A/N: Yay no more APs or actual school work! Which means I updated, yay!
Thanks to my beloved reviwers. You are truly amazing, wonderful, fabulous people (excuse the overly happy mood XD)!
alwayskh, Bluelancer (the real LOstGirlZ), and vx-Luna-xv ahhh to you all!
Disclaimer: FF isn't mine. sigh.
"TIFA!"
The shriek cut the air of the bar quickly, gathering all of Cloud's attention, even though it wasn't his name. The small girl ran forward, hugging the taller, older woman harshly. Her small bow was still neatly nestled in her light brown hair, bobbing up and down at her giddy nature. "Tifa! I'm so glad you're back!"
Tifa knelt down, "How are you, Marlene?"
"Awful!" The girl pouted. "Denzel told Shera that I wanted pancakes, but I really wanted waffles and then he took my moogle and put it in Cloud's room. And he knows I can't go in there because Cloud will get mad. And, you never called!"
The last remark made Tifa's face become white, "…Oh, Marlene. I'm sorry. There was just so much we had to handle." The hug was tightened. "Please forgive me."
"Alright." Marlene let go of Tifa, letting the older woman stand. "But I want my moogle."
"Cloud will let you in." Tifa glanced back to the blonde standing in the doorframe. "Won't he?"
He nodded, and the little girl sped off into the hallway. There were pans in the sink, a sight weird to see when Tifa was around, but Shera had kept the bar relatively clean otherwise. The woman herself was entering the room. "Hello." She was already placing a pot of tea on the stove. "You were successful?"
"Of course we were, Shera! What'd you fucking expect?" Cid plopped down on the bar counter, extinguishing his cigarette in an ash tray. "Green this time…please." His voice became less gruff, and by the look Shera gave him, it was obvious she took notice to his attempt at being polite. Cid peered back at Cloud, who only offered him an amused grin.
"CLOUD!" It was his turn to be attacked. Denzel came running across the bar, colliding with the fazed man. "You're back! Finally! Did you fight any monsters? Did Sephiroth come back? Were there any remnants?"
"No…" His awkward stance soon vanished, and he found himself patting the top of Denzel's head. "Everything quiet here?"
Denzel smirked, "As quiet as it can get with Marlene here." The grip around Cloud's waist loosened as the young boy realized how he was acting, "Glad that you guys are back!" He gave Tifa a slight nod and ran back to his room.
"Soo tired, Teef!" Yuffie slumped down next to Cid, followed by a more graceful Vincent. "What do you say we celebrate now?"
The older woman didn't seem too keen on the proposal. "We still need to come up with a way to get rid of…it." Her choice of words was careful now that she was around children again.
"We should see Reeve." Vincent immediately responded.
But this isn't WRO. And Cloud didn't want to risk being assigned on another mission if he went to the WRO headquarters. He wanted to stay home. He wanted to finally start a relatively calmer life. "No, Rufus. He's the one who asked for this. It's his problem now." Cloud was already heading back to the door, "We'll go to him now."
"NOW?!" Yuffie practically fell off the stool. "No way! I'm tired and hungry and I didn't even find any new materia on this mission. I am staying right here!"
Cloud only shrugged at the ninja and looked to Cid. "…Mind if I stay with the punk? I need to, uh, settle some business." The vagueness of Cid's comment was enough of an explanation to Cloud. He couldn't decline his request.
"I'm not accustomed to Fenrir." Vincent lowly replied. The caped man didn't offer any further clarification.
There was only one left now, and she didn't seem too eager to accompany him either. Tifa combed her bangs back, looking briefly at Cloud and then to Shera. "We'll be back soon, Shera. I hope you don't mind watching them again?"
She shook her head no and went off to tell the children.
Tifa straightened the gloves on her fists and swiftly went to the door. "Let's get this over with, Cloud."
--
Fenrir was waiting quietly outside of the Seventh Heaven, its black exterior newly polished and the side chambers empty of any part of the First Tsurugi. Cloud offered his goggles to Tifa, but she automatically declined the request. Maybe his back blocked all the dust from her anyway? But he had a feeling that wasn't completely true. Tifa always looked out for him, even now, when she was acting weirdly.
Cloud attached a small cart to the back of Fenrir, placing the Jenova infused carcasses inside with a thick cloth over it. He mounted the bike, and Tifa got on behind him. Her hands first loosely grasped his side, but then tightened as he turned on the bike and accelerated. He smirked at her reaction, feeling a sudden rush from the wind and her presence behind him.
Now. It was an opportune time. He was going at least 80 mph. There was no escape. He only hoped that she could hear him. "You're still mad!" His usual calm voice was now roaring over the sound of Fenrir's engine.
"…What?" The slight pause indicated that she heard him.
"YOU…" This is stupid. Cloud slowed down the bike, sending Tifa back a bit from the sudden stop. He took off the goggles and got off Fenrir.
