Okay..I said I'd upload it in a week and it's been nearly two weeks so...sorry again. Hopefully this chapter might make up for it as it starts to set somethings going..I hope.
Tifa was pleased when Yuffie had decided to come visit her in Edge, as Yuffie had said she was taking a break from her 'secret agent life' and obviously brought Vincent along too. Both Yuffie and herself sat outside a small cafe in the middle of Edge, after Yuffie had said how she wanted to go on a shopping trip and it would get Tifa out and also told her she'd been needing the clothes eventually because her others would no longer fit.
Tifa brought the white mug to her lips and sipped on the streaming coffee while wishing she hadn't ordered it seeing Edge was still in the middle of summer. Vincent had disappeared earlier; Yuffie had said he was following up on something from before. The older woman looked to the ninja who was watching the passers-by with deep intensity as if one of them would throw themselves at her and start a fight.
"Yuffie." Tifa began, deciding she'd speak with the girl once more and try and convince her out of her current 'adventure' as Yuffie had put it on several occasions. Yuffie hummed a reply, bring her own coffee mug to her lips but still staring at everyone around her except Tifa. "I think it's great what you're doing, stand up for what you believe in and everything..." She began and paused knowing the teen would interrupt her anyway.
"Thanks Teef, took your time coming around though!" Yuffie smiled at her once and quickly returned to her glaring.
Tifa sighed loudly and ran her fingers through her long unbound hair and then smoothed her black skirt down before turning her attention back to Yuffie. "Look Yuffie, don't you think this has gone on long enough? I don't want to see you hurt." Tifa pleaded again and knew she struck a nerve when the ninja turned and glared at her.
"So much for faith in your friends!" Yuffie cried, yet with a small playful smile on her face. "Don't think I can handle it?"
Tifa rolled her eyes and wiped her brow in frustration. "No I don't Yuffie, I know you want to get Wutai back to it's former glory but does it mean coming down to this? I mean do you think this 'group' will be able to stand up against a properly trained army?" She said ignoring the teen's first comment.
Yuffie turned and looked to Tifa. "You're as bad as Vinnie, he said that too!" Tifa made a mental note to thank Vincent when she saw him again later. "That's why he's been ringing Cloud, and Cloud being Cloud hasn't answered his phone so Vinnie has gone looking for him." Tifa laughed sarcastically and looked down at her mug wondering if the blond had gotten her message.
"You really think Cloud will help?" Tifa laughed again. "You know how self centred he is."
Yuffie frowned and swirled her coffee with the empty packet of sugar while she watched a car speed by. "Come on Teef, don't you think enough is enough now?" Tifa looked up, never believing that Yuffie would give her words of wisdom. "I'm guessing he's moved on now seeing he isn't getting in touch with you or any of us for that matter, he just doesn't care anymore. The least you can do is just let it go now Teef." Yuffie said looking up at the older woman. "Sure he's been a dick, but you can't change what's happened and bad mouthing him isn't going to change anything." Yuffie finally said, stopping from swirling her coffee and brought it to her lips and drank swiftly from it.
Tifa watched Yuffie, wanting nothing but to strangle the girl, but at the same time knew she was right. "I just want an apology." Seeing as I've given one.
"For what?" Yuffie asked quickly, Tifa looked up at the girl in shock never believing she could be this out of character. "For leaving you while you were pregnant with someone else's child?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow and looked to the martial artist. Recently she had had enough of Tifa foul mouthing him and thought it was about time to knock some sense into her. "Maybe he's the one who should have the apology?"
Tifa lent back in her seat and stared at the girl defiantly, not allowing her to talk to her like this. "If you're here just to make me feel like a bad person, just leave."
Yuffie rolled her eyes and gave the woman a smile. "You know I'd never do that but, maybe it's about time you realise Cloud wasn't the only one who caused this." Yuffie drained her mug and turned to Tifa. "Anyways, let's go shopping and find out what Vinnie is up too!" Cried Yuffie jumping to her feet and hurrying out of the cafe.
Tifa watched her in wonder, thinking maybe Yuffie had been possessed for a while to make her say all those things and then suddenly switch back to Yuffie mode. Shrugging, Tifa got to her feet and followed the hyperactive girl who was already considering which shop to go into first. "Maybe you should ring Vincent first?" Tifa suggested, making sure the girl did the one thing that was probably most important to her at the moment. Yuffie turned to her, her mouth hanging open slightly in surprise and then nodded in agreement. She flipped out her phone and pressed one number, making Tifa guess she had Vincent on speed dial.
"Vinnie!" Yuffie cried making even Tifa wince from the shrill sound of her voice. "Any look?" Tifa watched the girl and saw the annoyed look on her face. "He said that?" "Okay." "Well do you want to come shopping with me and Teef?" Yuffie turned to Tifa and smiled and then frowned. "Why not?" "Vinnie?" She pulled the phone away from her and then looked up to Tifa. "He hung up on me?!"
"What did he say anyway?" Tifa asked as Yuffie stuffed her phone back into her pocket in annoyance.
"He said Cloud actually answered his phone and said he wasn't interested and didn't want to get involved." Yuffie said turning to look up at Tifa. "Anyways, let's get going." Tifa watched the girl bound ahead of her while she stood in thought. Cloud must have heard he message and it looked like he must be totally ignoring it.
