Logical conclusions? Oh boy. Sometime I'll let them catch a break. Wasn't feelin it this time. More humor that only makes me laugh, I guess. Blargh, unsure about this chappie but it came out naturally so I'm going with it as is.

Value systems collide! I have a hard time imagining any culture where Christmas "naturally" evolves so they get winter solstice instead. Assume there is a gift exchange but no elves in chimneys. However, the idea of a sleigh pulled by chocobos is FANTASTIC. Get on it sqeenix.

Listening to Electronic Super Joy OST I & II on Bandcamp on a loop. Love that frustrating game.

Disclaimer: see part 1

The first date hadn't been a total disaster. At some point during dinner she had gone from hostile to amicable and the only thing that she had actually voiced appreciation about was the food, so he set about researching all the best places to eat in town. If she liked good food then he would entice her with more. He'd started pretty grand so if he wanted to impress her further he had to think sideways. The progression was all mapped out in his head: a few dinners at specialty restaurants, maybe a lunch at a quaint family place, something really fancy and fashionable, and then a private dinner at his home. Short term that gave him a five date groundwork to get her back into his domain. While sex was not the long term goal, it was a good benchmark.

The first quarter was closing soon, coinciding with holidays, so he would need to plan around that. So much of the Shinra infrastructure was built around energy and utilities that the winter was usually a boom in business. Allocating resources effectively was on his mind, but time as always felt the scarcest. No doubt her time would be limited as well due to holiday and family obligations, while he would be in board meetings and fulfilling his role in various holiday celebrations put on by allied companies. Checking his schedule, he scowled. Next open evening looked like a Tuesday after the solstice, which was a couple weeks away and entirely too long in his estimation.

Picking up his phone he scanned email while it rang. "Tseng," he said "How many of those solstice events I accepted invitations to are considered 'social'…"

"Push it! One more!" Yuffie stood next to her as Tifa finished her squats. "You've been slacking! Again, you've got another!" While the encouragement was helpful, what inspired Tifa more was to grind out enough reps to get Yuffie off her back. The slim woman was red faced and hopping around her, so excited they finally had some workout time together she could barely contain herself. Not for the first time Tifa wondered if Yuffie had a condition that needed medication.

With a grunt Tifa finished and got about to the business of racking the weights as Yuffie buzzed around her and gushed about how hot Vincent was and how annoying her family was and how Tifa never seemed to have any time for girl-stuff anymore. Yuffie considered working out until you collapsed as "girl-stuff" just as surely as shopping .

"… and once you and Rufus get hot and heavy I'll probably never see you!" she finished, nearly making Tifa drop the bar on her feet.

Sputtering, she carefully put the bar in its place before rounding on her friend, red-faced. "Rufus and I are not 'hot and heavy'!"

"Yeah, well, you at least think it might be an outside possibility otherwise you would have denied it." Yuffie waggled her head back and forth putting as much sass into it as she could. The point hit home.

Taking a towel from the nearby stack she wiped the sweat off her face, grateful it would hide the hunted look in her eyes. "It was one date, that's not exactly a promise of any kind. We didn't even kiss at the end." With a grimace, she remembered how he had stood there smoldering when she gave him an awkward hug in front of her building and beat feet back to her apartment. He wasn't a large man but he could be intimidating.

Yuffie acted like she was going to tear out her own hair. "They could name historical eras after you, you move so slowly with guys. The generation of Cloud Strife, the Rufus Shinra epoch…" Yuffie took a hasty guzzle from her water bottle. "Meanwhile, the hottest man alive is living across the hall from you and you won't even tell me if you've seen him with another girl."

"I thought you were the love 'em and leave 'em type?" It was Tifa's turn to poke at her friend.

Sniffing delicately, Yuffie pretended not to hear. "You can't leave a friend hanging like that, it's cruel."

What proceeded was twenty more minutes of how dreamy Vincent Valentine ("oooh that name!") was: how long and shiny his hair, how slim and artistic his hands, how deep and masculine his voice until Tifa was sure she was going to vomit. Some of it might have been overdoing her workout after a long absence from the gym, but she was ready to put blame where she needed to in order to get Yuffie to stop verbalizing her crush.

"If you like him so much, just knock on his door and tell him you want to see him again!"

