Hey, there, again. Another chapter from Tseng's point of view and I do think the title gives it away. I hope you will enjoy!

Chapter 6: Tseng: Wherein Shin-Ra is visited by an unlikely visitor

The air is cold, full of wind, the wind is blowing directly into his face. He is running, as fast as his feet can carry him so he won't be too late. Around him, the rubble of Midgar rises into the leaden sky, he slips again and again when he is climbing over stones. It's not far anymore, but the wind is blowing right into his face. His feet are like lead, although he tries to run, he is slow, painfully slow. Too slow! He won't make it in time! But he has to make it in time. Otherwise…

He has nearly reached the Shin-Ra Tower now, it is rising right in front of him, but with every step he runs, it seems to move away again.

There! On top of the building, he sees a figure moving and suddenly, it's like he's close by, only, he is still running and the tower isn't coming closer. The white clothes are blown open by the wind, showing the black west underneath. The blond hair is blowing in the wind. Rufus winks at him and then turns away and a cloud passes and he can't see him anymore. Tseng yells, as loud as he can, for Rufus to stop and wait for him, but no noises escape his throat. Of course not, he's too far away for Rufus to hear him. And he is not getting any closer. Rufus doesn't even look at him before the wind takes him over the edge and suddenly, Tseng is at the bottom of the building, the canon with the net between his hands and...

"Tseng?"

The Turk startled up as something hit against his chair, recognized his name and for a horrible moment thought it came from the dream.

Instead, Rufus was standing in front of the couch and between all the fear, the guilt and his hammering heart from the dream, Tseng felt ashamed to be found asleep.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you," Rufus went on. He was holding some papers in his hand and was studying him. Once again, there was no telling if he was sincere.

"Don't be," Tseng replied tiredly and tried to banshee the fear from his bones and concentrate on the present. He blinked at Rufus, felt the fear still clinging to his stomach and reached out for the papers. "What is it?"

Rufus sat down and let Tseng look through the file. There was a rather bemused look on this face. "This is on this church. The one you persuaded me to go to."

"Aeris Gainsborough's. Don't tell me you are honestly interested in turning it into a spa?" The dream had left a sour taste on his tongue.

"Nonsense. When we rebuild Midgar, I want to turn it into a memorial. People will like that." He sounded a little impatient.

"So, now you want me to take care of it?" Tseng was surprised. That wasn't a job he usually got to do.

"No, I don't. I wanted to talk to you about something else."

Tseng nodded, tried to get rid of the fragments of the dream that were haunting his head. "If you will excuse me, I'll be back in a moment."

Rufus gave only a short nod as Tseng left through the door to his Turks' quarters. He didn't like to let Rufus wait, but he had to focus and for that he had to get the dream out of his head.

A tired face was looking back at him from the mirror. Tseng rubbed his eyes. It wasn't like Rufus to wake him and he must have seen that he had been asleep, certainly. But it wasn't like him, Tseng, either, to fall asleep in the middle of the day. Only, he hadn't slept well the last few nights. This dream had been like a lot of the others he had had. The others had been about Kadaj and his gang, the fear that they might come back as geostigma did. And then, he was worried about Rufus. After Elena's report, both of them should have relaxed, a little at least. But Rufus was still working like a berserker. As if he still feared to die soon.

And then, there was Elena. Elena, he just couldn't make out.

He splashed some water into his face, dried it off again. The fear wasn't getting any less, nor was he feeling more awake now.

Rufus was studying yet another file when he arrived, a clock was ticking lunch time away. The other Turks wouldn't come into this room soon; Reno and Rude were out training the new Turks. Elena had called in ill this morning. But Tseng was rather thankful for the silence as he sat down.

For a while, Rufus was still looking at the file and Tseng tried to wake more. Behind the windows, the wintry twilight was swallowing the snowflakes. They had been falling steadily since the early morning. After lunch, he would better call all units to stop moving tonight and stay warm until the next morning. It was supposed to storm.

"Reeve called ten minutes ago." Rufus' sudden announcement startled Tseng up who realized that his thoughts had gone down the dark road his dream had taken him to. He didn't reply, but looked at Rufus.

"He said a geostigma patient disappeared. A fifteen-year-old." Rufus closed the file. "Reeve asks whether we have anything to do with that."

"We don't."

"Of course we don't. But I would like the Turks to take a look at it, see where he disappeared to. Reeve suspects us and I don't like that." He was eyeing him and with a jolt, Tseng noticed that he wasn't wearing his contact and the eye that was looking at him was as good as red now.

"I will."

"That kid, it seems to have disappeared directly from hospital."

"It's not unusual for patients to feel restless after a while. Some of them, as I don't think I have to remind you, like to take walks on their own."

