitting in a bar full of people he didn't know (that had been the plan at least), trying to adjust to the feel of people…life around him. Because she'd asked and he was a fool who couldn't tell her no. He shook his head slightly. What did he really have to lose anyway?

Vincent was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice the excited whispering happening just a few feet behind him. Susie was bursting with excitement upon Tifa's return. "So…who is he? You obviously know him. Was he one of your friends from Avalanche?"

"Susie, stop being so nosy and get me a hot tea steeping." The blonde made a sour face, not exactly satisfied with Tifa's answer, but did as she was told, disappearing behind the counter for a mug. She returned a moment later with a tea bag soaking in the hot water. "Come on, Tifa! Tellllll meeeee." Tifa had to fight back a snort of laughter at Susie's whinny plea, her puppy dog eyes nearly bringing the younger woman to tears. "Alright! Alright! Yes, that's how I know him. But leave him alone; he likes to have his privacy, ok?" Susie just pouted a little more before giving Tifa an awkward hug over the counter. "Fine…I suppose I can back off for now, but if you end up making a move on him, I get your left overs!" Tifa stared blankly at her friend. Where the hell had that come from?

Tifa opened her mouth to ask just that when Susie started pointing yet again. "Oooh, Oooh! Tifa hurry up! He's leaving!" Tifa turned around quickly. Sure enough Vincent was standing and in the process of pulling his coat on; being careful not to shred the fabric with the sharp metal talons of his atificial left hand, something else that hadn't changed about him in the last two years. Susie had suddenly gone quiet upon seeing it, and Tifa found a sort of morbid satisfaction in that fact. The woman had no idea just how many monsters (human and not) that had met their end because of those metal fingers.

Grabbing the still steaming mug of tea, she started off after her unexpected guest. "Wait. Vincent, wait a second." He paused with his clawed fingers on the doorknob, his face blank. Tifa reached him a second later. "Don't you want your tea?"

Vincent looked at her for a second, silently studying her features, she really didn't look much older, perhaps more fatigued then he remembered, though not overly so. Just more experienced, less the young girl she had been when he'd first met her 5 years ago. He knew she'd never really had a chance to be a little girl though, she'd seen so much at such a young age. She'd lost her mother, father, and town before she was even 17 years old. All very tragic and undeserved surely…though, his sympathy could only go so far…he'd still seen more. Much, much more.

"My train is here."

Tifa blinked, a little surprised by his response, and when she didn't answer right away Vincent turned once again to leave.

"W...wait. Just take it with you. Don't worry about the mug." There was a kind smile on her face, "You can just drop it off the next time you come by if you want."

Vincent realized the implication of her words, as if she expected to see him again soon, like any one of her regulars. He shook his head slowly, turning towards the door again. He should just go, before more attachments were looped around him. He still wasn't convinced he was ready for them yet. This was something he didn't want his old comrades involved with, not yet. An urgent hand on his sleeve pulled him from his thoughts.

"Vincent…please, just take it! You'll be glad you did later. Trust me...I wouldn't steer you wrong." Normally she wouldn't be this pushy, but Vincent looked like he could use a little pick me up. If it had been Cloud he would have turned on her angrily, telling her not to boss him around, to just leave him alone, that he could take care of himself, blah, blah, blah.

But Vincent didn't do any of those things; he just looked at her over his shoulder. There was no anger or frustration anywhere on his face. He didn't look upset or impatient. In fact he didn't seem to care at all, but he took the mug from her, a quiet sigh of defeat falling from his lips. Tifa tried not to act too excited at her little victory, sincerely glad she'd won this small clash of wills. Vincent wasn't an easy cookie to crumble after all.

Having done as she asked, said cookie finished turning the doorknob, leaving as silently as he'd come. Tifa managed to mutter a late "Good bye" before returning to her work, quietly ignoring Susie's smug grin. This was certainly proving to be an interesting evening.

Vincent sat silently on the crowded train, sipping his tea every now and again as he thought. So Tifa and Cloud no longer lived in their condo in Coast De Sol. Well, really it wasn't too surprising; even paradise could get old after a while. Tifa must have decided to open shop here after Cloud took his new position as the head of Neo-Midgar's Vermin Control Specialists...aka city regulated monster killers. Vincent sighed quietly. Doubtless she was tired of following him from one job to another by now.

The wind gusted suddenly, rocking the train as it sent a swirl of multicolored leaves flying through the air. It seems winter was on the way early this year, his breath was leaving a thin haze on the train window, or maybe it was because he was drinking something hot. Whatever…didn't matter. Tifa was right; he was glad he'd taken the tea after all. The warm liquid was soothing to his tense nerves; it would dispel some of his weariness for sure. But he'd have to go back, to return the mug of course. He wasn't really sure why, but the thought made him uneasy.

Vincent sighed weakly, leaning his burning forehead against the window's cold, indifferent glass. He'd managed to get a job. He was a "Weapons Specialist" for a company called Tsuna Michi's. The company not only sold guns and various other weapons, but they designed and tested them as well. Vincent tested them, gave each new weapon his appraisal. And he had been amazed by what he'd seen; the advancement from the firearms he'd used years ago was astonishing. It was a strangely fitting profession for him. Weapons, firearms, were one of the few things he really knew anything about, and for the most part he only had to deal with one or two people at any given time to file his reports, making it that much better.

Suddenly the train came to a squeaky stop, announcing its arrival in East End along with the automated voice over the intercom. Vincent, and a few other riders, stood and waited for the mechanical doors to slide open. The air out side was indeed chilly, but he didn't really feel it, absently shoving his hands into his pockets. Suddenly his thoughts strayed again back to Tifa and her kind smile, how long had it been since he'd seen her? A little over 2 years at least. Still she'd acted like it was nothing, like she was simply saying "Hi" to an old friend from her childhood years, but he could tell she was weary inside. Tired in a way that was beyond just physical…a type of weary he was well acquainted with. He almost wondered why?