"You make it sound so simple." Yuffie blew at some hair that had stuck to her face while she was doing push-ups with Tifa. "But I just can't."

Digging into a rueful part of herself she tried to emphasize her words, "Yuffie, trust me, if you don't say anything at all then you'll regret it even more. You have to be honest with yourself. If you want something you have to be brave enough to admit it."

In the locker room later as she checked the voicemail on her phone she realized she would be eating those words.

What did you give the man who had everything? Red would get his honey baked ham (she had stayed in touch enough to know he said he didn't want any gifts, but food surely didn't count), Barrett got a gift certificate to an online retailer and a reminder that his wedding anniversary was soon (as she sent him every year at his request), Yuffie got a fruitcake (because she was one), and Barrett's kids got a whole bunch of things from a remote control motorcycle to sparkling wands that lit up when you hit them against things. The baby would appreciate the colors, even if she was approaching one and a half and Marlene would enjoy the remote controlled motorcycle since that lit up and made noise as well. Work had been a white elephant thing and she had the 10 pack of tube socks enfolded around a small gift card for coffee, which she still needed to wrap. Everything needed to be wrapped, something that Tifa did not excel at even on a good day. Her dad would expect her some time before the New Year for dinner, and she had requested the days off ages ago. She was even giving Vincent a small thing, some exotic coffee beans she had gotten on sale. He always looked like he had rough nights on swing shift.

The only person that wasn't accounted for was Rufus, and she hadn't even considered giving him anything at first because anything he could possibly want he bought for himself. Once it became apparent she would see him close to the solstice, however, it occurred to her that it would be a little weird not to just give him a token of the holiday or something along those lines. So sitting in the corner looking confusingly out of place in her apartment was a life ring for a sailboat.

Vaguely, it had seemed like a good idea when she had been getting Barrett his online certificate. Buying summer items in winter had made it a screaming deal, but the cheery orange and white thing sitting in her apartment just made her feel embarrassed. She needed a male opinion on something like that. Barrett was her go to guy when it came to 'male opinions' especially on something she couldn't talk to her dad about, (and Rufus was nearly top of the list of things she didn't want to talk to her dad about). However, Barrett also made the list of people she didn't want to talk to about Rufus. Come to think of it, Tifa wasn't sure there was anyone she could really talk to about Rufus other than Yuffie.

"This is such a bad idea," Tifa thought to herself as she wandered over across the hall and knocked on Vincent's door.

It took a while but he did eventually answer. As always his posture was excellent, making him seem even taller than he already was, but his hair was tied up behind him and he had a frying pan with sizzling bacon in one hand which took a little away from the grim facial expression.

"Tifa Lockhart." He acknowledged her.

"Vincent." She nodded at him. "I have a quick question for you."

He blinked at her and said nothing but also did not close the door. Assuming that was all the invitation she was getting to continue she plowed ahead. "Let's say you had been dating someone, or maybe not dating necessarily but seeing them in a date-ish kind of way, and then the solstice rolled around and…" She was rambling. Vincent was giving her a slow frown. "What would you do if someone gave you one of these?"

She stuck the life ring out in front of her and Vincent narrowed his eyes before slowly shaking his head. When he looked her in the eye this time she saw a hint of the humor than Yuffie swore he possessed and continued to shake his head as he closed his door slowly. A smoke alarm went off briefly inside his apartment and cut off just as fast.

"Yeah," she said to the closed door. "That's what I figured."

It would be a source of eternal shame, in Tifa's mind, that she had had to look up a definition for 'business casual'. For men it seemed to be a general consensus but for women it was more amorphous and Tifa flung clothes around her room in hopes that her eternally athletic wardrobe would produce a single knee length skirt and a blouse that wasn't a bright color. Her business was exercise and it hadn't occurred to her that she would have literally nothing to wear to a business-y event. Her one interview suit was not casual and what she normally wore to the office was not business so where did that leave her? She had a dark maroon blouse which she hoped would pass for neutral and her tried and true black skirt which rested mid-thigh. All of her nylon stockings had runs and tights wouldn't look right so she slipped on some flats and hoped she wouldn't freeze wherever they were ending up. Rufus' invitation had been, she thought, deliberately vague.