Rufus smiled a little at the critique. "That's what I'm thinking, too. I suggested it to Reeve but Reeve wouldn't have any of it."

"Perhaps the boy met a girl. I'll send some Turks to investigate the matter." Tseng looked at the clock. "Don't you want to go for lunch?"

Rufus didn't answer. He was still studying him calmly and Tseng felt as if he could see perfectly through him. The red eye was disturbing. Rufus put the file onto the table and looked at him again, solemnly. "There's no need to worry, Tseng."

Tseng replied his gaze. There was a lot to worry about, he thought.

Rufus must have seen it on his face for he went on: "Didn't you hear Elena's report? It's just a mark. Though I can't say I'm surprised. After all the harm my company brought upon the planet, it is only natural that the lifestream wants to avenge, isn't it?" He was looking at the stain on the back of his hand and closed his fingers to a fist before he went on: "They aren't coming back, Tseng. I'm sure of it." His eyes were on him directly now and Tseng felt caught off guard for a moment. "There's no way they can come back. Nothing left of Jenova, anymore, you see? There's nothing to worry about."

"If there's nothing to worry about, why are you still working so furiously, then?" Tseng only uttered this quietly. Outside, the day was greying more and more now. The snow was falling heavily, slightly yellowed by the light from below. There wasn't much light left for the room.

Rufus gave a soft laugh. "There's much work to do, isn't there?"

That wasn't exactly a lie and Tseng gave Rufus a short look. "Yes. But not that much."

"Certainly." Rufus smiled wryly and reached out for the file before he got up. "I've got a phone call to return." He turned to the door which would eventually lead him to his office.

"What about lunch?" Tseng insisted.

Rufus clapped the file against his leg, considering, and shrugged. "I don't think I feel like eating."

Tseng gave a sigh. "Don't skip supper, too."

"Don't you know better than ordering me around, Tseng?" It was a playful remark, uttered with a small smile, but Tseng knew that Rufus was slightly annoyed. He had known Rufus wouldn't like it, but some things just had to be said.

"I'm sorry, Shachou," he answered equally playful and without a twitch of his face and got up himself. He, at least, would eat.

"Oh, Tseng?" Rufus had turned in the doorway again and Tseng braced himself. That tone, that beginning of a sentence was never a good sign with him. "Yes, Rufus?"

"Don't ever dare to have a nightmare again. That's an order."

Tseng smiled. "Yes, Sir."

****

The rest of the afternoon continued in twilight. Outside, the snowfall was steadying and like the snowdrifts outdoors, the paper was mounting inside.

Tseng tried to absorb into work as Rufus did, but for him, work had never been a substitute for life or worries. Still, Rufus' words had helped. He didn't feel as oppressed anymore. Perhaps, this night at least he would be able to sleep well.

Outside, the day was starting to darken away, although it wasn't past four o'clock, yet. The flakes seemed to multiply, the wind was intensifying. The idle snowfall was now showing every sign of the upcoming weather. Their employees should be home now and Tseng didn't much envy the Turks that were still out. Reno and Rude were due any second now and right, just as he started thinking about them, his telephone rang.

"Yes?"

Four minutes later, he was standing in Rufus' office.

"What is it, Tseng?" Rufus didn't even look up from his papers.

"Miss Lockheart wishes to see you."

"Lockheart?" Rufus looked up, the name seemed to take a while to sink, but then, his face turned into as much surprise as Tseng had felt when he had answered the call. "Tifa Lockheart? Strife's little sidekick?"

"It seems so."

Rufus frowned. "What on Gaia does she want?"

"She says she'll only talk to you."

"Doesn't she have some trees to hug?"

Tseng suppressed a small smile. "Apparently not."

Rufus put his chin into his hand and pulled a sour face but then smoothed again: "Why should I bother to talk to her…" The question was rhetorically and Rufus returned to his work.

"She said she'll stay until you talked to her," Tseng insisted after a moment. If he was honest, he was rather curious why Tifa had come, of all people, to them.

"Can't be too long. She has a bar to run. Tell her I'm not available. I'm busy, got the pox, malaria, whatever."

Tseng sighed although his own reaction hadn't been much different. "I suppose she's that kind of woman who'd come stalking to your office if you don't come to see her."

"Then please lock the door when you're leaving."

"Rufus, I think it would be a good idea if you went to see her. She is either very desperate or very determined when she's coming to see us."

Rufus looked up again. "My, my, she must have pestered you terribly to be so persistent." But he got up, putting his pen down. "I'm wondering what she wants, though."

Tseng nodded and followed him from the office. "Me, too."

"I'd know a hundred better places for her to go to then us. And I can't say I feel flattered that she still chose us."