"Cloud, it's Tifa. Please just hear me out before you put the phone down. I heard you were speaking to Shinra the other day and I'm guessing maybe it's about Wutai. I know you didn't take the job, but, if there was something you could do, just to try and calm everything down, you would do it wouldn't you? I just don't want Yuffie to get hurt." Her voice was like a blessing, as Cloud listened to the message again, he couldn't bring himself to delete the message from her. He felt like he'd already forgotten how peaceful her voice was. "Cloud, look I'm sorry, things haven't worked out the way we wanted, but I want you to know that I am sorry. Maybe we should meet up sometime and talk. Be careful." The message ended and he slowlyflipped his phone shut and slid it back into his pocket and then lifted his head, narrowing his eyes against the bright sunlight which he still wasn't used too, seeing this whole area used to live in smog.
He needed to talk and he barely realised how much he did miss the conversations he used to have after the answer phone message, or the conversations his friends had and he would be able to simply listen in. You don't realise what you had until you've lost it. Cloud frowned trying to ignore the small voice in his head that had recently been right.
Leaning against his bike he rubbed his gloved hand across the back of his neck wincing slightly as he felt the knotted muscle crack under his fingers. Looking back up he waited patiently, knowing the enigmatic gunner would soon arrive. There was something about Vincent he could relate too, much more than the others. He wasn't sure whether it was the man's silence and his occasional nods that told him he was doing the right thing, or his own tortured past that seemed as sinister as his own. In a way, he was the only person he could rightly trust, hence why he needed to speak to him now.
"How are you?" The man's cold quiet voice sent a shiver down his spine and Cloud twisted round and faced the red caped man who stood a few meters behind him.
"I need to talk." Cloud muttered, turning away from the man and pushing himself to his feet and headed for the small bar that was on the end of the row of buildings.
He could barely hear the man's footstep wondering if he was actually following him but didn't want to glance over his shoulder to check. Pushing open the glass and metal door to the small bar where he was instantly met by the cool air from the fan that sat on the white bar top. He made his way past the few customers that were in the run down place making him question if Tifa's business was destroying this other bar in Edge. He eventually sat himself down at the table in the corner and looked up to watch as the dark haired man sat himself down across the blond.
He licked his lips and sat up straight and rested his hands on the wooden table and held them together and slowly opened his mouth read to talk. He sighed when he heard the footsteps of the waitress walking over and he turned his head and frowned at the dark haired woman. Guessing he should order something he quickly asked for two waters and watched the woman disappear. "What is it you need to speak about?" Vincent asked his voice still quiet while he leaned back into the cushioned red wooden chair. Cloud glanced up and watched the waitress drop two bottles down and then disappear.
"It's about this whole thing in Wutai." Cloud mumbled, seeing Vincent raise one eyebrow making him guess he was going to speak about Tifa. Cloud frowned at him for even thinking about that and then stared back down at his feet. "I've been offered a job." He mumbled.
"From Wutai?" Vincent asked no sense of surprise in his voice. Cloud slowly shook his head and released his hands and cracked his knuckles. "From Shinra?" He asked again and watched Cloud nod.
"You know this has got to be finished, you know Shinra isn't using mako energy anymore."
"I know." Vincent answered, making Cloud glance up. "And Yuffie knows." Making Cloud frown at him a little more. "Only because she wants to get Wutai back to its former glory." Vincent said answering Cloud next question.
"You've tried speaking to her then?" Cloud asked not needed an actual answer from him. Cloud never bothered that much about the teen, but he still wouldn't want her to get hurt. "There's an old reactor there isn't there?" He watched as Vincent nodded his head once. "Rufus reckons if we blow it up, the terrorist group has got nothing left to base their claims on."
"Surely then they'll say they tried to get rid of any evidence." Vincent muttered answering the question too quickly for Cloud's liking while he leaned a little more forward .
"Then Rufus wants them silenced." Cloud finally answered looking up at Vincent knowing he didn't need to go into further detail.
"And why are you telling me this?" Vincent asked staring into the younger man's face.
"I took the job Vincent, I don't want either of you there to get hurt." Cloud looked up when he heard a small sigh of a laugh escape the man's lips.
"You don't want Yuffie to be hurt you mean." Cloud watched as Vincent got to his feet and Cloud made to follow him slamming the gill for the drinks down onto the table and following the older and taller man out of the building.
"What do you want me to do? Help you and this stupid bunch of terrorists who want to overthrow Shinra with just a stupid lie?" Cloud asked no longer caring if his voice was too loud as they walked out onto the street. "I've made my choice, I just don't want to hurt another friend."
Vincent watched Cloud swiftly cross the road and mount his bike. "Is this because of Tifa?" Vincent asked following the blonde. Cloud stopped and looked at him. Was he actually doing this because of Tifa, because of what she'd asked?
"A job's a job." He muttered, glancing away from the older man. In a matter of second he disappeared down through Edge.
Vincent quietly contemplated Cloud's words and knew the young man only wanted to help and finish this complete mess between Shinra and Wutai and in the process not to see any of his friends get hurt.
Turning the corner he made his way back through Edge and possibly find Yuffie and Tifa. He'd keep this meeting to himself and let Cloud do whatever he needs to do and just make sure there are no casualties and make Yuffie end this escapade that somehow she believes will win.