Elena was the one she spied through her peephole when the doorbell rang. Brows knit, she opened the door and greeted to blond woman. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, Miss Lockhart."

"I told you before, all of you, you can call me Tifa."

"That's very kind of you, Miss Lockhart." Elena smiled, while Tifa sighed. All of Rufus' bodyguards were dense in their own way and she wasn't entirely sure if it was on purpose or not. "Mr. Shinra is waiting for you in the car below. He said there was no hurry."

Somehow, that had her rushing more effectively than a countdown might have. Was it some sort of nefarious reverse psychology? Before she knew it she was sitting in the back seat of his town car, Elena and Tseng in front of them. All in black, but with a white tie, Tifa realized belatedly she had missed the best opportunity she would have to give him a colorful clothing item as a gift. He arched one eyebrow in question as she scowled.

"We're not too far out if you're getting cold feet." His eyes lingered on her bare legs just long enough that she wanted to punch him in the arm more than a little.

"Don't worry I'm not scared of your business friends." It was only a partial lie; technically speaking she could probably break most of them in half. "I'm just struck by the fact that I don't own a lot of nice clothes."

Giving her a once over that was more evaluative than sensual he smiled in that way she hated, which is how she knew he was going to say something that would really irritate her. "I'd be happy to buy—"

"Nope. No. I don't even want you to finish that sentence." Tifa tried not to look at him. "I make quite enough to buy my own clothes. I just didn't think to get around to it this time." Insecurity got the better of her long enough to add. "The skirt isn't too short is it? I don't think it's very business casual."

You invited it this time. She reminded herself that she couldn't find his lingering gaze insulting if she asked him to look. Her warm jacket had her sweating into her camisole in the heated car while Rufus seemed to examine every inch of exposed skin.

"I don't see anything wrong with it." He replied simply. "Now before we get there let me warn you about a few things…"

"Shinra you dog, did you see the new projections? I swear if you corner the market any more they'll bring in monopoly sniffing dogs!" A large man with an equally large mustache pumped Rufus' hand and clapped him on the back. "Help yourself to whatever you like, not that I could stop you anyway!"

The laugh they shared sounded natural enough, but Tifa saw the way their eyes narrowed at one another. Once past the greeter she saw people milling around. The museum was full of people chatting or leaning on small tables. Everyone had a drink in hand, clutching a small plate precariously as well in that practiced manner of people who couldn't imagine there were those in the world who didn't know what ROI was.

"The food probably won't be bad, since it's mostly executives." He was always pointing food out to her, and she started to think maybe he did like his women a little softer looking than she currently was. If so, then too bad for him, she had worked hard for this figure! But a little something to snack on did sound appealing. "I can get us a drink if you're so inclined."

"I wouldn't mind something hot," The museum wasn't exactly warm and she wished her camisole would suddenly thicken up and trap some of the heat she was losing, her blouse was no better. "Some decaf coffee would be best if they have it, with lots of cream and sugar."

He walked off with her order and Tifa rubbed her arms that had started to cover in goosebumps. Long tables near the windows held a pretty ice sculpture of a fire with sconces in it for multiple candles. Trays of tiny sandwiches, fruit skewers, seafood, and other sundry things all the way down to sculpted sugar desserts made Tifa wonder if Rufus was made so bored by expensive displays he didn't even see them anymore. At least she was impressed by the ice sculpture, and the paintings were all really interesting but no one was looking at them. Expensive things were just scenery to these people.

"Your coffee." He came up behind her while she was staring at a candle in the sculpture. "Nothing appetizing to you?"

"No, it all looks great, I'm just… wrapping my head around what this is. I don't go to stuff like this, normally. You know all these people right?"

Rufus took a moment to look around, then turn to face her again. "For the most part."

"Do you like any of these people?"

This time it didn't take him nearly so long to answer, and when he did he was smiling at her. "Not many of them, no."

"Then why are you even here? Why am I here for that matter?" With a whole evening of small talk with CEOs she felt like he owed her at least that much. As a date this wasn't exactly her ideal.