Vincent shook his head in annoyance. Why was he suddenly so interested in the little details of her life? It's not like he had any reason to really care. They'd all been through rough times and had to deal with the pain, the memories, themselves. Tifa was no exception. Somehow Avalanche's motley band of companions had managed to save the Planet from being destroyed by a man and a company with matching God complexes. However, Vincent often found himself wondering if it was really worth it. Did he really want to save a world that would never, could never except him? 'Ah, but that's being selfish, wasn't it?' He got what he deserved…he couldn't blame his situation on anyone but himself. Hojo and Lucrecia, Sephiroth, ShinRa…they'd all done as they saw fit. And he'd done exactly the same.

Vincent realized suddenly that he'd just completely zoned out. There were people waiting to board the train through the door he was currently standing in, all bet impatiently. If he'd been anyone else, there would have been an embarrassed blush on his face. But he wasn't, he was simply Vincent, and Vincent Valentine didn't blush. Not that it mattered, none of the passengers dared shove by him with his dark demeanor and blood red eyes, as if they were leery of his very presence, aware on a subconscious level of the past he knew he'd never escape from. He could feel their curious glances on all sides, but he simply walked forward silently, gracing not a single person with his gaze.

With the door cleared and the tall, dark passenger moving on his way, the normal chaotic flow begin again. Vincent walked silently the rest of the way to his apartment, keeping both hand and claw deep in his coat pockets, his eyes on the pavement in front of him. He didn't seem to notice how people would walk on the farthest side of the sidewalk to avoid him, or the whispered comments that rang too loudly in his genetically enhanced ears. He'd learned long ago to tune them out…that was until a particular comment caught his attention.

"Strife? Who the hell is that?" A gravelly male voice suddenly sneered.

"You know…the guy with the spiky blonde hair? One of them…them Avalanche people."

"Who?"

"Are you dense or what? The guy living with that dishy bar tender, used to be in Avalanche." The first man, who looked to be in his late 40's or so, rolled his eyes at his younger partner. The second man, who appeared to be 25 at most, looked annoyed at his companion's apparent stupidity. Vincent noticed how dirty and worn their clothes were; their hands callused with hard work. He guessed them to be construction workers of some sort, maybe even regulars at Tifa's bar. Admittedly interested in the conversation, he paused in his short walk to lean casually on a telephone pole so he could listen to the conversation on the other side of the street.

"Oh…that guy! Why didn't you say so earlier? Yeah, what about him?"

"I heard they got into another fight…neighbor heard them yelling the other night. Seems to be happening a lot lately." He grinned suggestively. "Maybe I should go console her or something, if you know what I mean." The younger man, little more than a boy really, couldn't seem to wipe the stupid grin off his face. Vincent frowned imperceptibly, 'so that's why she looked so tired.'

"Yeah well…wonder if she likes older men…I sure wouldn't mind putting it to her for a night. Hehehe! I'd make her forget about what's his name in no time."

Vincent sneered with disgust 'Trash, the lot of them.' He decided to move on, considering the direction their conversation had taken, and the scalding temptation he had to break their necks.

Tifa and Cloud were fighting? He hadn't expected that; they seemed so in love before, the perfect team, just like he had been all those years ago with Lucrecia. But Lucrecia…she'd wanted something he couldn't possibly offer. To be a part of something that would etch her name in the history books. She'd been consumed with her career, her research. Now she was dead, because he hadn't stopped her. He'd let her die.

Pushing a strand of his raven hair behind his ear, Vincent continued on his way down the road, walking through the front door of his apartment complex a few minutes later. The building manager, an elderly man with graying hair and a nearly comical moustache smiled at him as he walked in the door, before quickly returning to the massive pile of paperwork he'd been sorting on his desk.

Vincent made his way through the large building to the back elevators, where he waited patiently for the doors to open. With a soft hiss and a loud chime signaling the elevators arrival, the doors slid open. Vincent stepped in quietly; strangely annoyed to have to share the small space with anyone. There was a woman standing to the back, her arms crossed protectively over a stack of clothes. Her brown eyes grew to the size of saucers as he stepped into the elevator. It seemed like she would say something to him at first, but she only managed to glance nervously in his direction, the color draining from her cheeks. Vincent ignored her with practiced indifference.

His room was on the 3rd floor and a decent walk from the elevator. Vincent made his way down the hall, pulling his keys from his jacket pocket with his right hand, while holding Tifa's now empty mug loosely in his metal talons. He stopped suddenly, listening silently to the empty hallway behind him before pushing the key into the lock and turning the tumbler. Once again he stopped to listen…using his enhanced hearing to confirm a lack of unwanted visitors…and sighed…some habits…even the extremely old ones were hard to let go. Once inside he returned his keys to his jacket, pulling his 9mm from his pants pocket, before doing a quick sweep of the apartment. Empty…good. Being a member of Avalanche had been a mixed bag…sure, he got his revenge, helped save the Planet, maybe even picked up a few friends along the way, but with notoriety came unwanted attention. People knew who he was now…well not everyone, but the not so savory ones, ShinRa people who'd lost it all, their future, their relatives, their identities, could find him easily enough, and would do whatever it took to get their revenge. It was because of Avalanche that ShinRa was no more, and Vincent knew personally that the passing of a few years would do little to dull the need for vengeance from those who truly sought it.

Once sure he was alone in the apartment, Vincent set about winding down for the evening, before long able to drown himself in comforting routine, trying to focus on anything but those burgundy eyes bouncing around in his head. Finally, unable to come up with a better idea, he headed to the bathroom. Perhaps a shower would distract him for a while. He certainly hoped so…