Tseng agreed and waited until Rufus returned, this time with the contact on his left eye. The jacket was looking tidier and his expression a little more stern. The elevator arrived with a solemn 'beep' and Rufus stepped in first.

"Do you have any idea why she might be here? I'm not imprisoning any of her friends, nor am I trying to destroy the planet again… is she bored?"

Tseng gave a slight laugh. "I am as clueless as you are, Shachou."

The elevator gave another 'beep' and opened onto the first floor.

"This way, please. I gave order to show her into a meeting room."

"Hm." Rufus was rather deep in thoughts now. Perhaps he was trying to come up with a reason, but as hard as Tseng had tried so far, he hadn't found any.

Suddenly, Rufus tapped his forehead. "Oh, I think I know what she wants." He was smirking now.

"Indeed?"

"I told that kid of hers I wanted to pull down that sorry excuse of a church and make it a spa, didn't I?"

Tseng frowned.

"Now, then we should be over and done with her pretty quickly." Tseng saw him smirking as he opened the door to the small room with the sitting area.

"Miss Lockheart, what have I done to deserve this honour?"

Tifa Lockheart, who had until now waited in a chair, spun up and around into their direction. Nearly in the same moment, the two children, which seemed to have accompanied her, drew up to her as if to hide from the intruders. Her look was cold as she focussed them and the gesture with which she kept the children behind her, clearly suggested that she wanted to protect them. "I hope you don't deserve it, Shinra!"

Rufus frowned at that. "Now, do stay civil, will you? If you are here just to insult me, I may as well leave."

Tifa still glared at him and Tseng could see how Rufus answered her gaze calmly and a little bemused. But even before either of them utter another word, the boy – Denzel – suddenly squealed: "That's them, Tifa, they were in Aeris' church!"

"Denzel, not now." Tifa hadn't taken her eyes from them and now, Tseng exchanged a short look with Rufus, who, same as he, seemed to be puzzled. Despite that, Tseng hadn't liked the tone in the boy's voice. He sounded angry. Aggressive, even.

"I have a business to run, would you mind to tell me what you are here for, or can't you just pay for heating anymore and needed a place to warm up?"

Tifa glared at him. "Where is Cloud?" Her voice was full of venom. And, much to Tseng's surprise, also full of fright.

"Cloud?" For a moment, Rufus blew his cold and just looked surprised. "You come here to ask me where Cloud is? Why don't you bother Reeve? I'm sure he knows a lot better!"

Tifa glared back. "Don't act…"

"Wait." The hint of a mocking smile started to spread on Rufus face. "Don't tell me you've already been to Reeve and he doesn't know, either?"

"Stop your show, Shinra and tell me what you've done to him!" Her voice was perhaps a little too harsh, nearly tipping over.

Rufus' expression changed into a sober though condescending one. "My dear Miss Lockheart, my company has nothing to do with Cloud's disappearance. If indeed he has disappeared." He paused a little, but much to Tseng's relief didn't leave it at that: "My company and I have no interest in him. The time when I might have considered him as a bodyguard has passed, and I bear him no grudge. After all," Rufus smirked wryly. "thanks to him and your little group we still have a tomorrow." He flicked his hair and turned. "If you'll excuse me now, I've got serious work to do."

Tifa frowned, and it seemed to cost her every ounce of energy to keep that frown up. "Wait. - Don't you really know anything?"

The question drove a shiver down Tseng's spine. Tifa had to be desperate to come here and ask them, but he hadn't guessed how desperate she really was until she had uttered these words. Her voice was nearly quivering. Rufus stopped and turned back. He seemed to look her straight in the eye, this time without any mockery or even expression. Except, maybe, regret. "I'm sorry, Miss Lockheart. I don't know anything about his whereabouts."

Tseng saw her face collapsing into a stony shadow, but all she did was nod. Her reply was flat, "Okay. I'm sorry I bothered you." She motioned the children towards her, but when they had gathered, she suddenly looked up again. The fire that Tseng thought had died out moments before was flaring high again. "If I ever find out you've done something to him, though, I swear I will come back and kill you, Shinra."

Rufus shrugged, uncaring. "I suppose that means we will never meet again." He let her and her children pass but followed them onto the corridor that overlooked the entrance hall. Tseng followed, keeping closer to Rufus this time. Tifa seemed in a mood to explode any moment and Rufus was very well capable of triggering that wilfully.

Only, when they entered the entrance hall, all conversation on that topic ceased. The snowfall had increased quicker than Tseng had expected, and now that the day had started darkening away, the visibility in the twilight was below five metres. Tseng mechanically thanked himself for his precaution to order everybody to stop their endeavours for the night. But the issue at hand seemed much more important now.

"Look at all the snow, Denzel!" The girl's surprise seemed to have overcome her fear. "Is that a blizzard?"