"As for your first question, there are appearances to maintain and connections that can only be made in person." He nodded as a man came to pick up some food and clapped him on the back hard enough that she was impressed when Rufus didn't flinch before they exchanged greetings. Once he was gone, Rufus focused on her once again. "As to your second question, Ms. Lockhart, I believe that I asked and you said yes."

As the evening passed she would come to regret her cavalier decision. Men and women wandered over to talk to Rufus (she noticed he never had to go to people, but people certainly flocked to him) but she might as well have been a ghost. Politely, Rufus would introduce her and they would greet her warmly enough before turning to Rufus and make small talk before moving on. Eventually it started to get to her, and she could feel the anger wanting to bubble over. She was about ready to sock the next person that slighted her when Rufus led her gently but firmly by the elbow over to a large abstract painting that he pointed to and commented on loudly before whispering to her.

"What in the world is going on with you?"

Furiously, she whispered back, "In case you hadn't noticed, and you didn't seem to, but everyone is pointedly ignoring me."

"And in case you hadn't noticed, the women are snubbing you on purpose because you're the most attractive one here and the men don't want to step on my toes." He looked like that should have been the end of it, when suddenly he added, "That first man who flirted with you when we got in, do you remember that?"

"No. Was he the one who asked me about my job? Like a normal person would when you meet a stranger?"

Rufus looked nonplussed. "And who then asked if you had any appointment slots open in the evening on the weekends right after? Yes, him."

She was taken aback a moment. "What was wrong with that?"

"You obviously missed his point. I didn't. And I let him know our standing meetings might have to go on permanent hiatus because of an unavoidable conflict of interest."

Tifa took a moment to unpack what he meant, but when she figured it out she was suddenly even more livid than she had started. "You threatened him! You threatened him because he hit on me?" Her voice had risen and she shushed herself at the last word, darting her eyes around to make sure no one was noticing them unduly.

"I warned you before we came here: these people are sharks," He actually looked pleased with himself. "They would expect nothing less."

Deep breath, Tifa, now name the bones in the foot. Don't answer him until you can do it without the risk of bodily harm. "And you thought I would like this…why?"

"Why Rufus, I wondered if the rumors were true, and here you are bold as the sun." The voice broke over her like nails on a chalkboard. If Rufus had been her tormentor, then Scarlet had been his implement of torture.

Rufus had the sense to look displeased, but in the same way you might grimace when you noticed the bread had gone moldy. He gave Tifa what she thought might be an apologetic smile before turning to face Scarlet. Slowly doing the same, and grateful that her previous foul temper was giving her strength, Tifa clapped eyes on one of her least favorite people for the first time in over a decade.

The grey skirt she wore seemed modest until you saw it had a slit to mid-thigh running up the side. Hair was perfectly and artistically piled on her head. Long acrylic red nails, her signature all these years, were highly glossy. The thin red cashmere sweater she wore showed off every model thin angle of her body. She had pageant good looks: too tan, big white smile, lots of makeup.

"Scarlet, how unfortunate you found the time to attend this little soiree." Rufus' voice could have greased industrial engines. Tifa was starting to recognize that tone as his defense mechanism.

"I had heard you were seeing your assistant, how charming the rumors were true. I should have realized I needed to go up two cup sizes before you'd notice me." The tone was level and genial, like she had commented on the weather.

Rufus sighed just the right amount to sound absolutely bored. "You're as tactless as I remembered; I wonder why I didn't fire you sooner."

"You didn't fire me, darling, I left for greener pastures. Much greener." She rolled one of the diamond studs in her ear between two fingers. "Your tacky little friend is familiar, did I see you taking notes at a board meeting somewhere?"

Laughably, cutting through the horror of encountering her and the frigid reception Rufus had for the woman, Tifa realized Scarlet didn't recognize her. Squaring her shoulder and straightening her spine she unconsciously took a boxing stance with her feet. If it was a fight she wanted, Tifa was ready this time around and even if she couldn't take a swing at that pretty plastic face she could stand her ground.

"Nice to see you again Scarlet, it's been a few years. I'm afraid we never had the pleasure of working together, but you certainly do know me. How has life been treating you?"

Whatever game Scarlet had been playing, this kill 'em with kindness tactic that Tifa had taken completely threw her off. Clearly she was searching her mind for how Tifa knew her, but being at a disadvantage was not something she was comfortable with. She shifted on her tall heels as she narrowed her eyes. Whatever cutting remarks she had she seemed to be swallowing while she tried to place Tifa.