Tifa looked at him, a tad dumbfounded. They were in the middle of nowhere, the limbo between the developing Edge and the demolished Midgar. She stayed on the motorcycle. "Did you ask if I'm mad at you?" Her voice had true concern in it.
Cloud almost wanted to take back his statement. This Tifa now looked confused and innocent, not angry. "…you…you seemed to be."
She scoffed and looked down. "I'm not angry!" The tone of her voice proved otherwise. Tifa realized this and looked back up to his face. "Look, I'm just…" She shook her head. "I'm not good at talking."
"And I'm better?" Cloud had to smile. He knew Tifa wasn't exactly the most open but she was practically a bleeding heart compared to him.
"no…I'm just…" Tifa's eyes were piercing. "I'm annoyed."
Annoyed? At what? "…at me?"
"Yes, at you, Cloud!" She sighed and let her head rest down. "…you protect me and always look out for my best interests."
Cloud blinked, "I do." Is that a bad thing?
"And yet you…you don't…" Tifa's grip tightened. "Forget it!" She was fuming with frustration. "Let's go. Please, let's just go, Cloud. Don't worry about it."
How can I not?
She seemed to read his thoughts as he mounted in front of her. "There's nothing to worry about."
What don't I do? The wind was brushing his cheeks again, sending waves of cold through his muscles. The answer hit him as soon as he saw the building Rufus usually held his 'business'. She wants me to tell her doesn't she? He was surprised at how that brought dread to his mind.
Tifa coolly left the bike with the smile, letting Cloud follow easily behind her. "Come on! This is almost over with!"
He found himself admiring her easiness now. A façade, sure, but it still seemed to calm down his tumultuous insides. You have to do it…but maybe not now? Maybe one day? Cloud greeted Rude calmly as he opened the door, giving a sincere smile as he saw both Elena and Tseng sitting at a desk, looking healthy again. You can do it later, later…
"Well, well. Look what we have here, yo!" Reno gave Tifa a quick glance and then walked over to the 'ex-SOlDIER'. "Let's see what you have!"
Cloud shook his head, "We need to talk to Rufus."
The red haired Turk opened his mouth to protest, but was soon silenced by the sound a man walking into the room. His face was still slightly bandaged, but the former president of Shinra still had a much more healthy appearance than his former wheel-chaired bounded self. "What could you possibly need?" His voice didn't sound angry, more inconvenienced.
"The Jenova remains can't be destroyed." Tifa said. "It could cause even more outbreaks of Geostigma."
His eyes widened, all too familiar with the disease himself. "Then we have no choice but to keep them." His face seemed burdened. "You have to understand…all that Shinra did to Gaia, I feel obligated to help it heal."
"And remedy yourself from guilt?" Cloud grunted. "Nice try. We did all of your work."
The comment didn't seem to have too negative effect on Rufus, surprisingly. "Which would have happened without my intervention?" He smirked at the lack of a retort. "It seems though we will never be rid completely of it though." Rufus thought. "We'll lock it up then, where no one can get to it. Far away and under my surveillance. Elena, Tseng, please take the Jenova parts away from Cloud."
"There outside by Fenrir." Tifa explained to the leaving Turks. She eyed the president again. "You can afford that kind of surveillance?"
Rufus smiled again, "Shinra was very rich in gil. Even after its collapse."
"Then there are other ways you can help Gaia." She softly grinned and started to head back towards the door.
Cloud had more to say. "You have to make sure no one gets to it, ever." His words sounded like a partial threat.
"Of course. I hid the head well enough for some time, didn't I?" His cocky voice died off at Cloud's gaze. "It will be guarded heavily. No one will know of its existence, let alone whereabouts."
Cloud only nodded, not being able to think of any better situation to the problem. He left Shinra with the remains of Jenova, walking away from that part of his life hopefully for the last time. He supposed a part of him should have been wary at giving Shinra, once his enemy, something so potentially dangerous. But Rufus, although cocky and ethically inept, did make something obvious to Cloud. He felt obligated to help Gaia, obligated to do something to cure a situation he felt he had caused. Cloud knew how that felt and knew Rufus would keep his word.
Tifa was already on the bike, looking at the sunset beaming across the horizon line. "May we never have to deal with them again, Cloud."
"Not like this at least."
She turned away from the orange sky to look at him. Her face had the same old warmth to it, the way it did before they had started the mission. "Yes, not like this." Tifa edged her way further down the bike, offering Cloud more room. "Can we go home?"
Cloud nodded and went back in front of her. "Of course."
A/N: I was gonna proofread, but then I got sleepy, so any corrections on like typos and stuff are immensly appreciated (I will edit). But, hey, who am I kidding? Any comments are immensely appreciated! I think I only have one part left after this! ...ugh. But I actually have an epilogue planned for this one, yay!
Oh, and anyone with any future story ideas, please don't hesitate to give me some direction (thank you Bluelancer...err LOstGirlz). Even if it may not seem like my thing, you never know. Writer's block is hell.
byebye!
~Mira