"No. We don't get blizzards here, Marlene." Denzel seemed pretty sure of that. Tseng wasn't at all anymore and Rufus was frowning, eyes wandering from the window to Tifa. She, too, was staring at the snow flurry outside and seemed unbelieving and stunned at once.

"Are you on foot, Miss Lockheart?" Rufus was the first of the adults to say something.

Tifa glared at him. "Of course I'm on foot!"

Tseng indicated a shake of his head. "It's no weather to be on foot."

"Thank you very much!" Tifa snapped at him.

"Can you get them home safely? It would be very bad for business if something happened to them after they talked to me." Rufus had switched to Wutain and turned to Tseng.

"It should be possible. Although… It should be possible." Tseng replied in the same language and caught the estranged look Tifa was giving them. Her surprise turned into something close to mockery when she seemed to realize which language they were speaking.

"If you have doubts, I don't like it.… - They'll have to stay here, then." Rufus didn't like his own suggestion, so much was obvious.

"She's a security problem, Shachou. She just threatened to murder you."

"I rather have a security problem than bad business."

"What are they saying, Tifa?" Marlene whispered, clinging to Tifa's hand. Denzel just glared at them warily.

Tseng had to admit that Rufus was having a good point again and gave a short nod although he didn't like it. "I'll increase your security, though."

Rufus smirked at that and turned back to Tifa: "Miss Lockheart, why don't you honour us with your presents a little longer?"

Tifa turned away from Marlene whom she had just explained that Rufus and Tseng had been sharing secrets in Wutain. "Stay for the night with you? I'd rather take my chance with the snow, thank you very much!"

"Don't let your resent against me overcome your better judgement. If I were Reeve, you wouldn't hesitate to stay here, in this weather."

"If you were Reeve, I wouldn't think you'd kill me in my sleep," Tifa shot back.

"Now, why would I kill you in your sleep? I bear you no grudge."

"On your say-so."

Rufus let his hand slip into his jacket and pulled his mobile with almost the same gesture he might have pulled his gun with, and flipped it open before he pointed it towards Tifa with a wry smile. "Why don't you ask Reeve? I'm sure he'll recommend you to stay."

Tseng followed Tifa's eyes from the mobile to Rufus' face, didn't miss the moment of hesitation and how her hand twitched. She slowly shook her head. "Reeve would believe a den full of hungry lions if they told him they were vegetarians."

Rufus smiled, charmingly, still pointing the mobile. "That's not the point. He'd know you were here, you know?"

Tifa hesitated, seemed tempted, but then shook her head. "You aren't fooling me, Shinra." She turned to her children. It was nearly dark in the lobby by now. "We are leaving."

Rufus flipped his mobile shut and shrugged coolly. "Have it your way. Just don't come and blame me when your children perish outside."

At this, the ultimate cold in Rufus' voice and perhaps the mentioning of the children, Tifa stopped, turned back, slowly. "Where would we stay?"

Tseng was unsure that the triumphing smirk around the edges of Rufus' mouth really didn't show to her. "I could offer you a room in the Turk's quarters or one of the guest rooms in the residential area."

Tseng would have preferred the Turk's quarters. That was far enough from them to be of no danger.

Tifa nodded, slowly, eyes trailing back between the outside, the two whispering children at her side and Rufus. The visibility outside was below five metres now. Still, she hesitated before she replied. "Alright. But we are not staying in the Turk's quarters."

Tseng cursed inwardly. Everything else would be complicated. Sometimes, he hated Rufus for being so uncaring about his security.

Rufus shrugged. "As you please. Feel free and call Reeve, if that makes you feel safer."

Tseng flipped open his mobile and muttered a small massage into the speaker as Rufus invited Tifa to follow them to the elevator. There, he observed Tifa closely. She stood at the other end of the elevator, the children behind her. She was afraid of them, so much was obvious. To her, Rufus was the one who had willingly and uncaringly ordered her execution. To her, next to Rufus, he was nothing but this head-Turk. The one who had followed Aeris and tried to abduct her. Did she even know that he tried to protect Aeris? Did she even know how much he had loved Aeris? No. The only thing she knew was that he had hit Aeris.

The doors to the elevator opened to the living quarters and Tseng automatically made sure that he always stayed between Rufus and Tifa. It would be a difficult evening, not to mention a difficult night.

So, this is it, for now. This chapter turned out to be a little longer, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless. The next chapter will describe the rest of the evening, especially, I think, a conversation between Rufus and Tifa. I'm sorry they aren't getting along at the moment, but I believe that considering what happened in the game, there isn't much of a way Tifa could feel much better about Rufus than contemptuous.

Anyway, as usual, I'd be grateful for views, opinions and reviews ^^