"I finished my doctorate in physical therapy not long ago, and I work downtown currently, you've probably passed by my building before."

Tifa saw Scarlet was choking on her own rage, unable to identify her still, but sure she was familiar. Knowing the look of a cornered opponent Tifa went for one more jab. If they had actually been in the ring this is where Tifa would have gotten her against the ropes.

"It was too bad you didn't come to our high school reunion a while back, we could have caught up then."

Knockout, Tifa thought with a not-so-secret smile. Scarlet gurgled as realization finally hit her how she knew Tifa and she telegraphed all the signs giving plenty of time to brace for the slap that landed squarely on her cheek. As Tifa had suspected, those skinny arms of hers didn't pack much power, and as Elena rushed over ready to jump on the angry blond Tifa intercepted her. If the other guests had been politely ignoring the exchange before they couldn't help but openly gawk at Scarlet's burst of temper.

"Scarlet, a pleasure as always," Rufus set down his drink at a nearby table and then put a hand on Tifa's shoulder, grabbing enough of her attention to get her moving towards the door. Everyone watched them leave but Tifa didn't even care anymore. Victory was sweet.

Elena hovered near them until they got to the car that Tseng brought out front. Her consternation was obvious at having failed at her basic task of protecting Tifa. Rufus also seemed to be handling her like she was glass about to shatter, but she had never felt better. The sting in her cheek faded fast and all that was left were endorphins and a wide satisfied smile.

"I had figured on coming across her eventually, but I didn't think she would attend this. She always considered holiday parties gauche." Rufus avoided Tifa's eyes in the car while examining her face slowly and carefully, touching her with cool fingertips. His solicitous attention was making the blood rush to her face more furiously than anything else she had endured that evening but she let him reassure her.

"Are all your ex-girlfriends that nice?"

"She isn't an ex, that's why she's so angry."

"Oh."

They sat in silence on the way back to Tifa's apartment. Rufus had a far-away look on his face which she assumed meant he was thinking hard about whatever. Tifa was giddy with the feeling that she had confronted one of her childhood terrors and found it weak and petty. As dates went it had been pretty bad, but as life-affirmation went she felt fantastic. He obviously didn't feel the same way as the dark cloud around him was obvious.

They stopped in front of her building and Tifa was all too aware of Elena and Tseng near them to think about him trying anything funny. He wasn't exactly giving her steamy looks, and she supposed he was cranky that nothing had turned out like he had wanted. He looked almost… dejected.

"Oh! Wait here one minute, I need to grab something in my apartment for you. It's a solstice gift." Tifa moved carefully over the snow that had hardened after dark to near ice and then broke into a run to the elevator. While riding up alone she did a little victory dance and sprinted to her apartment as the door opened.

Tossing paper aside she found what she hadn't wrapped yet for him, and looked at the life ring that had fallen over in the corner of the room. Hopefully that company had a flexible return policy. Back down to the car so fast she had actually broken a sweat she signaled that he should roll down the window. He still had his glower on as she handed him the tiny brass charm on some ribbon. It was a little boat steering wheel.

"For your rearview mirror," she added with a cheesy grin born of awkwardness. It dangled in front of her for a moment before he took it from her without a word. In exchange he placed a small box in her hand.

"Yours isn't wrapped either."

She opened it up to find a tiny gold medallion with an offset red gem in it; it looked like a necklace. It also looked expensive.

"I can't accept this." She held it back to him but he made no move to take it.

"What if I told you it was just glass and brass?"

"Well… I guess." She looked at it dubiously. As long as it wasn't real then that seemed a little less outrageous. She missed seeing the canny feline smile on his face as she looked away. "Hey," she said emboldened by her successes that night. "How about I pick the next place? I don't want any more surprises like Scarlet."

His eyebrows shot up, clearly not expecting that turn of events. Had she just asked him out? She had to admit she must have. "I'll email you with my availability. The holidays are… complicated."

"I'll be visiting my dad soon anyway, so maybe for the new year?"

"As you like."

She waved him off, shivering as her bare legs reminded her again she needed to invest in at least one pair of nylons.